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Chapter 1045 Red Temple

"I\'ll give you as many chances as you want to fight me," Arthur explained, his grin widening. "But there\'s a price. Every time I defeat you, you\'ll have to complete one task I assign. How does that sound?"

Dorian, ever the cocky challenger, didn\'t hesitate to agree. "Just that?" he mumbled, not giving it much thought. "I\'ll accept, on the condition that once I defeat you, you become my follower."

"Agreed," Arthur replied, extending his hand for a handshake, which Dorian accepted. Little did Dorian know that each task Arthur assigned would serve as a means to gradually change the young man, exposing him to the suffering of the people. It was Arthur\'s plan to make this immature youth more empathetic.

With the rules set and introductions made, the atmosphere in the carriage became less tense. Although Dorian\'s arrogance remained, he wasn\'t hostile in normal circumstances. As long as he refrained from insulting Koby\'s teacher, Koby was amicable. The squad seemed to be settling into a tentative camaraderie.

Their first destination lay to the east of Xeloria, across a vast desert. The Red Temple stood alone, its influence over the tower\'s citizens immense. Jonathan had explained that the temple\'s power increased with the acquisition of the artifact. Every city in the vicinity was making its way to the temple, situated in the heart of the desert.

In response to the lords who coveted the artifact, the temple had devised a selection system based on faithfulness. While any lord could attempt to seize the artifact by force, none wanted to tarnish their reputation among the public. Even in this tower and irregular dimension, the lords required the support of their subjects. Therefore, no one dared to lay hands on the Red Temple.

Arthur found it ironic that the temple\'s power derived from abstract belief rather than concrete strength. Their strength lay in the number of believers they had, akin to a fragile shield protecting them from those who harbored ill intentions.

The Golden Division, comprising ten platoons for this mission, consisted of a thousand seasoned soldiers, each a formidable threat to ordinary tower challengers. The platoons took turns leading the way to clear the path from monsters, with the ninth platoon, led by Arthur, taking their turn after nine hours of travel.

Their arrival at the vanguard was met with cold shoulders and open resentment from the other soldiers. Dorian\'s presence only fueled their anger, as it was clear why he was among them.

"The golden child is here, thanks to his father\'s influence!"

"If he flaunts his status as usual, I swear..."

"Just ignore him, and he\'ll slink back to Xeloria, crying."

Such hushed comments did not go unnoticed by Arthur, who listened with interest. While he knew Dorian\'s arrogance often preceded him, it seemed that his skills were not acknowledged. In response to the whispers, Dorian seemed unfazed.

"Hey, you there!" Dorian shouted without restraint at the wagon ahead, which was occupied by veteran soldiers nearly four decades his senior. Their resentment was palpable, but none dared to confront him openly. "Move to the back, and let us take the vanguard! What are you waiting for?"

Joey, sensing the mounting tension, tried to ease the situation. "Maybe we should tone it down," he cautioned. "We might end up stabbed in the back instead of being devoured by beasts."

"It\'s best for the weaklings to stay in the rear," Dorian declared loudly enough for all to hear. The entire platoon now bore hostile glares, but Arthur couldn\'t help but chuckle at how easily they were provoked. "Are you all just going to stand there like idiots?"

In the end, begrudgingly, the soldiers allowed them to take the vanguard. While they all hoped for the newcomers\' downfall, their expectations were quickly shattered.

A deep rumble resonated through the sandy terrain as a massive worm erupted from below the surface. Its armored hide, colossal frame, and razor-sharp teeth marked it as a formidable adversary. However, Arthur\'s squad appeared unfazed, chatting among themselves.

"Who\'s going to handle this one?" Arthur asked indifferently, having faced such monsters during Jerano\'s entrance exam, where he had first encountered Jonah Raver.

"I can take it down," Koby said eagerly, his excitement palpable. Arthur couldn\'t help but appreciate this newfound enthusiasm in Koby. However, before anyone could react, Dorian surged forward without waiting for their decision.

Dorian leaped from the carriage, a giant spear materializing in his hand as he confronted the enormous worm. The monstrous creature reacted with a deafening shriek, hurling itself toward the seemingly puny human. In response, Dorian retracted his arm before launching the spear at the oncoming beast, splitting the air apart.

BOOM!

The spear pierced through the worm\'s armored shell with ease, leaving a gaping hole in its side. With a final agonized cry, the worm collapsed onto the sand, disintegrating into countless red particles. Undaunted, Dorian landed gracefully and immediately charged toward the horde of monsters emerging from the sand.

"You\'d better not fall behind," Arthur commented with a grin, addressing Koby. "He\'s using the reward points to get stronger. That\'s why he insisted on being in the vanguard."

Koby leaped from the carriage, using his ethereal arm to propel himself forward. Flames erupted from his body like a fiery demon as he unleashed an onslaught of fireballs upon the approaching monsters. The display of destruction left the other soldiers awestruck.

"Damn... that arrogant kid actually has some skills..."

"His father must have bought him some powerful abilities and items."

"That makes sense!"

"And he still dares to act arrogant?"

Whispers and comments from the surrounding soldiers continued to fill the air. Arthur and Joey observed with disapproving gazes, disappointed by the soldiers\' immaturity. It was clear that Dorian\'s abilities were his own, but the soldiers seemed to believe otherwise.

"You can\'t blame them," Joey remarked with a sigh. "As long as a system exists, people will find ways to abuse it. Lords use their soldiers to nurture their children, weakening monsters for their offspring to reap reward points."

"Dorian is genuinely skilled in wielding weapons; nothing should diminish that," Arthur said, dissatisfied with the soldiers\' judgmental attitudes. "I never thought that being a lord\'s son would mean everything about you gets attributed to your father."

"Perhaps that\'s why he acts the way he does," Joey suggested with a shrug. "If people already assume you\'re the villain, why bother trying to prove them wrong? Might as well do as you please."

"Even among the upper class, there are challenges," Arthur remarked with a sigh, deciding to let the soldiers hold their beliefs about Dorian. After all, Dorian\'s arrogance was hard to ignore. "You seem to have come to your senses, Joey. Have you considered my offer?"

"I can\'t deny what my heart desires, no matter how hard I try," Joey admitted with a frown. "If it means protecting what Lady Rosewood has built, then I\'d gladly become a traitor."

"You\'ve realized that there\'s no point in becoming my enemy," Arthur stated with a grin. "That\'s a wise choice, agent. You might just be Rosewood\'s savior."

"Our final destination, the Lakes of Azkahar, is close to Rosewood," Joey said, determination in his voice. "I\'ll visit my lady and try to convince her of what you\'ve offered. Hopefully, before the war begins, you\'ll have the support of a lord."

"Remember, Joey, this was never my original plan," Arthur emphasized as his grin faded. "I offered your lady this chance because of our friendship, no matter how unconventional it may be. I don\'t give second chances."

"One chance is all I need," Joey replied before leaping forward to join the fray. "Rosewood will not fall. I\'ll make sure of it."

As the soldiers observed the newcomers\' actions and the unstoppable march of the ninth platoon, they began to realize that the newcomers were reaping all the rewards. Motivated by their success, other soldiers rushed forward to join the battle.

For the first time since the Xelorian Army had set out on its journey, its progress was relentless. The ninth platoon had nearly cleared the entire road to the Red Temple during their hour of duty. The other platoons, witnessing the destruction left in their wake, acknowledged that the ninth platoon was filled with battle-loving maniacs.

Finally, the army arrived at the Red Temple. The enormous structure, as its name suggested, appeared crimson as it hovered in the middle of the sandy desert. Lush green palm trees surrounded the temple, and rivers flowed endlessly. It was a true oasis for travelers and challengers alike.

Upon reaching the temple\'s perimeter, the army came to a halt. Jonathan of Silver Rose, the commander of the entire army, proceeded alone to meet the temple\'s highest priest. Their meeting would determine the course of action required to obtain the artifact that had appeared.

Meanwhile, the rest of the army awaited their orders, surveying their surroundings. Apart from Xeloria, two other cities had dispatched their armies, all converging on the Red Temple.