Constantine Estate, Uptown Quarter.

An hour had passed since Ravenfell was attacked by the cultists. At the start of it all, Adam had managed to teleport the young contestants safely. But after that, things started to go downhill.

First, his manor was destroyed. But its destruction gave birth to the stone golem, which Adam used to kill the grotesque flesh golem.

And now… he was surrounded by cultists from all sides.

Worse yet, more and more of them were pouring into the estate. The mana barrier had long since been taken down, and now nothing was stopping them.

Moreover, since Adam had been one of the Cult's primary targets in this battle, a significant number of their forces, Mana Vortex and Mana Liquefaction Magi alike, were focused on him. They knew he was within the estate, so it was swarming with cultists.

Of course, as someone with decent attainments in the School of Summoning, Adam could always teleport away from here. That would spare him a great deal of trouble. He wouldn't have to go through the brutal slaughter.

But he couldn't leave…

He had to remain here and take out as many cultists as he possibly could.

While hidden in the shadows, concealed by illusion magic, he continued to murder one cultist after another. The corpses continued to pile up, and the terror in the hearts of his enemies grew.

But at the same time, he could also hear the loud and desperate wails of the city's residents outside his estate walls. Through his Sphere of Resonance, he could tell… he could tell that they were being slaughtered out there, and their souls...

They were rapidly being absorbed by the lotus! The number of deaths in his vicinity made him shudder. This was a complete slaughterhouse!

Nighthollow flashed in the pale light of the twin moons as Adam made his presence known for a brief moment. He emerged among a crowd of cultists, turning into a whirlwind of steel and mana.

Over a dozen Mana Liquefaction Magi were instantly killed, and before the nearest Mana Vortex Magus could approach, Adam once again disappeared, concealed in layers of illusions.

Just like that, he continued to disappear and reappear in random areas of his estate. Using illusion magic and summoning magic ingeniously, he continued to reap countless lives like he was the herald of death himself.

The more he killed, the colder his heart became.

More, more, more! I need to kill more, so the pressure is alleviated outside, he roared in his heart as he continued the wanton slaughter.

Although his actions were savage, brutal, and bloodthirsty, his mind was cold and calculating. He did not let emotions cloud his judgment like the previous time.

This time, he circulated his mana in the most optimal manner, ensuring to use the least amount of energy to deal the greatest damage.

As long as he stayed within the estate, the cultists would be drawn here. And if these cultists were all focused on him, it would give the armed forces of ravenfell and the mundane people outside room to breathe.

He would be fine as long as no Mana Core Magus was involved. He had that much confidence in his abilities, at least.

Adam did not know what else he could do in this situation. He felt immensely grateful for his vast mana reserves that made such actions possible, though. It ensured that he could, at the very least, sustain himself until the battle was over.

Hopefully…

He was about to stab an unsuspecting Mana Vortex-level cultist in the back when suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. He instantly retreated several meters back, adding more layers of illusions to conceal himself once again.

No one attacked him, though.

Adam turned his head and looked in the direction of the mountain range north of Ravenfell. He had been paying attention to the violent battle between the Mana Core Magi happening there.

Of course, his Sphere of Resonance could not reach that far. Still, he was able to vaguely sense the situation there because of the wildly fluctuating mana signatures erupting in that region from time to time.

A battle between Mana Core Magi was a deadly affair.

Just a few moments ago, he sensed the arrival of two more Mana Core Magi!

His heart churned with tumultuous emotions, and he couldn't help but think nervously, Headmaster… Emperor…

He couldn't help but fear for their situation. They were already fighting four Mana Core Magi, and now two more of them had shown up out of nowhere.

Worst still, he did not know if they were allies or enemies.

Suddenly, the night shifted. It seemed to become much more… dark. Adam's eyes narrowed, and he raised his head, sensing the changes in the night sky.

What he saw caused him to be thunderstruck.

Yes, the night had become much darker, and the reason for that was the dark blanket suddenly enveloping the city of Ravenfell, blocking the pale light of Selene and Luna.

After observing this 'blanket' closely, Adam realized that it was made of countless ravens!

He immediately knew who this was.

The Headmaster's returning to the city? He thought, stunned.

Does that mean the two newcomers are allies?

He desperately hoped so. The Mana Core Magi would dictate the outcome of the battle. The more their side had, the greater their chances of making it out of this gruesome and bloody mess.

The sound of distant explosions and thundering echoes spreading across the mountain range confirmed Adam's speculations.

The two new Mana Core Magi were indeed allies.

But what is… No, where is Headmaster going? He wondered, safely hidden under concealment spells.

He watched as the countless ravens swirled together, forming a dark pillar that descended upon…

Adam's eyes narrowed, a dark, foreboding feeling gripping his heart.

Benton Estate?

There was also that presence I sensed there earlier...

That was all the time he had to think. He turned back to see the cultists nearly upon him. His face twisted into a ruthless expression, and he lunged forward.

The massacre resumed.

***

Benton Estate.

The pillar of ravens descended from the heavens, landing at the entrance of the lavish manor like a dark curse made flesh.

An otherworldly pressure seeped into the air, warping it, cracking the very walls of the building. Pain, regret, and unprecedented anger emanated from the dark pillar.

From the swirling mass, Marcus Blackwood emerged, his expression carved from ice and indifference, yet deep within his dark eyes, a storm of fire and fury howled in silence.

He took a step forward, entering the manor through the towering stone doors. As he scanned the corpses of men, women, and children sprawled out in the main hall, organized into a large circle, his heart turned cold.

A dark ritual! And these people... they are...

Blackwood spotted a lone masked figure standing at the center of the circle of corpses, seemingly waiting for his arrival. However, he spared the man only a passing glance.

His eyes were fixed on the lifeless body at his feet.

It was his student.

Sabrina.

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