“Old man, what is this?” One of the men in the group stepped forward.

The man had short brown hair, his eyes filled with bloodlust.

The way he addressed the man has changed completely. He used to address him with utmost respect, but since he had brought them to where they wanted, he wasn’t needed anymore.

“Hehe, do you all know about origin beads?” The old man chuckled as he asked.

“What?! Origin beads?!” The man who stepped forward exclaimed in shock.

He didn’t think that what the old man was leading them to was an origin bead. If he were to absorb it, then he would be able to instantly break through to the Overlord Plane. That would place him at the top of the world.

He wasn’t the only one who felt excited about the thought of the origin bead.

“Haha, to think there’s such a treasure here. Since I’m a Fire Elementalist, it’s only acceptable that I take it,” A fiery looking man stepped forward laughing.

“Hmph! You’re not the only Fire Elementalist in this group,” Another man stepped forward.

The third person who walked out was the lady who was closer to the old man amongst the group during the journey.

“You two don’t have any manners, Sir still haven’t spoken,” She chided the duo.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Sir? Who are you calling Sir, this old man?” The fiery looking man asked with a mocking voice.

“Just like what we agreed from the start, I have a share in the treasure,” The old man said calmly.

“What? You want a share in this? You’re already at death’s door, why don’t I help you?” The fiery looking man asked while licking his lips.

The others in the group burst out laughing when they heard this. If not for the old man’s use, they would’ve killed him right from the start. But on hearing there was a great treasure in the cave from the man, they decided to team up with him.

They never expected he would actually believe them when they agreed that he would get a share from the treasure.

“An origin bead can be absorbed by anyone, irrespective of their base element. Although, it would be better suited for those who have the same element as that of the bead.” The old man said.

“We all know that,” The first man who spoke out said while walking towards the old man with a smirk.

“You see, this bead needs a little more blood and it will finally get to the level it needs in order to advance,” The old man said calmly.

“Blood? What are you saying old man?” The man paused.

“Yes, remember when I said that guy was needed for something?” The old man asked.

The man nodded.

“This is what it’s for. All we need to do is sacrifice him, and the bead will get to its peak!” The old man said fervently.

The others looked at the bead, then at the old man, before staring at the entrance to the cave.

“Huh? Where did he go?” Someone asked when they didn’t see Grey there, nor in the temple.

“He must have run away, it doesn’t matter, he will die eventually,” The old man said coldly.

“Since he’s gone, what now?” The man asked.

“The sacrifice must go on. Also, just in case you’re thinking of sacrificing me, I’m needed to organize the sacrifice,” The old man said with a smile.

He made sure he would be of use right to the end, there was no way these people could get rid of him.

The man paused, and couldn’t help but look at the others. All eight individuals suddenly retreated from each other since they didn’t know who would attack them from behind.

“No need for you guys to be this worked up, we already have the perfect sacrifice,” The man said before turning to the lady who was close to the old man.

The lady took a step back in fear, just as she took a step back, her pupils shrunk. She looked down and an old looking hand could be seen holding onto a heart that was still beating. The hand passed through her chest, which was bloodied.

Blood slowly started to flow from her wound, as well as her mouth.

The old man who was standing behind her withdrew his hand and the lady’s body fell to the ground with a ‘thud’. Her blood moving towards the bead.

The group looked at the old man with a strange expression, not expecting him to betray the lady that quickly.

The bead suddenly started spinning at a faster rate as it greedily absorbed the lady’s blood. Within a few seconds, the corpse of the lady dried up completely.

The others stared at the bead, a little horrified by it.

“Is an origin bead supposed to absorb blood?” The fiery looking man couldn’t help but ask.

“Hehe, of course not. But you see, I found this technique that would help me advance. All I need to do is feed my origin bead as much blood as I can, hehehe,” The old man laughed out as he spoke, a different look appearing on his face.

His current expression was that of a predator that was staring at it’s helpless prey.

“Your origin bead?” The man with brown hair asked.

“Yes. You see, this was all an elaborate plot to get you all here. Although the blood could be acquired from the tunnels, it would be more beneficial when the people were closer to the bead. The reason I picked your group amongst the others was because you people were stronger,” The old man answered.

His previous demeanor was slowly changing to that of an intimidating person. None of the people here could attribute the present old man to the one who led them here.

“I still don’t understand,” The fiery man said. He could feel a pressure from the old man that petrified him.

“Don’t worry, you will soon,” The old man cackled.

Boom!

The fiery looking man attacked immediately.