The dimly lit cell was eerily quiet. So quiet that one could hear a pin drop in here.Soon after, Adrian heard a rustling sound. 'Is there someone else here?' His heart skipped a beat, and he listened to the sound. In the adjacent cells, he saw some shadows."Are you also imprisoned here?" Adrian asked."Yes. Who are you?" a hoarse male voice responded.Adrian found the voice somewhat familiar but could not quite place it. However, he decided to introduce himself and said, "I'm Adrian."His words seemed to startle the man in the neighboring cell, who quickly poked his head out through the bars. In the dim light, Adrian finally recognized him. It was Dariel. "Dariel?" Adrian frowned. Dariel recognized Adrian too. He seemed elated and exclaimed, "Mr. Adrian, it's really you! I didn't expect you to be locked up too.""What do you mean by that? Do you want me to be locked up?" Adrian asked."No, I didn't mean that. I didn't want you to get involved in this mess. But, well..." Da
"Not again!" Adrian gasped. He knew that the Netherites were influential, and the faction he had dealt with previously was just one of its branches. He had not expected to encounter them again, and judging by what they had accomplished, they were more formidable than he expected."We don't know what they're up to though." Whitney sighed in frustration again.Adrian did not reply and pondered his next steps."What's wrong, Mr. Adrian?" Whitney asked when she noticed Adrian's silence."Don't worry. With me here, I won't let any harm come to you. You will all surely be safe," Adrian said confidently."Stop with the big talk. They're going to use us as sacrifices at midnight tomorrow. By then, you'll be finished too!" Another voice chimed in before Adrian could respond.Adrian looked toward the voice and noticed that it was a middle-aged man talking. He assumed that he was the real Addison, and the latter appeared quite disheveled."What do you mean?" Adrian asked."Exactly as it s
Besides, Nathaniel was considerably powerful. Since entering the camp, he had greeted one person after another with almost no pause. After a while, he finally found a corner with fewer people to sit down."Ah, having too many acquaintances isn't ideal either. I truly dislike this type of social interaction..." Nathaniel sighed."You should be satisfied. Many people would love to achieve your position!" Safiya teased."I'm not boasting, but if I had the choice, I wouldn't be a chief instructor!" Nathaniel stretched lazily. In public, he always maintained a dignified demeanor. When there was no one around, he finally showed his true nature.Safiya simply smiled at his words. But suddenly, her smile froze on her face. She had just spotted a familiar face in the crowd. "What's the matter?" Nathaniel asked when he noticed her unusual behavior."I…I think I just saw Ash!" Safiya replied, her voice trembling."Ash?" Nathaniel was surprised. “Are you sure you didn't mistake him for som
The voice was so familiar that it immediately caught Nathaniel and Safiya's attention. They turned toward the source and finally saw the person they had been eagerly awaiting—Ash.Safiya was completely stunned as if turned to stone. She stood there and stared at Ash silently."Hey, Safiya," Ash said."Ash... Is it really you?" Safiya replied, her voice trembling with disbelief. She moved to step forward, but Nathaniel stopped her."Careful, this might be an imposter!" Nathaniel said.Nathaniel's warning brought Safiya back to her senses."Mr. Nathaniel, you're as vigilant as ever," Ash said with a smile."Cut the nonsense. Who are you? Ash is dead. Why are you impersonating him?" Nathaniel demanded, shielding Safiya behind him."I am Ash, and I didn't die," Ash replied calmly.Ash then proceeded to explain everything that had happened. Nathaniel and Safiya were stunned by his story.Nathaniel said, "Well, well, well… Adrian sure is full of surprises. Just when you think you'v
Then, a man walked in. It was the fake Addison, and behind him were many followers. They opened the cell doors and escorted Adrian and the others out.Adrian and the others were bound with special handcuffs. No matter how hard they struggled, they could not break free from these restraints. Under the guards' escort, Adrian and the others were quickly taken to the deepest part of the garrison camp.It was now time for the night party. The impostor Whitney was playing host, proudly entertaining colleagues from various areas."Thanks to our years of effort, the work of the garrison army has been going very smoothly. So, I propose a toast to all of you!" fake Whitney said with a beaming smile, raising her glass and drinking its contents in one gulp.Following her lead, everyone present stood up and raised their glasses in celebration. All of them were oblivious to the imposter’s true identity save for two people—Nathaniel and Safiya. Ash had already informed them of the situation, maki
The impostors' demeanors had completely transformed, exuding a thoroughly sinister aura."Alright. Now that we've captured these people, let's get down to business," fake Whitney commanded."Let’s go!" her companions echoed.Swiftly, they sprang into action and dragged everyone to a highly concealed location. The unconscious people were taken to an underground chamber that was filled with a chilling atmosphere. Without the pills Ash had given them, Nathaniel and Safiya would not have stood a chance.There was a vast blood pool at the center of this chamber. It was identical to the one Adrian had seen before, except this one emanated an even more potent dark energy. The atmosphere was so oppressive that it felt like descending into the depths of hell.Soon, more prisoners were brought in—Adrian and his group.When Adrian saw the scene, he was mildly astonished by the swift efficiency with which their enemies had subdued all the guests. "Surprised, are you?" Fake Addison sneered.
Adrian continued, "But no matter what you have planned, it's better to uncuff them. If you just leave them here, something bad might happen/""Uncuffing them is what will cause something bad to happen!" fake Whitney retorted sharply. She had no intention of continuing this conversation and turned around, instructing her subordinates, "Take them all to the blood pool. It's time to start the ritual." "Yes, ma'am!" her subordinates responded in unison and began leading everyone toward the blood pool."What are you planning to do?" Adrian asked."Isn't it obvious? We're going to use you all as our living sacrifices. But don't worry, Mr. Adrian. You'll be the last one. Consider it a mark of my respect for you," fake Whitney said with a wicked smile.One by one, the people were dragged toward the blood pool. Despite the dire situation, Adrian remained remarkably calm."Get down there!" fake Addison said as he pushed the real Addison toward the pool.Fake Whitney watched with a twiste
Unfortunately, these countless blood blades were clearly something not everyone could defend against, especially not fake Addison. He let out a pained scream, and in the next moment, he dissolved into nothingness and disappeared before everyone's eyes."This is impossible!" Fake Whitney was utterly astonished. Then, her face twisted in anger as she snarled, "Damn you wretched fools! How dare you kill my people! I will bury you, every last one of you!"Flames then erupted from fake Whitney’s body, engulfing her in a fiery blaze. The flames emanating from her were hell flames. It was devoid of any warmth and thrust the surroundings into freezing temperatures. Her appearance underwent a grotesque transformation as her skin started to fall off from her body. "Now, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Giselle Gisela, the Fire Guardian of the Netherites," Giselle said. Her voice became even more sinister as the hell flames intensified, forming grimacing ghost faces that surged toward Adr