Jian snapped out of his daze and stared at the rings. There was no way in hell he would forget those rings! The same rings he and Kelvin lost when they came out of the tower of opportunity.
He wanted to argue with the dwarf, but suddenly blood oozed out from the dwarf's mouth. The dwarf raised his hand and wiped his lips.
"Ah, I am too old to exert so much strength. I don't think I can help you kiddos for much longer. I will hold off these two people until I can. You better get ready because I know the planet's location has been revealed, and more enemies will be arriving soon."
The dwarf landed beside Jian, removing his storage rings and the big bag from his back. He placed them beside the stunned red-haired man.
"Alright... alright, I admit I stole them. Now, don't give me that glare, okay? But, in return, I gave you a divine artifact, didn't I? And now, I'm giving this all back as well!"
The dwarf scoffed and rolled his eyes at Jian. It seemed that even after experiencing so much, Jian still had no idea that he had a divine artifact with him. How can someone be so clueless? Then, he turned his gaze to Alec, who had an angry look on his face as he stared at Diora and Hay.
"Hey, I can sense that you also have a divine artifact. So, don't just jump into danger without thinking about the consequences. You all have a lot to achieve, so don't risk your lives as if they mean nothing."
He started floating and waved at the kids with a sigh.
"Stop staring and leave. Take the others with you too. I knew this day would come someday, but I never thought it would come so abruptly. If only I had enough mental power, I could have realized that something was wrong with the planet's core."
Alec stood up and glanced at the dwarf's back before he and Jian helped everyone around them.
The dwarf watched their fading backs, his heart aching as he saw how Jian dragged the bag filled with his lifelong earnings.
'That brat! Doesn't he know that it took me a hundred years to gather this much money and wealth?'
He wanted to go and knock some sense into Jian's head, but he had other business to take care of. The dwarf glanced back at Diora and Hay, cracking his knuckles, but then groaned in pain. He shrugged it off and rolled up his sleeves.
"Well, the kids didn't ask, but let me tell you about myself. I'm Zron, the last divine guardian of this planet. I stayed behind to steal... Ahem I mean protect this place until the others return."
He let out a chuckle and launched an attack on the duo with all his might. Diora and Hay were pushed back, but the dwarf's movements became sluggish with each passing minute.
Diora's ears twitched atop her head and she let out a mocking laugh.
"You think you can stop us? Well, maybe for now. Let's see what you will do when the third shadow general's army comes and destroys this lovely planet."
She raised her chin high, and the whip in her hand trembled, emitting black smoke.
Zron clicked his tongue and fought with them for a day. But then Diora retreated in frustration because, although the dwarf couldn't kill them, he was strong enough to stop them. She clicked her tongue and raised her head, gazing at the sky.
"Just a few more days... I'll be back, old man. You'll see me again soon."
She grabbed Hay's arm and lifted him before quickly disappearing in the opposite direction.
Zron gazed at their fading back, wanting to follow, but his body didn't obey his instructions. He let out a soft sigh and looked up at the sky as he slowly landed amidst the broken buildings. His knees gave out, and blood trickled down his jaw.
"Huh... I overdid it again. I don't think I can fight anymore."
He closed his eyes, and when he sensed the duo had gone far away, his body started to crumble into countless golden particles. He had used up all his strength to fight them head-
on. After spending so many years, he had grown old, and his strength had stagnated.
"At least the planet has a few more days. I wonder where that kid is... did he die? At first, I wanted to give him the divine artifact, but I stopped because... I sensed something sinister hidden inside his heart."
His voice faded as the golden particles drifted away with the wind. Yet, a sly smile appeared at the corner of his lips after all that drama. His soul won't scatter because he has already reached the Transcendent rank. It will take some time, but he knows he will be able to reconstruct his body again.
'I haven't finished my lifelong quote yet. No way, I am gonna die so easily. Hoho...'
.....
Alec, Jian, Carcel, and the others returned to their continent, but they couldn't rest for even an hour before being called back to their own kingdoms. The kings realized the impending threat was powerful enough to destroy them, so no one wanted to take any chances.
Yue wanted to check on Kyle one last time, but her father arrived with Aira and forced her to go back. Not just her, but Regius, Sinon, Faith, and everyone from the elven kingdom. Aira drew a teleportation array in front of the Kingdom Escalante Royal Castle and instantly asked the kids to step inside.
Yue gazed back toward the castle before stepping into the teleportation array. After Kyle didn't wake up, Bia lost control and went into a frenzy. She destroyed the nearby trees and ground in her anger. In the end, King Cedric ordered Elder Han to bring Kyle to the castle where the best healers could treat him or maybe help him wake up. But even after so much time, they weren't able to find out what happened to him.
Kyle's body turned extremely cold, enough to freeze anyone who dared to touch him, and his hair lost its brilliant color. Yue raised her head to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She knew that even though his heart had stopped beating, as long as he continued to breathe, there was hope that he would wake up.
After them, Jian and Kelvin also departed with the people from their Kingdom. Alec looked at Carcel, Mia, and Lara. The four of them were assigned by the King to assist the array masters in constructing the shield around the Kingdom. They all worked tirelessly, with no time for rest.
However, when the enemies arrived, the destruction that followed was beyond anyone's wildest dreams. The borders and shield, constructed with all the resources the East Continent could gather, crumbled in just a week. And it wasn't just the East Continent; the Central Continent was also left half-destroyed.
An army of countless individuals, belonging to different races, descended upon the planet through the cracks. The cracks that shattered into countless bright particles, leaving the planet vulnerable to the prying eyes of those who sought to conquer it.
The individuals in the third general's army had different appearances. Some were elves, some were demi-humans, some from the dark race, and some had horned and lizard-like features. There were even those who called themselves demons. However, they all shared a common symbol, a one-
petal flower engraved in the middle of their foreheads, representing their allegiance to darkness.
Leading the army were none other than Diora and Hay. A sinister, dark aura wrapped around the entire planet, embracing it tightly. Diora took a deep breath, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
"Ah... now I like the air. It reminds me of our home planet."
She looked back at Hay and the few people floating behind her, wearing a sweet smile.
"How about we go find that old dwarf? I promised him I would visit him again. I really want to give him a scare and see if his old bones can handle it!"
But after two days, she let out a scream of frustration because the old dwarf had vanished into thin air. Not only that, she wasn't able to destroy the towers that stood in the middle of each continent.
