This was the shadow of a true gunman, Sier thought. But then, the man pulled the trigger on his gun, and the silver and black lights intertwined with each other as they bolted toward the ruins' entrance.
The giant ball of energy devoured everything in its path while growing bigger and bigger. Finally, Sier took a runic card from his robes and threw it in front of them. William retreated in that split second before a barrier activated, but it was far from able to withstand the explosion.
The world cried as the nothingness exploded from the ruins' entrance, taking down everything in its path. As Sier calculated the distance, he realized that the wave of destruction would engulf them.
"Retreat!" shouted Sier as he jumped backward, followed by the rest. Hua was the one carrying Julia, and she jumped back, controlling both of them to fly away.
The destruction swept away everything in its path, and it did not slow down until they were halfway up the stairs. The group stared back at the sea of darkness receding into the crater, unable to believe this was the destruction that they had brought.
"We have truly overdone it, boss," said Zas as he stared at the destruction that ensued from their attack. "Maybe this gun is more of a curse than a blessing. That deal was too suspicious for us to accept."
"I will be the one to decide that, Crow," said Sier with a cold edge to his voice. The teleporter closed his mouth without making another sound. "The entrance is open. We can go inside now."
"How are we supposed to go through the darkness?" asked William as he held his shaking arm. "A simple touch would flatten us with the ground."
"There is no need to fear. A part of the deal was a method to cross the darkness, which should delay whoever pursues us. So we just need to jump."
"...jump where?" asked Hua with a frown. "It cannot be... into that?" she placed Julia down as she asked. "Boss, this is getting out of hand."
"I do not only make the decisions convenient to you all," said Sier with a frown as he turned to them. "I expect all of you to follow me even when my decisions do not make sense."
The three were silent before nodding. Sier stared back into the darkness before remembering the words that person had told him. As they stated, a blessing from the divine tree should work to shield them in the darkness.
Whether to trust them or not was different because Sier did not trust anyone. However, when offered a weapon that could cause this destruction, Sier's heart was tempted to make this deal. Such destruction could be a good threat for his father to leave the throne.
This cannot be a bad deal because he was leaving with nothing but gains. However, it left a bad taste in his mouth. The outsider will never forgive him for using this weapon or weaponizing the powers of nothingness.
However, Arthur was not there when all of them needed him, and Sier still remembers their fight over the Tanera Kingdom and the Ghost Summoner. Even if the two of them became friends at some point, things took a turn.
The thoughts rushed through his head as Sier jumped into the darkness. His three followers stood behind and stared at him with concern as the darkness engulfed his body. However, Sier landed without being harmed.
"Another thing proved right," muttered Sier as he stared at his hands. "Am I going on the right path, Arthur?"
It was ironic for the Omniscient Vessel to be unable to know whether he was doing the right thing. However, that was the case with the outsider who did not belong to their world or the timeline.
Sier regrets ever meeting Arthur or thinking that he could be of help against his father. If he had found the Moonlight Crossbow earlier and weaponized the black crystals, their goal would have been achieved: a nation to call their own.
Mistletoe would not be the discarded ones anymore, and their powers would grow more than a group of thieves and Broken Goods. They would be a power to be reckoned with, and every member would get their revenge.
These were the criteria that Sier picked for his members. All of them were wronged by the world and had the burning hatred within them to take back what was theirs. However, as he stared at their hesitant faces, he wondered if he had underestimated their capability to change.
His fears were extinguished by the three members jumping to land beside him. A smile appeared on his face as they proved their loyalty and trust. Even if Sier jumped into hell, the three of them would follow.
"Let's rob these ruins," said Sier before turning to walk into them. The darkness covered even the hallway beyond the gate, but the blessing worked well to shield them. As the group reached the next hall, they were greeted by a figure.
"I wondered what that explosion was," said the man who had a sharp jawline and a dashing smile. "A few rats have found their way into my den."
[Grandmaster Casca is still here!] thought Julia the runemaster, and Sier heard her. The name was not unfamiliar to him because he knew that this grandmaster spent most of his time inside the ruins.
"Rats can carry plagues and illnesses," said Sier as he gestured. "Let us inside, and no battle will occur, nor hostages will die here."
"You have already destroyed most of the runic lines that shape this place," said Grandmaster Casca with cold rage. "I will not be satisfied until I break all of your bones, even if it means my death or hers."
"We outnumber you," said William as he raised his gun. "Although, I doubt that we need more than just a bullet to take you out."
As soon as he finished his words, the gunman pulled the trigger and fired the bullet at the grandmaster. It was a fusion of explosive mana and ten-thousand-years iron bullet, making this one of the strongest attacks fired by William.
"I am terrified," said Grandmaster Casca as he raised his hand. The world twisted around his fingertips as his lips muttered a single planet. "Reverse."
The world seemed to be held by the throat as the attack started being divided into smaller forms, each different in color. Finally, when the attack reached Grandmaster Casca, it was nothing but a lump of steel and harmless mana, among other ores.
"You can reverse items into their original form," said Sier. "Runera is full of hidden monsters like you. I wonder why you are still neutral even while being this powerful."
"We have our plans," said Grandmaster Casca as he crouched beside the lump of steel. "This is a fine quality crafting material. It would be a waste to use it on weapons."
"You can keep it because we have a better one," said Sier while signaling William to take out the Moonlight Crossbow. "Are you willing to reverse this time too, Grandmaster Casca?"
The smile on the grandmaster's face disappeared as the weapon was pointed in his way. It seems he was not surprised but did not dare to underestimate the threat of the crossbow.
"There is no possible method for you to steal this," said Grandmaster Casca with a frown. "Someone from inside of Runera gave you this item. I can think of three people."
His analytic ability was terrifying, and Sier almost felt overwhelmed by the influx of information into his head. However, none of the suspects was the correct answer behind the culprit who gave them this weapon.
"It does not matter," said Sier with a smile. "You either cooperate with us, or we attack."
"I know that you lack crystals," said Casca. "You will not waste them on anything but the runic encryption. Furthermore, do you think I am an idiot?"
Sier was silent because he knew that this man was far from an idiot. As long as he survives the first destruction, the grandmaster will remain unharmed and obstruct their path.
"Leave him to me," said Sier as he strode forward away from the group. "Go and find a way deeper into the ruins. Use the knowledge of that runemaster to find a weak point. We cannot let these ruins collapse."
"Do you think I would allow it?" chuckled Grandmaster Casca as he raised his hand. "I can turn their bodies to nothing but bones and flesh."
"I am your opponent, Grandmaster Casca," said Sier as his eyes began shining violet. "Let me show you what scholars truly desire: the truth."
As his ability activated, Sier began looking for the weak points that would end this fight quickly. However, his enemy was the head of a family, and winning would not be easy. Therefore, Sier borrowed more powers than he could handle for a brief second. It was a choice he would regret.