Shannon recalled the protective barrier she had seen when Montaro first brought them to this village. Before they could discuss more, she and Emeralda had charged toward the village entrance.
The villagers in Antique Village had also sensed the emergency. They rushed toward the village entrance, only to see a cloud of black smoke brewing around it.
The villagers knew nothing about the origin of the black smoke, but as they were slowly engulfed by it, they realized the spiritual energy they had painstakingly replenished last night was being siphoned away.
Instinctively, they tried to escape from the black smoke. However, it seemed almost an impossible task.
Realizing the urgency, a villager shouted in warning to others, "Do not let the smoke get you! Everybody, run!"
The villager's voice was sharp, and some who initially rushed forward to rescue their companions were quickly pulled back by others, who firmly restrained them. "Didn't you hear not to get close to the smoke? Stop being a hero!"
"We must get Mr. Boyle now!"
By then, Harlan had also arrived at the village entrance. At the sight of the black smoke that came like a wave, he quickly instructed the villagers to retreat to the ancient tree in the back mountain.
Meanwhile, he planned to rescue the villagers caught in the black smoke.
However, these spiritual beings never had any combat skills, to begin with. Otherwise, they wouldn't have set up a protective barrier around their village.
Seeing that not only had Harlan failed to rescue the villagers, but he had also fallen into the black smoke, the villagers became desperate.
Just then, a tall figure suddenly appeared at the village entrance, and without hesitation, charged straight into the smoke.
The villagers recognized him immediately. It was their zombie friend, Heston!
Heston's figure was quickly engulfed by the black smoke, but the dark tendrils, which had been capable of caging the villagers and draining their energy, seemed utterly ineffective against him. Or perhaps, it had never been able to affect him in the first place.
Once inside the smoke, Heston swiftly located the villagers. With one hand, he grabbed each one and tossed them out of the smoke, one after another. As each villager was flung to safety, those on the outside immediately grabbed them and carried them further away from the dark cloud.
"Over there!" She pointed at a spot, and the next second, Shannon hurled a thunder talisman in that direction.
Faster than her talisman was Heston, who teleported to the spot where Fennec had pinpointed. With filth energy coursing through his fingertips, he fiercely grabbed something behind a tree.
The next moment, a thick ball of black smoke flew out from behind the tree, narrowly avoiding Heston and the lightning strikes chasing after him, before finally dissipating into a figure on the ground.
It was none other than the person who had fled previously, Nash.
His sinister face was now filled with anger, and that anger was directed at Heston. "Have you forgotten who created you, the Unmelting Bone?"
The failed attempt to reclaim the Unmelting Bone had already been infuriating enough, especially when he had been contractually bound by a mystic master. What was even more frustrating now was that the Unmelting Bone was turning against him!
Meeting Nash's furious gaze, Heston, almost stoically, replied, "I know it wasn't you."
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