Chapter 575 - 575 - The Unyielding Cage and a Lovers Sacrifice_Rise of The Abandoned Husband

## Liam''s Perspective

 The crack in the barrier expanded as my fist made contact, the sound like shattering ss. For a brief moment, hope red in my chest.

 "It''s working!" I roared, striking again. My knuckles were raw and bleeding, but I didn''t care.

 The barrier fluctuated, waves of energy rippling across its surface. Yet despite my efforts, the crack sealed itself almost immediately. The magical defense was regenerating faster than I could damage it.

 "No!" I mmed my fist against the invisible wall again. "Damn it!"

 I pulled out my bronze sword, channeling my blood essence into the de. The ancient weapon glowed crimson, hungry for battle. With a primal scream, I plunged it into the barrier.

 The sword prated barely an inch before stoppingpletely. The barrier''s surface rippled around the de like thick honey, then hardened, trapping my weapon. I yanked it free with considerable effort.

 "Isabelle, I''m going to get you out," I promised, trying to keep the desperation from my voice. "I just need to figure out how this thing works."

 Her face was so pale, her once vibrant eyes now dull with exhaustion. Still, she managed a weak smile. "You''vee so far, Liam. I knew you would."

 I circled the barrier, examining every inch for weaknesses. My divine sense probed the magical formations, but they were unlike anything I''d encountered before. Layer uponyer of interlocking spells, each reinforcing the others.

 "There has to be a control mechanism," I muttered, scanning the room. "Something to deactivate this damn cage."

 "They... control it remotely," Isabelle whispered. "The cage responds... only to Guild Masters."

 I unleashed my full strength again, golden light enveloping my body as I hammered at the barrier with techniques that could shatter mountains. The room trembled with each impact, dust falling from the ceiling.

 But the cage remained unyielding.

 My attacks grew more desperate, more reckless. I wasn''t conserving energy anymore. Every ounce of power I possessed, I threw at that cursed barrier.

 Nothing worked.

 I fell to my knees, gasping for breath, my muscles burning from exertion.

 "I can''t... I can''t break through," I admitted, the words tasting like poison. "I''ve never felt so helpless."

 Isabelle''s chains clinked softly as she shifted position. "Liam... look at me."

 I raised my head, meeting her gaze.

 "You found me," she said, her voice stronger now. "Do you know how impossible that was? The Guild''s headquarters, their most secure prison—yet here you stand." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I''m so proud of you."

 Her words cut deeper than any de. "What good is finding you if I can''t save you?"

 "You will," she insisted. "But maybe not today. Sometimes the greatest strength is knowing when to retreat."

 I shook my head violently. "No. I''m not leaving you here."

 A strange light suddenly pulsed from the ceiling, bathing the room in an eerie blue glow.

 "What''s happening?" I asked, jumping to my feet.

 Isabelle''s eyes widened in rm. "The security system. They''ve activated it."

 The light intensified, focusing into a concentrated beam that shot directly at me. I dodged, but the beam changed direction, tracking my movement.

 It struck me squarely in the chest, sending me flying backward. Pain exploded through my body as I mmed into the wall.

 "Liam!" Isabelle cried out.

 I struggled to my feet, wincing from the impact. "I''m fine. Just a light show."

 The beam reformed, this time splitting into three separate strands of light. They danced around the room like living things before converging on me again.

 I managed to deflect one with my sword, but the other two struck my shoulder and leg. The pain was searing, like liquid fire injected into my veins.

 "This isn''t just light," I gasped, examining the smoking wounds on my body. "It''s some kind of energy weapon."

 "It''s the cage''s defense system," Isabelle exined, panic in her voice. "It gets stronger with each attack. Liam, please—you have to go!"

 Another beam formed,rger than before. I tried to evade it, but the light tracked my movements perfectly, striking me in the back. I crashed to the floor, my muscles spasming from the impact.

 "Stop fighting it," Isabelle pleaded. "It will kill you!"

 I forced myself upright, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth. "Let it try."

 Five beams now circled the room, their movements bing faster, more erratic. I deflected two with my sword, dodged a third, but the remaining pair caught me in the chest and abdomen.

 The pain was excruciating. I fell to one knee, coughing blood.

 "You can''t win this fight," Isabelle sobbed. "Not today."

 I looked up at her, at the tears streaming down her face. The sight of her crying for me, even in her own torment, crushed something inside me. Checkforthe</itestupdatesonMyVirtualLibraryEmpire(*).

 A deep rumbling sound echoed through the chamber. I turned to see the main door beginning to close—a massive b of stone slowly lowering from the ceiling.

 "They''re sealing us in," I realized.

 "No," Isabelle said firmly. "They''re sealing me in. You can still escape."

 The door was already halfway down, the opening shrinking rapidly.

 "I won''t leave you," I insisted, though my voice wavered.

 "You must!" Her voice was suddenlymanding, stronger than I''d heard since arriving. "If you die here, I have no hope at all. But if you escape, you can return stronger. You can find a way to break this cage."

 The beams of light were forming again, more numerous than before.

 "I swore I would save you," I said, my voice breaking.

 "And you will," she replied. "But not like this. Not today." Her eyes held mine, fierce despite her weakened state. "I need you alive, Liam. I need you free."

 The door continued its inexorable descent. Seconds remained before it would sealpletely.

 "Go!" Isabelle screamed. "GO!"

 With a howl of anguish, I activated the Shrinking Ground Into An Inch technique, my body blurring as I dashed toward the closing door.

 "I''lle back for you," I vowed as I slid under the massive stone b. "I swear it on my life!"

 I rolled through the narrowing gap just as the door mmed shut with finality. The sound echoed like a death knell.

 Alone in the corridor, I pressed my palm against the cold stone door, as if I could somehow feel her through it.

 "I''ll burn this entire Guild to the ground," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion and determination. "I''ll return with an army if I have to. Nothing in this world will keep me from you, Isabelle."

 I turned away, forcing myself to move despite the pain wracking my body. I had to escape, had to survive. For her.

 Behind me, inside the sealed chamber, I could no longer hear Isabelle''s voice. I hoped she understood why I had left—that it wasn''t abandonment but strategy. A promise to return stronger.

 I didn''t make it far down the corridor before I heard footsteps approaching. Ducking into an alcove, I pressed my back against the wall, suppressing my energy signature.

 A group of Guild members rushed past, led by a tall man with silver-streaked hair and an aura of immense power.

 "Seal all exits," hemanded. "The intruder couldn''t have gone far."

 As they passed my hiding spot, I caught a glimpse of the insignia on the man''s cor—the mark of a sixth-rank Marquis.

 Once they were gone, I slipped from my hiding ce, moving in the opposite direction. I needed to find an exit, to escape and recover.

 To n my return.

 Behind me, the silver-haired Marquis had stopped at the sealed door to Isabelle''s chamber. He ced his palm against it, his expression cold and calcting.

 "To think he actually escaped," Julian Radford muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Interesting."

17kNovel

Chapter 575 - 575 - The Unyielding Cage and a Lovers Sacrifice