Phoenix reappeared in the great expanse where the others were waiting. Bagga, "The Boundless Tyrant," still seethed with raw, contained fury, pacing back and forth while Vanessa, "The First of Witches," floated above the ground, arms crossed, her sharp eyes following every movement with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. Stryder-4 stood silently at the edge of the group, watching, always calculating behind the faceless visor of his armor.
Phoenix's sudden arrival drew their attention.
"Did you take care of it?" Vanessa asked, her voice smooth but undercut with an edge of indifference. "Or was it another waste of time?"
Phoenix's golden eyes glinted. "A minor issue," she responded. "Handled, as expected."
Stryder-4 spoke next, his voice mechanical yet oddly human. "And what of the unknown? The figure who vanished?"
Phoenix didn't answer immediately. She simply locked her gaze onto the horizon of the void, sensing something. "There's more going on than any of you realize," she said softly, as though she were speaking more to herself than the others. "I've dealt with the anomaly, but we're being watched."
Bagga scoffed. "By who? That coward who ran? I'd crush him with my bare hands if he dared show his face."
"Not just him," Phoenix said, her voice colder now. "Something else. I can feel it. A presence… far more dangerous. Something ancient."
Vanessa tilted her head, intrigued. "More dangerous than us?" she mused. "Now that is interesting."
Stryder-4 took a step forward, the hum of his energy armor filling the silent void. "This changes things."
Phoenix remained quiet for a moment, her thoughts elsewhere. She had felt the fourth watching. The unknown entity. The presence that lingered at the edges of reality, never revealing itself fully. It was powerful, but more than that, it was patient. Biding its time.
"Whatever this thing is," Phoenix finally said, her voice resolute, "it won't make its move just yet. But we need to be ready."
Bagga growled in frustration. "I don't care what or who it is. If they come at us, I'll tear them apart."
Phoenix ignored his outburst, focusing instead on the faint threads of power she could still feel lingering in the void. This entity was different, more elusive than any force she had ever encountered. It had been there, watching her fight, but it hadn't intervened. Why? She couldn't shake the feeling that it was toying with them, waiting for the right moment.
Stryder-4, ever the strategist, seemed to pick up on her unease. "We need more information. If this presence is powerful enough to unsettle even you, Phoenix, it poses a real threat."
Vanessa smirked. "What a delightful turn of events. Just when I thought things were growing dull."
The words hung in the air, tension settling between them as the four most powerful beings in existence stood together. The void was calm, but the storm was brewing just beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, in a distant part of the cosmos, Luca stepped through yet another gate, his power growing stronger with each battle. The once-overwhelming force of Astravira's presence within him had become more familiar, her voice a constant companion in his mind.
"You're reckless, Luca," Astravira chided as he entered the next zone, a vast and dark forest, the air thick with foreboding. "You rush headfirst into danger, but you're not invincible. Not yet."
Luca scowled but didn't respond. He was too focused on the hunt. His hunger for power had only grown since the encounter with Vanessa. The memories of his fallen teammates, Ghost and Aria, still gnawed at him, but he buried them deep beneath his relentless drive for strength.
Before him, the trees groaned and shifted, the air alive with movement. Dark figures began to appear in the shadows—beasts unlike anything he had encountered before. Their eyes glowed with malice, their fanged maws dripping with venom. They were creatures of pure darkness, massive and twisted.
"They're called Abyss Crawlers," Astravira informed him. "Dangerous, cunning, and they hunt in packs. Be careful."
Luca smirked. "They're just more fodder for me to kill."
Astravira sighed. "This is exactly what I mean. You're not listening."
Without warning, the Abyss Crawlers attacked, lunging at Luca from all sides. He dodged the first wave with ease, his agility unmatched, before striking back with ruthless efficiency. His blade cut through the air like lightning, slicing through flesh and bone with deadly precision. Blood sprayed across the forest floor as the monsters fell one by one.
But as he killed, Luca felt the familiar rush of power surging into him. Sovereign's Harvest activated, absorbing the strength and skills of the fallen beasts. His body glowed with energy, and he could feel his stats climbing higher with each kill.
"More," Luca whispered, his voice hungry. "I need more."
As the last of the Abyss Crawlers lay dead at his feet, Luca stood taller, his breath steady. He felt stronger, more powerful, but it wasn't enough. It never would be.
"There's something wrong with you," Astravira said, her voice echoing in his mind, concerned yet distant. "This obsession... it's going to destroy you."
Luca clenched his fists, ignoring her. He had survived everything so far—Vanessa, the gates, the monsters—nothing could stop him now.
But deep in the void, shadows moved, and the unknown watched.
And they were waiting for him.