Chapter 17: Fallen God
Orion and his friends marched forward, ready to face the next challenge. As they walked, they chatted and joked, trying to lighten the mood before the impending battle.
"I hope this fight is a little less intense than the last one," Maya said with a smile.
Zara laughed. "Speak for yourself. I'm always ready for some fiery action."
Jake grinned, flexing his muscles. "I'm just hoping to get a good workout in."
Orion chuckled, feeling grateful for his friends' lightheartedness. "Well, we'll see what we're up against. System, can you give us any intel on our opponents?"
The AI responded promptly. "Scanning...lower gods detected. Powers include telekinesis, energy blasts, and shapeshifting abilities."
Orion nodded, his mind already calculating the best approach to take. "Okay, we'll need to be careful. Let's stick together and watch each other's backs."
As they approached the location of the lower gods, Orion noticed something odd. The System had alerted him to a place on this planet that it couldn't scan.
"Hey, guys," he said, gesturing to a nearby hill. "Do you see that? The System can't scan that area."
His friends looked over, their eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"That's strange," Maya said, her voice low. "What could be there?"
Jake shrugged. "Only one way to find out. Let's check it out."
As they approached the hill, they heard a loud growl. Suddenly, a massive creature emerged from the trees, its eyes blazing with fury.
Orion and his friends braced themselves for battle, ready to face whatever was coming their way. The creature charged forward, its massive jaws open wide.
Zara leapt into action, unleashing a powerful stream of fire at the creature. The flames hit their mark, scorching the creature's fur and causing it to howl in pain.
Jake rushed forward, his muscles bulging with power. He delivered a powerful punch to the creature's jaw, sending it reeling backwards.
Maya stepped forward, her eyes glinting with determination. She summoned a fierce gust of wind, pushing the creature back and preventing it from attacking again.
Orion stood back, focusing his mind. He could sense something beyond the creature, something powerful and dark. He knew that they needed to take the creature down quickly before whatever was lurking behind it could attack.
With a fierce cry, he launched himself at the creature, his fists glowing with energy. He delivered a flurry of punches, his blows striking the creature's vulnerable spots.
As the creature stumbled and fell, Orion and his friends cheered in triumph. They had won another hard-fought battle, and they had done it together.
As they caught their breath, Orion remembered the strange hill that the System couldn't scan. He gestured to his friends, and they approached it cautiously.
As they crested the hill, they saw something that made their blood run cold. A massive portal, glowing with an otherworldly energy, hovered in the air.
Orion could sense that something powerful was emanating from the portal, something that threatened to tear apart the fabric of reality itself.
"We need to close this portal," he said, his voice steady. "I'll go through and see if I can find a way to shut it down. The rest of you guard the perimeter."
His friends nodded, their faces set in determination. They knew that this would be their toughest battle yet, but they also knew that they couldn't let Orion go alone.
As Orion stepped through the portal, he felt a rush of energy wash over him. He could see strange, alien landscapes stretching out before him, filled with creatures