Meanwhile.
At the bottom of Pearl Lake, a hundred miles beyond the Royal Capital.
"Where... exactly is this place?"
The originally pitch-black tunnel was now brightly lit by clusters of flame. The vast rock hall was packed with people—the members of the Black Nightmare Army had gathered here after separately evading The Church's inspection. They looked around this expansive underground world, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Maurice turned his wheelchair around and looked at Benjamin in confusion, asking the question above.
"It's a bit complicated to explain, but... you've heard of the legacy of the 'Soul Flame,' right?" Benjamin considered his words before slowly speaking. "This is where the legacy truly lies."
Maurice's face immediately froze in astonishment.
"The Soul Flame... actually has a legacy? How did you find this place?"
"That's a long story." Benjamin scratched his head, finding it truly difficult to explain everything from beginning to end. In the end, he said, "I discovered this place by chance. It's enormous, and extremely well-hidden. If we hide here, The Church will never find us."
Maurice nodded at that and said nothing more.
His mind was still brimming with all sorts of questions, but just as Benjamin had said, this underground world truly was the perfect hiding place. It was spacious enough for the Black Nightmare Army to continue operating without obstruction, and The Church would never imagine that such a small world existed beneath Pearl Lake.
This tunnel had two exits, with the other end near Crusader Gate. When they needed to deploy troops, they could leave through that other exit and strike the towns in that region.
He was curious about what the legacy of the "Soul Flame" was, but Benjamin clearly seemed reluctant to discuss it, so he did not press further.
Maurice turned around and