Lu took a deep breath and sank back into his seat.
"You know what happened last time, Stella. I do not want to go near a rift ever again."
He hung his head, images flashing across his eyes.
"It is no longer about you or what happened to her, Lu Wang. It is about the people," Stella answered, frowning at his childishness.
"I do not care about them."
Stella was not going to give up.
"You have to. That is your job," she said, her voice slightly raised.
Felix held his hand up, as if to tell her to give Lu some space, and someone placed a hand on her shoulder in a bid to calm her down.
The whole place was silent for a moment until Lu stood up from his seat.
"I am adjourning this meeting."
"You cannot just do that," Stella shot up from her seat. "Lives are in danger. We need you, Lu. Do you think she would be happy with your choice?" She pointed her finger in his direction.
Lu barely looked at her.
"She is dead. Leave her out of this."
His words instantly made Stella go quiet, and immediately she turned away from him.
"She is my sister, Lu. If she had not gone to assist you, she would still be alive. The least you can do is be useful to the city."
Her eyes teared up with each word.
Lu clenched his fists. He did not know what to say.
It was something he had always thought about. It was because of his weakness that he had lost the love of his life, and the whole incident had made him retire.
Could he really do anything now? Without her?
This was what made him afraid. If he made a mistake in closing the rift, then it would only become worse.
"Stella, wait."
He reached out to her, but at that moment, a massive explosion shook the entirety of the building and the ceiling cracked.
Instantly, red lights flickered through the room, causing various alarms to ring out.
"There is an intruder."
It was one of the party who had spoken, and she was known as Silverwave.
Lu moved quickly.
"We have to head to the ground floor."
"That is a very strong presence," Felix said as he stepped closer to Lu, ignoring the way his nerves were sending danger signs to him.
"Please, Felix, help me find the boy. He is my responsibility."
Lu gave the order, and Felix nodded.
He had also taken a liking to the young boy, and now he would be honored to follow his leader's command and bring the boy to safety.
The rest of the group rushed to the ground floor, and right in front of them was a gruesome scene.
Bodies were scattered in various directions, and bloodstains decorated the walls and floors.
"Is this the renowned Alliance? Oh Heavens, is this not disappointing?"
A high-pitched chuckle rang in the middle of the lobby, breaking past the groans of pain.
Surrounded by fallen bodies, a man twirled with a wide smile on his face, like he was having the time of his life committing mass murder.
"Oh? More fresh blood."
He tilted his head, a wide smirk on his face.
Right in front of his vision stood a group of five, and he could feel the difference between these new victims and the old ones.
"Is this what the Azure Region boasts about? A bunch of fodder!"
He cackled, throwing his head back.
He was dressed in bright royal clothes, and various rings were worn on each of his fingers.
The man's hair was so full that it covered his eyes, but it did not stop his sight.
Lu clenched his jaw when he heard the man.
Currently, the top parties were out of the building because of the exclusive missions that had been popping up all of a sudden.
Wait…
The exclusive missions?
It was these missions that had gotten the attention of the strongest people in the Alliance.
Lu's lips lifted in a small smile.
"So you planned this? Sending out missions to give yourself space?"
"Ahh… A smart one. You can call me Fidd," the man mused, and his smile widened, displaying his sharp canine.
"You do know brains without strength lead to quick death. Since you are getting on my nerves, why do I not kill you first, uhm?"
Just as he said that, Stella, Silverwave, and the rest of the Jade Crimson ran forward, blocking Lu from Fidd's sight.
"What are you guys doing? I can fight—"
"Shut up, Lu. You know how important you are. So just stay there and support," Stella said.
This was the man who would probably save the region. They could not afford to lose him.
To think he would go work in a silly academy… She had spent quite a number of her days cursing him to hell and wishing he had died instead of her sister.
But now she realized how important he was. Maybe that was what her sister wanted.
"You will not lay a finger on him," Stella declared, and a bright necklace moved from within her jacket pocket and found itself on her neck.
It was her cultivation path, and she was known for it.
This necklace gave her the affinity for the light element.
At her command, a large spear made of light appeared in her hand, and she gripped it tightly, ready to launch her attack.
Seeing the way his victim moved, Fidd scrunched up his face, his mouth twisting into a gnarly sneer.
"You think you can win against me? You are a lady! What even can you do?" he snapped, his words fueled by an innate disgust.
Hearing his words, a vein popped on Stella's head, and she launched forward, moving her spear in a slicing arc targeting her opponent's neck.
"I am a lady, I will beat you so bad that you forget your middle name."
The blow was quicker than Fidd expected, and because he underestimated her, he could not block it in time. The spear slammed into his ribs, digging into his side.
Stella gripped the ground with her foot and turned her waist, channeling a much greater force. This threw Fidd back, sending him crashing into the wall.
The debris fell, and beneath the pile of rubble were cracks on the ground.
"Stella!" Lu called out, but she raised her hand.
"He is not dead yet," she muttered while they waited.
Sounds came as pieces of rock fell from the top of the rubble, and a hand dug out.
Fidd rose to his feet, cracked his neck, and coughed.
"Joke's on you. I do not have a middle name."
And with that, he moved!