In the shattered arena space, the Gates of Hell yawned open, and countless devils surged forth.
"Oh no," EeDechi said worriedly. "These devil soldiers are going to destroy the City of Remnants!"
"My guest, there's no need to worry. The thirty guardians of the former emperors will protect this city," the female leader said kindly.
Countless humanoid shapes rose from the ground, forming into infantry, warhorses, knights, archers, spearmen, and sword-and-shield warriors. Their armor was sturdy, their blades gleamed brightly, but they weren't human—they were undead, long since departed.
"FIGHT FOR THE EMPERORS' GLORY!"
Solemn horns blared, war drums thundered. The undead legion charged toward the Gates of Hell, clashing with the devil soldiers.
This massive war dragged on for a long time, until finally the undead legion overwhelmed the devil soldiers, surrounding the pitch-black World Item: Gates of Hell.
EeDechi walked up to the World Item, drew a deep breath, and with her last ounce of strength, shattered the Gates of Hell.
World Item: Gates of Hell, destroyed!
The scattered black fragments on the ground burst with dazzling spiritual light, turning to smoke and dust that vanished into the air. With the danger eliminated, the undead legion faded away too, as if they'd never been there at all.
"Another World Item destroyed. Wait, where's Mare?" EeDechi snapped back to reality, searching for Mare's figure in the arena space.
"AH!" Two pained cries echoed from afar. EeDechi ran over and saw that Barrett and Franco were both gravely wounded, their arms broken.
In the distance beyond the oasis, there was a stir of commotion, with a trail of dust fading farther and farther away.
"Mare got away," Barrett said bitterly. He'd spotted Mare sneaking off earlier and gone with Franco to stop him, but they were no match at all, and Mare escaped.
"Doesn't matter," EeDechi said with gentle eyes. "Go rest and get healed up first."
Antilene came limping over as well; she'd been badly hurt in the earlier fight too.
EeDechi leaned on her sword with both hands and chanted softly, "If Gods Deny Salvation's Hand, With Sacred Blade I'll Reprimand!"
Warm golden light surged from the earth, wrapping everyone in healing magic. Franco's wounds healed completely, but Barrett was left with a minor injury, and Antilene got the worst of it—her body still throbbed with pain.
"What's going on?" EeDechi asked, a bit puzzled.
Barrett pondered for a moment and offered an explanation. "Your healing magic probably works best on low-level fighters. Now that my strength has ramped up to a certain point, and Antilene's already over level 90, the effect's not as strong."
"That makes sense." EeDechi slapped her forehead, the lightbulb going off.
If healing magic worked perfectly on just anyone, then pairing up with a level 100 warrior and yelling "If Gods Deny Salvation's Hand, With Sacred Blade I'll Reprimand!" would snap your ally back to full health in an instant—that'd be totally broken.
The remnants' female leader approached EeDechi, trailed by a group of maids who were all drop-dead gorgeous. Franco couldn't take his eyes off them.
The female leader smiled softly, "Ovir, Koshi, escort our guests to the living quarters and take good care of them."
Franco bounced off happily with the maids, while Antilene was supported away by them. Barrett, cradling the cat Cheeko, looked at EeDechi with concern, "You not gonna rest?"
In this fight, EeDechi had taken the worst beating and burned through the most vitality.
"No need." EeDechi waved it off and turned to the remnants' female leader, "I've already proven I have the strongest power. Take me to meet the 30 level 100 guardians—I have a ton of questions that need answers."
The female leader shook her head gently. "No, you still need to prove you hold the greatest authority, and wealth. Follow me."
EeDechi trailed the female leader into a canoe by the stream.
A clear, lilting voice rang out along the bank, "Big sister, look at the new diaper I made for Abu—isn't it pretty?"
EeDechi looked up and saw a woman in fancy robes approaching, cradling a chubby, cute baby in her arms. The infant giggled, snuggling deeper into her chest.
"That's beautiful. Is it made from new fabric?" the female leader asked gently, looking at the infant.
"Yeah, it's made from fabric I got off an adventurer." The woman planted a deep kiss on the infant's forehead, utterly doting.
"We'll chat more tonight. I have to guide our guest to the former emperors' temple." After the greeting, the female leader stepped onto the canoe, with EeDechi standing beside her. The canoe automatically glided along the stream.
"Who was that woman?" EeDechi asked casually.
"She's my sister, named Elsa. What do you think? Her kid's pretty cute, huh?"
"Kids are always cute," EeDechi said absentmindedly, her mind on what the female leader had said earlier.
Only those with the greatest power, authority, and wealth qualify to meet the Eight Greed Kings' thirty guardians. She'd already proven her power, but how to prove authority and wealth? EeDechi's mind was a jumbled mess.
The canoe sailed along the stream, delving into the deepest part of the oasis.
Passing through dense jungle, a massive pit appeared ahead. The stream ended there, turning into a waterfall.
EeDechi and the female leader stood on the canoe as it plunged over the waterfall, but it didn't capsize—instead, it descended slowly, falling toward the deepest underground.
The cave was unfathomably deep; the canoe fell for a full half hour before reaching the bottom of the deep cavern.
Whoosh~
Warm winds gently brushed by, and the underground suddenly lit up brightly. The walls here were built with precious glowing crystals, runes activated, making the depths incredibly bright.
Before them was a wide moat, but without a drop of water in it. Across the moat stood a towering wall, with ornate golden gates tightly shut.
"Place the item that proves your authority in this slot, and the gate's lock will open. Then, fill the moat with your wealth, and you're good."
The female leader pointed to a gold-inlaid slot on the cave wall, then turned and left.
In the vast underground palace, only EeDechi remained.
EeDechi stood there on the ground, thought for a moment, then took out her personal item·Bronze Seal and placed it in the slot on the wall.
After a long while, the palace remained dead silent, the majestic gates showing no change.
"Does it not work anymore? Hmm, that's fine too." EeDechi smiled lightly and retrieved the Bronze Seal from the slot.