—
The Warden roared first then moved in a way something that big shouldn’t. Its claw shot forward, ripping through the air toward Kent—fast, like a whip.
Kent barely dodged. He felt the heat of the attack pass inches from his face, and the train cargo cart behind him split in half.
Nima shouted, "IT JUST CUT A TRAIN CART IN HALF?!" Thank God nobody was on that cart. If he attacked a passenger cart…then every passenger on that cart might get killed by him.
Louis vanished in a flash of light, reappearing above the Warden’s arm. She slashed downward, her daggers glowing with spiritual energy.
"The Warden shifted."
Instead of dodging, it simply let the attack pass through. Its body turned momentarily to mist.
Her attack landed on the train’s roof. A loud Clunk sound echoed on the impact.
At that moment the warden body solidified again right before slamming a second claw toward Louis.
WHOSH!
Louis barely phased back in time. "Okay. That’s cheating."
Kent grinned. "Then we just cheat harder."
His body surged with spiritual energy. He pushed off the train and charged. The general stepped in his way.
Meanwhile, Nima was standing out of the attack range. Raka and Lumo were standing in front of her. They were shielding Nima. She summons them in case Kent needs some help.
She says to herself, "I want to contribute to the fight. But my cultivation level isn’t high enough to directly fight with the enemy. I need to look for an opening…an opportunity to send Raka and Lumo to help Kent."
Kent wasn’t surprised by the general. He swung a heavy firey punch, and the general blocked with his sword, sparks flying.
Then the general did something Kent didn’t expect—"He smiled."
Kent barely had time to react before the general twisted, grabbing Kent’s wrist mid-attack.
And then—He threw Kent.
Right into the Warden’s grasp.
Kent tries to hit the Warden’s claw with full force—but he passes right through it.
What—?
One moment, he was in the battle. The next—Darkness.
He was falling.
No ground, no sky—just an endless void, swirling with memories that weren’t his. Faint whispers surrounded him.
"…the last one failed…"
"…no escape…only return…"
"…consume…consume…consume…"
Kent’s heart pounded. He reached for his spiritual energy—but it felt distant. He couldn’t feel his spiritual energy.
Then, ahead of him, a mask appeared. Larger than his body. Massive. Floating in the void, its cracks glowing with blue fire.
Kent gritted his teeth. Not good.
A voice-ancient, cold, layered in echoes-spoke directly into his mind. "You are unbound by fate. You have hell fire."
Kent narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? And?"
"That makes you… a perfect offering." I will swallow you. Your hell fire will make me stronger.
The mask split open. Kent dove forward. No way in hell was he getting eaten.
Outside, Louis, Nima, and Eira watched in horror as Kent was swallowed by the Warden’s form.
Nima grabbed Eira. "Do something!" Tell me how I can save my big brother? Hurry up!!
Eira’s fingers trembled. "It’s… it’s consuming him into the Forgotten Realm."
Nima gets panicked and tries to attack the warden but she is stopped by the general. Nima first sends Raka to attack the general. Then she ordered Lumo to change into his battle form.
Lumo turns into a eight feet giant bear. He joined Raka in the fight with the general. Both of them are not strong enough to defeat the general. But they were keeping him busy.
Louis cracked her knuckles. "No.. not happening. As long as I am alive. I will never let any harm come close to Kent."
She vanished in a blur, reappearing above the Warden’s body. This time, she didn’t aim for its flesh. She attacked the chains binding it to the ghost train.
The moment her daggers severed the first chain, the Warden screamed. Its body flickered, like a glitching image.
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Inside the void, Kent felt it. A sudden lurch. His spiritual energy rushed back. The mask in front of him wavered.
Kent grinned. "Bad move." He clenched his fist—and punched straight through the mask with his hellfire.
From the outside, it looked like an explosion of light. The mask inside the void shattered as Kent burst free from its body, landing back on the train.
Nima was crying and punching the warden with all her might. Give me my big brother. Give him back to me.
Kent comes out at exactly that moment. He says "Nima I am alright. Don’t cry. Move back I will beat the shit out of this warden."
Nima, wiping her tears, says "Kent , are you hurt? I… I was so scared. I thought I lost you."
I am okay. You move back a little bit. I will deal with this warden. First he pulls out one energy recovery pill he got from the system lottery spin and swallows it. His energy fully recovered. Then he eats one physique enhancement fruit. + 50% Physical power boost. His body started to glow. Then he focuses all his spiritual energy on his hands.
Kent summons the biggest size hellfire he ever created. A massive black flame shape of a ball floating above his head. It looks exactly like a spirit bomb, the only difference is it’s black.
He murdered, "This should be enough to burn this Bastard ass. I will turn this warden into ashes."
He throws the hellfire at the warden. Louis jumps back seeing Kent attack. Her instinct told her if she doesn’t move back she will be burned to death in an instant.
The massive black hellfire ball covers the warden body. He was getting sucked inside the hellfire. The warden roared in pain. It’s body turning into nothingness.
ARHGGHHHHHH!
YOU WANTED TO EAT ME FOR MY HELLFIRE. I AM GIVING YOU MY HELLFIRE. NOW EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.
Within a few seconds the warden was fully burned. Its body disappeared. It left a small BLUE flame behind. The ghost train—without the Warden—began losing form.
[Ding! 2000 SP copied from warden. (Death)]
[Ding! A new type of fire is detected.]
The general stopped fighting and it started. Raka and Lumo fall back. Nima called them back by her side.
Kent exhaled. "That was way too close."
The general slowly lowered his sword. The blue flames around his armor dimmed.
And then, without a word, he turned—and walked back into the ghost train.
The train vanished. Just like that, the battle was over.
Louis dusted herself off. "Well. That was dramatic."
Nima sat down hard. "Can we have a NORMAL train ride now?!"
Kent just laughed. "No promises."
The last traces of the ghost train faded into nothing, leaving behind an eerie stillness. The train station, once filled with phantoms and echoes of the past, now looked abandoned—silent, save for the crackling of a broken light flickering above them.
Kent exhaled, shaking off the last bit of void energy clinging to his skin. "Well. That was a thing."
Louis stretched her arms. "You almost got erased from existence, and that’s all you have to say?"
Nima threw up her hands. "I swear, every time I think things can’t get weirder, they do."
Kent gave a half-smile. "You’ll get used to it."
Auri was still in the air, and landed on Kent’s shoulder. "No, she won’t. None of us will." His feathers ruffled. "That thing was a Warden—not just a ghost, but a remnant of a collapsed world."
Kent rubbed his chin. "And yet… it didn’t kill me. Instead it got killed by me."
The memory of the general’s smile still lingered in Kent’s mind. He murdered himself, why do I feel like I will meet him again."
Nima crossed her arms. "Kent, you owe me an apology. I was very scared. I thought you would also leave like our parents."
Kent says with a serious face, "Nima, I will never leave you alone in this world. Even if I die I will stay with you. I am sorry for scaring you."
They both hug each other. They hold that position for a few seconds. Auri also joins them. Louis in the background says, how cute. Kent- Can I join?
Nima quickly replied in anger, you… you are not welcome in our family. Kent, tell her she is not welcome.
"Cough! Cough! I need to check something. You girls talk to each other."
Eira, however, was still staring at the spot where the train disappeared, her violet eyes deep in thought.
She blinked, snapping out of it. "It left too easily."
Louis raised an eyebrow. "I thought we forced it out?"
Eira shook her head. "No… that Warden wasn’t at full strength. Something was restraining it. I am glad you guys managed to beat him. But that general… he didn’t fight seriously."
That stopped everyone cold.
Nima scowled. "You’re saying we weren’t even dealing with their full power?"
Eira say’s I am sorry. "I can’t answer any more questions. My time is over. I hope we will meet again." "After saying that she disappears into the air."
Meanwhile, Kent was busy with his newly found fire. He was observing the fire.
[Ding! A new type of fire is detected.]