Alwin was giddy with joy at the absurd nature of his plan. Even Niwla, despite how crazy it was, seemed to agree with his idea. Winal was just being Winal. Silent, stoic, and would do everything in his power to help.

The spice-coated slime was still stuck inside Huang Jian's and Hong Jian's defensive skills, Lightning Net and Burning Basket. He rolled toward the edge of the skill, his equally spice-coated Spirit Hand trailing behind him. Once he reached the border, Alwin came to a stop.

Internally, he groaned. Externally, he also groaned.

Despite being frozen—technically moving really slowly—going through lightning and flames was still going to hurt. Alwin took in a deep breath and firmly denied his fate.

Nope. He wasn't going through that again.

His Spirit Hand was not having it.

It tightened itself into a fist and swung at Alwin. The hand sank into Alwin's jiggly body, sending him flying straight through the Lightning Net and Burning Basket.

He screamed as lightning and flames cooked his body for a second time today. Then, he screamed even louder when he crashed into a poorly placed kitchen counter. The furniture exploded into thousands of splinters and brought him to a smoking, twitching stop.

On the bright side, he smelled really yummy after giving the spices a good roast. On the even brighter side, he didn't feel any pain when he passed through the elemental torture or when he turned the finely crafted countertop into matchwood.

Now, the Spirit Hand had to go through the same fate as him.

Alwin let out a devilish cackle. That would teach it to bash its master.

However, as if having a mind of its own—or maybe Niwla was telling it what to do—the Spirit Hand rose high up into the air. It climbed to the apex of the defensive skills. The hand curled its fingers in as tight as possible and slipped through the gaps of the Lightning Net.

Still, it was much too big, and the holes were much too small.

Zaps of electricity crackled across the top of the Spirit Hand, but it persevered until it finally escaped to the other side. Its vibrant colors darkened into a golden-brown, and the smell permeated through the air straight into his nose.

While Alwin smelled delicious, with a hint of being burned alive, the Spirit Hand, in comparison, smelled divine. It had just the right amount of roast.

Being outshone by his skill shouldn't be allowed. But, there was one more obstacle the hand had to overcome.

Alwin let out another diabolic snickle.

The Spirit Hand had to overcome the Burning Basket.

It simply rose higher up into the air, past the wall of flames, before gliding back down to Alwin's side. The Spirit Hand landed in front of him and flashed a smug little peace sign.

Because of that, he was going to make it suffer by giving it all of his dirty work. The Spirit Hand already had to do it anyway, but now Alwin didn't have to feel bad.

Under his command, the Spirit Hand rose to the ceiling again. It floated up right next to the Lightning Tribulation. The hand looked at the storm cloud, its lightning arm was pulled back against a bow made of equally shocking electricity, before looking back at Alwin as if to say, 'Really?'

Alwin just nodded.

The Spirit Hand turned back and put Alwin's plan into motion. It reached into the storm cloud. The moment its fingers made contact, electricity gave it a rude welcome. It was sent hurtling back, smoking and twitching.

That certainly put a hole in his plan. But that was okay. He'd just patch it up with some good old-fashioned improvisation.

Even if the Spirit Hand couldn't grab it, there was still another way to move the Lightning Tribulation. The hand maneuvered to one side of the dark cloud and flicked its wrist from side to side. It was slow, but it was working.

The Spirit Hand was fanning the cloud.

Slowly, but surely, the Lightning Tribulation began to rotate. From aiming at Huang Jian and Hong Jian, to random parts of Gary Stew's kitchen, until finally, its lightning-hand arrow was pointed right at the Fire Tribulation Bot.

The Spirit Hand came down to the floor and floated over to the Fire Tribulation Bot, which was composed of innumerable bright-red System Screens. It grabbed its shoulder only to immediately recoil in pain. Burnt black streaks marred its fingers.

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Who knew that touching something scorching hot would actually burn?

His plan had been derailed yet again.

Something told him that no amount of fanning would make the bot rotate, just like the Lightning Tribulation. Another something—this time Niwla and his 'logic'—told him that no amount of fanning would cool off the bot enough that it could be touched.

That was okay. This was Alwin we were talking about. Holes being ripped into his plans were just another Tuesday for him. He just had to patch them up fast enough before the whole thing fell apart.

Speaking about patches, a brilliant idea had graced his mind.

The Fire Tribulation Bot, along with its mini-bots, was currently launching fireballs and throwing waves of flame at a certain piece of fabric. Fabric that was able to resist the flames of his Fire Soldier Ant form.

It was perfect.

His Spirit Hand darted towards Gary Stew and his fire-resistant cloth, dodging and weaving through frozen fireballs and flames spewing out of the bots' hands. It reached the cloth and gave it a hard tug, revealing Gary Stew.

The Monster Chef sat on a stool, still in a pair of red undies. His hands were stuck sharpening his chef's knife and frying pan, grinding them against a whetstone. Without his spices, there weren't many options left for the chef. Panic was written all over his face. And like the two young masters, he knew that things were becoming dicey. Triggering so many Tribulations may not have been the wisest decision.

His end was surely nearing. Especially without a layer of heat-resistant cloth to protect him from the flames that were about to cook him alive.

But that was Alwin's guess anyway.

The Spirit Hand cocooned itself in the grey cloth, folding it again and again, creating layers upon layers of protective folds. Soon, the hand, and all of its burnt spices, were hidden away in a ball of thick fire-resistant material.

It reached out and laid a single cautious fingertip on the Fire Tribulation Bot. Smoke began to rise as the fabric sizzled. But the Spirit Hand wasn't burning, not yet.

It rotated the bot, twisting it around like a toy, and angled both of its hands toward the sky, right at the Lightning Tribulation cloud.

The grey cloth was scorched black, and multiple layers had been burnt through. Still, it hadn't been eaten through all the way yet.

The Spirit Hand shifted its attention to the mini-bots. One by one, it turned and aimed their tiny hands right at the crackling Lightning Tribulation cloud.

That was it.

If all went to plan, then both Tribulations would take each other out. If some went to plan, like only a single Tribulation was dealt with, he'd figure something out. If none went to plan and both Tribulations were still up and causing destruction, well...

Maybe Lady Death served up some great tea.

Oh well. He'd cross that bridge when he got there. Now, he just had to wait till the spices wore off. Who knew how long that would take? He only knew that waiting was going to be boring. Maybe he could play a couple of games of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' with his Spirit Hand.

Alwin ordered it to come down and lose. The hand never came. He looked up only to find the hand stuck mid-air, completely frozen like everything else.

Correction. Not like everything else.

The faintest streaks of lightning were beginning to crackle across the dark, ominous cloud above him. The spices were wearing off.

Great! Now he could finally move on with life.

"Pretty interesting plan you got there," a voice came from behind him.

Alwin whipped around to find Fire, the embodiment of the Fire Tribulation.

"Since when could you move as fast as me?" Alwin asked.

"Ever since I was a tiny ember. You're not even moving that fast, by the way. I've just been sitting back and enjoying the show."

"And you're talking to me now, because?"

"Oh, no big reason. Just figured I'd drop in and thank you for the fireworks. Since I don't have the ability to commune with the dead."

"Dead? What are you talking about? I'm super alive."

Alwin performed a couple of backflips just to prove a point.

Fire just smiled and strolled back to a corner of the kitchen. It plopped itself down on the ground, scorching the tiles below, and watching the ceiling with glee on its face.

The gears in his head began to turn. They spun ever so slowly despite how fast he was moving.

When the two Tribulations collided with each other, there was going to be a big bang. And he was right in the middle of it.

Alwin started to roll as fast as he could.

All around him, things were beginning to pick up speed. Lightning raced across the dark clouds above. Fireballs twitched and spun, their flames swishing in the wind.

If he could make it inside Huang Jian's and Hong Jian's skills, he'd probably be safe. But would he make it in time? They were too far away. And everything was picking up the pace. Everything except for him.

Flames bloomed again from the Fire Tribulation Bots. Overhead, the electric string of the lightning-bow snapped loose. Its arrow-arm streaked slowly like a snail. But partway through, the snail was doused with a potion of swiftness, and now it was soaring.

Alwin was running out of time.

Then he remembered.

In the middle of the kitchen was a box of System Screens. That was where Gus, Uchronia, and Cooper Trooper were holed up. The screens were set up to protect them. If he could get behind it in time, he might live just yet.

But would he make it?

The fireballs had already begun their rise, ascending up to the Lightning Tribulation, while its lightning-arrow dove straight down, streaking through the air.

With every bit of strength, Alwin poured on the speed. He rolled like there was no tomorrow. If he didn't, tomorrow would never come for him.

Alwin dove behind the box.

Explosion tore through the air.

His whole world went white.

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