Chapter 85

When William returned to the tower, he noticed that nothing had changed, except for the absence of dark energy emanating from the tower's surroundings. On the surface, it seemed like a positive development, but it was already too late. The amount of dark energy that had been released by the tower before it was stopped was substantial. Even though Jonathan had absorbed a portion of it, there were no visible indications that the energy had decreased significantly.

Despite the grim situation, William felt a sense of relief knowing that he had prevented Jack from causing further destruction. Gazing at the tower from a distance, he momentarily stopped thinking and swiftly entered the tower. Inside, the darkness had been replaced by a warm and radiant light, which provided a slight healing effect, alleviating some of William's fatigue.

As he walked further into the tower, William saw Sarah, Anna, Thomas, and Captain Garz. Apart from Captain Garz, who appeared tired, the others didn't seem to have any serious injuries. Although they had a few wounds, overall, they were in relatively good condition.

"Anna, Thomas, and Uncle Garz, it seems like you guys are fine," William exclaimed, expressing his relief. Seeing them in front of his eyes after being concerned about their well-being was a comforting sight.

Before they could respond, the realm spirit interrupted them, "Stop with the chit-chat. We have some serious business to do here." Anna and the others reluctantly fell silent, understanding that their current situation didn't allow for idle conversation.

"The preparations are complete. Now, I want all of you to listen to my orders. Closing this space crack is easy, but getting you guys out is the hard part. One mistake, and you might be trapped inside this place with no way to return," the realm spirit continued, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

They gathered around and listened attentively as the realm spirit explained the plan in detail. Sarah, curious about the fate of the garden, asked the realm spirit about its future.

"This place will disappear and drift away," the realm spirit responded succinctly, leaving Sarah with no further questions. Recognizing that they were still strangers despite the realm spirit's current assistance, she refrained from pressing further and redirected her focus to the task of escaping.

"Is everyone ready? Let's begin," the realm spirit declared, seeing that they were prepared. The plan, although complex in its preparation, was straightforward in execution. William and the others merely had to follow the realm spirit's instructions, relying on its expertise to navigate the intricate spells and ensure their safe passage through the space barrier. Once they crossed the barrier, they would be back in the Thousand Trees Forest.

Without delay, the realm spirit's spell began taking shape. A massive magic circle materialized, overlapping with the space crack. This spell would serve as the bridge to facilitate their return while sealing the space crack simultaneously. They needed only to step forward and they would be transported back.

Sarah took the lead to go out. According to the realm spirit, it needs the help from Sarah in order to stabilize the exit portal. Just sending out one person is already a hard task for the current realm spirit. That is why it needs help from Sarah to be the anchor for the other side in order to stabilize the gate.

After Sarah safely landed on the other side and stabilize the other side, Anna, Thomas, and Captain Garz will then followed. William chose to walk at the back, aware that he and Sarah were the only ones currently capable of reacting to any potential threats. Until they were safely returned, Anna, Thomas, and Captain Garz remained defenseless, unable to utilize any magic. Therefore, Sarah and William had to shoulder the responsibility of protecting them.

As Sarah stepped forward, she vanished from William's sight, as if consumed by a dark hole. Time ticked one by one as William and his friend waited for the gate to become stable.

"It's okay now." A few minutes later they heard the realm spirit say. One by one, Anna, Thomas, and Captain Garz step into the exit portal until William is the only one remained in the Emperor's Garden.

"Until we meet again, if fate allows," William bid farewell to the realm spirit before preparing to enter the spell.

"Save your sentiments for later, kid. Now, hurry. I don't want any of you to disturb this place again," the realm spirit replied in its usual tone.

William nodded and turned his head, ready to step into the spell. However, at that moment, something unexpected occurred. The entire area began shaking violently, and the once stable space crack became increasingly unstable. Signs of it spiraling out of control became apparent.

"What's happening!?" William couldn't contain his panic and shouted his questions into the chaos.

"Damn! I've been played!" The realm spirit's voice sounded shocked and startled, uttering only those few words. Hearing its tone, William understood that the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

Frantically, William tried to get out as soon as possible, but it was too late. The space crack spiraled into a frenzy, expanding rapidly until it erupted in a massive explosion.

Being the closest person to the space crack, William receives most of the explosion impact head-on. All William remembered was the feeling of pain being hit by an explosion and a surge of darkness rushing toward him before losing consciousness.