The Devil’s Cage

How big was the tree?

Anyone that saw it couldn’t find the words to describe its size because none of them saw the entirety of the tree.

All they could see was a small part of the trunk and the rest had pierced through the clouds, to a height where common eyes couldn’t reach.

Just when some of the people with better eyesight started to carefully size up the tree, it vanished, just like how it sprang up.

The tree vanished suddenly but the process didn’t even last a split second. However, the people who saw the scene rushed to the Edland City Library like madmen.

Although the people would still be shocked when they saw the gigantic tree during normal times, they wouldn’t behave so madly, especially some of the mystics that were exposed to bizarre things.

However, right at that moment, the most obsessed ones were actually them.

What was their reason for dashing towards the library?

Wasn’t it because of the mythical legendary item?

Despite the majority of them not thinking the legends were real from the bottom of their hearts, which one of them that appeared in Edland City didn’t hope for a lucky chance?

When their sense of lucky came in contact with that gigantic tree illusion…

All of them only had a single thought left in their minds: Yggdrasil!

The gigantic tree was the tree that supported the entire world, originated from the legends.

But why would the mirage of Yggdrasil appear in the city?

The fruit of Yggdrasil!

That was the only explanation!

Countless mystics swarmed the library as if they were locusts, breaking into the library, despite its main gate being shut at the time, and started to search the entire place.

Among the group of mystics, there was no lack of people with special powers and soon those people located the basement floor.

They discovered the secret passageway filled with an unusual aroma and the secret contraption within the passageway.

Each time a new discovery came in sight, it excited the people in an abnormal way.

Each time a new discovery came into sight, it filled their hearts with killing intent.

How many fruits of Yggdrasil were there?

No one knew but the biggest possibility was only one.

Given the possibility, who was willing to share the chance?

One could become God if they ate the fruit!

Who would give away the chance of becoming God to others?

Stop joking!

These people were vigilant and cautious against each other. When they entered the room and saw the plain old box in the middle, the atmosphere instantly froze.

If they were still holding back before, they wouldn’t need their reserves anymore when the box appeared.

What else could concern them when the last piece of veil was removed?

A sword glare flashed over, sending someone’s head flying upwards.

No one knew who was the first to kill among the crowd. It then started a domino effect, causing the crowd to plunge into a chaotic fight.

Punches and kicks were dished out, swords glared and shadows overlapped each other.

Incantation after incantation called out blazing flames and icy cold frost.

One mystic after another started falling to the ground.

Blood had filled up the average sized room, bodies piled up like mountains but even more of them charged into the room dauntlessly.

The fight lasted for hours until a mystic with absurd speed and flexible agility took the box outside the passageway.

“Hold it right there! Leave the fruit of Yggdrasil!”

Such voices sounded one after another in succession.

The crowd who was fighting each other stared at the man angrily who fished amidst troubled waters.

Then, a series of chases happened. The passageway leading outside was not long, only 40 to 50 meters and it would be a couple of breath’s effort for the absurdly fast mystics.

However, the moment he came out from the passageway and was ready to step towards his secret hideout, his steps were forcefully stopped.

The mystic opened up his eyes wide.

Those who were giving chase behind him saw the stunned mystic as they dashed out the passageway, a lot of them were delighted and rejoiced at the situation.

“Hand over the fruit of Ygg…”

Before the words could finish, the crowd noticed something wasn’t right.

They unconsciously looked around and when they saw who was standing opposite them, the words that they uttered were swallowed back just like that.

More and more pursuers appeared but each of them shared the same state as the others, stunned on the spot with a loss for words.

Despite having over a hundred men within the crowd and only twenty men standing before them.

Still, the side with overwhelming odds was looking across with eyes of fear because the twenty who stood opposite them were the Twenty Hounds!

The infamous Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council!

During normal times, one of them was enough to strike fear into people’s hearts but now…

All of the Twenty Hounds were there!

The last time the twenty of them gathered, their combined efforts annihilated the influential Griffin Church of the Saint Relic Association.

This time…

It was the end! Everyone’s heart was filled with despair.

Melanie half hid in the shadows, her platinum hair was emitting senses of chilly coldness. When her gaze moved over, the coldness was like the arctic wind from the far north, blowing into everyone’s heart, causing them to shiver without actually feeling cold.

“Hand it over,” Melanie said lightly.

The mystic with the box in his arms hesitated at first but eventually clenched his teeth to run after turning away.

The temptation of being a God was too huge, to the point that it would be worth it to risk his life!

Besides, he didn’t think his speed wouldn’t stand a chance.

Right after he turned around, his hands were ready to open the box.

Consuming the fruit of Yggdrasil wasn’t a simple process, even opening the box would require certain methods but up until that moment, the man didn’t care anymore.

But…

Just as his finger tip touched the box, he felt a slight cold over his wrist. Then, he suddenly saw his palms fall off his wrist, not one but both his palms fell off!

The mystic’s hand were cut off without him knowing.

The box fell off from his hands but was caught by a young man.

The young man then moved to Melanie in a flash, passing the box to her.

Other than the Twenty Hounds themselves, no one could see clearly how the young man made his move, whether it was the sudden appearance or the disappearance afterward.

Only when the young man stopped, the crowd could see him properly.

“This…This is the Twenty Hounds?”

“It’s too terrifying!”

Mutters sounded from the crowd, causing more and more fear in their hearts.

The young man as the new member of the Twenty Hounds smiled delightedly.

He thought his performance was good enough.

The young man with the slight delight looked at the crowd with contempt.

“You people really think the fruit of Yggdrasil is still inside the box? Then why would the unusual scene happen before? Someone must have beaten you all to it, opened the box and revealed the presence of the fruit, thus causing the mirage!”

“Bunch of fools, you’ve be…”

“Shut up, Jarles!”

Before the young man could finish his words, he was interrupted by Melanie.

The ice-cold tempered Hound stared at her new comrade.

The young man lowered his head instantly in reverence.

Melanie looked down again at the box in her hand. Her finger tip caressed the box’s material, feeling the traces of time over it.

It looked normal from common eyes but in Melanie’s point of view, it meant something else.

She opened the box.

A unique aura filled with vitality and vigor appeared suddenly.

Even the crowd who was further away felt a slight warmth, those closer towards the box noticed their wounds were slowly healing.

The effect was even better than [Heal] and it made them gasp.

Pak!

Melanie closed the box again.

“Seal off the entire Edland City, allow only entrance and no exits… Flush him out for me!”

“As for these rats, leave none behind.”

Melanie said before being the first to dash into the crowd.

The young and new Hound followed behind her closely.

The rest of the Hounds joined them with bloodthirsty laughs.

A moment before dawn, a block within the city was flooded with blood flowing like a river. More blocks plunged into a strange state of silence, even the merriest nightclubs closed early that night.

Phone call after phone call, message after message.

All sorts of communications were flying in all directions within the city.

The fear for the Elder Council didn’t even stop the people being frantic about the fruit of Yggdrasil.

More men, more factions and more forces swarmed the place.

In the morning, Kieran who just sat down beside the dining table had received the notice from Chelsea the secretary.

“Liz Dandon asked for a meeting.”