One day, we'll kill them all.

More than one person had heard Laris say this.

However, to them at the time, it was just a young man's immature thought; in fact, many people found solace in Laris's words.

This young man voiced the thoughts buried deep in their hearts, thoughts they dared not speak in public.

So, many people, after getting drunk, would confide their pain and dissatisfaction to Laris. After pouring out their negative emotions, they could sober up and return to their familiar lives the next day, until they couldn't stand it again and went back to the tavern to drown their sorrows.

And so it went, over and over.

"One day, we'll kill them all" became a source of comfort for the drunkards for a long time.

The difference was, after the Goddess descended, their wishes came true.

"Laris... is a monster born of Lower City's hatred."

Grave said, "He won't stop until he achieves his goal."

"I see."

This solved one of Mary's doubts: why Bazarian had taken notice of Laris.

Although Bazarian was an unpredictable evil Goddess, the way she fulfilled wishes was traceable. Only wishes and beliefs strong enough could capture her attention.

When the sinners were judged, when unfair rules were rewritten one by one, those Lower City civilians who once only hoped for the Goddess of Life's miracle gradually returned to reality. They weren't asking for the moon, just for justice to be upheld.

However, Laris would not change because of this.

What he truly wanted wasn't justice, but to kill everyone on the other side of that wall.

This made him the ideal "chosen one" in Bazarian's eyes.

Mary felt a chill that pierced her soul.

Not just because of Laris's story, but because it was truly cold in the town hall.

When she looked outside, the source of all this was the sudden appearance of a towering Ice Crystal Giant Tree in Upper City, hundreds of meters tall, causing a layer of frost to form on the town hall's windows.

Grave also noticed this sudden anomaly, and said with a pale face, "That's in the direction of Oasis City Prison."

.........

Ethan finally faced the consequences of his actions.

For the past few hours, he had been trying to physically keep Lindong from falling asleep.

Finally, after a cat had its face smeared with lemon ice cream, it broke free from his embrace, transforming back into its human form. Despite having ice cream stuck to her lips, her pair of crimson eyes shone with an awe-inspiring power.

This sky-high giant tree created from ice elements was her masterpiece.

Today, Lindong seemed a bit unusual.

Not only were her pupils red, but the whites of her eyes were veined with red.

Her gaze, and the sharp aura, seemed to harken back to when she was the Lindong Witch.

She coldly confirmed, "You said you'd buy me whatever I wanted to eat, right?"

"Of course, whether it's pizza, spaghetti Bolognese, or a burger..."

"I want snow cherries."

Lindong softly raised her hand, pointing to the tree branches of the Ice Crystal Giant Tree reaching the clouds, "Go pick them."

Ethan looked up, smiling sheepishly, "Isn't this an extreme challenge?"

"Do you not love me anymore?"

Lindong asked with a hint of melancholy, "Other men are willing to pick stars and moons for their wives, and I just ask you to pick a few fruits and you hesitate. Sigh, I guess the love between humans and witches really can't last."

"Fine, I'll go!"

Ethan steeled himself, "Where are my friends, the elements of electricity and wind?"

"Go yourself."

Lindong interrupted his spellcasting.

"But... I can't climb trees."

Another rumble answered Ethan, and when he turned, he found a new, incongruous "decoration" on the Ice Crystal Giant Tree.

"Take the stairs."

Lindong gazed at the dreamily colored spiral staircase.

"Is there an elevator?"

"Hurry up and go!"

An undeniable tone, like a true Ice Queen.

Lindong crossed her arms, watching Ethan's silhouette fade into the distance. As this disturbing figure embarked on his Sisyphean journey to the treetop, she finally "poofed" and transformed back into a ragdoll cat, curling into a soft white ball on the chair.

Hafeez, locked in his cell, also heard the rumble.

He didn't know what was happening outside, but he had been waiting anxiously at his cell door since earlier.

Indeed, after the new acting Prison Warden took office, the prison was not watertight. He successfully bribed a guard, asking him to deliver a segment of fruit to the attacked Security Office director's hospital room.

Hafeez heard footsteps approaching.

The scent of blood drew closer, and the footsteps grew heavy.

An ear-piercing alarm sounded in the prison, but Hafeez kept his eyes fixed on the darkness of the corridor.

The footsteps neared, and a figure barely distinguishable from its silhouette slowly emerged from the deep darkness into his view.

It wore a loose human skin and was bare-chested, with a fixed and unnervingly grotesque smile on its face, a smile that seemed incredibly unnatural.

Hafeez still recognized the creature's identity; on its abdomen, he could faintly see the wound from the dining knife, now filled with new tissue growth.

It was the director of the Security Office, or rather, he once was the director.

The director had followed his suggestion and consumed that segment of fruit.

This was an experiment; Hafeez certainly wouldn't allow himself to become a test subject.

It proved that the Goddess indeed had ill intentions.

The tall, slender creature walked straight ahead without a glance, heading towards the block that was completely sealed after the alarm went off. The creature grabbed the bars, tearing the cage in front of it like ripping a sheet of sheepskin paper.

Hafeez also heard the sound of gunfire, followed by the screams of prisoners and guards.

A prison riot triggered by an unknown creature was underway.

"C2 block has been breached!"

"Bullets have no effect on that thing!"

The acting Prison Warden was also awakened from his sleep. Foreseeing unrest in the prison over the coming days, he had chosen to stay but hadn't expected a riot that very night.

He had never heard of such a creature, one impervious to knives and bullets, tearing through cells barehanded.

However, as the acting Prison Warden, he had to ensure that trials continued undisrupted; he was determined to fight to the bitter end and not let these officials escape legal judgment!

He armed himself and gave an order, "Immediately inform Lady Mary."

He planned to head to C2 block and hold off the creature with all his might until Lady Mary arrived.

"Very brave, but lacking wisdom."

After the guards left, a voice devoid of emotion reached the acting Prison Warden's ears. He stopped, surprised, and turned to see a blue-haired girl by the window, whose presence he hadn't noticed. She held a sheepskin book with an indistinguishable cover, her beautiful eyes quietly watching him.

"They've already reported to you that bullets had no effect on that creature. Do you think your bullets are any different from theirs?"

"This is my duty."

The acting Prison Warden's eyes burned with determination, ready to die.

"Therefore, a friend of mine entrusted me to give you some advice."

The blue-haired girl glanced at the gun holster on the acting Prison Warden's waist, "Take out your gun."

Despite his confusion, the acting Prison Warden complied.

"Then, the kerosene lamp on the desk, the quill, the Holy Scripture, and the handcuffs, you must remember, the synthesis ritual requires five offerings, place them at the points of the pentagram..."

The acting Prison Warden did as instructed, guessing that the blue-haired girl was the help Lady Mary had left at the prison. With Lady Mary's wisdom, how could she not anticipate potential riots in the prison?

The five items placed at the pentagram's points transformed into specks of white light as offerings, this sacred light fused together in a ritual-like process, then faded from white to a dull gray.

Under the curious gaze of the acting Prison Warden, the fused object finally revealed its true form.

As the object appeared, the scent of ketchup reached his nostrils.

The reverence and anticipation in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp gaze directed at the blue-haired girl, awaiting her explanation.

"Congratulations, you've obtained a 'leftover hotdog'.

"What does 'leftover hotdog' mean!?"

The Warden slammed the table, "Where's my gun?"

"Unfortunately, you were unlucky, the synthesis failed, please try again."