"Maybe the cult leader is..."
The team leader's voice trembled.
Not from fear.
From disbelief.
The calm man standing before them smiled.
A knowing smile.
As if he already knew what realization had reached the leader.
The leader's grip tightened around his weapon.
Cold sweat rolled down his face.
Then finally—
"You're a Transcendent."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the cult followers stopped smiling.
The cult leader tilted his head slightly.
Then chuckled.
A soft.
Almost amused chuckle.
"Oh?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Your eyes aren't merely for decoration."
The answer struck harder than any attack.
Darius froze.
Mira's face lost all color.
Even the other Association members looked shaken.
A Transcendent.
A being beyond the Ascendant Realm.
A realm that countless Ascendants spent their entire lives pursuing.
And one was standing right before them.
Watching.
Waiting.
Planning the sacrifice of ten thousand souls.
Riven looked around.
The reactions alone were enough.
Even the leader looked grim.
This wasn't an enemy they could defeat.
Not even remotely.
The cult leader calmly reopened his book.
As if the conversation had already ended.
"You may leave."
Nobody moved.
"I have no interest in killing you."
Silence.
"Leave."
"Forget what you've seen."
"And enjoy whatever years remain before the descent."
The Association Leader laughed.
A tired laugh.
The kind of laugh someone makes when hearing something ridiculous.
The cult leader looked up.
"You really don't understand us."
The smile on the cult leader's face faded slightly.
The leader turned toward his team.
Blood covered his body.
His breathing was ragged.
His injuries severe.
Yet his eyes remained unwavering.
"We are not the great families."
His voice echoed through the village.
"We don't protect territories."
"We don't protect influence."
"We don't protect family interests."
His grip tightened around his weapon.
"We protect people."
Silence.
"That is what it means to wear the Association emblem."
Nobody stepped back.
Not Darius.
Not Mira.
Not the others.
Not even after learning the truth.
Not even after learning they stood before a Transcendent.
The cult leader watched quietly.
For the first time—
His eyes showed interest.
The leader looked toward Lyra.
Then tossed a small metallic device toward her.
She caught it immediately.
"Lyra."
Her eyes widened.
The moment she saw the device.
She understood.
"Leader..."
"Emergency Evacuation Beacon."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
The voice of a man who had already accepted death.
"Take Riven."
"Save as many civilians as possible."
Silence.
"We can't win this battle."
The words hit everyone.
Hard.
"But maybe..."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Maybe we can save a few people."
Riven stared.
The leader already knew.
He already knew they were going to lose.
Yet he still intended to fight.
The cult followers laughed.
Several shook their heads.
As if watching fools.
Then—
The old woman moved.
BOOOOM.
The ground exploded beneath her feet.
The leader blocked.
Too late.
He was sent crashing through multiple buildings.
Blood filled the air.
"LEADER!"
Riven shouted.
The man slowly stood again.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Yet still standing.
Then he smiled.
"Remember this."
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
Everyone paused.
Even the cultists.
"The Association isn't the strongest force in Vespera."
The image of the President suddenly flashed through Riven's mind.
The old man watering flowers.
Smiling.
Speaking casually.
"We've never been strong enough to stand above everyone."
The memory continued.
"But we've never been weak enough to abandon our duty."
Back in the present—
The leader laughed.
"If we don't stand here..."
His Aether erupted.
"Then who will?"
BOOOOOM.
Red flames exploded around his body.
Not fire.
Life force.
The cultists' expressions changed.
The pressure surrounding the leader skyrocketed.
Darius' eyes widened.
Then he laughed.
"Hah!"
"Would be embarrassing if the boss was the only one."
Red flames erupted around him too.
Then Mira.
Then another Association member.
Then another.
One by one.
All of them.
Riven stared.
Completely stunned.
"What is that?"
Lyra's expression darkened.
"A forbidden technique."
"It burns life force."
Riven froze.
"How much?"
Silence.
"Depends."
Her eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.
"Sometimes years."
"Sometimes decades."
Another pause.
"Sometimes everything."
The answer hit harder than any attack.
Yet none of them hesitated.
Not one.
For the first time—
Riven truly understood.
The Association wasn't weaker because it lacked talented people.
The Association was weaker because it constantly spent those people.
Spent their strength.
Spent their futures.
Spent their lives.
Protecting strangers.
"They're incredible."
The words escaped before he realized it.
Lyra nodded.
Without hesitation.
Without argument.
"They are."
Then she grabbed his arm.
"Move."
The battle exploded behind them.
Hours seemed to pass in minutes.
Riven dragged civilians.
Lyra carved formation lines.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The villagers barely responded.
Most looked lost.
Confused.
Broken.
Then Lyra realized something.
"We're doing it wrong."
Riven looked up.
"What?"
"We don't move the civilians."
Her eyes widened.
"We move the array."
Understanding struck instantly.
A massive formation began spreading across the village floor.
Growing larger.
Larger.
Larger.
Hundreds of civilians stood within it.
The teleportation device began glowing.
Charging.
Charging.
Almost ready.
The Association members continued buying time.
Every second.
Every drop of blood.
Every year of life.
For this.
Then—
The cult leader noticed.
His eyes slowly moved toward the formation.
The smile vanished.
For the first time.
The teleportation beacon reached completion.
"NOW!"
Lyra shouted.
FLASH.
The formation activated.
Light swallowed the village.
Then—
They were gone.
Two hundred and fifty civilians.
Saved.
Silence.
Nobody moved.
The Association Leader laughed.
Despite the blood.
Despite the injuries.
Despite everything.
They had actually done it.
The cult leader stared at the empty space.
Years.
Years of preparation.
Years of gathering.
Years of sacrifice.
Gone.
Then he slowly closed his book.
"You have made my work considerably more troublesome."
The battlefield became silent.
The cultists stopped moving.
The old woman stepped back.
Everyone felt it.
Something was wrong.
The cult leader stood.
Simply stood.
THUD.
The world became heavier.
Thousands of civilians collapsed instantly.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
One after another.
Every ordinary person fell unconscious.
Riven's knees hit the ground.
BOOM.
Cracks spread beneath him.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't move.
Couldn't think.
Nearby—
Lyra collapsed to one knee.
Darius crashed into the ground.
Mira struggled to remain conscious.
Every Association member.
Every cultist.
Every living being.
Forced down.
All except a few.
The old woman.
The strongest followers.
And the cult leader.
The cult leader simply stood there.
Hands behind his back.
Looking down at everyone.
As though this wasn't a technique.
As though this wasn't intimidation.
As though this was merely his existence.
The team leader stared at him.
Fear finally appeared in his eyes.
Not fear of death.
Not fear of defeat.
Fear of understanding just how vast the gap truly was.
End