Standing in the pilgrimage site's square, Todd looked at the many shamans kneeling on the ground and asked, "What progress has your work made regarding the selection of the Crusaders?"

Minnie, the chief shaman, raised her head and looked at the black dragon before her, and slowly said, "Since your holy decree was issued to all the people of Froststone City, a large number of warriors have come to the temple, hoping to become servants of the gods. Therefore, there is no problem with the number or ability of the candidates. However, the problem is that we do not know who meets your requirements and who should be eliminated."

“Strong and skilled warriors are not hard to find.” Todd lowered his dragon head and looked at the shamans at his feet: “But the Crusaders are different from previous armies. They will shed their human bodies, lose their human appearance, and will never be able to return to the ranks of ordinary people. During the transformation, many people may lose their lives because they cannot bear the pain of the transformation. Therefore, I hope that the primary condition for every Crusader is piety.”

“We will test these candidates’ loyalty to their beliefs repeatedly to ensure they will not hesitate in their dedication and sacrifice.” Todd’s voice, though authoritative, carried a hint of sadness: “Those who are attached to their families and worldly affairs are not suitable for this army… Your task is to tell these things to the soldiers and carefully select those who meet the requirements.”

The shamans bowed their heads and respectfully agreed.

Todd pondered for a moment, then continued, "As for the conversion ceremony of the Crusaders, it cannot proceed yet; the necessary preparations for the ceremony are not yet complete. I have already sent people to the south to retrieve them, and I believe they will be delivered to Froststone City soon. Once that is done, we can begin the subsequent work..."

After exchanging a few more words with the shamans, Todd saw Evie waiting at the temple's main entrance.

Seeing the shamans leave one by one, the latter came to Todd with a battle report and said, "The sisters who were in charge of reconnaissance are back."

Todd asked with concern, "How's the situation?"

"It's terrible... or rather, it's unimaginably tragic..."

“Cú Chulainn is carrying out an unprecedented massacre in the lands of Connaught and Ulster. Not only the soldiers involved in the war, but also the innocent old, weak, women and children have not escaped his clutches.”

As Ivy flipped through the report, she said in a deep voice, "The bodies of the dead were piled up like mountains, so many that they blocked the streets; blood flowed everywhere, and from the air, the whole city looked like a red millstone, a truly shocking sight."

"The entire Kingdom of Connaught, and its more than one hundred smaller kingdoms, have been reduced to slaughterhouses devoid of any humanity under Cú Chulainn's iron heel."

"According to the survivors, Cú Chulainn killed all the rebels and forced those who surrendered to join his army. They swept across the north like locusts. This group of depraved and murderous refugees began to eat their own kind after their food ran out. At first, they ate the living, but when there were few living people left, they would find corpses from graves or battlefields and cook and eat them."

Ivy shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake the unpleasant scene from her mind: "The survivors who escaped from the slaughter called this disaster, which involved most of the northern lands, the 'Six Circles Massacre'."

After hearing Evie's words, Todd fell into a long silence.

Finally, after a sigh, he said in a low voice, "This is what a tyrant looks like after he loses his humanity... He wants to gain power, but he is also afraid of the death that the mutation may bring. In his hesitation, he eventually becomes a monster that has completely lost his mind."

Evie said painfully, "Todd, the entire North has become a living hell. When Cú Chulainn leads those mobs and devours everything there, sooner or later he will set foot on the land of Froststone."

Todd nodded: "My original intention was to establish the Crusader before advancing north. But if things continue like this, as Cú Chulainn conquers more and more cities, his army will grow larger and larger. Soon, things will become uncontrollable."

Ivy thought for a moment and asked, "I once heard you say that Cú Chulainn is a disciple of Scáthach, the Queen of Shadows, and that the Demon Spear known as the Deathly Silence was a weapon bestowed upon him by the Queen. Perhaps we can go to the Land of Shadows and persuade Scáthach to take action, defeat Cú Chulainn, and retrieve that Demon Spear."

Todd quickly rejected the suggestion of having Scáthach deal with Cú Chulainn.

Scáthach herself once said that as a pioneer, she helped the creator, Crystal, manage the beings of this world. She could not directly interfere in the affairs of this world, but could only influence the course of events indirectly.

Thinking of this, Todd said to Evie, "Scáthach cannot leave the Shadow Kingdom, and she is even less likely to intervene in the war between kingdoms. Having Meredith bring me the second Death Silence is the greatest help she can give me."

Ivy said disappointedly, "You mean...?"

"In the end, we will probably have to rely on our own strength to deal with Cú Chulainn."

Ivy sighed: "So, the key issue now lies with the demonic spear in Cú Chulainn's hand—Death Silence. That weapon can automatically attack any living creature around it, and the wounds it inflicts cannot be healed by conventional means. Remember? The injuries you sustained in your previous battle with him took several months to recover..."

Todd slowly said, "The Demon Lance is not invincible. I must thank Meredith for giving me the second Death Silence. I may have found a solution."

Evie's expression brightened: "You mean, you've found a way to defeat the Demon Spear."

Todd waved his paws cautiously and said, "Strictly speaking, it's not about defeating the Demon Spear, but rather a way to delay its attack and create an opportunity. After repeated experiments and countless attempts, I can now use the combination of soul power and supernatural abilities to restrain the Demon Spear's attack."

Standing upright, Todd spread his dragon wings and declared loudly, "Before Cú Chulainn's army grows uncontrollably, I plan a surprise attack. The major battle groups of Froststone City will form the main attacking force, deploying their battle lines to launch a full-scale attack on the Kingdom of Ulster."

"But in fact, the warband's attack was merely bait, intended to lure out the monster hiding in the rear." Todd turned his gaze to Evie: "As for the Valkyries, and your griffin mounts, they have been patrolling the battlefield continuously since the start of the war. Contact me immediately if you spot Cú Chulainn's movements."

"As for me," Todd's dragon eyes slowly narrowed to a straight line, his words chillingly cold, "I have a score to settle with Cú Chulainn, and it's time to settle it properly..."