The smoke cloud bloomed like a dying star — thick, grey, choking — and with it came chaos.
Shouts. Confusion. Rushing footsteps in every direction.
Arjun's voice was sharp and calm in the smoke. "Varun, get Dhani out. Don't wait for me."
"I'll circle around through the south tunnel," Varun coughed, gripping Dhani's wrist. "Meet you at the warehouse."
And like that — they were gone.
Arjun melted into the fog of prayers and lies.
Stealth Mode Active
– Objective: Infiltrate Inner Chambers– Sub-objective: Acquire Irrefutable EvidenceSkill Gain: Awareness +0.3 / Instinct +0.5 / Stealth +0.4
He moved through prayer corridors and behind false walls. The temple map on the public board didn't match what he saw here.
There were rooms that didn't exist on any plan.
Low chanting hummed behind a thick curtain. Arjun peeked through a crack.
A ritual was in progress.
Not a prayer — a draining.
The false saint stood before a kneeling figure surrounded by a circle of glowing ash. Behind him, three robed followers held incense lanterns that flickered blue.
The kneeling man screamed as white tendrils of energy — system energy — were pulled from his core into a black urn filled with dark oil.
The "saint" raised his hands.
"Faith is power. Fear is obedience. Let the Lord consume the weak."
Arjun didn't move.
He watched. Memorized.
Snapped a silent photo from the system camera feature.
Evidence Logged:– Ritual Absorption of Core Energy (System Violation)– Unregistered Magic Use via Coercion– False Sanctum PracticesStored in Inventory Archive → [Secure Log]
He slid into a side room filled with papers. Files stolen from survivors. System printouts. Emergency rations meant for the weak, stored for barter.
And finally — the roster.
Names.
Victims.
Sealed documents with crimson handprints marked "Failed Conversion".
Every act, documented.
He copied what he could and slipped back toward the side wing when—A sharp voice echoed behind him.
"You shouldn't be here, officer."
A young disciple. Barely 20. Eyes glazed from drug or devotion.
Arjun didn't hesitate.A jab to the throat, elbow to the temple — silent and final.
He laid the boy quietly by the wall and kept moving.
He needed to get out. Now.
Meanwhile, in the southern servant tunnels—
Varun crouched beside Dhani, pressing a damp cloth to his face.
"You okay?"
Dhani nodded weakly and gestured toward the stone ahead. With a snap of his fingers, a gust of air whispered down the corridor, dispersing dust.
They reached the outer ventilation gate.
But as they climbed out—
Footsteps.
Followers. Two of them. Armed.
Varun stepped forward calmly, holding a match and a tiny pouch of powder.
"You believe in fire, right?"
The pipe bomb hit the floor, and the hallway lit up like Diwali in a war zone.
Skill Progress
– Varun: Crafting +0.7 | Awareness +0.2 | Agility +0.4– Dhani: Elemental Affinity (Air) +0.6 | Reaction +0.3
Back at the Guru Dwara's courtyard, Arjun emerged from a crawlshaft near the abandoned fountain.
He saw Varun and Dhani rushing toward him through the back alley.
"You got it?" Varun asked.
Arjun just nodded, teeth clenched.
"I have everything."
System Notification – Evidence Dossier CompletedMajor Quest: The False Saint– Objective: Public Exposure– Progress: 80%Optional: Divine Witness Required for Revelation Blessing
As the trio disappeared into the deeper shadows of the city once again, Arjun's gaze drifted toward the shining temple behind them.
A symbol of faith twisted by greed and control.
He swore under his breath.
"We burn him with his own words."