Sage Hansen was a cruel man behind his facade of calm and composed behavior.
He asked his underlings to activate countermeasures against the elven masks flamboyantly in front of Gregory Grant and his forces.
Of course, he did this to make a statement. It was to tell Layos forces that they couldn't count on elven masks anymore. As these countermeasures will soon reach all parts of Edinburgh.
The Sage also implied that Edinburgh could not be taken lightly. If the elves were adept at intent-based magic, Edinburgh could thrive on its knowledge. This knowledge was something that the Sages of Edinburgh gained through relentless pursuit.
Cries and screams.
Some infiltrators cried in pain in their positions. Some got on their knees and tried to pull the skin off their faces– injuring themselves in the process. Their faces turned bloody but the masks wouldn't come off.
The faces of the participants who were trying to hold themselves off started to blister. Even without self-harm, these participants also screamed.
Some infiltrators ran away from their positions to deal with the suffering they were suddenly subjected to. However, they couldn't run far away because of the safety barrier that prevented them from seeking Gregory Grant's protection.
"Hahaha. There you go. These cries for help are music to my ears."
Hansen's face turned menacing as he stared at Gregory Grant. The latter also changed his demeanor after seeing the young rankers from his side suffering under the domain's effects.
Hansen didn't care about Gregory's anger. He spread his arms and addressed the participants excitedly.
"My young heroes! You can now identify the enemies who caused you harm. They are the backstabbers you should fear. They are the source of all your troubles.
Kill them. Butcher them in the most horrific way possible in front of our guests. After all, we need to entertain them somehow."
With their burning masks on, the infiltrators looked around in panic. Since Hansen ordered the participants to do the deed, other rankers didn't act. However, even the participants were too stiff to act.
The Sage was unhappy with the participants' cold shoulder. With his dissatisfied face, he continued to speak.
"Alright. Kill them and you shall get rewards. The more you kill, the better the rewards will be. How about that?"
Blitz. Swoosh. Kill.
Purple Reaver.
Invi Blaze.
A participant's head was rolled onto the floor the next moment while the other had her torso split in half. Two distinct flying weapon slashes. Two distinct kills. The smell of burning flesh and blood was released into the air, creating a bloodthirsty atmosphere inside the domain.
The butcher acted first after Hansen discussed rewards. The two infiltrators he killed with surprise attacks were only the beginning. He moved on to kill more infiltrators without admiring his latest kills.
Mayhem ensued inside the domain. Participants were finally forced to move. They couldn't let a single man take all the credit and rewards for himself.
The infiltrators already had their hands full taking the masks off them. So when the participants attacked, they could hardly defend themselves. The participants found it easy to deal with the infiltrators with such a handicap in their favor.
Various mana pulses were released inside the protective domain. It looked like the domain was created to contain the chaos happening inside instead of protecting the participants from external harm.
Screams and more screams followed. The participants acted as the main offensive force while the other Edinburgh rankers intervened when the infiltrators tried to turn the tide. It was a one-sided massacre.
The space around Hansen rippled and he appeared outside the domain. He flashed a jubilant smile at Gregory before commenting.
"I hope you like the show I arranged for you, Greg. It's such fun acting as a kind host for you despite our differences."
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The ground on which Gregory was standing cracked and a menacing mana pulse was released from him. He looked at the chaos surrounding Hansen before commenting.
"That's it. I don't care about your plans, you bastard. It's now or never. Act now or there will be no further cooperation between us."
Hansen made a puzzled expression in response to Greg's words. However, he was frozen in his steps when he felt something behind him.
The array-generated protective dome dimmed suddenly before dispersing into thin air. It was as if someone disabled the array before making it unfunctional entirely.
This was not an array break but a manual turn-off.
The participants and infiltrators stopped in their tracks when they felt no protective domain caging them. The infiltrators' masks also stopped burning because of this, giving them the relief they needed while dealing with the participants.
The infiltrators could no longer hide their identities. However, they could at least put up a decent fight against their opponents.
"What the…"
Hansen found it difficult to digest what he processed with his eyes. In the next moment, he released his aura and created a suppressing atmosphere around him. Turning back, he screamed at the elder rankers who were ordered to remain on standby.
"WHO IS IT? WHO IS THIS DAMN TRAITOR IN OUR MIDST?"
A man stepped forward to answer Hansen's question. He looked proud and fearless. His smile would generate wrath and anger in the hearts of people who were ruined by him. His pro-testosterone chiseled body was coated in lightning and wind elemental fusion before disappearing from his position. He appeared right in the middle of the arena before speaking up.
"Hahaha. This Prince isn't scared of some Sage. Do you think you can keep me as your dog by placing a leash around my neck forever?
Fuck you. And fuck this entire kingdom. I'll do whatever the fuck I want."
The rankers from Edinburgh's side were shocked beyond comprehension when they saw the ranker who betrayed them and the entire kingdom. This was the guy they thought could never betray them because of the restrictions placed on him.
"Demonmir… you backstabbing son of a…."
