Spacious and ornate, the grand hall, adorned with many reliefs and patterns related to the Abyssal Hound on its roof and walls, hosted a silent figure on the podium known as "The Saint"—a grotesque creature.
Atop the podium stood the "Skeleton Crown," interwoven from dark bones. Among the intertwined nerves and blood vessels at the base of the crown were half-open, half-closed eyes, and in the center rested the terrifying brain, occasionally emitting low, indistinct sounds as it quivered slightly.
The lower-tier priests and ordinary disciples maintained their silence, standing cautiously and tensely in the corners of the hall. They kept their distance from the central podium, not daring to meet directly the eye stalks of The Saint, which were in a state of dormancy. A deep, oppressive atmosphere enveloped the space, as if the very air had solidified.
Everyone knew that The Saint was in a foul mood—and it was clearly related to the abrupt halt of recent operations.