Three four-star warriors against a heavily wounded rank five beast shifted the tide swiftly. Blades struck with coordinated precision, cutting into already fractured scales. The cobra thrashed violently, fire erupting in frantic bursts, yet exhaustion dulled its ferocity.
Within minutes, it collapsed heavily against the stone.
Still breathing.
Still alive.
One of the knights stepped forward to deliver the final blow.
"Stop."
Prince Kaelan's voice echoed sharply through the chamber.
All eyes turned toward him, including Lucian's.
The prince withdrew an ancient tome from his storage ring. Its cover appeared aged beyond reckoning, etched with faded symbols that pulsed faintly in the firelight.
He flipped through several pages before halting at a marked passage.
Then he began to chant.
The language flowed in harsh, unfamiliar syllables that none present recognized. Ether swirled around him in visible currents, draining rapidly from his reserves as the incantation intensified.
Lucian watched silently, eyes narrowing slightly.
At the final word, five crimson chains erupted from Prince Kaelan's back, each tipped with an anchor-shaped barb.
They shot forward and pierced the fallen cobra one after another.
The beast convulsed.
Energy streamed through the chains, surging back into Prince Kaelan's body in steady waves.
The cobra's massive frame began to shrink subtly as its life force drained away. Its scales dulled. Its movements weakened. Over the span of half an hour, its vitality thinned to nothing.
Its core is shattered.
Silence returned to the cavern.
The red chains dissolved into motes of light.
Prince Kaelan opened his eyes slowly.
The exhaustion that had drained him moments earlier had vanished. Instead, a new steadiness radiated from him.
"I have broken through," he said quietly, satisfaction coloring his tone. "Fourth star Rank at last."
He flexed his fingers as Ether settled more densely within his meridians.
"I am halfway through this realm already. With proper stabilization and sufficient crystals, I can reach the fifth star before I turn 21."
Lucian regarded the tome briefly but asked nothing.
Harold masked his disappointment behind a strained smile.
"Your Highness," he said quickly, gesturing toward the chest. "The treasure awaits."
Prince Kaelan's gaze shifted to him.
"Yes," he said mildly. "But first we must address your betrayal."
The temperature in the chamber seemed to drop.
"You understand the punishment for killing fellow soldiers and betraying the Empire, do you not?"
Lucian felt the tension shift immediately and stepped back, unwilling to entangle himself in court discipline.
Harold's face drained of color. "I do not know what you mean, Your Highness."
Prince Kaelan's expression hardened fully, the last trace of pretense vanishing.
"One of the soldiers you struck survived," he said coldly. "Your crime is exposed, idiot. Surrender peacefully and return to the Imperial City. I will petition to commute your death sentence to twenty years imprisonment."
Harold's eyes darted toward the exit.
Escape was impossible.
Slowly, he dropped to his knees. "I beg forgiveness. I will submit to judgment."
Prince Kaelan withdrew a length of climbing rope from his storage ring and bound Harold's arms securely behind his back.
"Remain still," he ordered.
With the traitor restrained and the tome temporarily unusable, Prince Kaelan turned toward the chest.
Lucian followed quietly, curiosity stirring despite himself.
The chest was massive, reinforced with dark iron bands and carved with ancient motifs.
Yet Prince Kaelan did not touch it.
Instead, he retrieved the aged parchment once more and scanned its lines carefully. He placed his palm against the stone wall behind the chest.
Nothing happened.
He shifted his hand slightly to another section.
Still nothing.
Lucian's patience thinned. "What are you searching for?"
"The true entrance," Prince Kaelan replied vaguely.
"Entrance?" Lucian frowned. "We came for Emperor Aerondor's treasure. Is that not the chest?"
"That chest is a trap," Prince Kaelan said without hesitation. "According to this parchment, opening it triggers an area-wide fifth-star spell."
Lucian's eyes flickered.
Before he could respond, a faint click echoed beneath Prince Kaelan's palm.
A section of the wall slid backward slowly, revealing a concealed passage beyond.
Warm light spilled outward.
Embedded within the newly revealed chamber were numerous Ether crystals, glowing softly from floor to ceiling.
Lucian stepped forward involuntarily.
"A hidden crystal mine," he breathed, eyes widening at the sight.
*
Meanwhile;
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The sharp cracks echoed across the ruined courtyard outside the underground entrance, scattering a flock of startled birds from the treetops.
Arceus Silver exhaled slowly after each shot, adjusting his stance with growing familiarity. Hours of waiting had worn thin his patience, and boredom had nudged him toward practice.
A four-star royal knight stood several meters away, a round fruit balanced carefully atop his helmet. His posture remained steady, confidence unshaken. A no-grade weapon posed little threat to someone of his cultivation, especially with reinforced armor guarding vital points.
Still, he did not blink.
Arceus raised the pistol, sighting carefully.
The trigger clicked.
Another fruit burst apart midair, juice spraying against the stone.
The five-star captain guarding the stairway, Ralph, kept his composure outwardly, yet his gaze flicked toward the weapon more often than he intended. He observed the projectile's speed with quiet calculation.
Within ten meters, he realized, even a five-star warrior would struggle to evade such velocity without prior preparation.
Interesting.
Before further contemplation, faint echoes rose from the underground passage.
Ralph straightened instantly.
Moments later, Prince Kaelan emerged with Lucian and the others behind him.
"Your Highness," Ralph greeted with a bow, relief softening his otherwise rigid expression.
Though he trusted the hooded ally who had descended earlier, no captain wished to answer to Emperor Aerondor Arcana's descendant should harm befall a prince.
Prince Kaelan nodded curtly.
"Captain Ralph, remain here until General Gregor arrives with reinforcements. Seal the entrance once we depart and destroy these pillars. It must appear undisturbed. If anyone attempts entry, eliminate them without hesitation. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
While orders were being issued, a faint glow flickered near Harold's bound wrists.
In an instant, his palms ignited with blazing heat.
The rope blackened and disintegrated into ash.
"Argh—"
Before anyone could react fully, Harold thrust his burning hands against Aron and Oswin's unarmored forearms. The scent of scorched flesh filled the air as the two soldiers cried out in pain.
"Ralph!" Prince Kaelan barked.
The five-star Rank Warrior launched forward, boots crushing stone as he moved.
Harold did not flee toward the forest.
Instead, he lunged toward Arceus.
Everything happened within a heartbeat.
He seized Arceus from behind, one arm locking across his chest while the other pressed dangerously near his neck, palm blazing once more.
Ralph halted mid charge.
"Arceus!"
"Young Master!"
"Dear!"
"Ark!"
Voices overlapped in panic.
Even Lucian Storm's composure fractured for a split second.
Harold's burning hand hovered at Arceus's throat.
"Take another step, and he dies," Harold hissed, retreating slowly.
Sienna stepped forward instinctively. "Release him!"
Prince Kaelan's face turned glacial.
"I offered mercy," he said evenly. "You chose death."
"Spare me the lies, Prince," Harold spat. "Prison is worse than execution."
He edged backward, maintaining distance while keeping Arceus firmly restrained.
Lucian's hand tightened around his sword hilt, yet he did not draw it.
A prepared mage was dangerous.
A desperate one was worse.
And he couldn't take any risk when his best friend's life was at stake.
Seconds stretched unbearably.
Harold's attention never left Prince Kaelan and the advancing soldiers.
However, Arceus did not struggle. Or attempted to free himself. He camly put himself as if he were a helpless hostage.
But his gaze lowered subtly to his left hand.
The pistol remained there.
And loaded with bullets.
He understood that he would have only one opportunity.
Step by step, Harold increased the distance, inching toward the ruined village's perimeter.
Prince Kaelan's jaw tightened.
Another few meters, and the pursuit would become chaotic.
Then expectedly, Harold's grip loosened slightly as he adjusted his stance for escape.
That single shift was enough.
Right then, Arceus pivoted sharply, twisting free just enough to raise his arm.
The pistol appeared directly before Harold's eye, mere centimeters away.
His pupils contracted in shock at the unfamiliar metallic barrel.
Bang!