Chapter 48: Aric’s Abduction and the Sin Extermination Cult

“For the future of the Kanladi Continent!”

Aric declared, his expression resolute, each word carefully enunciated.

Upon hearing Aric’s words, Qi Lin and the other two exchanged glances.

“As I mentioned earlier, the current plight of all races on the continent—trampled and enslaved by the three empires of Diters, Candilac, and Lasaklu—is the doing of the Sin Extermination Cult, isn’t that right?”

He retrieved a few stools, offering them to the trio and gesturing for them to sit before Aric spoke again, his voice hushed.

Seated on the stools, the three remained silent, appearing to await Aric’s continuation.

“I’m unsure of the Sin Extermination Cult’s origins, but I stumbled upon their doctrines, which are dedicated to the destruction of the world!”

“Destroy the world?!” Qi Lin exclaimed, astonished.

“Precisely, the destruction of the world!” Aric affirmed, nodding gravely with his arms crossed.

“Their current target is the Kanladi Continent!

“And if my suspicions are correct, the three empires that oppress us have formed some kind of alliance with this cult, which is how they manage to control the War Fiends, such formidable instruments of war.”

“How did you come to know this?” Ailin demanded, his gaze fixed intently on Aric.

The drooping ears atop his head stiffened and twitched slightly.

This reaction clearly indicated Ailin’s profound agitation.

“That brings us to my own unfortunate encounter…”

****

At dusk, by the lakeside on the outskirts of the Firefly Forest.

Aali, clad in a green dress, drowsily watched the fishing rod in her hands.

The moment she felt a tug on the line, Aali’s eyes snapped open, and she yanked the rod with sudden vigor.

Upon seeing the hook utterly bare, Aali slumped in disappointment.

“Ugh! Seriously, not a single catch all day!”

She petulantly tossed the fishing rod to the ground, her lips pouting, cheeks puffed out like a disgruntled hamster.

“What’s all this fuss about? Who dared to upset my adorable little sister?”

Aric emerged from the woods, a smile immediately gracing his lips as he saw his sister, arms crossed and pouting.

“No one could ever bully me!” Aali retorted, scrunching her nose before turning her head away, unwilling to let anyone witness her current vexation.

“Yes, yes, of course. How could my sister ever be bullied?” Aric chuckled, stifling his laughter as he approached Aali and playfully ruffled her hair.

Gently swatting Aric’s hand away, Aali stuck out her tongue, then picked up her rod from the ground and headed towards the town.

“Hmph, you should go gather your herbs!”

“You rascal…” Watching Aali walk back into town, Aric shook his head with a wry smile, lamenting that he had gone to such lengths to gather herbs just to see her.

Sighing, Aric surveyed his surroundings, then took a deep breath of the lake-scented air before preparing to follow her.

However, just as he was about to move, he froze.

“What was that sound?”

Having caught a faint rustle, Aric gazed quizzically towards the trembling bushes across the lake.

Glancing towards Manda Town in the distance, Aric decided it would be best to investigate, ensuring it wasn’t the imperial army.

With a faint green glow shimmering beneath his feet, Aric dashed towards the opposite shore.

Treading across the water as if on solid ground, he swiftly reached the other side.

Carefully parting a small section of the tall grass, Aric cautiously peered through.

A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw only an empty patch of grass.

‘It seems I was overly cautious,’ he mused to himself, then prepared to return.

Yet, just as he stepped out of the bushes and was about to enter the water, a sharp blow landed on his neck.

His senses blurred, and Aric, catching only a fleeting glimpse of a dark shadow, collapsed into unconsciousness.

****

Aric’s eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes.

Upon realizing he was in a prison cell, he immediately struggled to stand, but a feeling of restraint instantly halted his movements.

He lowered his gaze, his brows furrowed as he saw himself bound from head to toe in ropes.

‘Is this a prison cell of one of the empires? If so, does that mean Manda Town has been exposed?’ he anxiously pondered, scanning the dim surroundings, desperately hoping his fears were unfounded.

‘How did I end up imprisoned here, anyway?’

He could only recall investigating the trembling bushes, followed by what felt like a punch to the back of his head—though it could have been a club or something similar.

Rising to his feet, Aric began to channel the magic energy within him, intending to cast a spell to facilitate his escape.

Yet, despite his prolonged efforts, nothing happened.

“Damn it, what’s going on? Why can’t I use my magic energy?” he cursed under his breath, once again looking down at the ropes binding him.

Noticing the ropes were intricately etched with minuscule script, even smaller than ants, Aric gritted his teeth.

These ropes, it turned out, possessed the power to seal away one’s magic energy.

With a renewed resolve, Aric gritted his teeth and slammed his shoulder directly into the iron bars of his cell.

*Thud!*

A resonant crash echoed through the dark space.

Glancing left and right, Aric resumed his assault on the iron bars.

*Thud, thud, thud!* Each impact resonated louder than the last.

“What’s all this racket?! What are you making such a fuss about in the middle of the night? Are you trying to stop people from sleeping?”

A roar, far louder and brimming with more fury than Aric’s banging, reverberated through the air.

Aric’s heart swelled with delight, realizing he had successfully summoned his captor.

“What do you want? Looking for trouble, are you? Huh?” A Scarred Man, his face a canvas of scars, emerged cloaked in black, glaring at Aric with palpable resentment.

“Who are you people? Why have you captured me?” Aric immediately questioned the newcomer.

He needed to understand his current predicament.

“Hah? You, a mere prisoner, have the nerve to question me?” the Scarred Man sneered, his voice raspy.

Aric ignored him, simply watching the Scarred Man in silence.

“Tch.” Shrugging, the Scarred Man turned to leave.

Seeing the Scarred Man about to depart, Aric once again began slamming against the cell door.

“Are you kidding me? Are you really that annoying?!”

The renewed banging from behind him made the Scarred Man’s head ache.

He hadn’t slept in over a day and a night, and now some idiot was bothering him?!

Gritting his teeth, a grinding sound escaping him, the Scarred Man spun around, flung open the cell door, and stormed inside.

He seized Aric and delivered five or six brutal punches to his abdomen.

After throwing Aric to the ground, the Scarred Man, utterly indifferent to his state, stomped a foot directly onto Aric’s face.

“Damn it, I’m already seething with rage. Stop being such a pain in the ass.” Spitting on the ground, the Scarred Man stalked out of the cell without a backward glance, slamming the door shut before walking away into the distance, slowly fading into the darkness.

“Cough, cough~” Curled on the ground, Aric spat out a mouthful of clotted blood.

Enduring the searing pain in his abdomen and cheek, Aric painstakingly leaned against the wall and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

After a few dry coughs, spitting out broken teeth along with the lingering clotted blood, Aric stared intently at the darkness beyond his cell and its door.

‘Where am I now? How far away am I from you and everyone else?

‘I will definitely escape! Wait for me, everyone!’

With the images of his sister and the people of Manda Town filling his mind, Aric clenched his fists.

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