When they arrived in the living room, Shaan immediately sensed the heavy silence hanging over the room. He glanced around and noticed the tense expressions on Miss Daisy, Mr. Courier, and several other Daemonists. Something had clearly happened. Even Sir Kael, whose face usually looked fierce and unwavering, showed a hint of fear. Strange—what was actually going on?

"Sir Kael, what’s going on?" A look of confusion was clearly visible on Dr. Marshal’s face as he took in the silent atmosphere. "What’s actually happening?"

"The Resistance has found a way to destroy the Cathedral’s protective barrier," Sir Kael replied grimly. "We don’t have much time. If they break through the Cathedral’s defenses, the leader of Twilight Sanctum will be in danger."

He immediately turned toward Miss Daisy. "Hey, Captain Brat. What about the alchemical salt? Is it ready yet?"

"Ehm... we just finished it a moment ago," Miss Daisy answered.

"Good."

"Sir Kael, what about the observations from the watchtower?" asked Dr. Marshal. His expression looked curious. "Is it safe?"

Sir Kael shook his head. "No. Security is tight. The place is swarming with terrifying creatures and several resistance members," he said with a long sigh. "It’s difficult to get inside the watchtower right now."

"Can’t we use another location instead?" Shaan suggested. "There has to be another place we can use besides the watchtower."

"Ehm... unfortunately, we don’t have another option." Miss Daisy shook her head. "Only the watchtower provides the ideal position for dispersing the alchemical salt." She adjusted her glasses and continued. "If we use another location, the alchemical salt won’t work properly. We won’t be able to create artificial rain."

"...."

"Damn those Resistance bastards!" Sir Theo clenched his fists, and anger hardened his jaw. "They keep causing trouble wherever they go." He slammed his hand against the table. "Whether we like it or not, we only have one choice. We attack the watchtower directly." Confidence filled his voice. "Time is running out, and we need to act fast."

"Sir Theo, that plan will draw far too much attention," Dr. Marshal replied immediately. "Our current position already puts us at a significant disadvantage."

"Ehm... I agree with what Dr. Marshal said." Miss Daisy nodded without a shred of hesitation. "We’re already outnumbered and outmatched. Our disadvantage will be even greater if we resort to such extreme measures."

Sir Kael fell silent, trying to process what they’d both said. "Then, what suggestion do you have for getting into the watchtower now?"

"...."

"Sneak in. We can set a decoy to lure them away from the watchtower," Dr. Marshal suggested. "Some of us will lure a few guards away from the watchtower, and the rest will move in stealthily to take out the others."

Ehm... Dr. Marshal, what about the alchemical salt?" Miss Daisy asked curiously. "How are we going to transport all of it to the top of the tower without the Resistance noticing?"

"The transport pulleys around the guard tower." Sir Kael snapped his fingers, his expression growing excited. "That device can handle a fairly heavy load, so lifting a large amount of material won’t be a problem."

"Um... all right. It seems we can use that method."

’Good. At least now everything is starting to make sense.’ Shaan began to breathe a sigh of relief after the long, exhausting debate. ’Now, we just need to stay calm and pay close attention to everything.’

"Everything is clear now. I, Miss Daisy, and a few other daemonists will be tasked with distracting the Resistance," Dr. Marshall explained briefly. "Meanwhile, Shaan, Sebastian, Sir Kael, and a few other daemonists will transport the alchemical salt up to the top of the tower and scatter it."

"Um... I think that’s a promising idea."

"Alright, then what are we waiting for?" Sir Kael clenched his fist, his eyes shining. "It’s time to teach those troublemakers a lesson."

***

"Hey, so how are all the prisoners doing?" asked the officer with glasses as he watched another officer walk toward him. "Are they still safe and secure, just as the commander ordered?" he asked.

"Wait a minute, what’s that light?" The officer adjusted his glasses and narrowed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. "You see it, right?"

"Yes, I see it." The guard drew his sword and walked toward the light. "Stay here and don’t let anyone attack the watchtower."

"I understand."

Accompanied by several experimental dark creatures, the officer headed toward the source of the light. He pushed through the thick pink fog until the mist completely swallowed him from sight, leaving the bespectacled officer alone.

"Jeez, I hope everything—"

"ARGHH!"

"Oh, damn! I have to report this immediately to—"

In the blink of an eye, an arrow suddenly emerged from the mist and quickly incapacitated the officer. A few moments later, Sebastian stepped out of the pink mist with a bowgun in his left hand. "I coated the arrow with a high-dose sleeping powder." Sebastian approached the officer and kicked his leg. "Safe. Looks like the sleeping powder is working well."

"Not bad." Sir Kael patted Sebastian on the shoulder. "That was a pretty good shot for a bookworm like you."

Sebastian rolled his eyes but chose not to respond. Sir Kael then pointed ahead."The cargo pulley is right behind this tower." He immediately quickened his pace. "Come on. We need to keep moving before more members of that damned group discover us."

Without wasting another second, the group hurried through the fog and advanced toward the back of the watchtower.

’Jeez, that sounded more like an insult than a compliment.’

Shaan rolled his eyes as he followed Sir Kael through the fog. ’Why do I keep running into people like him?’

"Hey, hurry up, you two. We’re running out of time."

The group continued forward and eventually reached the back of the watchtower. Just as Sir Kael had said, a cargo pulley connected directly to the tower stood before them.

"Wait, you’ve got to be kidding me."

Shaan stared at the pulley in silence. Thick vines wrapped around the ropes, covering almost the entire mechanism. Years of neglect seemed to show in every part of it. To be honest, he felt more than a little skeptical. There’s no way that thing can lift all the alchemical salt.

"The rope is still in good condition." Sir Kael examined the rope carefully. "Good, we can still use this," he said enthusiastically.

"But who’s going to pull this pulley?" Sebastian furrowed his brow. "Someone has to climb up there and pull the lever to get the pulley moving, right?"

"That’s absolutely right, and I’ll be the one to pull it."

Shaan’s eyes widened instantly, his face tensing. "Sir Kael, are you sure you can do this alone? There must be plenty of creatures of darkness and the Resistance inside the watchtower. Can you really handle that by yourself?"

Sir Kael let out a short laugh and firmly patted Shaan on the shoulder. "Hey, kid." He pointed toward the top of the watchtower. "Just sit back and watch." A confident grin spread across his face. "You’re about to witness one of the strongest faction leaders in action."