THE GUARDIAN'S FINAL QUEST- Adams journey to six worlds

16: Remember

Brody, Gregory, and the entire team were overcome by dizziness, collapsing simultaneously from their respective positions. They remained unconscious for a while until Rick regained consciousness. His eyes scanned the hallway sharply, recognizing their surroundings. He spoke, voicing his surprise.

"We're back here again? I thought this only happened at night when we slept, but clearly, that's not the case," he muttered, his gaze shifting to Gregory beside him. Rick began shaking him awake.

"Gregory, wake up!" Gregory stirred and rose from the ground, followed by Catherine and Juliet.

"What the hell just happened?" they uttered, their eyes gradually adjusting to reality.

"Why are we here? This wasn't the information given to us," Catherine questioned, frustration evident in her voice.

"But what exactly is happening? Why are we awake in this dungeon again?" Juliet woke Sandra up, who joined them in their confusion.

"We're back here again, but it's too soon," Sandra said, her eyes darting around the room, searching for answers.

"Where's Neo? I can't find Neo!" she shouted, getting up from the floor. Suddenly, the door slid open, revealing Neo the goblin and the naked female monsters rushing in. The team saw Brody rising to his feet.

"Neo?" Sandra questioned, but her shock intensified as she noticed blood all over the goblin and stained Neo's boxer shorts—the same ones he had worn while watching TV in the living room. Overwhelmed with sudden realization, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"oh no this can't be"

A group of goblins must have attacked Neo, possibly even killed him. If the goblin was wearing Neo's boxers, something terrible must have occurred.

"No! It can't be. Not my Neo," Sandra whispered through her tears. Neo spotted Gregory, clenched his teeth, and lunged towards the goblin.

"Damn monsters! I'm sure they're somehow responsible for this. Encountering the scaled monster twice in this dungeon is no coincidence. She must have a hand in it. If only I could slay them!" Gregory declared, charging at the goblin, swinging his sword. However, the female monster quickly stepped in, shielding the goblin and taking the blow. She fell into the goblin's arms, and footsteps echoed loudly down the hallway from the open door.

The goblin swiftly grabbed the scaled monster and pulled her to the corner, but he found himself cornered by his friends and Sam's group.

"I won't let you kill him. They are my prey. We caught them first," Sam asserted, pointing his sword mid-air. The goblin attempted to speak, but only garbled sounds came out of his mouth.

"You guys have no idea what you've gotten yourselves into," Catherine interjected, walking forward with anger in her eyes.

"What are you talking about? We entered the dungeon to kill monsters," Sam replied, looking at Suzy and Maria for confirmation.

"Step aside! We need some answers," Brody said, drawing his sword and fixing his gaze upon the goblin and monster.

"And you will give us the answers. We're taking you with us, but first, I'll deal with the useless one," Brody declared, pointing his sword at the goblin. Neo extended his hand, attempting to explain and stop the impending violence, but his words were muffled, spoken in the goblin language. Brody charged towards him, swinging his sword horizontally, aiming to sever Neo's head. Neo swiftly dodged, leaping backward to avoid the trajectory of the blade, narrowly escaping its deadly sweep.

"So, that's how you want to play it? Then I'll make it even more painful," Brody sneered.

"Where is Neo? What have you done to him?" Sandra's voice cracked with tears and concern. Neo struggled to communicate, his voice still muffled. Tears streamed down his face as he evaded several swings from Brody, who toyed with him like a rat backed against a wall. Suddenly, Brody's sword pierced the goblin's right shoulder, reopening the wound inflicted by Sam's earlier strike. Neo cried out in pain, and Brody's foot stomped down on his chest, forcing him to the ground.

"Just stay still and let me kill you slowly," Brody taunted, raising his sword above his head. Neo locked eyes with Sandra, tears falling from his own, extending his right hand towards her pleadingly.

"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" Neo's goblin voice echoed out, his hand outstretched in apology. Sandra believed Neo had been killed or taken away by the mysterious man, which led the goblin to stretch his hand in apology.

"Where is Neo? What have you done to him?" she cried out, tears streaming down her face and pooling on her cheeks.

"I am right here. It's me," Neo's voice trembled, his hand still reaching out, hoping Sandra could hear his feeble words. Sandra collapsed to her knees, overcome with grief.

"I don't think he's alive. He was weak from the start, a failed rank, but he was a good guy. He shouldn't have died. As a reward for revenge, I'll let you kill this goblin," Brody remarked, reaching for a dagger and beckoning Sandra.

"It's your turn." Sandra rose to her feet, approached them, and took the knife from Brody's hands. She kneeled, pinning the goblin to the ground. Neo looked at her, memories flooding his mind—moments of their time together, the passionate kisses they shared, walking to school hand in hand, and the intimate days they spent together. He had hoped to marry this beautiful woman before him. How cruel the world seemed for him to be killed by the one he loved and cherished the most.

Sandra, tears streaming down her face, gazed at Neo's boxers around his waist, lifting the dagger into the air. The scaled monster, crying, lunged at Sandra, hoping to free Neo, but Gregory delivered a violent kick to her face, sending her crashing to the floor.

"I will exact my revenge upon you, slowly and painfully, for what you have done to my boyfriend," she declared with a resolute voice. With precision, she drove the knife deep into the left side of Neo the Goblin's chest, causing blood to spurt into the air, painting a macabre picture.

Neo let out a piercing scream, his pain echoing through the room. Undeterred, she positioned her hands firmly, wielding the dagger with deadly intent, aiming directly for Neo's chest. With a swift swing, she plunged the weapon into his body, causing a torrent of blood to gush out, drenching her face. Retrieving the dagger, she watched as Neo's life flashed before his eyes.

Suddenly, a vision appeared, revealing a man with tan skin features—, silver eyes, and dark hair like Neo's. He was bound by heavy chains on a cobblestone wall, desperately shouting a message. He saw a vision of bronze statues and the entire team which includes Sandra slammed by stones

"Neo, Eric, you must remember! Wake up! The dungeons across the universe are ticking time bombs, and humanity across the multiverse will perish. You are the only one who can stop the Game of Gods. Wake up, or else your friends, your loved ones, your family, and the entire world will be lost. You are the hero destined to save the realms. You are my son, Neo Eric Edward!"

"Father!" Neo exclaimed, his life flashing before his eyes, the urgency in his voice resonating deeply. Thunderous footsteps echoed from the dark passageway.

A figure emerged, adorned in heavy golden armor reminiscent of Odin from Asgard. Towering above normal human, his helmet bore intricate golden patterns, while their eyes glowed with a fierce determination, sparked by lightning.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

The resounding footsteps reverberated through the dark, narrow passage tunnel. Everyone in the hall turned their heads towards the source of the sound. Emerging from the shadows, a man adorned in golden armor walked into the hall, holding a staff of pure gold. His piercing lightning gaze surveyed the room until it found its target, and he uttered a name through his lips.

"Neo!"

The adventurers were shaken to their core by the words that escaped his mouth.

"This is my prey! No one dares touch my prey!" Sam bellowed, charging toward the armored man with his sword raised high above his head.

Closing in on his target, Sam leaped and swung his blade with all his might. But as the sword made contact with the man's armor, it shattered into countless pieces. Sam's eyes widened in disbelief as he witnessed his weapon crumbling before him.

The armored man turned his head, looking down at Sam, who suddenly realized the gravity of his mistake.

Sam saw the man's right hand clenched into a fist, hurtling through the air. The fist collided with Sam's face, sending him soaring into the air with immense force and a shockwave that rippled through the atmosphere. Sam hurtled through the hall, crashing through its walls, and finally landed outside with a deafening thud. Suzy and Maria turned their heads and witnessed a gaping hole with Sam sprawled on the floor. Anger instantly flared within them.

"You wretch! You'll pay for that!" Suzy brandished her staff, beginning an incantation, and a ball of wildfire shot forth. However, the armored man extended his arm, and a golden energy similar to Neo's magic enveloped Suzy and Maria, lifting them effortlessly into the air. With a swift downward motion of his hand, the duo plummeted to the ground, their bodies colliding violently with the unforgiving floor.

The armored man shifted his gaze and noticed Sandra, who thrust her sword toward Neo, intent on finishing him. In an instant, a golden energy snaked around Sandra's body, yanking her away from Neo's grasp and suspending her mid-air. Sandra struggled to regain control, but the inexorable force propelled her backward, crashing forcefully against the wall.

Neo stretched out his right hand toward Sandra, who hardened her body just before colliding with the wall. The armored man resumed his advance toward Neo, seemingly unfazed by the chaos around him.

Gregory, fueled by anger, charged forward, wielding his two axes infused with red energy. However, upon reaching the armored man, Gregory found himself lifted off the ground and ruthlessly slammed into the earth.

Brody glared at the armored man, seething with rage.

"Hey, old man! What do you think you're doing to my friends?" Brody raised his sword, thrusting it into the ground. As he did, thick shards of ice erupted violently from the earth, soaring into the air. Icy ropes adorned with thorns shot forth, entangling the armored man's legs and body, holding him firmly in place.

"Now I've got you!" Brody exclaimed as the icy ropes constricted around the armored man's form.

"You're all weak... You won't be able to defeat her," he taunted, stomping his golden staff gently against the ground.

BOOM!

A brilliant wave of gold erupted from his body, shooting rapidly into the air, visible to the naked eye. The force of the shockwave lifted everyone inside the room off the ground, slamming them violently onto the floor.

The walls cracked and crumbled under the immense power.

As the armored man regained his freedom, he strode towards Neo. Sandra, struggling to stand, confronted him, "I won't allow you to save him. He killed Neo!" In that moment, the female scaled monster, positioned closer to Neo, leaped in front of him, spreading her wings and gritting her teeth against the approaching armored man.

Observing the scene, Neo, looking at the back of the protective creature, slowly lifted his bloodied hand, attempting to speak gently,

"Why are you protecting me? It's too late for me. Escape, run, run! At least I can do this so you all can escape." Neo's golden magic emanated from his body, enveloping the scaled monster.

Sandra watched in awe as she recognized this magic as Neo's. The magic extended to wrap around Sandra's body and then reached out to his friends. "This magic, this warmth," Sandra's thoughts began to connect the dots. A glitches memory flashed through her mind, recalling the Adventurers in the beginning and the sudden appearance of scars on their bodies after killing the Goblins. The flood of memories made her realize that the Goblin were Neo all along.

"No! No! This can't be... It can't be true!" Hot tears streamed down Sandra's face as her mind processed the revelation. She stared at her bloodied hand and the dagger, stained with blood on her face. Her hands trembled as the memories played on a loop, making her question if she was the one who had murdered the love of her life.

"Noooo! kkkkkkkAaaahaaaaaaaaaaah!" Sandra's cry filled the air, expressing her intense pain. The dagger slipped from her trembling hands, hitting the ground. Shocked, her widened eyes and frozen body revealed the overwhelming shock her brain had endured. She couldn't move or take any action; her will, heart, and spirit felt suddenly shattered.

Those enveloped in Neo's warm energy suddenly realized the weight and gravity of the murder they had just committed. The armored man advanced further, while the monstrous girl let out a piercing scream. In an instant, her body transformed, growing in size, and resembling a towering flaming phoenix, cloaked in Neo's energy.

ROOOOOAR!

The flaming phoenix let out a resounding roar, reminiscent of a majestic eagle, breathing fire as it unleashed a stream of volcanic flames from its beak toward the armored man. Reacting swiftly, the armored man conjured a golden shield, redirecting the fire towards it. His staff transformed into a magnificent golden sword, resembling a Roman sword of Troy, now held firmly in his right hand. The giant phoenix attempted to strike him with its talons, but a swing of his sword through the air sliced the flaming regal scales on the phoenix's leg, causing it to scream and fall to the side.

With a stretched left hand, the armored man withdrew Neo's magic from the phoenix's body.

In a final desperate attempt to protect Neo, the phoenix gathered all its remaining magic energy into a glowing ball. Its body and the fiery orb grew brighter and brighter, on the verge of exploding.

Neo gazed at his girlfriend, a bittersweet smile adorning his face, before shifting his gaze to the imposing figure of the armored man standing before him. Recognition dawned upon him, and he realized the man's true identity. The armored man, his eyes fixed on the flaming time bomb about to detonate, extended his hand and enveloped Neo's friends and himself with radiant golden mana energy. Neo's voice resonated with newfound understanding.

"A surge of memories floods my mind, fragments of my forgotten past. You are the guardian, the mortal turned God of the winds. You are Jorromi known as Job, the one who dances with the Gods. And my true name is Adam. You are my father! Where have you been all these years?"

Before he could receive an answer, an earth-shattering explosion erupted as the Phoenix unleashed its fiery power, reducing the dual dungeon to rubble. Neo's eyes witnessed a dazzling display of golden-yellow magic, right before everything vanished into darkness.