"Lord Bals, as expected, you kept your promise."
Only then did everyone notice the black figure, and they all heard his words.
Alice's expression shifted slightly. She instinctively moved several steps away from Lord Bals and drew her longsword with her other hand. Though she did not point it directly at Bals, wariness already flickered in her eyes.
Siosand whistled leisurely. "Looks like he's in a hurry too?"
As he spoke, he casually stepped in front of Sart and pulled Aaron back with one hand. Whether intentionally or not, he also glanced at Bals.
"It's a Heretical Cultist trick," Bals said grimly, his tone unusually serious. "I'm the lord of Leyden City in the Yagrant Kingdom, as well as a member of House of Sogtos. Why would I become a Heretical Cultist?"
"Because you crave power, just like Tien." The figure let out several dry chuckles.
Bals swept his gaze over everyone again. "It's true that I crave power, but I crave power that can be controlled. I've already reached the Gold Tier. Do you really think I don't know what tricks you Heretical Cultists are playing?"
The figure slowly walked closer, his voice carrying a strangely persuasive force. "But we truly possess power—exceptionally mighty power..."
"Starlight Above, see through evil!" Sart quickly grabbed a small handful of Spirit Powder and constructed a ritual on the spot.
Azure bands of light slowly spiraled around everyone, revealing the black mist churning incessantly around them.
"Fall back. He may be difficult to deal with." The iron arm of Bals shone once more, its arcane runes flickering erratically. Faintly, the sound of meshing gears could still be heard.
Aaron's eyes flickered uncertainly as his gaze shifted back and forth between Lord Bals and the Heretical Cultist. He had no idea whom he should believe.
There was definitely something wrong with Lord Bals, but Aaron had yet to find evidence that this problem was connected to the Heretical Cultist.
The Heretical Cultist's words were also highly persuasive. Bals's various actions had unwittingly provided evidence for what he said.
What if Lord Bals turned against them...?
In the cramped sewer, a Heretical Cultist from the Crawling Hand with unknown abilities, combined with Iron Arm Balthus, could make even escape seem like an extravagant hope.
Who was right, and who was wrong?
"I don't kill nameless nobodies. What's your name?" Aaron simply shouted.
"Me? You can call me Tog the Evil Hand."
Tog's tone held a hint of mockery, as if he believed he had already gotten the better of them.
"Give me some time." Sart spoke quietly to Aaron while discreetly rubbing his gloves. Spice Powder sifted down in a soft rustle.
With the Spice Gloves, even though he could not temporarily retrieve the spice box behind him, he could still perform a ritual.
Alice stared intently at Bals and slowly came to Aaron's side. Silver-white light shimmered along her longsword.
Bals's expression changed. "You go first. Follow this path down and find any exit to leave through. Alice, Ed didn't come down here. I'm guessing he must have gone to your trading company. Leave first!"
Alice frowned and pressed her lips together before saying firmly, "House of Iris will never turn its back on an enemy!"
"There's no room for you to interfere in this battle..." Before Bals could finish speaking, a series of tiny sounds came from all around them, as if something was drawing near.
"Heh. It seems it's a little too late to leave now." Tog stood in the darkness. Though his face was still impossible to make out, everyone could imagine the arrogant expression in his voice.
"Spiritual Eye Clarity." Sart spoke in a low voice.
Aaron suddenly felt a strange warm current come from behind him and flow straight into his eyes. His vision blurred slightly, then brightened. Even the dim torch in his hand seemed to shine a little more brightly.
"Glimmer Vision. We may have to leave this place." Sart spoke quickly.
Aaron instinctively looked around. Everything nearby seemed a little clearer, and he could even see farther into the distance.
That was when he saw the hands. He held his breath.
Not far behind them, several human hands were scattered about, blocking their path.
They varied in size, but their blue-black skin and spasmodically twitching fingers proved their identity.
Crawling Hands!
While they had been speaking with Tog moments ago, these Crawling Hands had made their way behind them.
It was easy to foresee that they would never let them leave easily.
This way was blocked.
So the conversation earlier had been meant to stall for time?
Aaron swallowed. Though he had already been mentally prepared, seeing those Crawling Hands still made his neck ache faintly.
Ahead was a Heretical Cultist of the Crawling Hand and a Lord Bals whose attitude remained unclear. Behind them were several Crawling Hands. In an instant, Aaron and the others found themselves caught in a dilemma.
They could either choose to trust the lord and break through to escape, or help him kill this Heretical Cultist of the Crawling Hand.
But the problem was that if they chose incorrectly, they would fall into an irredeemable predicament.
"These are still projections," Sart said quietly. "True Crawling Hands are refined from transcendent beings of the Silver Tier or higher. They naturally possess several abilities, while these are all defective products."
Alice charged toward the Crawling Hands with her shield raised, not forgetting to shout, "Let's get out first!"
Siosand coughed once, starlight flickering in his pale-green eyes.
As a Silver Tier prophet, he could mobilize the power of his soul to make some temporary perceptions and predictions.
However, the result was fruitless, just as expected.
Tog and Bals had already become major variables in the future. Even with his keen spiritual perception, it was difficult for him to find a direction within the future's dense fog.
On the other side, Bals had already engaged the Heretical Cultist head-on.
The iron arm had changed shape under the movement of its gears. Amid the clatter of machinery, savage metal spikes spread wildly, and the cold radiance of runes flickered in and out. The original human hand had vanished, replaced by a two-handed warhammer!
With the combined force of machinery and muscle, Bals swung the weapon as casually as if it were a toy hammer.
The fierce wind shrieked as it traveled far through the sewer.
Although thick black mist enveloped the Heretical Cultist and could even coil around Bals's iron arm like a snake, it could only retreat again and again before such a vicious weapon.
Every collision between the black mist and the runes erupted with several visible ripples. When they struck the walls, they left deep marks.
"Go!" Though he clearly had the upper hand, Lord Bals shouted harshly, "He's still stalling for time!"
Tog laughed loudly in response. "Bals, you don't need to pretend anymore. Just kill them directly, like you did when you killed Tien. Wouldn't that be easier?"
Thanks to ldGhost for the two tips~
Thank you all very much for your support today~
Uh, I only just learned that recommendations last for an entire week...
But I probably won't be adding extra chapters later. Two chapters a day is more stable~
After all, having too many words before the book goes premium isn't ideal. But the Trap God will work hard to stockpile chapters and strive to release a burst of updates when it goes premium~
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