[Golden Star Festival: 49:32 minutes remaining.]
While Alex, Alice, and Aurelia secured their [Fate Gift Boxes], a dark gathering was underway nearby.
The shadowed figures of the [Hatred Sect] observed from the top of the [Golden Star Academy], their presence hidden among the festival's lively chaos.
Each member's gaze swept the crowd, calculating, observing.
They had already marked several NPCs and players for sacrifice, their twisted devotion to the [Hatred Demon] driving them to fulfill their sinister mission.
Now, all that remained was the arrival of their leader.
"Everything's in place," muttered Dominic, the chairman of the academy.
"Lord X should be here any moment," replied Kento, his body pulsating unnaturally as dark tentacles slithered around him, a reflection of his bound pact with the demon.
Suddenly, a wave of oppressive energy swept over them, making even the most hardened among them flinch.
