The Green Clover restaurant stood out amidst the bustling streets of Houston, its grand architecture and elegant design drawing attention from every passerby. Though it had only recently opened, its reputation for exceptional cuisine and ambiance had already spread like wildfire. There is another reason why is gaining such popularity though, and that is because of the restaurant being awarded as the best Rookie restaurant of the year.
On this particular day, however, the top floor’s conference hall was reserved for an important reunion. Kenneth, Jake, Everlyn, Lily, Veronica, Vivian, Ling Fei, and Rebecca sat around a large circular table, the warm glow of the chandelier above illuminating their faces. The atmosphere was lively, though tinged with a hint of worry.
Vivian leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed. "I still can’t believe you left Hutton alone to be here while he went to confront those lunatics. How can you be so calm?"
Veronica smiled reassuringly. "If anyone can handle themselves, it’s Hutton. Trust me, they’ll be here soon. They’ve faced worse."
Ling Fei raised an eyebrow, skepticism evident on her face. "I hope you’re right. Because if anything happens to them, especially Bob, I’m holding you responsible."
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Rebecca remained quiet, sipping tea elegantly, her gaze fixed on the door as if willing them to appear.
Not long after, the elevator at the far side of the room chimed. The group turned toward the sound, anticipation and worry etched into their faces. The doors slid open to reveal Hutton, Bob, and Boma stepping into the hall. Their clothes were dusty, their faces weary, and exhaustion weighed heavily on them—but they were alive.
When Vivian saw Boma, she was striken with surprise as she muttered. "Mentor!? What are you doing here?". "Oh you’re are here Vivian, that’s unexpected" Boma replied with an exhausted tone.
"You’re late," Veronica quipped with a smirk, though the relief in her voice was evident.
"We had to make sure the threat is annihilated," Hutton replied, his voice calm but carrying an worn out tone in it. "You can say that again, I never believed such crea–"
"Cough!!" Right before Bob could finish what he was saying, Veronica suddenly made a rather loud cough which involuntarily caught Bob’s attention. Seeing that what she did caught his attention, Veronica slightly shook her head and instantly, Bob understood what she meant as he quickly changed the topic rather forcefully. "So this must be the restaurant Hutton acquired just recently, not bad"
Although the others put no mind to it, but Ling Fei who is his master had a keen perception as she stared at Bob with a narrowed gaze.
Boma, his expression as stoic as ever, glanced around the room. "I hope the food here is as good as the reputation. I could use a proper meal after that ordeal."
Vivian rushed forward, her concern breaking through her usual composed demeanor. "Are you all okay? What happened?"
Hutton waved her off gently. "We’re fine, just a little worse for wear. We’ll explain everything soon, but first, let’s take a moment to breathe. The job’s done, and we’re all here."
Ling Fei crossed her arms, visibly relieved but doing her best to hide it. "You look like you’ve been through a warzone."
"You have no idea," Hutton replied with a tired chuckle, moving toward the table.
As they all settled into their seats, the tension that had lingered over the group began to dissipate. The Green Clover restaurant staff arrived with trays of food and drinks, and for the first time in what felt like forever, they all allowed themselves to relax, if only for a while.
As the atmosphere in the conference hall began to grow quieter, Hutton subtly gave Veronica a meaningful look—a silent command. Veronica, always quick to pick up on his signals, nodded in understanding. "Ladies, Jake, why don’t we go check out the well being of the restaurant and also confirm that Hutton, Bob and My mentor weren’t followed" she said casually, though her tone left little room for argument.
Ling Fei narrowed her eyes, suspicion flashing across her face. "Can’t you just instruct some of the waiters to do that?"
"Oh that would do no justice, Ling Fei" Veronica replied smoothly. "The waiters don’t know how the people we just faced looks like so it has to be us to do the job. And right now, Hutton, Bob and my Mentor is too worn out to do this task so it has to be us"
Ling Fei looked unconvinced but ultimately sighed and stood. "Fine. But if anything happens, I’m holding you all accountable."
Vivian and Rebecca exchanged glances but didn’t protest, and together with Jake, they followed Veronica out of the room. The door clicked shut, leaving Hutton, Boma, Bob, and Kenneth alone in the now-serious atmosphere of the hall.
Hutton wasted no time, turning to Boma with a grim expression. "Alright, now that they’re gone, I need answers. Why was that primordial creature after you?"
Boma sighed, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a hint of weariness. Without a word, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small, radiant object. It was a fragment of crystal, glowing faintly with an ethereal light that seemed to shift and shimmer with the colors of the cosmos. The room seemed to darken slightly, as if the crystal’s presence demanded all the light around it.
The sight of it caused Bob and Kenneth to stiffen, their eyes wide with shock. Even Hutton, who rarely let anything faze him, couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
"What... is that?" Hutton asked, his voice low.
Before Boma could answer, Bob stepped forward, his tone tinged with disbelief. "That’s a fragment of a God Crystal."
Hutton’s eyes snapped to Bob. "A what?"
"A God Crystal," Bob repeated, his voice reverent. "Legendary artifacts said to contain remnants of divine energy. They’re nearly impossible to find and even harder to hold on to. The amount of power they hold..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Even primordial beasts wouldn’t think twice about chasing someone for it."
Hutton turned his gaze back to the fragment in Boma’s hand, his expression hardening. "You’re saying that thing was chasing you because of this?"
Boma nodded slowly. "It’s more than that. This fragment is incredibly rare and dangerous in the wrong hands. I was tasked with keeping it safe, but it seems my presence hasn’t gone unnoticed. That snake wasn’t the only one after it. There are others—worse than a primordial beast—who would do anything to claim this."
Kenneth, who had been silent until now, took a cautious step forward, his curiosity evident. "What do you mean by ’others’? Who else knows about this?"
Boma’s expression darkened, and he gripped the fragment tighter. "Let’s just say... there are powers in this world that are far beyond what any of us are prepared to face. And they’re watching. Always watching."
The weight of his words hung heavily in the room as Hutton, Bob, and Kenneth exchanged uneasy glances.
Boma’s eyes flickered with an intense resolve as he held the glowing fragment in his hand while he continued. "This isn’t just any ordinary crystal though. I’m on a mission to collect all the fragments before they end up in the wrong hands."
Hutton’s brows furrowed, his usually calm demeanor giving way to clear unease. "There are others?" he asked, his voice sharp.
Boma nodded grimly. "Yes, there are ten fragments in total, scattered across the world. Each one holds a fraction of immense divine power—power that could reshape this world or destroy it entirely. They’re meant to be safeguarded by chosen guardians who’ve dedicated their lives to ensuring these fragments stay out of reach."
Hutton’s mind raced as he processed this new information. "And now... you’re telling me these guardians are being killed off?"
Boma’s expression darkened, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Exactly. Over the past few years, I’ve been hearing more and more reports of guardians falling one by one, their fragments vanishing. Whoever is behind this isn’t just after one or two—they want all of them. If they succeed…" He paused, his gaze flickering to the fragment in his hand. "It could spell the end of the world itself."
Bob, standing quietly to the side, clenched his fists. "Why haven’t I heard of this before? Something this dangerous, this critical… shouldn’t we have known about it?"
"Because it’s not something most are supposed to know about," Boma replied. "The existence of these fragments is a closely guarded secret. Only the guardians, a select few cultivators, and some ancient families have even heard whispers of their power. Even fewer have ever seen one in person."
Hutton’s eyes narrowed. "And now you’re collecting all of them? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? If someone manages to take them from you—"
Boma cut him off. "I know the risk, Hutton. But I don’t have a choice. With the guardians being killed off, there’s no one left to keep these fragments safe. If they all fall into the wrong hands, we’ll be facing a calamity worse than anything this world has ever seen. Someone has to stop it."
Kenneth, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly. "What exactly happens if someone gets all ten fragments? What kind of power are we talking about here?"
Boma’s gaze shifted to Kenneth, and his tone grew colder, heavier. "If all ten fragments are united, they form the God Crystal—a relic that can rewrite reality itself. The wielder of the God Crystal wouldn’t just be powerful. They’d be unstoppable. No one, not even primordial beasts, could challenge them. They could bring about an apocalypse with a single thought."
A tense silence filled the room as the weight of Boma’s words sank in.
Hutton took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Then we can’t let that happen. If you’re collecting these fragments, you’re going to need help. A lot of it."
Boma looked at Hutton, his expression softening slightly. "I appreciate the offer, but this is my burden to bear."
"Not anymore," Hutton said firmly. "If this thing can really end the world, then it’s everyone’s problem. We’ll help you, whether you like it or not."
Boma hesitated, but the determination in Hutton’s eyes left little room for argument. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. But if you’re coming with me, you’d better be prepared. The people after these fragments… they’re not ordinary enemies. They’re powerful, ruthless, and they won’t hesitate to kill anyone in their way."