Chapter 101: Fighting the Guardian

Chapter 101: Fighting the Guardian

Seana immediately sensed it.

"They’re combining their energy."

The mites crawled over one another, their shells locking together. Their bodies fused into a larger creature nearly twice the size of a human.

The fused creature opened its mouth.

A concentrated red beam formed inside its throat.

Lothe grabbed Seana’s hand.

"Move."

He activated Void Step.

CLICK!

The two vanished just as the beam was released.

BOOOOOOM!

The red beam tore through the corridor, destroying the stone wall behind them.

Lothe and Seana reappeared several meters away.

The fused creature turned toward them.

Lothe studied its body through [Qi Sight].

The red energy was flowing through the symbols on its shell.

Every symbol was connected.

The creature wasn’t simply stronger because its bodies had merged.

It had formed a temporary Array.

"The symbols on its body are connected," Lothe said.

Seana tightened her grip on her sword.

"Can you break them?"

"Not directly."

Lothe raised his hand.

The Void Spear disappeared.

Instead, several Talismans appeared between his fingers.

"I can interfere with the connections."

The fused mite charged.

Its six arms slammed against the ground.

BOOM!

The corridor shook.

A wave of red energy spread through the floor.

Lothe used Void Step.

CLICK!

He appeared beside the creature’s left leg and attached a Talisman to one of the glowing symbols.

The creature twisted instantly, swinging a claw toward his chest.

Lothe rotated his body, allowing the claw to pass beside him.

He attached a second Talisman to its shoulder.

Then a third to its abdomen.

The creature roared and released another red beam.

Lothe vanished just before the attack reached him.

CLICK!

He reappeared behind the creature.

The three Talismans began glowing.

"Now, Seana!"

She understood immediately.

Her blood flowed from her fingertips, forming a thin red thread.

The thread entered the first Talisman.

Then the second.

Then the third.

The three Talismans connected.

A small formation appeared across the creature’s body.

[Bloodbane.]

Seana injected her poison into the formation.

The red symbols on the creature’s shell flickered.

The energy circulating through its body began to change.

The fused mite staggered.

Its own energy pathways turned against one another.

The red glow faded.

Its body began separating.

Lothe raised his spear. He didn’t infuse any Qi into it m, he just threw it forward.

SHING!

The spear struck the center of the temporary Array.

The three Talismans redirected the impact inward.

BOOM!

The fused creature exploded into dozens of dead mites.

Silence returned to the corridor.

Seana waved her hand.

The blood needles returned to her body and vanished into her bloodstream.

Lothe glanced at the broken remains.

"Your poison is becoming more dangerous."

Seana smiled faintly.

"That’s because I’ve been studying it."

She crouched beside one of the dead creatures.

Her Blood Qi entered the corpse, revealing its internal structure.

"This species doesn’t naturally produce the energy in its shells. The palace is supplying it."

Lothe’s eyes narrowed.

"Through the walls?"

"Through the Runes."

Seana pointed toward the creature’s dead body.

"The symbols on its shell are connected to the palace’s formation.

They were probably created to defend this corridor."

Lothe looked toward the dark passage ahead.

The Palace had not merely placed monsters inside.

It had connected them to its defensive network.

Every creature was a part of the formation.

And the stronger the intruder, the stronger the response would become.

A faint vibration suddenly passed through the corridor.

Lothe and Seana raised their heads.

Far ahead, something metallic scraped against stone.

Once.

Twice.

Then dozens of red symbols illuminated the darkness.

Seana’s expression became solemn.

"That doesn’t sound like another group of mites."

Lothe tightened his grip around the Void Spear.

"No."

The darkness ahead shifted.

A massive silhouette slowly emerged from the corridor.

It had the body of a beast, but its limbs were covered in ancient metal plates. A large circular Rune glowed in the center of its chest.

Lothe activated [Inspect].

For several seconds, nothing appeared.

Then the system finally responded.

[WARNING]

[Target Analysis Incomplete.]

[Ancient Palace Guardian detected.]

[Rank: Unknown]

[Threat Level: High.]

The guardian raised its head.

Two red lights appeared beneath its stone-like brow.

Seana’s hand moved toward her Blood Moon Sword.

Lothe took a step forward.

The Guardian opened its mouth.

A deep, mechanical roar echoed through the corridor.

At the same time, somewhere far above them, the Ancient Palace released another pulse of energy.

Every Rune in the corridor lit up.

The battle had only just begun.

—————————

The heavy, metallic footsteps of the Ancient Guardian echoed through the dimly lit corridor, making the dust fall from the ceiling.

Its massive frame—part beast, part ancient metal armor—towered over four meters tall. The circular Rune embedded in its chest glowed with a dull, menacing crimson light, supplying a constant stream of ancient energy throughout its body.

BOOM!

The Guardian lunged forward, its heavy metallic claw sweeping horizontally toward Lothe and Seana. The wind generated by the strike alone was sharp enough to cut through solid rock.

"Back!" Lothe called out.

CLICK!

Lothe used [Void Step], appearing ten paces behind his original position.

At the same time, Seana leaped lightly into the air, her light red robes fluttering as she flipped over the sweeping claw. Landing gracefully on a protruding stone pillar along the wall, she flicked her wrist.

Three slender, glass-like Blood Needles materialized between her fingers.

She didn’t aim for the heavy metallic armor. Instead, her sharp eyes caught the organic, mutated flesh exposed at the Guardian’s shoulder joints.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

The blood needles pierced straight into the creature’s joint tissues.

Immediately, a dark-green, corrosive vapor sizzled against the beast’s flesh. Seana had blended her refined Corrosive Qi-Blocker Poison directly into the blood needles.

The moment the poison entered the creature’s bloodstream, it began rapidly dissolving the organic conduits feeding energy into the arm.

The Guardian’s left arm twitched violently. The crimson light glowing in its joint dimmed.

ROAR!

The creature let out a low, mechanical roar, turning its glowing red eyes toward Seana. It raised its uninjured right arm, gathering a sphere of volatile, compressed energy in its palm.

"Not so fast," Lothe’s calm voice echoed from the side.

Lothe drew three sheets of blank Spirit Paper from his sleeve. With a swift flick of his wrist, his Void Qi inscribed three ancient runes onto the paper in a fraction of a second.

[Convergence Rune]

[Stabilization Rune]

[Compression Rune]

"Tri-Runic Disruption Array!—Activate" Lothe shouted, tossing the talismans into the air.

The three talismans didn’t attack the Guardian directly. Instead, they flew toward the glowing circular Rune on its chest—the central core supplying energy to the entire construct.

The talismans attached themselves directly to the edges of the central Rune.

HUMMMMM!

A purple triangular formation manifested over the central core. ​