"What? He's not dead yet? He's so tenacious!" Will stared in disbelief at Arno, who, despite his grievous injuries, was struggling to rise to his feet. His eyes widened in astonishment as he shouted.
"Hahaha, I... I will not die so easily. I haven't fulfilled Lord Cole's command yet. I will return with your heads, all of you, I swear it... I will!" Arno coughed up blood, using his remaining left hand to support himself as he stood.
"Damn it, let me do it!" Will immediately sprang to his feet, stepping in front of everyone.
"My sword, where is it?" Will instinctively reached for his waist, only to find his holy sword, Durandal, was missing.
"Crap! I was so focused on finding the antidote that I left Durandal on the ground." Will frantically scanned his surroundings and finally spotted his sword lying at Arno's feet.
"Hahaha, I won't let you escape!" Arno sneered, reaching for his waist with his left hand and pulling out a spherical device.
"Hmph, the last explosive orb. Looks like we'll die together here," Arno muttered coldly, staring at the device in his hand.
"Die with me!" Arno screamed in madness, hurling the explosive orb towards Will and the others.
'What should I do? Will and Jin are too weak, and Master Hakjin just drank the antidote, so he can't use magic. With my power, I can't teleport so many people at once, what should I do?' Lisa's heart was tormented as she watched the explosive orb fly toward them.
At that moment, a figure suddenly flashed past Lisa.
"Frost Arrow!" A frost arrow shot through the air, striking the explosive orb mid-flight. Instantly, the orb was enveloped in a thick layer of ice.
"Counter-Shield!" A massive red shield appeared, surrounding Will and the others. The ice-encrusted explosive orb fell heavily to the ground, detonating with a thunderous crash. However, instead of a massive explosion, a wave of icy air erupted from the orb, instantly freezing the entire hall of the shelter. Even the areas still burning were cooled and encased in ice.
Thanks to the protection of the "Counter-Shield" spell, Will and the others remained unharmed. However, Arno was not so fortunate. The intense cold immediately froze him solid, rendering him completely immobile.
Just then, the figure quickly flashed past Will and his companions, heading toward the frozen Arno.
"Who... is that? It can't be!" Master Hakjin gasped in disbelief as he watched the figure. The person had golden hair and walked with an unsteady gait.
"You... you're King Sam II?" Arno said, his face contorted in fear, unable to move except to speak.
It was King Sam II, who had just used the "Frost Arrow" and "Counter-Shield" spells. He had awakened.
"Long time no see, Shadow Council," King Sam II said with a smile.
"Impossible! This can't be happening!" Arno still couldn't believe his eyes.
At that moment, King Sam II bent down slowly and picked up Durandal, which had fallen on the ground near Will. He examined the sword briefly, then wordlessly swung it at Arno's head.
In an instant, Arno's head separated from his body. Blood gushed forth like a fountain, spraying from his severed neck. King Sam II merely smiled and turned away, walking calmly toward Will and the others.
"He... he's awake?" Will stood frozen, too stunned to move.
"It's really King Sam II!" Master Hakjin, filled with excitement, dropped to one knee, trembling in awe.
"Lisa, kneel quickly!" Master Hakjin grabbed Lisa's hand, urging her to kneel as well.
"Your sword is impressive," King Sam II said, walking over to Will and handing back the bloodstained Durandal. Will gave the sword a disgusted glance and carefully sheathed it.
"Master Hakjin, you may rise. Now is not the time for formalities. This place is about to collapse, we must leave quickly. Do you know of any safe places?" King Sam II asked, stepping past Will and Jin to stand beside Master Hakjin and Lisa.
"There is! Not far from here, there is a portal. But my poison hasn't completely dissipated, I can't use magic just yet," Master Hakjin replied, quickly standing up.
"Don't worry, as long as it's nearby, I can sense it. Lisa, take him with you, I'll take these two boys," King Sam II said.
"Are you sure? You've just awakened," Master Hakjin asked with concern.
"Ah, I should be fine," King Sam II replied with a smile.
"Hey, you two, come grab my arm," King Sam II called to Will and Jin.
Without hesitation, Will and Jin moved forward and grasped King Sam II's arm. A flash of white light enveloped them, and in an instant, all five vanished from the shelter.
...
A short time later, in Master Hakjin's training room.
Lisa and Master Hakjin had been safely teleported from the shelter. They stepped out from behind the flames of a fireplace unscathed.
Lisa supported Master Hakjin, quickly guiding him to a chair.
"Why haven't they arrived yet?" Lisa asked, puzzled.
"Perhaps King Sam II has been asleep too long and forgot how to use teleportation magic," Master Hakjin suggested.
"Impossible, he was so skilled with the 'Frost Arrow' and 'Counter-Shield' just now," Lisa replied.
Just as Lisa finished speaking, a loud cry echoed from the fireplace. It was Will's voice. Suddenly, a burst of flame shot out, and Will emerged first, followed by Jin and King Sam II, who walked out calmly behind him.
"What happened to him?" Lisa asked, pointing at Will, who was running toward the door.
"He probably went to throw up. His constitution is too weak; after just a few spins, he couldn't take it," King Sam II said, sounding relaxed.
"Spins?" Lisa asked, confused.
"I simply didn't control the magic properly, the teleportation was a bit bumpy, and he couldn't handle it," King Sam II said helplessly.
"Cough, cough, cough... Is that what you call a few spins? I spent the whole teleportation process spinning non-stop!" Will said, wiping his mouth as he spoke to King Sam II.
"Alright, Will, as long as we're safe, that's all that matters," Jin said quietly, still looking a bit pale.
"King Sam II, please forgive me, it was my mistake that caused you to fall into a coma," Master Hakjin suddenly said, rising from his chair and kneeling on one foot before King Sam II. Lisa quickly followed suit.
"Master Hakjin, don't say that. It wasn't your fault, it was the Shadow Council's doing," King Sam II said, suddenly lowering his head with a serious expression.
"Master Hakjin, I know everything that happened during these ten years of my coma. I know you came to my side every day to tell me what was happening outside. Although my body was unconscious, my mind remained alert. These ten years, I felt as if I were trapped in a dark room, unable to find an exit. I could hear sounds from outside, but I couldn't open the door."
"But how did you suddenly wake up?" Master Hakjin asked.
"I'm not sure, but perhaps it was because of the energy from him," King Sam II said, pointing at Will. "I felt his power, and it was like golden holy light lifting me from the darkness into the light."