Not far ahead, the group of Azurefell Family disciples burst into a large circular chamber.
The chamber opened into a vast circular hall, its ceiling reaching high above their heads. A pale beam of moonlight filtered down from its peak, casting a soft, cold glow across the center of the room. The rest of the space lingered in swaying shadows, where twelve tall pillars rose in a perfect ring, their surfaces worn down by age. The air was unnaturally still, and despite the skylight, there was no wind.
At the center lay a wide circular platform, slightly raised, its surface engraved with ancient patterns that had long since faded into the stone. The lines formed rings within rings, like a compound formation that had been used countless times, worn down not by erosion, but by repeated use, which was particularly unnatural to those who knew its history. If one looked closer, they would find this platform closely resembled the space in the small training temple that Lilly had initially been taken to.
Looking just beyond it—
Was a massive stone door!
It stood embedded in the furthest wall, towering over the entire chamber like an immovable boundary between two worlds! Carved from a single slab of dark stone, its surface was layered with intricate runes that spiraled inwards, drawing the eye toward a central point that seemed deeper than the material itself should have allowed.
The closer one looked, the more unsettling it became, like 'space' itself was twisting before the door.
This was neither time nor space, but something more chaotic and deformed, like an unknown power was twisting these two elements to create something even greater.
There was no handle, only a massive, continuous seam that seemed to disappear into the ceiling.
"The Guardian—!"
"Open it! Quickly!"
"Hurry-hurry, I can feel it approaching!"
Many of these disciples had never been here before, no, not to mention the disciples, even the elders had only ever seen this place once…
Suddenly standing here, they didn't know what to do.
Without thinking, they all rushed forward.
Their hands slammed against the door as panic overtook whatever composure they had left, their voices breaking as they cried out in desperation.
"Please…!"
"Save us—!"
"OH! Great Guardian—! Our family is facing a calamity!"
Their voices echoed in the silence, but they received no answer…
Time passed like this, until—
Step!
A single step echoed in their ears.
It was such a simple sound, but it exploded like a bomb!
Everybody froze, and slowly—
Step!
Step!
Step!
They turned, only to see Petra standing at the entrance, her naive little face showing a confused little smile. She looked so nonchalant that one would almost forget that she shouldn't be here!
While they were all processing this small child's sudden appearance…
Petras' eyes fell on Lilly.
Boom!
A flash of uncontrollable bloodlust leaked out for the briefest of moments, manifesting and crushing the surrounding environment in a single second of uncontrolled rage! The surrounding stone cracked as the walls fractured, a layer of the chamber literally peeling away under the sudden pulse.
Her gaze sharpened, and something deep, something violent, hungry, and unimaginably vengeful flickered beneath her calm, cute, and carefree appearance.
In that fraction of a second, only Luna was capable of seeing the shadows of 'half a dozen' people flicker past Petra's silhouette, then disappear as if nothing had happened. In that instant, Luna saw both young and old faces, all Petra, but like 'lingering obsessions', they clung to Petra's body and intertwined to create a perfect being, one indistinguishable from a normal person.
Petra stepped forward, terrifying this group of people.
Although they did not see it, they instinctively felt as if the most vengeful revenant had appeared.
If the shadows represented darkness, then she was the darkness within the shadows, and any urge to fight was immediately extinguished in that single instant of failed cognition!
No one spoke…
No one moved…
Because they all felt it!
They were like trembling prey standing before a great predator!
"Open it! Open it!" someone suddenly screamed in a shrill voice, ripping their vocal cords to shreds!
The spell broke, and they turned, forcing the door open with everything they had!
Creeeeek—BANG! The massive doors gave way, and the inner chamber opened with a shocking ease!
Petra followed behind them as they entered…
Step!
Step!
Step!
Her footsteps echoed in the darkness…
-
Inside the room, Petra entered, her head inclining just to look around at the grand scene before her.
This was another massive underground space!
The chamber stretched into a vast, cathedral-like stone hall, the towering arches disappearing into the swimming shadows high above her head. A strange, ethereal glow filtered through a distant circular mirror-like window at the furthest end of the hall, casting long, spectral rays across the simple stone floor, giving the room an almost unreal, ethereal look.
The air was cold and unmoving, and heavy with a mystical stillness that seemed to press down from every direction, restraining one's mind.
Here, emotions, memories, and something else, something older, drowned the surroundings, but unlike Otan's 'failed domain' and the Patriarch's 'incomplete domain', this room created a 'natural domain', immediately suppressing the surroundings and leaving only the purest mystic energy within.
Near the far end of the chamber, a raised platform stood beneath the highest point of the ceiling.
In the center of that platform—
A ridiculously huge throne appeared before everyone's eyes!
It was massive, carved from an unknown dark stone alloy and adorned with subtle, flowing runes that seemed to originate from the dark elves rune system. The design was not ostentatious, yet it carried an undeniable authority, like something that had never needed to prove its right to exist.
But at a glance, it did not belong to a king!
Seated upon it…
Was the Guardian!
Dum-da-dum! Dong! Begin the boss music!
A towering suit of legendary black armor rested silently against the throne, its form upright, composed, and utterly still! The surface of the armor was dark and smooth, layered with intricate blue patterns that faintly rippled under the dim light, tracing across its chest, shoulders, and long limbs like channels of dormant energy, ready to be filled and awakened at any time!! Its design was elegant yet imposing, built not just for battle, but for a proper presence!!!
But, despite the paragraph above—
Ahem! There was no head…
Where a helmet should have been, there was only emptiness.
It was an empty suit of armor!
The armor remained seated, unmoving, as if it had been placed there long ago and simply… forgotten!
Despite its lifelessness, it still radiated a suffocating pressure, but—
As hope returned.
"We… we made it…"
"Guardian! Oh, Great Guardian!"
"Please—!"
They fell to their knees, ready to beg, but just then—
Clink!
A small sound echoed through the chamber, and everyone looked up to clearly see…
—The seated armor tilted, slipped, fell, and—Clang! Clang-clang-bang-clang-BANG!
The black armor collapsed in on itself, then, piece by piece, it crashed down from the throne and scattered across the ground, spilling down the stairs until it eventually rolled all the way to the exact place where these poor little disciples were praying…
Petra: "..."
Luna: "??"
The Azurefell families' cannon fodder: "!!"
The armor lay there, empty and hollow, seemingly dead...?
"What…?"
Silence!
No one dared to speak…
No one dared to breathe…
In that single moment—
Not a single person dared to move, not even Petra, who was currently experiencing a very, very strong sense of deja vu...
The Great Guardian, the foundation of the Azurefell Family—
Lay on the ground like nothing more than a decorative suit of armor, scattered into pieces!
You could practically hear the hearts shattering!
After a moment, Petra burst into uncontrollable laughter!
"Pfft! Hahahah! Hahahah! Hahahah!"
She literally couldn't stop!
"Ah-hahaha! Haha! Hahahahaha! Oh, oh-ho-hoho! Ah-hahaha!"
She finally remembered why she found this room, this thing, familiar! If Wind were here, she would definitely understand Petra's unrestrained laughter…
* * *
Ta-tock! The curtain falls on the night…
-
With Lilly and Luna recovered, the 'big baddie' already dead, and Petra's overwhelming anger finally exhausted through the sheer scale of destruction caused by the ant army, the little green-haired demon could finally relax for a while.
Tonight's outing… had been quite productive!
Mm, yes…
This night would serve as a reminder for Petra in the future to keep a closer eye on her people!
As for the countless 'loose ends' scattered across the battlefield—
Well! Things wrapped up rather… conveniently!
-
First of all, the ant army was recalled successfully.
Thanks to a conveniently placed spatial tunnel that was opened by the Verdelith Castle, the ant army managed to retreat without losing any of its core power. After a quick headcount, Petra even discovered something quite amusing, and that was that the army had tripled in size. As an 'on-the-spot' experiment, it could be said to be a complete success.
In addition, many of the new ants had also been tested this time, and their overall performance had far exceeded her expectations.
The only disappointment was actually… the Ant Warlord. Despite its imposing size, it lacked the 'pizzazz' that Petra had been hoping for.
It was strong, yes… but not 'interesting' enough!
Tsk!
She made a mental note to improve it later and bring it back to the drawing board…
-
Next, there was the rather awkward tension between the surviving Azurefell Family members and the outside forces who had come to help.
The difference in casualties was… noticeable to say the least!
It was about 1/20!
The Azurefell Family had been mostly incapacitated, but the outsiders were not so lucky, with the vast majority missing, dead, or worse! This misunderstanding would definitely fester, but compared to what came next, that problem was nothing for them at the moment…
-
At the end of the day, er—night, Petra had no intention of letting the Azurefell Family get away with what they had done to Lilly and Luna! No, no, no! She was not a reasonable person, especially when she no longer had any reservations!
After vigorously consulting with Lilly and Luna once they woke up, Petra received permission to proceed with her plans, and then, and only then, did she act in full!
That night, before departing…
That night, before the little green-haired devil went home, her pink little claws tore through the Azurefell Family and vigorously ravaged all the surviving family members!
That night, a phenomenon that would never be forgotten on the cross continent occurred!
Every single member of the Azurefell Family—
Was turned into a woman!
Yes!
Every!
Single!
One of them!
Their male bloodline was completely erased!
Because the family had been quickly gathered, and because the surrounding regions were currently very desolate, with not many things to do outside, at this time, nearly every living member of the Cross Continents Azurefell Family had been present and called back!
Excluding only Nmo and the Ancestor, no one escaped, not even Nellio!
It could be said that the Azurefell family's bloodline had 'ended' In one of the strangest ways imaginable.
-
Finally, after Lilly awoke, Petra noticed something interesting about her body!
Her physique had actually changed!
It could be said that the twins had originally both possessed half of the same physique, but some strange medicine had been used to forcefully mature Lilly's half of the Lunar Echo Physique, which had caused her 'taker' portion to violently mature, then accidentally mutate. Petra would need some time to fully understand the scope of these changes, and she would definitely have to consult Elli, but one thing was certain, and that was that it was no longer the Lunar Echo physique!
Since that was the case, keeping Luna's 'deprecated' version would annoy Petra, so she made another mental note to update her body as well…
Mm, perhaps this was an opportunity to ask Elli for some real lessons!
* * *
Standing atop a tall, half-collapsed building not far from the Azurefell Family's territory in the capital, Dilan overlooked the destruction below.
The night had already settled, and what remained… was only a somber silence.
Broken halls, crushed walls, and faint traces of poison still drifted through the air like an invisible mist. Despite none of it somehow leaking out, it was clear that this place would become a forbidden zone in the capital. The once-proud leader of the four great families, the Azurefell Family, had been reduced to something unrecognizable in a single night!
Dilan slowly exhaled.
"…What a mess, what a mess…" He muttered to himself.
The wind shifted, and a second presence silently appeared behind him. It seemed subtle, almost natural, like he had always been there. This was even more shocking when one looked at him, because he was a tall man, broad-shouldered and built like a seasoned warrior, who stood with a relaxed, lazy posture. His crimson, flame-streaked red hair carried streaks of grey, but his eyes were sharp, far too sharp for someone who appeared so old and bulky.
Without warning—
Smack!
—His palm landed heavily on Dilan's back!
A faint, glass-like 'ping' rang out, which was so soft it was almost undetectable, as something thin and pink was slapped loose from Dilan's body, dissipating into the wind.
Dilan nearly jumped out of his skin, a searing sting spreading from his spine.
"…Ugh—!" He rubbed his back, grimacing as he turned. "Grandfather…? Tsk! What are you doing here?"
"Damn brat!" the old man snorted. "If I didn't come, what exactly were you planning to become?"
Dilan frowned, looking confused.
"…What does that even mean?"
The old man didn't answer, he just snorted and turned.
He simply stepped forward, standing beside him, his gaze drifting towards the ruined Azurefell Family.
They said nothing for a long time.
"…How do you think this will affect their status?" Dilan quietly asked.
The old man rubbed his bearded chin.
"It probably won't," he said after a moment of thought. "No… if anything, this might be a wake-up call that will allow them to reignite their fate." His eyes narrowed slightly. "…Hm. Now that I look at it again… that 'strange aura' has completely vanished as well. In that case, perhaps it's a blessing in disguise…" Dilan didn't respond, nor did he understand the true meaning of his grandfather's words.
He knew exactly what his grandfather was referring to, or at least, he knew about the reason his grandfather refused to interact with the Azurefell Family. That suffocating, unnatural 'ringing' that had lingered over the Azurefell Family for many years…
It was completely gone!
The old man let out a low chuckle.
"Oh, by the way! You did well to retreat when you did," he said with a wide grin. "We all underestimated that little monster! After tonight, she's probably going to have a hard time!"
His words were true...
He was not the only figure hiding in the shadows and observing tonight's farce, so regardless of whether people believed that Petra was the real Northern Hero or not, greed existed in every heart. After such a grand display, it would be impossible for people to ignore her anymore! From now on, regardless of whether it was true or not, regardless of whether she wanted to or not, countless people would push her to the pedestal of Hero and try to use her power to combat the coming calamities!
As for the possibility that she would refuse, bah! Did she have a choice? NO!
At least, that was what these naive fools thought at the time…
As for what would happen in the future, who knew!
Dilan laughed out loud just thinking about it!
For some reason, he really wanted to see that little brat at a loss!
After a moment to catch his breath, he glanced to the side.
"The bounty hunters, the Hero faction, and those curious old fools… they'll all come sniffing around after tonight." The old man said.
Dilan shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"…Oh? Why is that?"
"Hm, if anything," Dilan continued, his gaze lifting towards the sky, "she'll become even harder to find after tonight's chaos. No, she might even use it as an opportunity to do something bad..." He spoke with an unnatural level of certainty, because unlike the others—
He understood Petra quite well!
Despite meeting her only a small handful of times, Dilan had seen something that most people hadn't, and that was that Petra didn't move like someone bound by the whims of the world. She could be said to be a free spirit, unrestrained by worldly affairs. In addition, she didn't seem to care about human life, which meant that even the calamities couldn't be used to threaten her! Without a way to move her, what could be done about such a little monster?
This was exactly the reason he wanted to see her sour little face!
Unfortunately, he felt like that would be very, very far away!
'…She's definitely not the kind of person you can chase without paying a price,' he quietly thought to himself. 'A lot of people are probably going to suffer in the future!'
The old man glanced at him, amused by the sudden silence.
"…Is that so?"
Dilan didn't answer him.
Above them, the clouds had long since cleared, and the storm had passed to reveal a bright moon.
For the first time that night…
The sky felt… clear!
The old man stretched slightly, then spoke again, his focus shifting towards something else.
"The Royal Ring Secret Realm will be opening soon."
Dilan's expression didn't change, he just nodded.
"I understand, grandfather."
"Good! Good! Good! Then do your best to get that thing!"
There was nothing more to say.
The wind shifted, and in a flicker of red light, both figures disappeared, leaving behind only silence…
The world had quietly begun to change, and that night was only the beginning. Undenounced to everyone, all those who were there that day had lost something, something very important, a future!
Those present had all suffered from Petras poisonous fate, allowing them all to break free from their future fates and opened a path to the unknown! Heroes were no longer heroes, and criminals were no longer criminals. Those fated to destroy the world and those that were fated to save the world had all been cut free! Tonight, all the people present had broken away from the script!
Tonight, the true beginning of the final loop had started to turn!
-
[End of the Fifth Volume]
* * *