H23 Rise of the Dark Lord

Book Cover

**Rise of the Dark Lord**, the 23rd book in the The Golden Age of Adventures series was published in November 2018. It is the English language edition of the original Chinese comic, **圣域香巴拉**, which was published in June 2018.

## Synopsis

AIMING FOR THE TOP! STOPPING THE DARK LORD!

The secret prophecy has fallen into Adolf's hands! As the whole world descends into chaos, the 7th ranked Adventurer reveals the rise of a wild-hearted king and a great catastrophe. Alas, neither the World Adventure Union nor the Global Alliance for Humanity are a match for Adolf whose powers mirror those of Akhator. Is there a way for Alex and his comrades to turn the tide of terror and carnage around?

## Cast

* Alex
* Lulu
* Axe
* Cammy
* "Twilight Doctor" Ming
* "Silver Bullet" Benny
* Adolf

## Plot

### Chapter 1: Mysterious Triangle

In India, two Neo-Nazi soldiers secretly plant a seed and pour a liquid under the Saraswati Colossus. Three hours later, the seed has grown into a beanstalk and wraps around Saraswati. A beanstalk has also been planted in Paris, France. Teddy and his dogs stand on the Eiffel Tower. Two more beanstalks are at the Statue of Liberty, New York, USA and China.

After their defeat, Robert and Steel Fang were sent to a hospital. Besieged by the beanstalks, the four great powers - India, France, USA and China - could not offer the Global Alliance assistance. Adventurers can't move freely due to the restriction act. They can't deal with the Neo-Nazis, but they can with Akhator, because he was an Adventurer.

Jones is interested "Old Seer" Lydia's prophecy. Lydia throws her cup of water at him, correcting "Old Seer" to "The Oracle". Now that the prophecy has fallen into enemy hands, she decides not to conceal any longer.

In the Neo-Nazi base, Lt. Red Snake gives Adolf the 7th's Prophecy. It foretells of the wild-hearted king wielding three seeds of great terror in the center of Miami, Puerto Rico and Bermuda. There, the Eye of Shambhala will open. At the heart, the Crossed-Star will thwart the Great Evil. And it will commune with the Mother to bring extinction. The three places are points of the Bermuda Triangle, a likely location of Shambhala. The three seeds are the Star Seeds. Ming has managed to obtain them. Adolf orders all units to set course for the Atlantic Ocean. The base mobilises, revealing itself to be a titanic submarine, the Overlord.

The Adventurers decide to use the information of Shambhala, the mystical land Adolf seeks, to bargain with the Alliance. Smith informs they have another ace up their sleeve: Alex's IBYon blood.

### Chapter 2: Joining Forces

The Neo-Nazis have crippled the Alliance, the Union and other world powers, shrinking more than fifty percent of their forces. Alex barges into Steel Fang's room to tell him there is a solution to stop the beanstalks and the Neo-Nazis' location. Smith explains the beanstalks had an instant corrosion when injected with IBYon blood.

Moreover, Lydia's prophecy reveals Shambhala's location. Steel Fang does not allow the Adventurers to join. Robert convinces him to allow. When the war is over, the Union can be absorbed into the Alliance. The Akhator War has severely damaged the union's reputation. With the Nazis' return and the rebellion of many Adventurers, they have hit rock bottom. Defeating the Neo-Nazis and apprehending Dark Adventurers can make amends. Steel Fang agrees to join forces.

The first move is to destroy the beanstalks. In New York, giant animals and the Tomb Guardians are wreaking havoc. Jones will be in charge of this. In India, the Qilin that was kept by the Union a while back has been sighted. Yujiro and Masinga have volunteered to fight there. In China, Aligon, other Adventurers, Alliance troops and the Shaolin monks fight the Dark Adventurers. In Paris, Teddy will be dealt with Ling, other Adventurers, Alliance troops and the French army. Marie Wright and Hank will join the Alliance to hunt Adolf down. They ove out in five hours.

Over at the Overlord, Adolf senses strange magnetic forces intefering with the sonar. He applies his gauntlet and activates the Star Seeds, returning the sonar. Adolf looks a bit exhausted. Ming realises the Seeds tire its user, so he orders the soldiers to leave so that he can make adjustments to Adolf's body. A soldier with a tray of food is taking it to the prisoners in B-5. The soldier in white will do it for him.

### Chapter 3: Breakout

The soldier enters B-5. the prisoners are Axe and Benny. The soldier reveals himself to be Cammy. He gives the two of them uniforms to disguise themselves. He takes them to the store room, and says the code: "Mickey and Donald's dad." The wee folk appear. One gives Cammy a key. The wee folk have tunneled an escape route. Cammy, Axe, Benny and the wee folk hop in a submarine. The alarm goes off because Axe and Benny have escaped. They manage to escape the Overlord.

Cammy launches a signal in case someone on the surface sees it. They see a whale over yonder. It's fins transform into arms. Hank slams it by the chin. He tells Butler to tell Robert that he sees Cammy, Axe and Benny in the midst of escape.

### Chapter 4: Opening the Eye

The Overlord is bombarded. There is a large number of airships at 2 o' clock. Two essex-class carriers at 7 o' clock. Two submarines at 5. The submarines and the limbed whales are deployed. The Overlord rises to the surface to shoot down the planes. Neo-Nazi planes take flight. Marie jumps into Fly High and puts a collar bomb on Alex so that he can't avoid fighting her this time. Fenrir's head is put inside a mechanical bipedal wolf suit created by Sally. He must confront his brother, whom he thought was dead.

The Overlord arrives at Shambhala's suspected location. There are six pillars and ancient writings in the center. The eye of truth will open when all the pillars are connected by three lines. Adolf uses the Star Seeds to draw three lines. The lines form a triangle. Then, the pillars light up and open a portal. "The Eye of Shambhala opened to see."

### Chapter 5: Last Fight

As the air units need to rearm, the Overlord splits in half. The upper half will allow air and naval units to refuel and refit while the lower half takes Adolf to Shambhala. Steel Fang, Robert, Fenrir, Ming Kong, Goken, Sally and 20 Alliance men pursue the lower half in a submarine. Alex closes Fly High's windows and dives into the ocean as Robert told. Cammy, Axe, Benny and Lil' B, one of the wee folk Cammy named, are in a submarine with a machine.

They give the machine to Hank. Hank applies it and destroys a number of limbed whales and submarines. Robert will leave Hank for the naval battle. Team Chameleon, the Alliance submarine and Fly High enter Shambhala's portal. Inside are carvings of deities from various cultures. They go through a light. Alex sees a bar-headed goose. They have been transported into the sky!

### Chapter 6: Portals

They land on the clouds. Lil' B wants everyine to follow him. Alex notices the Potala Palace below. They have been transported to the skies of Tibet, where Shambhala is rumoured to be in. They find a cloud wall with a puzzle. Marie is angered that Alex, Ming Kong and Goken couldn't solve a simple puzzle, so she solves it herself. The cloud blows around them.

They are transported to another place. A map of Shambhala is on the wall. It shows all the portals and where they lead to, so if they go throught the right ones, they can reach the center... therein lies the secret to godhood. On the Neo-Nazis' side, a place similar to where the Adventurers are, there are two portals. Adolf can feel power on the right. The Adventurers and others enter the center portal, the only available one. It leads to a jungle.

### Chapter 7: Ancient Jungle

Lil' B leads the way again. Ming Kong's head gets hit by a stegoceras' head. It appears this is the Mesozoic Era, so Shambhala not only transports around space, but time too. Lulu senses a sniper in the tree. They all hide. Experiment No. 7 secretly transforms behind some Allianc troops. Benny shoots the soldiers. Robert kicks No. 7's back, but it has exposed its fragile underbelly. Axe slices it.

After tying the enemies up, Steel Fang asks one of the soldiers where Adolf is and what his motives are. Ming shows himself, and activates the IBYon cells in Robert and Steel Fang's bodies. Ming lets Fenrir's brother handle them, who is a part of and controlling Fenrir's body.

### Chapter 8: Last of the Blood Clan

In New York, the beanstalk has wilted from Alex's blood and the Tomb Guardians have been captured. The US army handles the giant animals. In India, Masinga tries to convince the Qilin to stay its wrath. It bites his arm. Masinga tells it of the time he was imprisoned after waking up in Africa. He will welcome it to the Guardians of the Sacred Ground. The Qilin is now at peace. In Paris, needles have been inserted into the giant animals. Ling knocks her bell. The animals, under hypnosis, attack Teddy's dogs. In China, no one expected Nacho. The beanstalk wilts and births its spawn. Mysterious people have arrived.

For years, Rafael, Fenrir's brother, has been waiting to possess Fenrir's powers. He also knows his code name: W10-616. Fenrir concludes this is because of Ming, a member of the Blood Clan. The Blood Clan has suffered from infighting, causing themselves to go extinct. Ming's father was one of their two finest members. Ming has also mastered Iron Heart's knowledge. The other finest member is the Void. The Ferocious Four are the mysterious people that have arrived in China.