Max jumped away from the punch. The giant golem punched the ground. Its punch cracked the ground, and made dust float in the air. The golem was a 10m tall giant made from polished stones. 'Fortunately, it's artificial' Max thought while dodging the next punch. Max used his war hammer to hit golem's arm, but the hit didn't do much.
'Although, fighting artificial one is easier. They are a lot more durable compared to natural' It was one of disadvantage of fighting artificial one, they didn't have ability of natural, but their durability was at extreme levels, because they were handmade.
"Sela, restrict its movement!" Max yelled. Sela started to channel her mana, and a few moments later the ground under golem disappeared. When the golem's legs disappeared in the hole, it started to shrink until the legs of golem, were under earth. Max ran towards the golem. Golem tried to pull his legs from the ground, but Max 10m from it. Golem tried to smash him, but Max jumped on the golem hand, and ran towards its torso. Golem used it's other hand to squash him, but Sela created a wall between the hand that tried to attack Max, and the one he was on. Max stood at the top golem. He swung his hammer, and activated explosive enchantment on it. War hammer gained extreme speed, and when it collided with golem's torso, the torso cracked, revealing shiny core. Max then hit it again, and created spider web of cracks on the core. Max jumped away, because the core could create wave of mana, after destruction. He observed, how more and more cracks appeared on the surface of the core, but then something unexpected happen.
"Why the core is collapsing on itself?" Sela asked. Max felt danger and jumped towards Sela.
"Get down!" He yelled and jumped on her, making her fall over. The core exploded, and the entire place started to shake. A few minutes later, the shaking stopped. And Max collapsed on Sela's body. When Sela raised her head, she saw that Max had multiple wounds on his back. Sela didn't think about what happened, and immediately she took Max on her back and dragged him to the exit.
"Don't die on me. I need to thank you." For the first time in a while, Sela's voice contained some emotion.
....
"Hello Elizabeth. So we both got the letter from the Jax." Malcolm asked.
"Yeah, my husband disappeared, but it feels like we are playing on the palm of his hand." Elizabeth replied. Both of them got a letter from Jax to go to Burning Desert, at a specific date and time, and location. They were in the middle of the desert. They found this location thanks to talismans Jax attached to the letters. When the time arrived, their talismans started to glow, and after that ground started to open. After that, they saw stairs leading down.
"Do you know what this is?" Malcolm asked disbelief. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders.
"My husband doesn't say, everything to me. He is quite mysterious." She replied.
"So he did make you fall for him, because he is mysterious?" Elizabeth lowered her head and looked at her feet.
"It's not the only reason." She blushed a little. Malcolm only rolled his eyes.
"Let's go. We don't know how long it will be open." When their heads were in the tunnel. The ground closed up, and light came on. They walked a few minutes, until they found big metallic gate. Soon after eye appeared from the ceiling.
"Identification." They heard an emotionless male voice.
"What I am supposed to do?" Malcolm asked Elizabeth.
"Say your name, and who you are." She replied.' Fortunately, I learned about it from the doll.'
"Malcolm, King of Dragon Kingdom." The eye emitted wide green light, that went from head to his toes.
"Identification completed. Identity confirmed." The eye turned to look at Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth. Queen of Phoenix Kingdom." She said, but a minute later nothing happened. Then she heard the voice.
"Insufficient data" it said.
"Wait?! What?! So what am I supposed to say." She thought for a moment and then facepalmed. 'You are such an idiot'. She took deep breath, and replied again.
"Elizabeth. Queen of Phoenix Kingdom. And your wife and love." She said, and this time the green light appeared. After it went from her head to toes. The gate opened.
"Why did he add this?" Malcolm was curious.
"Well, one day he just stopped responding when I use his name. I need to call him husband or my love, for him to answer. He also stopped using my name at some point." Elizabeth replied embarrassed. Malcolm didn't respond, but deep down he was hurt. 'He already has a lover. Why I'm alone' He lamented in his heart. They entered the giant open space. It was dark, but a few seconds later the lights lit up. Elizabeth and Malcolm felt chills, at what they saw.
"How did he make so much of them in such sort period of time?" No one of them knew the answer. They saw countless cannons, miniature cannons. Malcolm also saw countless boxes on wheels that had medium-sized cannons on them. At some point, Jax appeared in front of them.
"Nice to see you, my wife and you, Malcolm." Jax said. Elizabeth run to hug him, but when she did, she felt nothing. Elizabeth realised the truth.
"You are a hologram." Elizabeth sadly said. Hologram smiled.
"Yeah that's true. I'm hologram that have personality of Jax." Hologram replied.
"What is a hologram? What this all means?" Malcolm asked. He didn't like the feeling he doesn't know anything. The hologram shook its head.
"You don't need to understand how it works. Also, Jax invited you here, to give you a task."
"What task?" Elizabeth asked.
"To make Beast Federation, sign deal with us. Using all methods." The hologram voice became completely serious, without any empathy or joy. " I will explain how to use everything that is placed here."
....
"Young master, your mother asked when you will finish your training." Maid asked. Benjamin practised fighting with the sword.
"I will finish in a few minutes." Benjamin said.
"I understand, young master." The maid bowed and went back. Benjamin sat on the ground. He was training outside. He picked rock and clenched his fist. The rock shattered.
"That power. Why did it give me that? What it wants from me? What are limits of that power? So many questions, and I can't answer even one of them." Benjamin bitterly shook his head, and went to his mother.
....
Elizabeth face was pale. Malcolm wasn't in better condition.
"Are you sure? Isn't it too much? How many victims there will be? These weapons can destroy an entire country." Elizabeth asked terrified. Hologram didn't change it face.
"No. There isn't another way. You don't need to use the strongest weapons. The smaller ones are enough. If they surrender, spare them. Don't kill civilians, the leaders are to blame." The hologram emotionless voice caused them to tremble in fear. Malcolm looked straight into hologram eyes.
"If I tried to attack Phoenix Kingdom. Would you send these weapons against me?" Malcolm waited patiently for the answer.
"Yes. Jax would go after you. Let me add Jax gave you a lot of permission, but you don't know how many weapons he prepared. If he wanted, he would make the entire world dead."
"Why he is so nice then?" Malcolm asked. To his surprise hologram smiled. Hologram pointed at Elizabeth.
"He got a love of his life. Someone who will be with him until the end of times." Hologram pointed then at Malcolm." He gained a friend. Who will help him, and protect his close ones. Jax found so many people he cares about, that his goals aren't to dominate the world, but to protect it. You see these weapons as terrifying inventions, but for Jax they are shield. If someone attack his loved ones, he will use it to protect them. World will hate him, but if he can protect you all. He is ready to pay the price. That's why he is nice."
Malcolm heard a sound of water dropping on the floor. He saw that Elizabeth is crying.
"Elizabeth we need" He couldn't finish, because he saw that Elizabeth wiped her tears.
"I will do anything to help him. If the world hates him, I will be hated by it, by his side." Elizabeth understood, that Jax is trying to prevent any war, from breaking up. Malcolm smiled and nodded.
"So do I."
....
"Are you sure, Jax? A lot of people will hate you. Some will call you a tyrant. Others will attack you. If you do that there is no coming back." Shiro appeared next to Jax. Jax only smiled sadly.
"Shiro, we both know that it's necessary. In next decades our world will be in danger. If I leave everything as it is now. We will die." Jax continued to make adjustments to the data.
"Remember Jax. We will always help you in that" Shiro comforted Jax, and then she disappeared. Jax smiled.
"I know, and thank you."