Some time had passed; everyone had returned to Tyler's house, and the conversations didn't stop. Many of those present wanted to meet Dante, so he greeted each of them while Viviane introduced them to him.
"Why is it necessary to talk to so many people?" Dante whispered to Viviane.
"They are the core of the village. You, as the next leader, must have a friendly attitude toward them. Imagine becoming the first problematic leader?" Viviane said, holding Dante's arm and laughing softly.
"Viviane, did you see me today?" Dante asked, sounding a bit strange.
She looked at him with curiosity and replied:
"Only in the morning, before leaving the room. Why?"
"Nothing, I just thought it was strange that you disappeared this morning without saying anything."
She looked at him with some understanding and apologized:
"I had something to do… and I was a little embarrassed this morning."
"Don't worry, I was just curious," Dante said, then drifted into his own mental world.
Baam.
A palm strike echoed through the house, followed by a voice.
Everyone found a place to sit in the area where several tables were arranged. Viviane pulled Dante to sit near his mother.
Tyler stood at the front with Old Hai, Tu Sheng, and the Great Elder, and it seemed he was about to announce something not very pleasant.
The silence lasted only a second before Tyler began speaking:
"As you all know, the Hidden Village of Mages has been destroyed. The evil gods managed to track it down and destroy it."
As soon as he spoke, he fell silent, letting everyone absorb the information before continuing.
"The mage village had always been our partner. We were in contact for hundreds of years, and our founding ancestor only reached level 2 thanks to their support.
Their destruction is unfortunate, but it also brings concern to us. The evil gods are becoming increasingly bold, invading and killing.
They search for hidden human villages and forces with ferocity. If we are not careful, the next may be us."
Silence seemed to consume everyone. The evil gods were their greatest enemy; none could avoid fear—except for Dante, who didn't fully understand.
Tyler continued, his tone restrained and strange now:
"Recently, the evil gods managed to find one of our advanced bases that connects to the village.
I had to go, eliminate the enemy, and destroy the advanced base, making it look like a ruin. However, the chance of them finding us is increasing.
The Dark Forest Malign Lord will advance to level 3, and we intend to use this opportunity to retaliate."
As he spoke, silence washed over the place. Retaliate against an evil god close to level 3? Three times stronger than a level 2, nine-star evil god… impossible.
That was what everyone thought—and what terrified them.
Were there level 3 evil gods? Yes, several. But not in this region. And if one appeared, it meant the formation around the village could no longer prevent it from finding them.
Furthermore, the Malign Lord of the Forest was no simple evil god. He was probably their greatest enemy.
He was as old as the ancestor of the second generation, and he was the one who caused permanent damage to the Dantian of the Venerable Ancestor, preventing him from reaching level 2, nine stars, and leading to his death at only 200 years old.
This plunged the village into an age of terror, with no level 2 leader to protect them.
Everyone showed expressions of shock— even Dante. Dealing daily with three level 2 cultivators, he understood how frightening higher beings were.
Agitation began to spread. Everyone spoke over one another, leaving no room for rationality.
Buum.
A heavy aura fell upon everyone, like a storm taking over the area, bringing a perpetual silence.
This aura came from him—Old Hai—but it was different: at least two or three times stronger than when he had shown it to Dante earlier.
Perhaps this was level 2, eight stars? Dante thought, strangely excited.
Old Hai looked at everyone before withdrawing his aura. His old body began to revitalize. The Ancestral Hai was a combatant; that decrepit form was a choice.
His size increased, reaching three meters; a muscular but not exaggerated build, long slightly bluish hair, and purplish eyes.
"This old man had the opportunity to enter the eighth star of level 2. So let me tell you this: I am 80% confident that I can defeat that evil god!" he proclaimed proudly.
But it didn't end there.
Tu Sheng, hidden under a cloak, released his aura. It had seemed contained, but now it exploded—much stronger than a level 2, four-star; probably five stars.
And the Great Elder also released his aura, the power of a level 2 erupting with a sword intent covering the area.
This was what brought the most excitement to everyone: this was the first level 2 who wasn't a combatant to appear in the village.
It brought hope to all who believed the knights' path had stagnated due to lack of inheritance.
But even this wasn't the end of the surprise.
The second elder, the one who cared for the beasts, stepped forward and revealed his magic weapon. His beastly banner waved, and a two-and-a-half-meter-tall buffalo appeared, radiating level 2 aura.
Thump, thump, thump.
Everyone's heart raced. The hidden village possessed five beings at level 2.
The feelings of excitement and happiness surged through everyone.
For here stood something ancient—something that should never have faded or died:
HOPE!