"Open!"
The Forest Elf's golden eyes fixed on the barrier. With a single word, an invisible force of nature tore it apart as easily as snapping dry twigs.
Crack—
Rumble—
The entrance shield to the Cidi cultists' stronghold was ruthlessly ripped open, even the riverbed's foundation shattered, leaving a gaping hole.
A cold wind rushed out from the corridor below.
...
At the same time, in the underground sanctuary.
Ashu had just become a follower of Cidi.
As agreed, he was supposed to hand over everything he knew about witches to the Cidi cult.
But that was nothing but a lie—the oath held no power.
While the Cidi Bishop and Kidopriest were still fantasizing about the future, suddenly, a system prompt rang out in Ashu's mind.
[Anna Kagreia has learned: Forbidden Sacrifice +1]
[Critical Return! Host receives: Forbidden Sacrifice (x19 Amplified Version)!]
Ashu was slightly stunned inside, though he kept a calm expression.
All the details about the skill instantly flooded his mind. He immediately understood: this was a forbidden magic that sacrificed the user's own lifespan in exchange for power.
And the one who triggered this "critical return" was Anna.
He couldn't help but worry.
If Anna had used this skill to save him—what then?
According to the analysis in his mind, his version was amplified nineteenfold—nineteen times less cost, nineteen times greater effect. For Anna to gain enough power, she might have to give up decades of her life!
Just then—
A violent explosion echoed from above, shaking the underground sanctuary and sending dust and stones raining down.
Everyone was shocked, looking up in alarm.
"Not good! Someone's found us—the attack is this intense already!" the Cidi Bishop shouted in panic, dashing for the rear exit. "Hurry, it must be those hypocrites from the Cultivator Guild coming to wipe us out!"
At this, Kidopriest shot the Bishop a sharp look.
As a double-dealer himself, he knew full well the Holy Cultivator Guild hadn't made a move today.
They hadn't even organized a crusade yet—just issued a public notice.
Whoever was attacking the stronghold now must be…
Kidopriest glanced at Ashu and threatened, "You're already a member of the Cidi cult. You'd better know what you should and shouldn't do. Otherwise, I'll expose you to the Holy Cultivator Guild. Their official judgment won't be nearly as merciful as today's. You won't even get a chance to defend yourself!"
Facing Kidopriest's threat, Ashu had a warning of his own.
He said, "Before you expose me, why don't you guess whether I can resurrect that nun?"
As he spoke, Ashu glanced at the monstrous Carol locked in the distant iron cage. If the Cidi cult could resurrect the monster Carol, they could certainly resurrect the nun violated by Father Kido.
A cultist should act like a cultist.
Kidopriest gave Ashu a deep look, sighed, and nodded silently. He said nothing more, hurrying toward another exit.
"Brother Ashu, what are you standing around for? Move! I'm about to unleash Cidi's guard dog!" the Bishop shouted, waving frantically at Ashu from the secret passage entrance.
They had gone through so much to get Ashu—they couldn't just leave him behind.
If he fell into the hands of those hypocrites from the Cultivator Guild, he'd be burned at the stake for sure.
"Don't worry about him, cover the retreat!" Kidopriest shouted as he rushed over to the Cidi Bishop. While the bishop believed the attackers were the crusaders, Kidopriest was not so sure. "Hurry!"
With the situation urgent, the Cidi Bishop had no choice but to act. He rapidly chanted a heretical prayer, and the cult marks on the backs of the cultists who hadn't escaped began to burn.
"Ah! Ahhh!!"
"What's happening?! Ahhh!"
"I'm on fire, someone use water—"
"Cidi eternal! For Cidi!"
Under the bishop's incantation, countless cultists were burned alive, their bodies transformed into surges of energy which all flowed toward Carol in the iron cage.
Carol was powerless to resist. In terror, she was devoured by wave after wave of energy.
"Boom—!"
At last, even the iron cage could not withstand the torrent and exploded.
In the blast, Carol transformed into a monstrous, blood-red beast from hell. Her head ballooned into that of a bull, yet her mouth was filled with sharp fangs. Her body swelled even larger, losing all traces of humanity, becoming a total monster. Sharp black spikes began to erupt from her crimson skin.
"ROAR—!"
That hellish roar shook the entire underground chamber. Ashu, still sealed in place, felt his bones nearly shattering from the vibration.
Fortunately, the roar also gave the rescuers a clear target.
A glowing, radiant figure rushed in, grabbing Ashu. The lush green life force she radiated illuminated the surroundings, turning it into a miniature garden.
Ashu saw that this was not Anna.
Nor was it anyone he recognized, though the glowing aura, the crown of branches atop her head, and her overall bearing were very similar to the elf he'd seen on the mountain.
She simply raised her hand, and the roar was instantly silenced. She injected a surge of life energy into Ashu, healing all his internal injuries in an instant.
"A—shu." She spoke his name, a bit awkwardly. "Can you hear me?"
Ashu was surprised, because this time, the elf was speaking in Imperial Atras.
He nodded to show he understood, and only then realized: this elf seemed like an enlarged version of Leia.
Not just taller—she'd matured in every way.
At that moment—
A silver-haired figure rushed down the corridor: it was Anna, her hair streaming behind her.
Anna looked no different, still the eighteen-year-old girl he knew. Which meant she hadn't used "Forbidden Sacrifice."
Ashu immediately connected the dots.
He looked at the elf. The reason Leia was now grown up was likely because she'd used "Forbidden Sacrifice." Elves had long lifespans—sacrificing decades or even centuries of life would cause their bodies to mature by as many years, resulting in her current form.
"Leia?"
"Yes, Ashu, I came to save you."
As Leia spoke, her voice was awkward but filled with determination.
As soon as she finished speaking, the Forest Elf glared at the blood-red monster. In her golden eyes, there was a chilling, merciless intent—like the will of the entire forest awakening within her.
Ashu turned to look at the cultists' escape route. It was already deserted, and a heavy stone door had dropped down. He understood that the power Leia wielded was temporary; the normal version of "Forbidden Sacrifice" didn't last long. If they wanted to chase down those cultists, it was probably too late.
For now, all they could do was give Carol, that monster, a thorough beating.
Anna quickly snatched Ashu from the Forest Elf's arms. She instantly recognized the obvious sealing runes attached to Ashu's limbs and torso, immediately identifying the sealing technique's type.
"Thank goodness you're alright, Ashu. We're so lucky," Anna said, hugging Ashu tightly. Her voice was full of relief and lingering fear.
"Anna…"
Ashu gently patted her on the back. The Cidi cult's methods were just too insidious. He was caught completely off guard—he had no way to defend himself, nor any resistance to this kind of technique. He had almost caused Anna to sacrifice her own lifespan for him!
If the Forest Elf hadn't been here as well, today would have ended in tragedy, no matter what.
"Anna, can you break this seal on me?"
"Yeah, don't worry. The caster rushed the spell and used the simplest kind of seal. From the rune level, it's at an archmage's tier. As long as I also reach archmage, I can break it right away," Anna said after checking again.
Hearing this, Ashu's expression turned bitter.
He'd only just advanced to full mage, and now he was sealed up, having to wait until Anna became an archmage to undo it.
Did leveling up too fast count as cheating? Was this some kind of punishment for having a "hacked account"?
Just then—
BOOM—
A violent impact snapped Ashu out of his frustration.
He looked up to see the Forest Elf's vines locked in fierce battle with the blood-red beast. Each whip of the vine stopped the monster's rampage, leaving green scars across its massive body.
The blood-red beast was enraged. Its core had already devoured Carol completely, turning it into a pure monster. Now, it fought only on primal instinct, following the commands etched deep into its body by sinister magic.
In its fury, a surge of dark energy welled up in its throat, then burst outward.
It wrenched its jaws open wide, and a blast of dark red energy shot forward. But instead of a single beam like a magic essence laser, the energy rapidly spread outward after being unleashed, filling the air with a sinister, shadowy miasma.
"Watch out, that's Wraith's Terror!" Anna warned urgently. "Guard your mind! Stay rational!"
Hearing Anna's warning, Ashu immediately realized—this was clearly a control skill. And not just single-target, but an area-of-effect control.