Meanwhile, Zelda engaged in combat with the members of Evil Heart Sect. Her strength far surpassed that of those small fries in the sect. “You think you can run away from me?” Jared sneered while gazing at Malphas.
“Jared Chance, what exactly brought you to Evil Heart Sect? Lord Tanner and Skylar are not here. Did you come merely to kill us? You should know we’re of little importance to the sect, Malphas said to Jared.
“I have no intention of killing you. If you lead me to your dungeon right now, I’ll spare you,” Jared replied.
“To the dungeon? What for?” Malphas was surprised by Jared’s demand. “That’s none of your business. Just take me there!” Jared snapped, growing impatient.
“I’ll never take you there, even if you kill me!” Malphas responded, fully aware of the dire consequences he would face if he were to bring Jared to the dungeon.
Recognizing Tanner’s capabilities all too well, Malphas understood that aiding Jared would lead to a fate more dreadful than mere death.
“It’s not your decision to make.” After finishing speaking, Jared released a radiant aura that penetrated Malphas’ body, causing him to freeze in place.
Suddenly, flames seemed to ignite within Malphas, and it was as though his organs were being seared over a scorching fire. Despite the intense pain, Malphas was unable to move or utter a single sound, forced to endure the torment of the searing flames.
Beads of cold sweat formed on Malphas’ forehead as his face twisted in a grotesque expression. He stared at Jared in disbelief, unable to comprehend how, in just a few months, Jared’s power had surpassed his own by such at tremendous margin.
In the presence of Jared, he found himself utterly defenseless, incapable of mounting any form of retaliation. It was a stark contrast to a few months prior when he had dismissed Jared as inconsequential.
With a flick of Jared’s finger, a beam of light instantly struck Malphas throat, allowing him to make sounds once again.
Malphas let out a piercing shriek of agony. The other members of Evil Heart Sect, upon hearing his anguished cries, immediately lost their will to fight and desperately tried to escape.
However, their attempts were in vain as Zelda swiftly dispatched each and every one of them, leaving no survivors.
“I’ll take you there…” Unable to bear the torment any longer, Malphas finally gave in.
Hearing that, Jared made a hand gesture, causing a spiritual light to fly out from Malphas’ body. As a result, Malphas was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
The sensation Malphas had just experienced was akin to being cast into the depths of hell and subjected to torture by fire. It was. unbearably painful.
Gasping for breath, he took a while to recover. “Don’t waste any more time. Take me to the dungeon,” Jared commanded Malphas.
“I can take you there, but I can’t dismantle the arcane array. Only members of Evil Heart Sect marked with the imprint of Lord Tanner can pass through it. Otherwise, attempting to cross the arcane array will trigger it,” Malphas: explained to Jared.
“Just lead the way. You don’t need to worry about anything else,” Jared replied. Reluctantly, Malphas nodded and guided Jared out of the courtyard.
Jared placed a mark on Malphas’ forehead to ensure he would not play any tricks. Zelda transformed back into Dragonslayer Sword and returned to Jared’s body.
With Malphas in the lead and Jared following closely behind, they made their way toward the back of the hill. After a short walk, Malphas said, “Ahead lies the first arcane array. To pass through it, you must break it.”
Jared gazed ahead, extending his spiritual sense to detect the presence of the arcane array, but to his surprise, he could not sense any trace of it. This left him perplexed and unsure of what to make of the situation. “Why can’t I sense the arcane array ahead?”
Jared asked, feeling bewildered. “Lord Tanner set the arcane array up himself. Once I pass through it, you’ll be able to sense. it,” Malphas explained. With that, he advanced. forward, and soon, a surge of spiritual energy accompanied by shimmering lights enveloped him as he passed through the arcane array.
