The impact of the warden's descent blasted a shockwave of shattered marble and dark lightning across the Grand Rotunda.
Fissures ripped across the second-tier balconies, showering the concourse with crystalline dust and acrid smoke.
At the center of the crater, Warden Rexar rose to his full towering height, his obsidian armor grinding like tectonic plates.
His burning pupils locked onto Jax, who was recovering his breath near the edge of the shattered dais.
"SPONSORED HERO CLASSIFIED AS ABANDONED PROPERTY!" the warden roared, his voice rattling the vaulted ceiling beams.
"A VESSEL DRAINED OF ITS CELESTIAL PATRON MAKES EXCELLENT RAW FUEL FOR MY ASCENSION!"
"Get back, Jax!" the First Player warned, lunging across the fractured dais with explosive acceleration.
"He wants to harvest your remaining celestial mana!"
"I am not letting him take another step toward our vanguard!" the young scout shouted, raising his bow with trembling fingers.
