**Chapter 20: Encounter with Destiny**
The night was silent, but not for long. Lucas, Robin, and Maya were on one of the highest rooftops in the city, watching the illuminated streets below. The cold December air carried with it the anticipation of something big. After the battle against Dark Storm, they felt stronger and more confident. However, an unease lingered in the air.
"I feel like something is about to happen," Lucas said, looking at the horizon. "A strange feeling."
"Maybe it's just the adrenaline from the last fight," Robin commented, adjusting his quiver of magical arrows. "But you're right; something feels different."
Maya looked around, her sharp instincts picking up every movement in the shadows. "Let's stay alert. The city never stays peaceful for long."
And then a loud explosion echoed in the distance, lighting up the night sky with an intense glow. The three friends exchanged glances and immediately ran towards the sound.
Upon arriving at the explosion site, they found a chaotic scene: overturned cars, shattered glass, and a group of people running in panic. At the center of it all stood an imposing man clad in gleaming black armor that resembled Iron Man's but with a more menacing touch. It was the villain known as *Destro*, a criminal genius who had only been seen in rumors and whispers.
"Nobody will stand between me and my goal!" Destro shouted, his voice echoing through the street.
Lucas felt his heart race. He knew Destro was not just any adversary; he had a reputation for being incredibly intelligent and capable of manipulating advanced technology. "We need to be careful," he whispered to his friends.
Maya nodded and began channeling her magical energy for a powerful attack. Robin positioned himself behind Lucas, ready to support him with his arrows.
"You're just a child playing hero," Destro mocked as he saw Lucas and his team approaching. "Get out of my way or I'll have to eliminate you."
Lucas took a deep breath and activated his Shadow Domain once again. "We won't let you cause any more destruction!" He conjured dark tendrils around Destro to immobilize him.
Destro's armor began to glow with an intense red hue as he activated his defenses. Lucas's shadows clashed against the armor but couldn't penetrate the villain's technological defenses.
"Pathetic!" Destro laughed as he fired lasers from his armor towards Lucas, forcing him to dodge quickly.
Maya launched a burst of blue energy in response, hitting Destro on the shoulder. He grunted in pain and turned his gaze towards her. "Do you really think this will work?"
"We have to work together!" Lucas shouted to his friends.
Robin wasted no time and shot a magical arrow that exploded into light when it hit the ground near Destro, creating a momentary distraction. "Now!" he yelled.
Lucas seized the opportunity and unleashed his most powerful attack yet: "Shadow Slash!" Dark blades sliced through the air toward the villain.
Destro tried to block with his armor, but the blades managed to tear through part of it, causing him to stagger back in surprise. Adrenaline surged through Lucas as he realized his attacks were having an effect.
With Destro momentarily stunned, Maya concentrated all her magical energy into a single strike. "Freezing Blast!" She unleashed a wave of ice that enveloped Destro completely, freezing his armor and rendering him vulnerable.Lucas didn't hesitate; he seized the chance and invoked
"Shadows of the Abyss!" The tents stretched towards the frozen villain as he struggled to break free. The impact of their combined powers was devastating. Destro finally fell to the ground with a crash, unable to resist the team's combined attacks. However, before they could celebrate their victory, an intense light appeared in the sky — something very similar to the Avengers' call when they needed to assemble. A dimensional rift began to form above them. Lucas looked up with concern. *"What's happening?"*
A floating figure emerged from the rift: it was Kang, the Conqueror! The villain known for traveling between dimensions stood before them with an arrogant smile on his face. *"You may have defeated Destro,"* he said disdainfully, *"but this is just the beginning! This universe is far more complex than you can imagine."* Kang gestured and holograms appeared, showing various different realities — some where well-known heroes like the Avengers were defeated by villains or where the world was plunged into total chaos.
Lucas felt a chill run down his spine as he realized they were dealing with forces beyond their comprehension until now. *"What do you want?"* Kang chuckled softly. *"I came to see who the new Guardians of this dimension are! You have potential... but you are far from being true heroes."*
Before they could respond or attack again, Kang extended his hand and created a bright portal behind him. *"See you later! Let's see how far you can go before I decide to intervene again."* And he disappeared through the portal.
Silence fell over them after the sudden departure of the temporary villain. Robin was the first to break the silence: *"That was... intense."* Maya nodded, still dazed by Kang's sudden appearance. *"We need to prepare better to face threats like this."* Lucas took a deep breath trying to process everything that had just happened; they had just faced a powerful villain and now confronted another even more formidable one — all while trying to find their place in this new universe full of unexpected challenges.
With the victory over Destro and revelations about Kang echoing in their minds, Lucas felt more determined than ever to continue training with his friends and hone their skills to protect the city — even knowing that this meant facing even more powerful enemies in the future.
**Lucas's Status**
- **Name:** Lucas
- **Level:** 15
- **Experience:** 75% to the next level (gained 35% in battle against Destro)
- **Magic Power (MP):** 3200
**Skills:**
- **Elemental Mastery:** 120
- Fire: 95
- Water: 100
- Earth: 85
- Air: 95
- Ether: 100
- Light: 90
- Shadows: 90 (increased after several battles)
- **Hand-to-Hand Combat:** 95
- **Use of Firearms:** 90
- **Combat Strategy:** 90
**Additional Status:**
- **Strength:** 160 (increased after several battles)
- **Resistance:** 120 (increased after several battles)
- **Agility:** 100 (increased after several battles)
- **Magic Intelligence:** 145 (increased after several battles)
**Inventory:**
- Green Potion (recovers 30% HP)
- Sacred Artifact (first artifact found)
- Blue Artifact (second artifact found)
- Red Artifact (third artifact found)
- Shadows Artifact (recovered after defeating Shadow)
And thus continued the journey filled with challenges and discoveries for Lucas and his friends — true guardians armed with powerful artifacts ready to face any adversity!