Ch. 701..710

Chapter 701

"Finally!"

Oli laughed as he gazed at the screens overhead. Watching the many encounters was fun but now Oli could finally watch Moranti, curious to see if he’s anything like Dominus.

’There will be a change in protocol.’

Surprised, Oli replied telepathically, ’What’s wrong, Daruun? Has something happened?’

’No one will be allowed to leave Glacier Keep via spatial gate,’ continued Daruun.

’So no one’s allowed to leave?’

’Not via spatial gate.’

’Then... you want to only allow Jack’s team to leave?’ Oli deduced, knowing that only Jack’s team was the only one capable of returning home without the gates.

’No,’ Daruun answered. ’Anyone can leave but not through the spatial gates of Glacier Keep. They can wait till the order changes, but for now, no one is allowed off of the planet.’

’Oh... So they can enter Kartonia? Are you sure you want to let them?’ asked Oli.

’Knowing Jack and his ever-growing schemes, I may have little choice in the matter...’ Daruun sighed. ’My fifth body is en route to patrol the area surrounding Kartonia. After I perform an initial scan, Jack’s second body will probe for possible intruders on the planet. Once we’ve determined what’s going on and who might be behind it, then I may call on you for further aid.’

’You’re coming here?’ Oli was nearly speechless. ’It’s... that serious? Are you sure you don’t want me to--’

’Not until Jack confirms there’s indeed an intruder. I don’t want to give Jewel any free excuses unless I had no choice,’ replied Daruun, stoic and emotionless.

’You’re tone’s different,’ stated Oli. ’Did something happen to Sterfen?’

’I’m... not sure yet... He’s alive but I can’t confirm anything until Jack inspects the area. Then, my fifth body may act and there’s a slight chance you may be called for assistance,’ explained Daruun.

’Why not just send Skaryn?’ asked Oli.

’He’s already involved in Jack’s plans in the keep,’ Daruun stated. ’You know how passionate he is about her. Now that he’s back, how could he not do everything to end their suffering and get revenge? Wouldn’t you do the same?’

’Yeah... You’re right about that,’ Oli laughed. ’Then I guess I’ll get some good entertainment while you’re busy with possible intruders. Just call me and I’ll make a move.’

’Thank you, Oli.’

As Daruun ended the conversation, Oli sighed and shifted his attention to the growing crowd of failed challengers. In particular, Oli focused on a group of seven people. He hopped to his feet and casually approached them with a smile. "You’re with Halmut, right?"

The group of one human, four Flood Dragons, and two Quake Dragons met Oli’s gaze but were silent.

"You know, I’d recommend we talk freely," added Oli. "Considering the situation we might be in, my patience might run dry and that’s something that none of you would want."

"Yes... we’re subordinate’s of Halmut," a Flood Dragon god replied.

"Do any of you know what Halmut is up to? Or how he got items that were never on Kartonia in the first place?" questioned Oli.

They all shook their heads as the same dragon replied, "No... We only know that Halmut has connections with someone or some group outside of Kartonia. They should be the ones that gave him those items but we don’t know how."

"Hmmm... do you mind?" While pondering the situation, Oli hopped onto the Flood Dragon’s back and sat down cross-legged, only asking for permission afterward.

"N-no... go right ahead."

"You know, we have more in common than you might think," Oli chuckled and glanced at the two defeated Flood Dragons. "I could give you some pointers on controlling your earth energy or offer some beginner techniques... But only if you’re willing to speak up."

While both Quake Dragons were perplexed by the offer, two scrolls appeared in Oli’s hands. Oli added, "These come from my homeworld. They should be perfect techniques to help you condense and hone your energy as entry-level one-stars. So, will you speak up for treasures beyond your station or will you stay quiet?"

Nodding to each other, the Quake Dragon’s quickly accepted Oli’s offer. One spoke up, "We don’t know much. All we know is that Halmut’s been given items by an outside group and his favorite of those items are energy stimulants that calm him down and help circulate his energy."

"Stimulants?" Oli’s gaze shifted, caught off guard slightly. "Has he shared those with you and the others?"

"Yeah, he’s given us all some."

A sense of seriousness washed over Oli’s calm face. He clicked his tongue, scoffing, "Halmut... I should have taught you a tougher lesson while I had the chance... Do you have any of these stimulants?"

"No..."

"We do." A small pile of stimulants appeared amid the Flood Dragons. The lead dragon mentioned, "We were ordered to consume them but none of us wanted to do so when our mistress wasn’t allowed to do the same..."

Looking back to the Flood Dragons, Oli smiled. "Mind handing them over? Those might feel good but they’re nothing more than drugs to make weak cosmicians feel stronger. They’re actually believed to be toxic to cosmicians."

"What?!" All of the dragons were astounded by the reveal, and the Flood Dragons shook as they took out the few stimulants they were given in the first place. "Th-then..."

Oli hopped off the Flood Dragon’s back and picked up one of the stimulants. "Did you know what these are officially called, as was declared across the void by the District Council? Faux-ore. That’s because they’re crude imitations, mimicking one of the most precious items in existence, cosmic ore. But since cosmic ore is so rare, the development of faux-ore has been a booming business with hidden consequences..."

Everyone in the waiting chamber was now listening in on Oli’s rant, startled to hear that Kartonian’s had faux-ore.

Tossing the two scrolls to the Quake Dragons, Oli looked to the foreign cosmicians and stated, "For Halmut to have this, I think that all but confirms who Halmut’s partnered with, right? Mind letting them know?"

"Who is it?" Alcahain finally spoke up, feeling betrayed to the utmost. He never had the most respect for Halmut in the first place, but all thoughts of the Sun Dragon being worth considering as a leader was immediately and irrevocably tarnished.

The first cosmician to speak summed it all up in a single word. "Gem?"

Chapter 702

"Gem?"

"Bingo..." Oli sighed with a nod. "This would give those Sicabor twins a field day. I’m sure they’ll be happy to have evidence of Gem’s illegal activity."

"What activity? Then Halmut will be punished?" Alcahain asked, being swayed further and further from siding with the Sun God.

With a slight smile, Oli replied, "Maybe... That depends if he can escape punishment. Once the Sicabor twins learn about faux-ore being on Kartonia, I’m sure their father will start his long-awaited investigation. The moment evidence is found to incriminate Gem, Halmut and those that aided him will have no chance but to flee the entire district."

"It’s that bad... What’s a district?"

Laughing, Oli succinctly explained, "Think of it like this. You come from Kartonia, one planet among hundreds of thousands within the Emerald Zone. But the Emerald Zone is only one of more than a hundred zones inside the Fate District, which is managed by none other than Daruun."

"WHAT?!?!" Alcahain’s mind nearly broke taking in that wide perspective, along with the dragons beside him. "Then, this whole time--"

"Did Halmut never tell you that?" asked Oli, stifling the brawler’s mental momentum. "I know for a fact that both Halmut and Skaryn knew about this, not to mention Sterfen and Jack who work directly under him."

"WHAT?!?!" a new voice suddenly shouted from among the crowd of failures. "Jack works for Daruun directly?!"

Oli chuckled, "Perhaps... considering that Daruun created Kartonia, wouldn’t it make sense that he select some of its inhabitants as subordinates to raise personally?"

"Th-that makes sense... But Jack?! The same person in the challenge right now!" another cosmician shouted.

The few dozen failures so-far were in awe to know that Jack’s team was hand-selected by their almighty district leader. On the other hand, those that disgracefully called themselves the legendary gods were shocked to learn the truth behind Halmut’s secret source of power.

"District Leader Daruun is personally coming to inspect Kartonia, so, for the time being, no spatial gate will be opened even if the challenge comes to an end. Everyone will need to stay on Kartonia until he finished his evaluation."

Suddenly, a spatial rift was opened up near the back of the crowd a group of four people in black robes were darting to escape without waiting any longer.

SNAP!

But before any of those four could fully enter the rift, all four of them crashed to the ground with an echoing thud.

"Oh? We have some who dared infiltrate the keep’s challenge but they’re not willing to play nicely and wait for the results?" Oli spoke casually but he was popping his knuckles and neck as he walked. Approaching the four figures smashed into the ground, Oli watched their scroll fade away and the spatial rift close. "I wonder..."

Oli squatted down to take the rings and storage items on the four but something was wrong.

"Everyone, back up!" Oli shouted as he sent out a pulse of silvery energy, effectively repelling all cosmicians around him and the pinned cosmicians.

Everyone was tense as they skid across the roxite floors and saw a vicious burst of raw cosmic energy erupt from the team of cosmicians. Those four were vaporized as their raw energy was eaten to produce the terrifying explosion that encompassed Oli and rushed towards the others in the waiting chamber.

But just as the energy was about to reach the trembling crowd, a barrier of dense earth energy appeared to contain the explosion. The roxite floor moved as well, crawling up the earth energy barrier with incredible speed to form a containment wall with a ceiling of earthen energy. Though the earth energy at the top shook, it didn’t give way to the violent explosion of raw energy.

A few seconds passed as the explosion dissipated, failing to break free of its containment.

"CRAX!"

All of the foreign cosmicians were forced out of their entrancing fear, distracted by Oli’s cursing.

STOMP!

As Oli slammed his foot on the ground, the roxite walls crumbled. They were already brittle from taking the brunt of the explosion and Oli’s rage was now unstoppable. For the first time, everyone got a good look at why Oli hadn’t called himself a human.

The man had taken up his true form to better face the explosion in his face, allowing Oli to better manipulate energy in the process to best contain the explosion and protect the other competitors. Now standing at three meters tall, Oli leaned back and furiously pounded on his chest. On his back was a metal plate embedded in his skin, reminiscent of the roxite floor everyone stood on. Pitch-black fur covered Oli’s brawny body, as did dark purple, draconic scales beneath the fur. A set of wings darker than the night sky expanded as Oli cried loudly in anger. While his giant hands pounded his chest, Oli’s opposable toes tore through the roxite floor and gripped it in frustration.

"How dare they interfere?! What a load of crax!" Oli howled, scaring the contestants even more than the explosion moments ago. They all felt a tinge of that silvery energy from earlier lingering in the air, making them all feel heavier. Any mortal would have been crushed to death under such pressure, let alone the one-star cosmicians that struggled to stand up.

"DARUUN!" Oli shouted verbally while sharing his out-spoken thoughts telepathically. "They’ve infiltrated the challenge and dared use a sacrificial explosion when their team failed to escape!"

"WHAT?!?!"

Daruun’s telepathic reply was so powerful that everyone in the chamber could hear it and felt an additional pressure shake the room.

"Inspect every contestant carefully. The moment you see them try something contrasting the keep’s rules, eliminate them without warning! I’ll send him to probe right now. My fifth body is practically in position. Thank you, Oli!"

Everyone was shaking as both Daruun’s leftover pressure and Oli’s dissipated. They all fell to the ground with trembling knees. Glancing at the sight of the explosion, everyone was both terrified and relieved. Relief came from knowing that Oli had managed to protect them from something that would’ve killed them all. Terror came from realizing that Oli had just tanked four self-destructing, one-star explosions without a scratch while having the energy to curse at the failed kamikaze cosmicians.

Chapter 703

"Crax..." 12-13 spat as he was informed of the situation inside the waiting chamber. He glanced at Sterfen’s shaking, sweating body. "I suppose Halmut’s plan had more kinks than anticipated. He was even stupid enough to believe they’d allow him to use such items... How come Skaryn hadn’t agreed? That would’ve made everything much easier..."

Complaining to the senseless assassin, 12-13 sighed, "We may have to abandon things a bit early... I’d rather not give up Halmut, though. It’s rare to get such a specimen with so much potential and such loyalty..."

The shadowy man went back and forth between Halmut’s vision and Kylon’s, wanting to know everything that was going on inside the keep. Once failure became imminent, 12-13 was ready to abandon Halmut and accept a half-fulfilled mission. Such results were already more than enough for 12-13 to retain his position and possibly earn him some extra influence among his peers.

*****

Those still inside the keep were clueless about the threat made on the failed challengers’ lives. No announcement was made either.

Oli determined that stating such a thing would counter anything they wanted to happen. He deduced that announcing such interference to the challengers would give any Gem members in the keep a reason to self-implode, whether it was done so willingly or unwillingly by their far-off superiors with illegal seals. That way, anyone who dared act knowledgable about the incident in the waiting room would be questionably dismissed from the competition on grounds of illegal tampering and incitement of terrorism.

Though he still wanted to enjoy Moranti’s fight, Oli’s mindset was already altered and only the removal of infiltrators would calm him.

Moranti was happily confronting Woltin as the two men were facing each other directly. In his full dragon form, Moranti played the role of the aggressor while Lunara was his support in her hybrid form. One attacked with merciless abandon and the other used skills to control the tempo of battle to keep their side from facing a disadvantage with less able bodies.

"Kartonians are amazing!" Woltin laughed, watching as Moratni charged into his six-man team with no fear. What had him in awe was Moranti’s ethereal abilities, phasing through his team’s physical and abstract attacks. "Too bad you’re not all like this!"

"Oh? Did you run into the others?" Moranti chuckled playfully. "Please tell me you sent them packing!"

"Oh, you can be sure of that. You two are much more fun though! I wonder what would happen if your two teammates were here?"

"Then you wouldn’t be," laughed Moranti. "If they joined in, your side would already have perished. Maybe you wouldn’t be out, but everyone else would be goners."

"Tough talk, but prove it!" one of Woltin’s teammates cried, getting the others riled up.

’Now!’

On Lunara’s command, Moranti barreled into the six-man team but crashed into the center of them instead of fleeing for a second follow-up strike. A pulse of spatial energy poured out, forcing the six to increase their energy defenses to resist any unwanted, forced teleportation. However, a second type of energy then poured out over them all, catching everyone off guard.

Amid the avalanche of spatial energy, Moratni blinked out and swapped places with Lunara, who cast her most powerful personal spell with everything she had, sheer frost.

An incredible shockwave of glacial energy rocked the six-man team, freezing over two of them in a glacier and half trapping two more. The woman who had shouted moments ago remained uncaptured but chilled to the bone and slowed greatly. Woltin was the only one unaffected by the attack, smiling wider than ever.

Then, a slew of massive spatial slashes was aimed at the large team from all around as Moranti wasted no time to attack the affected team members and Woltin alike.

At the same time, Woltin slammed his staff on the ground and sent out his own pulse of illusory white energy that was practically transparent. It washed over his teammates and Lunara without causing any harm, even spreading out towards the incoming spatial attack. Upon colliding with Moranti’s attacks, the spatial slashes dissipated into nothingness, as did the ice surrounding Woltin’s team.

Moranti then switched with Lunara again and charged out of the team’s encirclement with a big grin. "You can nullify other energies?!"

"Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’m invincible," commented Woltin.

"Because you might accidentally nullify your teammates’ attacks as well?"

"That’s right..." Woltin sighed, knowing he couldn’t hide his weakness any longer.

Before Luanra or Moranti could say anything else, they received a message from Jack. ’Offer them half your points and leave. We have no more time to waste.’

Lunara nodded in agreement with Jack, immediately stating, "How about we offer you half our points and we walk away as acquaintances? I believe that’s more than generous."

"I’ll take that deal," Woltin agreed, surprising most of his teammates. "Jeniff, are you against that?"

Sighing in disappointment, the woman stored her sword and stepped back toward Woltin. "No... It’s a fair deal."

"Then let’s do it." Happy that she also understood how close they were to a party wipe, Woltin stepped forward with his card at the ready.

Both Lunara and Moratni held up their cards, showing near-identical numbers. Lunara stated, "I’ll pass you all of mine."

"Works for me."

Tension was still in the air as Woltin’s team watched Woltin and Lunara both hold her armband, allowing the transfer to take place. Only when the transfer was completed did they feel at ease.

"Thanks for being so understanding," Woltin chuckled, bowing his head slightly.

Moranti laughed, "Next time, I want to face you alone. I’d love to see how that would end."

"Maybe... I’m not sure how confident I would be against you by myself. It would be interesting for sure."

Having made the exchange, the two groups parted with a friendly bow and went their separate ways.

’Jack, how come--’

’There’s no time. Just hurry and scour the maze for any signs of a purple barrier or something that may lead you to one. Don’t fight anyone or anything, cause we need to hurry!’ Jack shouted his reasoning, not giving Moranti time to argue or question.

’Got it... Then I’ll just do that, though it’s no fun...’ Moranti sighed in response. ’Lunara, hop on my back.’

The goddess retained her hybrid form and climbed on Moranti, already anticipating what would come next. Suddenly, ethereal energy bathed over Moranti and Lunara, making them both ethereal as they rocketed through the air to explore the maze at top speed.

Chapter 704

’Jack, it’s time. I need you to inspect Olympic Chateau immediately!’

Daruun’s voice played through Jack’s mind, catching the hero off guard by the shocked tone. ’Gramps, did something--’

’Gem has infiltrators among the challengers apart from Halmut. Exercise extreme caution during your challenge. The infiltrators found in the waiting chamber self-destructed in an attempt to eliminate all evidence and anyone that could possibly investigate.’

’That--’

’Oli handled the situation there but you’re still inside the keep,’ Daruun continued. ’It’s best to retreat should more threats like that appear in the keep. Such explosions may even be unwillingly done by Jewel through illegal seals, using the souls of their cosmicians as fuel to eradicate anything in the area. Any normal one-star would be eliminated for good with no chance of resurrection, so don’t let the others fight anyone! Is that understood, Jack?’

’Understood...’ It was rare for Daruun to be so forceful with his speech, only making Jack less hesitant to alter his plan. ’I’ll scout the chateau immediately and inform you of what happens.’

’Thank you, Jack.’

The conversation ended there and Jack immediately made the necessary changes to their plan. He was still following Halmut’s team and wasn’t too worried about Rynheart, but Jack wasted no time using god’s perspective to see through Luanra’s and Moratni’s eyes. Immediately, he telepathically ordered, ’Offer them half your points and leave. We have no more time to waste.’

A few moments passed as the two made their deal with Woltiin and Moranti spoke up, ’Jack, how come--’

But Jack cut off Moranti, showing the same seriousness that Daruun had, ’There’s no time. Just hurry and scour the maze for any signs of a purple barrier or something that may lead you to one. Don’t fight anyone or anything, cause we need to hurry!’

’Got it... Then I’ll just do that, though it’s no fun...’

With Moranti agreeing, the God of Space and the Water Goddess turned into one of the best exploration parties possible. Moranti became the fast vehicle able to pass through battlefields untouched while Lunara’s three heads and icy control skills kept them aware of everything around them while offering boosted protection of the rare moments that a foe was strong enough to slow Moranti.

Jack kept close to Halmut, more cautious than ever of the Sun Dragon. He tried to use god’s perspective on the dragon but Halmut’s mind still felt off-limits to him. With that, all he could do was watch as Halmut’s jumpy nature was gone and replaced with an overly cautious and aware nature. The way Halmut acted was as if he knew where he was going, as if he didn’t question any step he took and that he was getting closer and closer to his goal.

While Jack followed Halmut, Rynheart followed Torian and Kylon, and Moranti carried Lunara in exploration, a flash of purple energy appeared near the summit of Kartonia’s tallest mountain. A figure emerged within that small wooded area, wearing a shadowy hood that used illusions to conceal the wearer’s identity and face.

That figure took in a deep breath as he walked carefully toward his target, Olympic Chateau. He then retrieved an item from his storage and clutched it carefully. It was a holy amulet, the same type used by the legendary gods to teleport themselves into the chateau.

With the amulet in hand, the figure made himself invisible and entered Olympic Chateau. He effortlessly passed through the holy barrier but felt that something was off, as if there was more than one barrier. However, the man passed through and entered the chateau without fail. He then stored the amulet and began exploring the place according to his old memories of the layout.

The moment he entered, he was startled by the amount of destruction that filled the chateau. It seemed apocalyptic in comparison to what he had seen so many times before, something incredibly hard to believe.

But he kept quiet and continued searching the area.

’Nothing yet... Hello?’

Upon trying to contact Daruun, the figure was startled to feel disconnected and unable to reach anyone telepathically. After a moment of trying multiple times, the man gave up. He understood that it was useless and likely due to the additional barrier that he had never felt before.

"Would you prefer to die anonymously, or reveal yourself and beg for mercy?"

Before the man knew it, a nearly invisible pulse of illusory energy filled the room and removed his invisibility. He immediately tensed up, finding himself immobile and only able to move his eyes. That was when things made more sense, when he noticed the now-visible man shrouded in darkness clapping his hands casually.

"To think you made it this far... Jack’s plan was brilliant, after all, so this much is to be expected. Too bad his reliance on Kylon resulted in his downfall..." chuckled the man. "I like your style. It’s very much like mine, but I’d prefer that we don’t match. Mind removing your hood?"

The trapped man found himself able to move again but still unable to summon or control energy. He was effectively caught and trapped. But he only shook his head, distorting his voice in reply, "You first..."

"Oh... It’s amusing to see how innocent you are to the void... Allow me to introduce myself as 12-13. But if you won’t tell me your name, then how about I guess to make it more amusing? Are you Rikko?"

"Nope..." replied the man, still unshaken by the situation.

"Hmmm... Eedaj, perhaps?" chuckled 12-13.

"Wrong again..."

"True... There’s only one person you could be, given Jack’s plan and how many people are in on it. I’m sure you understand that I’ve understood your true abilities since the moment you and Jack spoke with Kylon underground. Right, Perchet?"

But the man shook his head again, chuckling even, "Are you always this bad at guessing games? If you’re skilled enough to block my telepathy, then can’t you just read my mind?"

"There’s no fun in that... I don’t simply read minds, I prefer to break them!" 12-13 vanished from where he stood and reappeared beside the intruder. Swiftly, 12-13 removed the man’s cloak and was left baffled.

While the man was tensed and immobile, the very sight of his roxite helmet and strange, patchy armor shattered 12-13’s expectations. 12-13 immediately lashed out and broke the helmet with the swipe of his hand. But that only threw him further into confusion and rage.

 

Chapter 705

"Auntie Kylon..." Jack dropped to one knee and hugged the crying, mentally confused woman. Though Perchet would still hear it, Jack softly whispered, "Would you rather your child be raised by Skaryn or eaten by Halmut?"

Both Perchet’s and Kylon’s faces instantly paled. Perchet clenched his fists tightly but refrained from saying anything more. Kylon’s lip and stare quivered as Jack looked directly into her eyes.

"Do you want to know the truth?"

"... Y-y..." Kylon tried to speak but found herself unable. All she could do was force a slight nod to Jack’s humbling question.

"Then let me share what really happened." Jack let go of Kylon but remained on his knees. He opened his menu and purchased two skills. "Just watch... Don’t say anything until the end."

Illusory energy filled Jack’s eyes as he looked to both Perchet and Kylon. Both dragon gods suddenly felt themselves dragged into a new mind space, a crystal clear memory that neither of them had experienced. They were standing in the air looking over the long-lost Kustram, which was in perfect order. Occasionally, they noticed that the person in memory would look to the side and spot either Daruun or a skeleton they recognized from their earlier battle, Jack’s new assistant.

But a gigantic pillar of light abruptly fell from the sky, crashing down onto Kustram’s capital and wiping it off the map.

Perchet was speechless, unsure how he should be reacting. Kylon was already in tears, immediately linking this memory to her countless nightmares of the people’s perspective. Both understood what had begun the moment Halmut’s unwarned attack fell onto the island nation.

They watched as Skaryn arrived without delay, trying to sway Halmut from fighting. And Skaryn’s most impactful line was unexpected yet mind-opening.

"Does Kylon know about this?"

That line was repeated by Skaryn and echoed through their minds as they both understood the care behind them. Such words coming from their supposed enemy of old proved just how falsely Halmut had changed history and just how far he was willing to go to keep his influence. Adding that to how Halmut had forced himself onto Kylon, neither could deny how character-defining this reveal was for Halmut, though Halmut had done everything possible to conceal the truth.

"Stop Halmut!" Kylon cried out of reflex as more and more pillars of light fell onto her home country, reducing it to rubble and eliminating the Flood Dragon civilization beneath the island. She couldn’t help herself. Watching Skaryn fight for her people’s survival while her false leader and forced lover obliterated her home... it left Kylon feeling broken. Her mind could no longer hide the many truths within her mind and it hurt more than anything she could anticipate.

Jack allowed the memory to close as Halmut was finishing his dark deed and threw his arms around Kylon yet again. "Auntie... It’s okay. It will be okay... Skaryn is still alive though he’s currently trapped."

"Then we’ll free him!" shouted Kylon, unable to control her emotionally free mind from the downpour of recollection. "We’ll free him and--"

"Auntie, calm down... It’s not that simple," Jack stated, pulling his head back to look her in the eyes. "The moment Halmut learns that Skaryn is freed is the moment he’ll use you as a hostage like he always did against Skaryn."

"I... I was a hostage? You mean... Skaryn..."

"If Skaryn was always stronger than Halmut, why do you think Skaryn would allow Halmut to remain in the spotlight for so long while Skaryn is labeled as the villain? Their friendship ended long ago and I’m certain that having your life on the line is why Skaryn was reactionary to everything that AHlmut did and not visa versa," reasoned Jack. "But it’s not your fault. It’s Halmut’s. He’s the one who’s been scheming and planning all this. That’s why I need your help taking him down."

"... I..." Kylon was torn but not on what she should do. She was torn in her heart, fully knowing now that everything she had done for Skaryn, especially after the destruction of her home, was all playing into Halmut’s plans and not what she had wanted. It left her empty and hollow, as if she had become the opposite of everything she had wanted to become. "What... would I need to do?"

"Would you mind if I took a look at Skaryn’s seal?" Jack asked, surprising both Kylon and Perchet. "I want to check if there’s a way to unseal him without the use of enchantment keys."

"Jack, that’s--"

"Please, Auntie. This would be best for us all. I can even teleport us there."

"I... Yes... I can let you take a look. But--"

"I’ll need to do it alone with no one else in the room, not even you, Auntie," Jack added.

After learning the truth, the feeling of being called "Auntie" had changed drastically. Now, it felt endearing, which was a feeling that Kylon struggled to remember from anything beyond her past with Lunara.

"O-okay..."

"Then let’s go and not waste time."

All of a sudden, spatial energy enveloped the three of them. They were carried deep into the sea as they appeared in Kylon’s personal chambers. Both the dragons were fine and Jack quickly cast a water breathing spell he’d gained from long ago in-game.

"Sorry, but reading your mind was the fastest way to find the place."

"That’s fine... At least you read my mind and didn’t try to manipulate it..." Kylon sighed, still embracing her newly revealed reality.

Jack’s appearance suddenly changed to that of Sillo, allowing him to remain hidden from the other Flood Dragons attending to Kylon’s underwater palace. "Lead the way, Auntie. Just tell them all that Halmut ordered for Sillo to inspect the seal and that it requires absolute privacy."

"Alright... Follow me."

"Jack, would you mind if I--"

"Sorry, Perchet, but you can’t come inside. It’s better that way," Jack stated. "After inspecting the seal, we’ll discuss what comes next. Kylon’s mind is still blurry to me and somewhat closed, so something is still trying to manipulate her thoughts. With that in mind, I think we should be careful about what information is shared between us."

Chapter 706

"Wait! I still--"

"Calm down, Auntie. We’ll get through this together," Jack added, calmly grabbing Kylon by her shoulders. "The control of your mind will be much more difficult now that you know the truth of your situation, but we can’t rule out that Halmut can simply learn what you’ve experienced recently. I’ve got a plan for that, but I’ll explain after I’m done inspecting the seal. That’s when I’ll know for certain what we’ll do next."

"... Okay... Then... follow me."

Kylon opened her bedroom doors, startling the attendants passing through the hallway. "Perchet and Sillo have come to inspect the seal. Something may be wrong with it, but they’ll fix it should there be any problems. No questions shall be asked."

"Understood, Mistress." The passing servants bowed to the two guests and went about their chores.

The party of three made their way through the palace halls and soon reached an isolated corridor lined with guards. Immediately, Kylon ordered, "You’re dismissed. We have important matters involving the repair of the seal. Remain on standby until we’ve finished."

Nodding, the Flood Dragon guards left the corridor before Kylon closed the large doors.

Now alone, Jack assumed his true appeared and sighed, "So... the seal is there?"

"Yes..."

"Then I’ll get to work. This may take a while and don’t mind any flashes of energy. It’s necessary that I scan it in various ways unknown to you," explained Jack, turning to open the closed door.

"Take your time..." Kylon shakily replied, watching Jack close the door behind him.

Perchet noticed the tension behind Kylon’s gaze. He relaxed his stance and smiled at her. "You know, at least there’s a way to make things better again. We now know that Daruun is way stronger than we imagined and I’m sure Jack’s got something up his sleeve since he works so closely with Daruun."

"Maybe..."

"Wasn’t Skaryn somewhat close to Daruun as well?" asked Perchet.

"I... I don’t remember... I think he might’ve been... I know he’s close to Sterfen, who’s always been on Daruun’s side."

"Really? I didn’t know that," Perchet chuckled, amused to learn something new.

Without warning, a brilliant flash of light passed through the tiniest of cracks between the doors of the seal’s room. It caught them both off guard and brought Kylon to want to open the door. However, Perchet grabbed Kylon’s wrist and stopped her. "No entering, not unless Jack allows it."

"Right..." Kylon agreed, unsure why she had suddenly made a move for the door. It didn’t feel like a reflex or a thought of her own, yet she was unable to deny that she momentarily wanted nothing more than to hurry into the room.

That light faded in seconds, allowing the corridor to return to normal. It left Kylon and Perchet with a strange feeling. They felt they were missing out and that something grandiose had happened yet Jack made no attempt to reach out to them or invite them inside, adding to the mystery.

A few minutes passed in silence as both gods were enraptured in thoughts about what Jack may be doing inside. But Jack soon opened the door, letting them both enter. "Sorry I took so long..."

When they entered and saw that nothing had changed in the room, Kylon and Perchet felt a tinge of disappointment. But Kylon was surprised when Jack hugged her again.

"I’m sorry, Auntie... I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything without using the key."

"Then--"

"Right now, we can’t do that. But after Glacier Keep, we’ll release Skaryn, so you won’t need to wait very long. And should Halmut somehow perish, we’ll immediately release him, okay?"

"O-Okay..."

"I’ll be focused on somehow getting Halmut to give up your contract. With my dad’s help, I’m sure we can make it happen. After all, he managed to free my mom and nearly freed Kori as well," reasoned Jack, slightly alleviating the new burden on Kylon’s heart. "You can trust us, Auntie. Mom and Dad both want to help you too. The moment we learned what Halmut had done was the first time I’ve ever seen my dad so serious about killing someone."

"... Thank you... Nephew..."

"See! Doesn’t that feel better to say?" Jack chuckled, finishing their hug. "Sadly, things are going to get complicated now... Perchet, how precisely can you control sound?"

"What do you mean?" Perchet scoffed, acting slightly offended.

"I want to know if you can attack Kylon’s short term memory." Both legendary gods were stunned as Jack explained, "This is where you’ll finally leave the legendary gods, Perchet. By attacking Kylon before she teleports back to Olympic Chateau, you’ll be branded as a traitor and forced to become a mortal again but you’ll already be with me in Trodar. And if you target her mind, Kylon will have a legitimate excuse as to why she’s unable to properly answer about what happened after Halmut heals her."

"Then... What am I supposed to do? Be his puppet again?" Kylon questioned with a pained look painted on her face.

"No, Auntie, you’ll just wait for my signal in Glacier Keep," Jack added. "Trust me, I’m sure you’ll know what to do when the time comes. Once I give you the signal, you will no longer have to worry about your contract or Halmut trying to control your mind. I’ll have already prepared everything to keep you free, so just unleash hell when the time comes, exactly how you feel right now. Can you do that for me, Auntie?"

"... Yes... I can do that..."

"Also, you may want to act mad when I call you that, at least while you’re waiting to rebel," Jack insisted. "I’ll still act like I’m trying to sway you but you’ll need to appear loyal and ready to act as you always have. So long as you appear to be the same there’s a chance you won’t be forced to do anything involving more mental manipulation."

When Kylon nodded, Jack smiled and turned to Perchet. "Give her your amulet."

Chapter 707

"Give her your amulet."

"What? We would--"

"Because she’s going to give me hers," mentioned Jack, holding out his hand to Kylon. "That way she’ll get back to the chateau and then I’ll have a way into the chateau after your amulet is disconnected."

"Okay." Kylon handed it over without question, feeling relieved to no longer carry the thing that represented her loyalty to Halmut.

Sighing, Jack gave Kylon one last, brief hug. "Then that’s settled... Don’t worry, Auntie. Everything will work out in the end."

As soon as Jack let her go, Perchet tapped on Kylon’s skull. A pulse of sound passed through her head and targeted her hippocampus, barely damaging the brain. At the same time, Percent buffeted her brain and caused the left side of her head to ring until Kylon was on the verge of passing out.

Immediately, Kylon activated the amulet she was given and vanished from sight.

*****

"Hmmm..." 12-13 was doubtful of his situation, curious as to why the man before him wasn’t who he had expected. "Looking back, I don’t recall you claiming to abandon Kylon as part of your plan. So how come you’ve abandoned your challenge of Glacier Keep to come here? Are you as manipulative as me, but with a false heart on display?"

"Maybe I just got bored and felt I wanted to visit my dad?" chuckled Jack, unable to move or act freely.

12-13 laughed as well, placing his hand over his face and sighing in disappointment. "I thought you would be a challenge, Jack? I thought you were going to force me to abandon Halmut in the end? Why would you give up your lead when you were so close?"

As Jack remained speechless with a cheeky grin, 12-13 added, "I already know about your second body, Jack. There’s no use in hiding that from me."

"Oh... Mind sharing how you figured it out?"

"Would that get you to cooperate?" asked 12-13. "You’re father’s been quite uncooperative. I normally like that in a victim but I’m losing my patience as the necessity of my retreat becomes more and more likely. I know for a fact that you work with Daruun and have learned more than enough about the void. How about you come with me? I’m sure you’ll be treated fairly and kindly, should you be cooperative."

"And what would that entail?" asked Jack, playing along. "What kind of pay does Jewel offer?"

"Good question... how about you tag along and find out." Shrugging, 12-13 stepped closer to Jack and looked the hero squarely in the eyes. "But if you can tell me about the nexus, then I wouldn’t mind sharing the terms of your fair treatment right now..."

"Nexus? What’s that?" Jack asked with a smile.

12-13 sighed, "Come on... I’m sure you know by now... How could Daruun send you into Glacier Keep without telling you about that? Stop playing dumb, Jack."

"If you’re so sure I know about it, then why not just read my mind," Jack questioned. "Or is the mighty 12-13 unable to ready the mind of a weak one-star like me?"

Scoffing, 12-13 tightened Jack’s body to the point the hero couldn’t even move his lips. "Don’t assume what I can and can’t do... That’s the worst thing a captive can do to their captor. But I suppose you want to learn that the had way..."

Jack was carried through the air as 12-13 forced the immobile hero into Halmut’s bedroom chamber. There, Jack was horrified to see the stress and pain riddling his father’s face.

"That’s what happens when you’re uncooperative... Are you sure--"

"That I’m a coward?" stated Jack, barely able to speak. "Why should I fear a man whose own parents hated him so much they couldn’t bother naming you properly?"

"Enough..." Dropping the causal tone, 12-13 turned toward Jack and allowed the young cosmician to experience hell for the first time.

As Jack’s body tensed up and his mind was constantly probed and pounded with mental attacks, 12-13 sighed, "To think that someone was even more disrespectful than Sterfen... I won’t bother asking you any longer. I’ll simply enjoy cracking your mind and selling away Daruun’s greatest secrets, including the secrets behind your construct body."

*****

’Jack, we’ve found a green spatial rift.’

’Good. Just keep looking. You should be close to the next area,’ Jack replied, assuming that the rifts at the maze’s entrance were designed to help those seeking certain rooms pass the maze more quickly.

Still invisible, Jack followed Halmut closely as his patience was finally paying off.

The Sun God began to smile as a purple barrier came into view. Halmut was speechless as he gathered holy energy around his eyes to scan the area around him with great caution.

Recognizing that now was his best chance to do something, Jack rushed toward the barrier and flashed his card against the barrier. It took one hundred keys to open, practically everything that Jack had left from defeating constructs within the maze and taking the keys from the puzzle challenge. But it was worth it as Jack was one step in front of Halmut.

"YOU?!?!" Halmut roared as the barrier began to fade. Multicolored flames were already spilling out of Halmut’s mouth as Jack darted into the enclosed space, snatching the purple core for himself. "HOW DARE YOU?!?!"

Though Jack managed to grab the core, Jack was now trapped in an enclosed space. The powerful flames rocked Jack’s body as he guarded his card carefully. A clawed hand reached into the fire and gripped Jack tightly as the hero stored his card away.

"What’s wrong, Halmut?" Jack stated with painful breaths, being gripped by his neck.

"You... YOU!!"

"What’s wrong?" Laughing, Jack ignored how hard it was to breathe and how painful it was for Halmut to run his other hand through the hero’s abdomen. "That all you got... Considering how easily you found this... Were you given--"

"Shut up and die!"

Roaring, Halmut unleashed another breath attack directly into Jack’s open wound, forcing Jack to wince in pain.

 

Chapter 708

While Jack struggled to keep his proud face, Halmut clutched Jack’s hand and tore off the hero’s storage rings while breaking his hand in the process. "How dare you hide your card?! COWARD!!"

But Halmut’s face suddenly shifted as well. From seething rage, Halmut’s frown became deeper and now showed fury of disbelief. "WHERE IS IT?!?!"

"What?" Jack laughed again, enduring the pain as he limply and willingly lifted his other arm to the dragon. "Go ahead... Check my other hand... I don’t mind..."

Halmut did just that. He savagely broke Jack’s other hand as he ripped the rings from Jack’s fingers, again stumped and infuriated.

"Can’t find what you’re looking for?" Jack chuckled again.

Burying his claw back into Jack’s torso, Halmut twisted his claws around, tearing away at Jack’s internals. "WHERE IS IT?!?!"

"I should ask... the same... about your... map?" Jack managed to utter his sarcastic question.

"HOW--"

"Then I must be right..." Jack laughed more as Halmut tortured his physical body. But Jack’s laughing suddenly ended as his mind was racked with pain from his double’s torture. To Halmut, it appeared his attacks were finally working but Jack soon disconnected his mind from his second body and smiled again. "If you’re angry at that... then you have to have one... There it is..."

"THERE’S WHAT?!" Halmut shouted, covering Jack in more flames.

However, Jack’s flame body made of combined spectral flames and hellfire burned Halmut’s claw while negating the brunt of Halmut’s attack.

"Thank you..."

That was the last thing Jack said before he teleported away.

"JAAAAAAAAACK!!!"

Halmut scanned over Jack’s rings again and again but failed to find anything inside of them, not even a single gold coin. Also, Halmut refused to believe that Jack still had the energy to use his attacks and teleport after what should’ve killed most gods.

’FOOL!’ a voice shouted within Halmut’s mind, instantly forcing Halmut to stop his tantrum. ’Check your map!’

The next second Halmut went from quietly obedient to passionately fuming. "HOW DARE HE?!?!?!"

The accompanying Flood Dragons were terrified as they backed away from the raging Sun Dragon. Tralbok was hesitant to say something but soon realized what had just taken place. "Your excellency, we must hurry!"

"I KNOW!!"

Without giving any order, Halmut rocketed away while covered in lightning and wind energy. He showed no care for those in his party, letting them straggle along behind him as he raced toward the end of the maze.

*****

’Jack, we’ve found--’

Before Lunara could report their find, an unexpected flash of spatial energy let Jack plop onto Moranti’s back. And before Lunara finished her report, she immediately pulled out her most powerful potion. "JACK?!"

"I’m... fine..." Jack tried to tell his mom not to worry but she was already forcing the potion down his throat. The hole in Jack’s torso and most of his burns were already healing, but now they were speedily repairing themselves at a speed visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye. "Thanks, Mom..."

"What in Kartonia were you doing?!" Lunara shouted, looking over Jack as if he was just revived from a corpse. "With injuries like that, how are you even alive and in the competition, let alone--"

"I just needed to confirm something..." Jack interjected, not wanting her to freak out too much. "It paid off..."

"And your storage rings?! What about those?!"

"Don’t need them... right, Moranti?" As the Spectral Dragon laughed, catching onto Jack’s hint, A tightly wrapped scroll appeared in Jack’s hand.

Lunara was puzzled. "B-but... How--"

’Ever heard of the skill ’Pocket Dimension’?’ Jack joked, continuing the conversation telepathically. ’All that matters... Is that we have a map now...’

’A what?!’ Both Lunara and Moratni questioned, failing to grasp what Jack meant.

Before saying another word, Jack unfurled the scroll and allowed his system to scan it. The next moment, Jack stored it away again and chuckled. ’Moranti, make two lefts, a right, and then go straight... We’ll reach the treasure chamber.’

’Jack, who did this?!’ Lunara demanded an answer to her worries. ’How could you let this happen?! If you can teleport and escape, why would you allow yourself to get captured?!’

’For Rikko’s theft skill to work properly and steal the right item... I need to be in physical contact with Halmut for quite a while...’

’YOU LET HALMUT DO THIS TO YOU?!’ shouted Lunara, sharing Moranti’s shock. ’You could’ve died?! How would we have ever--’

’Calm down, Mom. I’m not so easy to kill...’ Jack sighed, forcing his body to sit up so he could put his hands on Lunara’s shoulders. ’Right now, Halmut and no other one-star cosmician should be able to kill me. Sure, I’ll still feel the pain... But they won’t be able to kill me. Trust me, okay?’

’I--’

’Mom, please trust me,’ Jack insisted. ’I may choose some tactics that greatly harm my body, but I’ll only do so if I believe the risk is worth it.’

’We can trust him, Lunara,’ Moranti added, catching the goddess off guard.

’What do you mean?! Have you two--’

’I’ll explain everything after we finish the challenge, Mom. But for now, you’ll have to trust me.’

With Lunara forcibly talked down and Moranti nearing the next section of the keep, Jack hurriedly contacted Daruun. ’Gramps, we’ve got a major problem! I got caught the moment I entered the chateau by a shadowy man named 12-13.’

’WHAT?!’ Daruun shouted in distress, the first time Jack had ever heard such a thing from the all-knowing Daruun. ’Are you sure that’s what he goes by?!’

’Yes. He made a barrier restricting telepathy passing to the outside of the chateau and asked about a nexus. Also, Halmut now has two-star items that Oli banned and a map of the keep.’

’WHAAAT?!?!’ Daruun’s shouts grew even louder. ’I’ll handle it from here! Go ahead with your plan, but don’t make a move on Olympic Chateau. Leave that to me!’

A sigh of relief left Jack’s mouth as Daruun finally agreed to take control. Knowing that alone was the greatest relief, giving the strongest of everyone the ability to finally act without any holds barred.

*****

Back in the waiting room, everyone had been horrified of Halmut’s treatment of the captured Jack, but they were also curious what that purple core was supposed to be. Yet they were all puzzled when Jack proved able to escape all along.

While most cosmicians were in awe of both Halmut and Jack, the legendary gods who had already been sidelined were amazed to see that Jack was still breathing and alive while in Halmut’s clutches. They were further convinced that facing Jack and the other gods was becoming more and more futile, on top of what they had learned from Oli about their so-called stimulants.

’OLI!’

Alerted by Daruun’s anxious tone, Oli hopped to his feet and smiled. ’Does this mean--’

’I’m still too far out. You’re up against who I believe is an ISA agent who goes by 12-13. A replacement is already inbound to host the challenge and send you to deal with the problem,’ stated Daruun, being succinct yet extremely detailed. ’He has my son, so I expect no mercy.’

Still in his draconic, gorilla-like form, Oli pounded his chest in excitement. ’Consider it done!’

Chapter 709

Apart from his boosted regeneration abilities and the powerful potion that Lunara had given him, Jack also used a mythic-tier healing spell to speed up his recovery. It was still the first time to have used such items and spells that day so he wanted to heal quickly while he was able.

Given directions, Moranti reached the next and final section of Glacier Keep in record time.

As they exited the maze, the party was in awe of what they found. They had entered an enormous room that spanned multiple floors that no one knew had existed. In the center was a tower of sorts, going from floor to ceiling with hundreds of payable barriers guarding troves of treasure. Dozens of teams were spotted all around the tower, each fighting either another team or more commonly facing a horde constructs guarding the treasures within their troves.

Jack’s party came out of the second floor and they were lined up to see a familiar team at work.

"Jack!" Woltin laughed as he spotted the Moranti with two figures on his back. "So you chose green, how unlucky!"

But Jack made no reply. Instead, Jack and his party shot upward toward the distant ceiling.

"JACK HAS A MAP!!!"

A sudden roar filled the treasure chamber, getting Woltin’s six-man team and all others to look back to Jack with greed. Jack groaned in displeasure as Halmut exited entered from the center floor and followed Moranti closely. The Sun Dragon was the first of many challengers to charge on Jack.

’I can--’

’Let him chase us,’ Jack mentioned to Moranti. ’We have no need to fear him or hold back. Just don’t get hurt as we get circled.’

Moranti nodded as he swerved and evaded the first string of attacks made against them. The first person to reach him was surprisingly Torian, followed by his party. But Moranti evaded the attack without issue. However, as Moranti tried to teleport away from the next barrage of attacks he was thrown into the outside walls of the chamber.

Shaking off the blow, Moranti smiled back to his attack while he was being surrounded. Lunara and Jack stayed on Moranti’s back, not giving up their charge.

"Woltin, you can nullify skills?" Jack asked.

"Maybe... Maybe not..." Wollice chuckled, still facing the largest of construct hordes at the massive, emerald green treasure trove.

Wollice, however, was standing in front of the surrounding mob. The swordsman wielded his greatsword with pride and pointed it toward Jack. "Just hand over the map and half your keys. You can have the scrap treasures as we--"

Before Wollice could finish his threat, a tightly wound scroll was lobbed toward Wollice. At the same time, Moranti teleported to just beyond the crowd and continued pushing forward.

While Wollice and the majority of challengers were satisfied with the surrendered map, that didn’t stop the legendary gods who had now caught up. Not only had Torian’s team with Tyres and Kylon reached them but so did Halmut as Tralbok was close behind.

"HOW DARE YOU, JACK?!" Halmut berated, already preparing his breath, claw, and tail attacks with abundant energy.

’Calm down, Moranti. Your job is to handle Torian’s team,’ Jack ordered, getting his party ready for the final event of his plans. ’Mom, the moment Grixor arrives, he’s all--’

Lunara suddenly hopped off of Moranti and descended rapidly. She was already locked on to the Earthen God emerging from the fourth-floor maze.

’--yours... Thanks, Mom,’ chuckled Jack.

Halmut stopped Tralbok and Torian from stopping Lunara. He preferred having Jack’s party fight separately. That way Lunara or Jack wouldn’t be able to play support and buff their team or try to control the battle’s tempo. And with greater numbers on his side, Halmut liked the odds of having multiple battles at once.

"Torian, shall we?" Moranti entered his hybrid form and bowed his head to the Thundering God.

When Halmut nodded, Torian backed off to create an opening for the God of Space. Halmut then roared at the slower Flood Dragons entering from the second floor, "Support Grixor while Sillo supports Torian!"

The Flood Dragons felt reserved facing their long-time ally and friend but had no choice but to accept it. Sillo rushed past Lunara while Grixor confronted the Water Goddess with a proud, excited grin. The stage was being set and Jack made no objection to letting Halmut stack the deck in his favor.

"Kylon, you’re with us. Support Tralbok and I as we eliminate Jack with great pleasure..." A wicked smile spread across Halmut’s face as his final order was given.

Now, while the Sicabor twins and other challengers rushed back to challenge various treasure troves, they got front row views of three separate battles taking shape. Between the fourth and fifth floors was the matchup of the graceful Lunara against the brawny Grixor, along with two Flood Dragons to support the man. At the seventh floor was the matchup of the speed demons, the devastating Moranti against the electrifying Torian with Tyres and Sillo aiding in battle. And the sixth floor boasted the most interesting battle. There, Jack stood off against three of Kartonia’s most energy abundant challengers which made an incredibly well-rounded team. With Kylon and Tralbok together, they could switch from support to attack indefinitely while Halmut could face Jack head-on alone if he wanted.

Woltin and Wollice were the most intrigued by the scene. Everyone understood that there was animosity among those from Kartonia but seeing this felt too unfair, which made it all the more entertaining. But the twins were also the ones to hurriedly challenge their respective treasure troves, the two largest openings that were either emerald green on the second floor and sapphire blue on the sixth floor. They needed to hurry up if they wanted to have time to put the map to use.

"So... should we wait for anyone else?" Jack asked, eyeing Halmut with a smile. "Or does the runt feel comfortable enough to play now?"

Chapter 710

Halmut trembled and clutched his claws tightly but said nothing in direct response to Jack. He glared at Jack, gradually turning his fuming rage into an even more twisted grin. "I’m done with you, Jack... I don’t want to wait any longer..."

The Sun God launched the first attack of the match-ups. The divided battles had finally been set off and there was no going back now.

Halmut’s breath attack was launched as the Sun Dragon threw a slew of light pillars at the hero. When Jack threw his first spectral flares, they were soon canceled by Tralbok. Kylon said nothing, wearing a blank stare as she spat out steam explosions left and right around Jack.

Jack appeared just outside of the attacks but Halmut was already on top of him with incredible speed, putting his upgraded armor to full use. And Jack also felt himself get slowed, finding himself caught again in Tralbok’s interference. But Jack cast time stop to counter Tralbok and shifted into a four-bloodline transformation to take Halmut on.

As Jack’s arms extended and become wings, a second set of arms grew out of Jack’s torso. Those became club-like forearms with incredible punching and grabbing abilities while covered in barbs to tear apart enemies. A tail sprouted from the small of Jack’s back and black-purple flames danced over Jack’s entire body.

That transformation left everyone in the treasure chamber speechless for a moment. The challengers had all been amazed at some of Kartonia’s unique people, but Jack’s shifting abilities were beyond anything they could’ve expected. Both twins were shocked to see that side of Jack as they now understood why Jack gave them a feeling of trouble as a possible foe.

Halmut wasn’t sure how Jack had managed to grow a second set of arms nor what creature it was that Jack found to gain such a skill, but understood that the Jack before him now was the strongest any of the legendary gods had ever seen. He wouldn’t admit it out loud but Halmut was glad to have the powerful support duo of Kylon and Tralbok aiding him with the unpredictable Jack.

Moranti and Lunara, however, weren’t distracted at all by Jack’s transformation. They were too busy taking the initiative in their own battles.

Moranti unleashed his scythe right from the get-go, hurling hundred-meter spatial slashes with precision and relentless fury. The God of Space had Torian on his toes. While the speeding duo of Sillo and Tryes played second fiddle and kept Moratni from all-out pursuing Torian, the Thundering God fully understood that this wasn’t the same Moranti that they had faced time and time again in the past. Torian was sure that Moranti had leveled up, making him on par with Halmut and a threat that his team of three may not be able to handle.

With that in mind, Torian immediately changed his strategy without verbally announcing it. Torian focused on stalling and keeping Moranti at bay along with Sillo and Tyres. He was afraid of what would happen should Moranti suddenly join Jack and take on Halmut, let alone what would happen should he get caught unguarded.

Lunara took a different approach, as did Grixor. Both of them understood each other and knew what was going to happen. It was the battle to see who was the ultimate tank. For that reason, Lunara, Grixor, and the Flood Dragons fought in their full-sized bestial forms.

On one side, there was the Quake Dragon boasting the greatest physical defense of all Kartonians. His physical brawn would only be rivaled by Dragov in the future after some serious leveling, but that wouldn’t change any time soon. Also, Grixor was one of the strongest physically, making him a legitimate threat to anyone without a strategy to break through his defenses.

On the other side, there was the behemoth Nine-headed Glacial Hydra that stunned all spectating challengers from her size alone, making the powerful Quake Dragon less threatening by default. And though Lunara’s physical defense wasn’t as strong as Grixor’s, even with her frost body, her defense against spells and energy attacks was only matched by Moranti. Yet her health was on par with Halmut’s, making her a terrifying opponent in a battle of attrition.

The Flood Dragons assisting Grixor would be helpful, but they were only lv. 90 and wielded water along with fire, the two magic types that Lunara was best at resisting. Halmut’s reasoning for having them support Grixor, however, was due to Lunara’s compassion for the Flood Dragons. If they were going to be useful at all, it would likely be against Lunara.

Those watching the battles didn’t know what to believe. To them, such a battle made little to no sense.

By having such a massive battle occur now, it would probably lead to no one in Kartonia getting any treasures at all. All the best treasure troves would be raided before the battles would end, so even victory would mean hardly anything. But they enjoyed the show anyway, glad to see that such powerful contenders weren’t a threat to them or the troves they were trying to raid.

There was, however, one legendary god more on edge than ever.

Torian hadn’t forgotten about the sly and crafty swordsman from before. While the others hadn’t exactly forgotten about the newer leisure god, Torian was humble enough to admit that the new god was able to keep up with him while also existing as a threat on par with Moranti. And should that swordsman be lying in wait to join the fray, one of the three battlegrounds would be immediately devastated.

"WATCH OUT FOR THE HELMED SWORDSMAN!!"

That warning alerted the legendary gods, making it easy for them to understand how serious of a threat the swordsman would be based on Torian’s tone alone.

Moranti chuckled, failing to silence Torian as the Thundering God focused on evasion. Mumbling for only himself and Torian to hear, Moranti added, "Oh... You have no idea..."

But Torian had no time to relax. He was fully ready to dodge and weave past Moranti’s many scythe attacks while letting Sillo and Tyres try to keep Moranti from leaving the battle.