"And just like that…" Bryan muttered with a sigh.
"…I find myself in a crazy situation once again."
Just like with Ash and Ray, Bryan had assaulted the 22nd Apex Point barrier when he felt a tremendous shock spread throughout his body.
Taking a moment to absorb his surroundings, Bryan realized he was standing in a barren land, bathed in the golden hues of a mesmerizing sunset. The sky above was a canvas splashed with vivid shades of orange, pink, and purple, creating a breathtaking backdrop for his silhouette.
Despite the barren land, his gaze caught a faint figure flickering in the distance. It was a few hundreds of metres away from his position.
It beckoned to him, a mysterious presence that intrigued his senses and fuelled his curiosity.
As Bryan ventured close to the figure, he could barely make out that it somehow resembled a…spear. It was the faint figure of a spear, ethereal and majestic, its tip pointing at the sky echoing its pride.
*Rumble*
The tranquillity of the barren land was shattered by a tremor that began to reverberate through the ground beneath his feet. Bryan's gaze shifted downward, his brow furrowing in both caution and confusion.
"There's probably something underground." Bryan grumbled.
The rumblings started as subtle vibrations, barely perceptible at first, but gradually grew in strength, causing the ground to undulate in disconcerting waves. Tiny cracks snaked their way across the earth, branching out like intricate spiderwebs, as if something was trying to emerge from within.
Bryan's footsteps, once brisk and determined, now morphed into measured caution as he quickened his pace. His senses sharpened, attuned to the slightest shifts and vibrations in his surroundings. He was ready to retaliate if anything out of the ordinary occurred.
Unbeknownst to him, a hidden menace lurked just beneath the surface, their pale forms slithering and coiling, awaiting the opportune moment to strike.
*CRACK*
Suddenly, with a violent eruption, three-meter-long albino looking thick worms burst forth from the ground, their sinewy bodies propelled by an unseen force. The creatures' translucent skin glimmered eerily in the ambient light, their pale forms a stark contrast against the barren landscape.
"…"
The worms, driven by instinctual aggression, launched themselves at Bryan with lightning speed, their sharp fangs and powerful jaws ready to tear into his flesh and gobble him up.
Bryan saw their bodies writhing and wriggling in a disgusting display as he swiftly dodged their assaults. The albino worms were like flying fishes but instead of flying, the worms were out to swallow his whole body up.
Fending off the attacks of a few worms proved not to be too difficult for him, but when the number of albino worms attacking him increased by more than a dozen, the difficulty would be the least of his worries.
The once manageable challenge now threatened to overwhelm him, posing a formidable obstacle between him and the spear
'Ugh! They're individually weak but when there are a boatload of them, shit literally hits the fan.' Bryan mentally groaned, a tinge of frustration lacing his thoughts.
'Wait…'
'I'm thinking in my mind, but…I am in my mind…' A spark of a random thought cut through his mind.
*Skreeeee*
*Bam*
One of them came too close for comfort and Bryan definitely did not hold back. A worm slithered dangerously close to Bryan, its gnarled form poised to strike.
With an enclosed fist, he punched the shit out of the incoming worm. The impact was thunderous, a resounding crack that echoed through the illusive realm.
The force of Bryan's strike sent the worm hurtling through the air, its trajectory disrupted by the sheer strength behind his punch. It flew, spiralling through the expanse, a mere speck against the vibrant backdrop.
"It would have been nice if I could use my skills." Bryan said while he continued dodging.
The worms attacked with a ferocity that belied their ethereal appearance, their sharp teeth gnashing and their bodies thrashing in a synchronizing onslaught.
Bryan fought back with equal ferocity, evading their spine-tingling mouth and striking back with heavy blows. But their sheer numbers proved too much for Bryan to handle.
"Something tells me, that spear will be my ticket."
He knew he had to find an opportunity to escape the onslaught of the never-ending worms and make his way to the upright spear.
*BAM*
Sending another worm flying away, he quickly spotted a small gap in the worms' relentless onslaught. With all the strength he could muster, he sprinted away from the battle towards the elusive spear, his legs carrying him through the chaos.
The world around him became a blur as his focus narrowed to the singular goal of reaching the spear.
A surreal sensation washed over him, as if the world around him shifted into a different temp, a realm where time itself seemed to stretch and contort.
The thunderous thuds of his footsteps created a rhythmic symphony that intertwined with the chaotic cacophony of the albino worms. Their screeches pierced the air, their menacing cries reverberating through the illusory landscape.
It was a dissonant harmony of sound, a clash of forces that seemed to echo and meld together in a strange, ethereal way.
Every heartbeat resonated within his chest, thumping loudly in his ears as if it were a primal drum guiding his every move. The rush of blood through his veins intensified, filling him with a heightened sense of awareness.
Dust and debris kicked up with each thunderous step, swirling and dancing in the air around him. The particles seemed to freeze in time, suspended in mid-air, as if the very laws of nature had been momentarily suspended.
Bryan's heightened senses captured every minute detail of his surroundings. It was a magical feeling, where he thought the boundaries of reality were blurred.
In this slow suspended state, Bryan was acutely aware of his own existence, and his connection to the world around him. The world around him seemed to hold its breath, caught in a similar moment of suspended animation.
Time itself stretched thin, allowing Bryan to fully embrace the sheer intensity of the experience. It was a sensation that transcended the physical realm, reaching deep into the core of his being.
Bryan was aware of everything but at the same time, he was clueless.
*Zwip*
In the suspended state, he suddenly found himself standing before the spear, as if it had materialized out of thin air. He didn't know if he had appeared in front of the spear or if the spear had appeared in front of him.
The once-menacing albino worms had vanished, leaving behind a void of emptiness. The threads of time began to knit back together, seamlessly merging the fragments of his experience into a coherent whole.
A mix of amazement and confusion swirled within Bryan's mind as he tried to comprehend the inexplicable events that had just unfolded. He stood there, gazing at the spear before him, his breath slightly ragged from the adrenaline-fueled sprint.
"What the fuck just happened?" he murmured, his voice laced with a tinge of incredulity.
His mind raced, attempting to rationalize the fantastical occurrence.
'Was this simply just a challenge crafted by the 22nd Apex Point? Or…is there some kind of deeper, hidden meaning behind this event?'
*Sigh*
He simply sighed to calm his nerves. At this point, it was pointless to figure out what exactly had happened.
But Bryan couldn't help but marvel at the phenomenon he had just experienced. It felt as if he and the world he stood on were one and the same.
Once again, taking a deep breath, he shook his head and drew his gaze to the spear in front of him.
Standing tall and indomitable, the spear seemed to possess a mystical aura. He weirdly observed that the spear's handle mirrored the fiery red of his own hair, where he felt an odd sensation deep within him.
The tip of the spear, in stark contrast, was pure black, giving it a sort of deadly look.
As Bryan took a step towards the spear, with the intention of grasping it within his hands, an excruciating and piercing pain assaulted his senses.
"AGH!"
A searing, stabbing pain erupted within his head, as if a million needles were piercing his consciousness. The intensity of the agony was overwhelming, causing Bryan to instinctively clutch his head with both hands.
His features contorted in anguish, as he took a step back. The moment he went back a step, the overwhelming pain relented which gave Bryan a moment to breathe.
*Huff*
*Huff*
His deep breaths echoing along the silent winds, as he slowly lowered his hands from his throbbing temples. His features, once twisted in agony, settled into a focused expression, watching the spear with a frown.
The black tip of the spear glistened ominously in the fading light, contrasting starkly against the golden hues of the illusive realm. Bryan, once again, felt the spear beckoning him to approach it.
Bryan's gaze sharpened as he considered his options. The pain he had experienced, was excruciating to say the least. It was one of the worst kinds of pain he felt ever since he woke up in this world.
"Perseverance huh…" Bryan wryly chuckled.
*Inhale*
*Exhale*
He clenched his teeth and was about to approach the spear before his eyes widened in shock and his heart skipped a beat at the scene in front of him.
A mysterious silhouette materialized out of nowhere, standing next to the enigmatic spear.
"Y-You…"
-In the ominous illusory realm with Ash-
*Swoosh*
"Hihi~" The shadow giggled with an eerie tone as numerous tentacles emerged from within its body.
"Uh-oh…"
The air crackled with tension as numerous tendrils made of inky darkness lashed out with the intention to harm him.
Ash, swiftly evaded the tendrils, his body moving with a fluid grace.
"Haha, it'll take more than that to harm me." Ash chuckled as popped a middle-finger at the shadow.
The shadow's tendrils danced through the air, twisting and writhing along the eerie giggles in the wind. But this time, the shadow didn't lash out.
The shadow slowly emerged from the ground, its inky black figure oozing and morphing like thick goo. It twisted and contorted, elongating its form as it extended into the air. The tendrils of darkness writhed and slithered, as if alive with malicious intent.
The shadow's formless face appeared, revealing a wide, devious grin that stretched from ear to ear. Ash was immensely creeped out after seeing that smile appear again.
"Ash…" The shadow's voice hissed, a low and haunting whisper that echoed through the air.
"Lynn!"
The name sent a jolt of surprise through Ash's body, causing his breath to catch in his throat. He froze in shock at the words uttered by the shadow.
Ash stammered, his voice filled with a mix of dread and slight curiosity.
"H-How do you know my name?!"