Chapter 144: The Reign of the Serpent

One of Hale's companions, a mid-level judge named Alan Mackey offered a weak smile.

"Councilor, from the looks of it, the giant serpent is actually helping us keep the fortress from falling."

He winced, recalling how he had nearly died to the Silver Dome Lord's aerial assault not long before. "We owe it our gratitude, it seems."

Hale set his jaw tight. The perspective he'd clung to for years—seeing the Totem Serpent as a ticking time bomb—now felt somewhat hollow.

He had always believed that the serpent's presence endangered the city. Seeing it in action changed something fundamental in his mind. Could the Totem Serpent truly be a guardian, not an overlord?

"It's not a demon, after all…" Hale murmured under his breath. "We owe it an apology for all our misguided pursuits." Without further words, he bowed his head slightly, acknowledging the serpent's intervention and his own mistakes.