(Chrono Crystal)


    A deep-blue crystal adorned with intricate glowing patterns. When touched, it emits a soothing, cold aura, as if stopping time around it for a brief moment. Inside, a swirl of blue light moves slowly, indicating its connection to the flow of time.


    - Type: Active Artifact


    - Grade: Heaven Grade


    - Essence: 178,000


    - Time Freeze (Active): Halts time for 10 seconds, freezing everything around the user while allowing them to move and n their next steps without interruption. This effect can be activated once every 24 hours, providing a strategic opportunity to change the tide of battle or evade danger. Use wisely!


    Lein wasted no time. With a swift gesture, he activated the Time Freeze skill of his legendary artifact, the Chrono Crystal.


    From within the crystal, the shadow of a giant clock appeared, emitting a dazzling golden light. Its hands spun rapidly several times before finally stopping, pointing precisely at the number ten.


    Tick.


    The first tick resounded, shaking the entire space. In an instant, time around him froze. The dark aura drifting in the distance hung motionless in the air, and the old man who had previously stood arrogantly was now silent like a statue, trapped in a void.


    Crack...


    A faint cracking sound began to emerge, like a crystal fracturing under pressure.


    Crack...


    crack...


    The cracks grew louder and rhythmic, originating from the bodies of the frozen Guardians.


    Lein frowned, his gaze focused on the invisible fissures creeping around them. The restraints of the Chrono Crystal seemed to weaken, unable topletely suppress the power of the Guardians.


    "Hahaha! You dare to restrain a King-level Guardian with such a low-grade artifact?" Zkeron''sughter echoed, filled with mockery and scorn.


    The dark aura around him suddenly surged, engulfing the void with a thick darkness that seemed to swallow the light. The once-frozen atmosphere turned ominous.


    Lein ignored Zkeron''s taunts, but behind his calm exterior, his mind was in turmoil. His gaze hardened as he looked at the artifact, questioning its reliability.


    "How could a Heaven-Grade artifact fail? Isn''t this supposed to be the highest level?" he muttered internally, confusion evident on his face.


    But there was no time to think further. A sh of ck energy shot forward, aiming to cleave his body from the lower left to the upper right.


    With trained reflexes, Lein raised his sacred sword,


    Infernal de - Part 2


    , which radiated a dazzling ck light.


    Tang!


    The sound of metal shing reverberated as his sword sessfully blocked the sh. Lein gazed forward, his eyes narrowing as he tried to sense Zkeron''s presence hidden within the darkness.


    Silence once again enveloped the space, but Lein knew the danger wasn''t over. His body tensed as he felt the looming threating from multiple directions. And sure enough, this time, hundreds of ck shes appeared simultaneously, raining down on him like a deadly storm of weapons.


    With agile movements, Lein swung his sword, creating golden shes that shielded him. He deflected each attack with perfect precision, like a swordsman who had honed his skills over hundreds of years.


    The chimes reverberated one after another, creating a symphony of chaos in the midst of the dark arena. Lein stood firm in the center of the onught, his expression calm though every movement radiated intense focus.


    "Tch, are all of you cowards who only dare to attack from the shadows?" he remarked casually, his voice cutting through the silence. His cold gaze pierced the darkness, challenging the hidden enemies.


    Lein had no intention of wasting more energy against this endless barrage. With his signatureposure, he reached for another artifact, a sacred crown hidden within his dimensional space.


    (Crown of the Sun Emperor)A crown born from the scorching energy of the sun, absorbing the power of stars until it destroys them. Nestled between space and time.


    - Type: Active Artifact


    - Grade: Heaven


    - Essence: 141,000


    - Ability: Sr Dominion - Activates sr domination mode, enhancing all magical abilities tenfold. Attacks inflict severe burning effects. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.


    The golden crown rested firmly atop Lein''s head, adorned with seven colorful crystals at its peaks. A soft glow emanated from the crown, exuding an indescribable majestic aura.


    Lein exhaled slowly, preparing his next move. Without hesitation, he activated


    Skill 3: Area of Light


    , which granted extraordinary effects—a doubling of attributes for ten minutes and significantly more lethal attacks against dark creatures.


    (Skill 3: Area of Light)


    Creates an area of light with a 10-kilometer radius. Increases all attributes by 100%, nullifies enemy healing, and boosts damage against dark creatures by 100%.


    - Duration: 10 minutes


    - Cooldown: 1 hour


    Sacred light began to radiate.


    A brilliant energy engulfed the area within a 10-kilometer radius, dispelling the suffocating darkness that had previously dominated. The once-menacing atmosphere shifted dramatically, bing dazzlingly bright all the way to the horizon.


    "Wh-what?" Zkeron muttered, his voiceced with shock. He nced around in disbelief.


    "His holy energy… is it erasing my dark energy?" he murmured, watching the light that now ruled the empty void.


    Zkeron''s gaze fixated on Lein, who stood proudly in the center of the glowing circle, his eyes filled with resolve and fury.


    The crown on Lein''s head shimmered brilliantly, amplifying the terrifying aura of his presence. To Zkeron, Lein was no longer merely an opponent but a genuine threat.


    "I''ll have to take this seriously now," Zkeron muttered, his expression sharpening. With deliberate hand movements, he summoned his own altar.


    Suddenly, the sky above him cracked like ss struck by a heavy blow. Through the fissures, a golden altar slowly emerged, its dim glow contrasting against the holy light. The altar hovered briefly before descending with perfect precision, stopping before Zkeron as though bowing to hismand.


    "You''ll be the one to die today," Zkeron dered arrogantly, his voice filled with unshakable confidence. He raised his hand high,manding the altar.


    Momentster, from the center of the altar, ck shadows began to materialize. They moved slowly, seeping out like thick smoke that gradually formed shapes.


    One by one, the dark souls rose, their figures resembling humans with hollow eyes radiating darkness. Others took the shape of massive monsters with grotesque and terrifying forms, exuding an air of intimidation.


    The sacred light from the


    Area of Light


    shed with the ck aura emanating from the altar, creating an unseen battle of energy in the air.


    The risen souls stepped forward, releasing low growls that echoed across the entire area.