For a fraction of a second after Kai said that single word, everything froze, not because anyone understood what he meant, but because the calm in his voice didn’t match the situation at all, and that contradiction alone made everyone pause. The invaders who had been laughing moments ago still had their smiles on their faces, the old men who had been watching still stood with folded arms, and even those fighting were caught in that strange stillness, like the world itself had skipped a beat.Then it happened, not outwardly or with a loud explosion but from within.A very violent surge of wild energy erupted inside five bodies all at once, the delayed force Kai had planted earlier detonating in perfect timing, tearing through their internal Qi flow, rupturing meridians, crushing organs, and sending shockwaves through their bodies that none of them had prepared for. It wasn’t something that could be blocked anymore at all, not something they could react to, because by the time they re

The moment Kai was thrown back and the dust rose around him, Abigail and Emily froze for a heartbeat, not because they didn’t want to move, but because what they felt in that instant hit harder than anything they had experienced in the fight so far. Their expressions tightened immediately, their eyes locking onto Kai’s figure as he struggled to regain balance, and the sight of blood on him stirred something sharp and dangerous in their chests.It wasn’t fear or panic but pure cold and burning anger that was controlled only by the thin thread of trust they still held in Kai.Abigail’s grip tightened around her sword, her knuckles whitening slightly as her breathing deepened, eyes darkening in a way that made it clear she was one step away from throwing everything aside and charging forward without thinking. Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to call out, to say something, anything, but she stopped herself, because she knew if she spoke now, she might lose that control complete

Kai’s thoughts were still racing, trying to piece everything together, when a voice rang out from behind him, sharp and mocking, cutting straight through the tension that had built around the chase.“So…” one of the men called out, his tone laced with amusement, “not regenerating anymore?”The words weren’t loud but they landed heavily Kai didn’t turn immediately, but his expression darkened slightly, because that single sentence confirmed everything he had just realized. This wasn’t just damage. It wasn’t just pressure from the fight. There was something in their attacks that was deliberate and designed to break him down from the inside.Behind him, the four closed the distance quickly, their speed steady, controlled now, no longer reckless or blinded by anger like before. Their earlier rage had cooled, replaced by something far more dangerous and confidence.They had figured it out or rather they had always known.From the distance, Abigail and Emily’s expressions changed at the s

The four men didn’t move and it was not because they didn’t want to but because they couldn’t.If they were giving just even a speck of opportunity, they'll bolt away from here faster than lightening!Cause right now amd, for the first time since they stepped out of that portal, since they laughed, mocked, and cut through everything in their path like it meant nothing, their confidence was gone completely, stripped away so cleanly that what remained underneath was raw, unfiltered instinct.Fear.Their throats tightened as Zora walked toward them, her steps slow, unhurried, almost casual, but to them, every step felt heavier than the last, like something invisible was pressing down on their souls, forcing them to understand a truth they didn’t want to accept.“Wh... what... what is she…” one of them thought, his eyes trembling slightly as he tried to look away but couldn’t.Their instincts did not only whispered but screamed loyal warned about the danger that was slowly approaching the

The atmosphere inside the barrier didn’t settle immediately, not fully or cleanly, because even though the danger was gone and the invaders had been erased like they never existed, what remained was heavier in a different way.It was like everyone was still catching up to what had just happened.The old men stood together, not as confident leaders anymore but as people who had just watched themselves almost make a fatal mistake, and it showed in the way they avoided each other’s eyes and in the way their shoulders weren’t as straight as before.One of them finally exhaled and muttered, “We should have acted earlier.”Another gave a dry laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Acted? Or interfered and died together with them?”“That’s not the point,” the first one snapped, but his voice lacked the force it used to carry, and even he knew it. The point wasn’t what they could have done, it was what they didn’t do, and now that everything had settled, the regret crept in slowly, sinking