Sowhere in Europa.
In a spacious, dim chamber, the terrifying lich in dark, flowing robes stood beside a tall, arched window.
Pale moonlight stread in from outside, casting a faint glow across the room. In his skeletal hand, he held a piece of old parchnt, its edges worn and faded by the ravages of ti.
The light fell upon the drawing on the paper.
It was nothing more than a crude sketch, four stick figures drawn with uneven lines. A man, a woman, a boy, and a girl, standing side by side and holding hands.
The green orbs of light swayed gently in Cult Leader's deep sockets.
"Ho..."
A cold, grating voice echoed from between his jaws.
He put away the drawing in his storage artifact, treating it with great care as if it was the most valuable treasure in his possession.
The Cult Leader turned toward the twin moons, specifically Luna. The green orbs in his sockets flared with mild intensity.
"Soon..."
A little more than fifty years were left till all the planets in the solar system aligned.
When the stars finally fell into place, the gateway to his howorld would open upon the moon. But before that day arrived, he still had to fulfill his end of the bargain with the devil.
It was a plan he had been nurturing for over two thousand years. And now only around fifty more remained.
Just fifty more years...
And then, at long last, he would return ho.
"Great Master."
A low voice filled with respect echoed from outside the room.
The orbs in Cult Leader's sockets flickered once again.
"Enter," he coldly said.
The doors to the chamber opened, and a tall man with long dark hair and erald eyes entered. He was muscular, and his fra was imposing.
This Magus was none other than the Emperor of the Haynam Empire - otherwise known as the Stone Lord.
Leland Haynam arrived before the Cult Leader and went down on one knee.
"I have the latest reports on the most recent developnts in Ravenfell, my lord."
The Cult Leader stood silently by the window for a mont before replying in a calm voice.
"Go on."
Leland bowed his head slightly and began his report.
He briefly summarized the events that had unfolded in Ravenfell.
The public hearing where Adam Constantine had cleared his na before the Empire, the revelations of the Cult's sches, and the testimony that exposed the truth behind the Battle of Ravenfell.
He then spoke of the battle above the Galestine Ocean, where Adam showcased his supre skills as a powerhouse of the Mana Core Rank.
"...How unfortunate," Leland finally concluded. "Elder Silvas and six other Mana Core Magi were slain by Adam Constantine shortly after arriving near Ravenfell. We severely underestimated him."
The Cult Leader listened quietly. For a long mont, he said nothing.
"Back ho," he then began calmly, "there is a saying about individuals whose enemies consistently underestimate them."
He slowly turned from the window and looked to the Stone Lord.
"They are the kind who find themselves in situations where ninety-nine out of a hundred people would surely die."
The orbs in his sockets flared.
"And yet... they seize that one chance out of a hundred and sohow survive. They overco the odds. They defy every expectation placed upon them. And with each trial, they erge stronger than before."
The Cult Leader paused for a mont, then said in a cold voice. "Such individuals are said to carry great destinies upon their shoulders."
He looked down upon the Stone Lord.
"I am certain of it now, Leland," he said. "The devil's prophecy was indeed about Adam Constantine."
Leland remained kneeling, but a faint crease appeared between his brows.
"There is sothing else that troubles , my lord," he said cautiously.
"The purge within the Brotherhood... the one that even wiped out Mana Core-level agents we had embedded there for centuries."
Leland's tone grew grim and heavy.
"It happened only a few years before Constantine's public hearing in Ravenfell. The timing is... suspicious."
He paused for a mont, lowering his voice.
"Our assets within the Brotherhood were erased completely. Every last one of them. Then later, Uther Bowman appears at the hearing to serve as a pri
witness."
His erald eyes darkened with a sense of unease.
"I cannot help but feel that it is too much of a coincidence."
After a mont of hesitation, he finally voiced the thought that had been
troubling him.
"Could it be... that Adam Constantine had a hand in the eradication of our
agents within the Brotherhood?"
The Cult Leader remained silent for a long ti. At last, he murmured, "We'll
never know."
He turned back to the window and gazed at Luna.
"Adam Constantine is a man of many secrets," he added. "I am still unable to believe that he overca the effects of the Forgotten Rune. It should have been... impossible."
The Forgotten Rune was originally a Grade 5 Artifact, later altered to conform
to the laws of Tron. Even after being reduced to a Grade 4 Artifact, it should still have been more than enough to override the mind of a target who was
rely at the Mana Vortex Rank.
And yet...
Adam had done the unthinkable.
"What are his current whereabouts?" The Cult Leader asked coldly.
Leland lowered his head slightly before speaking, "It appears he is gathering
n, my lord."
He paused briefly, organizing his thoughts.
"My sources report that Adam Constantine has been traveling across the
Acadian Empire. He intends to visit the major factions and recruit their
strongest warriors."
Leland's voice grew more solemn.
"It would seem... he intends to wage war against us."
The Cult Leader coldly chuckled.
"Yes... he certainly has the strength to make such an attempt," he said.
"But he will still fall short. In the end... all roads will lead to ."
He turned to Leland and gave orders.
"First, ensure the portal in Ulier remains hidden. We do not know what that
woman may or may not have revealed to our enemies. And second..."
The orbs in his sockets glowed with an ominous light. "Begin our assault on the northern borders of the Sovereign Union."
He paused for a mont, his voice turning colder.
"It is ti to conquer Europa."
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