The night passed quietly. The next day, as planned, the news about the return of the Evil spread among the people. At first, it didn't seem like a big deal, since the wave of rumors wasn't strong enough and most people didn't believe it.

Many even said it was impossible, that these were just lies meant to scare the people. After all, the Evil had been defeated and executed by the Temple years ago.

How could he return from death? Was something like that even possible? Even thinking about it made them tremble. It was impossible for them to believe such a thing.

In moments like these, humans always try to cling to even the smallest thread of hope, anything to deny the worst possibility.

Unfortunately, the second wave of rumors spread again that same day, and little by little, people started to believe it.

Everyone had heard about the attack on the Temple, and now the news spread that many priests had been severely injured in that attack and their condition was still unknown.

Who other than the Evil could defeat the priests inside the city? Everyone knew that the priests were nearly invincible within the city's walls!

From the people's perspective, they were blessed and protected by God, and as long as they didn't leave the city, no one could ever defeat them. But now, they were hearing that the priests had been crushed and heavily injured that night.

What could that possibly mean? As far as they knew, the only one with such power was the Evil himself.

Fear spread throughout the city. A large group of people went to the Temple, trying to confirm the truth and ask questions from the Grand Priest or Priest Morvain.

Unfortunately, the Grand Priest didn't appear, only Morvain came out, and even he avoided giving clear answers, doing his best to dodge their questions.

That only made the people even more certain that the Evil truly was the one who had attacked the Temple. The fear grew even stronger.

The city slowly began shutting down. People were too afraid to go outside, and even the markets began to close.

It took only a single day for the once lively and prosperous city to become a desolate ghost town where not a single person walked the streets.

The fear of the Evil could be felt everywhere.

Another group of people also headed toward the Temple. In their eyes, the Crimson Temple was the safest place, even the Evil wouldn't be able to destroy it.

Seeing this, more people followed, not only to hide but also to pray and seek protection from their God.

To them, God was absolute, He could save them from the hands of the Evil. The people knelt before the Temple and began to pray.

For the first time in a very long while, the hundreds of thousands living in that city prayed from the depths of their hearts, praying that God would save them from the Evil.

However, what they didn't know was that as they began praying, mysterious golden threads of faith started forming from their souls and drifting toward the Temple.

Inside the main hall of the Temple, at that very moment, all the priests were standing, respectfully watching the Grand Priest.

"It's been a long time since I've seen such pure faith," the Grand Priest said with a smile as he felt divine energy surging within his body.

The last time he had felt this level of faith was when they had defeated and executed the Evil. Back then, people's belief in the Temple and in God had been even stronger, purer.

"Now, if those monsters attack again, there won't be any problem." He glanced toward the other priests. That night, they had been severely beaten by that unknown creature.

Even he had been hesitant to intervene, unsure if he could face that thing head-on. Besides, he had already predicted that they would soon face a catastrophe.

He wondered, could that creature have been the catastrophe itself? But thinking about it wouldn't help. He needed to act, to find a way to prevent that disaster.

Fortunately, the people's faith was pure again, and the power of belief was rising. The stronger that faith became, the safer the Temple would be, and the greater his and the priests' power would grow.

"Sir, as you requested, we spread the rumors. But it's possible that after some time, people will start calming down and their fear will fade," Morvain said as he stepped forward respectfully.

"There's no need to worry. It will be enough for a while," the Grand Priest nodded. He knew such a state couldn't last forever.

At best, it could hold for a week before the people's fear would fade and they'd return to their normal lives.

But to make sure he could take full advantage of this situation, he needed to show himself.

He moved his robe and stepped outside the Temple, with the other priests following behind him.

"Look over there! The Grand Priest is coming!"

"The Grand Priest heard our voices!"

"Could he have a message from God for us?" The people's faces lit up with joy as they saw the old man's figure.

"My beloved people," the Grand Priest spoke loudly, his face full of satisfaction.

"God has heard your voices. However, He is disappointed in us. Over the years, we have neglected Him, and our faith has weakened. He is angry with us… but He still loves us. He told me not to worry, that He will not let that Evil harm the innocent."

"God protects us!"

"Haha! There's nothing to worry about! With God on our side, that Evil can't hurt us!" the people shouted, even more relieved now.

"Still," the Grand Priest continued,

"I have sworn on my own will to pray for three days to calm God's anger. After all, it's our fault for being negligent. Now I ask you all to join me, let us pray together for three days."

As expected, the people didn't refuse, in fact, many wanted to pray for even longer. The Grand Priest smiled as he watched the scene.

He too knelt before the Temple and began to pray. The other priests followed his lead and did the same.

And just like that, three days quietly passed.

After those three days, people slowly began to disperse, but at that very moment, new rumors began spreading among the citizens.

Rumors that even reached the Grand Priest… and filled him with anger.

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