"I knew it!"
The druid exclaimed, shaking his head.
For the first time, a smile appeared on his face, and his cat-like eyes suddenly shone with excitement.
"Praise the gods? As a cleric, from which god do you derive your powers? How many gods can you serve at once? I told you, druids are also priests ."
He chuckled smugly, and after finishing his sentence, he lifted a finger to point at the priest, seemingly ready to maintain that finger there until the task was completed.
Seeing no reaction from the magician and the qi master beside him, the druid turned to them and asked confusely:
"What are you waiting for? The vampire has already admitted it."
The magician seemed hesitant, unsure of what to do, her hand lifting and lowering several times. Just as she prepared to truly cast her vote, the qi master stopped her.
"Why?"
The qi master stared into the priest's face, emitting an aura as vast as the ocean. The flickering flames in the grand hall seemed to tremble in response.
The priest subtly raised an eyebrow and shook his head, offering no answer like a stone.
It appeared that after admitting he was a vampire, he had no intention of having any connection with these people or even pretending to be a priest any longer. He casually rolled up his sleeves and sat down on the floor, certainly not behaving like a priest.
Time passed silently, moment by moment.
It was only in the calm that they could truly appreciate the splendor of the palace. The luxurious, eerily beautiful drapes moved on the ceiling without a breeze, while the twelve massive pillars seemed like a marvel beyond human accomplishment. The exquisite chandelier held candles that diffused a faint, tranquil glow throughout the hall.
Yet, the most striking feature was the coffin at the center, surrounded by vibrant flowers that seems would never wither, silently drawing the theme of the task.
As they continued to wait, the tension in the air thickened.
The druid's eyes darted between the priest and the coffin, as if trying to unravel the mystery of the priest's admission. The magician's hands twitched, her mind racing with questions and doubts. Meanwhile, the qi master's penetrating gaze never wavered from the priest, as if trying to look into the depths of his soul.
The priest, however, remained unmoved.
He sat cross-legged, a calm expression on his face, seemingly at peace with the impending vote. Within his eyes, a hidden storm seemed to rage, reflecting a depth of emotions that went beyond the surface.
In truth, each of the awakened had wondered what lay within the coffin. However, they dared not dwell on the thought too deeply, for it was apparent that the vampire was lurking within them, merely waiting to reveal its true form.
Even so, without any answer, the Qi Master and the Magician uncertain about it, unable to make a decision.
"What are you two waiting for?"
The Druid sneered.
"Do you really have to wait for it to sink its fangs into your damn necks before you act?"
He scoffed, shaking his head.
"Noobs."
Upon hearing his words, the Miss Magician's nervous suddently dissipated.
She was that kind of person. If others hadn't pointed out her flaws, she might have been guilty slowly. But when someone did, her guilt vanished, replaced by a righteous defiance.
She raised her finger, pointing it at the Druid.
The Druid, disbelieving and flustered, pointed back at her. The Qi Master, caught between them, chose to step back and stay out of the conflict.
The Priest watched the chaotic scene, the corners of his eyes twitching involuntarily. He nearly stood up but ultimately repressed the feeling. He had said all he needed to, and any further sound might scroll his plans.
The uncertainty was making everyone nervous.
"Muahahahahahahah!"
The room was a whirlwind of confusion when a sinister laugh suddenly echoed throughout the hall.
It was as if the sound came from the darkest corners of the world, yet it felt so close.
What sent shivers down their spines was the source of the laughter— the coffin at the center of the hall.
"Marvelous, simply marvelous!" the voice cackled.
"A bunch of short-lived animals tearing each other apart! You deserve to die by my bloodline right here!"
Though the voice lacked a sense of antiquity, it was filled with emotion— unrestrained madness and arrogance laid bare for all to hear.
It was clear that this voice belonged to the villain.
But not a random one.
However, those present hoped to treat him more like a "task hint."
After all, in this damn task, the tower had provided far too few clues.
Suspicious glances darted between them as they sought a solution. Even the man who keeped calm at all time, Qi master, leaving enough distance between himself and the others.
It seemed the voice had mentioned a word, "bloodline."
As they racked their brains for a plan, the sinister voice spoke once more, its tone grave and solemn:
"In the interest of a better performance, I shall bestow upon you a small hint to aid you in this game..."
At that, the Priest's face turned darker whenever the voice talk, it was unspoken grim.
"Our lovely priest, who might add thirteen spoons of sugar to a cup of bubble tea, seems to have been bewitched by a spell!" The voice echoed throughout the room, causing the Qi Master and the sorceress to turn their attention towards the druid.
There was no other reason for suspicion, except that when it came to bewitching, the priest's only point of interaction appeared to be this druid, the guy from the Animal Forest.
"Why are you all looking at me?"
The druid's face betrayed a sudden unease. Having taken part in several tasks before, he knew all too well how authoritative the Tower's prompts were.
It was as if he was a student accused of losing the pencil box in class, his face turning red with guilt even though he knew he was innocent.
The priest, too, seemed on the verge of frantic speech, his face almost crying out that it wasn't the druid's fault.
Realizing something, he turned towards the coffin, his gaze filled with suspicion and steps approached it.
But after taking a few steps, his legs froze in place, his body turning cold.
He quickly retreated to where he had started, his breath heavy.
The others in the hall stared, their faces turn pale as blood seeped from the crevices of the coffin, winding like a small stream, spreading out as if it would never stop.
"Is this a reminder of the time limit?"
They checked and found that, indeed, only ten minutes remained.
Inside the coffin, Zed pinched his throat to make his voice sound hoarser, while he felt his heart getting pain at the sight of spores on his hand.
[4/100]
[3/100]
[2/100]
...
'Hope this bring me real rewards,' he thought.
Zed, the awakened one and a complete newbie, feigned profundity as he spoke:
"I have witnessed countless civilizations fall before me, time and time again. I have slaughtered tens of thousands of awakened ones in the blink of an eye, their blood rushing towards me. Even the sun hides from me, and death has once knelt before me..."
He paused, his voice seemingly the only breath in the hall.
"Now, my dear blood kin from the forest, slay them all and awaken me from my slumber with their blood!"
The Qi Master, Miss Magician, and even the priest all stared at the druid, who had been leading, or misleading them from the very beginning.
They raised their hands.