[Joe's POV: Outside the Universe]
As I look down at the world from beyond the universe, I can't shake the worry I feel for my children—the beings I've watched over and cared for. Even with all my power as a god, I'm uneasy. Something is off, and it's more serious than I'd like to admit.
Another monster has appeared, one as terrifying as Aurathos, maybe even worse. This one's name is Athos. Is this just some cruel twist of fate, or pure bad luck? I don't know. But what I do know is that Athos is growing stronger every day, and he could be an even bigger threat than Aurathos ever was.
I've got to prepare, so I've taken a few steps to make sure we're ready. Chalu, my chosen champion, is the key to stopping Athos. But he's not strong enough yet—not by a long shot. He needs training that goes beyond anything this world can offer.
That's where my avatar, Roe, comes in. I've sent Roe to train Chalu within his own mind. It's like that Hyperbolic Time Chamber from Dragon Ball a place where time flows differently—one year inside equals a mere day in the real world. But what I've created is more than just a hyperbolic chamber. As in this case, one where Chalu's soul is immersed, learning and growing while his body rests in the mortal plane.
As Chalu sleeps, his spirit is training hard. Roe, my avatar, pushes him to his limits, teaching him techniques and make him stronger that no ordinary being could grasp in such a short time. Every moment inside that realm is crucial. Chalu must surpass his current self, for the threat of Athos looms ever closer.
Chalu has no idea what's happening in the real world while he's training. But that's the point. He needs to be ready to face Athos, who's only getting stronger. Athos feeds on chaos and destruction, and if we don't stop him, he'll tear everything apart.
I have faith in Chalu. He has to surpass his current limits because the stakes couldn't be higher. Athos could bring about a disaster that would destroy everything. But with Chalu, there's hope. He has to be stronger than ever before.
Time to control Roe once more. Chalu's training must continue and there's no time to waste. He needs to be ready for what's coming—a battle that will decide the fate of his world and the universe itself.
Tsk. Even for a god, the responsibility of protecting the universe is heavy. But I can't give up now. I must help Chalu reach his full strength, no matter what it takes. Athos will be defeated, just like Aurathos was, and peace will return. But the road to victory is full of dangers, and Chalu's journey is far from finished.
..........
The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a flickering, dying candle that cast eerie shadows on the cracked walls. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the silence was broken only by the labored breathing of Shen Mort, who lay sprawled on the cold, unforgiving floor. His once formidable figure was now broken, his body battered and bruised, blood seeping from deep wounds that marred his flesh.
Above him stood Ash Minse, who was once known as a kind and cheerful martial arts teacher at the school. But now, as he loomed over Shen, the twisted grin on his face showed a hidden darkness. His eyes, once warm and friendly, now shone with cruel amusement, reflecting the pain of the man lying before him.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ash's laughter echoed through the room, a sound devoid of any joy, but filled with a cold, mocking cruelty.
Shen, every breath a struggle, forced himself to speak. "What's so funny?!" His voice was weak, strained from the pain that racked his body, but there was defiance in his tone.
Ash's grin widened as he leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "Ahahaha, I mean, just look at you… you're pathetic." He knelt down, bringing his face inches from Shen's, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "Afraid of my Master, aren't you?"
Shen, despite the pain, managed to glare back. "I'm not afraid." he hissed through gritted teeth.
"Oh, but you are," Ash taunted, his voice laced with mockery.
"No... you're wrong....I'm not" Shen insisted, though his voice wavered, a slight tremor betraying his fear.
Ash's grin faltered for a moment, his expression darkening. "Hmmm" His tone was low, dangerous.
With a smirk, Shen retorted, "You're overestimating your master."
Rage flickered in Ash's eyes. "What did you say!!!"
But Shen, despite the agony coursing through his body, didn't back down. "I told you, as long as we have the strongest person on our side, we will win!" His words were filled with conviction, a final act of defiance.
For a brief moment, Ash froze, then his wicked grin slipping. Then, with a sudden, ferocious movement, he struck. His hand plunged into Shen's chest, fingers piercing through flesh and bone with brutal precision. Shen gasped, eyes wide with shock and pain as Ash's hand closed around his heart, feeling something cold and foreign being placed within it.
"What… what did you do?!" Shen gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ash leaned in close, his voice a dark whisper. "I just made you my slave."
"What… what did you do?!" Shen's voice was barely a whisper, his strength fading rapidly.
Ash leaned in closer, his voice now a dark whisper filled with malevolent intent. "I just made you my slave."
Pain like nothing Shen had ever known radiated from his chest, spreading through his body like wildfire. He could feel something dark and sinister taking hold of him, a corrupting force that twisted his very essence. "Aurg!!!" A groan of agony escaped his lips, his thoughts growing hazy, clouded by the malevolent magic coursing through his veins. In his final moments of clarity, a single name escaped his lips in a murmur, "Petra…"
But his suffering was far from over. As the dark magic took hold, Shen's body began to convulse, his skin shriveling, his flesh decaying, revealing the bones beneath. His eyes, once filled with life, glazed over as his humanity was stripped away, leaving only a hollow shell. His transformation was horrifying to behold, a man being consumed and remade into something far more sinister.
Ash stepped back, his eyes gleaming with twisted delight as he watched the gruesome transformation unfold. Before long, what remained was no longer Shen Mort, but a towering, skeletal figure—a lich, bound to Ash's will. The once proud and defiant mage was now nothing more than a mindless servant, his soul trapped within a body that was no longer his own.
Ash surveyed his new creation with triumph, his voice filled with glee as he declared, "Now I have a lich!"
The lich, the remnants of Shen Mort, stood silently, awaiting its master's commands. Its mind was gone, its will crushed, leaving only a hollow shell controlled by Ash Minse. And in that dark, desolate room, the once-great Shen Mort was no more, replaced by a creature of darkness, bound to serve the man who had destroyed him.
.........
Petra Haws, a respected teacher specializing in history and magic, struggled to keep her composure as she supported Lerona Everdale, the knight teacher. Both women were gravely injured, their bodies bearing the brutal marks of Ash Minse's betrayal. The pain was overwhelming, but it was nothing compared to the thought of what could have happened if Shen Mort hadn't intervened. If not for his alchemical prowess, transporting them to safety, they would have perished.
Lerona winced, her face contorted with pain. "Aurg!!" she cried out, clutching at Petra's arm for support.
"Careful," Petra urged, her voice gentle but firm. "My healing magic isn't strong enough to fix all your wounds."
Petra herself was injured, though her wounds were not as severe. She did her best to soothe Lerona's pain, but the deep cuts and bruises on both of them were beyond her limited healing abilities.
Lerona looked at Petra, tears welling up in her eyes. "Teacher Petra... Thank you for saving me." she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.
Petra offered a small, comforting smile. "Teacher Lerona, it's okay. And please, call me Petra. Outside of the school, we're not just colleagues anymore—we're friends."
Lerona managed a weak smile in return. "Right... Petra," she agreed, the word feeling both strange and comforting on her tongue.
As Petra tended to Lerona, her mind drifted back to the last moments before they had been transported to safety. Shen Mort's voice echoed in her memory, clear and filled with a vulnerability she had never heard from him before.
"I love you." Shen had confessed, the words hanging in the air like a final plea.
Petra's heart ached as tears welled up in her eyes. She realized with a painful clarity that she couldn't leave Shen to die, not after he had risked everything for them, not after he had finally admitted his feelings. She had to save him.
"I will save you, Shen." Petra murmured to herself, the determination in her voice masking the fear that gripped her heart.
Lerona, noticing the tears in Petra's eyes, asked softly, "What now?"
Petra met Lerona's gaze, her own eyes filled with resolve. "We need Colerio Sapher." she said, her voice steady despite the chaos in her heart.
Lerona nodded, understanding the weight of Petra's words. They needed Colerio, the former leader of the Raven Squad, a man who had once been their greatest ally who became a wanted man. They need him as he was their only hope now, the one person who might stand a chance against Ash Minse and the dark forces he had unleashed.
...........
Kelly's eyes fluttered open, her surroundings unfamiliar and disorienting. She groaned, her head pounding, and slowly rose to her feet. Panic gripped her as she remembered the last moments before losing consciousness.
"Master! Nononon Grizz!!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of fear and urgency.
She stumbled out of the room, her heart racing, driven by the terrifying thought that her master, Rowena, might have harmed Grizz. She found herself in a dimly lit, grimy hallway, and rushed toward the prison cells where she had last seen Grizz.
As she entered the dark, grimy cell and was met with a sight that made her stomach churn.
The scene before her was horrific. Grizz, a formidable beastfolk from the bear clan and one of the vassals of the King of Beastfolk, was barely recognizable. His once proud and powerful figure was now a broken mass of bruised and battered flesh. As Grizz lay on the cold, hard ground, his body battered and broken. Blood stained his fur, and his powerful form was marred with gruesome injuries. His jaw hung at an unnatural angle, and both his hands were mangled beyond recognition. It was a horrifying testament to the brutal strength of Rowena Lomius, the strongest Eldoan.
Kelly's heart sank as she saw Grizz's condition. Tears streamed down her face as she hurried to his side. "Grizz!" she cried, her voice breaking with anguish.
Grizz, with what little strength he had left, turned his head toward Kelly. His eyes, filled with pain but still burning with defiance, met hers. "You... Eldoan woman... why are you here?" he rasped, his voice barely more than a whisper. Even in his broken state, Grizz retained a flicker of suspicion, not fully trusting her despite their previous alliance against the monster.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Grizz's resilience was evident. His War Warrior ability—a power that made him stronger with each battle fought—had allowed him to endure where others might have succumbed. Yet, even his formidable strength couldn't withstand the relentless assault from Rowena Lomius, the strongest Eldoan mage of their time.
Kelly could barely look at him. The sight of Grizz's broken body filled her with a profound sorrow and helplessness. She could see the pain etched into his features, and the realization that she might be too late to save him struck her with a cold dread.
Kelly's heart ached at the sight of him, her tears now flowing freely. "Quiet!" she pleaded, her voice thick with emotion. "Please... don't speak. Please don't die, Grizz... not like this."
Ignoring his weak protests, Kelly knelt beside him and placed her hands over his wounds. Her tears mingled with the blood on his fur as she began to chant a healing spell. "Aquatic Heal!" she murmured, her voice trembling with the weight of her emotions.
The spell was one of the most powerful water healing incantations known, originally created by Belz Lomius, the Mother of Magic, and once called "Aqua Vitae," or "Water of Life." Over the centuries, it had been enhanced by a legendary mage named Leopardo Davini, a master of water affinity who had crafted numerous powerful water spells that had become legendary throughout history.
As Kelly invoked the spell, a gentle, shimmering light surrounded Grizz's broken form. The water element, infused with ancient magic, began to weave through his injuries, knitting broken bones and sealing deep wounds with a soothing touch. The process was slow, and Kelly could feel the strain of channeling such potent magic, but she pressed on, refusing to let Grizz succumb to his injuries.
Grizz's breathing steadied slightly as the healing magic took effect, and some of the pain in his eyes began to fade. He watched Kelly with a mixture of confusion and gratitude, realizing that, despite her Eldoan heritage, she was not his enemy—not in this moment.
Kelly's tears continued to fall as she worked, her heart aching with every pained breath Grizz took. "Please... just hold on," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll heal you... I won't let you die."
The cell around them was silent, save for the gentle hum of the magic and the quiet, labored breaths of the two unlikely allies. As the healing magic slowly began to mend Grizz's broken body, Kelly prayed silently that it would be enough—that she could save him from the brink of death, even if it meant using every ounce of her strength.
To be continue