The next day.
Shedian Town, under a steady drizzle.
Cold, desolate rain struck the old, damp tower. Water seeped slowly through the peeling walls into the castle, ivy shadows swayed beyond the windowsills, and the fireplace's glow cast the Saints' faces in shifting darkness.
At that very moment, another meeting of the Saints was underway.
The meeting was chaired by Rosen, an Order Knight from the Order Temple, whose assigned identity was Chief Divine Official. Seated beside him were the top-ranked students of the Druid Sect and the Alchemy Holy See, assigned the identities of priest and viscount respectively.
This fortress was also the residence of the Viscount of Shedian.
The Saints seated around the round table were representatives from each sect, along with the Squad Leaders of every team—usually the top scorers from the first two examinations.
"Only ten teams have arrived in total."
Rosen's handsome face was somewhat grim as his gaze swept across the Saints gathered around the table.
The personality certification was also part of the examination. Saints who had lost to Esoteric Cultists were not even qualified to enter Narak.
Nearly half the Saints had been eliminated before they had even begun.
None of the team leaders around the table looked pleased.
The shortage of manpower was only a secondary concern.
More seriously, this Cult of Suffering stronghold was simply too difficult to capture. It was not even possible to assault it from the outside.
According to the scouts' investigations over the past few days,
the stronghold was filled with Alchemy Matrices. Its perimeter was even linked with alchemical wire, and Esoteric Cultists patrolled every night.
The Heresy Stronghold was also believed to keep several hounds capable of detecting strong scents.
The interior of the stronghold was completely cut off from the outside world.
Not