Roderick's challenge hung over everyone.
Was a god's blessing nothing more than data written on a skill panel?
Was the power of the War Ladder a lifeless thing that had to wait seven days for its cooldown?
No one could answer.
Kevin the mage's lips moved a few times. His theories, built on data and logic, seemed feeble beside Roderick's almost frenzied declaration of faith.
He could not argue. They had just witnessed that impossible Divine Miracle with their own eyes.
Scott's brow knotted.
Unlike Kevin, he did not rely on data. He trusted his instincts on the battlefield.
Those instincts told him Kevin was right: attacking now meant certain death.
But the fighting spirit Roderick had stirred in his chest kept him from calling for a retreat.
The entire force of several thousand fell into an eerie silence.
The flames of fervor still burned, but cold reason had come crashing down on them.
Roderick gave them little time to hesitate.
He turned away from Scott and Kevin to face the thousands who had just joined. Confusion and fervor still mingled in the new Seekers' eyes.
"I ask you!"
"Why did you come here? To hide in the rear, count down cooldowns, and safely collect the fruits of victory?"
"Or to follow the light of the Ladder, to forge a Divine Miracle with your own blood and fire, and pass judgment on the Sin Karma of this land with your own hands?!"
He raised his shield high. The Ladder's emblem shone beneath the dim sky, impossible to ignore.
"The Grieving Signal Tower is right ahead! The Hatred Signal Tower isn't far from here!"
"They are the source of Sin Karma, the nightmares hanging over this city! They mock our weakness and wait for us to retreat!"
"Tell me! What do