Ryker Intervention
When the shockwave ended, Sophia was on the ground, groaning slightly. With her qi drained, she could not create even a meager defense to protect herself.
Thankfully, she wore the armor, allowing her to not be hurt greatly. Her greatest joy stemmed of the fact the Formation had been destroyed, allowing her to call for help.
With no hesitation, she took her communication token and send a message.
"Quick, come to the Elkom Forest. Gulag is here and trap-" any more message she could send was stopped when a Domain surround her and rip of the communication token before shattering it to pieces.
Sophia's eyes widened with horror as she stare at the old man, still standing with almost no injury on him, with the exception of those he caused himself.
Behind him, 7 Noble Tower floated, though all of it are in ruin, no doubt from the attack of the Kingdom's Sovereign expert.
However, she did not have time to care for it as the old man kick her on the stomach, sending her flying to a nearby tree.
"You cause me a lot of trouble," he spat as the Domain pulled her towards him before his hand find itself on her throat.
"I will make sure to take you roughly before savoring your flesh," choking, Sophia tried to pry of the hand, but the grip of Gulag is too strong.
"Don't think you can escape. Even if they rushed towards your location, I would be long gone, and so will you," the criminal let a wicked chuckle before he cough up blood, his injuries catching up with him.
"I should get away for no-" before he could finish his sentence, a spear of Death, Fire and Ice Qi sailed towards him, before it stabbed his remaining shoulder.
The old man screamed from the pain, dropping Sophia. That's when she took the opportunity to tale out the amulet of the High Duke. Pouring some qi that she had saved for this instance, the amulet unleashed a powerful force, several the remaining arm of Gulag while tearing through a large chuck of his flesh, causing the old man to scream louder.
However, the greatest damage was not done to his flesh, however, it was to his Noble Tower. Most of the attack hit his crumbling Noble Tower, destroying two of it thoroughly.
Gulag throw up blood once more, before he fell to the ground. From the shadow, the one who created the spear emerged, though Sophia had already guessed who did it.
"Ryker?" was what she said before she fell into unconsciousness.
-x-
"That was a close one," he uttered to himself. He only thought of forcing the old man to drop Sophia before he rescued her, taking her away from the forest.
To his surprise, the older woman had a trump card, one that allowed her to badly injured Gulag, and from the looks of it, almost killed him.
However, he could feel the vitality of the expert remained strong, and he knew, he need to do something to prevent the old man from escaping.
"I have to do this," he uttered to himself before going straight for Sophia. Yet, as he did so, the old man opened his eyes before swinging his hand towards Ryker.
Thankfully, Ryker managed to avoid it, all thanks to how badly he was injured. Still, the old man was still a high-stage Noble expert, so the swing unleash powerful Spirit Qi and almost blow him away.
Ryker could feel some of his bones almost breaking from the force, showing how powerful an expert of Gulag caliber is, even when he is half dead.
"I maybe die here when those damned guards get to me, but I will take you with me!" he roared, charging towards him, who now have Sophia on his back.
"No, we will not," Ryker took out the amulet given by the Adventure Guild, creating a barrier around him. Against Gulag's strength, it shattered, though it was part of the plan he come up with earlier, though there are some changes to it.
As he was being transported by the spatial ability of the Artifact, Ryker used his mastery of Law of Space and Gravity to pull the bewildered Gulag into the sucking spatial hole. Pulling him to where the amulet supposed to take him when it was destroyed, Elkom City.
-x-
When a large hole opened up just outside the city, the members of the Adventure Guild waited for the person to come out, and asked if he spot Gulag.
To their surprise, instead of a single person, three come out, with one being a Genesis Lake and the adventurer in question, while the other two are Noble experts of unknown identity for the moment.
However, it did not take too long before Ryker able to gather his thought and carried Sophia away from the dangerous criminal, all while shouting loudly, "Gulag the Devourer is here!"
The said criminal manage to regain his thought at the same time, and quickly summoned his Noble Tower, now five due to the action of Sophia. Still, most of the members of the Adventure Guild merely at the Genesis Sea, and unable to do anything, with one exception.
"You are badly injured, and you think you can do anything to me," the Vice Branch Leader of Elkom Adventure Guild exclaimed, as 7 Noble Tower emerged from his body, a Domain of water slamming into the weakened criminal, knocking him out.
The man did not pay attention to the criminal though, but instead turned towards the one who bring him to the gate of the city.
"Who are you? I never see you before and I know almost all adventurers above Genesis Spring on this city,"
"I came about 7 weeks ago, give or take, so there should be reason enough you don't recognize me," he explained.
The Vice Branch Leader nodded before looking up. Ryker did the same, having felt powerful aura from above.
Soon, three people descended, all of which he recognized.
"That's Gulag! Vice Branch Leader Halur, are you the one that took him down?" the Crown Prince's guard asked.
The man shook his head, "While I defeat him, his injuries are way worse than it should be. Also, he was brought here by another person,"
He pointed at Ryker, who still carried the unconscious Sophia.
"Ryker, Sophia?" the Crown Prince said, bewildered by the presence of the two.
"I will ask some question to them, and to you too as well, Vice Branch Leader Halur," none of the people objected, as Ryker carried Sophia, piggyback style towards the gate, where he would undergo an interrogation, again.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone