The Return of the Star Fragment
Thunder Wing let out a low cry and slowly descended with the group onto the relatively safe black rock pile area, far from the raging battlefield of the two lords. Though shockwaves still reached here—cracking rocks and scattering debris—the overall structure remained intact.
"The fragment is somewhere nearby—search carefully!" Kayla was the first to leap down. Relying on her beastman's powerful attunement to her father's relic, she rushed toward the spot in her memory where the pouch had been torn open by an ice spike. The others immediately spread out, enduring the lingering dual erosion of biting cold and searing heat in the air as they meticulously searched the cracked and rubble-strewn crevices of the black rocks. Rex activated high-spectrum scanning with his electronic eyes; Salsa's shadow hawks slipped into narrow gaps to scout; Lin Ya's living roots extended underground to sense.
"Found it!" Moments later, TISK let out a rough exclamation from the bottom of a narrow triangular space formed by several massive overlapping boulders! With extreme care, he used his Lava Hammer to pry loose a shifting rock and pulled out a long-tattered, dust- and stain-covered beast-hide pouch. The mouth of the bag was torn open; a gentle yet strange radiance leaked from the rip, dispersing some of the surrounding gloom and chaotic energy.
Kayla rushed over, hands trembling as she took the pouch. Gingerly, she reached inside and drew out a palm-sized, irregularly shaped crystal fragment. Like the other pieces Fa carried, it radiated a single, pure elemental sheen! This was undoubtedly a star fragment! The moment it was exposed to the air, the remaining eleven fragments in Fa's possession resonated intensely, emitting a deep, resonant hum as their lights flickered wildly!
"We've collected them… all twelve star fragments!" Yuyuer's crystal orb trembled violently in her arms, giving off a delighted buzz.
"The twelfth piece!" Fa's right eye—her star pupil—erupted with unprecedented brilliance. Swirling halos intertwined with the starlight emanating from the new fragment! She could clearly feel every trace of stellar essence within her body cheering and dancing, like lost children finally finding their way home!
The instant the fragment was retrieved, the distant Glacier Lord and Volcano Lord—locked in their life-or-death struggle—simultaneously sensed this vast, pure surge of stellar essence! Their colossal bodies froze mid-attack. Two pairs of eyes filled with frenzied greed locked onto the group like spotlights!
"Hmph!" Rhea Medusa snorted coldly and stepped forward, planting herself between the group and the two lords. She didn't even draw her sword—merely released the terrifying aura of a Star Successor: heavy as mountains, sharp enough to cleave the heavens! That pressure rolled outward like an invisible tidal wave, crashing toward the two lords!
Thud! Thud!
The already gravely wounded and exhausted Glacier Lord and Volcano Lord staggered as though struck by invisible sledgehammers, involuntarily retreating two steps! The greed that had just flared in their eyes was instantly replaced by boundless terror! This seemingly tiny human woman radiated an aura even more dreadful than the original shattering of the stars—a crushing suppression at the level of life itself! Both lords let out low roars filled with unwillingness and fear. They dared not advance another inch; instead, they warily pulled away from each other—guarding against one another and against Rhea Medusa simultaneously.
Rhea Medusa turned to Fa. "Now what? How do we reassemble them into the Star Heart?" Fa asked, her star eyes filled with anticipation and uncertainty.
Rhea Medusa's gaze met Fa's; her amber eyes remained fixed on the two lords. "Not here. The laws in Starfall Abyss are chaotic and energies violent. Forcing the fusion here would trigger an uncontrollable catastrophe—possibly annihilating us along with this entire space." She paused, pointing upward at the sky shrouded in turbulent energy currents. "We do it outside. We leave this damned place."
"Leave? How?" TISK glanced around at the twisted, fractured space. "Even Thunder Wing can't fly out, right?"
Rhea Medusa didn't answer. She merely gave a cold laugh. Slowly, she reached up and grasped the unremarkable "Thousand Peaks" pendant hanging at her neck.
"Enlarge!" she shouted.
Bzzz——!
The pendant erupted with radiance brighter than the sun—dark-gold light! The ancient, imposing Thousand Peaks greatsword once again materialized in her hands! Intricate etched patterns flowed across the blade with tangible metallic sheen; a terrifying sword intent—heavy as mountains, sharp enough to split the firmament—soared skyward! This time, the pressure radiating from the sword far surpassed any previous display—as though a slumbering divine weapon had fully awakened!
Rhea Medusa gripped the greatsword in both hands. Her eyes sharpened like blades, locking onto the seemingly empty void ahead! She drew a deep breath; every ounce of her power—gold's keen edge, fire's explosive fury, thunder's lightning speed, and that unfathomable raw strength—converged into the blade like rivers returning to the sea! Thousand Peaks let out an exhilarated, soul-shaking clear sword cry!
"Open—the—Heavens!!!"
With a shout that seemed to echo from primordial times, Thousand Peaks slashed downward toward the empty void in an indescribable, profound trajectory—as though cleaving chaos itself and dividing yin from yang!
There was no earth-shattering explosion.
Only an extremely low yet foundation-shattering sound of space being torn—**sizzle——!!!**
Where the blade passed, space split open like the frailest cloth—a massive rift whose edges flowed with dark-gold, crimson-gold, and ghostly-blue halos! Beyond the rift was not nothingness, but a tunnel suffused with soft starlight and stable spatial fluctuations! At its far end, faint glimpses appeared of lush green forest and clear blue sky—a stark contrast to the chaotic oppression of Starfall Abyss!
"Go!" Rhea Medusa sheathed her sword (Thousand Peaks instantly shrank back into the pendant) and stepped through the spatial rift first.
The group followed in stunned silence. Thunder Wing stared at the stable exit; fierce longing flashed in its thunder eyes, yet far more was awe toward Rhea Medusa. It let out a complex cry, as though asking about its own fate.
Rhea Medusa glanced back at it and waved casually. "Scram, stupid bird. You're free. Be smarter next time—don't let anyone use you as a punching bag again." With that, she vanished into the starlight tunnel without looking back.
Thunder Wing, as though granted amnesty, let out a long cry filled with relief and freedom. Its massive thunder wings snapped open; it transformed into a streak of lightning and shot back into the depths of Starfall Abyss without a backward glance, vanishing in an instant.
When the last person stepped through, the spatial rift rippled like water and sealed shut—permanently isolating the eternal curse and chaos of Starfall Abyss behind them.
The Return Journey and the Choice
Emerging from the brief spatial tunnel and setting foot once more on solid ground that smelled of earth and fresh grass, the group felt as though they had stepped into another lifetime. Warm sunlight filtered through the leaves; birds sang crisply and clearly. They were in the southeastern part of the Muret Continent, at the edge of a dense coastal forest.
"We… really made it out?" Lin Ya felt the long-lost gentle natural aura of the earth beneath his feet; his voice carried a dreamlike quality.
"Rex—scan location and confirm time!" Fa ordered immediately.
Rex's electronic eyes lit up. He rapidly scanned surrounding vegetation, the sun's angle, and tapped into the faint remaining long-range communication signals (from the Alliance's public broadcast band).
"Location confirmed: Southeastern continent, northeastern edge of Emerald Forest, approximately one hundred twenty kilometers from the coastline."
"Time calibration…" He paused; his cold electronic voice carried a trace of gravity. "Based on the timestamp from the received Alliance wartime broadcast… we spent approximately three days inside Starfall Abyss. Outside… five days and ten hours have passed."
Five days! Five full days had passed in the outside world! A heavy weight settled over everyone's hearts. That meant the front lines had burned for another five days! In five days, under the frenzied assault of the Doomsday Rebirth organization, heaven-shaking changes could have occurred!
As if confirming their fears, fragmented, anxious broadcasts crackled through Rex's public frequency receiver:
"…emergency bulletin… eastern front… Xiangxi Port… fell yesterday… defending forces… fought to the last… heavy casualties…"
"…several days ago… the Vortex Sacred Domain of the Sea Clan, together with other sea clans… officially issued a joint statement… joining the Alliance forces… to resist the Doomsday Rebirth invasion… the sea clan army… is now assembling… objective: recapture fallen coastal ports…"
"…warning… the Blight Vines… have breached the third northwestern defensive line… approaching… Steel Bastion…"
"The Sea Clan… has finally entered the war!" Yuyuer's crystal orb gave a soft resonance at the news. Complex emotions flickered in her eyes—relief that her kin had joined the fight, yet deep worry over the brutal situation. The Sea Clan had entered the war! The battle for the ports had intensified! The overall war situation remained dire!
The atmosphere grew heavy at once. Kael and the other survivors looked grim; their homeland was being ravaged.
Rhea Medusa stretched lazily, completely unconcerned by the solemn mood. She walked up to Fa; her amber eyes locked straight into Fa's star pupils, tone leaving no room for argument:
"Star-Eyed Daughter, the fragments are complete. It's time for the final step—awakening the Star Heart."
She paused, sweeping her gaze over Fa's companions. "But this process—you come with me alone. The awakening site is filled with the rawest stellar essence shockwaves; the energy level is far too high. If they follow," she jerked her chin toward Arya and the others, "they'll either be shaken into idiots by the aftershocks or torn to shreds by uncontrolled energy. They can't help; they'd just be baggage and cannon fodder."
"What?! No way!" Arya was the first to rush to Fa's side. Her emerald eyes blazed with worry and determination as she gripped Fa's hand tightly. "I will never let Fa face danger alone! No matter how dangerous, I have to be by her side!"
"That's right! Fa—we're a team!" Kayla bellowed, thunder claws clenched.
"The Doomsday Rebirth is still rampaging—we need Fa, and we need to stay together!" TISK slammed his warhammer down heavily.
"Awakening carries risks. More strength to guard her is always better," Celestia said calmly, though her eyes were equally resolute.
"Fa, we can keep a safe distance…" Yuyuer tried to find a compromise.
Salsa's mechanical cat shell let out a worried meow.
Facing her companions' concern and insistence, warmth flooded Fa's heart. Yet reason shone in her star eyes. She gently clasped Arya's hand in return and looked into each worried face.
"Everyone—listen to me." Her voice was clear and steady. "Rhea Medusa is right. Awakening the Star Heart is a ritual even she must treat with utmost caution. That power…" She recalled the sword that had cleaved open Starfall Abyss's space and Rhea Medusa's assessment of the abyss overlords. "…far surpasses any battle we've faced before. If you're there, not only are you in extreme danger—you might distract me at a critical moment or even cause the awakening to fail."
She paused, tone growing firmer: "Right now, blood is being shed on the front lines every second! The Sea Clan allies have joined—this is the critical moment to counterattack! Your strength must not be wasted protecting me." She looked at Arya, Kayla, TISK, Celestia, Zhamisi, Lin Ya, Yuyuer, Rex, and Salsa. "I need you! I need you to take the new power you've gained and return to the battlefield! Support the Alliance army and the Sea Clan! Stop the Blight Vines! Reclaim our ports and cities! Protect the innocent!"
Her gaze finally settled on Kael and the other survivors. "Seniors—please go with the team. Your experience is invaluable."
She turned to Rhea Medusa. "Rhea Medusa and I will complete the awakening as quickly as possible. Once I gain the power of the Star Heart, I can truly turn the tide of this war! The moment I succeed, I'll rush to the battlefield and fight side by side with all of you!"
Her words were logical, reasonable, and emotionally resonant—acknowledging the danger while giving her companions a more urgent, nobler mission. Arya looked into Fa's resolute star eyes. Though her heart ached with reluctance and worry, she knew Fa spoke the truth. She hugged Fa tightly, voice cracking:
"Promise me… you have to succeed! You have to come back safely!"
"I promise," Fa replied softly, pressing a kiss to Arya's forehead.
"Fa! We'll be waiting for you! When you return, we'll crush the Doomsday Rebirth scum together!" Kayla thumped her chest heavily.
"By forge and hammer—we'll hold the line!" TISK vowed solemnly.
The others nodded gravely. Though reluctance lingered in their eyes, understanding and determination to rush to the battlefield burned brighter.
"Haha! Now that's more like it!" Rhea Medusa laughed in satisfaction and wasted no more words. She grabbed Fa's arm with one hand and raised Thousand Peaks with the other—slashing fiercely at the empty air beyond the cliff!
Sizzle——!
A narrow spatial rift edged with three-colored halos—barely wide enough for one person—appeared instantly!
"Let's go, Star-Eyed Daughter!" Rhea Medusa pulled Fa and stepped through the rift. Their figures vanished. The rift sealed behind them as though it had never existed.
At the cliff's edge, cold rain drifted and sea winds howled. The group stared at the spot where Fa had disappeared, then turned toward the distant inferno of the battlefield. Arya wiped the moisture from her eyes, resolutely turned, Storm Bow gripped tightly in hand, emerald eyes filled only with decisive battle intent:
"Let's move! Back to Murest City!"
"Slaughter every last Doomsday Rebirth scum!" Kayla roared, the phantom of her Thunder-Frost Cataclysm Beast flickering behind her!
"For this world! For our homes!" TISK raised Earthshaker high; ice-fire runes blazed!
"May the fury of the sea devour our enemies!" Yuyuer lifted her staff; her crystal orb glowed azure, resonating with distant sea clan warriors.
Celestia's six wings spread slightly, wind-thunder power swirling; Zhamisi drew her twin blades, venom mist coiling; Lin Ya's natural life-force surged; Rex's armor and weapon systems fully activated; Salsa's soul merged once more into her mechanical cat, amber eyes fixed on the battlefield; Kael gripped "Rockbreaker" tightly—the old general's blood boiled anew!
This team—tempered and transformed by their ordeal in Starfall Abyss—charged toward the raging battlefield that would decide the fate of the continent, carrying concern for their companion and unyielding belief in victory!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the spatial rift…
Fa felt the world shift and twist violently. When the intense vertigo faded, she found herself in a place beyond words.
Space rippled like water around her; vision warped and reformed. As the dizziness receded, she realized she stood in a realm completely transcending ordinary reality. There was no sky, no ground—no boundaries, no end. All around stretched an infinite cosmic starfield, yet far more splendid and mysterious than any night sky. Countless brilliant stars hung suspended in the void like gems, slowly rotating and radiating soft yet immensely powerful multicolored light. Between them stretched gossamer silver light ribbons—like the meridians of the universe—pulsing gently, transmitting ancient, pure energy. Beneath her feet lay a transparent stellar nebula cloud layer—soft and elastic. Each step sent ripples outward; within those ripples shimmered countless phantom parallel worlds: gleaming futuristic metropolises of towering mechanical spires and floating vehicles; ancient magical kingdoms of radiant arcane splendor; strange realms where technology and magic fused perfectly.
Time here had no measure. Fa floated in this void; beneath her flowed a silver galaxy; above her spun nebulae. She felt no gravity—only the omnipresent, gentle yet boundless stellar energy enveloping her, cleansing every speck of dust from the depths of her soul. Her star pupil operated uncontrollably; her right eye resonated intensely with the surrounding stellar essence, greedily absorbing its nourishment and instantly elevating her state to an unprecedented peak.
"This… is the core of the Star Heart?" Fa murmured. Her voice rippled outward like a stone dropped in a lake. Her star eyes hungrily traced every flow of primal law; the grandeur and intricacy of the sight shook her spirit to its core.
"Correct—the origin of Starfall Abyss, and the final place where the Star Heart must be restored," Rhea Medusa's voice came from beside her. She too floated there; her crimson ponytail drifted gently in the weightless void. Her amber eyes swept across the magnificent star sea, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible trace of nostalgia.
"Now… shall we begin?" Fa took a deep breath; her voice held both tension and anticipation. She knew this was the perfect place to awaken the Star Heart—far removed from external interference and danger.
Rhea Medusa raised an eyebrow; a playful smile curled her lips. "Hold on a moment. We need to wait for the other four Star Successors to arrive." Her tone was light, as though waiting for a few old friends to gather. "Awakening the Star Heart isn't something I can do alone. It's the shared mission of all five Successors. Did you think I brought you here just for fun? This place is the mother space of stellar essence—it can perfectly converge our energies without wasting even a drop."