What Ethan found most peculiar was that KH3106 could breathe normally inside that strange, viscous substance, sothing that defied logic as much as it baffled him.
"Shatterstar, find sowhere safe to begin recharging, then activate the high-particle stealth shield," KH3106 instructed in a calm, chanical tone.
[Affirmative, KH3106. Also, congratulations on your body returning to normal!]
The ch’s onboard intelligence responded with a chirp of acknowledgnt. That simple remark — congratulating him , made it clear to everyone present that Shatterstar’s system wasn’t just advanced technology; it was a fully sentient AI.
Five minutes of high-speed flight was all it took to leave their pursuers far behind. And with the detonation of that unstable energy sphere earlier, Ethan guessed the death toll would rival, if not exceed, the devastation of the previous volcanic eruption. For now, at least, they were out of imdiate danger.
Shatterstar’s sensors swept the terrain, locking onto a broad, flat plain. The ch descended and released a shimring light barrier that rippled outward, enveloping the area in a protective do.
"The high-particle stealth shield blocks both detection and line of sight," KH3106 explained matter-of-factly. "No one will see us here."
"That’s basically just a concealnt ward," Micah muttered from the side, lips curling into a pout. "I could do that too."
Julian, standing beside him, smirked. "Got a whole stash of rune scrolls lying around?"
Micah went silent. He knew full well that setting up a large-scale concealnt ward took hours of preparation, a small mountain of array plates, and stacks of enchanted scrolls. And yet, this strange machine called Shatterstar had conjured a barrier in seconds with nothing more than a pulse of light, as if plucking it from thin air. For a man who had spent decades mastering runic magic, it was both humbling and infuriating.
The group descended a set of retractable steps from Shatterstar’s chest. The ch carried a massive slab in one hand and a fiery red longsword in the other, setting both down with care. It planted the sword into the ground and stepped back.
The blade imdiately shrank to its normal size once it left Shatterstar’s grasp.
"This belonged to your ancestor," KH3106 said, bowing his head toward Red Snow. "I’m returning it now. My encounter with that Qilin warrior was a complete misunderstanding. I had just crashed into a volcano when he appeared, and without letting explain, he assud I was a monster and attacked with this sword. I was forced to fight for my life, which drained my energy and caused to sink into the lava. For that, I am truly sorry." He bowed deeply.
Red Snow, who had held onto her resentnt for so long, found herself caught off guard. Her anger faltered, replaced by a stunned, uncertain silence.
While she hesitated, Ethan was circling the massive slab, inspecting it closely with his Soul Sense. He had no plans to interfere, rely to observe. Blackie padded after him, eyeing the seemingly wooden construct with as much curiosity as him.
Without warning, Ethan lashed out with a sharp kick, sending Blackie stumbling forward until he tripped and skidded face-first to a stop in front of Red Snow.
Ever shaless, Blackie scrambled to his feet, straightened KH3106 from his bow, and draped an arm over the man’s shoulder. "So, you fell into this place with that thing, right?"
KH3106 tilted his head in confusion but answered plainly. "Yes. I was traveling at high speed through space when this object appeared without warning. I couldn’t slow down in ti and collided with it. I expected to pass through it, but instead it repelled violently, shattering the barrier around this artificial realm and sending crashing down here."
Blackie waved a hand dismissively. "That’s all I needed to hear. You fell with it — that’s enough." He glanced up at Red Snow, who was still watching with guarded eyes. "Tell , Snow... if you saw a strange beast standing on top of what clearly looks like a treasure chest, would you attack it?"
She thought for a mont, then gave a small nod.
"Exactly," Blackie said with a lopsided grin. "In this trial ground, it’s either you take from or I take from you. There’s no right or wrong here. That Qilin was probably just trying to steal this thing and got himself killed for it."
Red Snow frowned at his bluntness, but the expression soon softened. Her hostility toward KH3106 was gone, though her gaze remained distant. She understood the truth of Blackie’s words. Still, the loss of the Supre Sword — the key to awakening her ancestral sanctuary — had brought her people to the brink of extinction. She was the last of her tribe. That kind of wound didn’t fade overnight.
"Alright," Blackie said, releasing KH3106 and tugging gently on Red Snow’s sleeve, "let’s go see what’s inside."
"Thank you..." KH3106 called after them.
Blackie gave a lazy wave over his shoulder, though his pulse was racing. Even the brief contact of holding her sleeve had sent a thrill through him. When they had first t, getting within five ters of Red Snow had earned him a barrage of fireballs. Now... he couldn’t help but grin to himself.
"What are you smiling about?" Red Snow asked suddenly.
"Uh... slurp..." Blackie’s grin froze as he hurriedly sucked back the drool threatening to escape.
Before he could think of a reply, the ground shook.
A thunderous explosion erupted from behind them. All eyes turned toward the source. Ethan was retreating rapidly, each step driving his legs knee-deep into the earth. His Twilight Warspear shot past him, whistling through the air before smashing into a distant volcano and triggering a violent tremor.
"What happened?" Blackie shouted. He knew Ethan’s body was tougher than his own Black Qilin form — and that was saying sothing.
Ethan spat a mouthful of blood but waved them off. "I’m fine!"
Julian approached, scanning the slab. "Ethan, you sure this is a box? It doesn’t seem solid to ."
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Ethan cast a healing spell, the wound sealing almost instantly. "It’s definitely a box, and there’s definitely sothing good inside. But it’s too damned tough — I nearly killed myself trying to crack it."
"Boss, seriously? If it’s a box, why didn’t you just look for a seam or a keyhole?" Blackie blurted out.
Micah snorted. "While you were busy flirting, the three of us already checked every inch. If there was a latch or lock, do you really think the Boss would’ve tried brute force?"
Blackie shot him a glare but didn’t get the chance to fire back.
"Co look at this!" Julian suddenly shouted.
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