Guardians of The Damned

Chapter 24 - Summoner of Undead Myth

I see now! She's the type to seek peaceful resolutions, but when that's impossible, she won't hesitate to resort to extreme measures. This is bad—she'll kill everyone in the squad!

"Attention, everyone. Ned has been killed. I repeat, Ned has been killed," I reported to the team.

[He's dead? That's ridiculous! He's strong! How do you know he's dead? Are you with him?] Eve responded, her shock evident.

"An enemy approached me, showed me his beheaded head, and didn't kill me. I'm not sure why. She looks like a witch, riding on a stone. Please be careful—just run if you see her."

[Damn it!] Eve's voice cracked with frustration and sadness. [Okay, I understand. Focus on the mission, mourn later. There's a reason Wo said this is a grade A+ mission. I've already retrieved the device, so don't come to the vault. It's a trap.]

[Len! Be careful! They're trying to lure you in to kill you! I'm sure of it! It was heavily guarded when we reached the vault, and when we tried to find another way, we were suddenly teleported!] Goo Han's grim tone cut through.

"Goo Han, are you okay?" I asked, worried.

[Yeah, the opponent is strong, but we managed. We got information from our enemy. Someone from Synth hired them, but the guy's head exploded before we could get a name.]

"No, that's enough. Hakku and Goo Han, regroup with Sunny and help Miem. It's too dangerous to stay apart," Eve ordered.

[Yeah, send your location, Sunny.]

"No need, I'm already here."

Goo Han and Hakku stopped, turning around in surprise.

"Sunny, glad you're okay. Though you look sick, are you alright?" Goo Han said, his concern growing.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking," I replied with a slight nod.

Hakku reached down, grabbed a rock, and transformed it into a pear.

"Here, Sunny. This will help your recovery," he said, tossing it to me.

I caught it and ate it quickly.

"Do you know where Miem might be?" Goo Han asked.

"She's in the west," I replied, finishing the pear. Using the mist around me, I formed three hoverboards, and we took off.

"Why only one when there's two of you?" I asked, glancing back.

"What do you mean?" Goo Han responded.

"I met a strange woman. We had a chat, and she implied that our team will be wiped out. Scarecrow seems to have assigned someone to target each of us."

Goo Han pinched his forehead as the realization hit him. "So, you're saying someone's coming for me?"

"Wait, how do you know it's you?" I asked, my voice low.

"When we fought, the man seemed surprised there were two of us after I detached from Hakku's weapon." Said Goo Han.

"I understand. We'll need to be extra careful."

Just then, a massive explosion rocked the area, leaving a huge hole in a building. A decaying three-headed dragon emerged, flapping its wings and unleashing a fiery breath that engulfed the building.

We observed the dragon briefly, but didn't spot Miem. I extended my senses through the mist and found her inside.

"She's in there."

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine as I sensed imminent danger. I acted fast, transforming the surrounding mist into a shield.

"Goo Han!"

He quickly turned his head, saw the shield, and understood. Hakku wasn't sure what was coming, but he knew it was safer to hide behind the shield.

Goo Han dissolved into a black liquid and melded with the shield. The shield grew larger, its design evolving with an energy core at its center. The core activated, and a force field began to form around us.

A purple beam, five meters wide, shot from the building, piercing the dragon's body. The beast roared in agony as it collapsed, its massive form crashing into nearby buildings.

We were caught in the beam's path. It struck us with full force, but the shield held strong.

"It's hot!" Goo Han groaned in pain.

"Hold on!" I grunted, feeling my strength waning. The beam was heavy, and I had to hold the shield with everything I had. Sweat poured down my face, my arms weakening with each passing second. My vision blurred, my heart racing—my body was on the verge of collapse, yet I couldn't let go.

Desperation flooded my thoughts when I saw two burly arms helping me hold the shield. It felt lighter.

I looked in shock at Puffy, who had moved without my command. The phantom had acted on its own. It was unsettling, to say the least.

The beam's intensity waned, eventually fading away.

I gasped for breath, my body exhausted. I'd pushed myself past my limits, but even though I'd recovered a little, I still felt drained. If this were a game, my health would have barely returned—only about a quarter of my bar—before dropping to just 2%.

The black liquid that had merged with the shield reformed into a human shape. Goo Han appeared, collapsing onto a hoverboard, panting heavily.

"Ha... Ha... I thought I was dead!" he wheezed.

"No kidding," I muttered.

"Good work, guys," Hakku said, offering us chocolate. We ate it, and our bodies slowly recovered. Then, we dived into the building. As we entered, the structure shook violently, and we heard a shout from below.

"Elemental Breath!"

A flash of light erupted beneath us, followed by a sharp, biting cold.

"It's useless, it's useless! Hahaha!" A man's laughter echoed throughout the building, followed by the unmistakable sound of an energy charge.

"Wait here," I said, not waiting for a response as I dashed toward the danger.

When I arrived, I found myself between Miem on the right, an undead Minotaur looming near her, and Moose on the left. He had already released his charged energy, and it was coming straight at me.

I didn't hesitate—I transformed into mist, dodging the blast. Miem had ordered the Minotaur to block it with its axe.

I didn't wait for the beam to lose power. I immediately flew toward Moose. The big guy was a hulking figure, bald, with visible muscles, and dressed in plain clothes and long jeans.

He was so focused on Miem that he didn't notice me approaching, making it easy to close the distance.