"So bright!"
"What is that?!"
"Is there a fire somewhere?"
"How could it be? How can the fire be so bright!"
"Hurry up, hurry up! Take a picture! Post it on social platforms!"
...
The brilliant golden light was so blinding that it captured the attention of half the inhabitants of Green City. Pedestrians halted in their tracks, animatedly speculating about the source of this phenomenon.
Some believed it was an explosion, others thought it might be an optical experiment, and a few considered it a miracle. But only a handful of individuals knew the true significance of this pillar of light.
Let's rewind time to two minutes ago, in the old town. On the deserted street, the fabric of space rippled slightly, as if someone had unveiled a corner of the canvas that had concealed the old town. From that shimmering void emerged five figures cloaked in black.
One of them surveyed their surroundings, stepped forward, retrieved the "Forbidden Zone" sign from the ground, and stowed it in their backpack. The instant this sign disappeared, the once-silent old town crumbled like a phantom, revealing the genuine old town hidden within.
The eerie blood soaked the cobblestone streets, casting a malevolent crimson hue upon the ancient, weathered stones. The scattered, grotesque stumps of what used to be formidable creatures now littered the once-peaceful thoroughfare. If Yaso were to bear witness to this gruesome tableau, he would immediately realize that these shattered corpses were the very monsters he had been locked in mortal combat with.
They lay there in staggering numbers, at least fifty of them, a testament to the brutal battle that had just unfolded.
"[Space hiding] is over," declared the man carrying a mysterious insignia, his tone carrying an air of finality. "You can summon the logistics team to clean up this blood-soaked battlefield."
Amid the eerie aftermath, a sense of unease hung in the air, and a voice broke the silence, "Where's Andre?"
"He's in pursuit of the two elusive spectral creatures that managed to escape," came the reply.
A wounded woman, clutching her right shoulder, wore a dazed expression. She mumbled, "We were unprepared..."
"Don't blame yourself, Deanna," comforted the man standing beside her. "No one could have anticipated the presence of a Ghost Beast King hidden among these creatures."
"But the captain is facing the Ghost Beast King alone. Do you think he'll be alright?"
The man nodded with conviction. "Of course, he's an A-level awakener in the third realm. Nothing should pose a threat to him. I just hope those two escaping specters won't harm any innocent civilians."
As the words left his lips, a brilliant beam of light erupted into the sky from a distant part of the city, illuminating half of the heavens. The five of them instinctively turned their heads to behold this astonishing sight, their expressions a mixture of shock and awe.
"That...," one of them began.
"A new Psionic has emerged, and the energy fluctuations are staggering," another marveled.
"This, it's the power of at least an SSS-level adept from the 5th realm, or perhaps even an 'Extermination level' from the 6th realm... But how could such an extraordinary force be drawn to the humble city of Green?"
"No," the man said, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "This doesn't feel like the work of a human Psionic."
Deanna's eyes widened as realization struck her. "You mean..."
"This is akin to the Psionics of the divine, perhaps a Divine spell."
At the mention of the divine, the eyes of those gathered grew solemn, and they exchanged meaningful glances.
"Which god could it be?"
"Scorching, bright, sacred, powerful, and this overwhelming aura... if I'm not mistaken," the man gazed intently at the slowly waning golden radiance, enunciating each word with profound gravity, "this should be... God, codenamed 005, the God of Light, Helios."
*************
Yaso found himself in a state of profound discomfort. Within the heart of the radiant golden beam, his body had completely surrendered to an otherworldly force, rendering him suspended in mid-air, his eyes emitting an unceasing cascade of radiant energy.
For Yaso, it was as though he had been transported back into a vivid dream, where the boundless expanse of the cosmos unfolded before his eyes. There, he once again encountered that supreme and divine breath, a memory that had remained etched in his mind.
The distinction lay in the source of this sacred aura. Previously, it had emanated from a mysterious scroll, but now, it surged forth from an entirely unexpected origin—his own trembling hands.
The divine breath and potent power of the God of Light surged forth from Yaso's hands with an almost frantic intensity. His palms radiated a brilliance akin to the sun itself, as though they possessed the power to dissolve all things into oblivion.
Yaso, standing upright, channeled the remaining might of the God of Light within him, causing his eyes to unleash a radiant explosion of divine energy.
For what felt like an eternity, the luminous display persisted, lasting for a span of seven or eight seconds. Slowly, the brilliant radiance began to dissipate, and Yaso's body tumbled from the suspended mid-air, his movements unsteady as he struggled to regain his footing.
In the palm of his hand, the once-blazing golden light gradually dimmed, leaving behind only a faint, fragile glow. If the intensity of the light held a resemblance to the sun before, it was now more akin to the gentle flicker of a candle.
It was a faint remnant of the God of Light's power.
Yaso drew a deep, fulfilling breath and raised his head ever so slowly. As he gazed upon the dark night sky, the ancient streets, the eerie monsters, and the blood-soaked ground, he couldn't help but break into a wide, joyous smile.
Amidst a scene that could never be classified as beautiful, Yaso found profound beauty in it. He smiled with genuine happiness, for after a decade, he was finally able to stand on his own two feet and experience the world as a regular person.
In that moment, those once-bloodthirsty monsters appeared strangely endearing to Yaso, like curious, inquisitive creatures exploring a fascinating new world.
From the moment the divine power of the God of Light emanated from Yaso's body, the two menacing monsters were forcibly pressed to the ground by the overwhelming force of this celestial energy. They were flattened to the verge of being transformed into a grotesque meatloaf, struggling for any semblance of relief.
It wasn't until the golden beam of light dissipated that the bewildered creatures managed to regain their composure. They glanced around in evident confusion before fixing their bloodthirsty gazes once more upon Yaso.
Their predatory instincts flared anew.
A guttural, nightmarish growl escaped from one of the monsters as it launched a ferocious assault on Yaso. Yet, in contrast to his prior panic, Yaso now displayed a remarkable calmness. As the monster made its move, Yaso had already calculated its trajectory in his mind, anticipating its attack.
While Yaso's speed remained considerably slower than the creature's, his reaction time had undergone a remarkable transformation. The few seconds of advance prediction he'd gained provided him with the necessary split-second to evade the oncoming threat.
It wasn't that he possessed the power to foresee the future, but rather, the divine infusion of the God of Light had profoundly enhanced his perceptual abilities. This expanded his sphere of spiritual awareness to a radius of roughly 20 meters.
Within this 20-meter radius, Yaso now possessed mental perception capabilities almost three times greater than that of an ordinary person. His reflexes had transformed into something bordering on the supernatural. In close-quarter combat, he was virtually unpredictable.
As for the other latent abilities bestowed upon him by the God of Light, Yaso had yet to fully grasp their extent.
However, the relentless urgency of the situation left no room for cautious exploration. Like an arrow loosed from a taut bowstring, the monstrous adversary hurtled through the exact spot where Yaso had stood moments ago, crashing headlong into a massive section of the ruined wall. It rebounded off the shattered wall debris with a powerful thrust, propelling itself once more in Yaso's direction.
The creature left behind a trailing afterimage, the sheer force of its movements sending a breeze that ruffled the black strands of hair on Yaso's forehead.
With its hind limbs coiling like springs, the monster leaped into the air. This time, Yaso chose not to evade. He clenched his fists, locking his unwavering gaze onto the approaching menace.
A chilling, guttural growl erupted from the monster's maw as its razor-sharp claws extended, poised to slice through Yaso's neck. At the very precipice of contact, Yaso's fists contracted abruptly.
Yaso's hands radiated a faint golden halo, akin to kindling set ablaze, growing more radiant, resembling twin infernos blazing with divine power. This divine energy surged through Yaso's body, serving as the conduit that channeled it into the monstrous adversary.
In the eyes of the beast, Yaso underwent a profound transformation. He became a supreme deity, exuding a radiant and sacred aura, emitting a terrifying aura of dominance that encompassed everything.
In the grip of this divine power, the monstrous form of Yaso's foe momentarily stiffened. In this fleeting window of opportunity, Yaso swiftly raised his left hand with precision, and with a measured blow, he struck the creature squarely.
The colossal beast plummeted to the ground like a cannonball, unable to resist the divine might channeled through Yaso. Despite the immense weight of the monster, exceeding 200 kilograms, Yaso couldn't hope to overpower it with his ordinary strength. However, the divine power of the God of Light was his savior in this dire moment.
Yet, after this display of supernatural might, Yaso's body was left thoroughly drained. Depleted of energy, he felt a profound weakness envelop him, dizziness threatening to overtake his senses.
In the shadows on the opposite side, the second monster, which had been biding its time, emerged from its concealed vantage point. This cunning hunter revealed its malevolent fangs at last.
Its limbs moved with deceptive swiftness, darting beneath the dim flickering streetlights. Its shadow cast an eerie, ghostly dance, and a long, scarlet tongue twisted grotesquely.
Yaso could perceive every detail of its movements, yet in his weakened state, he was incapable of evading the imminent threat. He could only watch as the multitude of razor-sharp fangs swiftly closed in on him.
At the precise moment when the monster loomed within two meters of Yaso, his pupils suddenly constricted.
Within Yaso's expanded range of perception, an entity swifter than the monster was hurtling towards them. It became clear – it was a person, a real, living human being.
With a swift and decisive swoosh, the figure descended from the night sky, his landing graceful and solid. The gust of wind caused his black cloak to billow dramatically, revealing the profile of a middle-aged man. He had an unremarkable appearance, the sort of person one might encounter anywhere on the side of the road, easily overlooked and ignored.
But in his eyes, a radiant murderous intent gleamed, sharp and deadly as a honed sword.
Andre crouched, his intense gaze fixed upon the monster looming less than a meter away. His right hand gripped the handle of a concealed knife behind him.
With a crisp sound, the knife was drawn from its scabbard, its light blue blade glinting in the dim moonlight. It sliced through the still night air, descending in eerie silence.
It was a plain, unadorned straight knife.
The blade of the knife met the monster's outstretched claws, and an eruption of sparks ensued. Andre unleashed a low, guttural roar, his muscles tautening, as he took an aggressive step forward.
A monster of a size comparable to a brown bear was forcibly pushed back several steps under the sheer power of his onslaught.
Yaso's eyes filled with disbelief. He had experienced firsthand the terrifying might of the monster and knew its power all too well. Yet the man before him was compelling it to retreat. Who exactly was this formidable individual?
As the monster staggered back, Andre's movements demonstrated a unique fluidity. He clung to the creature like a tenacious parasite, the straight knife in his hand slashing relentlessly, carving grotesque gashes upon the monster's hide.
The monster bellowed with rage, its gaze fixed upon Andre, its spindly forelimbs raised with the intent of exacting vengeance upon the human who had dared to oppose it.
However, two gleaming blades danced in a whirlwind, severing the creature's forelimbs cleanly.
Before the monster could vocalize its agony, a glint of cold determination flashed in Andre's eyes. The straight knife in his hand moved like lightning, striking the monster's neck.
The light blue blade sliced through flesh and blood with ease, and in the next instant, the monster's head was sent skyward...
...only to tumble heavily to the ground.