Toby slowly sank to the ground, his eyes wide with unquenchable resentment.

  Kate, who was locked in combat with Tia not far off, also sensed that something was awry.

  "Bob! You wretched thief, what on earth are you up to?" Kate thundered.

  "Are you addressing me?" Bob's voice abruptly turned parched and hoarse, reminiscent of the eerie voiceovers in a horror film.

  "You're not Bob!" Kate exclaimed, taken aback.

  Bob straightened up, his figure suddenly towering. He leisurely drew a sheep - bone mask from his bosom and placed it upon his head. Then, his body convulsed violently, and his garments burst asunder, scattering like shrapnel!

  His robust, dark - hued muscles were as striking as inverted subcutaneous tissues. From behind the yellowish - white sheep - bone mask, a chilling gaze glinted. Two inky chains encircled his hands, securing him to his breeches with an iron grip, intensifying the sinister and foreboding atmosphere.

  Strange blood - red runes adorned his physique, a symbol comprising a circle and a hexagram. Unlike the unblemished hexagram of the Mage Association, the emblem on Bob's body was a distinctive triangular configuration with serrated edges, emblematic of the Black Sheep Society, more akin to an ancient script than a mere symbol.

  [Black Sheep Cultist?Terror Hunter?Lenznos (Elite)]

  [Level: 45]

  [Occupation: Assassin]

  [HP: 2398/2398]

  [MP:???/???]

  [Rp:???/???]

  [Profile: A bloodsucker from the Abbey of Rest, a devout and fanatical adherent of the Black Sheep Heresy. None know whence they hail, nor which deity they venerate. O lamb slumbering in the darkness, open thy bewildered eyes. The world teeters on the brink of doom; there is no benevolence, no illumination, only boundless darkness encroaching upon the dreams of every soul.]

  What cruel twist of fate was this? A cold sweat broke out on Kenley's brow.

  An elite fiend from the Abbey of Rest—how on earth did it end up here? This was a mid - game adversary, and yet it had dared to appear in Marlen Imperial City on the second day of the Holy Bestowal Day! And right under the watchful eye of the Church of Light, no less. The audacity!

  Kate recoiled in horror."You, you're from the Black Sheep Society…!"

  Before he could finish his sentence, with a swift"son!" sound, Lenznos teleported behind Kate in an instant. With a flick of his wrist, a dagger wreathed in dark vapor sliced across Kate's throat, and in an instant, Kate's head and body were severed.

  A clean, swift kill!

  This was the imposing might of a level - 45 elite monster!

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  With a gulf of two entire ranks in power, Kate hadn't even had a chance to react!

  Kenley knew precisely what technique Lenznos had employed, but at that moment, he had but one thought: to flee!

  "Hiss." Lenznos extended his blood - red tongue and licked the blood from the dagger in his grasp, then turned his gaze upon Kenley.

  But he paused briefly before shifting his eyes to Tia.

  "Descendant of heroes, with the blood of darkness coursing through thy veins, submit to the embrace of the Black Sheep. The Mother Goddess has long since slumbered, and the end of days approaches. The stench of decay pervades the land, and the Eyes of Agony oversee all. When the god plucks out his heart as a sacrifice to the Black Sheep, that shall be the day the Heart of the World ceases to beat." As he spoke, Lenznos knelt on one knee.

  So, he was after Tia. Could this be part of the hidden quest of [The Princess of the Fallen Kingdom]? Had the Black Sheep Society set their sights on the power of Tia's heroic bloodline and orchestrated this entire charade?

  Kenley was familiar with the Eyes of Agony. It was a level - 90 boss, the ultimate nemesis within the Black Sheep Society's secret underground temple. However, this was not the most powerful boss of the Black Sheep Society; there was one even more formidable. And the Heart of the World surely referred to the Sky Tower, for it was there that the Mother Goddess lay in eternal repose, the very epicenter of the world.

  Indeed, this being an open field, it was preferable to engage here than within the imperial city.

  It also underscored the terrifying reach of the Black Sheep Society. Even in a place as significant as Marlen Imperial City, cultists of the Black Sheep Society lurked in the shadows. Their spies were truly scattered across the four corners of the earth...

  Tia regarded Kenley with a look of trepidation. Clearly, she was in a panic. She was at a loss as to what to do, fearing that if she rejected Lenznos on the spot, he would slay her master.

  Tia was well aware of Lenznos' prowess and knew full well that with Kenley's current strength, he stood no chance against him.

  Kenley shook his head at Tia. Without uttering a word, he began to inch closer to her.

  Lenznos seemed indifferent to Kenley's subtle maneuvers; his attention was firmly fixed on Tia's response.

  Although Tia was uncertain of her master's intentions, something stirred within her, and she seemed to grasp his meaning."The Black Sheep God stands in opposition to the realm of dreams, yet the light of order still shines upon the blood of heroes. Sir, I must beg your pardon, but I cannot comply," she said.

  Lenznos was patient. Remaining on one knee, he continued,"The realm of dreams is the Black Sheep's paradise of bliss, and the Mother Goddess has long since forgotten her children. The blood of heroes now lies under the Black Sheep's blessing. Listen to the call from the depths of your soul and surrender to the Black Sheep, Your Highness."

  Tia furrowed her brow. This Black Sheep cultist seemed determined to spirit her away.

  She spun around and saw that Kenley had crept to within less than ten meters of her. Despite knowing that together they were no match for Lenznos, for some inexplicable reason, the sight of Kenley approaching filled her with a sense of security.

  Kenley nodded at her, signaling for her to stall for time.

  Kenley's intention in drawing nearer to Tia was to transport her into the Sub - Servant Subspace. Apart from the automatic retrieval when in a critically wounded state, a manual retrieval required the master and servant to be within a five - meter radius.

  Kenley was too far from Tia; if the distance wasn't closed, he couldn't retrieve her. Kenley was not without means to deal with Lenznos, but Tia was vulnerable.

  He might have been able to manage on his own, but with Tia in tow, the difficulty would only escalate. Thus, he had to retrieve Tia first.

  So, Tia spoke up again."Sir, could you please disclose the true reason for extending this invitation to me?"

  Lenznos replied,"This is the Black Sheep's summons, Your Highness. Please make your decision promptly. Time is of the essence, and if the fanatical followers of the Church of Light discover us, none of us will be able to..."

  Just then, Kenley suddenly lunged forward!

  "Tia!"

  A brilliant golden light flared in the air, and a rift materialized in an instant. Tia stepped directly into the rift!

  "Subspace!" Lenznos exclaimed, jolting to his feet in disbelief. He could never have anticipated that this was a Sub - Servant Contract!