Thor whipped out the Thunder Amulet Alaric had given him and hurled it directly at Liam. Hidden in the shadows, Alaric's fingers twisted through a lightning seal. "Activate!" he muttered. The thunder force pre-charged within the amulet surged instantly. Simultaneously, the nine Thunder Crystals buried around the battlefield flared to life, spreading a dark purple energy through the air.
Crackle— Blue-purple arcs of electricity leaped. Nine bolts of lightning, guided by the amulet, shot toward Liam, instantly shredding his protective thunder barrier. "Aghh!" Liam screamed as he collapsed, nine electric serpents coiling around his limbs, scorching his flesh black.
Kyle, aghast, shoved the Elder aside and charged, dark grey lightning coalescing in his palms. Alaric glanced at the storm-choked sky and smirked. "You think the 'Thunder Invocation' is only this powerful?" His hand seals changed abruptly, lightning patterns glowing on his palms. "Draw Divine Retribution!" The electric serpents vibrated in unison. A golden heavenly thunderbolt, thick as a barrel, crashed down from the sky, enveloping both Liam and Kyle.
Kyle's face turned deathly pale. He abandoned Liam, throwing himself desperately to the side. "No—!" Liam was consumed by the heavenly thunder. A deafening boom echoed, leaving only a smoldering black crater where he had stood. Not a trace remained.
The Blackstone tribesmen broke, fleeing in panic. The monstrous beasts (Cerberus hounds, lava direbears, etc.) also fled in terror into the forest. The people of Oakwood cheered. The Elder brandished his oak staff and roared, "After them! Don't let a single Blackstone tribesman escape!" Kyle, clutching his scorched chest, snarled, "We serve Lord Darius! The Black Raven Gang will raze Oakwood to the ground!"
Alaric breathed a silent sigh of relief. Only by using the crystals and amulet as conduits could the 'Thunder Invocation' achieve such an awe-inspiring effect, convincing the Elder and Thor. He turned to leave and change back into his Lightning-Patterned Robe, but stopped dead at the village entrance.
The Gloomy Withered Willow, dead for a decade, was sprouting new branches. Silvery-green willow leaves shimmered with a faint light, their vein patterns eerily resembling the ancient totems of legendarily elusive forest elves.
"Fresh souls, so soon after waking…" An eerily melodic female voice drilled directly into Alaric's mind, its tone carrying a note of reluctant satisfaction that chilled him to the bone. He saw Kyle also pale and look around frantically—clearly, only those at Qi Guidance Stage or higher could hear it.
In the next instant, willow leaves detached from the branches, shooting toward the battlefield like flying daggers. Kyle tried to dodge, but a single leaf pierced his palm and adhered to his forehead. Alaric's pupils constricted. Kyle instantly withered into a desiccated husk. As the leaf absorbed his flesh and blood, its faint glow seemed to falter, as if resisting something. Simultaneously, a faint golden rune—so fast it was almost invisible—flashed across the willow's trunk, captured only by Alaric's system-enhanced perception.
On the battlefield, the leaves only attacked the fleeing Blackstone tribesmen and the monstrous beasts, veering away from the Oakwood villagers. The villagers, thinking the ancient tree had manifested its spirit, dropped to their knees in worship. "The Withered Willow Spirit protects us!" The Elder, however, stared intently at the totemic leaf veins, his brow furrowed deeply. "These patterns... they resemble the markings of the ancient forest guardian elves. How could they appear on this withered willow?"
Suspicion grew in Alaric's mind: This is no ordinary monster. The apparent struggle during soul consumption, the selective targeting of enemies, the elven totem... It seems more like an entity bound by some external force. He was still pondering this when the system chime echoed in his mind:
"The Supreme Faction Leader System has been active for one full month. The Lottery System is now officially unlocked!"
✅ SYSTEM:
Hostile targets [Liam] eliminated, [Kyle] fled. Threat level reduced.
Anomaly detected: [Gloomy Withered Willow]. Energy signature analysis inconclusive. Recommend caution.
New Module: [Lottery System] unlocked. 1 free draw available.