A loud explosion echoed throughout the cave. In an instant, every clay jar hidden inside the small openings along the walls shattered all at once.The souls that had been trapped inside for so long were finally released.One by one, they drifted out as faint white mist, slowly spreading through the air. They didn’t just vanish right away, because of the heavy, unnatural energy in this place, they lingered briefly, maintaining that ghostly form. But without the jars to contain and sustain them, they gradually faded, becoming invisible to the naked eye.Freed from their confinement, each soul was naturally drawn back to its source. That invisible connection would guide them home, allowing them to return to their rightful bodies.Hudson had sealed the souls of Hannah and Hyan for a reason. He didn’t have time to wait for their souls to find their way back on their own. Even though this canyon wasn’t too far from the Garcia family’s location, it was faster, and far safer, for him to bring

The world was vast, full of things most people would never believe.Hudson had long known that creatures like dragons once existed. But those were ancient legends, stories buried in time.What he never expected… was that one would still be alive, sealed deep within Sandigan Valley in California.What shocked him even more was the sheer recklessness of the White Night Gate. Just to kill him, they had actually released something like this.If this creature ever made it out…The destruction it could cause was unimaginable.A crushing pressure bore down on him, suffocating and relentless. And yet, Hudson remained calm. There was no panic in his eyes.He understood one simple truth, panic wouldn’t help him survive. If anything, it would only get him killed faster.As the restraints on his body were lifted, his aura surged upward, growing stronger and sharper by the second.The cave was dim, but he could still clearly make out the creature’s form.At its core, it resembled a massive serpent

“Quick! Call a doctor, he needs help now!”Seeing Hudson’s condition getting worse by the second, Hansel and the others were on edge, panic written all over their faces.Because of the earlier evacuation order issued by the local authorities, many doctors had already left the hospital. Even assembling a proper emergency team was difficult.Fortunately, some staff had stayed behind to take care of existing patients. After a brief scramble, a small team of doctors gathered and rushed Hudson into the emergency room.To keep a close eye on his condition, Rodolf and Hansel followed inside.Normally, hospital rules wouldn’t allow outsiders in the ER, but the attending doctor recognized Hansel and didn’t dare stop him. Besides, Hudson wasn’t an ordinary patient. Having trained fighters nearby might actually help them understand his condition better.The doctor quickly cut away the blood-soaked clothing wrapped around Hudson’s body, preparing to clean and stitch his wounds, But then, he froz

A faint red glow began to pulse beneath Hudson’s chest.If someone looked closely, they would see it, the dragon-shaped jade pendant hidden beneath his skin, faintly shining.As the red light flickered, something strange happened.A thin layer of black scales briefly appeared across Hudson’s body, then vanished just as quickly, like an illusion.“Hm…?”Shienna stirred in her sleep. She felt something was off.Her eyes opened slightly, and for a brief moment, she saw a faint red glow coming from Hudson’s chest.She glanced around the room, confused.Everything seemed normal.After a moment, she shook her head lightly and closed her eyes again.But sleeping like that, slumped over the bedside, was uncomfortable.She hesitated for a second… then made up her mind.Carefully, she climbed onto the bed and lay beside Hudson, gently holding his arm as she drifted back to sleep.Time passed quietly.The Shekat Sect quickly mobilized and released an official explanation for what had happened.A