The wind carried stinging dust, but that wasn't the only thing fueling their fear. Some of the citizens exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting deep despair. It seemed as if there was no way out. Destruction and death loomed over them, inevitable.
Suddenly, a shout broke the oppressive silence.
A young man with a frail body stood up quickly. His gaze was anxious but filled with determination. He walked toward the Faithwarden woman, his steps quick and firm, as if he had made his final decision.
He knelt before the woman, his head bowed low until it touched the dirty ground. "My lady... I am willing to be your servant. I will do whatever you command," he said, his voice trembling, but there was a firmness in his tone.
Silence enveloped the scene for a moment, and soon, other citizens, influenced by the young man's actions, followed. They moved forward, one by one, then knelt before the Faithwarden woman with faces full of fear and hope.
"My lady, spare our lives!" cried an old man, hobbling forward before collapsing to his knees.
"We're willing to be your slaves! As long as we can live!" shouted another, their voices quivering between fear and hope.
The Faithwarden woman, still feeling the effects of the exhausting battle, looked at the scene before her with an expression that was difficult to read. Her gaze was filled with surprise and a hint of frustration.
"A moment ago, these people called me a demon, a madwoman. And now look at them." She thought to herself, realizing how fear could twist loyalty.
Meanwhile, her body still felt the intense heat from Puno's rapidly activating fire marks. The next few seconds would determine whether she could survive the final explosion or be trapped in a fatal destruction.
Yet beneath her frustration, she couldn't ignore the fact that the human, Puno, though trapped in an illusion, still had the power to explode at any moment. Puno might be caught in her illusion, but that didn't guarantee her safety.
The Faithwarden woman gazed at the civilians kneeling before her with a blank expression. The exhaustion from the recent battle seemed invisible on her face. She slowly raised her hand, and in an instant, several bright red fruits appeared in her grasp.
"Fine… eat this," she said coldly, tossing the fruits towards them without any ceremony.
The young man who was the first to kneel caught one of the fruits in his hand. At a glance, it looked like an apple—similar to the ones he had seen on Earth before. But he didn't have time to think. Being under 15 years old, he lacked the ability to see any description of the fruit, a limitation that had saved many lives before, but not this time.
With trembling hands, he lifted the fruit towards his mouth.
"Stop!!! That's an illusion fruit!" a soldier shouted from behind, his voice filled with fear and warning. He was one of the few who refused to bow and worship the Faithwarden woman, clinging to the remnants of his dignity as a soldier.
But before the warning could sink into the minds of the desperate civilians, the Faithwarden waved her hand with a graceful yet deadly motion. A wave of white energy shot forth, emanating from her hand like a flash of lightning, and struck the shouting soldier.
Without the slightest resistance, the soldier's head was severed from his body. His eyes remained wide open, still reflecting fear, while his headless body slowly tilted forward, then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. The head rolled, leaving a trail of blood on the dusty ground, eventually stopping with its face bowed down in surrender before the terrified citizens.
"Ahhh! No!" Screams erupted among the people. Some immediately covered their eyes with both hands, unable to bear the horrifying scene before them. Fear gripped their souls, freezing any intention of resistance. Hope, even the will to fight, had vanished completely.
The Faithwarden woman showed no hint of mercy. Her eyes scanned the kneeling civilians, observing the fear swelling among them. With a thin smile on her face, she conjured more red fruits, throwing them toward those still frozen in confusion and terror.
"If you still want to live… eat this fruit, quickly," she commanded, her voice like venom seeping into their hearts. She also directed the fruits toward those who had previously refused to kneel, forcing them to confront their final choice.
The civilians, having witnessed the tragic death of the brave soldier, now had no choice but to obey. One by one, their trembling hands reached for the fruits. Some of them stared at the fruit momentarily with eyes full of doubt, but fear overcame all. They slowly lifted the fruit to their mouths, hoping for survival, if only for a moment.
Inside a vast cubic chamber, Puno, his body engulfed in swirling flames, was fiercely battling a group of strange, half-circular creatures. Their round eyes gleamed, and their bodies were covered in deadly red thorns. Puno smiled with satisfaction as his fiery attack sliced through the air, scorching one of them until it was charred to ashes.
"Twelve," Puno muttered, keeping count as his final fire strike hit its mark, reducing the creature to dust.
[Successfully killed (Thorn Blossom Demon), exp 10,400]
The notification echoed in his mind, but Puno gave no time to dwell on his success. He immediately moved, spinning with incredible speed toward the next target. With a swift motion of his hand, fire erupted from his body, incinerating another Thorn Blossom Demon in an instant.
"Thirty," Puno said with a more cautious tone, though a smile still lingered on his face.
[Successfully killed (Thorn Blossom Demon), exp 10,000]
However, the atmosphere started to shift. Puno's caution wasn't without reason. In the distance, a much larger creature emerged from the shadows. Its body was not only covered in thorns, but also writhing with long tentacles that moved like agile snakes, vibrating with a terrifying intensity.
Its large round eyes bulged, with red veins spiraling around its eyelids like knots of energy ready to explode at any moment.