Alwin coughed hard, the taste of soot clinging to the back of his throat. His whole world was upside down and on fire. That was corrected when he rolled himself back up. Unfortunately, that did nothing to extinguish the flames.

What just happened? Why was there an explosion? And what happened to the Coopers?

Questions swirled his mind as fire swirled around him

"Trooper! Are you okay? Trooper!"

He turned, smoke stinging his eyes, and spotted Mrs. Cooper kneeling in the middle of a ring of fire. She was kneeling, arms wrapped tight around Cooper Trooper. He giggled and clapped his hands, occasionally coughing as a puff of smoke entered his tiny nose.

She leaned in close, hugging him even tighter. "Oh, Trooper. Mommy will protect you."

That was good. The Coopers seemed to be safe. Except for maybe baby Cooper Trooper's lung development.

Still, that didn't answer what had just happened and why there was an explosion.

Through the crisp and sizzling flames, Alwin heard a voice. Two voices, to be exact. He spun on his behind, searching for the source of those voices through the heatwave.

"Brother, you must control your anger. Your attack just now destroyed the gate to their city."

"I am sorry, brother. My rage is too much. It is overflowing. They dared to destroy and ransack our sect."

"I understand, brother. We must teach these beasts a lesson, but they are nothing more than lowly pawns. The real mastermind is behind that gate."

"I apologize again, brother. I have squandered our chance of ending this conflict early."

"Do not worry about it, brother. There are plenty of beast camps out there. We will not stop until their kind ceases to exist. For Huang Jian and Hong Jian."

"For Huang Jian and Hong Jian."

They knew Huang Jian and Hong Jian. And they were also out here seeking revenge. Even with his concussed brain and below-average IQ—Niwla's words, not Alwin's—he knew that those two voices belonged to the Elders.

They wanted to use the portal to wreak havoc on the city of Monsteria. Think about how much destruction they could've caused if they had succeeded. Especially since the gate connected to an area filled with civilians.

But if they were here? Then what happened to Commander Cooper? Oh no. Did he...

"Fowl Entry!"

Alwin finally did something he should've done a long time ago. He looked up.

Through the tattered, burning remains of the portal tent and the beams of sunlight seeping through, was Commander Cooper. And he was barreling in, fast.

With one clawed foot extended, he crashed into one of the two silhouettes that floated above. He sent the enemy hurtling out of Alwin's view, swallowed by the fire and chaos below.

There was a large boom as Commander Cooper, presumably, smashed his foe into the ground, hard enough to rattle what was left of the portal frame.

"Chi Ren!" the remaining figure in the sky shouted as he descended to help his brother.

"Commander!" Mrs. Cooper screamed.

"Papa!" Cooper Trooper cheered.

Without any hesitation, Mrs. Cooper rose to her feet and charged through the sea of flames. Before the inferno consumed her, she placed a hand over Cooper Trooper and whispered.

"Shellmet."

A matte gray shell appeared over Cooper Trooper. Like the name suggested, it was a shell that acted as a helmet. But it was much too big for the little baby. The front visor thunked down over his entire body, wrapping him up in a protective layer. Tiny fists tapped excitedly against the interior. Every knock echoed, and muffled giggles rang out as Mrs. Cooper dashed through the fire.

Alwin wasn't going to be left out of the action. He also didn't want to be eaten up by the flames, for that matter.

The slime rolled after Mrs. Cooper. Just before the flames got a taste of his juicy body, Niwla forcibly activated Spirit Barrier. A translucent sphere of mana wrapped around him, much to his annoyance.

As he rolled his way through the hellscape, sweat covered every surface of his entire body. It left behind a trail of liquid that instantly evaporated from the intense heat. The Spirit Barrier could block out the flames, but it couldn't prevent the heat from baking it alive.

Finally, he emerged on the other side. The Spirit Barrier was deactivated, and he took in a huge lungful of air.

It was a mistake.

Thick plumes of smoke entered his throat. His eyes widened, and his lungs mutinied. He hacked and coughed as tears leaked from his eyes, all while his lungs desperately forced the blackness out of them.

Yeah, maybe Niwla's comment about his IQ had some weight behind it.

Stolen story; please report.

Through the tears, he saw Mrs. Cooper sprinting toward her husband, Commander Cooper. The large bird was in the middle of fighting the two Elders of the Crimson Gold Sect. Wings soared and beak pierced as they traded blows.

Like all members of the Crimson Gold Sect, they wore robes. Although theirs radiated regality. One was cloaked in a crimson so vibrant and rich, it seemed to glow even beneath the smoke-choked sky. It was even more striking than the shade of red Hong Jian had worn. The other shimmered in a brilliant gold. Every movement reflected light that momentarily blinded Alwin when it was sent his way. It was even more radiant than Huang Jian's dull yellow.

They were much older as well. Wrinkles made crinkles all over their face, and their white-streaked hair was tied back into a bun. They were somewhere around sixty years old—or not, guessing human ages was tough.

Unlike Huang Jian and Hong Jian, or most members of the sect, they bore no blades. Instead, they were stuck in a battle of fisticuffs with Commander Cooper.

Knuckles met talons, and elbows clashed with wings.

Commander Cooper was a blur of feathers. The large chicken threw a storm of jabs, uppercuts, hooks, and crosses at breakneck speed. An assortment of winged blows rained down on the two Elders.

They hovered slightly off the ground, flying backwards with every blow, forced to dodge some and parry others. The two Elders were being pushed back with every hit, but zero damage was being dealt.

"Jin Ren, let us put an end to this farce. Let us destroy this place and seek out another beast camp. We must locate a gate to their main base," said the crimson-robed Elder.

"I disagree, brother Chi Ren," replied the gold-robed Elder. "This one looks to be of a higher standard than those dregs we disposed of on the way. It might have information that can hasten our search."

Using some simple deduction, Alwin concluded that the crimson-robed Elder was Chi Ren and the gold-robed Elder was Jin Ren. Maybe his IQ wasn't that low after all.

"Very well. First, we extract the information from him. Then we destroy this place," the crimson-robed Chi Ren said.

"Agreed," the gold-robed Jin Ren said.

For some reason, the two Elders dashed backward instead of toward Commander Cooper. The muscular bird sprinted toward them, his clawed feet kicking up dirt in the process.

As the Elders continued to hover away, they suddenly threw an arm outward.

"Crimson Gold Advanced Technique: Crimson Inferno Blade."

"Crimson Gold Advanced Technique: Golden Lightning Sword."

Waves of raw energy shot out from their arms.

In Chi Ren's grip, flames twisted and roared, solidifying into a raging sword so hot it distorted the air around him. In Jin Ren's, lightning danced and sparked, condensing into a crackling blade that sprayed the ground with volts.

The two Elders ceased their retreat in perfect sync and charged at Commander Cooper.

And he was ready for it.

They thrust their elemental weapons forward. Commander Cooper, never breaking stride, leaped into the air above the attack. He spread his wings wide, sending thunderous gusts of wind below him that held him aloft for a single, perfect second.

"Cooper Talon Spear!"

Commander Cooper reversed thrust. The wings that held him up now caused him to come crashing down. As he descended, he stretched his feet and primed his talons. The clawed feet slammed down onto the two Elders like a living spear.

But they were Elders for a reason.

Their elemental blades snapped up in perfect synchronicity. Fire and lightning met feather and fatherly fury. The dirt beneath their shoes began to cave, deepening with each second as Commander Cooper drove them down with the sheer force of his strength.

Sparkes scattered, and flames roared. The blades ate away at his claws in a show of defiance, causing smoke to coil upwards in bitter streams.

Just before he jumped away, Mrs. Cooper joined the party.

"I've got you!" she called out.

"Selfish Shellfish Shell-Feet!"

Clams, mussels, crabs, and lobsters. All manner of shellfish erupted from Commander Cooper's feet. Crustaceans and mollusks layered themselves as a dome of writhing, armored marine creatures formed the shape of a thick turtle shell.

The swords clashed with the protective shield of shellfish, roasting them alive. Clams exploded open. Crabs smoked till their shells bubbled. Charred remains dropped to the ground, crumbling to ash, only for fresh replacements to take their place.

But that wasn't the only thing the shellfish did.

They were selfish and prioritized their own well-being.

What they wanted was to stop being hurt. But when they tried to evacuate Commander Cooper's feet, they found themselves anchored tight, unable to leave. So, they did the next best thing. They went for the source of their suffering.

The protective shell of shellfish attacked the elemental weapons. Clams, mussels, and other types of mollusks opened up their shells and chomped away at the fire and lightning. Crabs, lobsters, and other crustaceans opened up their claws and crushed the elements.

Shellfish after shellfish were turned into a charred crisp that were blown away into the wind, only for more to take their place.

Commander Cooper continued to apply pressure to the two Elders. Their feet sank even deeper into the ground as they were pushed back. The Selfish Shellfish Shell-Feet's attacks were working—somewhat. Slivers of fire died out, and lightning dimmed with every snap of a Selfish Shellfish.

But it wasn't fast enough.

The two Elders glanced at each other and exchanged a nod.

Both of their weapons dematerialized into sparks and cinders.

Commander Cooper continued to push down onto empty air, causing him to stumble forward from the sudden lack of resistance.

The Elders jumped to the side, getting out of his way as he crushed the ground beneath him. A crater formed beneath Commander Cooper as the shell of Shellfish was pulverized into dust.

Chi Ren and Jin Ren brought their hands to the side. They were about to summon their elemental weapons again when Alwin had a genius idea.

From watching the fight unfold, he realized that Commander Cooper specialized in melee attacks and his wife, Mrs. Bow-Ma'am Cooper, was a master of defense. That meant he should fill the role of ranged attacker.

Alwin gathered up the Mana in his Core and launched a Yin-Yang Blast at the Elders.

The spiraling black and white orbs crashed into them, creating an explosive Yin-Yang Symbol.

That should've done some damage. He was helping. Maybe he'd get some extra credit and be able to graduate super early. The super-genius Alwin was on his road to becoming Valedictorian and then a Minister.

As the dust settled, so did his glee.

The two Elders stood there, completely unfazed by his attacks. It wasn't like they had blocked it with their Crimson Inferno Blade or Golden Lightning Sword. No, those were still in the middle of being formed. They had taken his attack head-on.

The only damage was to their robes. It wasn't holes or burns, for that matter. It was just a smidge of dirt clinging to them. That was all the damage Alwin had done. They were just slightly less clean.

Chi Ren and Jin Ren turned their attention towards him.

Multiple shivers ran up his jelly body as they dashed straight at him..

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