Golden light engulfed Green Paradise Zoo.
For a few breathtaking moments, night itself seemed to disappear.
The brilliant radiance spread across every tree, every enclosure, and every stone pathway, bathing the entire zoo in a warm glow.
The Crimson Earth Devourer stood perfectly still.
Arjun’s palm remained pressed against its enormous forehead.
Neither of them moved.
The world held its breath.
Then…
A low heartbeat echoed through the air.
Thump.
A second heartbeat answered.
Thump.
Soon, the entire zoo resonated with the same steady rhythm.
It wasn’t the heartbeat of the Devourer.
Nor was it Arjun’s.
It came from somewhere far beneath the earth.
The system immediately reacted.
✦ PURIFICATION IN PROGRESS ✦
Crimson Earth Devourer
Corruption Cleansed:
3%…
7%…
12%…
Arjun felt countless streams of warmth flowing through his body.
At the same time, memories that weren’t his own flooded his mind.
He saw a vast battlefield stretching beyond the horizon.
Mountains had collapsed.
The sky itself was fractured.
Millions of warriors stood shoulder to shoulder.
Dragons circled overhead.
Phoenixes filled the heavens with blazing fire.
At the very center of the battlefield stood the young man in black robes.
Kael.
He calmly raised one hand.
The entire army fell silent.
“Protect this world.”
“Even if history forgets our names.”
The vision vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Arjun staggered but refused to remove his hand.
“…Who were you?”
The system quietly answered.
Memory Fragment Recorded.
Synchronization: 6%.
Before Arjun could ask another question, the Crimson Earth Devourer’s enormous body trembled violently.
Dark smoke erupted from the cracks in its crimson scales.
The black corruption shrieked like countless tortured souls as it was forced out by the golden light.
The Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf stepped forward.
“Now!”
Without hesitation, it opened its jaws.
A silver vortex appeared before its mouth, swallowing the escaping corruption before it could spread.
Bruno immediately joined in.
The panda slammed both paws against the ground.
Dozens of glowing bamboo pillars burst upward, trapping the remaining black mist inside a massive cage.
Varkhaz ignited black flames around the prison.
“I’ll keep it contained!”
Ren watched the coordinated attack with quiet admiration.
“The Four Guardians…”
He smiled faintly.
“…fighting together again.”
Aisha looked at him.
“Four?”
Ren nodded toward the battlefield.
“The Bear Emperor.”
“The Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf.”
“The Demon General.”
Then…
His gaze shifted toward Arjun.
“And the Keeper.”
Arjun frowned.
“I’m not exactly fighting.”
Ren chuckled.
“Without you…”
“None of them would be.”
For a brief moment, Arjun realized something strange.
Despite possessing overwhelming power, none of these ancient beings had acted alone.
They instinctively protected one another.
Almost like…
A family.
The realization warmed his heart.
Then the system interrupted.
✔ HIDDEN PASSIVE DISCOVERED ✔
Keeper’s Aura
Effect:
Ancient Beasts naturally trust the Host.
Current Trust Levels:
Heavenly Bear Emperor: MAX
Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf: MAX
Varkhaz: High
Crimson Earth Devourer: Growing
“So that’s why everyone keeps adopting me…”
Host is surprisingly easy to adopt.
“…I’m not a stray cat.”
Debatable.
Even in the middle of an ancient purification ritual…
The system refused to miss an opportunity to tease him.
Aisha quietly laughed.
“I don’t know who you’re talking to…”
“…but they’re definitely winning.”
Arjun sighed.
“They usually do.”
Suddenly—
The purification stopped.
The percentage froze.
WARNING
Purification Progress Stalled
Current Progress:
18%
Cause:
External Interference Detected
“What?”
The golden light around Arjun flickered.
A violent explosion echoed from the zoo entrance.
BOOM!
Everyone turned.
The massive iron gate had been blasted completely off its hinges.
A convoy of black armored vehicles rolled slowly through the broken entrance.
Each vehicle bore the same silver dragon emblem as the Heavenly Investigation Bureau.
Only…
These weren’t ordinary Bureau agents.
The first vehicle stopped.
Its door opened.
An elderly man stepped out.
He wore a spotless white military uniform decorated with dozens of medals.
His silver hair was neatly combed, and despite his age, his posture remained perfectly straight.
The moment Ren saw him…
His smile vanished.
“…So they sent him.”
Varkhaz’s flames flickered.
“The Dragon Marshal…”
Even the Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf narrowed its eyes.
Bruno stopped smiling entirely.
Arjun quietly asked,
“Who is he?”
The system answered before anyone else could.
HIGH-RANK INDIVIDUAL DETECTED
Name:
Marshal Liang Zhen
Title:
Dragon Marshal of the Heavenly Investigation Bureau Threat Level:
SSS
Current Opinion of Host:
Unknown
The elderly man surveyed the battlefield.
His sharp eyes took in the shattered zoo…
The glowing bamboo forest…
The imprisoned corruption…
And finally…
They settled on Arjun.
A long silence followed.
Then Marshal Liang smiled.
“Interesting.”
He slowly removed a pair of white gloves.
“I’ve spent thirty years searching for monsters.”
His gaze never left Arjun.
“I never expected to find their king.”
The entire battlefield fell silent.
The night fell silent.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Marshal Liang Zhen stood in the middle of the shattered zoo entrance, his spotless white uniform untouched by the dust and debris around him.
Behind him, dozens of elite Heavenly Investigation Bureau officers stepped out of the armored vehicles.
Unlike the agents Arjun had encountered before, these officers wore dark silver combat armor engraved with ancient runes.
Each one carried a different spiritual weapon.
A spear.
A glaive.
A pair of gauntlets.
A long crimson bow.
Their spiritual pressure alone dwarfed that of the White Fox Society.
Arjun instinctively tightened his grip.
The system reacted immediately.
NEW FACTION ANALYSIS
Heavenly Investigation Bureau
Elite Dragon Division
Commander: Marshal Liang Zhen
Combat Evaluation:
Far Above Standard Bureau Agents
Recommendation:
Avoid unnecessary conflict.
“That was already my plan.”
Host occasionally requires reminders.
Bruno quietly stepped beside Arjun.
The giant panda no longer looked playful.
Golden spiritual energy flowed around him like a calm river.
The Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf stood on Arjun’s other side.
Its silver aura shimmered beneath the moonlight.
Neither beast growled.
Neither attacked.
But their protective stance was unmistakable.
Marshal Liang observed them silently.
Then…
To everyone’s surprise…
He bowed.
Not deeply.
Just enough to show respect.
“I greet the Heavenly Bear Emperor.”
Bruno blinked.
“…Old Human knows me?”
The elderly marshal smiled faintly.
“My master once told me stories about the Bear Emperor who defended the Eastern Heaven.”
Bruno scratched his head.
“I defended many places.”
“I know.”
Then Liang turned toward the Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf.
“And greetings to the Guardian of the Moon Path.”
The wolf gave a slow nod.
“You remember the old covenant.”
“I do.”
Arjun stared in confusion.
“This isn’t the reaction I expected.”
Ren folded his arms.
“Marshal Liang belongs to the oldest generation of the Bureau.”
“He remembers history.”
“The younger generations remember only legends.”
Before Arjun could ask another question…
One of the younger Dragon Division officers stepped forward.
He looked to be in his early thirties.
His expression was stern.
“Marshal.”
He pointed his spear toward Arjun.
“Whether those beasts are friendly or not…”
“…the Keeper remains a threat.”
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Bruno frowned.
The wolf’s silver eyes narrowed.
Varkhaz’s black flames reignited.
Marshal Liang raised one hand.
The officer immediately fell silent.
“No.”
Liang’s calm voice echoed across the battlefield.
“You are mistaken.”
The officer frowned.
“But the records—”
“Our records are incomplete.”
“They always have been.”
The marshal slowly walked toward Arjun.
Each step was measured.
He stopped only three meters away.
“You are Arjun Mehra.”
“…Yes.”
“A zoo keeper.”
“…Also yes.”
“And you have no memory of your previous life.”
Arjun’s eyes widened.
“You know that too?”
Liang smiled.
“I suspected it.”
“The way you speak.”
“The way you panic.”
“The way you argue with yourself.”
He chuckled softly.
“The true Sovereign never complained this much.”
Bruno burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
“Keeper complains every day!”
Arjun glared at the panda.
“Whose side are you on?”
Bruno innocently tilted his head.
“…Truth?”
Even Aisha covered her mouth to hide a smile.
The system added fuel to the fire.
✔ SOCIAL OBSERVATION ✔
Statement Verified.
Host complains approximately 43 times per day.
“…You’re counting?”
Statistics are important.
Liang’s smile widened.
“So…”
“You really have changed.”
He looked toward the Crimson Earth Devourer.
The ancient beast remained frozen as Arjun’s purification continued.
Golden light still flowed from Arjun’s hand.
Liang’s expression became serious again.
“You are trying to save it.”
“Yes.”
“Even though destroying it would be easier.”
Arjun nodded.
“It didn’t choose to become corrupted.”
“It deserves a chance.”
The marshal remained silent for several moments.
Then he slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again…
His decision had been made.
“Dragon Division.”
Every elite officer immediately stood at attention.
“Protect Green Paradise Zoo.”
The younger officers looked stunned.
“Marshal?”
“You heard my order.”
“But the Keeper—”
“Is under my protection.”
Shock spread through the entire battlefield.
Even Ren looked genuinely surprised.
“You would go that far?”
Liang answered calmly.
“I have spent my entire life hunting monsters.”
He looked at Bruno.
Then the wolf.
Then finally Arjun.
“Tonight…”
“I found guardians instead.”
A warm breeze drifted through the zoo.
For the first time…
The Heavenly Investigation Bureau and the ancient guardians stood on the same side.
The system quietly chimed.
✔ FACTION RELATION UPDATED ✔
Heavenly Investigation Bureau
Relationship:
Neutral → Cautious Ally
Reputation Increased!
Arjun finally released the breath he had been holding.
“That’s…
actually good news.”
Host should not celebrate yet.
“Why?”
Incoming threat detected.
The smile disappeared from Arjun’s face.
High above the clouds…
The moon suddenly turned crimson.
Not because of an eclipse.
Because something enormous had passed in front of it.
Every person present slowly looked upward.
A colossal shadow stretched across the night sky.
It was so large that it blotted out the stars.
A single eye opened among the clouds.
Ancient.
Golden.
Watching.
Marshal Liang’s expression changed instantly.
Ren’s calm demeanor vanished.
Bruno’s fur stood on end.
The Moon-Devouring Heavenly Wolf whispered only two words.
“…The Sovereign.”
But Ren immediately shook his head.
“No…”
His voice was quieter than ever before.
“…Not the true Sovereign.”
The system exploded into dozens of crimson windows.
WORLD EMERGENCY
Unknown Entity Detected
Designation:
False Sovereign
Threat Level:
Beyond Calculation
Current Objective:
Searching for the Keeper
The gigantic golden eye slowly focused on Green Paradise Zoo.
Then…
A deep voice echoed across the entire world.
“I have finally found you.”
The heavens trembled.
To Be Continue….