It took Glen yet another three days to make his way back to Bayek.

  The Forest Will had previously indicated that certain preparations were requisite to contend with the malevolent deity lurking below. However, thus far, there had been no discernible signs of activity.

  Merely a day subsequent to Glen's return, Gotaya sought him out and apprised him that the influence of the malevolent deity upon his person had dissipated.

  Glen was besieged by perplexity. He had detected no alterations to his corporeal form.

  Nonetheless, the phenomenon of being surreptitiously controlled had indeed ceased to occur.

  The elven maiden elucidated that the Forest Will had purged Glen's body and soul via an alternate dimension, accounting for his lack of awareness.

  Glen could but nod in acquiescence, though the concept remained somewhat nebulous to him.

  During his inspection of the establishment in Dude, Luther informed Glen that Bloodaxe had come in search of him.

  Glen was cognizant that the latter had fulfilled the commission he had previously entrusted. Although the items Bloodaxe had procured were not presently in high demand, Glen intended to acquire them nonetheless.

  Yet, in the days that followed, Bloodaxe failed to make an appearance.

  In the meantime, the farm had been undergoing continuous expansion.

  Upon receiving the substantial funds disbursed by the club, Glen, after due deliberation, unhesitatingly elected to allocate them.

  Blessed with an ample workforce, he predominantly channeled his funds into procuring materials and acquiring additional livestock.

  The construction commotion that persisted for several consecutive days had evoked vehement discontent among some of the town's inhabitants.

  Nonetheless, Glen opined that his farm was situated at a sufficient distance from the town. The average individual within the town could, at most, perceive only the faintest of sounds. As for those with unusually acute hearing, that, in his view, was their own concern.

  Despite their disgruntlement, they dared not engage Glen in argumentation. Consequently, several townsfolk elected to vacate the premises for a few days during the period of construction.

  Having meticulously arranged all tasks, Glen harbored the intention of devoting his entire focus to the research and design of magic and certain artifacts.

  Regrettably, circumstances did not unfold as he had envisioned.

  It was possible that the puppet master had relinquished his efforts to rein in his sister. The puppet lady, in turn, engaged Glen and the employees in conversation with unbridled audacity.

  This, in itself, was not overly perturbing. However, the frequent visits of the few adolescents from Dude Town significantly encroached upon Glen's time.

  Several more months elapsed.

  The expansion of the farm was all but complete, and Glen received word from Gotaya that all preparations were in place, enjoining him to once again descend into the sinkhole.

  At that juncture, Glen was engrossed in the study of a wind - blade magic tome he had seized from the third - level mage known as Black Sword.

  The black wind blades, with their formidable penetrative power, had left an indelible impression on Glen.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Upon hearing Gotaya's message, he was compelled to set aside his current pursuits, grasp the colossal red sword, and accompany Gotaya back to the vicinity of the sinkhole.

  However, it was not merely Glen and Gotaya who were present. Two additional figures stood alongside the sinkhole.

  One was a towering man adorned with antlers, and the other was a mysterious female mage, her visage concealed beneath a hood, grasping a staff in both hands.

  "You are the one who intends to confront the malevolent deity directly?" The man's gaze was frigid, as though a single glance had laid bare Glen's capabilities, his tone laced with skepticism.

  "Who are they?" Glen, instead of responding, posed the question to Gotaya at his side.

  The elven maiden appeared to listen intently for a moment before relaying to Glen, "The Forest Will states that these two are formidable allies who harbor a profound loathing for the malevolent deity. You may place your trust in them. However, due to an agreement, their origins must remain undisclosed."

  Glen nodded. Although a flicker of curiosity kindled within him, it was not of such magnitude as to necessitate immediate gratification.

  "Enough. Inform me of the plan. Let us conclude this expeditiously. I am eager to return to my research," he urged.

  "Quite straightforward. We require you to escort us down there, while you are tasked with diverting the malevolent deity's attention," the antler - bearing man replied, seemingly unperturbed by Glen's earlier disregard for his query.

  The woman, for her part, remained steadfastly mute, maintaining a statue - like stance.

  "Escort you down?" Glen queried.

  Presumably, the act of "escorting down" entailed employing some means to shield against the malevolent spirits and contamination below and reach the very depths.

  The antler - bearing man directed his gaze towards the female mage. At last, she stirred. A faint, ribbon - like apparition issued from the female mage's lips, coiling rapidly around her form.

  Within mere seconds, the female mage transformed into a floating luminescent point.

  The luminescent point emitted the same ribbon - like apparition, enveloping the antler - bearing man in an identical manner.

  Glen then beheld two luminescent points slowly drifting towards him.

  "We shall take residence within your eyes. Rest assured, this shall not inflict any harm upon you," the voice of the antler - bearing man emanated from one of the luminescent points.

  "Very well. Proceed," Glen said.

  Upon Glen's utterance, the two luminescent points vanished from sight.

  Sensing a subtle coolness within his eyes, he knew that the two had entered.

  Glen cast a backward glance at Gotaya, signaling her to exercise caution. Then, he assumed the form of a third - level werewolf and plunged headlong into the sinkhole.

  The familiar scene materialized before his eyes, which swiftly adjusted to the darkness. This time, however, the peculiar centipedes were absent, and he found himself immersed in a veritable ocean of malevolent spirits.

  A powerful mental onslaught, akin to a tempestuous tide, assailed him. Glen remained unflinching throughout, even taunting Abu, who had been transformed into a malevolent spirit, during the course.

  The two individuals residing within his eyes were shocked to varying degrees.

  They were in a peculiar state, capable of observing certain mental changes within Glen.

  Upon beholding the multitude of malevolent spirits, which resembled an ocean, a chill coursed through their veins.

  They surmised that few could retain their sanity after enduring such a barrage of malevolent spirits.

  However, Glen's fortitude truly astounded them.

  Even as the mental assaults wrought by the malevolent spirits resembled cataclysmic waves, the werewolf's will remained more steadfast than a boulder. Moreover, the werewolf's bloodlust was intermingled with the forces assailing his rationality.

  Having traversed the region where the malevolent spirits congregated, the polluted expanse lay beneath.

  The familiar sensation of buoyancy welled up. Glen stepped onto the yielding ground and made his way directly towards the passage he had discovered on his previous visit.

  He could not be certain whether it was an illusion, but he perceived that the passage seemed to have expanded somewhat.

  With a tinge of bewilderment, he slowed his pace and crawled into the passage.

  He had not crawled far when a glimmer of light suddenly materialized before him.

  This diverged from his prior encounter. Glen's intuition told him that this was likely the doing of the Forest Will.

  The further he advanced, the brighter the light grew.

  Without experiencing the sudden sense of weightlessness as before, when Glen emerged from the passage, he discovered that the vast chamber where the malevolent deity was ensconced had expanded several - fold.

  Moreover, fissures emitting a white glow illuminated the entire space with crystalline clarity.

  The fleshy mass lay dormant below, yet the pair of strikingly lifelike eyes were nowhere to be seen.

  Glen circumnavigated the fleshy mass and selected a seemingly secure location to alight.

  The two individuals inhabiting his eyes emerged in unison, flanking the transformed third - level werewolf Glen.

  "At present, it is enfeebled. This is our sole opportunity. We must succeed," the antler - bearing man declared, his eyes narrowing.

  "You two, stand back. I shall draw its attention first," Glen said, taking a few steps forward as black, cursed smoke gradually billowed from his person.