Edward's brows furrowed slightly as doubt surfaced on his handso face.
"What's going on? Shouldn't his hero star be shining brightly?" Edward wondered cautiously.
Victor, Adam, and Arshley also noticed the oddity, their expressions mirroring his doubt.
Arshley, in particular, was so bewildered that she didn't know how to react. She had been utterly convinced that her brother was alive and well, but this scene felt like a harsh slap that rattled her confidence.
As silence and suspense engulfed the hall of gods, an unexpected event occurred. Leon's hero star, which had appeared dim and lifeless, suddenly quivered softly and began to emit a strange flicker of golden light.
At first, the flickering was faint, but it grew stronger and more distinct with each passing mont.
The sight didn't escape their keen eyes. Yet, before they could process what was happening, sothing even more extraordinary unfolded.
*Buzz!*
The flickering stopped abruptly, replaced by a brilliant golden glow. At the sa ti, the massive golden bell hanging high behind the throne shifted and let out a deep, resonant chi.
*Dong*
*Dong*
*Dong*
The sound once again shocked everyone in the hall of gods.
"This... How can this be? Why is the Bell of the Gods, silent for thousands of years, suddenly ringing?!" Louis exclaid in disbelief.
The Bell of the Gods was an ancient artifact left behind by the first saint of the Holy Orthodoxy.
Although it was an ancient artifact, its effects and abilities remained a complete mystery. The first saint of the Holy Orthodoxy left no records or clues regarding the bell's powers.
However, according to an ancient archive, the first saint had left a cryptic ssage: "One day, the bell will ring three tis. On the first ring, 'he' will awaken and realize his purpose. On the second ring, 'he' will co to the Holy Orthodoxy. And on the third ring, the bell shall be given to him."
Though this seed like a clue, its aning was never fully understood, leaving generations of saints and guardians puzzled for thousands of years.
Hearing Louis' exclamation, Edward's expression shifted slightly, but he shook his head calmly.
"This isn't the first ti the Bell of the Gods has rung. Have you forgotten that night?" Edward asked in an indifferent tone.
"That night?" Louis froze, his brows furrowed deeply as he struggled to recall.
Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his heart began to race.
"That's right! That night! How could I forget?" Louis exclaid, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
On that night, he and Edward had co to the Hall of Gods to inform Arshley that Leon's hero star had been replaced by a strange, unknown star.
But then, the Bell of the Gods had suddenly rung, startling all three of them. Now, it was ringing again—for the second ti.
Louis' expression grew tense as he stared at the chiming bell, his gaze clouded with worry.
anwhile, Victor and Adam, who had been listening to their conversation, exchanged surprised glances.
"The Bell of the Gods has rung before? Why didn't I know about this?" Victor asked, his voice tinged with doubt.
Adam narrowed his eyes, shook his head slowly, and replied, "I didn't know either. They never told a thing."
The two fell silent, sharing a look of mutual understanding before letting out small, resigned sighs.
Although they were Guardians, their roles were quite different from Edward's and Louis's. As the Supre General, Adam was always stationed at the borders, monitoring areas for potential enemy attacks.
anwhile, Victor, the last remaining Great Mage of Mankind, had his own difficult responsibilities. He oversaw and managed the academies across Holy Orthodoxy, and was also in charge of training the mage soldiers who would beco the key defenders of the Holy Orthodox in the future.
They realized that Edward must have deliberately kept them in the dark to spare them additional worry. After all, the four of them had grown up together and understood each other's nature very well.
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
The bell continued to toll with a thunderous sound that echoed throughout the Holy Hall. The maids, guards, and soldiers present all felt a deep sense of shock as the tolling filled the air.
By the seventh chi, the bell finally ceased, and a heavy silence settled over the hall.
Arshley, who had been lost in shock, slowly regained her composure.
The expression beneath her veil seed troubled, as if she couldn't comprehend why the Bell of the Gods had rung again so suddenly.
Subconsciously, her gaze drifted toward Edward as she asked, her voice laced with doubt, "Edward, do you know what's happening? Why is the bell ringing again?"
Arshley's sudden question naturally drew the attention of Louis, Victor, and Adam. They all turned to Edward, waiting for his explanation.
Sensing the weight of their gazes, Edward's expression remained calm. He lifted his gaze to the star map and focused on Leon's hero star, which now blazed with a dazzling golden light.
"I have a hunch. The reason the bell rang is because of Sword Hero Leon Kruger," Edward replied calmly, pointing to Leon's hero star above.
All their gazes shifted involuntarily upward, and they were stunned to see that the star, once dim, now shone brightly, even outshining Luna and Valen's hero stars.
"This..." Louis stamred, his shock evident.
In his years as a seer, he had made countless divinations and witnessed the fates of many, but he had never seen such a dramatic shift in the brilliance of a person's destiny star.
Arshley was montarily dazed by the brilliance of Leon's hero star, unable to contain the wave of relief and happiness that washed over her.
With this, it was finally clear: her brother was truly safe, just as Edward had said. Calming herself, an exquisite smile of happiness blossod on her lips.
"So, was the 'he' in the first Saint's words referring to my brother, Edward?" Arshley asked, seeking confirmation once more.
Edward smiled gently and replied with assurance, "Yes, the 'he' in question is the Sword Hero Leon—or rather, 'The Fated One,' as recorded in the ancient book I discovered."
Louis raised an eyebrow and asked cautiously, "So, does that an the ancient book you found is connected to the clue the first Saint left behind?"
"Yes... it should be," Edward replied, nodding briefly.
"In that case, it makes sense why the bell hasn't rung in thousands of years," Victor said with a soft sigh.
They all nodded in agreent. Suddenly, a look of confusion crossed Adam's face, and he shot Edward a doubtful glance.
"Since the Bell of the Gods is tied to Sword Hero Leon, why didn't it ring while he was still here?" Adam asked, once again surprising them.
Edward paused for a mont, deep in thought. After a beat, he exhaled slowly and shook his head.
"I don't have the answer, but it seems to be connected to Leon's awakening," Edward replied.
"Leon's awakening? What do you an?" Victor asked, intrigued.
"The first chi of the Bell of the Gods signals that 'he' has awakened and realized his purpose. This suggests that Leon, at the ti, may not have fully awakened or understood his purpose. I'm not entirely sure what 'awakened' and 'realized his purpose' truly an, but I suspect it's related to the task of 'the Fated One,' as recorded in the ancient book I found," Edward explained, connecting the pieces.
Of course, all of this was still speculation, and he wasn't entirely certain; however, he felt confident that the truth wouldn't stray far from his theory.
As Edward spoke, the others nodded slightly, as if they understood.
Just as Louis opened his mouth to ask a question, a burst of deep laughter suddenly echoed from the direction of the Hall of Gods' door.
"Hahaha! What's going on here? Why does everyone look so serious?"
At the sound of the voice, Arshley, Edward, Louis, Victor, and Adam were startled and quickly turned to see a handso man walking toward them, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The man was striking, with short black hair and a tall, commanding posture. The outline of his muscular fra was visible beneath the white robe he wore, and a sheath with a white sword hung at his waist.
Their expressions shifted instantly at the sight of him. Even Edward, typically composed, couldn't hide the surge of emotions crossing his face.
"Lucas!?" Victor exclaid, disbelief clear in his voice.
The man was their closest friend and the second Guardian of Holy Orthodoxy, Lucas. He had left Holy Orthodoxy years ago and hadn't returned since.
Although Edward had ntioned Lucas was coming back, Victor hadn't expected his arrival today, which took him completely by surprise.
Lucas chuckled lightly at the surprise on their faces and stopped a few ters behind them. He lifted his head and gazed respectfully at Arshley, who sat on the throne.
"The second Guardian, Lucas, greets the Saint," Lucas said, bowing his head.
Arshley couldn't help but smile at the sight of Lucas and gave a gentle nod.
"Welco back, Lucas," she replied warmly, then added, "Why didn't you let us know you were coming back today?"
Lucas lifted his head, a small smile playing on his lips as he shook his head.
"I wanted to surprise you all," he said with a laugh.
Louis rolled his eyes and responded with mild irritation, "Well, congratulations. Your plan worked. We're definitely surprised."
Lucas' sudden disappearance for so many years had left Louis feeling frustrated. As a Guardian, he felt Lucas had neglected his duties, a lapse he considered a serious oversight.
While the others didn't seem bothered, Louis clearly did.
Lucas simply smiled at Louis' frustration and let out a soft sigh.
"I admit my mistake, and I apologize to all of you," Lucas said sincerely, bowing his head once more.
At his apology, Louis had nothing further to say and rely snorted coldly.
With Lucas' sudden return, the atmosphere in the Hall of Gods grew lively and warm again.
Arshley observed quietly as Lucas conversed with the Guardians, but her expression changed when she noticed his left robe sleeve, which appeared empty, as though his hand were missing.
"Lucas, what happened to your left hand?" She inquired, her voice tinged with concern.
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