They began rearranging the runes on the door according to the order in which the constellations appeared throughout the year. After much effort, they finally managed to align the runes in a new sequence.
As the last rune fell into place, the door to the secret chamber emitted a low, rumbling sound. Slowly, the door creaked open.
"We did it!" Prolo Hawthorne exclaimed excitedly.
They cautiously entered the chamber, finding it filled with precious magical artifacts and scrolls. The most striking item was an ancient altar in the center of the room, atop which rested a glowing key— the very "Key to Eternity."
"We've found the Key to Eternity!" Dean Bruce said, his voice filled with excitement.
However, at that moment, an unsettling feeling washed over him. Dean Bruce looked around, and noticed tiny cracks beginning to form along the walls of the chamber. The entire room seemed to be trembling faintly.
"This isn't good, the chamber is about to collapse!" Dean Bruce shouted.
"What should we do?" Krupp asked anxiously.
Dean Bruce quickly began to think of a plan. Suddenly, he spotted a pile of explosives next to the altar.
"We can use these explosives to destroy the chamber and wipe out the remaining forces of the Black Hole Organization. This way, even if we can't escape, we'll ensure that the core of the Black Hole Organization is completely destroyed."
"Destroy the chamber?" Prolo Hawthorne asked, shocked.
"Yes, it's the only option left."
Dean Bruce said firmly. "We have to make sure that the core power of the Black Hole Organization is eradicated once and for all. We can't give them any chance to come back."
Chikx Thomas nodded in agreement. "I agree with Dean's assessment. This is the most viable option."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's move!" Krupp urged.
They quickly set to work, distributing the explosives around the chamber and preparing the detonation devices.
Dean Bruce carefully picked up the "Key to Eternity," intending to take it with him at the last moment.
"Everyone ready?" Dean Bruce asked.
"Ready!" they all answered in unison.
"Three, two, one, detonate!" Dean Bruce shouted.
With a deafening explosion, the chamber was instantly engulfed in flames and smoke.
The immense force of the explosion leveled the entire chamber, and the core area of the Black Hole Headquarters was severely damaged.
In the final moment before the explosion, Dean Bruce tightly grasped the "Key to Eternity" and, with all his remaining strength, hurled it out of the chamber.
Then, the shockwave sent him flying, and he lost consciousness.
When he regained his senses, he found himself lying amidst a pile of rubble.
Around him, fierce flames raged, and smoke filled the air. .net
Struggling to his feet, he saw Krupp, Prolo Hawthorne, and Chikx Thomas lying not far away, their fates uncertain.
"Is everyone... alright?" Dean Bruce asked weakly.
Just then, Chikx Thomas suddenly spoke up. "Dean, I remember you said that the 'Key to Eternity' might contain great power. Maybe we can use it."
Dean Bruce's eyes lit up. "Right, we still have the key!"
He quickly pulled the "Key to Eternity" from his pocket. The key was glowing brightly, as though it contained boundless energy.
"Cover me! I'm going to use the key to fight Shasbia!" Dean Bruce shouted, then tightly gripped the key and charged toward Shasbia.
Shasbia sneered upon seeing this. "A tiny little key thinks it can oppose me? How laughable."
However, as Dean Bruce approached Shasbia, he suddenly raised the Key high and shouted, "In the name of Light, release the power of Eternity!"
With Dean Bruce's words, the light on the Key flared brightly, and an unprecedented surge of power erupted from the Key, directly striking Shasbia.
Shasbia's expression changed dramatically. He had never anticipated that the Key contained such immense power.
The shockwave from this force sent him stumbling backward, his face turning ghostly pale.
"No! This can't be!" Shasbia shouted in panic.
Yet, Shasbia did not fall. Instead, a wild gleam flickered in his eyes.
"You think this is enough to defeat me? How naive!" Shasbia roared, and more dark energy began to surge around him, as if threatening to devour all light.
Dean Bruce and the others tightened their grip, their hearts heavy. They knew this battle was far from over.
"Everyone, be careful! He's gathering his final dark powers for one last strike!" Dean Bruce shouted.
Prolo Hawthorne gripped his wand, his eyes flashing with determination. "We won't lose to him!"
Krupp drew his longsword, its tip pointing straight at Shasbia. "Come on, let's end this today!"
Chikx Thomas stood aside, his eyes fixed on Shasbia, looking for an opportunity to strike back.
Shasbia sneered at them, a cold smile curling his lips. "Fine, then. Let me show you my true power!"
With that, he swung his hand sharply, and the dark energy he had gathered surged forward like a torrent, crashing toward Dean Bruce and the others.
Quickly, they cast their spells and used their techniques, attempting to block the overwhelming power. But Shasbia's dark energy was far too strong. Their attacks seemed like raindrops in the ocean, having no effect whatsoever.
"What do we do? We can't stop him!" Prolo Hawthorne shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
Dean Bruce gritted his teeth, his gaze briefly locking onto the "Key to Eternity." Then, he made a bold decision.
"Listen to me! We need to redirect this dark power into the destroyed chamber and use the residual magical array there to drain its strength!" Dean Bruce shouted.
At his command, a spark of hope flared in their eyes. They quickly adjusted their tactics, beginning to guide the dark energy toward the chamber.
Seeing this, Shasbia's face darkened. "What are you trying to do?"
Dean Bruce didn't answer him but focused intently on guiding the dark power. Finally, with their combined efforts, the dark energy was successfully led into the chamber.
Almost simultaneously, the remaining magical array in the chamber was activated. Streams of light shot out from the array, intertwining with the dark energy. The collision exploded in a brilliant flash of light and a deafening roar.
Shasbia's face turned even paler as he felt his dark power being rapidly consumed.