Inside Xena's room.
Smash!
Mark used his strength and broke apart the metal door that closed mysteriously, when he entered the room earlier.
The Caster of curse had given him the hope of undoing the curse, provided that mark needs to reach the coordinates that Fatale left behind.
System had warned him earlier that the forbidden curse was special and there isn't actually a way present to undo it.
But still, mark wouldn't want to let go of a chance, if a better alternative was present to deal with the cursed people, rather than killing them straightly.
Whoosh!
Increasing his speed, mark dashed towards the check post which was present few tens of kilometers away from his residence, separating the mansion from outside.
One minute later.
" F*ck! "
" Don't tell me that they all are... Che! Do I really have to kill them?
But wait! Why are they crowded in one place? "
Thousands of cursed residents of the palace, who seemed to have lost their control were surrounding one medium sized mansion, that was half the size of one where he resided earlier.
" Ding! System detect survivors! "
" Ding! Five minutes before the undead starts walking in the mansion, leaving no hope for them to survive! "
" Survivors! "
" Seems like they really needs my help! "
Muttering these few words out his mouth, mark dashed towards the mansion without a second delay.
######
At Cela's mansion.
The group of six exited the mansion with a saddened face.
Rule had expected the situation in the palace to be worse, but never expected it to turn this chaotic.
A gigantic array in blood red was rotating slowly in the sky, few hundreds of meters above the palace.
" Spirit devouring array! " Rule exclaimed internally with a troubled face.
" Cela! "
Rule called her formally, making a serious face before exclaiming.
" Grit your teeth hard Cela, you are going to... we are going to depend on you shortly! "
" Depend what? " She muttered lightly before questioning.
" What do you mean by it? "
Pointing his slender fingers towards the sky, rule exclaimed.
" Can you see the array over there? It's a spirit devouring array! "
" It's devouring the spirt energy from around, barely leaving a negligible amount of spirit energy in the palace, so... "
He paused for a second before exclaiming, with a frown in face, stating " Can you guess, what's that mean? "
" Spirit cultivators are at the disadvantage here, leaving behind the mana users that doesn't make much of a difference at this place! " She exclaimed bluntly
" Those undead things are clearly deriving their energy source from the array, so... " before he could finish his sentence, she questioned.
" What are you trying to say? "
Rule had a weakness, when ever he needs a thing to be done, he's simply not straight with his words.
Right now Cela had a hunch that, Rule was planning a thing that requires her help.
But the words exclaimed by his mouth had started her.
" Fight for me or... simply protect me! " He answered her honestly.
" Protect me? " Cela questioned him in surprise.
She then continued stating " Cardinal! Are you sure... you aren't joking here? "
" Since when does a divine maiden been trained in mundane fighting? "
Chuckling down a little, rule exclaimed.
" As far as I know there isn't one officially, but thinking of the past, little cela had always dreamed of being an adventurer! isn't it so...
If I am not wrong, you had secretly mastered few medium ranged offensive spells by yourself, why not make a use of those things currently ? "
Not all people liked to flaunt with the rights they are born with, and cela was also the same.
She never believed a thing which she didn't experienced personally.
Even the existence of god had always been a question to her.
If not for her mother being an Arch Bishop, the education faculty of church would had long since branded her an unfaithful follower.
And cela would had long since been cast aside by them.
Thinking of being an adventurer since young, she once had tried sneaking away from church, but was caught back by a court mage that was dispatched.
Being curious, she asked his help and learned few offensive spells from that unknown court mage, it was a little secret between them.
Unless Rule had followed her moments secretly, they wouldn't be a possible explanation to this case.
Putting aside those doubts, she felt a thing fishy with his words!
She then exclaimed confusingly, stating.
" I am confused!"
" Why am I supposed to be burdened here, when a saint realm spirit cultivator is present around to protect me? "
She wasnt able to understand why rule was telling her to protect him out of nowhere?
Does he even needs her protector in the least?
The inbuilt spirit energy of a saint realm spirit cultivator is enormous and wouldn't get emptied fast.
Even If the spirit energy is insufficient, there was a thing called spirit stones In his storage ring, which could compensate him for it.
Was the presence of her really matter here?
But the next few lines that spilled out by Rule's mouth had almost made her wanting to kill, by chocking him personally.
" It's nothing... Just that I have a feeling of breaking through the realm, protect me I'll forcefully barge my way to the seventh stage today! "
It's seems like "Even if the world around him goes upside down, the primary concern for Rule would be to reach seventh stage in saint realm as soon as possible."
" F*ck! Old man, have you gone nuts? " Cela bellowed out loudly.
Rule had made a divine maiden as her spoke the word " f*ck! " out her mouth, before the innocent students.
" While the palace is at a huge mess, when the people around needs your protection the most, why are you still thinking of a break through? "
Bellowing it loud, she took a step forward before trying to slap him clearly on his face.
Catching her beautiful and slender hand easily, rule exclaimed loudly.
" Hey hey! What do you think of this cardin... "
" A selfish one! " She finished his sentence to her will, cursing him again openly.
When her one hand was under his restrain, she followed her attack by trying to slap with the other one.
Catching it again as before, rule exclaimed.
" You see, the current situation isnt going to get better, unless the array above is destroyed! "
" My sixth stage in saint realm is not enough presently, most probably a seventh stage cultivation might help me deal with it! "
He then continued stating.
" When the array is broken, the walking undead will become weaker!
The pitiful survivors which are fighting their last struggle without much spirit energy to spare would get a boost!
Over all, me getting the seventh stage is more advantageous than me helping them kill, by purifying the undead! "
Taking a deep breath he let go her hands, before finished his sentence stating.
" Do you still think me as selfish as you imagined it to be? "
" Simple excuses! " She bellowed before returning back to her disciples.
But still the words exclaimed by rule seemed somewhat trust worthy.
When he decides to do a thing, unless it was the Pope himself, he wouldn't change back his decision.
Cela then questioned " Well how long do I need to protect you? "
" It depends! Can't say for sure but most probably wouldn't take much of your time! "
Exclaiming those few short lines out his mouth, Rule rushed to his room before cultivating.
Spreading tons of spirit stones around him in a hurry, he started to absorb them in haste, as if he'd die of regret if failed to absorb them shortly.
Five minute later.
The five besides rule had also entered the mansion, closing the gates and tightening it with chains present around.
" Teacher! " Albert rushing in, alerting cela of the undead.
" Few undead are rushing towards the mansion! "
Getting up from her swinging chair, cela bellowed loud.
" Prepare to engage! "
" Remember, use healing magic as and when I command! "
" Yes! " The four students of her bellowed in unison before rushing to the terrace looking at the undead that were trying to break the gates of the entrance that lead to inside.
Author's notes.
In simple words, the spirit devouring array is powerful, sixth stage in spirit saint realm is not enough to crack it open.
Rule needs to reach the seventh stage to make a different here.
Cela and her disciples are trying their hard to buy time for Rule to make a breakthrough.
While they were getting ready to fight the undead, mark discovered some survivors and rush towards them to rescue.