Connor explored the space bracelet with his mind, and indeed, the personal space had expanded significantly. Originally eight cubic meters, it was now twenty-four cubic meters. This was the effect of his passive skill "Space Expansion." But what about his active skill "Space Contraction"? He decided to try it out.
Nothing else in the bracelet changed except for the previously absorbed skill "Flame Sword," which began to shine and seemed to want to break free from the personal space. Connor exited out of the back door of the Demon King's palace and there was a loud explosion. The Flame Sword flew out with a hot red light and burned down trees in the distance.
From this initial experiment, he concluded that personal space can store other people's skills and release them later. Space expansion determined how many skills and their scope could be stored in the bracelet, while space contraction determined how quickly and powerfully those skills could be released.
In short, space expansion changes the volume of personal space so that more skills can be absorbed over a wider range. Space contraction changes elasticity so that released skills are faster and stronger.
Could being a courier unexpectedly have combat potential? Knocking on the door interrupted Connor's thoughts.
"Your Majesty, urgent situation," Serence wiped the sweat off her forehead, "The group of people around Lilith are attempting to break through the Black Shadow Legion's defenses and advance towards the First Palace of the Nexus Citadel."
Connor didn't even lift his head. "What? Can't our people hold them back?"
"Your Majesty, you previously instructed us to defend without causing harm to the enemy. At that time, they were using cold weapons and we were unarmed, that wasn't a problem. But now, they have brought out their hot weapons. If we continue to defend like this, our people will be injured," Serence explained.
"Hot weapons? What hot weapons?"
"They somehow managed to get their hands on the Magic Cannon," Serence replied.
"Show me."
Serence pointed in the air and a mirror appeared in front of them. The mirror displayed the image of Cole Garrison standing next to two Magic Cannons, towers that were as tall as humans. The Magic Cannons were made entirely of black iron and inserting a magic crystal into them would create a Magic Bomb with a power level of 7.
The Dwarven Clan had once used two Magic Bombs to destroy the gates of an Orc Tribe's fortress during a war. Due to their excessive power, Magic Cannons were almost never sold to outsiders. The Wind Kingdom had spent a lot of money to buy two of them, which were transported to the capital by sea and eventually to Nexus Citadel.
Now, the barrels of these two Magic Cannons were aimed directly at the First Palace, the Pisces Palace, of Nexus Citadel.
"Garrison, hold on. I know you want to save people and I'm also worried about Connor who has been absent for so long, but attacking the city like this will put us all in danger!" Lilith tried to persuade him.
Although she didn't stay there often and there was nothing special inside, the Pisces Palace was still the room that the Demon King had given her as a gift, so Lilith was anxious at the thought of Garrison blowing it up.
"My younger sister, Connor's every move and word often lingers in my mind," Cole Garrison's tough exterior faltered, and his eyes misted up.
"Facing the ferocious beasts of the Thorny Forest, he remained calm."
"Facing the brutal bandits on the Sentinel Plateau, he led the charge."
"Facing the Nexus Overlord's Nexus Citadel, he made a grand speech: 'A humble position cannot forget national worries'."
"Facing a formidable enemy whose power level is almost unrecognizable, he bravely took the risk just to protect us."
"My younger sister, when we begin attacking the city and attract the enemy's attention, you must find a way to escape. When you return to the capital, report this to the king and ask him to bury my and Connor's remains together."
"On his gravestone, write:
"Connor, a pure person, a noble person, a person who has risen above lowly pleasures."
"On my gravestone, write:
"Your servant, Cole Garrison, died a noble death!"
"Lilith sounds off, and I have to push him away from the magic cannon: "Hey, hey, wait a minute!"
"No. Connor is waiting for me in the city."
Cole Garrison's eyes were full of determination.
"All units, aim at the city!"
"Ah-"
Serence urgently teleports Connor down.
Cole Garrison, who was loading the magic crystal, suddenly heard a familiar voice nearby.
Quickly putting away the magic crystal, he rushed forward: "Connor, wake up!"
Connor, covered in dirt and ash, lay on the ground, struggling to catch his breath.
"Thanks to you... cough... luckily alive."
"It's thanks to us. If you had died..."
Cole Garrison hugged Connor's upper body, helping him up and patting his back. Just about to say something, he suddenly choked up, tears falling from his eyes and onto Connor's face.
"Don't say bad things. I haven't died yet. Even if it's for you, I won't die," Connor coughed a few more times, his breathing gradually returning to normal. He smiled through his pain and said, "After all, two men buried together is disgusting."
"Did you hear everything?" Cole Garrison turned his head and quickly wiped away his tears with his sleeve, changing the subject. "What happened after you used space magic to teleport the elder to another place?"
"It was terrifying. Even now, when I think back to it, it is like a nightmare. The elder and I randomly teleported to the Crimson Standard Gang's stronghold, which happened to be their teleportation point to the underground dungeon gathering."
"What about the people of Crimson Standard Gang?"
"They're all dead. The elder just lifted his hand lightly and summoned a three-eyed demon, a five-legged python, and a Titan with ten arms, and killed all of the Crimson Standard Gang's people in just moments."
"What about you?"
"Luckily, I fainted at the time because the scene was too bloody. They probably thought that I had died from the aftereffects of the attack and didn't bother me anymore. When I woke up again, the elder and his monsters were gone. I slowly searched for my way back."
"That's good. Good thing you got out alive." Cole Garrison's emotions rose and fell as he listened to the description. He breathed a sigh of relief when Connor finally survived and said repeatedly, "You can't be so reckless in the future."
"I know, Cole," Connor said, changing the subject. "But as they say, a crisis often brings opportunity. Just now, I figured out a way to leave the underground dungeon."
"Oh, really?"
"We don't have much time. You should quickly put away the magic cannon, and I'll tell you all about it."
Connor signaled to Lilith and calmly said, "Someone from the Crimson Standard Gang is good at formations. When I woke up, I noticed that a 'Through-the-Wall Array' had been drawn on the wall in the corner, obviously for escape. However, the elder and his men moved too quickly, leaving no breathing room for the Crimson Standard Gang. I don't know if they used it or not, but the formation is still active. As long as we quietly hide, we can activate the formation and return to the surface."
"Very good! Very good!" Cole Garrison nodded repeatedly, then looked at the magic cannon next to him.
"The only problem is that these two magic cannons have already been loaded, and they are very dangerous now. If we put them away now, they might explode on the spot. I'll send two people to keep watch."
"Okay. I'll do it," Connor said.