I thought I'd earned a moment to breathe after surviving the first trial against the Shadow Root. I thought wrong.
No sooner had the cryptid army acknowledged my victory than the fog in the distance began to thicken again, swirling like some kind of ethereal curtain being pulled back for the next act. Mothman's red eyes glowed brighter, casting long, eerie shadows across the cornfield. The Loveland Frogmen stood silently, their glowing staffs humming with energy, while Bigfoot grinned at me like a coach about to throw me back into the game.
"You ready for what's next, Overlord?" Bigfoot asked, his voice carrying that lazy confidence I was beginning to hate. "Because this one's gonna push you harder than anything you've faced so far."
I was still catching my breath from the first trial, but I didn't have a choice. This wasn't just about proving myself anymore. Something darker was lurking beneath the surface of Ohio's madness, and I had to get to the bottom of it, before it consumed me.
"Alright," I muttered, straightening up and cracking my neck. "What's next?"
Bigfoot chuckled, stepping forward as the ground beneath us began to pulse with energy. "The second trial is about power, man. Not just your meme powers, those are just the surface. This is about the deeper stuff. Ohio's energy. The cryptid gods' power. The stuff that really matters."
I frowned, glancing around at the cryptids surrounding me. "And how exactly am I supposed to tap into that?"
Mothman, who had been hovering silently, finally spoke, his voice like a distorted whisper carried on the wind. "You must go beyond the superficial. The meme powers you've relied on are only a fragment of what Ohio offers. To survive this trial, you must reach into the core of the land itself."
The land itself. I stared at the ground, wondering what they meant. Was Ohio's power really something I could just tap into? Or was this some cryptid hazing ritual designed to make me lose my mind?
Bigfoot raised his hand, and the fog in the distance parted to reveal a massive stone structure. It looked ancient, like something ripped straight from a forgotten civilization that had been buried under the earth for millennia. The stones were covered in strange symbols that glowed faintly, casting a greenish hue over the surrounding area.
"That," Bigfoot said, pointing at the structure, "is the Heart of Ohio. It's where the cryptid gods draw their power from. If you want to survive this trial, you're gonna have to find a way to connect with it."
I took a step toward the stone structure, feeling a strange pull in my chest as I got closer. The air around it was thick, almost electric, like the energy from the Heart of Ohio was radiating out in waves. I could feel it tugging at me, urging me forward.
But I knew better than to walk into a cryptid trial unprepared. I stopped just short of the glowing stones, turning to Bigfoot. "Okay, so what's the catch? There's always a catch."
Bigfoot's grin widened. "You're starting to get it. The Heart of Ohio doesn't just hand over its power. It's guarded, by something ancient, something powerful. And if you want to connect with it, you'll have to get through the guardian first."
A chill ran down my spine as the stones around the Heart of Ohio began to shift. The ground trembled, and the symbols on the stones flared to life, glowing brighter and brighter until I had to squint to keep from being blinded. From the center of the structure, a figure began to rise, a massive, hulking form made of stone and roots, similar to the cryptid guardian I had faced before, but far more imposing.
This wasn't just another cryptid. This was something else.
As the figure took shape, I realized what I was looking at: the guardian of the Heart of Ohio, a being that had existed long before the meme wars or the cryptid battles. It towered over the stone structure, its body crackling with raw energy. Its eyes, two burning orbs of green light, locked onto me, and I felt the full weight of its power pressing down on my chest.
I took a deep breath, gripping the vine in my hand tighter. "Of course. It couldn't just be easy, could it?"
Bigfoot clapped me on the back, nearly knocking me off balance. "Come on, Overlord. You've already faced the Shadow Root. This guy? He's just the next level. Think of it like a boss fight."
I shot him a glare. "That doesn't make me feel better."
The guardian's stone body shifted, the roots entwining around it moving like snakes as it stepped toward me. The ground shook with each step, and the air around me grew colder, more oppressive. I could feel the raw energy radiating from it, and I knew this fight wasn't going to be like anything I'd faced before.
The meme powers I'd relied on weren't going to be enough this time. I could feel that deep in my bones. This wasn't about memes anymore, this was about something older, something far more dangerous.
"Alright," I muttered, stepping forward to meet the guardian. "Let's do this."
The moment I moved, the guardian roared, the sound reverberating through the air like an earthquake. Its massive arms swung toward me, the stone and roots moving with impossible speed. I dove out of the way, just barely avoiding the strike as it slammed into the ground with enough force to leave a crater.
I rolled to my feet, my mind racing. I couldn't just rely on dodging and reacting, I needed a plan. I needed to figure out how to weaken this thing, how to tap into the Heart of Ohio before it crushed me.
As the guardian turned toward me again, I noticed something. The green energy pulsing through its body seemed to flicker, like it wasn't stable. There were weak points, places where the energy didn't flow as smoothly, where the stone seemed to crack and shift.
That was it. If I could disrupt the flow of energy, I could weaken the guardian.
I sprinted toward the guardian, dodging another swing of its massive arms as I focused on the flickering energy. I needed to find a way to disrupt it, to cut off the power that was fueling the guardian. The vine in my hand wouldn't be enough for this fight, I needed something more.
I glanced at the Heart of Ohio, the glowing symbols on the stones pulsing in time with the guardian's movements. The connection between the guardian and the Heart was strong, but if I could disrupt that connection, maybe I could turn the fight in my favor.
The guardian roared again, charging at me with all the force of an avalanche. I dove out of the way, rolling to my feet as I made a beeline for the Heart of Ohio. If I could get close enough, maybe I could find a way to sever the connection.
But as I reached the base of the structure, the guardian's massive hand slammed down in front of me, cutting me off. The force of the impact sent me flying backward, my body slamming into the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
I groaned, struggling to catch my breath as I pushed myself to my feet. The guardian loomed over me, its eyes glowing with fury. This wasn't going to be easy.
But I wasn't giving up.
I glanced at the stones again, the symbols glowing brighter and brighter as the guardian's energy pulsed through them. If I could just disrupt that flow, maybe I had a chance.
I raised the vine in my hand, wrapping it around one of the roots that had emerged from the Heart of Ohio. I pulled with all my strength, feeling the energy crackle beneath my hands. The symbols flickered for a split second, and the guardian let out a roar of pain.
It was working.
I pulled harder, the vine straining as the energy pulsed through it. The connection between the guardian and the Heart of Ohio was weakening, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on.
The guardian, sensing the disruption, lashed out with its massive arms, roots and stone tearing through the ground as it charged toward me. I dodged again, narrowly avoiding the attack as I pulled the vine tighter.
"Come on, come on," I muttered through gritted teeth.
The energy crackled violently, and the guardian staggered, its movements growing sluggish. I had found its weakness, but now I had to finish the job.
With one final pull, I yanked the vine free, severing the root from the Heart of Ohio. The energy flow sputtered, and the guardian let out a final, deafening roar as its body began to crumble, the stone and roots falling apart in a shower of debris.
I collapsed to the ground, breathing hard as the dust settled. The guardian was gone, its connection to the Heart of Ohio severed. I had survived.
But as I lay there, staring up at the glowing stones, I knew this wasn't the end. The trials were far from over, and the cryptid gods weren't done with me yet.
As I lay there, catching my breath after defeating the guardian, the glow of the Heart of Ohio still flickering in the distance, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me.
I pushed myself up, wincing as my muscles protested. Every inch of my body ached, and the air felt thick with tension. The ground beneath me still hummed with energy, as if the land itself hadn't fully settled after the chaos of the battle. Ohio, it seemed, never truly let go of its weirdness.
And then I saw her.
Emerging from the shadows near the Heart of Ohio, her wings shimmering in the faint green glow, was a figure unlike anything I had seen before. She was tall, lithe, and graceful, with wings that fanned out behind her, glowing softly in the dim light. Her eyes, wide and glowing with an ethereal light, locked onto mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down.
She was a moth girl, and not just any cryptid. There was something different about her, something otherworldly, yet familiar. Her wings fluttered gently, sending small specks of light dancing in the air around her, like she was made of pure moonlight.
"Who… are you?" I asked, my voice hoarse from the battle.
The moth girl stepped closer, her movements so smooth and silent that she almost seemed to float above the ground. Her eyes never left mine, and as she approached, I felt a strange calm wash over me. It wasn't like the oppressive energy that had filled the air during the trial, this was something softer, more comforting.
"I am Luma," she said, her voice soft and melodic, like a whisper carried on the wind. "I've been watching you, Overlord."
I blinked, trying to process what she'd just said. "Watching me?"
She nodded, her glowing eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite place. Curiosity? Amusement? It was hard to tell. "You're not like the others who have faced the cryptid trials. You don't belong to this world, and yet, you've survived."
I swallowed hard, glancing around at the eerie glow of the Heart of Ohio. "Yeah, well, surviving is kind of my thing."
Luma's wings fluttered again, casting a soft glow over the area. "You have done more than survive. You've drawn the attention of the cryptid gods. They sense something in you, something they haven't seen in a long time."
I frowned, the weight of her words settling in. "And what exactly do they see in me?"
Luma's gaze softened, and she tilted her head slightly, as if she were trying to figure me out. "Strength. Potential. But more than that… you're different. You don't seek power for the sake of control. You're trying to understand Ohio, to navigate its madness."
Her words hit me harder than I expected. She wasn't wrong. I didn't want to control Ohio, I just wanted to survive, to make sense of the chaos that had been thrust upon me. But Ohio wasn't a place that made sense. It was a place of cryptids, meme gods, and trials that tested more than just physical strength.
"I don't know why I'm here," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't ask for any of this. But now that I'm in it, I don't really have a choice, do I?"
Luma smiled, a soft, gentle smile that seemed to light up the darkness around us. "Perhaps not. But there is more to your journey than you realize. Ohio has chosen you for a reason, even if that reason isn't clear yet."
I let out a heavy sigh, glancing up at her wings, which seemed to pulse softly in time with the energy of the Heart of Ohio. "So, what now? Another trial? Another guardian waiting to crush me?"
Luma stepped closer, her glowing eyes locking onto mine once again. "The trials will continue, yes. But you are not alone in this. You've proven yourself capable, and now, the cryptid gods will allow you to have a guide. Someone to help you navigate the trials, to help you understand the deeper forces at play."
I blinked, my mind racing. "A guide?"
Luma nodded. "Me."
My heart skipped a beat. "You?"
She smiled again, her wings fluttering gently. "Yes, Overlord. I've been watching you for some time now, and I believe you have the potential to do more than just survive. You have the potential to reshape Ohio itself. But you'll need help."
I wasn't sure how to feel about this. On one hand, having a cryptid guide, a moth girl no less, sounded like a dream come true. On the other hand, Ohio was unpredictable, and trusting anyone, even a cryptid as ethereal as Luma, seemed like a risk.
But then again, what choice did I have? The cryptid trials weren't going to get easier, and I wasn't exactly brimming with other options.
I took a deep breath, meeting her gaze. "Alright, Luma. If you're offering to help, I'm in. I could use all the help I can get."
Luma's smile widened, and for a moment, I could've sworn the air around us brightened. "Good. Because you're going to need it for what's coming next."
I raised an eyebrow, suddenly on edge. "What exactly is coming next?"
She turned toward the Heart of Ohio, her wings fluttering as she stared at the glowing symbols on the stone. She leaned over and I got good long look at her perfect rear end as she studied the symbols. I had to turn away when she glanced back at me. "The second trial was about power, your ability to tap into Ohio's deeper energies. But the third trial?" She glanced back at me, her expression serious. "The third trial is about control. The cryptid gods want to see if you can harness the chaos of Ohio, if you can bend it to your will without losing yourself in the process."
Control? Harnessing the chaos of Ohio? I didn't even know where to begin with that. Ohio's chaos was… well, it was chaos. How was I supposed to control something that didn't make any sense to begin with?
Luma must have sensed my hesitation, because she stepped closer, her voice soft and reassuring. "Don't worry, Overlord. You don't have to face this alone. I'll be with you, every step of the way."
I looked at her, her glowing eyes filled with a calm determination that made me believe, just for a moment, that maybe I could do this. Maybe, with her help, I could survive the third trial. Maybe I could even control Ohio's madness.
"Alright," I said, nodding. "Let's do this."
Luma smiled, her wings fluttering softly as she extended her hand to me. "Then let's begin."