Chương 90: Kill Him or Save Him

Victor, who stood in front of the gathered crowd, went silent. His face started to contract the moment Laurene called the severed black hand a Skeleton Hand, his mind stopping its processing of everything else around him. He stared at the limb lying on the ground, recognizing the dark bones. It was not the hand that frightened him, but what the hand represented.

"Arthur," he muttered. Though his voice was barely audible, the people standing around him heard it. Among them, Susanne, who was in the same confusion about this black Skeleton Hand, heard what Victor just said. The moment she heard Arthur's name, her expression changed.

"What did you just say?" she asked automatically, her mind trying to comprehend the gravity of this situation. Just thinking of the possibility of Arthur coming back to life sent her head into a full swing. How could someone come back after death? Susanne's chest tightened. However, she quickly pulled herself out of those thoughts. Firstly, it wasn't possible for a dead person to come back to life. Secondly, this skeleton was black; there was no guarantee that this skeleton belonged to Arthur.

Though they were not in the real world, but rather in a strange, isolated place, she didn't have the means to simply believe everything. Furthermore, she herself had buried him. She had watched his body being lowered into the ground, pushing the dirt over him with her own hands. She had stood beside the grave and cried for someone she had known for barely two days. Was that all some kind of illusion? She had to ask herself that question.

Yet now, despite its blackened appearance, the skeletal limb had manifested inside the Safe Spot—a sanctuary strictly inaccessible to monsters. Therefore, the probability of it being a genuine beast was exceedingly slim, pointing instead to the grim likelihood that the skeleton belonged to Arthur. Still, every time she arrived at the conclusion that Arthur had somehow returned to life, a profound chill cascaded down her spine.

"That's impossible," Charlton declared aloud, pointing accusingly at Victor.

"That isn't Arthur's skeleton. His Skeleton bones were white! Furthermore, even if his skeleton were black, how could it possibly exist when you murdered him two days ago?" Charlton remained pointing as he spoke. The surrounding crowd shifted their gazes toward Victor. They all comprehended the grave implications of the skeletal hand, and they were well aware of what Victor had done to its presumed owner.

Victor, who had been standing as still as a statue, realized the heavy weight of everyone's stares upon him and instinctively took a step back. It doesn't matter what this skeletal hand signifies. If that fool truly came back to life, I will simply kill him again, he reasoned internally. However, a moment later, an intriguing prospect blossomed in his mind. When he first assassinated Arthur, he had acquired a new Ability.

If Arthur were truly resurrected and slaughtered a second time, what kind of bountiful rewards might he reap? Merely pondering the lucrative possibilities dissolved his previous dread, and a sinister smile stretched across his face. Susanne, who had been continuously observing Victor, noted this unsettling shift in his demeanor. Witnessing his vile expression, she sensed with utter certainty that Victor had resolved to commit another atrocity—most likely murdering Arthur all over again.

Reviewing the mounting evidence, she finally embraced the conclusion that Arthur had somehow survived death. Recognizing that Victor was already plotting his next move, her stomach plummeted, and her heart pounded with frantic agitation.

"Grandma, you have to protect Arthur," Susanne pleaded, suddenly looking toward her grandmother. Hearing this, everyone who had been engrossed in their own discussions fell entirely silent. Lothaire, who had been conversing with Laurene, looked in their direction. He already knew about the incidents that had transpired before his arrival, including the boy who had been murdered.

However, after listening to what Laurene had blurted out upon witnessing the severed limb, he came to the stark conclusion that he did not possess the full picture. He had quickly questioned Laurene, and now, he understood the complete truth of the situation. Meanwhile, Linlyn was lost in her own thoughts, contemplating the recent events and the secrets she already harbored.

Ever since she discovered that Arthur had awakened from a deep sleep, a strange intuition had taken root within her—this Trial was nothing like the ordinary ones people had encountered in the past. That creeping sensation only intensified now that she was faced with a deceased person seemingly coming back to life. Was this truly a miracle? What kind of fortune or misfortune is this anomaly imposing upon us? she wondered, though she could find no concrete answers.

Nevertheless, after hearing her granddaughter's desperate plea, one thing became absolutely certain: they could not allow this boy to die a second time. It did not matter whether his return brought them boundless fortune or absolute disaster.

"Lothaire, I do not see Dejan and his sons in the Main Chamber," Linlyn announced, suddenly realizing she could no longer detect their three presences within the room.

"What? Brother, they are going to kill Arthur again! You have to save him!" Nickolas begged, moving toward his brother in a state of sheer desperation.

"Hahahaha! What an interesting Trial!" a sudden laughter echoed, dripping with an highly amused tone. Everyone whipped around to see who had spoken. The moment Lothaire's eyes landed on the newcomer, his expression immediately turned exceedingly grim. Denis Hatfield strode into the Main Chamber, laughing once more as he took in the situation. The Hatfield Family was widely considered the second-strongest family in Faith City.

They were incredibly desperate to usurp the number one position, a fact well-known among all the prominent families, especially Lothaire's. Harboring this animosity, Denis had decided not to cooperate with the temporary alliance Dejan had hastily formed for the Trial. Although outwardly silent, he had been constantly observing his surroundings and fully grasped the events unfolding within the Safe Spot.

Now, recognizing the unprecedented opportunity presented by someone returning to life after being killed, he decided this was his perfect chance to propel his family to the pinnacle of Faith City. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Mr. Denis, this has nothing to do with you. I strongly suggest you stay out of this matter," Linlyn warned urgently. Just from his mocking laughter, she could easily discern his underlying intention to attack Arthur. Knowing exactly what Denis was capable of, she realized she had to handle him with the utmost care.

"Ms. Linlyn, you must remember that we are currently inside the Concentric Trial. Every issue here is my issue. I suggest you join hands with me instead. We can share the rewards equally," he countered, smoothly stroking his beard.

"Denis, please do not do anything hastily. We need that boy alive; keeping him breathing will yield much larger benefits," Linlyn quickly proposed, realizing the situation was rapidly spiraling out of hand. The surrounding group listened to their tense exchange with mounting anxiety. Susanne, more than anyone else, could no longer suppress her sense of urgency. She felt as though she were standing on burning coals.

The Pleasence family had already gone after Arthur, yet these elders were standing here arguing instead of rushing to save him!

"Grandma, we do not have time to argue! While we stand here talking, those people will find him and kill him!" Susanne yelled at her grandmother, her anxiety finally boiling over.

"Silence!" However, the only response she received from her grandmother was a thunderous rebuke. Susanne was badly startled by the shout, and she was not alone; everyone present in the chamber instantly fell completely silent. Unbidden tears rolled down Susanne's cheeks. After staring in shock for a few seconds, she sprinted away from the crowd and rapidly ascended the steps, deciding to find Arthur all by herself. Seeing her leave, Nickolas and Charlton hesitated for a brief moment before sprinting after her.

A few seconds later, Daniel and Laurene silently slipped away from the gathering, rushing out to chase after the fleeing group. Linlyn, who saw her granddaughter's actions, could do nothing but shake her head. After taking a moment to organize her thoughts, she looked at Denis and spoke.

"Denis, you have to believe me. Keeping the boy alive may benefit us much more than killing him," Linlyn stated, delivering her final argument.

"Even if your choice is to kill the boy, you will have to go through us first." Saying so, she turned her gaze toward Lothaire, desperately hoping he shared her exact thoughts. If Lothaire also decided to kill the boy, it would be an absolute disaster, and she would be entirely powerless to stop it.

"We will conduct a thorough inquiry before we make any definitive decisions," Lothaire said after pondering for a moment. Linlyn sighed, releasing the breath she had been holding; at least now, she had an opportunity to properly assess the situation.

"Very well. I hope everyone agrees with Lothaire," Linlyn said, looking at the others and at Denis in particular, who had remained completely silent after hearing Lothaire's decision.

"We shall see, but my decision leans heavily toward killing the boy and reaping the rewards. However, we must find him first. I just hope the Pleasences weren't too greedy and haven't killed the boy already," Denis remarked with great amusement. As he abruptly disappeared from the Chamber, everyone else followed, moving in a sudden blur of motion. Hearing this, the remaining crowd gasped instinctively.

They already knew the Pleasence family had gone in search of Arthur, and since a great deal of time had passed while they were talking, there was a high chance they had already murdered Arthur again—assuming he truly had resurrected from the dead, a fact some people still deeply doubted. Seeing that the city ruler had decided to find Arthur, everyone else in the Chamber also wanted to witness what was going to happen, so they all hurriedly scrambled toward the exit.

In just a second, the Main Chamber became practically empty. Only a few people remained behind. One of them was the old man Larry, who was still sitting quietly by the side of the wall. His indifferent countenance clearly indicated that he was not the least bit interested in any of the chaotic events that were unfolding. The only other group that stayed in the Chamber was Edgar and the middle-aged man, who was still sitting calmly in his chair.

The middle-aged man simply remained seated on the chair with his eyes closed; however, Edgar, who stood directly behind him, displayed a myriad of shifting expressions on his face. He could vaguely recall this specific skeleton and the name that the crowd had just been discussing. He had indeed met a person who could summon a skeleton before, but the burning question was: was it the exact same person?

"Master, I believe I have met the kid these people were talking about. He was from Outer Sector B," Edgar said after giving the matter some serious thought. The middle-aged man slowly opened his eyes, revealing absolutely no emotion on his solemn face.

"We should save this kid. He may become a great asset to your Outer Sector," Edgar quickly suggested, seeing that the middle-aged man wasn't offering any immediate response.

"Don't worry about it. Toni is already in motion," Tantoo interjected. Hearing this, Edgar quickly looked behind him, noticing for the first time that Toni was missing.

"Shall we move as well?" Edgar asked with deep concern, considering that a massive crowd of people had already gone ahead to find the kid.

"How long do we have?" the middle-aged man asked calmly. Edgar looked up toward the ceiling, where the glowing countdown was clearly displayed.

"We have exactly thirty minutes until the timer hits zero," Edgar replied. Hearing this, the middle-aged man finally stood up, shooting a quick, calculated glance at the old man who still sat quietly near the wall.

"Toni will take care of the kid," the middle-aged man stated firmly. Turning back, he carefully observed the expectant faces of Tantoo, Deano, and Edgar.

"Let's do it," he muttered quietly.

"Edgar, you will provide support. Stay back unless you are absolutely needed." Hearing his command, everyone nodded in unison, and Edgar also nodded obediently without voicing a single argument. The Main Chamber had descended into a pin-drop silence. The middle-aged man took a deliberate step toward the old man, Larry. Larry, whose eyes had been firmly closed and his head bowed toward the ground this entire time, finally moved for the very first time.

His aged eyes slowly fluttered open, and he lifted his heavy head, staring directly at the group of people standing boldly in the middle of the Chamber. Seeing this, his lips slowly curved upwards, and a small smile appeared on his face. It was almost like a divine smile—deeply relaxed and incredibly welcoming. The middle-aged man took a few steps forward and then stopped.

"It is very good to see that people like you still exist, humans," Old Man Larry spoke. Though his voice was low, it eerily echoed throughout the massive Chamber.

"I accept your challenge. I hope you will not regret your choice, since the Trial offers you unparalleled wealth and strength," Old Man Larry uttered calmly.

"We already have enough strength; we do not need anymore," the middle-aged man replied, silently signaling to Deano.

"I seriously doubt that..." Before Old Man Larry could even finish his sentence, a massive warhammer was mere inches away from his head. Deano, who had been standing idly behind the middle-aged man, had suddenly vanished. He reappeared right next to Larry, violently swinging his heavy warhammer toward the frail-looking elder.

As the devastating weapon closed the final inch, right on the verge of crushing the old man's head into bloody paste against the floor, Larry's body suddenly distorted and vanished into thin air.

The full, terrifying force of the hammer smashed directly into the ground where the old man had just been sitting. The explosive impact created a deep crater, sending jagged debris and blinding dust flying wildly in all directions. The disappeared Old Man Larry materialized, suspended high in the center of the Chamber. His body slowly drifted downward until he gracefully seated himself upon the leader's chair.

"A very good attack, but it is not enough to achieve your goal," Old Man Larry mused, looking down at Deano, who was just emerging from the settling dust cloud. Deano's robust figure immediately shot forward at a speed the naked eye could barely track. At the exact same time, Tantoo and the middle-aged man also exploded into a blur of motion.

"Now we are talking," Old Man Larry declared, a remarkably bright smile spreading across his aged face.