The star-devouring beast's furious roar shook the domain that had been restraining it, sending ripples of power across the entire space.
From across the shimring lake, multiple figures stood on the edge, their gazes fixed on the solitary island where the beast raged. Among them was Shinta, her silver hair glinting under the ethereal light, flanked by her two friends—Ha Ron and King Rig—and Livi the Baphot.
They had been residing in this domain for so ti and were well aware of the beast's existence. However, this ti was different. The beast showed no sign of calming; instead, its violent fury continued unabated, sending shockwaves across the terrain.
Tremors cracked the earth, and violent winds tore through the dense forests, toppling many trees. The Chizpurs scuttled in terror, while the orcs were in chaos. Hours passed, but the tremors did not subside.
Shinta's heart pounded in her chest. She knew her father had been battling tirelessly, yet now, not only was there no sign of him, but even the two Khaos Guardians were nowhere to be seen.
"Sothing has gone terribly wrong," Shinta said, her voice trembling with anxiety.
She took a determined step forward, her eyes locked on the raging beast. But Ha Ron stepped in front of her, his face stern.
"Don't go… Even Master couldn't control the beast," he said, his usually calm voice tight with anxiety. Beside him, King Rig nodded in silent agreent, his hulking fra tense.
Livi, the Baphot spoke next, her voice softer but no less serious. "Don't… If sothing happens to you… Master will scold ."
Shinta hesitated, her gaze flickering between her friends and the wild storm of energy surrounding the beast. But her resolve hardened.
"If you're scared, then don't follow !" she said defiantly before launching herself into the air.
Shinta soared across the lake, her silver hair streaming behind her. Ha Ron, King Rig, and Livi exchanged worried glances before following reluctantly.
As Shinta drew closer to the monstrous beast, the overwhelming aura of chaos pressed against her, threatening to crush her spirit. Yet, with unwavering determination, she tried to communicate with the beast. Minutes passed, but her words seed to be utterly ignored; instead, the beast only grew further enraged.
At that mont, Shinta thought of using a skill once taught to her by her father—[Soul Walk]. Although she was not proficient in using the skill due to her temper, Shinta resolved to try her best.
Ha Ron and King Rig, growing increasingly anxious as they watched Shinta standing motionless with her eyes closed, began cautiously approaching the beast. However, to their surprise, there was indeed so connection forming—her mind had reached out through the turbulent energy.
And there, amidst the storm of rage and destruction, she felt it—a faint, familiar presence.
"Father… Father…" her voice trembling with a mixture of hope and fear.
The aura flickered in response, like a fragile light fighting against an endless darkness.
#####
Ery, in his primal beast form, drifted half-consciously through a violent void current. The crushing force of gravitational pressure threatened to tear his body apart as he was hurled against jagged rocks and swirling debris. Every movent was agony, his body wracked with pain, and his mind clouded and disoriented.
Through the chaos, a faint voice echoed in his mind—Shinta's voice.
His eyes snapped open, blurry and unfocused. His head was spinning, his chest heaving, and every fiber of his being scread in pain. Flashes of mory returned—him pulling both himself and the dark elf Tolaro into the black hole.
"This... This is inside the black hole!"
His blurry gaze locked onto sothing ahead. Dark, crystalline rock fragnts hurtled toward him at blinding speed. He instinctively tried to move, but his muscles locked up, frozen by the pain and crushing pressure. The sharp shards ca closer, seconds away from impact—but at the last mont, he was yanked out of their trajectory.
It was Tolaro, the dark elf. The man's condition was dire: his bone armor shattered, his body was riddled with open wounds, his face pale, and one of his arms was completely gone. Despite his state, Tolaro growled through gritted teeth,
"Why did you shift back to your human form!! Dammit! You better have a way to survive in this place!"
Before Ery could respond, another massive chunk of crystalline rock ca crashing toward them. Both of them twisted their battered bodies out of the way, narrowly dodging disaster.
Ery's mind raced. He had no idea what had happened while he was unconscious, but it was clear now that the two of them were relying on each other to survive in this nightmarish void.
Shifting out of his primal form, his breathing was ragged as he fumbled into his storage ring, retrieving a high-grade recovery pill and swallowing it without hesitation. Simultaneously, he activated his [Ocean Heart Vest], its protective energy flowing over his battered body, reinforcing him against the relentless void pressure and accelerating his healing.
But there was no ti to recover. The void tunnel around them began to tremble violently. Above them, cracks splintered across the walls, and streaks of black lightning arced through the air like serpents striking prey. Tolaro's sharp voice cut through the chaos.
"This void stream is collapsing! We need to get out, now!"
Tolaro's one remaining hand began to weave a spatial spell, dark energy swirling around his fingertips.
Ery could see the strain etched into Tolaro's face—the creation of a spatial gate in such a chaotic and unstable environnt was nearly impossible. Sweat poured down the dark elf's brow as he barked, "Cover !!"
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Ery didn't hesitate. He raised his arms, summoning his Elysian roots. Glowing vines erupted from his palms, weaving into a protective barrier around Tolaro to block the incoming debris and violent energy surges.
But then, a bolt of black lightning crackled through the void and struck the golden roots. In an instant, the roots—as formidable as tier-6 material—disintegrated instantly into ash upon contact.
Ery's eyes widened in shock, his skin turning pale as the crackling black energy danced toward him. Before the lightning could strike again, Tolaro roared, and a swirling portal of dark energy erupted in front of them.
Without hesitation, Ery dove through the portal following the dark elf. But instead of escaping, he stumbled into another tunnel, identical to the one they had just left.
The sa swirling chaos, the sa crushing pressure, the sa deadly debris.
Tolaro's voice trembled with barely contained frustration and rage.
"This is endless!! Look what you've done!! You better help find a way out of this ss!"
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