Ery and the others erged from the spatial gate atop a barren hill several miles away from the red-labeled city.
Heavy desert winds swept endlessly across the wasteland, carrying dry sand through the air in thick waves that reduced visibility. Even so, from their elevated position, the five Grand Magus experts could still clearly see the city below.
It was empty.
Not damaged.
Not burning.
The sight imdiately created an uncomfortable feeling within the group.
Without wasting ti, Anderson led them forward. In only a few steps, the five figures crossed the distance and arrived directly before the city gates.
The gates stood fully open.
Not forced open.
Not broken.
Simply abandoned.
Inside, the streets looked disturbingly normal.
Doors remained partially open at odd angles as though their owners had only stepped away briefly. Market stalls still displayed fruits, fabrics, and pottery slowly rotting beneath the dry heat. No bodies.
No blood.
No wreckage.
Nothing.
The silence felt deeply unnatural.
Imdiately, every divine sense within the group expanded outward, sweeping across the city repeatedly. Spiritual probes moved through every building, alleyway, underground structure, and defensive formation.
Other than several insignificant desert beasts wandering far outside the city…
There was nothing.
"There should've been tens of thousands of people living here."
The one who spoke was the Sword Demoness.
Unlike the others, the woman possessed considerable familiarity with Baeldum. According to the intelligence Ery received earlier, she had visited this planet many tis throughout the years.
And right now—
Even she looked unsettled.
Anderson turned toward her.
"What can you tell us about this?"
The Sword Demoness remained silent for several monts before slowly glancing toward the massive mountain rising several miles behind the city.
At its peak stood an enormous stone temple partially hidden beneath drifting sands and clouds.
"That mountain temple…" she muttered quietly. "It belongs to Vajra Venerable Monk Ru Lai."
Her tone changed slightly when speaking the na.
Without waiting for further discussion, the woman suddenly shot into the skies and flew directly toward the mountain.
Ery and the others instinctively turned toward Anderson, waiting for instructions.
The Magus Alliance vice commander expression gradually turned more serious as he considered the situation.
"We need to follow the trail imdiately," Anderson said. "If we waste too much ti here, another city could suffer the sa fate."
Before he could continue organizing the next step, Hubert casually interrupted while flipping his golden coin between his fingers.
"I can attempt a divination. I could determine where all these people went."
Ery glanced toward Hubert in surprise.
Until now, the mysterious Grand Magus had mostly acted relaxed and detached from everything around him. Seeing the man suddenly volunteer himself so proactively felt strangely unusual.
Hubert rely smiled faintly before walking toward the center of the abandoned street, seemingly already preparing whatever altar or divination thod he planned to use.
Anderson quickly made his decision.
Hubert would remain behind to assist him.
anwhile, Ery received another task entirely.
"Follow the Sword Demoness and investigate the temple."
Hearing that, Ery suddenly noticed Hubert giving him a small amused smile from the corner of his eyes.
For so reason—
That smile imdiately gave Ery a bad premonition.
Without wasting more ti, Ery turned toward Archbishop Stephen.
"There may be infected inside that temple."
The archbishop imdiately understood the implication. Anderson gave a brief nod of approval after hearing the suggestion.
Monts later, Ery raised his hand and opened a spatial gate directly toward the mountain peak.
Together with Archbishop Stephen, the two stepped through distorted space and arrived before the massive stone temple overlooking the city.
The mont they arrived—
Ery's divine sense exploded outward instinctively.
And imdiately, his expression darkened.
The temple was not empty.
It was filled with corpses.
Charred black bodies lay scattered across the massive courtyard, temple stairs, ditation halls, and stone pathways. Most were burned so severely they had beco almost impossible to identify properly. Only fragnts remained recognizable—pieces of yellow robes, shattered prayer beads, and the unique sandals worn by the temple disciples.
The sll of burned flesh still lingered faintly throughout the mountain air.
Then suddenly—
"OLD RU LAI!! SHOW YOURSELF!!"
The Sword Demoness' voice thundered across the entire temple grounds.
Ery looked up and saw the woman flying above the rooftops, exploring the area.
Her tone sounded harsh, rude.
Yet hidden beneath the anger, Ery could clearly sense sothing else.
Concern.
The woman knew the monk personally.
Without hesitation, Ery and Archbishop Stephen quickly followed her deeper into the temple grounds. Crossing through dozens of burned corpses and shattered halls, the three eventually arrived behind the temple near the mountain cliffs.
The scene there imdiately startled them.
Massive craters covered the area.
Several hills had been completely destroyed while gigantic stone fragnts lay scattered hundreds of ters apart. Deep scars carved through the mountain itself revealed just how violent the previous battle had been.
This was undoubtedly the aftermath of a Grand Magus battle.
"This is where that old monk usually ditate…" the Sword Demoness muttered while staring at the devastation.
Her expression gradually turned darker.
"He's a powerfull three-cosmos… not many could match him …"
At that exact mont, Ery sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy hidden beneath one of the collapsed rock piles nearby.
His expression imdiately sharpened.
With a slight gesture of his hand, spatial force spread outward and the enormous piles of shattered rock suddenly trembled before slowly drifting apart. Massive boulders weighing dozens of tons floated away one after another, revealing what had been buried beneath the ruins.
A figure.
A golden monk sat motionlessly within the crater.
At first glance, it resembled a sculpture forged entirely from gold, yet the details were disturbingly lifelike. The body was extrely thin, almost skeletal, with sunken cheeks and wrinkled skin clearly visible beneath the tallic coating. Every fold of the robe and every strand of beard remained perfectly preserved.
It looked less like a statue and more like a corpse sealed alive within tal.
The Sword Demoness' eyes widened instantly.
"That's him…" she muttered softly. "That's Monk Ru Lai… Is he dead?"
None of them answered imdiately because all three could sense it — a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy still lingered within the golden shell. Weak. Unstable. But undeniably present.
Ery stepped closer carefully while extending his divine sense deeper into the tallic body. The golden layer surrounding the monk was strangely dense, interfering with spiritual perception itself. It took several seconds before his senses finally managed to pierce through the outer shell enough to glimpse what lay beneath.
His brows slowly furrowed.
"It's so kind of seal," Ery said slowly. "perhaps a live saving technique."
He turned toward the Sword Demoness.
"Did Monk Ru Lai ever use an art like this before?"
The woman frowned before she suddenly make a moved.
The Sword Demoness decisively unleashed her blade.
"Wait—!"
Neither Ery nor Archbishop Stephen managed to stop her in ti.
A terrifying wave of sword intent erupted across the mountain as the woman swung downward with overwhelming precision. Dark sword law condensed into a single razor-thin black line that sliced directly through the golden monk from forehead to waist.
The slash carried enough power to split mountains apart.
Yet when it struck the golden shell, the result appeared strangely unimpressive.
Only a thin crack ford across the tallic surface.
However, the mont the crack appeared, Ery's expression changed instantly.
Sothing inside moved.
A violent burst of dark spiritual energy suddenly exploded outward from within the sealed body.
BOOOOM!!
Black smoke erupted from the crack like corruption finally escaping after years of imprisonnt. The dark energy spread wildly across the surroundings while distorted spiritual pressure flooded the mountain.
"It's an evil spirit!" Archbishop Stephen shouted imdiately.
Without hesitation, the archbishop raised both hands as brilliant holy light erupted around him. Sacred runes spread throughout the air while he rapidly began chanting a purification prayer.
anwhile, more dark smoke continued pouring from the cracked golden shell.
The smoke twisted violently midair, constantly shifting between humanoid and monstrous forms while shrill screams echoed directly into their minds. Ery instinctively stepped in front of Archbishop Stephen while preparing himself for an attack.
Then suddenly—
At the center of the twisting darkness, a distorted face gradually erged while broken words escaped from its mouth between shrieks filled with rage and grief.
"I am enraged…!"
"My disciples…!"
"My people…!!"
The spirit scread painfully before suddenly turning toward Ery.
"It's you!!"
The creature shrieked.
"You did this!! You have to die!!"
Ery stared at it completely dumbfounded.
"What did I do?!"
"Watch out!" Archbishop Stephen warned from behind him.
The evil spirit lunged forward instantly.
Suddenly, Ery's consciousness shook violently. Almost instantly, he could feel traces of corruption spreading slowly through his mind like dark poison seeping into his thoughts.
And strangely—
At such a critical mont, a thought flashed across his mind.
Hubert's smile.
Ery's expression darkened slightly.
That bastard…
He must have predicted sothing like this would happen.
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