The Invincible Young Master

The masked man stepped forward and dropped to one knee, bowing his head with the quiet assurance of someone who had already accepted the danger.

Ling Yan's eyes flickered to him.

"Are you certain?" she asked, her voice low. Her gaze lingered on the cold, featureless mask that hid his expression, searching for hesitation and finding none.

"It's only an Astral Bloom stage creature," he replied evenly. His tone held no arrogance, only certainty. "It should not pose any true danger."

Ling Yan studied him for a long breath. Finally, she gave a sharp nod, her voice ringing with authority.

"Very well. I grant you permission to engage the creature, but you must return safely."

The masked man inclined his head in silent acknowledgment. Then, with a motion as swift as a whisper, he vanished from her side.

A blink later, he hovered above the barrier, his lone figure framed against the swirling red haze.

Slowly, he unclasped the tattered cape that hung from his shoulders.

The cloth slipped free and fluttered downward, only to dissolve into gray dust the instant it touched the crimson mist, devoured without a trace.

Now revealed, his form radiated a quiet menace. From helm to boot, crimson armor gleamed. Each plate bore sharp, flowing lines, elegant yet brutal, as though forged to embody both beauty and slaughter.

Covering his hands were gauntlets of dark metal, their surface etched with intricate sigils that pulsed faintly, drinking in the air itself.

Every breath around him seemed to bend toward those gloves, pulled by some unseen force.

Across the chamber, the creature stirred. Its enormous head lifted, and its cold, lidless eyes locked on him.

In that instant, it did not see a fragile human; it saw a threat, a defiant flame that refused to bow.

The silence broke with a thunderous screech that rattled the stone pillars. Muscles coiled, the beast lunged forward in a blur of scaled mass, its maw yawning wide.

Crimson fog whipped with its charge, jagged fangs dripping with venomous light as it bore down to swallow him whole.

But the red-armored figure did not flinch.

He lifted his right arm. The gauntlet hummed, a deep, resonant vibration that seemed to shake the air itself.

Lines of carved metal ignited with a blinding white-blue glow, weaving together like rivers of lightning. Power surged outward in ripples, bending the very mist around his form.

At the final heartbeat before collision, he pivoted in midair, driving his fist forward.

BOOM.

The strike landed like a thunderclap. The chamber shook, the impact scattering crimson mist in spiraling currents.

The creature's hardened exoskeleton cracked open beneath the blow, shards exploding outward like fragments of shattered glass.

The beast reeled back, loosing a screech so sharp it made the chamber stones quiver.

Inside the barrier, the soldiers froze as though the world itself had paused.

Their eyes widened, breath locked in their throats. None dared speak, but every gaze lifted to the lone figure hovering above the crimson fog.

Against that churning sea of red, he stood like a war god descended, his crimson armor gleaming faintly, the glove, that holy artifact, on his hand radiated a light that cut through the gloom.

They all thought, "As expected of the royal guard, Ian."

He was one of the Yan Empire's true pillars, a peak Astral Bloom ascendant, wielding not only overwhelming power but a holy artifact capable of shattering the mountains.

For the first time since stepping into these cursed ruins, hope stirred in their hearts. With him by their side, victory felt within reach.

But the illusion shattered in the very next breath.

With a sickening squelch, the creature's ruptured exoskeleton writhed and sealed.

Black sinews slithered and wove themselves anew, knitting its shattered carapace back together in the blink of an eye.

What should have been a mortal wound became nothing more than an inconvenience.

The monster's gleaming eyes narrowed, its hunger sharper than before, its roar vibrating through the bones of all who heard it.

Yet the masked guard Ian did not hesitate. He surged forward once more, fists blazing with divine light.

Each strike hammered into the beast, sending shockwaves rolling through the chamber.

Stone cracked, mist scattered, and the creature reeled, forced back step by step. He knew the wounds would close, but every blow stolen from the beast's momentum bought the army another heartbeat.

Within the barrier, Ling Yan's gaze hardened. She could feel the clash above through the trembling of the earth, could sense the raw force shaking the air.

"All units, advance toward the gate!" she ordered. "Maintain the barrier at all costs, do not break formation!"

The soldiers snapped into motion. Their boots struck the stone in unison, and the shimmering dome of light pressed forward, inch by inch, forcing back the suffocating mist.

Every step was hard-won, yet their march did not falter. The clash above, that lonely duel in the skies, became both their shield and their distraction.

Overhead, the battle raged fiercer. The masked guard Ian pressed his assault relentlessly, his gauntleted fist detonating against the beast's body like thunderclaps from heaven.

Each blow carved deep rents into its body, forcing it into staggering retreats.

And yet, the monster's resilience defied belief, its body mending with unnatural speed, black sinew threading together as though mocking his efforts.

Below, Ling Yan's forces marched steadily, the barrier flickering as the crimson haze chewed against its edges.

Still, they pressed on toward the looming gate in the distance, their faith pinned to the figure above.

Then, from the rear side of the chamber, shadows stirred. The disciplined ranks of Reynold's army emerged from the mist, their armor gleaming faintly as they too pressed their advance.

Another tide of steel and willpower moved toward the gate, closing the gap between the two forces.

The masked guard Ian caught sight of them through the haze. His eyes narrowed behind the mask.

A shift came over his strikes. Each impact angled the monster's massive form, not forcing it away, but driving it sideways, corralling it like a shepherd steering a beast.

The creature roared, tail whipping furiously.

With a bone-shaking leap, it tore free from the haze and crashed down in front of Reynold's advancing soldiers.