"Kidnapped us as a sacrifice!"
Cassian blurted out, disbelief twisting his features as the old man cackled at his shock.
'Kidnapped! Why can't I even remember being grabbed or tied up?'
Cassian's mind spun, the old man's laughter echoing in the background like a taunt.
'How do I escape this? And if I do, what then? What about the enemies outside? How do I face them? How? Ho… Ha… Ha…'
"Shut the hell up!"
Cassian roared, his voice raw, but the old man's laughter only grew, pounding the ground in glee.
Cassian hurled curses, but his anger only fueled the old man's mirth.
Suddenly, the laughter died, and the women in the cage whimpered, shrinking into themselves.
The cage began to tremble, as if being lowered, and Cassian's mind grew fuzzy, thoughts slipping away.
'What's happening? Are we at the sacrificial ground?'
His heart pounded as he searched for any way out.
A cool breeze brushed his skin as the black cloth was yanked away, revealing creatures Cassian had never imagined, not even in his wildest nightmares.
Three beings hovered before him, covered head to toe in tangled brown fur, like mountains of hair come to life.
Their enormous white-pupiled eyes spun in endless spirals, scanning the captives. Each rotation made a soft knocking sound, a constant, unnerving rhythm.
Cassian recoiled from the cage wall as they drifted closer.
In the moonlight, he saw they had no hands or feet, just floating a few feet above the ground, propelled by a strange gust of wind beneath them.
'What are these things? Are they Infinites?'
The creatures glided to the cage entrance, their spiraling eyes fixing on the lock.
Abruptly, they froze. A faint red dot pulsed in the center of each eye.
With a whoosh, the lock popped open and floated away, the cage door swinging wide.
Suddenly, the women began to muffle their screams, crawling away from the opening, desperate to avoid the creatures.
Cassian's heart hammered as he prayed,
'Please, don't let them come for me!'
As if the gods heard him, the creatures ignored Cassian and the women, focusing on the old man.
The old man stood up, no hesitation, and Cassian realized for the first time, he'd never been shackled.
'Why wasn't he tied up? Don't tell me he's with them.'
The old man gazed up at the moon, stars glittering above, and declared,
"We arrived a few hours early. That's what I expect from greater beings like the Infinite."
'You've got to be kidding me!'
Cassian's worst fear had found him before he could even run.
Staring at the floor, Cassian's thoughts spiraled like the creatures' eyes.
What are their powers?
Who is this old man?
Why is he with them?
Why did he kidnap me?
From what the old man had said, these creatures, including the old man himself, had kidnapped the five women as sacrifices to obtain a weapon.
Beyond that, Cassian knew nothing. Why these women? Why tonight? Would they sacrifice him too?
"Don't worry, we will not sacrifice you."
"Huh?"
Cassian jerked his head up.
The old man loomed over him, a lewd smile twisting his lips.
"But I will let you watch these women burn."
That infuriating laugh returned, making Cassian bite his lip in rage as old memories clawed at him.
The old man strolled past the women, patting their heads. With each touch, the whimpering captives seemed to calm, sitting up straight.
He stepped out of the cage, turned, and announced with relish,
"The time has finally come for you women to fulfill your duties!"
"What are you talking about?"
Cassian shouted, his voice cracking with fury.
Before he could get an answer, the five women stood up.
The ropes binding their hands and feet slithered away, falling to the ground.
They rose, moving like puppets, and followed the old man's laughter. Cassian, bewildered, yelled,
"What are you doing? Don't go! You'll all die!"
No one replied.
The women filed out, standing behind the old man, their heads turned toward Cassian, their robes hiding whatever pain they felt.
The cage door slammed shut, the lock clicked, and before Cassian could react, the black cloth dropped over the cage again, plunging him into darkness and isolation.
'What is he planning for me next?'
Cassian lay on his back, hands tied behind him, staring at the blackness with hopeless eyes. One thought gnawed at him,
'Even with 98 luck, I'll always get that 2 percent of bad luck.'
"Seraphyra, I will never die for you!"
Suddenly, his own words echoed in his ears, as if whispered by a shadow behind him.
A strange serenity washed over Cassian, clearing the fog from his mind. Worries drifted away like clouds.
In that instant, an idea surfaced, as if it had always been there, waiting to be found.
'I could live for Seraphyra!'
Cassian sat up, hands still bound, legs stretched out before him.
He spoke with resolve,
'Dagger of Fire is mine.'
A surge of heat pulsed in his hands, and with a flash, a flaming dagger materialized in his right hand.
[Skill activated: Dagger of Fire]
Cassian winced as he brought the blade to the rope, slicing cleanly through.
The flames licked his skin, but burned only the rope to ash before vanishing.
He quickly tried to untie his legs, but the rope clung like glue, tightening with every struggle.
'Are these ropes enchanted by those hairy monsters?'
He wanted to summon the Dagger of Fire again, but he didn't know its limits.
He'd acted on instinct, relying on luck, but he knew he couldn't count on it forever.
Cassian hurriedly opened the [Blessing] tab.
***
[Blessing: Boundless Authority- "Mine"]
---
*[Skills]*
[Double Exp Bonus]
[Shield of Tears]
[Dagger of Fire]
***
He tapped on Dagger of Fire to inspect it:
***
[Dagger of Fire]
[Rarity: Common]
[Type: Item]
[Active Skill:
A blazing divine weapon that will not extinguish until everything it strikes is reduced to nothingness.]
[Usage: 4/5]
***
Cassian let out a nervous chuckle,
'Good thing I didn't cut my hand. I'd be toast.'
If he'd been even a millimeter off, he'd be ashes by now. But his mind was already racing ahead.
'Damn it, only four uses left. Can I kill all those creatures with just four daggers?'
He counted his enemies, plotting,
'Cut the rope on my legs, use another to break out of the cage, then two left for the monsters. What about the last one? That one's probably the strongest. And the old man? Is he tough? Can I take them both with no weapons?'
Suddenly, the women flashed through his mind,
"What about them? Should I include them in the fight?"
He remembered their trembling, their fear.
'No way. I can't drag them into this.'
Cassian decided to go it alone.
His eyes flicked to another skill—Shield of Tears.
***
[Shield of Tears]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Type: Item]
[Active Skill:
Divine tears that bleed to protect their bearer until the last drop runs dry.]
[Durability: 100/100]
***
'It seems like a physical shield, which is useful, but I need more than just protection.'
He pressed his hands to his mouth, reviewing the skill descriptions, searching for a plan.
'How can I use these fire weapons to my advantage? Wait… weapon!'
A detail in the description caught his eye.
He quickly checked the Skills and Blessing sections to confirm.
'I'm right!'
A faint smile crept across his face as the dots in his mind connected to form a line, shaping an idea thinner than a hair.
Even in this dire moment, Cassian chuckled and declared,
"Let's kill those monsters!"