Edgar didn't stand on ceremony as he launched the bomb. An invisible wave of energy exploded outward, freezing time and space and stopping reality from progressing. The brutal shock wave would've knocked every flying back had they not already been frozen. Yet, the man somehow didn't feel safe.
Everything around Edgar crawled to a standstill in an instant.
Everything except...
Bas.
He focused his power on the time crystal, sending a stream of complex and powerful energy directly into the device. The power surged through the crystal, activating its ancient inscriptions and bringing forth a new wave of energy.
Bas had activated the time crystal just in time, shielding him and the others from the consequences of Edgar's madness. He was the only one who could still move, an invisible figure in a world that had come to a sudden standstill. Thanks to his calculations, Edgar had yet to release the bomb.
He quickly rushed to disarm the bomb that was in Edgar's hand, carefully using his own tools and knowledge about the device. As he worked, Bas thought to himself that their victory wouldn't be complete unless they could get out of there alive.
Once he had disarmed the bomb, Bas quickly ran to the others and used the time crystals to shield them from the effects of the time-stopping energy. The group slowly came back to life, and as they did, Bas hurriedly explained to them what had happened and why they were still alive.
The team was relieved, albeit slightly confused, but they were thankful for Bas's quick thinking. However, the idea of crystals that could freeze time was terrifying. But such an ability couldn't last forever.
Sid wasted no moment and charged behind the frozen Edgar to thrust his spear forward with a powerful swipe, slicing through the air with an audible thud and brutally severing Francis' head from his poorly stitched body. Nala waved her hands in a wide arc and unleashed a cascade of silver flames that bathed the corpse until it was reduced to ash.
Bas followed up with a draconic-sounding roar. His truth record spun furiously, and Bas felt his pyromancy being greatly enhanced. He raised his arms to the sky, calling on the fire ryms around them to answer his call. The ambient force fused with Bas' to unleash amethyst flames that cascaded down upon Edgar like a burning rain.
Edgar Stratus was feeling great. He had already shaken off that nervous feeling he had. These idiots didn't even understand the technology at his disposal. He had just thrown out a priceless treasure, and they were at his mercy. But suddenly, Edgar saw the void surrounding the world fracture completely.
He was terrified.
What was this?
But before Edgar could properly process what was happening, reality shattered around him. The sound was deafening, and he started bleeding from his orifices. Edgar stared in shock and horror, fearing he would shatter next.
But he did not shatter. He was still alive after the world shattered. How? Did the bomb malfunction? Had he been too close? He followed the calibration settings those people left to the T. Did they fool him? Why waste so many resources for a prank?
Glancing around, everything was the same.
Everything except...
An elder?
Sydney was the only person Edgar could see before him. The old guy's eyes widened in fear as he retreated. Edgar sneered. He didn't know where the others had gone, but he would rid himself of this elder first. He didn't think the others were near as it was suddenly sweltering in the back office.
Wait...
Edgar tried to turn around slowly, realizing he heard a terrifying beast roaring behind him. Looking back, he saw a young man covered in ghost-like flames raising his hands to the sky as he leaped into the air.
It was Bas!
[Lènmi konkeri! Trezò Lagè Sovaj Rekonpans.]
An ancient voice suddenly echoed from the ambient ryms surrounding the warehouse's region. Hearing this call that boomed like thunder in the night, Edgar felt like his whole being turned cold.
Meanwhile, Bas had used his own special brand of pyromancy to conjure up a wall of flames that engulfed Edgar in a searing wave of heat. Silver flames and waves of a sharp and piercing force surged forth, increasing the damage tremendously.
"Pyro Reign!" Bas cast his self-made pyrokinetic technique.
Edgar could feel his skin bubbling and blistering while he desperately tried to escape, but a piercing force fractured the bones and tendons in his legs. He could not move, and the purple and silver flames were too intense. Finally, as his consciousness slowly faded away, the last thing Edgar saw was the young man amongst the burning embers of his own demise.
He walked forward as if a demon of fire, ghost-like, fiery scales glistening in the firelight. They glowed with a silver-amethyst hue, sharp and menacing.
Bas looked down at the defeated Edgar Stratus.
"Only a Savage War Chest?" Bas frowned with discontent, a treasure chest radiating a crimson-gold atmosphere under his armpit.
He had stopped an enemy that was using the power of time! That wasn't worth a Diamond Chest? Not even a Platinum Chest? How petty had the War Truth become? Savage Chests were a special sort of reward, but it was only a little better than a Gold Chest.
Edgar couldn't speak any longer, but he still felt speechless.
The alliance had mentioned that they would be lucky to get a wood or bronze War Chest. What was this Savage War Chest? How could this kid, who was ignorant of his fortune, be the source of Edgar's demise?
"Well, I suppose it's because this was technology and not an actual expert," Bas continued to speak to himself as he watched the man who had tried to kill him several times tonight slowly melt and fade into ash. "Well, it was only a Fifth Class War in the first place. This can already be considered good."
Bas suddenly felt a little queasy. His head felt like it was spinning as he suppressed the urge to vomit. He quickly stored away the Savage War Chest before he lost balance. Bas immediately deactivated his Evil Dragon Sovereign record and inspected his body using spiritual sense. What he saw left him startled. Many of his rym channels were steaming or on the verge of melting.
A few had even melted!
His eyes widened with realization. He had used too much pyromancy! He had almost destroyed himself in the process.
He was lucky to be alive.
As Bas stumbled back, clutching his burning chest, he could feel his consciousness slipping away from him. The power he had unleashed had been too much for him to handle, but he refused to succumb to the fatigue. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on his breathing, willing himself to stay awake.
It was then that he heard a familiar voice calling out to him, pulling him back from the brink of death. It was Brenda, and she was by his side, holding him up and whispering words of encouragement.
"Stay with me, Bas," she urged him. "You've done enough already. Let me take care of you now."
Bas nodded weakly, allowing himself to be guided by her gentle touch. She escorted him slowly over to Sydney Little, who was also rushing over. Moments later, a green light washed over Bas a total of three times. He found that he felt nearly 80% healed. Bas inspected himself, satisfied with the effectiveness of this hunter's healing.
'Indeed, healers are essential to a team of hunters...'
He didn't know that Sydney was startled as he caught his breath.
'I actually had to use the Tale of Brilliance three times...who is this kid?'
Bas leaned against a nearby wall for support, his mind racing with the realization that he had almost died. He had always pushed himself to his limits, but he had never gone this far before. He needed to be more careful not to let his ambition and desire for power cloud his judgment.
"Bas!" Nala exclaimed as she walked over, relief clear in her voice. "You were too reckless! We thought we had lost you."
"I'm fine," Bas replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Look at what happened out there. Didn't we succeed?"
Sid sighed, his eyes downcast. "We stopped Edgar and dismantled his organization, but at what cost? We lost too many good people in this War. And for what? A single chest full of treasure?"
Bas shook his head. "No, it was more than that. We stopped someone who was trying to harness the power of time to play god with the fabric of reality. We may have lost some good people, but we saved countless others from the potential harm he could have caused."
Brenda nodded in agreement. "We should be proud of what we accomplished. We fought for what we believed in, and we won.
"So, we won?" Nala asked, her eyes shining with excitement. "Doesn't that mean we'll be rewarded by War once little Bazzy opens his treasure chest?
"We did," Bas confirmed, nodding his head. "And we will. Everyone who participated will be delivered boons.
"But we need to get out of here before anyone else shows up," Sid took the lead again now that everyone was fine and the deed was done. "The police are probably on their way by now."