Alzara's entire body trembled. "Please… I didn't do anything… I don't know if you are Metina or if you killed my friend… but it doesn't matter. You know me. You have been with me all these days. You know I am kind-hearted and innocent. I have never offended the Umbra's hand. Why are you after me? What is that you seek?"

Alzara completely broke down. Damon was shocked. He didn't expect her to react like this. Even the false Metina tilted his head, almost curiously, watching Alzara crumble. A flicker of lust appeared on his face as he saw her seductive figure trembling, broken, and vulnerable.

There were rips here and there on her already flimsy attire, which were surprisingly not vulgar. It just made a man want more.

The imposter continued, stepping closer. "What I seek?" he repeated, bending down to her level. "There are very few things that matter to me, my dear princess. I won't lie. I do have an order to execute you right here and now. But…" He paused as his hand reached lower towards the two enticing mounds. "I am willing to reconsider under the right circumstances."

Alzara looked up, her eyes weak and innocent like a deer, her lips parted slightly, and a look of utter desperation on her beautiful face. It screamed fuck me.

And the man licked his lips, clearly planning to do exactly the same. "Become my woman, and I will let you live." Not hiding his intentions, he hurriedly reached down to grab her when suddenly multiple blades of sand shot towards him.

They whistled through the air like a storm of razors, slashing across his face, chest, and arms before he could even blink. The false Metina roared and leapt backward, blood splattering from a dozen shallow cuts. His lustful grin twisted into fury. "Who dares!?"

He then realized the obvious as even more blades shot towards him. His gaze shifted to Alzara, and a vicious smile danced on her lips. "You bitch!" He shouted as he tried to sink into the shadows. However, a golden light surrounded him, locking him in place.

Dust swirled into a vortex right next to him, and from within there, another Alzara stepped out. "Die, you vermin. You do not even qualify to stand in front of me. You might have killed my friend, but I will not be easy prey."

The imposter's eyes widened. He tried escaping again, but he only ended up failing again. The false Metina's form flickered, his disguise failing. The skin peeled away in dark ribbons, revealing a pale figure with ink-like veins and eyes of liquid black.

His voice deepened into a guttural hiss. "You will regret this, desert witch! Umbra's hand will never leave you."

Alzara laughed. "Then I will personally kill every single one of your members until there is no more Umbra's hand left." Just as she finished talking, she and her other self both raised their hands together, chanting in an ancient tongue. The sand around them rippled, turning molten gold as sigils blazed across its surface.

"Scarab Tomb."

The very earth responded. Sand surged upward in colossal waves, swirling into a cocoon of light around the imposter. He screamed, summoning shadow beasts that clawed at the barrier, but each one was shredded to dust by the radiant sandstorm.

The cocoon compressed tighter and tighter. It was clear that if this continued, the man would simply explode and cease to exist.

However, right at this moment, something unexpected happened. Shadows erupted all around the tomb, completely encasing it.

The radiant cocoon flickered violently as the darkness swallowed it whole. The molten sand hissed, dimming under the weight of a far greater power. The golden light that had filled the grove was smothered, consumed, until only black shadows remained.

Alzara's chant broke off mid-word. Her clone stumbled, flickering like a dying mirage. Her eyes widened in shock, genuine this time, as she snapped to look to the right.

Another shadow coalesced next to her. A tall, lean, and muscular man. He looked simple enough, but there was something in that. It was as if he lacked any and all presence, even though he was standing right there in front of everyone.

"Galato, you almost failed. Ba ha ha ha!" The man laughed without any care in the world.

The shadows then disintegrated as the other man appeared from within it, coughing and wheezing. "The bitch tricked me."

"You don't say." The second man again laughed.

"Oh shut up, Nara. I have been watching this bitch parade around her filthy body for months now. Obviously, it affected me. Even if it were you, the result would have been-" The man did not finish the sentence as a strong murderous aura filled the space.

"Galato, your position as the twelfth hand needs to be reassessed. You will have another trial as soon as we get back."

Galato gritted his teeth with an annoyed expression, but he did not dare talk back. "Okay, whatever the fifth says, I will obey."

Hearing them, Alzara's face paled. Fifth and twelfth. It was now clear to her that not just one but two members of the main Umbra's hand cult were standing right in front of her. Her future did not look bright.

Trying to get the treasures of the fairy king's tomb right now would only be a suicide. Her best option was to escape and get the hell out of this place, back to the safety of her palace. She quickly activated her movement skill, but even as she did so, two murderous gazes landed on her.

Shadows erupted all around her, locking her up. "Where are you going, my dear princess?" Gelato viciously smiled as he took a step closer to her.

"Just now, you caused me a lot of trouble. Not only did you make me lose face in front of my senior brother, but you also made him question my very rank in the hand. Don't you think that you deserve some punishment for that?"

A small scorpion appeared on the man's hand. "Do you know what this is?"

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