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The guardian eyes—four of them, burning like molten embers—locked onto the intruders.
Most terrifying of all was the aura it radiated. A corrupting force, twisting and warping the very air around it. The Dark Alliance leader’s eyes narrowed. "So this is the final challenge."
The Ruin Guardian lunged forward, moving faster than something its size should be capable of.
BOOM!
Its claws slammed down, cracking the stone beneath it as the Dark Alliance barely dodged in time.
"SPREAD OUT!" the leader barked, already forming hand seals. The Level-C cultivators leaped away, drawing their weapons as they circled the beast.
One of them—778—rushed in first. "I’ll slow it down!" His hands ignited with dark energy, and he thrust them forward.
"Shadow Chains!"
Dark chains shot from his hands, wrapping around the Guardian’s front leg—! For a moment, it looked like it worked.
Then— CRACK!
The Guardian ripped through the chains as if they were paper, the backlash sending 778 flying into a pillar.
BOOOOOM!
The leader clicked his tongue. "It’s resistant to spirit-based attacks. Use direct force!"
Another Level-C dark alliance fighter charged forward, swinging a massive war axe at the Guardian’s leg.
CLANG!
The blade struck, sparks flying—! But instead of cutting through, the axe shattered on impact.
"WHAT?!" The fighter’s eyes widened in horror.
The Guardian swung its hands.
WHOOOOSH!
It slammed into the fighter, sending him flying on the ground.
CRASH!
He hit the ground, slumping forward. Unconscious. The leader growled. "This thing is stronger than the Skeleton Dragon…"
He gritted his teeth, then shouted: "We need to cut off its energy source!"
The leader turned his attention to the stone statues. I think it is the source of the Guardian’s power, he barked. If we could damage it, the beast might weaken or even stop functioning.
He pointed to two of his men. "You! Attack the statues!"
The two Level-C cultivators nodded and dashed toward the pulsating statues.
Just as they raised their weapons—
ROOOOAAARRRR!
The Guardian reacted instantly. A massive shadow tendril shot from its body, slamming into the first cultivator.
BOOM!
The second barely dodged, rolling to the side.
"DAMN IT!" he cursed, trying to regroup.
The leader’s expression darkened. "We can’t get close to the Core until this thing is dead."
He took a deep breath. Then, his aura exploded. Dark spiritual energy engulfed his body, his cultivation surging as he activated his full power.
"ALL UNITS, ATTACK!"
His entire force charged forward, surrounding the Guardian. Dark spiritual energy rained down upon it.
The Guardian howled in fury, its form shifting and distorting—! It began to lash out wildly, claws and tendrils tearing through the battlefield.
The Dark Alliance fought with everything they had. But for every attack, they landed… The Guardian barely flinched.
Outside the chamber, Jade Monroe watched the battle unfold.
His fingers tapped against the hilt of his sword, his mind calculating. "They’re struggling."
Tyler Stone, standing next to him, smirked. "You called it perfectly, sir."
Jade’s lips curled into a smile. "They’re too busy fighting the Guardian. Now’s our chance."
He turned to his Watchers. "Everyone, get ready. We enter the moment they show weakness."
His golden eyes burned with anticipation. "This ruin is ours. We will get to the core."
After collecting loots and repairing them. Kent comes to the core chamber. Kent peeked from behind a crumbling wall, watching as the dark alliance fighters engaged the Shadow Beast. Nexus and Watchers waiting to attack them.
"Alright, boys, you keep each other busy while I go treasure hunting," he whispered.
Ding!
System Notification:
Ruin Core Located.
100 meters north, beneath the ancient altar.
"Sweet! System, you really know how to make my life easy!" Kent activated Flashing Step, dashing toward the altar.
He arrived at the site within seconds, finding a large stone platform covered in ancient carvings. Is it this huge ball? How am I supposed to get it?
Ding!
System notifications: This isn’t the Ruin core. It’s a void fragment. A vast space of nothing.
"What… then where’s the core?"
He scanned the altar, looking for anything unusual. His eyes locked onto a small crack in the stone, a faint golden glow seeping out. It’s a hidden chamber.
Bingo!!!
Kent grinned, so the core was under the altar, inside this hidden chamber, rubbing his hands together. "Time to get rich!"
Just as he enters the hidden chamber beneath the altar—!
RUMBLE!
The altar shook violently, cracks spreading across its surface.
On the battlefield…. A few seconds earlier.
Jade Monroe’s golden eyes gleamed as he signaled to his Watchers. The Dark Alliance was fully occupied with the Ruin Guardian, their attacks barely making a dent against its monstrous form.
This was the moment. With a single motion of his hand, the Watchers moved.
WHOOSH!
Dozens of figures emerged from hiding, their weapons coated in spiritual energy as they descended upon the battlefield.
The Dark Alliance barely had time to react.
"WATCHERS?! HERE?!" a Level-C Dark Alliance member shouted, his face twisted in shock.
SHING!
A Watcher’s blade tore through his back before he could even raise his weapon. Blood sprayed into the air as he collapsed.
Tyler Stone charged in first, his greatsword gleaming with raw power. "NO MERCY!" he roared, swinging his weapon at the nearest enemy.
SWING!
His blade crashed down, slicing through a Level-C enemy’s spiritual shield like paper and sending the man slamming into a stone pillar.
"GAAAAHHH!"
The rest of the Watchers followed, engaging the Dark Alliance forces in brutal combat.
While his men fought, Jade Monroe had one target in mind. His eyes locked onto the Dark Alliance Leader, the Level-B cultivator still battling the Ruin Guardian.
The leader’s back was turned.
Jade smirked. You back open, it’s like you’re begging me to end your suffering. Don’t worry, I am a generous person. I will help you.
WHOOSH!
He vanished, reappearing directly behind the Dark Alliance Leader— "Surprise."
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SLASH!
Jade’s sword, coated in golden flames, sliced toward his enemy’s neck.
But—!!
The leader spun around, barely blocking in time with his dagger.
CLANG!
Sparks exploded as their weapons clashed, shaking the ground beneath them. Kent felt that shaking under the altar.
The leader’s red eyes burned with fury.
"Monroe… YOU!"
Jade grinned. "Missed me?"
While Jade engaged the leader, Tyler led the charge against the remaining Dark Alliance forces.
Two Level-C Dark Alliance members lunged at him, their weapons glowing with dark energy.
"DIE, WATCHER!" one screamed, slashing at his side.
Tyler sidestepped, his greatsword already moving—
SHIIING!
He decapitated the first enemy in a single swing.
The second hesitated—
Too slow.
Tyler grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
CRACK!
He snapped his neck and tossed the corpse aside.
"KEEP PRESSING!" Tyler roared, his men surging forward with renewed fury.
The Dark Alliance, already weakened by the Ruin Guardian’s attacks, began to fall apart.
ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!!!
The Ruin Guardian, still fighting, sensed the battle shifting. Its form twisted, growing larger, the shadows around it surging like a raging storm.
Its power spiked.
With a mighty leap, it crashed into the battlefield, sending both Watchers and Dark Alliance members flying.
BOOOOOOOM!
Jade and the Dark Alliance Leader barely dodged as the beast’s massive claws slammed into the ground between them.
The leader growled, eyes narrowing. "This thing is getting stronger." Let’s not fight. First, we kill this guardian then we fight. What do say, Monroe?
No. Jade adjusted his grip on his sword. " Whoever is stronger wins. I don’t want to be an ally of you sick Bastard."
The Guardian lunged at them, its four glowing eyes burning with ancient fury.
Jade charged forward, sword flaring with a golden dragon formed by spiritual energy.
The Dark Alliance Leader did the same, his black energy swirling around his dagger.
At the last second— They both vanished.
WHOOSH!
Reappearing above the Guardian’s head, their weapons aimed at its core.
"DIE!" they roared in unison.
SLASH!
Their combined strike pierced through the beast’s skull, cutting straight into its core.
The Guardian let out a final, ear-piercing shriek— Then… It collapsed.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire chamber shook, the beast’s body dissolving into dust. Kent also felt that shaking.
The battlefield fell silent. The Dark Alliance members that remained looked around in horror. The Guardian was gone.
Their leader was injured. The Watchers were still standing. And Jade Monroe was grinning.
"Well, that was fun."
The Dark Alliance Leader staggered backward, clutching his wounded shoulder. His eyes darted to the Ruin altar—then back at the Watchers.
Jade saw it. "Trying to run?" Not Happening!
The leader gritted his teeth. Then— WHOOSH!
Jade launches an attack on the Dark Alliance group leader. The Ruin chamber trembled, dust falling from the cracked ceiling as the Shadow Beast’s remains faded into nothingness.
The Dark Alliance Leader—the last threat standing—staggered, blood trickling down his arm from the wound Jade had inflicted. His once-powerful aura was now unstable, flickering like a dying flame.