A blue metal bracelet adorned with a red gemstone, its faint glow shimmering.
"I'll take this one." Gwen paid for it without hesitation.
By the time everyone left the stall, it was already time for the magic show.
The group gathered beneath the stage, waiting for the performance to begin.
Gwen admired the gemstone on her wrist, growing more pleased the longer she looked at it.
"I don't know why, but I just feel like it's special… like it's meant for me."
Lucian glanced at the gem from the corner of his eye and thought to himself: This should be the sixth Keystone of Bezel.
In the original story, although five Keystones of Bezel were destroyed, one powerful stone was lost somewhere in the vast river of time, its whereabouts unknown.
If someone obtained this stone and completed the summoning ritual during a total solar eclipse, they could reclaim the other five talismans—such as the Charm of Fire and the Charm of Levitation.
Not only that, but they would gain immense magical power, boosting the ritual caster's abilities by more than ten times.
While he was still thinking about it, the show on stage had already begun.
A blond man wearing a purple magician's hat stood in front of a sealed box, acting mysterious.
The host stood beside him with a microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the great magician Amazing Alan for a thrilling performance—Human Dissection!"
Whoosh!
Hundreds of spectators erupted with excitement, the crowd instantly buzzing like a boiling pot. Cheers and whistles filled the air as everyone eagerly waited for the show.
"However, this act requires one audience member to cooperate. Is there any lucky volunteer willing to help?" the host asked while scanning the crowd.
Most of the audience immediately started shouting, arms raised high, practically reaching for the ceiling as they tried to get chosen.
What they didn't realize was that a small figure had already quietly slipped onto the stage.
"Me!" Ben raised his hand and stood beside the host.
The host froze in surprise.
When did this kid get on stage?
Still, having a volunteer was good. A kid would probably be easier to work with than an adult and unlikely to cause trouble.
"Excellent! Let's invite our young volunteer to assist Amazing Alan in this thrilling live dissection!" the host announced loudly.
Watching Ben stand there with a mischievous grin, Lucian and the others sighed helplessly.
If nothing unexpected happened… then something unexpected definitely would.
Soon, the dissection box was closed, hiding Ben from view.
Amazing Alan raised both hands dramatically. After putting on a show of mysterious gestures, he picked up a sharp blade from the prop table.
"Next, I will insert this blade into the box. Everyone, don't blink…"
With that, he slowly walked toward the box and prepared to thrust the blade inside.
Suddenly, an eerie green light burst out from the box.
Startled, Amazing Alan quickly stumbled backward.
"Oh my old chap, wh—what's going on here?!"
"Roar!"
The next second, a ferocious beast tore through the cardboard box, leaping out before crashing heavily onto the stage.
The audience beneath the stage froze for a moment.
Then they exploded with deafening cheers, whistling and applauding wildly.
"Hahaha! The magician was just building suspense! It wasn't human dissection at all—it was a monster transformation!"
"That was amazing! Amazing Alan is incredible!"
"What a cute big dog! What breed is it?"
"Oh yeah! This ticket was totally worth it!"
Only Lucian and his group knew what was really going on, and bitter smiles appeared on their faces.
Amazing Alan had clearly intended to perform a human dissection trick. Who would've thought the boy inside would turn into a furry beast?
Still… the effect did look pretty good.
"Roar!"
Wildmutt stood on the stage and let out a powerful roar, sending the crowd into another frenzy of screams.
Just as everyone was caught up in the excitement, the glass skylight above suddenly shattered.
A crimson tornado roared downward, swirling violently as it rushed through the opening and slammed onto the stage.
Boom!
The blood-red tornado struck the ground with a thunderous crash before slowly dissipating, revealing two figures.
One was a middle-aged man wearing a dark crimson robe. His face was gaunt, his skin pale like a corpse, and he held a gray wand shaped like a bird's beak.
The other was an incredibly beautiful girl.
She wore a purple witch's robe, with white hair and violet eyes. Her long hair flowed behind her, and her tall, slender figure was striking. A crossbody bag with a fang pattern hung at her side.
The moment Lucian saw her, his pupils suddenly shrank.
It was her.
Charmcaster.
Seeing the two strange figures who had suddenly appeared from the sky, Amazing Alan cursed and walked over.
"Hey! My show isn't finished yet! Get out of the way and line up backstage!"
"Get lost. I don't waste words on amateurs."
Hex waved his staff.
A powerful gust of wind erupted instantly, sending Amazing Alan flying off the stage.
"Ahhh!!"
The crowd below immediately scattered in panic, like ants on a hot pan. People rushed toward the exits, pushing and scrambling to escape.
"Roar!"
Wildmutt lunged forward and tackled Hex to the ground.
Its sharp fangs drew closer and closer. Terrified, Hex hurriedly raised his staff, struggling to block the attack.
His arms trembled violently.
"Charmcaster! Save me!"
"As you wish, Uncle," Charmcaster replied softly.
As she spoke, she reached into the magical satchel at her waist and pulled out several purple magic orbs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The purple spheres radiated intense magical energy as they slammed into Wildmutt. The explosions shook the ground with a terrifying roar.
Amid the billowing purple smoke, Wildmutt was blasted away like a kite with its string cut, flying backward at high speed before crashing into a nearby stall.
"Tell me where the Keystone of Bezel is, or I'll kill everyone here!"
Hex's hoarse voice echoed throughout the entire Magic Expo.
"You want to play? Lucky Girl will see it through to the end!"
Gwen's voice rang out from behind.
At some point, she had already changed into a black combat outfit and was wearing a black half-mask, looking just like a movie superhero.
"Lucky Girl… it's you!"
Hex's eyes narrowed, killing intent surging.
Charmcaster let out a small gasp as she stared at the ruby on Gwen's wrist.
"Uncle, the Keystone of Bezel is on her!"
Hex burst into loud laughter.
"Looks like heaven is helping me! Lucky Girl… the Keystone of Bezel… I'll take both of you down at once!"
Charmcaster stepped forward, joining Hex as the two surrounded Lucky Girl.
"You two are getting a bit too arrogant, don't you think?" Lucian said coldly as he walked to the edge of the stage.
Charmcaster turned her head.
The moment she saw Lucian, she froze for a second.
Las Vegas… when did someone this handsome show up here?
"It's you, Lucian!" Hex roared angrily. "Last time you destroyed my Keystone of Bezel. This time, I'll make you pay!"
"Then come on!"
Lucian pressed the Omnitrix.
The holographic projection of Necromancer popped up, and he slammed the dial down…