Sinner

While Thor cursed inwardly but put on a conflicted expression as he raised the banner against the Black Tide Monsters, Flim also noticed something strange along the coast.

To conserve energy, he hadn't been taking the fight seriously. Instead, he'd been fending off Alfonso's attacks with a playful air while keeping him imprisoned so he couldn't escape.

But when the enormous Mermaid Variant appeared by the sea, Flim immediately sensed something was wrong, even though they were some distance from the coast.

At the time, Alfonso had also thrown himself into stopping Flim, which cost Flim a little time before he managed to subdue him.

Yet after dealing with Alfonso, Flim didn't kill him right away or forcibly search his Consciousness Entity. Instead, he brought the immobilized Alfonso to the shore.

Although Flim's main body was about to leave Nephrite, he wasn't truly indifferent to the Black Tide's attack.

That was precisely why he'd half-coerced Wizard Ailuo into maintaining the Defense Array across the entire Southeast Coast in his place, and had Stuart disguise himself as Ailuo to oversee the battle.

But when Flim reached the high ground overlooking the coast, he happened to see Stuart wield the wind like a blade and cleave the hundred-meter-tall Mermaid Variant in two.

Flim frowned at once. With his keen eyesight, he could tell that something was wrong with the Mermaid Variant.

The Mermaid Variant was unusual. From a distance, even Flim hadn't noticed anything abnormal inside it.

By the time he saw it, Stuart had already delivered the final blow.

Though seriously injured, Alfonso was still conscious inside the ball of light enveloping him, and naturally saw what was happening on the shore.

"What... is going on?" Nothing happening by the sea was part of Alfonso's plan.

He'd spent ten years making