The air crackled as a massive wave of fire crashed into a wounded figure kneeling in the distance. Guil coughed up blood, but quickly spread his wings, causing the flames to scatter in every direction.
Alec and Carcel cursed simultaneously, wiping the sweat from their foreheads. The duo hovered in mid-air, their eyes locked on the man who was laughing maliciously before them.
Alec ran his fingers through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Jian, why are you relying solely on fire skills? We're strong, but the intense heat is becoming overwhelming!"
Jian tilted his head, his shoulder-length hair swaying gently behind his back as he let out an evil chuckle. Just like Alec and Carcel, his clothes were drenched with sweat.
"To be honest, I'm not sure why, but after entering the realm, I only found fire-type skills. Just endure it."
Alec clicked his tongue and raised his hand.
"Now, it's my turn."
Jian and Carcel immediately pulled back, having had their fill. But what happened next sent chills down their spines.
Alec's eyes dilated as he whipped his head around.
"Where is Guil!?"
The trio hurriedly went to the place where the man had been kneeling just moments ago, but he was nowhere to be found. Alec sucked in a deep breath. They had been beating up Guil with so much confidence because the realm guardian had injured him badly!
Also, the Guardian placed a restraint on his body, but no matter what, the man was still a pseudo-divine rank individual!
Jian let out a distressed cry.
"Oh my gosh! What's gonna happen now? The guardian's gonna punish us!"
They gazed at each other and immediately started searching the land. After just a few seconds, the hair on Alec's back stood up, and he jumped forward. Before the others could react, a beam tore through the place he had been floating just moments ago. The ground blasted out, and a huge cloud rose in the sky.
Jian instinctively grabbed Carcel's arm. He wanted to shout, but the golden-haired man closed his mouth and pushed him away.
"Get away."
Immediately, an evil, almost broken voice echoed through the air.
"I w..ill k...ill you all!!"
Guil's whole body was riddled with wounds, but he was still stronger than these ants! He would have already killed them if not for the restraint placed on his body. Regardless, it's okay now because he has finally broken free!
He raised his hand with a twisted smile on his bloodied face, and another beam shot out, heading directly toward Jian.
Jian freaked out and jumped in another direction in mid-air. Alec and Carcel both followed suit.
Guil crackled an evil laugh, but he choked on his saliva due to his sore throat.
"Kek..ke, jum..p... jump.. how long will you jump?"
Countless glowing lights appeared behind him as he used the divine energy present within his body without caring about the potential harm it could cause.
Alec's expression hardened. He unsheathed the glowing sword from his waist and pointed it at Guil.
"You think we're scared..."
But he couldn't finish his sentence because Jian and Carcel started flying away in different directions.
Alec blinked in disbelief. He turned his head towards Guil and understood why the duo ran away.
The glowing lights behind Guil transformed into dangerously powerful beams. Instantly, the beams zoomed in toward Alec.
In a split second, Alec made a decision and rushed behind Jian.
"Wait for me, you jerks-!"
Behind him, the beams crashed into the ground, shattering everything into pieces. Dust clouds filled the air, making their vision blurry.
Jian coughed and waved his hand with an ugly expression.
"What the hell does this guy still have so much strength for!?"
He growled, but the trio didn't stop. It was only when they were far away from the chaos that they gathered and narrowed their eyes at the billowing dust clouds.
Jian placed his hand on Alec's shoulder, his expression grave.
"Hey, Alec, why don't you go and check if he's done for after using such a powerful attack?"
Alec raised an eyebrow and swatted Jian's hand away.
"Why don't you go first? Don't worry, I'll be right behind you."
Carcel shook his head with a faint smile. Suddenly, a massive tremor shook the air around them.
Jian's eyes widened in an instant.
"Don't tell me he still has strength for another attack!?"
Alec's forehead became sweaty as he looked at them.
"Hey, but the voice is coming from behind. Not from Guil's direction."
The trio immediately whipped their heads back, and their souls nearly flew out of their bodies at the sight before them.
In the distance, a familiar figure with silver hair was sprinting towards them. But it wasn't the running figure that scared them, it was the horde of growling monsters chasing after him!
The ground beneath them shook violently as the monsters drew closer and closer. They wanted to fly away, but the countless flying monsters in the sky made it impossible to even consider.
Jian's face turned pale as he let out a barely audible laugh.
"I think I'm imagining things."
"No, you're not!"
Alec screamed from behind and pulled him towards the ground. Flying was not an option, or they would meet their demise. Just like the silver-haired man, they started running across the barren land.
Kyle's eyes gleamed with a glint as he spotted the trio. In a flash, he disappeared from his spot and reappeared beside Jian, scaring the living daylights out of him.
Jian shot him a glare.
"How the heck did you get involved with so many monsters!? Did you steal their kids or something?"
Kyle gave him a sly smile and raised his hand, revealing a beautiful silver sword shining under the sunlight, covered in a white cloth.
"It's been a while since I wanted a sword, but I had to venture into a volcano to find this one. Haylee warned me that the place was filled with monsters, but I didn't think it would be a big deal. Turns out, I was wrong..."
Jian rolled his eyes.
"Just wrong!?"
Alec and Carcel overheard their conversation and exchanged bitter smiles. All this trouble for a sword?
Suddenly, Jian realized that the little birdie, Bia, was missing.
"Where's Bia?"
Kyle let out an 'Oh' and looked back.
"Maybe hiding somewhere far away?"
Jian blinked, then he let out a pleased chuckle.
"Stay strong, bro..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Kyle flashed him another smile and vanished.
"You bastard! Wait! My mana is low, I can't fight so many monsters!"
Alec, Jian, and Carcel sprinted through the area, muttering curses under their breath.
In the distance, Kyle's figure materialized out of thin air, and his eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a familiar injured winged man. The man was kneeling on the ground, with messy hair and bloodied clothes.
Guil raised his head, and his eyes met Kyle's mid-air. Sparks flew in the air, and the winged man bared his teeth at the human. He raised his trembling hand to send another beam at Kyle, but the silver-haired man vanished into thin air.
Guil let out a startled cry but before he could process anything, Kyle appeared behind him.
Kyle raised his finger and quickly drew a symbol in the air before smacking it against Guil's neck. Immediately, Guil's eyes fluttered shut, and his body dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
"Sleep for a while."
Kyle mused and narrowed his eyes at the countless monsters edging closer to him. His eyes glowed with a faint blue light as he whispered under his breath.
"Ice Domain."
