The cell fell silent. Ethan turned slowly to Hall, his voice calm but dangerous. "You didn't ask her anything?"

Hall stiffened. "We… we were waiting for you to question her, my Lord."

Ethan blinked a few times.

Then again. His expression darkened.

"Fuck…" he muttered. "Is this how you manage things?"

"Cough!" Hall coughed awkwardly. "My Lord… it might have been a small miscommunication."

Ethan sighed and ran a hand over his face. He looked back at the woman.

"I'll ask you once," he said coldly. "Tell me. Why are you operating here, and what are your plans?"

The woman stared at him, her lips curling into a faint, twisted smile.

"Offering," she said quietly. "You all are going to be offered to the Great One."

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Which one?"

"The Great One."

"I understand 'Great One,' but which Great One?"

She stared at him blankly, her pupils dilated. "There is only one Great One."

"Yes," Ethan replied slowly, his voice calm. "And I am asking… who is he?"

The woman's expression changed slightly, as if something deep within her stirred. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.

"This…" she whispered faintly, her eyes losing focus as if a shadow had fallen over her mind.

Ethan's expression hardened. Something wasn't right. The air in the cell grew colder, and a faint, unsettling presence seemed to hover around the woman.

Whatever she was about to say, it wasn't going to be something simple so everyone waited with utmost attention however..

"We worshi… GAHHHHH!"

The woman's voice broke off into a scream. Her body trembled violently as thick veins bulged across her forehead. Blood began to drip from her lips, and she started coughing heavily, gasping for air.

"ARGHHHH!" she shrieked again, her body arching in pain.

Ethan's eyes widened. Without wasting another second, he reached into his coat and pulled out the Sun Insignia. The golden emblem flared with light as he poured his energy into it. Warm, bright light filled the cell, pushing away the dark aura that had begun to surround the woman.

The veins on her forehead slowly receded. Her body, which had been twitching violently, began to relax. The blood around her lips dried, and her breathing steadied, though she still looked pale and weak.

The guards stared at her in shock. Hall swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Ethan's expression was calm again. "If you can't say the name," he said quietly, "then at least tell me your goal."

The woman looked up at him, her eyes half-lidded and lifeless. Then, suddenly, she laughed. It was a low, broken laugh that echoed through the stone cell.

"Our goal…" she whispered, her lips curling into a grin. "Our goal… is to take over the kingdom."

The words hung heavy in the air.

Ethan's brows furrowed. "It seems we're dealing with some next-level shit," he said under his breath, his tone grave. He looked directly into her eyes. "How are you going to take it over?"

"That's not something minor people like me should know," the woman replied weakly, her voice trembling but her gaze still defiant.

"Then how do you contact the others?" Ethan pressed.

"Through secret messages," she muttered.

Ethan nodded slowly and turned toward Hall. "You understand, right?"

"Yes, my Lord. We will trace it," Hall said immediately, bowing slightly.

Ethan gave a small nod. "Good. Take care of her. Make sure she doesn't die. I need her alive.Draw out all additional information."

"Yes, sir!" the guards said in unison, saluting sharply. Ethan turned and walked out of the cell with Hall following close behind. The echo of their footsteps filled the narrow corridor.

And just as they stepped out.

SLap!

Blrrr!

The guards standing beside slapped again making the woman look grievous.

"Why?"

"Because you acted like a cocky bitch!"

...

Once outside, Ethan stopped and looked at the sky through a small slit in the rock wall. "I wonder if anyone else has noticed this."

Hall thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think so, my Lord. Since all the noble lords are participating in the war, their secret forces would be with them, protecting them. Very few would have been left behind."

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Still, we don't know for sure. Maybe some of them are in cahoots with these people."

Hall's explanation made sense, but it only deepened Ethan's unease. He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Hall, we need to increase surveillance. I'm having a bad feeling about this."

"I will handle it, my Lord. Believe in me," Hall said with confidence.

Ethan gave a faint smile. "Good. Also, I have a gift for you."

Hall blinked in surprise. "Gift? What kind of gift?" His tone carried a hint of curiosity and caution.

Ethan's smile turned faintly amused. "Come closer and stand before me."

Hall hesitated but obeyed, stepping forward until he stood directly in front of Ethan.

The next moment, Ethan's hand moved faster than Hall could see.

BOOM!

A powerful shockwave blasted through the area as Ethan's palm struck Hall's square on the back. The impact sent him flying forward like a launched cannonball. His body crashed into the dirt with a loud thud, sliding several meters and leaving small craters behind. Dust rose into the air, covering everything in a fine gray mist.

"Shit," Ethan muttered, shaking his hand.

"I overused my power. I forgot he was only at the Middle Intermediate Stage."

Groaning, Hall slowly pushed himself up from the ground. His clothes were torn, his back stung, but his eyes widened as he felt something different inside him. The energy in his body was flowing more freely, his core pulsing with new strength.

He blinked in disbelief. "What the…?"

Ethan watched calmly as Hall's aura flared faintly…

A breakthrough…

Not just any Breakthrough.

He skipped two levels and directedly reached Advanced Stage

Hall looked at his hands in astonishment. "I… I broke through? Just from being hit?" He looked at Ethan, horror and awe mixing on his face.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.