We stood there in shock, staring at the skeleton lying on the ground without flesh... and without life.
I had expected many things when I rushed to cut the threads.
Perhaps that person would be freed from the threads’ control, or become nothing more than an empty body incapable of doing anything.
Or even die.
But this... to vanish so simply.
"W-what just happened?" Izel asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
I raised my head and looked at the sky... where all those threads disappeared.
"Maybe I cut the source that was sustaining his life," I muttered.
Leona swallowed audibly.
"So this is the result of cutting the threads that keep the people of this city alive?"
"Actually, it makes sense... these people were supposed to have died long ago due to old age," Ellen added, while Kyle continued,
"And when the source maintaining their lives was cut off, everything ended as it was supposed to."
Illogical... but when did things at the top ever follow known logic?
With one last look at the skeleton lying on the ground, I gestured to the others.
"Let’s keep going."
There was no time to stand here and stare at this scene.
After all, people were still around us, and no one wanted what just happened to repeat itself.
That damned insistence from that man to accompany us.
As if whatever was in the sky was watching us, yet not moving.
Why?... Who knows, maybe we’re just insects behind a glass pane, and it’s enjoying watching our pathetic attempts to escape.
Or maybe there’s something else.
We stepped on the stone ground as we moved forward through the street once again.
I was still paying attention to the movements around us, and so far everything was normal.
Or at least, it seemed that way.
Our footsteps struck the stone ground with muffled sounds as we moved faster than ever.
It didn’t take long for the buildings around us to disappear, and the ground turned into dirt.
A vast field appeared before us.
But more importantly, it was empty.
Perhaps because this was the time when the residents slept.
We didn’t stop. We ran silently through the plants, tension rising with every moment we got closer to that tear reaching into the sky.
Soon, we crossed the field and emerged from the vegetation.
We had put a considerable distance between ourselves and the city, and for a moment, I didn’t sense a single human soul within my vast range.
But that was only for a moment.
Because as we got close enough to the wall, I sensed a presence entering the edge of my perception.
And a strong one.
Worse, it was heading straight toward us.
I looked at the massive tear in the wall... our way out.
But now, a familiar figure appeared there.
With yellow eyes like desert sand, the man called Adam stared directly at us.
No surprise. No confusion.
As if he had expected this to happen.
Kyle was the first to notice.
"Damn..." he cursed under his breath, which had begun to quicken.
"What’s wrong?" Elliot looked at him.
At the same time, I slowed down before coming to a stop.
"It looks like this won’t be easy."
The others stopped as well, noticing the man who had appeared before us.
With unhurried steps, Adam walked toward us calmly.
But unlike him, we were anything but calm.
"Why do things always end up like this?... What are we supposed to do now?" Izel’s tense voice sounded beside me, while Elliot clenched his fist tightly.
"He’s strong... very strong compared to us."
In other words, we didn’t stand much of a chance against him.
I exhaled.
"Just prepare yourselves for a fight."
Adam closed the distance between us, his eyes examining us like a group of mice in a cage.
When the distance shrank to a few dozen meters, the strange man smiled.
"Where are you going at this hour, our dear guests?... Aren’t you supposed to be heading to the lady’s house on the other side?"
I looked directly into his eyes... eyes I couldn’t understand, just like everyone else in this city.
"We’re just taking a walk around."
He smiled, tilting his head slightly.
"Come on, Caius, don’t lie... you were trying to leave."
His voice was strange, not matching his smile.
I opened my mouth to respond, but he spoke first.
"I don’t understand why you’re so eager to leave. Just stay here and become one of us, that’s all... isn’t that simple enough?"
His strange words sent a chill down my spine, and I even heard Ellen swallow beside me.
The man continued walking toward us with a gentle smile on his face, but his words and hollow tone suggested something else.
"I’m sorry, but you’re not going anywhere... don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. All you have to do is stay here... I promise you won’t feel any pain, you won’t even realize it."
"You’ve reduced our number by one... but that’s fine, I’ll forgive you as long as you listen to me..."
"Where is Arthania?" I asked.
"Lady Arthania is busy with some matters and won’t be back anytime soon, so there’s no need to concern yourself with her."
The smile on his face widened.
"And please, don’t disturb the others... things shouldn’t go off the path I’ve set, after all, we’re close."
What is this thing even talking about?
I clenched my jaw without realizing it as I prepared to draw my swords.
"What if I refuse?"
The moment the words left my mouth, his expression flipped.
"I’ll break your limbs so no one can leave."
I glanced at the ring on my hand... do things really have to go the hard way every time?
With that thought, I drew my swords without hesitation. At the same time, the others drew their weapons as well.
Kyle stepped back, his bow already loaded with an arrow in his hand, while Ellen did the same, a short metal blade floating in the air and multiplying several times.
At the same time, Elliot and Leona drew their swords, while flames ignited around Izel.
Six against one.
Five at Advanced Rank Two, and me at Rank Three.
So, are the odds in our favor?
I don’t know.
This man appears to be at Mid Rank Four.
He’s not in the higher ranks like Arthania, and there isn’t that qualitative gap between us, but he’s still several times stronger than us.
Maybe one well-placed strike would be enough to kill one of us... maybe one and a half for me.
It’s not just my control over essence that improved after reaching Rank Three, my body also received a significant boost in strength.
But that boost is pale compared to Rank Four, where their bodies become several times stronger and more resilient.
So the problem lies in direct clashes... well, that’s if we ignore the possibility that he has some kind of ability.
And if that happens, then maybe accepting the idea of having our limbs broken would be better.
He stared at us as we prepared for battle without making a move.
"Is it so hard to make the right decision?"
I smiled, essence flowing through every part of my body more than ever before.
"Unfortunately, yes."