A terrifying aura crashed down upon the land, as if the entire world had been overtaken by the blood-red giant hand.
No one had expected such a sudden shift, and there was no time to react.
The blood-colored hand slammed directly into the area occupied by the Mora family.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed through the meat factory.
Dust and debris erupted, while the very mountains trembled under the terrifying force.
When the dust finally settled, all that remained where the Mora family had stood was a massive handprint, deeply embedded in the ground.
The hundreds of Mora family members were gone, leaving nothing but a grim, muddy stain.
They’d all been obliterated in a single blow.
It was then that everyone noticed a figure in a blood-red robe hovering silently in the sky.
With his arms crossed, he floated in midair, a pair of crimson wings flaring out from his back.
He wore a grotesque mask, and his entire body radiated an intense and frightening aura.
It was unmistakably a Superclass master!
“The… the Phillips family’s Hand of Heaven!” Bronte recognized the skill’s origin, his face turning deathly pale.
At the mention of this family name, shock spread across everyone’s faces.
For this was the family of Duke Lyon!
But why had they suddenly come to Southwind City?!
Orf raised his gaze, his gray brows knitted tightly together as he looked toward the distant sky.
He sighed. “Sir Finn, I believe you owe us an explanation.”
The crowd followed Orf’s gaze, yet saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Luca’s eyes narrowed as a flash of purple flickered in them, and then his pupils contracted sharply.
Among the clouds, a massive, luxurious flying vessel had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
It spanned thousands of meters, its surface covered in countless glowing runes that radiated a dazzling light.
Standing on its deck was a young man, dressed in crimson noble attire, his handsome face framed by the wind.
His gaze was fixed on them. Hearing Orf’s words, he raised his hand slightly, and the vessel emerged from its cloaked state, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Finn Phillips! Why had he come here?!
Fratis’s face went pale as she pressed her lips together tightly, seeming to anticipate the worst.
“What kind of explanation are you asking for, Headmaster Orf?” Finn Phillips replied with a light chuckle, unfazed by Orf’s Superclass status.
His gaze dropped, voice cold. “The Mora family colluded with a cult, attempting to sacrifice tens of thousands of innocent people. I happened to pass by, so I took care of them.
“If anything, you all should be thanking me, don’t you think?”
Bronte’s face darkened, anger flashing in his eyes. “Finn, as the duke’s son, don’t you think that’s a bit shameless?”
Though not common knowledge, it was well-known among those in power that the Mora family served Finn.
They’d likely been observing for quite a while.
Only acting at the crucial moment to silence witnesses.
And now, he dared to make such a brazen statement? freēwebnovel.com
Luca didn’t know much about the strength of Fratis’s fiancé.
But he was definitely getting a sense of his shamelessness.
Noticing the rising discontent around him.
Finn remained completely unbothered.
He said calmly, “If you’re unhappy, you’re welcome to report it to Dawn City. Someone there will handle it. But here, you have no right to question me.”
Even in the presence of several Superclass fighters, he seemed entirely dismissive, as if no one here was worth his attention. This arrogance, ignoring everyone around him, made even the typically calm Orf frown.
This guy was outrageously arrogant!
The Mora family’s blood sacrifice ritual still had many secrets buried beneath the surface. Yet, before they had a chance to investigate, Finn had wiped them all out.
Now, who knew what dangers might linger or how many more would die as a result?
Finn’s conduct and attitude were nothing short of infuriating!
But at the thought of who he was, many found themselves biting back their words.
Duke Lyon, Finn’s father, was one of the most powerful figures in the Clinton Empire.
It wasn’t just ordinary people like them—even Bronte had to bow down before such overwhelming power.
In the Eternal Continent, strength was everything; laws and rules were practically meaningless.
As long as your power was unmatched, no one could challenge you, even if they knew you were behind everything. That was the Eternal Continent’s harsh reality—the law of the jungle.
“I don’t need your reminder! I’ll be reporting this to Dawn City myself, and His Majesty will personally handle it! Let’s see if you’re still so smug then!” Bronte snapped, no longer bothering to mask his contempt.
Sure, he couldn’t take action against Finn now. Just the Sky-level Superclass guard beside him would be more than difficult to deal with, and handling this matter wasn’t even within their authority.
But that didn’t mean Finn was untouchable here. Sooner or later, someone would investigate Finn’s ties to the Mora family, and if anything suspicious was uncovered, not even Duke Lyon could protect him!
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Finn said, narrowing his eyes slightly, but showing not the slightest hint of concern.
He waved his hand and, accompanied by the masked Superclass figure, returned to the flying vessel.
Bronte snorted, saying nothing more, and made his way toward the meat factory.
At this point, the meat factory had been completely reduced to rubble. Of the tens of thousands of slaves within the Blood Sacrifice Array, more than half had perished, while the survivors, pale-faced, had much of their life force drained.
Fortunately, they hadn’t sustained irreparable harm and could recover with some care and rest.
Notably, Ian was still alive.
Being thrown into the Blood Sacrifice Array earlier had ironically saved him, allowing him to avoid the worst of the attack.
Bronte felt a bit relieved at this small consolation.
Ian, as a key player within the Mora family, could still provide valuable information.
As Bronte considered this, his gaze shifted to something hovering above the Blood Sacrifice Array—a black box, emanating a sinister dark glow.
The box was now stained with a layer of blood at the edges, giving it an even more malevolent appearance.
Even with his vast knowledge, Bronte couldn’t identify the origin of this dark artifact. He turned back to Orf and asked, “Dean, does this look familiar to you?”
“It does look familiar…” Orf frowned, scrutinizing the box. After a moment, his face changed suddenly. “This… could it be the Demon Box?”
Luca gave a slight nod.
It apparently reaching the same conclusion.
“The Demon Box?” Bronte’s face paled, and he drew in a sharp breath. “Pandora’s Demon Box? How has this surfaced now?”
With their status and experience, they understood well the seven King-level monsters from the Abyssal Demon Realm and the unspeakable horrors they had unleashed on the Eternal Continent.
Pandora was a notorious name among the Seven Demon Lords. Legend had it that she wielded a black box, storing the very essence of sin and endless desires, enough to corrupt the heart of any mortal.
Bronte never imagined he’d one day encounter such an infamous relic in his own territory, Southwind City.
“It’s been countless years since the Demon Box last appeared. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Medel muttered, his skin prickling with dread, doubting Orf’s assessment.
If the Demon Box had indeed resurfaced, it meant the Witch of Desire was already here.
And if that were true, they were in far more trouble than they’d anticipated.
Orf rolled his eyes and said, “I’ve told you, old fool, to read more often. Just look at the carvings on the box’s four sides—it’s unmistakably the Demon Box.”
“The historical records describe the Witch of Desire’s Demon Box as engraved with four symbols, each representing one of her powers: Desire, Sin’s Eye, Immortality, and Duality—all matching the markings on this box.”
“It’s hard to understand how it ended up here…”
Bronte shook his head, saying, “This is beyond our capacity to handle. I’ll arrange to have it sent to Dawn City and let the royal authorities deal with it.”
Orf and Medel nodded in agreement.
The origins of the black box were too powerful, and leaving it in Southwind City could unleash unknown dangers.
Sending it to Dawn City was the safest course of action.
The group then began discussing how to safely transport the box.
But then, their faces suddenly darkened.
Luca noticed it, too—the light around them was dimming rapidly.
Above them, dark clouds gathered, and the once-brilliant sun was vanishing at a visible rate.
An eclipse?
“What…?” Luca’s eyes widened as he turned toward the direction of the Blood Sacrifice Array.
Purple mist was rising from where Harvis and the others had perished.
Flowing steadily into the black box hovering above the Blood Sacrifice Array.
As the mist poured in, the box’s dark glow deepened.
Tendrils of black energy, laden with endless desire, seeped from the box.
Nearby soldiers working among the factory ruins suddenly shuddered, their eyes bulging as if possessed.
Dark patterns, spreading visibly fast, began crawling across their skin.
“Ahhh!!” They cried out in agony as the black patterns raced up to their foreheads, forming a twisted tree-shaped mark.
If one looked closely, they’d see that this symbol was identical to the golden tree etched onto the Demon Box itself!
And then, they saw it—the Demon Box was trembling slightly, as though preparing to open.
“No… the Demon Box is about to open!” Everyone’s faces went pale. They didn’t fully understand what was happening, but it was undoubtedly something terrible.
“Let’s go!” Orf wasted no time, grabbing Luca and preparing to make a swift exit.
But then, an overpowering pressure suddenly descended upon them.
For a brief moment, all of Southwind City seemed to freeze.
Everyone felt their breath catch in their throats.
This was… Transcendent level power!