Fu Zhu immediately drew his Yamato, slicing open a spatial passage to Okhema, and the group stepped through.
The moment they returned to Okhema, they sensed something was wrong. The portal was still linked to the Dawn Cloudseat where they had departed, a place that should have been filled with people performing their routine prayers.
Yet, there was not a single person in sight. In fact, the entirety of Okhema was eerily quiet, as if everyone had vanished.
"What happened? Don't tell me everyone fell victim to Lygus?!"
Upon noticing the anomaly, Phainon became agitated. He drew his weapon again, warily scanning the surroundings, fearing Lygus might ambush them from some dark corner.
Fu Zhu frowned and opened his minimap. His brow quickly relaxed. The map still showed markers for everyone in Okhema; however, all the citizens were inside their homes, which was why the streets were empty.
"Don't worry, Phainon. Everyone's fine. They're just hiding in their houses. Cerydra must have ordered them to take shelter."
Hearing Fu Zhu's explanation, Phainon let out a sigh of relief. As long as everyone was safe.
Just then, Tribbie came running from a distance. Seeing the group on the Dawn Cloudseat, she immediately waved with a bright smile.
"Snowy! Fu Zhu! Everyone, over here! Quick!"
Seeing Tribbie, the group hurried over to her. Phainon quickly asked, "Teacher Tribbie, what exactly happened in Okhema?"
Tribbie's smile vanished, and her brow furrowed. "That Lygus fellow appeared out of nowhere. Then he broke into the Vortex of Genesis. Imperator and the others are all in there keeping an eye on him. Quick, come with me!"
With that, Tribbie began to recite a prayer, opening an Infinity Gate before them.
"Her Majesty, the Imperator, was worried something might happen, so she sealed all the passages to the Vortex of Genesis. Now, only we on the outside can open an Infinity Gate to send you in."
The group exchanged glances, nodded to each other, and stepped through the portal. Tribbie followed close behind, and once everyone was through, the Infinity Gate closed.
Fu Zhu felt the light shift around him. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a dimly lit "cavern." Not far ahead, Cerydra, Aglaea, and Castorice were facing Lygus, who was gazing up at a star chart on the ceiling.
Lygus and the others heard the commotion behind them and turned in unison. When they saw it was Fu Zhu and his companions, a clear look of relief washed over their faces.
Lygus's gaze swept over the newcomers, finally resting on Fu Zhu.
"Mr. Fu Zhu, we meet again after a long absence. We finally meet again in this final moment."
Fu Zhu strode past his friends, stopping a few meters from Lygus. He glanced around but didn't see any other unusual creations. He then turned his gaze back to Lygus.
"You're appearing before us so brazenly. Aren't you going to have The Irontomb protect you?"
Lygus let out a chuckle, spreading his arms wide, his voice filled with excitement.
"My mission is complete. If destroying this decrepit vessel would bring you all some peace of mind, then please, dispose of me as you see fit."
The utter indifference in his voice grated on the Chrysos Heirs. He didn't care about their world, their lives, their everything!
Khaslana, in particular, was seething. His rage was nearly palpable. He took a step forward, weapon in hand.
"You... deserve to die!"
Lygus turned his head to look at Khaslana and let out a soft laugh.
"Khaslana, although you were merely a factor I set in place, I, too, have experienced the same tens of millions of cycles as you. I sincerely admire you. And now, you are free."
Khaslana roared and lunged forward, slashing at Lygus's head. But in the next second, a bizarrely shaped monster suddenly appeared, swatting Khaslana away with a single blow.
Phainon quickly caught the airborne Khaslana, while the others immediately drew their weapons and aimed them at the newly appeared creature.
Lygus, his arms still spread wide, gently patted the monster's side and turned to the group.
"Behold! This is the creation that will finally shatter the shackles of [Erudition]—the Lord Ravager, The Irontomb!"
The Irontomb roared at the group, and a crushing wave of pressure washed over them, causing the expressions of the Chrysos Heirs to shift drastically.
However, Lygus noticed that among the crowd, only Fu Zhu and Stelle remained completely unfazed, as if they didn't fear The Irontomb in the slightest.
This piqued his curiosity. "And you two? Why are you not afraid?"
Stelle lifted her chin and puffed out her chest. "If I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid. Are you going to force me to be scared?"
Fu Zhu, meanwhile, glanced at his minimap. The marker for this creature was not The Irontomb.
[Anti-Creator, Hatred Inundate]
This was a genuine disappointment for Fu Zhu. He silently retracted the various skulls he was about to pull out.
Lygus noticed the change in Fu Zhu's expression, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Fu Zhu, what's with that expression?! Are you disappointed?"
"Can't I be?" Fu Zhu shot back a glare. To think Lygus rates me so low that he won't even send out The Irontomb's main body. He's really looking down on me...
Just then, Fu Zhu's phone suddenly vibrated. He pulled it out to see it was a call from Herta. He answered it, and Herta's urgent voice came through the receiver.
"Fu Zhu—crackle—The Irontomb... hatched... Ender Dragon... is also on the move! You... hurry! Time!"
The signal was poor, and Herta's words were intermittent. The call dropped shortly after.
However, what she said made everyone's heart sink, especially the members of the Express crew!
They had been so focused on The Irontomb that they had completely forgotten there was another, even more terrifying entity waiting outside!
"Big bro?" Stelle turned to Fu Zhu, seeking his decision.
Fu Zhu nodded at her and the rest of the group. "Let's begin."
Hearing this, Hyacine, who was at the back of the group, immediately tossed the [Sky] Coreflame she was holding to Fu Zhu. Khaslana seemed to understand Fu Zhu's intent as well. After a moment's hesitation, he plunged his hand forcefully into his own chest.
The action startled Phainon, who was supporting him.
"What are you doing?"
"Naturally, I'm giving the Coreflames to someone who can make better use of them!" Khaslana grunted.
A massive torrent of Coreflames, along with the single Sky Coreflame, flew towards Fu Zhu, circling around him. Fu Zhu also took out the rest of the Coreflames in his possession, letting them all swirl around him.
Fu Zhu was enveloped in a vast sea of "starlight" as countless Coreflames rapidly dissolved into motes of light and merged into his body.
[Amphoreus MOD Construction Complete]
[Creative Mode Unlocked (Limited to Amphoreus Region)]
Fu Zhu could see his experience points rising at a terrifying speed, so fast that his naked eye could no longer keep up with the numbers.
At this moment, he couldn't help but grin at Lygus.
"I'm not lacking anything now!"