Doctor Lin nodded quickly. Tears filled his eyes. "I will tell them. Good luck, Ghost Doctor." Lin turned and ran as fast as he could toward the exit of the temple, clutching the book that would destroy the Guild's lies forever. Rick, Luna, Isaac, and Ash began their descent. They walked down the spiraling stone stairs. Their boots echoed loudly in the massive, empty space. They climbed down for what felt like an hour. The air grew hotter and hotter. Sweat poured down Rick's face. Luna breathed heavily. The walls of the stairwell were covered in thick, slimy, black mold. Finally, the stairs ended. They stepped off the last step. They stood on a flat, natural rock floor. Rick raised his glowing green staff high above his head. The green light illuminated the massive underground chamber. Luna gasped. She dropped her iron wrench. Isaac took a step backward, completely frozen in shock. Ash stared silently with her giant black eyes. "By the gods," Isaac whispered. His voice tremb

The broken pieces of crystal instantly knitted back together. The wound sealed perfectly, leaving a smooth, glowing green scar. The heartbeat grew just a tiny bit stronger. The rhythm sped up slightly. "It is working!" Isaac yelled in amazement. "The patient's vital signs are improving!""Do not celebrate yet!" Rick panted, wiping sweat from his face. "We have ninety-nine spikes left. Move the platform up!"Rick raised his hands and commanded the floating platform of earth to rise higher. They moved to the next giant rusted spike. The operation continued. It was a masterpiece of teamwork. Isaac shot the chains. Luna smashed the base. Rick pulled the spike. Ash ate the toxic poison. Rick sealed the wound with green fire. They moved faster and faster. They worked together flawlessly. They were not just a group of friends anymore. They were the greatest surgical team in the history of the world. Ten spikes removed. Twenty. Fifty. Eighty. The giant crystal heart began to glow b

The dark, underground cavern was falling apart. Giant pieces of black stone rained down from the ceiling. The heavy rocks hit the black lake, splashing toxic water high into the air. Rick stood on top of the giant, crystal heart. The heart was completely silent. The beautiful green light inside the crystal had turned a dull, dead gray. The earth’s magical battery had flatlined. The planet was dying. "Rick!" Luna screamed from the floating green platform. "The cavern is collapsing! We have to run!"Auditor Isaac stood next to Luna. He pushed his cracked silver glasses up his nose. He looked up at the falling rocks. "There is nowhere to run, Luna," Isaac said. His voice was perfectly calm, but his pale gray eyes were full of dread. "If the True Core dies, the entire continent will crumble into dust. The city above us will fall into the abyss. We have less than two minutes before the ground completely shatters."Rick did not run. He did not look up at the falling rocks. He stared dow

"Isaac," Rick called out, turning his head slightly toward the hidden platform. "Protect the girls. Keep them safe. I will handle the guards."Isaac stepped out from behind the stone pillar. He stood firmly in front of Luna and Ash. He raised his silver pistol with both hands. "I will hold the line, Doctor," Isaac said smoothly. Isaac’s pale gray eyes scanned the battlefield. He was no longer an auditor counting money. He was a protector. For the first time in his life, he was using his brilliant, calculating mind to save lives instead of destroying them. Three Crimson Guards noticed Isaac. They aimed their yellow rifles at the man in the ruined white suit. Isaac did not blink. He calculated the exact angle of their weapons. Isaac fired three times. The pure white deletion magic shot from his pistol. He did not aim for the guards' bodies. He aimed slightly above their heads. The white light hit a massive, overhanging stalactite of stone on the ceiling. The magic deleted the bas

"You think you can save them all?!" Kane screamed like a madman. "You think you have enough magic to cure an entire army before they blow up?! Let us find out!"Kane raised the black remote control. He did not press one button. He slammed his hand down on the master override switch. Instantly, a chorus of high-pitched beeping filled the massive cavern. All forty-six Crimson Guards dropped their weapons. They fell to their knees on the rocky floor. They grabbed their chests. The bright, toxic purple light began to flash through the cracks in all of their armor at the exact same time. Kane had triggered every single bomb. "In ten seconds, they will all detonate!" Kane laughed crazily, running backward toward the dark exit tunnel. "You cannot defuse forty-six bombs, Doctor! You die today!"Luna screamed from the barricade. "Rick! Run! Come to the shield!"Isaac raised his silver pistol. He aimed at the guards. "I can delete five of them before they explode! Rick, get out of the blas