Sealing the entire city to ensure that the Sin of Lust wouldn't be able to escape wasn't going to be easy.

After all, it could be noticed by Lust themselves and leave this city… They had to be careful about this.

The three dragons stood in silence for a moment, each of them thinking about the risks involved with that plan.

Ash finally spoke. "If we seal the city quickly, it might be a probably... But otherwise it will slip away before we can corner it..."

Drazek crossed his arms. "It's fine… We can still do it slowly. Piece by piece. We close the exits, cut off the channels, and let the net tighten. Lust won't even realize until it's too late."

Zerel smirked. "Fine. But if it shows itself, I'm not holding back. Vale wanted us to be careful, but I'm not going to let this Sin laugh at us."

They agreed with this plan since the three of them would only be able to show their true strength in a head-on combat. Unfortunately, the Sin of Lust's method wasn't like that.

Perhaps, if it were the Sin of Pride or Wrath, this would be a lot easier…

The next day, Ash began her part of the plan. She visited the temples again, pretending to be a wandering scholar.

While speaking with the priests, she quietly spread her nature energy into the roots beneath the city. The vines and trees around Harake began to grow thicker, subtly blocking paths and sealing off hidden tunnels.

Drazek moved through the alleys at night…

His shadow aura seeped into the walls, closing off escape routes that Lust's disciples might use. He didn't kill anyone, but he made sure that those who tried to sneak out of the city found themselves lost in endless darkness.

Zerel took the most direct approach. He walked through the noble districts, attending feasts in his human guise. Every time he left, the lightning within his hair would come off, and they would create a mystical barrier that could hunt down his enemies or block them off…

Of course, it was only effective against those with traces of Lust.

To the nobles, it looked like nothing had changed at all. But to the dragons, it was another lock on the cage.

A week passed. The city was slowly being sealed.

But Lust finally noticed as it failed to control several of its pawns…

One evening, the three dragons gathered again in the courtyard.

Drazek's expression was excited.

Finding Lust was definitely not an easy task since they were like parasites that could cling to any person it had corrupted…

Even if the Dragons found this Sin, it would just move to another prey, making their chase useless.

However, they finally found some movements.

"I've noticed that the Sin is going restless… I think they're planning something big." Drazek said with a smile. This was definitely a good result. The Sin must've noticed that she could no longer go out of the city with its Pawns…

If Lust wanted to leave this city, it had to do so with its real body, and that would expose its existence. Once that happened, there was no way that the Dragons would miss their chance to capture it…

After all, the only way it could escape from their detection was because it was a parasite living within someone else's body… The Sin of Lust could hide that way, and it could also transfer to other victims of Lust.

But with seals or barriers they created, these pawns affected by the parasite would not be able to escape, and Lust would have to use force sooner or later…

"This Lust must be panicking now…" Ash muttered.

Zerel, who was also starting to get tired waiting for the Lust's appearance, was now hopeful that it could return to the Shadow Domain...

"Then let's force her hand even more… If she's hiding behind disciples, we'll burn them out until she shows herself."

Ash shook her head. "No. We're immortals… If we slaughter her mortal followers, we'll be affected by bad karma."

Unfortunately, they could also not hire ordinary Arcanists within the city since they would just become targets of Lust and perhaps, become another source of its power.

"Wait… What if we just bless another Arcanist? We don't have to fight Lust's apostles or pawns directly…" Ash suggested.

Both Zerel and Drazek were stunned after hearing that…

Well, they had never considered doing that before!

After all, they were all Dragons, and they would normally act alone… Having a disciple or proxy to fight for them felt completely different.

They normally solve problems with brute force and not through schemes.

"Then… Should we find someone applicable and use them to kill those pawns?"

"Mhmm… Since we're not the ones killing those pawns then…'

The three of them looked at each other and felt that this was a good method to control the number of Lust's apostles.

***

Desmund grew up in Harake City, the son of a craftsman and a healer.

His family lived in the western district, where the noise of merchants and taverns was constant. He was good-looking, with sharp features and calm eyes, but his life was far from easy.

Despite being handsome, when he was seventeen, a plague swept through the district. His mother, who had been healing others, caught the sickness herself. His father followed soon after.

Within a month, Desmund was alone. He tried to survive by working odd jobs, carrying crates, cleaning taverns, even guarding caravans, but the emptiness of losing his family never left him.

Right now, his long hair, dirty appearance made him completely unrecognizable.

Furthermore, by the time he was twenty, Harake City had already begun to change. Strange things are happening in the streets, and people he once knew have become different. Their eyes were glazed, and even their laughter felt hollow.

He didn't understand it then, but Lust's influence was spreading.

One night, while walking home from the docks, Desmund was stopped by three strangers…

He wanted to search for another job since he had still learned some craftsmanship from his father.

"Hmm?" Desmund stopped as he looked at the three.

He wasn't sure if he was getting robbed. However, since he had no money, he wasn't really that scared.

As they got closer, Desmund noticed that they looked ordinary enough. There was a scholar in robes, a cloaked figure, and a noble traveler with golden hair. But their presence was overwhelming.

"You," the scholar said softly. "You have lost much, but you still carry light in your soul. You're the perfect subject."

Desmund frowned. "What do you want from me?"

The cloaked figure stepped closer. "We need someone. Someone who can walk among the people without suspicion. Someone who can fight the corruption spreading in this city."

'Corruption in the city?' Desmund shook his head. He somewhat understood what this corruption meant, but there was no way he would be able to fight…

"Fight? I'm no warrior. You have to find someone else."

Even if he wanted to become an Arcanist, he didn't have the money to purchase Philosopher's Elixir and obtain the Arcanist Body…

Nonetheless, the noble traveler smiled faintly. "You won't have to. Not if you agree to our terms."

'Is this a new scam?' Desmund thought, but since he literally had nothing to lose, he might as well take this chance.

Soon, they explained his task. He would be sent to confront those who had been brainwashed by the Sin of Lust. It was an Evil Entity spreading disease within the city…

'So it was done by an Evil Entity… I knew something was weird…' Desmund thought.

They explained that he would receive their blessings and that he must kill those affected by the disease…

"Can we just cure them?" Desmund asked. Since they were suffering from a disease, it felt like it would be too much to kill them. Perhaps, he could help them instead.

The three momentarily discussed, and soon, they nodded.

Now, his job was to cleanse their souls and spirits. If the corruption was shallow, they would survive, freed from Lust's grip. Unfortunately, if it was too deep, the cleansing would burn them out, and they would die.

Desmund hesitated. "So… I might kill them anyway. But that's reasonable…"

He couldn't help but feel a bit surprised with his words since he was actually adjusting to this matter really well! He didn't even know if these three could really give him the powers to do that.

The scholar nodded. "Yes. But it is better than certain death. Without intervention, they will be consumed entirely."

Desmund lowered his head. He didn't want blood on his hands, but he also couldn't ignore what was happening to his city.

After a long silence, he finally agreed.

Then, just like what was promised, the three strangers gave him power. They placed their hands upon him, and he felt energy surge through his body. His veins felt burning while his vision sharpened, and his Spirit Strands awakened!

"This..."

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