Chereads / SPECIAL STAR / Chapter 38 - WILLPOWER TO SURVIVE

Chapter 38 - WILLPOWER TO SURVIVE

Barbra finds herself in Adam's realm, traversing a lengthy and rugged path. She wipes away her perspiration and comments that this journey will be quite time-consuming. Several hours of jogging pass before she spots Adam ahead of her, walking. Barbra calls out to Adam and starts running in his direction. As she closes the distance, Adam suddenly begins to run away, and during this pursuit, the air around them starts to whirl. Barbra finds herself struggling against a powerful wind gust, but she persists and keeps chasing Adam.

As Adam continues running, he suddenly ascends into the sky, lifted by the gust of wind. Barbra perseveres through the wind and pursues Adam even as the gust forms into a tornado, gaining intensity. The tornado spins Barbra around and flings her back onto the rocky road, causing her head to collide with a pile of rocks. Fortunately, she is quickly revived with the magical apples provided by Gand. Barbra promptly gets back on her feet and resumes her pursuit of the tornado.

Barbra continues to be torn apart by the tornado and thrown onto the rocky road, only to be revived repeatedly. This cycle repeats hundreds of times, but with each iteration, she inches closer to Adam. In one of her attempts, Barbra gets close enough to see Adam in a state of fear, with an arrow through his eye. However, she is once again flung away and crashes onto the rocky road.

Moments later, as Barbra opens her eyes, she finds the sky bathed in a white hue. Getting up, she notices the wolf-masked girl standing before her. The girl extends her hand, and Barbra takes it. The wolf-masked girl explains that they won't reach Adam using the same approach and proposes a different strategy. With a snap of her fingers, a large hot air balloon materializes nearby. They quickly board it and ascend into the sky, catching up with the tornado while maintaining a higher altitude to stay clear of its dangerous vortex.

Barbra responds by expressing her intent to jump directly through the tornado to reach Adam. The wolf-masked girl acknowledges this plan and emphasizes the importance of addressing the arrow in Adam's eye. As the hot air balloon hovers directly above the tornado, Barbra conveys her gratitude to the wolf-masked girl, acknowledging that she wouldn't have made it this far without her assistance. She then takes a leap from the hot air balloon and descends through the tornado, quickly reaching Adam. Upon grabbing Adam, the tornado abruptly ceases, and they crash onto the road below.

With Adam safely in her arms, Barbra proceeds to extract the arrow from his eye and embraces him. She reassures him by explaining that Conor was unaware of his identity when he shot him. She then employs her magical abilities, projecting her memories onto the white sky. As the memories materialize of what Mai shown Barbra, Conor and Mai can be seen engaged in a conversation around a bonfire through a computer screen. Witnessing his son Conor's emotional discussion, Adam begins to calm down. Conor admits to Mai that he was unaware that the person he shot was his father. He expresses remorse, acknowledging that his actions may have contributed to his father's mental breakdown. Conor becomes emotional and emphasizes his desire to have his father in his life and hopes for his forgiveness.

The memories gradually fade away, and Adam begins to relax. He gazes up at the hot air balloon, where the wolf-masked girl stands, as the sky returns to its normal state. Both the hot air balloon and the wolf-masked girl vanish through magical means. Overcome with emotion, Adam closes his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. Eventually, he transforms into a pink-colored magical energy. The scene transitions back to the grassy field, where Barbra watches the pink magic flow into Adam's magical heart. Gand descends from the radiant tree, informing Barbra that they are now one step closer to fully healing Adam. Eager to proceed, Barbra expresses her reluctance to wait and decides to perform the final step of healing right away. There's a brief pause from Gand, leaving Barbra curious about what's wrong. Gand quickly brushes off the awkward moment and encourages Barbra to continue with the final healing step.

Barbra closes her eyes and finds herself on a mountain during the night, overlooking a fiery lava-filled landscape below. She hears Adam's agitated voice nearby and observes him shrouded in red magic, his eye ablaze with flames. As Barbra begins descending the mountain, she suddenly experiences a minor heart attack. Perplexed, she looks around as her body starts to flicker with magic. Back in the real world, Barbra remains unconscious. Nearby, there is a powerful explosion that shakes the mall. Stella rushes to move Barbra away from the edge and tends to her head wound. She places Barbra in the daycare's lobby before returning to Adam's room, where she discovers cracks forming beneath Adam's bed. The floor gives way, and Stella jumps to grab Adam's hand, preventing him from falling from a great height.

Stella quickly rescues Adam and witnesses the ongoing battle between the Lion monster and Rex, amidst numerous explosions ravaging the town. She desperately calls out Agustin's name, hoping for a halt in the destruction. Nearby, on a hill, Henry and Jarvis observe the chaos unfolding as the three monsters wreak havoc. Henry's laughter echoes as he remarks on how the people of Old Berry Town naively believed that a truce was possible after the harm inflicted upon his father. Jarvis concurs, stating that this war is, in fact, not Volk's war but instead their war. Henry's smile widens, and he leaps from the hill, descending with great speed to land atop a town building. With arms outstretched, he revels in the mayhem and instructs his monsters to eliminate anyone and everything, exacting retribution for the town's actions against his family.

Out of the blue, Mikey vaults onto the rooftop, unsheathing his sword with determination. He boldly proclaims that Henry had devoured the Face Machine, which serves as the heart of the Riders' entertainment system and he will be the one to end it all. Mikey charges forward just as Henry summons three grotesque monster rats from within his body to assail him. With remarkable agility, Henry evades the onslaught and swiftly dispatches each rat with a single, precise strike. However, before Mikey can deliver his sword's blow to Henry, a powerful gust of wind propels him violently into an adjacent town building.

Simbad successfully catches up with the formidable seagull monster, and he concentrates his magical energy for the next critical strike. In a moment of compassion, he offers a heartfelt apology to Kayla. With unparalleled precision, he delivers a powerful slash to the creature's back, leaving behind a massive, gaping wound. The seagull bellows in agony and spirals into a frenzied motion, generating a destructive tornado that sends Simbad hurtling onto the streets below.

Mai's voice then comes through his earpiece, informing him that these monstrous entities are, in fact, Agustin, Kayla, and Jean. She shares valuable intel, indicating that, based on the insights provided by Kiren and Mikey, they can penetrate the monsters' forms and extract their true bodies to free them from this ordeal.

Meanwhile, Rune finds himself locked in a fierce battle against the monkey monster. He communicates through his earpiece, highlighting the monster he's fighting is different from Agustin's monster. Rune's gaze is drawn to the grotesque transformation unfolding before him, as the lower half of the monkey's body morphs into a dog-like monster, Rune is taken aback by this revelation, realizing that this creature is indeed a product of the Riders' ingenuity.

During this intense battle, Kayla experiences a sudden and haunting flashback. She opens her eyes and finds herself submerged in a water-filled container. Her vision reveals a chilling scene where Henry is conducting an operation on Agustin on an adjacent table. A sense of dread washes over her as she turns to the side, observing Jean confined in a similar water container.

Henry becomes aware of Kayla's consciousness and approaches her container. With an eerie smile, he acknowledges her formidable willpower for waking up at this moment. He then divulges that Agustin was merely a test subject, while Kayla and Jean will be forever linked to him, serving as his backup files should he meet his demise in this ongoing war. The disconcerting encounter with Henry lingers in her thoughts as she gradually drifts back into slumber, bringing her nightmarish flashback to an end.

In the midst of this turmoil, the sea gull undergoes another grotesque transformation, with its lower body morphing into that of a hippo-like monster. It ascends into the sky before swiftly diving back down, unleashing the full force of its new appendage and causing a cataclysmic impact that shakes the entire town.

Kiren and Duke find themselves running through the chaotic streets, accompanied by a group of other townspeople, all desperately seeking refuge. However, their flight to safety takes a harrowing turn when a towering building wall suddenly collapses, plummeting towards them. Fortunately, Kiren and Duke's quick reactions places them in the precise spot where a windowpane falls, shielding them from the dire fate that befalls the unfortunate townsfolk crushed beneath the wall's weight.

Duke inquires about Kiren's apparent reluctance to engage in battle, to which Kiren reveals his loss of weapons during a prior confrontation. Duke, with an inspiring conviction, reminds Kiren that true heroism transcends pass their weapons, emphasizing that a hero remains a hero regardless of the circumstances. Kiren is deeply moved by Duke's words, which reignite a sense of hope within him. He acknowledges that his present duty as a hero is to ensure Duke's safety.

Their moment is abruptly interrupted as they spot the approaching figure of Jarvis, who appears intent on confrontation. Kiren prepares for the impending battle, while Jarvis declares his intention to eliminate Kiren, branding him as a traitor. Kiren, under duress, explains that he was force to be a part of the Riders. 

Meanwhile, the Lion monster forcefully pins Rex, to the ground. Rex, grappling with the dire situation, silently contemplates the necessity of rallying Robo Mall to confront the threat. However, he realizes that he cannot do so yet, as the safety of the mall's inhabitants needs to retreat to the secure underground area.

As Rex's Robo suit begins to exhibit fractures from the Lion monster's relentless onslaught, he takes swift action. Engaging a control panel, he triggers an extendable arm to emerge from Robo Mall, propelling the Lion monster into one of the town's structures. Conducting a quick scan, Rex verifies that most of the mall's occupants have already sought refuge below ground. He turns his attention to the third floor, where he spots Barbra, Adam, and Stella still present.

Rex urgently conveys the necessity of them relocating to the underground area, as he requires Robo Mall's capabilities to battle the Lion monster effectively. Stella offers a passionate rejoinder, asserting that releasing Robo mall could lead to Agustin's demise. Rex acknowledges his inability to overcome the Lion monster in his current condition and highlights the impending devastation that could befall the town if Robo Mall doesn't intervene. Stella , resolute in her decision, boldly leaps from the mall's building while deploying a glider to descend toward the Lion Creature and tells Rex that she should be given at least a chance to get to Agustin. 

Stella gracefully lands on the rooftop before the menacing Lion monster and passionately calls out Agustin's name. The Lion creature fixes its piercing gaze on Stella, and she, in turn, notices a small yet significant wound in the monster's chest. With conviction, she expresses her desire for Agustin's survival, emphasizing their future together. Rex's urgent warning prompts Stella to run. She then hurls a grenade into the Lion monster's chest wound, causing it's wound to expand. The Lion, inching closer to Stella, takes a swipe at her, narrowly missing as the building beneath her shatters. She plummets from the building, her descent was too fast for her glider to unfurl but armor van drives and it's roof opens as Stella falls onto the soft bed in the van. Stella looks at Mai says that she got here in time.

At the same time Simbad attempts to pierce the tough hide of the hippo monster, but his blade proves ineffective, lacking the sharpness to inflict any damage. At that critical moment, the sea gull and hippo monsters both receive a jolt from Michael's electrifying powers. Michael interjects, suggesting that Simbad must find a way to cut through and extract Kayla from the monstrous body.

Simbad inquires about how long Michael can hold the monster in his current state. Michael, however, admits his limitations, acknowledging that he cannot sustain this feat for an extended duration, as he has not fully recovered from his previous battle.

Simbad gracefully traverses the rooftops, nimbly bounding from one building to the next. With a well-timed leap, he propels himself above the massive Hippo monster. Gathering his full strength, Simbad deftly slices open the chest of the Sea gull monster, inflicting a substantial and gaping wound. Exploiting this opening, he then vaults into the cavity within the Sea gull monster's body.

In the midst of his intense battle, Rune persists against the combined might of the Monkey and Dog monsters. The dog creature deploys a barrage of energy beams from its maw, and Rune skillfully evades and deflects most of them using his weapon.

Seizing an opportunity, Rune vaults onto the back of the Dog monster, even as the Monkey counterpart makes a fervent effort to ensnare him with its swinging arms. Rune narrowly eludes these aggressive maneuvers and proceeds to sever the Monkey monster's limbs. Concurrently, several members of Stella's group toss a multitude of grenades in their direction, causing explosive eruptions that momentarily incapacitate the Dog monster. Exploiting this window of vulnerability, Rune expertly carves through the Monkey monster's defenses and cuts the Monkey in the back, leaving a big wound. Rune then jumps into the slash wound in the Monkey's back. 

In this critical moment, Rune, Simbad, and Rex are simultaneously within the three monstrous entities. They diligently carve their way through the grotesque flesh of the creatures until they come upon Agustin, Jean, and Kayla. With swift determination, Rex swiftly extricates Agustin from the Lion monster. However, Simbad and Rune face an obstacle in their efforts to reach Jean and Kayla – a formidable magic barrier encases the two youngsters. Rune recognizes the magic barrier from a previous encounter and laments that, given their current magical strength, they lack the means to breach it. Simbad devises a plan and communicates through his earpiece, suggesting that their best course of action is to awaken Jean and Kayla, thereby weakening the magic barrier, which relies on their willpower. Simultaneously, Rune and Simbad call out to Jean and Kayla, attempting to rouse them from their unconscious state.