LOGINYaphet had apprentices here too, so people definitely noticed he was missing. Homer's face went hard. He looked around at everyone and spoke in a flat voice, "Yaphet is dead." "Dead?" The Southbore Sect apprentice's jaw dropped. "What do you mean?" "He was never really one of us. Or maybe he was, once." A chill crept into Homer's voice. "He'd been hiding among us for years. This whole trip to the sanctum was a scheme he plotted. "He teamed up with the leaders of three hidden sects, plus missionaries from Athara's Crimsory Sect and fortune tellers from Krowo. They tried to kill us." "What? There were three hidden sect leaders, fortune tellers, and missionaries? Put those people together, and they could level mountains!" The words hit like a bomb going off. The whole crowd erupted. "He was a spy? No way..." "Yaphet spent his whole life at Mount Southbore! How could he be working against us?" "I can't believe Yaphet would do something like that!" Shocked murmurs spread
The white figure's voice turned frosty. "I know you speak for Heaven, but does Heaven understand what it's like to be human? Does it know what lies in people's hearts? "Does it see the evil that men do? It doesn't. As long as the three realms follow the rules and don't upset the natural order, Heaven couldn't care less. So let me ask you again—is Heaven being fair at all?" Landon's eyes dimmed. "That's not a question I can answer." "I know you can't." The white figure looked up slowly with those cold eyes. "But I still think Heaven is being unjust. It has the power to change things and make a difference. Yet it always looks the other way." She took a step forward. Her ghostly figure flickered in the air, but even that couldn't hide the sharp, untouchable energy radiating off her. "I dedicated myself to practicing the arcane. I never hurt anyone. I just wanted to reach the peak of the Great Decator. "But not only did Heaven throw so many obstacles in my way, it totally cut m
Broken, fragmented voices flooded Aria's mind. Every word thrummed with overwhelming Decator energy, and her soul shook so hard she thought her head might split open. She'd never felt anything like this. Clutching her skull, she doubled over as the sheer weight of it all threatened to tear her apart from the inside. A strangled cry escaped her lips as her knees hit the ground. "Ah!" "Aria!" Seeing that made Homer panic. He lunged forward to pull her free, but there seemed to be an invisible wall stopping him from going forward. He pushed against it, straining with everything he had, but couldn't move an inch. Landon stood still with his hands clasped behind his back, but his eyes never left Aria. For just a moment, worry flickered in those dark depths. He knew what this was—it was her opportunity and trial. No one could step in to help her through it. The white figure floating above seemed to notice Aria's pain. A pale hand rose slowly, pointing down at her through empty ai
Landon's calm gaze swept over the three of them. There was no killing intent or contempt in his eyes. They were just empty and still as stagnant water. His true strength was a mystery to everyone. Vaelor, Raimor, and Sereth kept their eyes locked on Landon. He still stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, that strange invisible barrier around him unmoved. He seemed oblivious to the danger Aria was facing. Confusion stirred in all three of them at the same time. If Landon really had the terrifying power that Sylas claimed, why was he just standing there watching Aria fight two opponents alone? What was he thinking? "Hmph. I don't know if Landon has some kind of hang-up or if he's just merciless, but if he's not going to make a move, we don't have to waste time on him." Raimor's voice was low and hard. He let his sword drop until the tip touched the ground, sending bits of gravel scattering. "Aria is our real target here. We'll kill her first and then figure out how
Yaphet paused and let out a fake sigh. "Look, we're all from the righteous path here, so I'll give you some advice—just give up. Don't fight it. Let the manifestation do its work, and I'll make sure your bodies stay in one piece. "You'll be able to die with some dignity at least." "Dignity?" Aria finally spoke. Her voice was quiet, but it cut right through the thick black fog and reached every ear. It was cold yet clear. A chill ran down every spine. She lifted her head slowly. Those clear eyes of hers held nothing now but a frozen wasteland. When she looked at Yaphet, she might as well have been looking at a dead man. "I've been searching for you for a long time." Aria's eyes were as cold as winter. "I guess I've finally found Suncrest Sect, Greenshade Guild, and Grayburn Sect. You all hid so well these past years that I couldn't find a single trace of you. "But now that you've shown up right in front of me, I'm going to make you pay for everyone who died at Hollowlight
This was the killing manifestation Sylas had spent months preparing. He called it the Devourer Manifestation. The manifestation was dark arcane arts through and through, and its power was off the charts. Once it activated, it would generate a massive pulling force that could consume the flesh and soul of any living being caught inside, turning them into fuel. Sylas had his people kidnap plenty of victims to make this happen. Every single one got tossed into the manifestation to feed it. That was how it had grown this strong. But there was another special thing about this manifestation. It could lock onto specific targets. When Yaphet set the thing up, he'd already burned Aria and Landon's energy signatures right into its core. This manifestation had been built just for them. Yaphet stood at the edge of the manifestation as he watched Aria and Landon trapped inside. A smile spread across his face—one he'd been hiding for a long time. "Aria and Landon, it's time for you to di







