"We need to run," Adan urged.
"No. You two go with Stella," Levi said, appearing before Adan and handing over Stella's limp body.
Adan's face twisted in worry as he glanced at Levi and Julia's determined expressions. He took Stella, standing up as Julia followed suit.
She pulled out a pill from her pocket, swallowed it, and her pale complexion improved, though fatigue was still evident.
"Don't die, old man," she said, tossing two pills to Levi. "One's for healing, and the other will replenish your mana a bit."
Levi nodded, swallowing the pills as his wounds began to close and, miraculously, his lost hand regenerated.
Adan and Levi stared in shock but said nothing. Levi wasted no time, vanishing into the distance.
"Let's head to the Ship," Julia said, dashing through the forest. She tapped her wrist device to call Elijah and Kai. "Can you hear me, guys?"
"Yeah," Kai responded amidst some background noise.
"I'm hungry," Elijah grumbled.
"You'll eat later. Get back to the ship as fast as you can. Kai, how's the ship?" Julia asked.
"Uh... I don't know," Kai replied sheepishly.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Julia frowned.
"Well, I got bored, so I decided to take a walk, but..." Kai hesitated.
"Hahaha, he got lost!" Elijah burst out laughing.
"Don't let me find you, Kai, or I'll kill you!" Julia shouted. "Get back to the ship or we're leaving without you."
"Wait, what?" Kai panicked.
Elijah chimed in, "No worries, Julia. I'll meet you at the ship. Kai's just so lost he might end up on another island."
"Stop fooling around. Just get there," Julia growled. "Elijah, did you find my treasure?"
"Nope, not a trace," Elijah replied.
"When did it become your treasure?" Kai interjected.
Julia cut the call, just as a massive explosion erupted in the distance.
"Damn it, they've already started. You've got ten minutes, old man!" Julia cursed under her breath.
Adan, carrying Stella on his back, glanced at the sky. "We might need more than 15 minutes. Look," he said, pointing toward the town, where smoke was rising.
"Shit," Julia spat.
On Elijah's side, he stood, surrounded by a group of hostile figures. He glanced up at the smoke billowing from the town.
"You're hurting innocent people to find whatever you're after. I know people in that town. I don't want them to die, so move aside," Elijah warned.
"Even if you're King-tier, there's no way you can take on 12 Advanced-tiers all at once," one of the men, Dead Man #3, scoffed.
Elijah smirked as lightning crackled around him. But Dead Man #3's men raised their hands, pooling their mana together. Elijah let his guard down for a moment, and Dead Man #3 performed a series of hand signs before shouting, "Drunken Dream!"
Elijah's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, unconscious.
"Even someone as strong as you can't escape once we've poured all our mana into this technique," Dead Man #3 sneered. "Go to the town and find it. I'll take care of things here."
"Yes, sir," the group responded, heading toward the town. Dead Man #3 then drew a dagger, charging toward Elijah's unconscious form, aiming for his heart.
TING!