The moment Rollo retrieved the headband, the golden [Item] floating above his palm, a translucent blue screen appeared before him.

Ding!

[Quest: Survive]

[When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Don’t become a dead grass]

[Reward: +500 Gacha points]

Lukas stared at it, surprised.

First, he hadn’t received a quest for quite some time now, so its appearance at this juncture was surprising.

And second, what did it mean by survive? Was there going to be another battle?

He was instantly on guard, ready for anything that could happen. He eyed Rollo. Maybe the man would be the one to attack him?

Rollo turned to him with a smile. "And your prize, Luka—"

Boom!

Lukas had a split second warning as the attack descended. If he had not been on guard, he wouldn’t have noticed it.

He had just enough time to activate [Wing Fortress] before the giant boulder slammed into the arena.

He felt the impact slammed into his wings just as they wrapped around him, then his vision exploded into whiteness as pain overwhelmed him.

The attack tore through his protection as the boulder shattered, the force slamming into his body and shattering a few of his bones.

Blood sported from his body like a fountain, his right hand sticking out in multiple angles.

Dust filled the air around him, and he was unable to see anything. But what he didn’t know was that the damage extended far beyond the arena.

Morgana, who had been at the edge of the arena as she walked away, was sent flying by the impact, shards of stone flying in her direction, and piercing through her back.

There was a blur of speed, and Baldwin caught her before she could slam into the wall of the stands.

She groaned, blood dripping down her back. The only reason she’d survived this was because she still had her armor of vines wrapped around her. But right now, the vines hung tattered on her body, shredded by the stones.

Baldwin wrapped his bulky body around her, protecting her from the shower of stones. He snarled, looking at the charge, and unleashed the lock he’d placed on his aura.

Immediately, his Adept aura surged out of him, covering the immediate area.

Lord Le Fay hadn’t come to Havenhart with just two other Adepts. He’d come with a hidden third Adept, Baldwin.

Around the arena, the damage had spread to the spectator stand, shards of stone impaling and killing those closest to the arena instantly.

Some survived with an injury or two, blood flowing from their bodies.

Screams filled the air as the spectators began scrambling out of their seats, causing a stampede. They’d all felt the aura. That was an Adept ranked attack. There was nothing they could do about it.

Up in the luxury box, Le Fay and Barlas snapped into action, both blurring upwards to meet the three Adepts they could feel hovering above the stadium.

The three men wore the dark red cloak speckled with dark jagged lines that showed they were members of the Fated Brotherhood.

Le Fay zoomed in the sky, pulled his arm back, then thrusted it forward, unleashing his attack.

A beam of darkness streaked through the air, a giant maw appearing at the front of the attack, headed for the three Adepts.

Two scattered in each direction, and the third one crossed his arms, a golden shield covering him.

The darkness slammed into the shield, cracking it. The maw then chomped downwards, shattering it completely before dissipating.

An instant later, Le Fay was there, a sword made of the same darkness in his hands.

Barlas joined the fight an instant later, and booms began reverberating through the air, the shockwaves reaching down to the arena.

Both his hands were encased with giant metallic gauntlets and wherever he swiped, the space around it tore, cracks appearing in reality.

"You dare attack my city?" He snarled.

He knew that with this attack, his position as City Lord was already slipping out of his grasp.

And if it was found out that the Brotherhood launched the attack from within Havenhart? The Sovereignty wouldn’t take any chances. They’ll eliminate him immediately.

As they fought in the air above the stadium, some of their attacks slipped past, and whatever it slammed into was instantly destroyed. Some of the spectators didn’t even have time to realize an attack was headed for them before they died.

As for Lukas, he laid down on the arena floor, barely conscious. The dust of the attack cleared enough for him to see a hazy image of Rollo lying beside him.

The man had been taken unaware and had died instantly, his body crushed to paste. Sitting right beside his mangled arm was the golden headband, with not a scratch on it, glowing softly in the dust.

Lukas could feel blood in his lungs, some dripping down his jaw. His ribs had pierced his lungs but his constitution was working overtime, keeping him in one piece.

He gripped the floor, then slowly, began dragging himself to the [Item].

When he was close enough, he stretched his hand. He groaned in pain, the move aggravating the numerous injuries in his body.

The moment his hand touched the headband, he sent it into his spatial ring.

"Oh?" He heard a deep voice come out from the fading dust. "Someone survived the attack, how... resilient."

He angled his neck up from his prone position to see a man walking slowly towards him.

The man was dressed in a dark red cloak with black irregular streaks running through it. However, the most notable thing about the man was the glowing red chains wrapped around his torso, stretching down to his arms. At the end of the chains were sharp spearheads meant for piercing.

The man stopped a few feet away from Lukas, staring down at him. He had a crazed look in his eyes as he clasped his hands together as if in prayer. "I wish you luck in the afterlife as I grant you this final mercy."

Then he raised his arm, the chains slithering like snakes. "Goodbye."

Boom!