A searing humiliation coursed through the Second Apostle’s entire body, making every nerve ache. Though the physical pain was excruciating, it was the crushing blow to his pride delivered by the First Apostle that he found truly unbearable.

“Ha… hahaha…”

A hollow, bitter laugh escaped his lips, trembling with a despair that echoed faintly in the vast emptiness around him.

The laughter, eerie and fractured, grew louder, reverberating through the desolate space and amplifying the chilling atmosphere.

“Ugh…”

With great effort, the Second Apostle propped himself up, his battered body protesting every movement as he finally managed to lift his torso off the stone disc.

Fixing his gaze on the sacred temple far in the distance, he dragged his heavy body forward, each step a monumental struggle.