After Ken's group left, Cris quickly leapt from hiding and climbed up a tree. Once settled, he pulled out the book he had found and flipped through it. The pages were filled with research about the Dark Spear—its structure, abilities, and related findings.
At the very last page, a message was scrawled as if meant for whoever discovered the weapon:
> "To whoever finds this spear, I hope you are a righteous Fire Arclhos.
We sealed the spear because it cannot be destroyed—only countered.
After thorough research, we discovered that it can only be destroyed by the combined power of Fire, Wind, and Lightning Arclhos.
If you ever come across this spear… please destroy it."
Cris read the message while chewing on a piece of bread he had brought from his dimension storage.
Cris: "A counter? Is that what this means?"
He quickly pulled out the vial he had taken along with the spear. He studied the strange liquid inside the bottle with intense focus.
Suddenly—
"SKREEE!!"
The loud cry of a bird startled him, and he accidentally dropped the vial. Thankfully, he managed to catch it mid-air.
But because his focus was entirely on the vial, he forgot that he was perched on a high tree branch. He lost his balance—
Cris: "WAAAHHHH!!"
Falling from the tree, Cris quickly opened an umbrella he'd packed for emergencies. Instead of helping, the umbrella flipped inside out—perhaps unable to hold his weight.
Cris: "No no no no!"
Luckily, the umbrella got caught on a branch, slowing his fall. He landed safely in some thick bushes, raising the vial triumphantly in perfect condition.
He made his way out of the forest, completely forgetting that his hand had been bitten by a snake.
Cris ran until he reached the edge of Taren Forest. There, he found a tall wall of earth with a small opening in the center. As he approached, he saw Glen—petrified mid-motion, one hand touching the ground.
Cris pulled out a spray bottle from his dimension storage and poured some of the liquid from the vial into it.
Cris: "Let's see if this works."
He sprayed the yellowish liquid onto Glen's stone body. A moment later—
Glen: "Ugh…!"
Cris: "You're back! So it really worked…"
He examined the vial thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Glen: "What happened, Cris?"
Cris: "Long story. Let's just say… this is the antidote."
He waved the bottle lazily in front of Glen.
Glen: "How does it work?"
Cris rolled his eyes and sighed.
Cris: "Seriously? It's a spray. You just spray it. You're supposed to be the smart one, top of the class, yet you act clueless."
Glen looked down with a guilty expression, rubbing the back of his hand.
Glen: "Yeah… maybe you're right."
Cris: "Of course I'm right. Anyway, we need to plan how to stop Havoc and Ken. Let's head back."
With that, Cris and Glen left Taren Forest and headed for Netora City.
---
Meanwhile…
Havoc and his minions stood atop the city's town hall, right at the heart of Netora.
Havoc raised both his spear and sword, channeling all his power to the sky. Dark energy spiraled upward, forming a storm cloud that consumed the sky.
With a mighty roar, Havoc unleashed both weapons—
BOOOM!
From the darkened skies, a massive floating stone emerged. On top of it stood a grand palace, its dominant hue a regal purple. The palace hovered above the city like a crown in the clouds.
Havoc: "Hahaha! The legendary palace of King Arcelon… it's finally mine!"
Havoc turned to his followers, grinning wide.
Havoc: "You see that palace? It's ours now!"
The soldiers cheered—except Ken, who stood silently, uninterested.
Minions: "Yeah, boss! You're amazing! That's our king!"
"WHOOO!!"
They erupted in celebration.
Havoc: "Of course! Now let's go up there. Ken!"
Ken nodded and raised his hands, summoning a powerful gust of wind. A spiraling tornado formed beneath them, lifting them toward the floating palace.
"Woooaaah!!"
When they arrived, they were stunned. The palace was made entirely of shimmering crystal—majestic and beautiful. Around them stood dozens of crystal statues shaped like soldiers, all coated in a gleaming obsidian hue.
Minion: "Boss, this place is incredible… are you sure it's really ours?"
Havoc: "Of course! This is our new home."
Ken: "It's amazing… why was it sealed?"
Havoc: "Who knows? Maybe it's a hidden treasure."
They kept walking until they reached the grand hall.
Inside, rows of crystal soldiers lined up along both sides, leading up to a towering throne set atop a flight of stairs.
"Woooaaah!"
The minions were awestruck by the sight.
On the throne sat a figure—purple and black, its body sleek and alien-like. It sat as if it were royalty, gazing down from its seat.