The Fifth Guardian (2)
Guardian Room.
The golden light spreading from the stone slab gradually dimmed.
Saaaaah—
As the golden glow faded, a silhouette emerged.
A boy?
Standing about chest-height to me.
A late-teens boy around 160cm tall, with striking white hair.
He wore a languid expression, as if the whole world bored him.
"Endless glory to you, Master. The Lava Great Tiger, Azkai, greets you."
Yet upon seeing me, he immediately dropped to one knee in profound reverence.
His dazzling white hair cascaded down to his nape, drawing the eye.
The tips were dyed in a red gradient, as if singed by flame.
"Nice to meet you, Azkai."
"Yes. The honor is mine."
His calm amber eyes held an unfathomable power slumbering within.
A sun-like aura emanated from the red solar pattern on his forehead.
His pale skin was translucently white, like moonlight-infused porcelain.
Delicate red patterns, like flowing lava, etched his arms and neck.
An extraordinary appearance.
And his status window was beyond extraordinary—it was shocking.
Lv400 (Restricted)
Azkai
★★★★★★☆☆☆
*Power is restricted. Must recover the Lava Emperor Stone to restore full level.
Lv400...
An astonishing level.
And that was his restricted level.
How high was he originally?
Potential is 9 stars, too.
Among the guardians I'd summoned, he was historically powerful.
We desperately needed high-combat guardians right now.
He'd arrived at the perfect time.
It felt like the goddess of luck was smiling on me.
"Your level is incredibly high. Is 'Lava Great Tiger' your race?"
"Yes. We are the white tiger clan born and raised in lava."
A white tiger, huh.
No wonder his face had that tigerish vibe.
"Let's head out for now. I'll introduce you to the family."
"Yes."
He rose with a drowsy voice and expression.
He looked like a delicate boy on the surface.
But as he walked, the air around him shimmered faintly, exuding warm heat like midsummer haze.
His presence was anything but light.
"Everyone, gather up. New family member's here—let's say hi."
『Whoa! Tiger friend!』
"To your great presence, this lowly Azkai offers greetings."
Azkai dropped flat upon seeing Dania, bowing deeply.
『Kkyu! Nice to meet you, white tiger!』
Dania flapped over and nestled into Azkai's arms.
"Ah...!"
The bored-looking guy panicked, his expression shifting.
Cute side to him after all.
"Popo!"
"Chu!"
Everyone welcomed Azkai.
"Kiiing..."
But Fenril... what's with him?
He looked utterly terrified.
"It's okay. He's new family. No worries."
"Auwung..."
I scooped Fenril into my arms and soothed him.
He calmed a bit.
"Oh? Azkai? You're here."
"Hm? Bellerin. You're here too."
"Yup! Nice to see you, Azkai!"
"Yeah."
Huh. They knew each other?
"We served the same master before!"
Ah, that kind of connection.
Seems some guardians already knew each other.
Like gathering guardians from various lairs here.
"Anyway."
I was about to share some food with Azkai too.
"Oh? Archeron...!"
Bellerin suddenly covered her mouth in shock.
Our eyes followed hers.
The exploration drone's hologram.
It broadcast Archeron's dire confrontation.
A mantis insect-man that looked far from ordinary.
Uh...
I gaped at his level.
Karmarks
Vermith's 1st Legion Commander
Lv356
A monstrous Lv356.
***
- Archeron! Get out of the battlefield now.
Seojun's voice pierced Archeron's audio receptors.
『Keron. Executing orders.』
Archeron tried to retreat from the battlefield in the opposite direction of the shadow wolves.
But.
Squeeeak—!
A green line slashed long through the air.
Then immense impact slammed into Archeron.
Kwaaaaang!!
Kugugugugu!
Archeron flew back, crashing into the ground.
His vision shook unstably as warning messages blared nonstop.
External Armor Panels 3 & 7: BREACHED! Immediate repairs required.
Kiiiiiing.
Clank.
Archeron realized the enemy's level vastly exceeded his own.
Facing it head-on was reckless. Best to escape quickly.
"Where do you think you're going?"
But the foe had no intention of letting him go.
『Combat Mode Lv4 activated.』
Ziiiiing.
Grrrrrr.
Mana circuits etched on Archeron's surface brimmed with intense mana.
Red energy flowed from the core.
Shoulder and arm cannons extended and mounted.
Powerful magic energy emitters revealed on hands and feet.
His frame armored in thick adamantium plating.
Eyes and core shifted from red to deep purple, radiating fiercer mana.
Finally, back thrusters deployed for agile mobility.
Archeron's combat power surged.
In level terms, from his current Lv254, it'd jumped over 50 levels.
Lv300 combat power—enough to slay even a Grim Reaper.
But.
"You know some tricks, huh."
Karmarks was far stronger.
As he swung again.
Kwaaaaang!!!
Archeron flew back once more, smashing into the ground.
Damage reduced from before, but this was hopeless.
『Keron. Preparing Combat Mode Lv5.』
Archeron went all-in.
To face this foe, he needed Lv5.
But the Seondo-based energy core lacked output for Lv5.
It might overheat and explode.
Still, no choice—he rolled the dice.
But.
Combat Mode Lv5 activation impossible.
Energy core output insufficient.
Seondo's limits were clear.
Great for sustain and recovery as a core substitute, but poor for high output.
"Something not working?"
Karmarks grinned savagely, looming over the fallen Archeron.
Murderous intent burned in his eyes.
"Daring to kill my subordinates. I'll chew your body to bits."
Clank.
Ziiiiiiing.
His right arm morphed into a mantis signature scythe.
Vast mana condensed, igniting the air.
Overwhelming power to raze the area in one blow.
Archeron looked like a candle in the wind before it.
"I'll tear you apart slowly."
As Karmarks raised his blazing scythe.
- Grrrrrrr...
From the exploration drone on Archeron's head.
A deep, heaven-shaking roar emanated.
"......!"
Chill.
Karmarks felt eerie dread crawl down his spine.
His body froze instinctively, rooted in place.
- Mantis. If you don't want to die, scram nicely.
A voice like boiling abyss stabbed at Karmarks.
No mere words—an overwhelming warning crushing his very existence.
"Kuh..."
Karmarks gritted his teeth on instinct.
He felt pathetically small.
Clank.
Whoosh—!
Then, the drone on Archeron's head rocketed toward Karmarks.
Bang—!!!
Blinding flash overwhelmed his vision, senses warping.
The drone exploded, unleashing a mana field disrupting lifeform sensory circuits.
"Kuh."
Karmarks staggered back, nausea churning his guts.
Beeeep—!
Tinnitus rang; he couldn't steady himself.
Potent enough to affect even Lv350+ Karmarks.
But it didn't last.
Flash—!
Kwaaaaaaaa—!
Thick green mana poured from Karmarks like a waterfall.
"Kuhuhu."
He exhaled held breath, senses returning.
He checked Archeron's spot immediately.
"Kkaduk! Damn it."
Nothing left.
He wanted to pursue, but that final phrase haunted him, triggering body-wide rejection.
Humiliation.
"Kraaaaaaaa—! You dare! I won't forgive youuuuu—!"
Wounded pride fueled his earth-shaking roar.
Desperate to shake off the fear, laced with rage.
***
Moments earlier.
"Ah!"
The life-or-death moment as Archeron faced Karmarks.
A scream escaped me.
"May I intervene?"
Azkai stepped forward.
"Y-Yeah! Do something—quick!"
At my permission, unimaginable energy surged from Azkai.
Kwaaaaa!!
Explosive aura filled the lair.
His pressure raised goosebumps all over.
Kwagagaga.
Black tiger stripes vividly emerged on his snow-white face; feral energy scattered.
"Grrrrrr..."
A low, ground-shaking roar transmitted through the drone.
Freeze!
Karmarks flinched, halting.
"Mantis. If you don't want to die, scram nicely."
A quiet word.
Karmarks froze solid—clearly visible.
"N-Now!"
Bellerin swiftly manipulated the drone controls, shouting.
"Archeron! Evacuate immediately!"
Flash—!
Kwaaaaaaaa!
The drone exploded before Karmarks at her command.
The feed cut.
"What happened?"
"Archeron escaped safely, looks like. Shake pursuit, and he can return!"
"No worries on pursuit. He heard my roar head-on—won't move for hours."
"Then we're good! As expected of Azkai!"
Archeron seemed to have slipped away safely.
But I couldn't relax until his full return.
Considered sending shadow wolves to find him again, but paths might cross wrong, complicating things.
Ended up waiting for his safe return.
Damn. Stuck inside, feeling so helpless.
Asked Azkai if there was a way out.
"Sorry. Without my restriction, possible—but not now."
Even after that insane power, tough for him.
In anxious wait, suddenly.
Ziiiiing!
Space in the lair tore open.
『Keron... Return... Bzzt—static... complete...』
"Ah."
Archeron.
He's safe. Truly a relief.