Without another word, Vetaal sat down cross-legged on the ground.

The five leaders adjusted their positions, forming a circle around him.

Roland took a slow breath. “We will begin now.”

All five of them extended their hands forward.

Mana began flowing from their bodies. Soft waves of energy escaped their palms, shimmering faintly in the air.

But the mana did not immediately move toward Vetaal. Instead, it floated in the space between them like small streams of glowing mist.

Then Vetaal slowly closed his eyes.

It was huge amount of mana. Suddenly the floating mana violently rushed toward him.

It was as if an invisible force had grabbed it all at once. The energy shot toward his body and was sucked inside at an unnatural speed.

Roland’s eyes widened slightly.

Kael frowned.

Even Malphas and Nora showed visible surprise.

They had expected Vetaal to absorb their mana… but not like this.

Not so quickly. Not so unnaturally. The mana flowed into him like water being swallowed by a bottomless pit.

Their belief that Vetaal was some unknown strong being just gotten more stronger.

The air around them trembled.

A powerful wind stirred violently across the ground, kicking dust into the air. Loose leaves and dirt spiraled upward around them.

Vetaal’s body slowly lifted from the ground. He floated into the air while still sitting cross-legged.

The five Transcendents continued supplying mana without stopping.

Their expressions turned serious as they focused on maintaining the flow. Vetaal pressed his palms together in front of his chest like a praying gesture.

His lips began to move. A strange chant left his mouth. The words were quiet. Almost impossible to hear.

And they were spoken in a language none of them understood.

They were ancient and unfamiliar.

As the chanting continued, the surrounding air began to vibrate more violently.

The sky above them darkened even further, the already gray clouds twisting slowly like something was disturbing the heavens themselves.

Trees shook violently from the pressure. Branches creaked Leaves rustled wildly in the storm of mana gathering around them. Shaking them.

Meanwhile…

Far away where the four massive patterns had been carved into the ground. The blood filling the lines of the patterns suddenly began to glow.

A deep crimson light spread through the carved runes and symbols.

The glow grew stronger and stronger until the entire formation shone like burning veins across the earth.

The air around the pattern trembled. The groups standing nearby immediately tensed.

Weapons were raised. Their eyes scanned the surrounding forest. Everyone was ready to fight at any moment.

Monsters could appear anytime.

On the eastern side, where Malphas’s group stood.

Amon and the others were also prepared. Weapons were held tightly in their hands.

“It seems like… they have started it,” Amon said loudly while looking at the glowing formation.

“Yes,” Scarlett replied.

Her long red hair swayed wildly in the wind created by the awakening magic pattern.

Her eyes remained sharp and focused. “Everyone take your positions,” she ordered.

“Be ready for anything. Monsters could come from any side!”

“YES!!!” All the members of their groul responded in unison.

Ethan stood among them, gripping his massive greatsword tightly. His knuckles had turned slightly white from the pressure.

His expression was tense. He was slightly afraid.

It was natural, after all… This was his first real battle. A real life-and-death fight.

“Calm down, Ethan,” Amon said casually.

“Your father is also with us.” Ethan blinked and instinctively turned his head.

A few steps behind him stood his father.The older man held his sword and shield while standing firmly like a mountain.

When their eyes met, his father gave him a confident grin.

A silent message. Don’t worry. Ethan slowly exhaled and nodded. Knowing that his father and friend was still beside him.

His grip on the greatsword steadied.

Amon looked forward again. The magic pattern on the ground was glowing brighter and brighter.

The crimson light became almost blinding.

And then.

BOOM!

A massive pillar of red light suddenly shot up from the center of the formation. It pierced the dark sky like a spear made of blood.

At the same time…

In the distant forest to the north, west, and south.

Three more identical pillars of crimson light erupted into the sky in same way. Four massive red beams stood across the land.

The entire area was bathed in their eerie glow.

Many of them instinctively covered their eyes because of the blinding brightness.

The pillars of light remained for several seconds, humming with terrifying energy.

Then slowly… The light began to fade. The crimson glow weakened.

And something began to appear within the fading pillars. A structure which was dark and twisting.

What emerged was a massive black tower.It rose upward like a spiraling thorn piercing the heavens.

The tower looked unnatural. Like a giant spiral made of dark stone and corrupted energy.

Just looking at it gave an ominous feeling. The same thing had appeared in all four directions.

Four towers now stood across the land. Like dark omens announcing something terrible.

Back where Vetaal and the others stood. The chanting had stopped. Vetaal slowly descended from the air.

His feet touched the ground softly. He opened his pale white eyes and silently observed the four distant towers.

Roland, Kael, Malphas, and Nora also watched the towering structures rising across the forest.

The plan had begun. Roland turned his head toward Ophir.

“Return to the village,” he said firmly to Ophir.

“Protect the people there if monsters appear.”

Ophir nodded immediately. Without wasting another second, he turned and ran toward the village at incredible speed, disappearing into the forest.

Meanwhile, Vetaal simply sat down on the ground again.

“I need some rest,” he muttered dryly.

Roland looked at the others. “Let’s go.”

Kael cracked his neck. Malphas tightened his grip on his cane. Nora silently turned toward the west.

In the next moment.

All four of them disappeared into the forest, moving at incredible speed toward their respective groups.

Toward the towers. Toward the battle that was about to begin.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep