Everyone turned towards the room's entrance, their eyes widening in alarm. Al was slowly starting to get blood back into his face after regenerating from a fatal, fiery death.
"We can't afford to encounter another Dawn-keeper. Ellie, stay invisible and clear the path ahead of us." Cesar instructed.
Ellie nodded and left the room. Jin and Al followed suit.
Kesha gazed at Cesar, who quickly scooped her up before sprinting out of the room. At each turn, Ellie became visible momentarily to signal to the group that it was safe to proceed.
After the fourth turn, they expected Ellie to reappear, but she didn't, causing Jin, Al, and Cesar to halt. Al was about to sprint to the tunnel's end when an invisible force slammed him against the wall. It was Ellie who dragged Al back to Cesar and Jin.
"Shhh!" Ellie whispered, her voice almost pleading. She covered them with her mirror. Focusing her Reflective Will, Ellie transformed her mirror into a liquid-like metal, enveloping the five of them. A low rumble shook the ground. Two Dawn-keepers flew through the tunnel they were in.
Fortunately, Ellie managed to cloak them, rendering them invisible. The angelic beings of death flew directly overhead, utterly oblivious to their presence, and disappeared into the distance.
"Let's go! We'll take the left tunnel, the opposite direction of where they were flying to," Al whispered, prompting Ellie to move forward.
The group stood still to let Ellie gain some distance. However, Ellie abruptly halted her run and turned right toward the direction of the rumbling.
"What the hell is she doing!? We have no idea what's causing the tunnels to vibrate like that." Al exclaimed in frustration. As they ran after her, they reached the tunnel's end. Al quickly realized why Ellie had decided to go right. To his left side, the tunnel led to a dead end.
They hurriedly followed after Ellie, and soon, a door became visible. However, Ellie was nowhere to be seen.
"Guys, you have to see this!" Ellie's voice suddenly filled the air. She appeared out of thin air. Al and the rest tried to keep their voices down as they followed Ellie into the room.
The room was bathed in brilliant light. At its center stood something horrifying. A 14-foot-tall humanoid beast resembling a twisted amalgamation of human and demonic features. The beast was detained by a dozen metal spears that penetrated its limbs and torso.
Despite the pitiful sight, no blood flowed from the beast's wounds. Its dark metallic body possessed impressive muscularity. It was naked and devoid of reproductive organs. The only thing that moved was an ox-like tail behind his back. Most strikingly, the creature possessed an almost machine-like humanoid face. The broken orange gemstone adorning its forehead captured Al's attention.
As the group observed the beast, it became apparent that it had noticed their presence. Its piercing eyes locked onto Al. Those blood-red orbs exuded a profound and seething hatred that shook Al to his core.
Stumbling backward in fear, he felt his ring shouting repeatedly: "Run! Run! Run!"
Before Al could warn Cesar and the rest, Ellie began screaming in agony, accompanied by a radiant light from her mirror. The brilliant glow flowed into the broken orange gem on the beast's forehead.
Ellie collapsed to the floor while the gem began to glow. In response, the beast unleashed a roar, causing Al to feel as though his eardrums were about to burst. They had undoubtedly discovered the source of what was causing the sewer tunnels to rumble.
The gem on the creature's forehead appeared slowly started to regenerate.
Al felt a greater fear than when they had encountered the Dawn-keeper.
Overwhelmed by panic, he seized Ellie by her robe and began dragging her away. "Go! Go! Go!" he screamed at Jin and Cesar, who swiftly scooped up Kesha again and raced out of the room.
The giant metal poles impaling the beast erupted in bright flames, lighting its entire body on fire. The metal poles became red-hot, causing the beast to roar in anger again.
Breaking free from its restraints, it launched the searing-hot metal fragments that had once held it captive toward Al and the rest.
Luckily, the five had escaped the room. They had even passed a group of 10 Dawn-keepers. Before the Dawn-keepers could make a move, the wall at the room's entrance exploded, sending debris hurtling toward both groups.
Al managed to land on his feet, grazed by a few fragments. Concern gripped him as he thought of Kesha. He let out a sigh of relief after seeing Cesar had shielded her from a massive cement block. Kesha, however, was unconscious and bleeding from her arm. Cesar carefully carried her and ran towards Al.
Jin helped Ellie get up, and the group immediately continued to flee without daring to look back. The explosive scene unfolding behind them surpassed their skill and abilities.
Crashing through the wall, the freed demonic beast clenched the heads of two Dawn-keepers in its blazing grasp, causing their skulls to erupt in flames even they couldn't handle. The remaining Dawn-keepers retaliated with their fiery spells, triggering a powerful explosion that unleashed a torrent of fire, threatening to engulf Al and the rest as they continued their desperate escape.
Al and the group continued to flee, and after a short while, the sound of explosions stopped. Finally, they stumbled upon a ladder and ascended to the surface. As Al opened the hatch at the top, the morning sun rising in the sky greeted his eyes.
A profound sense of relief washed over him. However, as he climbed out of the ladder, a loud honk penetrated his ears, followed by the blinding flash of headlights. In an instant, Al's body flung like a ragdoll as an SUV struck him.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Please, stay still! I'll call an ambulance!" an older woman exclaimed in panic as she rushed out of the car to Al's side. To her astonishment, Al rose to his feet, seemingly unaffected by the incident.
Despite the throbbing pain in his head, Al reassured the lady that he was unharmed and urged her not to call for help.
Confused and still in a state of shock, she observed as Al proceeded to assist a man carrying an unconscious girl out of a nearby sewer hole. A girl and another young man joined them, all donned in gray robes, except for the unconscious girl.
The lady's concern transformed into fear as she tried to make sense of the surreal scene unfolding before her. However, the group swiftly fled the area, leaving her alone on the deserted road.
With her mind spinning, she frantically dialed 911 and described everything that had just occurred. In minutes, what was once an empty street became a hive of activity as police officers and military personnel swarmed the area in response to her call.
Meanwhile, Al and the rest of the group escaped the scene by dashing through the empty streets. Their pace was so fast that anyone who saw them would only see a blur.
"It's best if we steer clear of my mother's house. They have likely searched my car inside and out, gaining access to my identity and address. Any competent police officer will assume we killed the priest." Al explained.
Jin, running alongside Al, nodded in agreement. "We need to return to the Blood Leaf's 15 Mortal Ring and share every detail of what happened. The Dawn-keepers were studying that creature—whatever it was. And, Al, don't forget that you still have the ciborium," Jin added.
Ellie kept pace with the group while remaining concealed, interjecting, "Jin is right, but first, we have to make sure Kesha is well. We should return her safely and tell her to blame us. That way, she won't face any legal troubles," Ellie proposed.
Cesar looked down at the unconscious girl cradled in his arms. He could detect her faint and shallow breaths, a sign that she was still alive. Expressing genuine concern, Cesar voiced his worry. "We should drop her off at the nearest hospital. They can give her the medical attention she needs,"
"And leave her there like some injured animal? Do you have any idea how her family will react? Dropped at a hospital, clinging to life like some dog!" Al's anger flared.
Cesar was unfazed by Al's explosive nature. They changed their course, heading towards the nearest hospital. However, Kesha, who had remained silent until now, mustered the strength to utter the words. "No... no hospital,".
Al immediately halted, causing the entire group to stop suddenly. Cesar glanced at Al, uncertain of what to do next.
"What if we try teaching her Jin's Spearmint breathing technique?" Al suggested, but Jin countered, saying. "Unless her Will is close to awakening, it would be a waste of time."
Al looked at Kesha with a determined smile and softly said, "Kesha is one of the toughest people I've ever met. If anyone can, she can. Let's get off the road and set up camp near the woods," Al then led them away from the main road.
Al sat beside Kesha on the grassy ground away from the road. Kesha had regained consciousness, and the bleeding from her head had stopped. Jin sat before her, patiently explaining and repeatedly demonstrating the Spearmint breathing technique.
Kesha was familiar with breathwork and naturally grasped the technique. However, despite her efforts, she was still in intense pain, and progress seemed elusive.
"It's because your Will hasn't awakened yet, so the breath isn't being converted into Will by your A.R.C.," Al clarified.
He recalled when he had met the Immortal Godfrey, when he had mentioned Al was close to awakening his Will despite him not being a cultivator at the time. He didn't have a clue what had caused him, as an ordinary human, to begin developing his Stubborn Will.
However, he recalled being able to see the black sheep, a dark acolyte who had made his best friend into a hybrid abomination. Being able to see etheric beings, such as dark or light acolytes, was a sign of someone with an awakened Will.
"Is it possible that my Will awakened naturally because of my boxing training?" Al wondered, searching for any way to assist Kesha.
"Kesha, do you remember when we were both 13, and you insisted on boxing with me? Even though you knew it could tarnish your undefeated record," Al began, watching as Kesha nodded slowly while continuing to practice the Spearmint breathing technique.
Despite her pain, she was curious about where Al was going.
Al smiled warmly, continuing his reminiscence, "You used to say you could beat anyone, boy or girl, your age, in the gym. Despite challenging everyone, no guy stepped into the ring with you simply because you were a girl. We had been friends for a few years, and I could sense the frustration you were experiencing. So, I decided to get into the ring with you."
Kesha stared at Al with suspicion, her eyes narrowing. "Yeah, and I remember kicking your ass fair and square. After that, I went on to win my first tournament," she retorted before cringing in pain from her injuries.
Al hesitated to finish. However, he knew how dire their current situation was. "Well, um, that's because I let you win..." he confessed.
Before he could explain himself further, Kesha, consumed by anger, abruptly stood up.
However, she quickly felt a wave of dizziness washing over her and lost her balance.
"Yes, focus on that feeling! Kesha, perform the breathing technique now while concentrating on how your emotions and thoughts align with your Will." Al urged, displaying an understanding that most disciples took years to grasp.
If Romann had been present, he would have been impressed by Al's comprehension.
Kesha, sensing the shift in Al's demeanor, quickly sat back down and followed his instructions. At first, she felt no discernible difference. But after a few seconds, a cool sensation began to emanate from her abdomen, specifically her navel.
Gradually, the coolness spread throughout her entire body, reaching her head. Then, suddenly, a loud cracking sound echoed, followed by Kesha's piercing screams as excruciating pain coursed through her head. As the coolness penetrated her mind, she lost consciousness, her face turning pale.
Al looked at Kesha, remorse filling his eyes, and then turned to Cesar. "Cesar, can you pick her up? We'll take her back to her house, as Ellie suggested, and then we'll run to the 15th ring at full speed."