How could he dream of a creature he had never even seen or heard of? Thankfully, the "Dreamforge" didn't leave him to figure it out on his own. And with a swish*, the Dream Energy within him began stirring, converging toward the book. Erik stood by, watching as the book absorbed the Dream Energy like it had been left starved for ages. Fortunately, he didn't run out of Dream Energy. If it would've been the mana he was using before, he would have been drained in seconds.
Just as he was wondering what was happening, a bright light shone and his vision shifted. After opening his eyes, he found himself submerged in a body of water. The water around him was dark and murky, with faint specks of bioluminescence drifting past, struggling to illuminate his surroundings. Like an instinct that immediately kicked in, he held his breath and tried to swim upward, but he found himself frozen in place, as if something was holding him there. His head began turning downward, like it was compelled by some unseen force.
When he could no longer hold his breath, he exhaled, expecting to drown, or to come out of this dream. To his surprise, he could breathe easily, solidifying the idea that this was all just a dream. The strange comfort brought brief relief, but his attention was quickly drawn to a subtle movement on the ocean floor.
There, partly hidden by the silt and the dim light, he saw something stirring. His eyes turned silvery, allowing him to see more clearly. His mouth unconsciously said in a low voice, "The Serpent of the Deep." He didn't know how he recognized it, but he just did.
The creature before him was a massive, serpentine entity that stretched into the darkness. Its body was covered in dark, iridescent scales that shimmered faintly as they absorbed the limited light. The scales were large and rugged, with some sections appearing smoother while others were rough and segmented, suggesting that the creature had adapted to both the pressures of the deep and its predatory nature.
His gaze followed the serpent's body, traveling upward until he finally saw its head. It was distinctly fearsome, with two large eyes that glowed faintly in the murky water. Though not brightly luminescent, the eyes had an unsettling intensity. Its mouth was lined with sharp teeth, clearly designed for grasping and tearing. As it moved, the teeth made faint, eerie creaks that resonated through the water, which he could somehow hear. It almost gave a dragonoid head shape, especially with whisker-like appendages that fan out from its mouth and other protrusion that gave it a dragon like appearance.
Along its back and sides were several fin-like appendages that helped it maneuver through the water with a measured grace. These fins were dark and translucent, edged with subtle serrations. They moved slowly, stirring the silt around them and creating a gentle, undulating motion that further emphasized the serpent's immense size and deliberate movements.
His eyes continued to follow the creature into the darkness until he saw its tail. It was long and powerful, tapering into a fin that could be used for both propulsion and steering. The tail's movement caused the surrounding silt to swirl, partially obscuring the serpent's form but also highlighting its sheer scale and presence. With one move, it could easily create tsunamis that would drown an entire city before anyone had time to prepare.
An aura seemed to cling to the serpent, creating subtle distortions in the water around it. This wasn't a dramatic display of power, but rather a muted, almost imperceptible ripple that suggested the serpent's connection to something otherworldly and profound.
Erik observed the Serpent of the Deep with a mix of apprehension and fascination. Its massive size, combined with its quiet, deliberate movements, made it feel like an apex predator of the deep, embodying both the mystery of the ocean's depths and the subtle menace of its dark influence. And a question arose in his mind: 'How do I dream about such a creature?'
The term "Dream of the Serpent of the Deep" didn't mean that he literally had to dream about it. He needed to use the Dream Energy to form this serpent, which was a daunting task in itself. Then came the next part: the serpent's scales had to shimmer with Dream Energy, radiating the creature's primal power. If done correctly, the dream would manifest the serpent's essence, which would flow into him, enveloping his body with its energy and begin tempering his body to mirror the serpent's. It sounded difficult—actually, doing it would be even more challenging. It was a strange method, but one he had to follow to see what it would yield. If it didn't work, he could always return to miasma training.
Swallowing his doubts, he prepared to start his training. The first task was to properly conceptualize the serpent, which would require countless trips to the serpent's habitat—of course, through the Dreamforge.
And so, both Valcroy and Erik began their training. Days passed, and they remained engrossed in their training, oblivious to what was happening outside.
---
"It's been three days now," Collum said with a sigh, wondering why he was being tortured with all this paperwork. It was a good thing Mallory was helping, not to mention the administrative staff doing most of the work. Otherwise, he would have lost his sanity long ago.
He was a fighter, born and trained for battle, not for dealing with endless paperwork. But now he was stuck here, lamenting his choices.
"Chin up, not everyone gets to enjoy the authority you have," Mallory said, her head bent over a document.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Collum asked as he stamped the document and set it aside. Just as he was about to continue...
Hummm*
A sudden pressure fell upon both of them, making their expressions change drastically. Without wasting a moment, they sat down to meditate. The pressure on them kept increasing, as if the very earth was trying to reject them from this place.
"Suppress it further!" Mallory said out loud, her voice strained. Mana began forming gusts of wind around her. The same was happening with Collum. Papers flew around, scattering everywhere, but now was not the time to worry about that.
A triangle appeared over both of their the left hand's back, inscribed with multiple Veritasian words forming a sentence: ᛏ|𐌕𐌄 𐌕𐌄○ ⊗ɸ 𐌑△⅃△, 𐌔○△ᛥ
The letters began glowing, and the final character, "𐌔○△𐌉," glowed the brightest, causing the triangle to rotate. Collum gritted his teeth as he felt his realm receding—from Late Advanced to Mid, then to Initial Advanced, before finally stabilizing. Once his realm stabilized, the stifling pressure on him vanished.
He took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and turned to Mallory, who was also sweating.
"What was that?" she asked, to which Collum responded by shaking his head. He had no idea. But whoever it was, they had almost succeeded in expelling them from Iron'Heits.
Both of them wore serious expressions as they checked their realms once more before leaving the office. Something more important than paperwork demanded their attention. Collum went to Kendrick's study, hoping to wake him from his laziness, while Mallory went to see if anyone else had felt the disturbance. There were three other Advanced Realm experts in Iron'Heits, one being a mage specializing in fire magic.
As she inquired, Mallory's eyebrows furrowed more and more. None of the other experts had felt what she and Collum had, making her wonder if it was a targeted attack.
Meanwhile, Collum stood in front of Kendrick's study, looking baffled.
"No way, it should be here."
His confusion was understandable. He was staring at a wall where the study door should have been, but now there was just a blank wall. The entire room was missing. Thinking Kendrick might be playing tricks, Collum walked closer to the wall and knocked, but there was no response. Using his memory, he reached for where the doorknob should have been, suspecting it was an illusion. But all he grasped was air.
Finally, he took a deep breath and punched.
Boom*
The entire mansion shook from the force, a testament to Collum's strength. After all, he was nearly a grandmaster. He was here only because of his loyalty to Kendrick. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that, as Collum looked at the hole he had created with furrowed brows. There was nothing behind the wall—it was as if the room had been entirely warped away.
He stepped through the hole and looked around the mansion. Indeed, it seemed like someone had taken a bite out of the building—the entire study room was gone.
Mallory arrived and, seeing the hole and Collum's troubled expression, felt something was very wrong. She jumped down, stood next to him, and saw what he was looking at.
"Where's...?"
She trailed off, now understanding why Collum was so troubled.
"Seal the area."
Collum didn't want news of Kendrick's disappearance to spread. If it did, they would need a miracle to save them. He then walked toward the Crucible of Endurance, intending to wake Erik. Erik was needed now more than ever. While he wasn't yet of the age to handle such responsibilities, he was a Frostborne—a name that commanded respect throughout the Dominion.
Collum's mind raced as he approached the Crucible. Just as he was about to knock, he turned to the right, where a gauge showed the amount of mana inside the chamber. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw that all the bars were filled, wondering what was happening inside.
Knock* Knock*
He knocked on the door and waited outside. After a few moments, the door opened, and bright light cast two shadows, making it hard for him to see their faces. As his eyes adjusted, he narrowed them, sensing something different. Erik, as usual, had an indifferent expression, but there was something unique about him. Valcroy, on the other hand, had a smile on his face, as if he had achieved something great.
Collum shook off his daze, still unable to pinpoint what was different about Erik, and said, "We have a problem."
Erik nodded and started walking, with Valcroy and Collum following. Collum recounted everything that had happened—from the unusual pressure to Kendrick's disappearance—leaving out no details.
Erik's expression grew more serious as he listened. Soon they entered the war room, where Mallory was already present. She too noticed something different about Erik, but before she could ask.
"Does anyone else know about this?"
Erik beat her to it. Mallory shook her head. They sealed the entire mansion and weren't letting anyone inside. She glanced at Valcroy, her eyebrows scrunching slightly, but Erik didn't give her time to question Val's presence. "Has anything else strange happened?" he asked.
Mallory shook her head, but then, as if a light bulb went off, Valcroy blurted out, "Something strange?"
His words caught everyone's attention. Two of them looked at him with furrowed brows while Erik raised an eyebrow. Valcroy noticed their expressions and quickly recounted his first encounter and the conversation between Senva's boss and his lackeys.
His account brought silence to the room. After a moment, Erik said, "Search the city for anything out of the ordinary."
Collum and Mallory exchanged glances, wondering why Erik was placing so much trust in Valcroy's words. But Erik didn't explain and added, "The Alliance might siege at any moment."