Valance hadn’t even processed his words when Kyle continued, his gaze turning icy.
"I wonder... will it be me or him who kills you all? Hah, anyway—see you soon."
The moment the words left his mouth, the entire chamber trembled violently. Golden, intricate symbols burst from all directions, merging with the darkness saturating the air, absorbing its power—before erupting with the intent to obliterate the chamber.
Valance’s eyes dilated.
"What the hell did you do?!"
But the one responsible, who should have been right before her, had already vanished.
Kyle’s voice echoed from a distance as the Rulers scrambled to avoid the destruction.
Nathaniel was the only one who remained calm as he watched what was unfolding.
The golden symbols—now darkened after absorbing the power of the darkness in the air—surged forward, forming a dark shield around Kyle. They even enveloped Cassian and Ares, who were fighting in the distance, before rushing toward Guardian Zami and the others farther away to protect them.
Kyle shook his head at the Rulers, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips as the symbols shielding him and the others carried them out of the chamber through the cracks of the collapsing structure.
"Well, I did give you all a chance to kill me, but you wasted it. Tsk, tsk. You even gave me time and let me freely teleport around, despite knowing what I’m capable of. Heh, remember my name—it’s Kyle! This is the second grudge between us! Remember it!"
His chuckle echoed through the air as his figure faded into the cracks alongside Ares and the others, disappearing from sight.
Nathaniel covered the lower half of his face, letting out a deep, resonant laugh once the silver-haired man had vanished.
His laughter was eerie and unsettling—calm, controlled, and far more dangerous than Valance’s display of outright anger.
"Indeed... it’s our fault. Not killing the prey outright and wanting to play with them."
He finally rose from the throne, his presence sharpening with cold intent.
"That’s actually not my style... I prefer to snuff out a threat before it even begins to sprout. And congratulations, you have just placed yourself at the very top of that list."
He waved his hand, and a massive flower burst into bloom above him, shielding both him and the Rulers from the destruction.
"It’s been a while since I killed someone myself. I suppose it’s about time I do it."
His voice was so chilling and dark that Valance—who had been cursing Kyle just moments before—fell silent at once.
Lui lowered her head and immediately apologized after the Rulers gathered.
"Please punish me, Nathaniel! I couldn’t even handle a weak Celestial! Damn it!"
The Ruler who had battled Cassian and Ares followed suit. Nathaniel smiled.
"It’s fine. They were just too slippery. Don’t blame yourselves. Kyle, was it? We’ll meet him again soon. After all, he has managed to make me want to tear him into countless pieces in such a short amount of time."
He flicked his sleeves and slipped through the cracks of the collapsing space, leaving the chamber along with the other Rulers.
Only to regret it the next moment, for the instant the Rulers stepped into the cracks, they were hurled into a storm of currents and distorted space, jagged edges slicing and tearing at their bodies with merciless force. These cracks were not an exit from the chamber—they were punishment for anyone daring enough to try to destroy it!
Valance and the other Rulers cursed Kyle for what felt like the hundredth time. The only comfort was knowing that bastard was probably enduring the same agony!
If only they knew he wasn’t, they would really want to cough up blood and faint.
Kyle and the others with him, who had left with such grandeur, had in fact returned to the same chamber shortly after the Rulers had gone. He was met with stunned gazes from the others, still struggling to process what had happened, as he formed an array to shield everyone from the falling debris.
Ares was the first to snap out of his bewilderment and rolled up his sleeves.
"What is the meaning of this? I thought we all escaped safely! Why are we back here?"
Kyle chuckled wryly as he moved back.
"Trust me... I can explain."
Ares let out a sharp snort.
"Then explain!"
"I... don’t know."
"You little prick! You even destroyed this place! We’re all going to get buried alive!"
Before Ares could pounce, Kyle vanished and shouted at him from a safe distance.
"The special symbols I integrated into the array to get us out safely collapsed under the currents when we entered the cracks! I had no choice but to bring us all back!"
Ares stopped chasing him and sighed.
"Now what? Do you have a plan to get us out of here unscathed, or should I retrieve some artifacts from my mind space? They aren’t very useful, but they can offer some protection. For some reason, even though we’re strong enough to remain unfazed in situations like this, I can’t shake the hunch that if we get buried here, we won’t survive."
Kyle paused and looked around.
"We can find the exit. It’s easier now that the structure is collapsing. Perhaps it will reveal itself on its own?"
No sooner had he spoken than a small shimmering gate actually revealed itself.
They had been searching for it for days, so they were all stunned to find that the gate was in the ceiling of the chamber, right at the center. It glowed gold with gray edges.
Kyle curled his lips as he approached the gate amidst the falling structure. He eyed his luck stat and hummed in satisfaction.
"It seems my luck is working just fine."
Behind him, Ares didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his words as he followed after him quickly alongside the others.
Cassian and Ares had been injured while fighting the Ruler, but because the battle hadn’t lasted long—all thanks to a certain someone—their injuries were fortunately not serious. They were merely superficial and were healing at a very rapid pace. Still, they worried that their bodies would soon run out of energy, having already spent so much. To make matters worse, the air in the ancient realm carried no energy at all, so they couldn’t even replenish it!
Without wasting a moment, Kyle kicked open the gate and dashed inside, only for his slight smile to freeze at the horrifying sight that greeted him on the other side.
"Shit!"
The scene made him long to run back to the falling chamber he had just escaped!