The Hyperion dropped out of warp, and stars solidified around them like someone had turned on the lights.
Kevin sat in the captain's chair, hands resting on the armrests. The viewport showed the Xianzhou Luofu ahead massive, floating through space like a small moon.
But something was wrong.
He felt it before Mei said anything. A pressure in the air. Like the feeling before a storm, except this storm was already here.
"Mei. Status of Luofu. Any unusual energy readings?"
"Confirmed. Detecting massive power spike in central sector." A pause. "Energy signature matches Destruction classification. Emanator-level threat."
Kevin's fingers tightened slightly on the armrest.
Phantylia. She actually did it.
"Where exactly?"
"Coordinates indicate the Ambrosial Arbor."
For a moment, Kevin just sat there. The Arbor. The ancient tree that gave the Xianzhou people their long lives. Thousands of years of history. The very heart of their civilization.
And Phantylia had fused with it.
"How long has this been active?"
"Approximately forty-three minutes."
Kevin stood up. Forty-three minutes. They'd been fighting for almost an hour without him.
He walked toward the airlock. Each step deliberate. His mind was already calculating. The crew was down there. Fighting an Emanator of Destruction fused with a divine tree. And he'd been halfway across space talking to Herta.
The airlock door slid open with a hiss.
Kevin stepped into the chamber. The outer door opened to the void.
Space greeted him. Silent. Cold. Infinite.
Behind him, the Hyperion shimmered. Metal folded in on itself like origami in reverse. The massive warship compressed down, smaller and smaller, until it was just a pendant again.
Kevin caught it mid-float. Fastened it around his neck. The metal was still warm.
He turned toward the Luofu. Closed his eyes.
Felt for that massive power signature. Found it. Like a beacon of destruction screaming across space.
Locked on.
Kevin opened his eyes.
And vanished.
The first thing Kevin noticed when he appeared was the heat.
His boots hit scorched ground, and the air itself felt wrong. Hot. Thick. Like breathing in energy instead of oxygen.
The second thing he noticed was the Arbor.
Or what used to be the Arbor.
Kevin had seen it in the game. Beautiful screenshots of golden leaves and massive branches reaching toward an artificial sky. A symbol of immortality. A wonder of the universe.
Now?
Now it looked like something out of a nightmare.
The trunk was wrapped in black tendrils that pulsed like veins. The golden leaves were gone—replaced by dark, writhing things that seemed almost aware. The branches moved even though there was no wind, twisting and reaching like they were alive.
And in the center of it all, fused with the tree itself, was Phantylia.
Kevin had seen her disguised as Tingyun. Cute. Harmless. A skilled actress.
This was her true form.
She was tall easily seven feet. Her skin was a pale blue-purple color that seemed to glow faintly. Long white hair flowed down her back, moving like she was underwater. Her eyes burned with golden fire, and Kevin could see multiple pupils in each one, tracking different things simultaneously.
She wore ornate armor. Deep blue and gold. Elegant but deadly. A massive headpiece rose behind her head like a halo, glowing with intricate patterns. Her form kept shifting between solid and energy, like she couldn't decide which state to exist in.
Horns curved from her temples. Not ugly. Not demonic. Almost divine. Like a goddess of destruction.
Her body was integrated with the tree completely. Roots wrapped around her arms and legs like jewelry. Branches extended from her back like wings, each one pulsing with antimatter energy.
She wasn't standing near the Arbor anymore.
She WAS the Arbor.
But what made Kevin's breath catch wasn't Phantylia.
It was the battle still raging around her.
March was there, firing ice arrows one after another. Her face was covered in sweat. Her breathing was heavy. But each shot was still precise, still aimed perfectly despite how tired she clearly was.
Stelle was dodging corrupted branches, bat swinging with practiced ease. Her movements were sharp. Focused. She looked exhausted but refused to stop.
Welt had his cane raised, creating gravity distortions that warped space around Phantylia. Trying to hold her in place. His face was set with determination, but Kevin could see the strain. The way his hand shook slightly.
Dan Heng moved like water made solid. His spear flashed through the air, cutting through branches as they lashed out. The movements were beautiful. Fluid. Like a dance Kevin had seen a hundred times in the game but never in person.
And then there was Jing Yuan.
The General stood slightly apart from the others. His right hand was raised. And on his wrist—
The black ring.
It was glowing so bright it almost hurt to look at. Cracks spread across its surface like a spiderweb, pieces already starting to flake away.
Jing Yuan's face was pale. Sweat dripped down his temple. His entire body was shaking from the effort of channeling that much power through a weapon meant for one use only.
The ring pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
And a blade of pure darkness shot from it.
Straight at Phantylia.
She tried to dodge. But Welt's gravity held her. Just for a second. Just long enough.
The dark blade struck her chest.
Phantylia screamed.
The sound was awful. Layered. Like thousands of voices crying out at the same time. It made Kevin's teeth ache.
The blade didn't just cut through her.
It erased her.
Where it touched, her form simply ceased to exist. Not destroyed. Not wounded. Just... gone. Like someone had deleted part of her from reality.
A massive hole opened in her torso. Through her chest. Through the tree behind her. Kevin could see straight through to the other side.
Phantylia staggered backward. Her hands clutched at the wound—or tried to. But there was nothing to clutch. Just absence. Just void.
The black ring on Jing Yuan's wrist cracked completely.
Shattered into pieces.
Fell from his arm like black snow.
Jing Yuan collapsed to one knee. His breathing was ragged. The strain had been too much. He'd given everything for that one strike.
But it had worked.
Phantylia was wounded. Badly. The tree pulsed frantically around her, trying to heal the damage. But the wound from Kevin's ring was different. It didn't close. Couldn't close.
Not easily. Not quickly.
Phantylia's head snapped up. All those golden eyes focused on Jing Yuan at once.
"You... dare..."
Her voice was cold. Furious.
Branches erupted from the ground. Dozens of them. All sharp. All aimed directly at the General.
Jing Yuan couldn't move. Too exhausted. Too drained. The ring had taken everything he had left.
March screamed. "General!"
She fired ice arrows, trying to intercept the branches. But there were too many. Her arrows hit three, maybe four. The rest kept coming.
Stelle started running. Bat raised. Trying to reach Jing Yuan in time.
Too far. She wouldn't make it.
Dan Heng threw his spear. It cut through three branches cleanly. But more replaced them instantly.
Welt tried to warp gravity again. Create a barrier. But he was exhausted too. The distortion was weak. Barely there.
The branches closed in on Jing Yuan.
Kevin moved.
He didn't think about it. Didn't plan it. Just acted.
One moment he was at the edge of the battlefield.
The next he was standing directly in front of Jing Yuan. Right between the General and the incoming branches.
His right hand came up.
Void.
The crossbow manifested in his grip.
Kevin fired.
But not at the branches themselves. At the space between them. At the emptiness.
The bolts didn't travel through the air. They simply appeared. Inside each branch. Dozens of bolts. All at once.
The branches exploded from within. Shattered into smoking pieces that fell harmlessly to the ground.
Silence.
Just for a heartbeat.
Everyone stared at Kevin. Standing there with the crossbow still raised. Face calm. Like he hadn't just appeared out of nowhere and saved Jing Yuan's life.
March's voice broke the quiet. "Kevin?!"
There was relief in her voice. Shock. Confusion. All mixed together.
Kevin didn't look back at her. Just kept his eyes on Phantylia.
The Emanator of Destruction stared back. All those golden eyes analyzing him.
Then she smiled.
"Ah. The missing piece finally arrives." Her voice echoed strangely. Layered. Like multiple people speaking at once. "I wondered where you'd gone. Off on some secret errand while your friends fought for their lives?"
Kevin let the crossbow dissolve. The weapon turned to light particles and vanished.
"You sent the Doomsday Beasts," he said. Not a question.
"Of course I did." Phantylia's smile widened despite the gaping hole in her chest. "I needed time. Time to prepare. Time to merge with this beautiful tree. And you..." She gestured at him lazily. "You were the only real threat. So I kept you busy."
The wound in her torso was already getting smaller. The tree's power flowed into her, healing her slowly but surely.
"It worked quite well, don't you think? By the time you arrived, I'd already completed the fusion. Your General here tried his little trick with that sword you gave him." She touched the healing wound almost fondly. "It hurt, I'll admit. But as you can see..."
The wound sealed shut completely. Like it had never been there.
"I'm very hard to kill now."
Kevin just stood there. Watching her. Analyzing.
Behind him, he heard footsteps. The crew moving closer.
March's voice was quiet. Worried. "Kevin... are you okay?"
He didn't turn around. But he answered her.
"I'm fine." A pause. Then, quieter. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."
There was a beat of surprised silence behind him.
Kevin almost never apologized.
Welt spoke up. His voice was steady despite the exhaustion Kevin could hear underneath. "Kevin. We need to"
"I know." Kevin cut him off. Not rudely. Just directly. "I'll explain everything after this. I promise."
He could feel their eyes on him. Surprised. Questioning. But also... relieved. Like they'd been worried he wouldn't come back at all.
"Right now..." Kevin's hands dropped to his sides. "Right now, I need to finish what Jing Yuan started."
Welt was quiet for a moment. Then: "Alright."
From behind him, Jing Yuan's voice. Rough. Exhausted. "Kevin... thank you."
Kevin didn't answer that. Just kept his focus on Phantylia.
The rings on his hands pulsed softly. Warm against his skin.
"Everyone. Get back."
This time, no one argued.
They retreated slowly. Supporting each other. Giving Kevin space to work.
March called back to him. Her voice carrying across the scorched battlefield. "Don't you dare die on us, Kevin!"
Kevin's lips twitched.
Almost a smile.
"I won't."
Phantylia laughed. The sound echoed strangely. "How touching. They care about you. Do they know what you're really fighting for? What you're willing to sacrifice for your goals?"
Kevin's eyes were cold. Gray like storm clouds.
"They're about to find out I won't sacrifice them."
His hands rose slowly.
The rings flared bright.
Branches shot forward like spears.
Fast. Dozens of them. Each one sharp enough to pierce steel. Each one wrapped in corruption that made the air around them shimmer.
Kevin's right hand came up smoothly.
Void.
The crossbow appeared in his grip. He fired three times in rapid succession.
The bolts didn't travel. They phased through space. Appeared inside the branches. The wood exploded from within, splinters raining down.
But more branches came. The tree was massive. For every branch Kevin destroyed, two more grew to replace it.
Phantylia laughed from her perch. "You see? I AM the Arbor now. As long as it stands, I cannot fall!"
Kevin's left hand rose.
Flame.
The greatsword manifested. Fire wrapped around its edges like a living thing.
Kevin swung in a wide arc.
A wave of flame erupted from the blade. It washed over the incoming branches, burning them. The corruption screamed as it died an awful sound that made Kevin's ears ring.
But the tree healed almost immediately. Regrew. Adapted to the attack.
Phantylia stepped forward. The entire tree moved with her. Roots erupted from the ground around Kevin's feet, trying to wrap around his legs.
Kevin jumped. High. His body moved with grace that didn't quite look human anymore.
He twisted in midair.
Thunder.
The katana flashed into existence. Crackling with electric blue energy. Humming with barely contained power.
Kevin descended blade-first.
Aimed directly at Phantylia.
The katana struck her shoulder and cut deep. Lightning surged through her body, making her form flicker and spasm.
Phantylia screamed.
But she didn't fall.
The tree pulsed frantically. Energy flowed into her from a thousand roots. The wound began closing almost immediately.
She grabbed the katana's blade with her bare hand. Smiled through the pain. Her palm sizzled where it touched the lightning-wreathed steel.
"I told you." Her voice was strained but triumphant. "I. Cannot. Die."
She yanked hard on the blade.
Kevin let go immediately. Twisted his body. Her other hand came up, claws extended, aiming for his throat.
She missed by inches.
Kevin landed in a roll. Came up with distance between them.
Phantylia pulled the katana from her shoulder. Threw it aside like garbage. It dissolved before hitting the ground.
The wound in her shoulder sealed shut.
Kevin stood there. Watching. Thinking.
The tree. That's the core problem.
As long as she's connected to it, she'll just keep regenerating. Healing faster than I can hurt her.
I need to destroy them both. At the exact same time.
Phantylia charged.
She was fast. Her body blurred as she moved. The tree surged behind her like a tidal wave of corruption.
Kevin's hands came together.
Both rings flared at once.
Stars. Right hand.
Ice. Left hand.
The rocket hammer appeared in his right hand. Impossibly heavy. So heavy that gravity itself bent around it. Light curved toward its mass.
The lance appeared in his left. Cold radiated from it in visible waves. Frost spread across the ground beneath his feet.
Phantylia swung at him. Claws extended.
Kevin swung the hammer upward.
They met.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the entire battlefield. The ground cracked beneath Kevin's feet. The air itself seemed to scream from the collision.
Phantylia was thrown backward. She tumbled through the air. The tree caught her. Held her upright.
She laughed. Blood or something like blood on her teeth. "Is that all?"
Kevin didn't answer.
He drove the lance into the ground.
Ice erupted from the point of impact. It spread fast. Racing across the battlefield toward the Arbor's roots like a living thing.
Freezing them. Locking them in place. Stopping the flow of energy.
Phantylia's eyes widened. "What are you"
Kevin raised the hammer high above his head.
Brought it down with all his strength.
On the frozen roots.
They shattered.
The entire root system. Thousands of years of growth. Gone in an instant.
The Ambrosial Arbor lurched violently. The tree that had stood for millennia suddenly became unsteady. Off-balance.
Phantylia screamed. "NO!"
Kevin dropped both weapons. They dissolved into light.
He raised both hands.
Right: Reason.
Left: Sentience.
Twin cannons manifested on his right arm. Humming with power. Each barrel glowing with purple energy.
Gauntlets formed on his left hand. His will solidifying into armor around his fingers.
The cannons aimed.
Not at Phantylia.
At the Arbor's trunk.
Kevin fired.
The shots weren't just destructive. They were deconstructive. Breaking down the tree's structure at a molecular level. Unmaking what had taken thousands of years to grow.
The Arbor groaned. A sound like the world ending. Ancient wood splitting. Corruption peeling away in sheets.
Phantylia tried to move. Tried to disconnect from the tree. But the ice still held parts of her in place. And the gauntlets on Kevin's left hand pulsed with power. His will pressing down on her like a physical weight.
Don't move.
Stay exactly where you are.
Die.
The cannons fired again.
And again.
And again.
The trunk began to collapse. The entire massive structure buckling under its own weight.
Phantylia was screaming. Her form flickered violently between solid and energy. Trying desperately to escape.
But Kevin wouldn't let her.
The gauntlets flared brighter. His will became an iron cage.
STAY.
The Ambrosial Arbor fell.
Thousands of years of history. Of life. Of immortality.
All of it came crashing down.
Taking Phantylia with it.
The explosion was massive. Light and shadow clashed. Corruption and purity met and annihilated each other. The shockwave hit Kevin hard.
He raised one arm to shield his face. The force pushed him back several meters. His boots dug trenches in the ground as he slid.
When the light finally faded
The Arbor was gone.
Just a massive crater where it had stood. Smoke rising from broken ground. Ash falling like snow.
And in the center of it all
Phantylia.
Or what was left of her.
Her body was shattered. Broken. Lying in the rubble like a discarded doll. Pieces of her form were dissolving, turning into pure energy.
She wasn't dead. Kevin knew that. Heliobi were spiritual lifeforms. Energy given form and will. You couldn't kill them the way you killed flesh and blood.
But her physical form was destroyed.
Her corporeal body was gone.
And that would have to be enough.
Kevin walked forward slowly. His footsteps echoed in the sudden quiet.
He stopped at the edge of the crater. Looked down at her.
Phantylia's eyes the few that remained intact looked up at him.
She smiled. Weak. Fading.
"You... were late..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Your friends... nearly died... because of you..."
Kevin's hands clenched into fists.
He knew. He'd seen March's exhausted face. Welt's trembling hand. Stelle's burns. Jing Yuan collapsing.
He'd been late.
"Where... were you...?" Her form flickered like a dying light. "What... was more important... than them...?"
Kevin's jaw tightened.
"Saving them," he said quietly. "From something worse than you."
Phantylia laughed. It came out as a wheeze. Bitter. "Liar... You're just... like me... willing to sacrifice... anything... for your goals..."
Her body began turning to pure energy. Dissolving.
"The difference..." Her voice was barely audible now. Fading. "Is that I... admit it..."
She dispersed completely.
Gone.
Kevin stood there. Staring at the empty crater.
Smoke still rising. Ash still falling.
The Ambrosial Arbor. Gone.
Phantylia. Defeated.
But her words echoed in his mind.
Am I like her? Willing to sacrifice anything?
His hands were shaking slightly.
He clenched them tighter. Forced them still.
No. I won't let it come to that.
I will save them. My friends of the present, and of the past.
I have to.
The rings pulsed once. Warm against his skin.
Like they heard him.
Like they agreed.
Kevin took a slow breath.
Let it out.
Then turned around.
The crew stood there. Watching him.
March. Stelle. Welt. Dan Heng. Jing Yuan.
All of them staring. Exhausted. Battered. But alive.
All alive.
Kevin's hands slowly unclenched.
He started walking toward them.