CHAPTER NINETY-NINE“Fine then,” Marcus said, his voice dropping low as the dark-green aura around his moon-glass blade turned red. “Since you won't comply, don't blame me for being ruthless.”With an explosive burst of magic, Marcus raised his greatsword high, intending to bring the full strength of his predatory soul-force down on Marylyn and the rest of the group.But he never got the chance to strike.Zane appeared directly in the middle of the path. Moving speedily, he swung his heavy, un-enchanted iron broadsword upward, intercepting the descending moon-glass blade.The collision of brute steel and toxic green magic sent a shockwave through the pearlescent stone beneath their feet, completely diverting Marcus's attack.Before Marcus could recover his balance, Trigger was already moving. Flanking Zane, she closed the distance instantly, her dual serrated blades cutting through.Together, Zane and Trigger launched a fierce, coordinated counter-attack, pushing Marcus back against t

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND ONEZane, Trigger, Jinx, and Edgar materialized inside the hollow heart of the Yggdras-Core.The interior was breathtaking, an endless, soaring cavern forged from towering columns of translucent white bark.This was a monumental archive of forbidden knowledge. Floating platforms, tethered by nothing but ancient magic, drifted lazily through the vast open space, each one stacked precariously high with thousands of ancient books, glowing parchment scrolls, and strange, archaic artifacts.Millions of glowing particles drifted around the platforms like fireflies, illuminating rows upon rows of texts containing secrets of realms long dead.Zane lowered his iron broadsword slightly, his boots clicking softly against the polished wooden floor of the central platform. He looked up at the overwhelming expanse of floating shelves.“We're in. But looking for one specific document in a place this massive is going to be impossible. We have no idea how to find which book is

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THREEThe agonizing cries from Jinx’s cell muffled behind a shifting column of granite as the mountain’s heavy consciousness locked onto the third pillar.Trigger felt the gravity press on her in an instant.The air pressure spiked so violently that the wind was knocked completely out of her lungs. Her knees slammed into the brown stone with a jarring crack, and her dual serrated blades clattered against the floor as her fingers lost their grip.In front of her, the dark clay wall bubbled and cracked, displaying a vivid projection of a massive, blazing fire back on Earth.She was looking at the wreckage of her family’s facility.The flames roared unnaturally, casting a sickening orange glow across her face. In the center of the inferno lay the lifeless bodies of her parents and her sibling.The projection forced her to relive that exact, helpless moment—standing as a child, watching the fire consume everything she loved, her screams swallowed by the crackle of

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIVEThe turquoise vortex swallowed them whole, pulling the group into a submerged realm of crushing blue. Water closed over their heads like a living thing, pressing against their chests with the lingering fatigue from the Earth Trial.Every limb felt heavier, every breath a labored fight through liquid resistance.Zane broke the surface first on a wide, floating platform of slick black rock ringed by churning waves. “Stay close! Don’t let the water pull you apart!”Trigger hauled Edgar up beside her, water streaming from her serrated blades. “Adult Kid, you stay dead center. No hero shit. You hear me?”Edgar coughed violently, eyes wide with panic. “Yes… yes! I—I don’t know how to fight these things! I can barely swing a stick!”Jinx spun into position on Edgar’s left, her stance was low and steady despite the drag. “Then don’t swing. Just stay between us. We’ve got you.”The pressure bore down harder, sapping strength from their shoulders and thighs. Sylph

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN⚠️Disclaimer: Readers discretion advised.“It’s… it’s the wind?”The words barely left Jinx’s lips before the left pillar of flame howled. The colorless fire surged across the stone, slamming into them with renewed hunger.Fresh layers of skin on Jinx’s arms bubbled and peeled. Zane felt the heat spike along his neck and chest, blisters bursting as another layer stripped away. Trigger’s back arched, a hiss escaping her gritted teeth as flames chewed deeper into her shoulders.The pain multiplied. Every nerve screamed as if dipped in molten metal.Zane forced his jaw open, voice hoarse. “No—echo! It has to be echo!”The pillar roared louder. The fire tripled, a white-hot explosion engulfed their lower bodies. Skin sloughed off in curling black sheets from their legs and feet. “Damnit!” Zane’s knees buckled first. He crashed down hard, broadsword clanging against the stone as agony ripped through him like blue lightning.Jinx collapsed beside him, her scre