The time of eleven o'clock the next night was not randomly chosen by Ethan; he came prepared.

On the first day he arrived in Oak City, he saw the notice posted in the center of the square. The city hall was announcing the crimes of the Father of War, Kaisaros believers, describing them as the most extreme and evil beings in this world, lurking in the shadows, trying to disrupt the peace of the Golden Kingdom.

They have incited the scholars of the Golden Kingdom and taken away the Third Princess of the Kingdom—she is one of the most orthodox heirs of the Gallog bloodline.

Their crimes are countless, and they deserve the death penalty. However, the King of Gold, being merciful and broad-minded, believes these lost lambs are merely blinded by the Evil God, and they should be given a chance for redemption.

According to the laws of the Golden Kingdom, their sins will be washed away during a purification ritual, after which they will be reborn and live as residents of the Golden Kingdom.

Regarding this, Ethan, a concerned citizen, commented that Oak City's city hall seemed to be making a fuss over nothing.

Most residents still living in Siwalant have already been brainwashed by the golden radiation. Not to mention labeling them as Evil God's Followers, if the city hall announced they had captured a group of Cybertronian aliens, the residents of Oak City would undoubtedly believe it.

Although the Golden Kingdom didn't establish a religion, its methods of ruling people are no different from the most extreme religions. Sadly, everyone's bad friend, Pope Julius, passed away young and couldn't personally witness the "prosperity" under the rule of the King of Gold, which is what Julius and his mentor dreamt of seeing.

But for the King of Gold, all he needed was to ring the bell to easily achieve all of this.

Ethan somewhat understood the King of Gold's feelings; it was very subtle.

It's akin to a player reaching the highest level, acquiring numerous divine artifacts, gradually rendering all enemies non-threatening. With a simple "ding," their heart's desire could be effortlessly achieved, and the brief satisfaction would soon be replaced by a strong sense of emptiness.

As an old Wind Spirit Moon Shadow user, Ethan was very familiar with this feeling.

And when this feeling becomes impossible to dispel, it marks the game's life force heading to its end.

Perhaps, his opponent this time is also a direct disciple of the old Wind Spirit Moon Shadow school?

"What are you thinking about?"

The Little Yellow Potato emerged from Ethan's feet, looking up at him.

When Ethan invited her to "become a thief," she inexplicably agreed, and all previous caution and psychological preparation disappeared. They were meant to be together as fortune companions.

The trip to Siwalant made her excited, so much so that she couldn't sleep. Before dawn, she sneaked into the city hall and stole a golden scepter she had never seen before.

The only thing that puzzled the earth element was how Ethan knew she had long wanted to become a thief?

The arrival of the King of Gold made her life difficult, first because people outside the Empire turned into walking corpses. Even if something valuable was missing from their home, they would choose to ignore it, greatly reducing the satisfaction of becoming a thief; secondly, the omnipresent golden light hurt her eyes, even altering the geology of many regions.

She didn't like the King of Gold.

And her way of expressing this dislike was usually simple—beware of your home's safe; if you dare not go out, the valuables inside will disappear.

"I'm thinking about the purpose of the city hall's posted announcements."

Ethan said.

According to Cynthia, the residents of the Golden Kingdom have a more efficient way of communication. The golden mask allows them to instantly understand each other's intentions; they don't need to meet or hold meetings to convey the King of Gold's will to everyone.

But in Ethan's view, that's the result of emasculation.

Once wearing the golden mask, humans' material and emotional needs reduce to the minimum, and the King of Gold's will transforms them into tireless tools. They no longer need to comprehend overly complex languages, only following the orders of the Six-Person Council to lead a "happy" life.

"According to Cynthia, the Six-Person Council can completely transmit announcements directly to everyone through the golden mask; there's no need to gather them in the square."

They don't need to use such methods to assert power, which would severely slow down the military production in Oak City.

They are overly adhering to tradition, or perhaps...

This purification ritual is not meant for the controlled residents to see.

Vivian Gallog's escape made the Six-Person Council aware that the number of rebels among the people far exceeded their imagination. They have already infiltrated every city in Siwalant.

If this purification ritual is regarded as a large-scale purge, everything can be explained.

"So you plan to deliver yourself to them?"

The Little Yellow Potato's two eyes were in an inverted oval shape, and its mouth turned into a chibi-style equilateral triangle. It looked younger than the wind elemental junior sister, and its plump face paired with this expression made it appear like a mobile humanoid chibi emotion pack.

"Assessment complete; you are indeed a militant, hence granting such dangerous powers to the wind!"

Even its speech had a text-reading tone, "She was led astray by you!"

The good friend from her memory was not the type of Ghost Fire Girl who opened her mouth and closed it, wanting to smash others to the heavens.