Elion stood frozen, his eyes locked on the monstrous form that loomed in the center of the grand hall. Chaos surrounded him, but his focus never wavered.
The Dred, or whatever this was, shouldn't exist. Not here. Not in this world.
"How…?" he whispered, his voice barely audible as his thoughts churned like a storm. "How is there a Dred… in this world?"
The creature twisted and warped, its grotesque form pulsing with an energy so dark it made the air feel suffocating. Elion's heart pounded in his chest, and his breaths came in shallow gasps as the impossibility of the situation threatened to overwhelm him.
This can't be happening. Dreds were gone—eradicated in his previous life. They were supposed to be a relic of a nightmare long buried. Yet here it was, a living contradiction to everything he thought he knew.
Elion clenched his fists, forcing his breathing to steady. He had to understand. There had to be a reason.
"System," he murmured, his voice low but steady. "Is that really a Dred?"
The system's response was as cold and emotionless as ever.
[Yes. That thing is a Dred.]
The confirmation sent a chill down his spine. His suspicions were correct, but that didn't make the truth any easier to bear. He swallowed hard, his mind racing.
"But how is there a Dred here?" he asked, urgency creeping into his tone. "In this world? This dimension?"
The pause that followed felt eternal. Then, the system spoke again.
[After calculating countless possibilities, one strong answer emerges:]
[The Dred from your previous life survived the black hole and was accidentally transported to this dimension.]
Elion's eyes widened in disbelief. "What…?"
His world tilted, his thoughts unraveling as he struggled to comprehend.
It survived? How?
The Dred were annihilated, consumed by the abyss of the black hole he had created. Yet somehow, it had slipped through the cracks, defying the laws of reality itself.
But is it really the same Dred?
Hundreds of questions swirling in his mind, but before he could ask the system once more, the hall suddenly grew colder, the weight of the air pressing down on everyone inside. The oppressive energy radiating from the Dred clawed at their minds, pulling out their darkest emotions.
Kaelan—or what was left of him—shifted, his grotesque body bulging and contorting as though trying to tear itself apart from the inside. Thick veins throbbed across his skin, and his limbs extended into jagged, clawed appendages.
Yet, to Elion's eyes, the creature was still abstract—a nightmare given form but with no clear shape or definition.
But the others did not see the same thing.
"Rael!" Verion's voice rang out, loud and venomous, his entire body trembling with fury. His hand clenched into fists as his Qi flared erratically around him. His blue eyes burned with rage. "I knew you'd show your face again, you fucker!"
Elion snapped his head toward Verion, startled. Rael? Who's Rael?
Verion's face contorted into a snarl, his anger boiling over as he stepped forward, glaring at the Dred with pure hatred. To him, the creature had taken on the form of Rael, the man who had betrayed him in his previous life—someone who had torn apart everything Verion had held dear.
Elion's heart sank. It's shaping itself based on everyone's fears. Everyone's negative emotions.
The realization hit him hard. He had never seen a Dred do this before. In his past life, they had always been grotesque, abstract combinations, constantly shifting. But now, this one had solidified, becoming something specific for each person who looked at it.
The elders began to react, their emotions erupting into the room like wildfire.
Cedrin, one of the more stalwart elders, stumbled backward, his face pale. His lips quivered as he whispered, "No… no, it can't be them…" His eyes widened in terror as he stared at the Dred, seeing the broken, bloody forms of his family staring back at him, their faces filled with betrayal and scorn.
Lysandre's cold, noble composure crumbled. Her lip curled in disgust, her hand shaking as she pointed at the Dred. Her face contorted as if she was looking at a figure from her worst nightmare. "I-Impossible… You… You shouldn't be here!"
Another elder, let out a snarl, his face contorted in fury. To him, the Dred had become a massive, coiled serpent, its infinite scales crushing Murim itself beneath its weight.
The room filled with fear, anger, and despair—all radiating from the Dred, feeding it, strengthening it.
"Elion… Verion…" Elara's voice trembled, barely audible as her wide eyes fixated on the Dred.
Her hands shook as she gripped her dagger, but her movements were hesitant, almost frozen. She saw something no one else could, something so deeply personal and terrifying that it struck at the very core of her being.
Her breaths came in ragged gasps, and tears welled in her eyes, but she forced herself to stand tall. She had to protect her children, no matter what she was feeling. No matter what she was seeing.
You can't freeze. Not now. Protect them. Protect them.
Elion turned his gaze toward Graviel, the one figure who had yet to act. The Martial Deity stood still, his arms folded, his expression unreadable—at least, at first.
But then Elion noticed it. A flicker of emotion. For just a brief moment, Graviel's stoic mask cracked. His eyes softened, and his jaw tightened, revealing an emotion so raw it made Elion's stomach twist. Whatever he was seeing, it wasn't fear. It wasn't disgust.
It was pain and sadness.
What does he see? Elion wondered.
Then it struck him. Graviel wasn't just hesitating because of what he saw. He was hesitating because he knew what this creature truly was.
Kaelan, Elion thought grimly. It's still Kaelan. His son.
In amidst of all that, suddenly the Dred moved.
It lunged forward, faster than anyone could react, its claws aimed directly at Verion.
"NO!" Elara shouted, stepping forward. Her dagger flashed as she swung it with precision, aiming to sever the Dred's claws. But the dagger cut through air, nothing more. Elara's heart sank.
She stumbled, her breath catching in her throat. "What…? It's not real?" Shaking off the thought, she spun around quickly, her voice ringing out with urgency. "Verion, move!"
Verion moved instinctively, leaping back as the Dred's claws raked through the air, missing him by inches. The force of the strike shattered the marble floor and gouged deep, jagged scars into the wall.
"You!" Verion roared, his body crackling with energy. "I'll kill you… I'll make you pay for what you've done to me!" His voice trembled, his blue eyes lit up, filled with deep anger and hatred.
He then quickly raised his arm, crimson-violet Qi energy spiraling around his sword as he unleashed Azure Requiem. The devastating wave of Qi surged toward the Dred, lighting up the hall.
But it was useless. The attack passed through the Dred's body harmlessly, as if it weren't there at all.
"W-What?" Verion's eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend what was really happening before him.
The creature grinned—a twisted, unnatural smile that stretched its face far beyond what should have been possible.
Elion shuddered, a sickening wave of familiarity washing over him. That grin. He remembered it.
The Dred swung its claw again, this time aiming directly for Verion's head.
"Levitas!" Elion shouted, his hand snapping up as he activated his skill.
Gravity shifted around the Dred, freezing it in place mid-strike. Verion staggered back, panting, as Elion floated forward, his golden eyes locked on the creature.
However, at that moment, the elders, consumed by negative emotions, erupted into madness.
"Kill it!" one screamed, lunging with his sword. Others followed, unleashing a barrage of Qi attacks. But their strikes were futile—each blow passed through the Dred, leaving no mark, revealing the terrifying impossibility of their assault.
Amidst the chaos, Graviel remained motionless. His sharp eyes fixed on the Dred with an unreadable expression. For a moment—just a moment—his face darkened, deep pain reflecting in his eyes.
He knew. This Dred was Kaelan. Though he had never cherished him, Kaelan was still his son.
But Graviel could not let this creature live. With a small gesture, he snapped his fingers.
BOOM!
The Dred's body exploded into tiny fragments, devastating the entire room. Everyone fell silent, believing it was over.
But Elion knew better. He watched as the Dred's body slowly reformed, like wind gathering sand from nothingness—as if Graviel had never touched it. Body fragments rejoined, assembling an inconsistent shape, like a nightmare reluctant to end.
"What—what is this?!" an elder screamed, voice shrill with panic. "How is he returning?! Even the Lord cannot—"
"Silence." Graviel cut him off, his voice ice-cold, but his gaze remained locked on the Dred. He didn't answer their questions, but in his heart, he knew.
Kaelan or not, this creature is extraordinary. Moreover… He glanced away briefly, his face darkening again. Something he saw in the Dred weighed heavily on his chest, but he revealed nothing.
Elion turned his gaze toward the Martial Deity, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"You all will never be able to kill this creature," Elion said, his tone firm, his presence commanding. "Not in that state."
He stepped forward, his golden eyes blazing.
"Only I can."