The strange
He suspected that when Mr. Fool pulled him out of that strange Afternoon Town, it had broken the balance there, allowing the power to leak out.
This also explained why the "Demon Hunter"
Just as Derrick was wondering what changes this would bring, the "Chief" of the Six-Member Council, Colin, had already taken a handful of glittering dust from one of the secret compartments in his belt and scattered it into the air.
The dust suddenly exploded, spraying silvery-white light upward, which was exceptionally conspicuous in the gloomy, dark environment.
Derrick, Joshua, and Haim all clearly knew what this signal meant: don't run around, stay put, be on guard against possible incoming enemies, and wait for rescue!
Without a doubt, it was meant for the exploration teams scattered throughout other parts of Afternoon Town!
The "Demon Hunter" Colin released the signal three times in quick succession during the intervals between lightning flashes, then turned to Derrick and the others:
"We'll meet up with them one by one, from the nearest to the farthest. Be careful on the way."
"Yes, Chief!" Derrick had already forgotten his earlier grievance, only hoping to help his companions as soon as possible.
Following Colin's orders, he walked on the left side of the squad. On the other side was Joshua, wearing crimson gloves and carrying an iron-black straight sword. The relatively stronger "Dawn Knight" Haim brought up the rear, about three steps away from the "Demon Hunter" at the front.
High in the sky, lightning alternated at a rapid frequency. The gloomy Afternoon Town was bright one moment and dark the next. The candle flames reflected in the windows flickered, peaceful and quiet.
Derrick was no longer the rookie he had been back then. Although he was nervous now, his palm gripping the "Hurricane Axe" did not sweat. His gaze moved back and forth expertly, watching for monsters that might suddenly burst out from the buildings on either side.
A flash of lightning passed, and the world returned to darkness. The candlelights of Afternoon Town twinkled like stars, as if waiting for travelers in need of lodging.
The dim yellow light from the animal-skin lantern in Haim's hand spread outward but couldn't reach far, not even as effective as Derrick's night vision. Its only function seemed to be to dispel the thick darkness around them.
Just then, a chill suddenly ran down Derrick's neck, even though there was no cold wind blowing around him!
Subconsciously, he didn't turn his head directly. Instead, he took a diagonal step, half-turned his body, and looked behind him from the corner of his eye.
He saw Haim, who was nearly two meters thirty tall, staring at him with a gloomy expression, bringing down the large, broad straight sword in his hand!
Bang! Derrick curled up and rolled, dodging the blow. The fierce sound of the wind seemed to still echo in his ears.
Immediately after, he heard the "Chief's" voice: "What's wrong?"
"Haim attacked me!" Derrick curled up and rolled, standing up as he moved towards the "Demon Hunter" Colin.
"Me?" Haim asked back, full of confusion, holding the animal-skin lantern in one hand and the large straight sword in the other.
Colin glanced at Derrick: "I didn't notice anything unusual about him."
As he spoke, two dark green symbols emerged in the "Demon Hunter's" eyes.
He looked around and said: "The attacker can take on Haim's appearance?"
He had barely finished speaking when the silver straight sword in his right hand suddenly thrust backward!
Pfft! In the silent sound of the collision, a figure emerged from the dark and gloomy environment. He had disheveled white hair, deep nasolabial folds, and weathered, profound light-blue eyes. In his hand, he also held a silver straight sword coated with a light gray oil. He was almost identical to the "Demon Hunter" Colin, the only difference being that his expression was gloomy and his skin was dull.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! The two silver straight swords clashed continuously in mid-air, striking sparks.
Meanwhile, Colin Iliad shouted in a deep voice: "Light!"
Light? Derrick instinctively raised his hands, clasped them together, and pressed them to his mouth and nose.
In that instant, he saw three figures rush out from the surrounding darkness. One was the tall and sturdy Haim. One was Joshua wearing crimson gloves. And one was a tall Derrick himself, with a trace of childishness still on his face!
Derrick did not panic. Following the "Chief's" instructions, he released waves of relatively pure radiance from his body.
The three figures seemed to be very afraid of this. They raised their hands to block their faces while trying to flee to the side.
But how could their speed compare to light? The pure radiance illuminated the surrounding area, and the three figures were completely engulfed within it.
They opened their mouths, letting out silent screams, but they quickly faded and vanished.
The light surged, enveloping the two fighting "Demon Hunters" in a bright domain. One of them immediately stiffened and slowed down, then lost its color, turning completely dark and shadowy.