Something unexpected in the cave

Hars pondered for a moment, his eyes moving between the gun Theo was holding and the host bottle in his hand. He knew that they would still pursue and would probably use force if necessary. With a sense of confusion shining in his eyes, Hars finally gave up.

With trembling hands, Hars raised both hands and handed the host bottle to Theo. "Take it, but promise you won't kill me," he said in a voice full of fear.

Theo accepted the host bottle carefully, examining the dark, twitching contents inside the glass bottle. It looked like a solid slime, writhing disgustingly as Theo scrutinized its contents. "What is this?" he asked with a serious expression.

Hars glanced at Theo, trying to explain as clearly as possible despite his fear. "It's a host," he said, trying to give the necessary explanation. His voice trembled but was filled with determination to explain the situation as best he could.

In the darkness of the cave that felt increasingly tense, Theo stood in front of the trembling Hars. Gorstag, his loyal ally, stood at his side while Uldor tucked himself inside the cave's perimeter, alert for any suspicious movements.

"What host?" asked Gorstag in a tone full of astonishment, his eyes staring intently at Hars.

Hars, with a gasp, replied, "It's the host of the plague spreading in the city of Blanchill," he explained with fear almost audible in his voice.

"What did you say!?" snapped Gorstag sternly, gripping Hars' shirt collar tightly as if he wanted to pull out all the secrets hidden within him.

"Wait! Wait a minute!" exclaimed Hars in a trembling voice, his face pale with fear. "You promised, didn't you!"

Theo, who had looked angry earlier, glanced at Gorstag, and soon the barbarian released his grip with a grumble. They were allies, and at a time like this, they should stick together.

However, Theo's questions did not stop there. "Why are you spreading the plague? What is your purpose?" asked Theo in a calmer voice, though his gaze remained sharp, looking directly at Hars. He had a feeling that there was something bigger than what they knew, and that information could be the key to stopping the calamity from spreading.

Hars swallowed, trying to gather his courage. "We... we did that on the orders of someone more powerful than us," he replied, still timid. "He wanted to create chaos in the city of Blanchill, to turn the people against the government."

Gorstag heard that and nodded, "So, you were tools in his evil plan."

Hars nodded in agreement. "Yes, we are just his tools. He promised to give us power and wealth if we did this."

Theo looked at Hars sharply, trying to judge whether he was telling the truth or just trying to save himself. "Who is he? Who ordered this?"

Hars hesitated for a moment, but finally revealed, "We only know him as 'Black Shadow.' We've never seen his face, he always operates in the dark."

"Black Shadow," Gorstag repeated in a hateful voice. "We must find and stop him."

Theo nodded. "You must give us all the information you have about the 'Black Shadow.'"

Hars, who had looked indecisive before, now looked even more shaken. His pale face became increasingly wrinkled, and his hands trembled uncontrollably. He tried to explain, albeit with a trembling voice, "That figure is the highest priest in our faith."

Theo, who was angry before, now held back his anger. He knew the importance of listening to Hars' explanation before taking the next step. With great patience, he said, "Go on, Hars. Who is that figure?"

Hars swallowed and continued, "He is the representative of our god, the voice of the 'Saint'. Whatever the priest says, we will always follow him without question."

Gorstag, who had been impatient, was still annoyed but chose to remain silent, giving Hars a chance to explain further.

"Holy you say? Priest?" asked Theo in a calmer tone, though still full of disapproval. "Did you see the damage you did to the town of Blanchill? Many innocent people were victimized! Is that something in the teachings of a faith!?"

Hars felt increasingly pressured, but he insisted on defending his faith. "Those who were victimized are infidels who must be exterminated! Those who are pure will endure any trials given! They should be grateful that their sins have been cleansed by the 'Holy One'!"

Gorstag, who had previously been irritated, was now running out of patience. He felt that Hars' beliefs were false and misleading. "Your belief is a false and misleading belief! Tell that 'Saint of yours', we will kill him," Gorstag cursed angrily.

Hars, who felt humiliated and angry, swore back at Gorstag. "How dare you insult the Saint, you will be punished. You will be destroyed until your bones melt..."

Suddenly, Theo noticed something strange in Hars' behavior. Something was not right, and he felt the need to act immediately. With a firm voice, Theo ordered, "Gorstag, stand down!"

Gorstag, who was about to utter another harsh word, suddenly realized his anger. He immediately followed Theo's order and stepped back. Uldor, who also realized that something was wrong, immediately caught up with them. The three of them looked with shock at what was happening to Hars.

Hars, as if losing control of his own body, kept shaking. His head felt heavy and felt like it was spinning. He turned his head left and right very roughly as if something was controlling his movements. His body seemed to be trembling constantly, and he kept shouting with an increasingly terrifying voice.

"DIE!!!"

"DIE!"

"DIE!!!"

Those cries sounded louder and louder in the still air. Hars now looked like a marionette controlled by something evil. His body was in a terrible spasm, and his facial expression was a mixture of pain and fear.

Theo, Gorstag, and Uldor, though shocked and frightened by what they witnessed, felt the need to take action. They stood at the ready, ready to protect themselves if Hars threatened them.

However, before they could act further, something terrible happened. Hars' head spun 360 degrees very quickly, an unexpected movement. His body was still trembling, but his eyes looked blank as if his spirit had left his body.

The three of them were silent, shocked, and transfixed by the inexplicable scene. They had no idea what was going on, and how they should deal with it. Their faces were a mixture of fear, confusion, and disbelief.

Amid the tense silence, they all knew that they had been involved in something much bigger than they had ever imagined.

*****