ch89- Explosive Revenge

Still seething from the earlier encounter, Alex wasn't willing to let it slide easily. As Jessica slowly recovered, he turned to her and said, "Come on, let's get you back to Emma." 

Emma and Lucy were nearby, overseeing another resource point. Alex pulled Jessica to her feet, but when she stumbled slightly, unable to stand steadily, he immediately grew concerned. "Are you okay, Jessica?"

Leaning weakly against Alex's arm, Jessica pressed her hand to her forehead, her face pale. She coughed lightly and replied, "Just feeling a little dizzy and short of breath."

Without hesitation, Alex crouched down and let Jessica climb onto his back, carrying her as he flew toward Emma's resource point. Emma and Lucy, who were guarding the entrance, were momentarily startled when they saw Alex approach with Jessica. Nearly reacting with an attack, they quickly rushed over to help as soon as they realized who it was.

"What happened? You guys look terrible!" Emma exclaimed as she helped Alex gently lower Jessica down.

"I gave her a recovery potion, so she should be fine after resting a bit," Alex explained, but couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "That Sky Fortress… it's a complete deathtrap. We barely entered, and everything exploded."

As Alex gave them a brief rundown of what happened, Emma and Lucy were left stunned. It was hard to imagine a resource point so dangerous. No wonder Ethan had been so adamant in warning everyone not to venture into that forbidden zone. If someone as powerful as Alex, and Jessica with her full set of divine gear, could be reduced to such a state, ordinary people wouldn't stand a chance.

Watching as color slowly returned to Jessica's face, Alex had to admire the effectiveness of the recovery potion. It was like a miracle cure as long as the person still had some life left in them. Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex stood up and addressed Emma and Lucy, "Take care of her while she rests."

The two girls blinked in confusion, immediately asking, "Where are you going?"

Alex's eyes gleamed with determination as he replied through gritted teeth, "Revenge."

This was by far the worst Alex had ever been caught off guard, and he wasn't about to let it go. Moreover, it was the perfect chance to blow off some steam. After all, he hadn't really had a chance to use his full power yet. 

Emma's expression changed as she yelled, "Are you crazy? You barely survived the first explosion, and you want to go back for more?"

Alex shrugged nonchalantly. "That was because we were caught by surprise. This time, I'll be ready. Once I activate my skills, I'll crush those monsters."

Seeing that Alex was dead set on his decision, Emma hesitated, her face showing signs of internal conflict. Finally, she bit her lip and said, "I'm coming with you!"

Both Alex and Lucy stared at her in disbelief. Alex shook his head. "You'll just get yourself killed, and what about this resource point? If you leave, Lucy won't be able to defend it alone."

Emma stubbornly replied, "Then forget the resource point!"

Frustrated by Emma's persistence, Alex sighed. "Fine. But you'll wait outside. Don't come in, or you'll just end up dragging me into another rescue mission."

After a moment of thought, Emma reluctantly agreed. The three of them then prepared to leave the resource point, ready to hand it over to Mason's group at the next one. However, Jessica struggled to her feet, stopping them before they could move. With a determined look, she said, "I'll be fine. You don't need to leave. Just go."

"Are you sure?" Alex and Emma still looked concerned, but Jessica shook her head. "I'll rest at the top layer. I'll be fine after a little while. Worst case, you can come back later and clean out any monsters that get inside."

Lucy stood by, overwhelmed by her crazy friends. It seemed like none of them were willing to think of her feelings. Despite her reluctance, the group decided to stay put, and Alex set off with Emma to return to the Sky Fortress.

As they approached, the once-intact barrier around the resource point had been completely destroyed. The entire fortress was clearly visible from the outside now. What amazed Alex was that, despite the earlier explosion, the fortress appeared completely unscathed. Aside from some black thunderclouds clearing from the mountaintop, there wasn't a single sign of damage. It made sense why such a fearsome creature like the **Sky Eel** had chosen this place as its lair.

The fortress now carried an air of silent menace. Even without witnessing the explosion, Emma felt uneasy as they drew closer. "Fly back a bit. If anything happens, or if you see me coming out fast, you need to run immediately," Alex warned Emma several times before turning his focus on the task at hand.

Feeling confident and full of resolve, Alex activated his **Ultimate Mode**. The powerful expert-level skill consumed only 1% of his energy every 10 seconds while boosting all his stats by 30% per second. After just 10 seconds, his power would have tripled.

This was where Alex's confidence came from. He also donned his full **Dragon God** set, and with the boost from the armor, his health skyrocketed from 160,000 to over 230,000, increasing by more than 30,000 per second. Within moments, his health surged to over 500,000, and he confidently stepped through the gates.

Inside, Alex saw the familiar sight of the fortress's strange monsters. Astonishingly, the creatures had survived the earlier explosion. Even more surprising, many of them turned away as soon as they saw him, retreating rather than attacking. Only a few daring monsters lunged at him.

Despite their powerful skills, Alex's stats now far surpassed theirs by a significant margin, especially in his **Ultimate Mode**. The monsters stood no chance. He wiped out a dozen of them in the blink of an eye, his speed so fast they barely saw him move.

Though a few managed to launch their skills, Alex realized the explosion's power had diminished dramatically since the last time. Under the defense of his **Dragon God Armor**, the skills only managed to knock off a mere thousand health points.

He smiled grimly. This time, he was ready.