THERE was a sudden commotion inside the headquarters of the Akatasuna Guild upon hearing Krecia’s report. Jie was still recuperating his energy from the sparring, and he could not calm down, knowing Nyssa had probably lost her life at this very moment.Everyone gathered inside the war room. Damien and Ryker were busy contacting their subordinates who were available to aid them. Since the schedule of the Bestowing has changed, some members of the guild who needed to travel to Ankhe would not make it in time.“Our force will be weakened compared to what I originally planned. Some guild officials went to Astraea since the chief called for them,” Ryker said, mentioning their main base. He kept tapping the hologram in front of his face, coming from the communication crystal. “This communication device is unreliable sometimes.”“Probably the magic waves around your estate are messed up. Don’t forget you are on th

 ZORA and Criston were positioned on each of Jie’s sides as they continued to advance, going to the emperor’s chamber.“I can’t be wrong. The holder is inside,” Zora said.“I can feel the presence of the Luominen, too.” Criston seconded. He carefully cracked the invisible shield located at the chamber’s entrance without alerting the dragon riders hovering around outside. Criston ensured it was safe to get in.When Jie finally set foot in the emperor’s chamber, he and his companions were immediately greeted by the vast hall with a golden throne a few meters away from them. Beside the throne, there was a twin crystal similar to the one they found in the high mage’s tower. One had a green liquid, and the other was empty, but there was a luminous swirling sphere connected to the other crystal.As Jie went closer, he was petrified when the realization hit him. He could now see a child ins

THE situation was worse than Jie had imagined. He did not hesitate to unleash his hellfire, and a few hundred soldiers were caught in it. The first wave seemed to be effective, but for the next attack, the thousands of armies summoned their fire shields to protect themselves from the raging hellfire.Damien ordered him to halt his aggression when the emperor appeared before them.“Don’t overdo yourself, Ethros. Let us handle your escape; the priority is Luominen,” Damien said. He was already sweating hard and barely catching his breath.“We are surrounded. Do you really expect me to just stand here?” Jie was losing patience. There was no way out, especially now that they were cornered like rats and had nowhere to go but surrender.Damien’s jaw flexed. He knew very well that if they kept resisting, no matter how strong their power, they’d end up dead. They wouldn’t stand a chance against the thousand soldiers, plus the emperor himself was there.“Calm down and surrender,” Damien said i

NACHT, the man in a dark-hooded robe, ensured the safe passage of Ethros carrying Nyssa to the watchtower. He took advantage of the turmoil around him for Ethros to exit unnoticed, even though most of the high-ranking officials were specifically targeting the siblings. “Run faster!” Nacht muttered as he kept checking Ethros’ progress. When the emperor unleashed the gigantic magic circle, he was agitated about the safety of the two. He silently prayed that, by now, Ethros had already crossed the portal and exited Asterig. They must be away from the city as much as possible to be safe. Nacht was relieved when the massive magic circle was gone and the emperor, along with the king and the high mage, left the battlefield. “Deputy Chief!” A voice called him. It was not long when the scarlet-cloaked man came bearing the same insignia of the Akatasuna Guild. “Ryker!” Nacht immediately recognized the man, despite wearing a mask covering half of his face. “Are they safe?” Ryker asked

THE warm temperature inside the portal made Jie calm his raging mind. He loosened up, thinking that he had been led into a trap. He walked in a straight path for a few minutes, but he felt like he was doing it for a long time. “Nyssa, we’re near the end of this. We’ll be free,” he mumbled as his grip on the little girl’s body tightened. Jie hastened his pace, and he reached the end of the portal. He suddenly materialized in an unfamiliar, barren forest. The gigantic trees were dried, and the burning sandy soil penetrated through his leather boots. “Is this in Asterig?” he asked himself. Jie recalled the masked man who helped him, and he imagined that the type of forest that would greet him was a lush one. He gazed around, looking for a possible water source to quench his thirst. He lost a lot of energy since they infiltrated the watchtower, and even though he successfully entered the portal, their safety was not yet guaranteed. Jie alerted his senses when he heard the snappin