Cyrus POV
Sitting by the river my father and I originally came from, I stared at my reflection in the rippling waves. I don't know why I ever thought these people would be any different from what I've observed over the past few years. I couldn't believe that someone who claimed to be my father's friend would turn on him for greed and monetary gain. And yet, here I am, grappling with the truth: Adam killed innocent people just to keep his ambitions alive.
Now, I was alone, unable to fully process the events of the past few hours. But I knew I couldn't just sit here and wallow in my despair. My father had taught me better than that. He was strong—at the fourth stage of his core—and I knew he could endure much longer in the astral realm with the form fused form. But even he had a limit. I had to find a way to free him. The biggest obstacle, however, was access. I needed a rift to enter the astral realm, and the only rift nearby was the Category Two rift where I had previously fought the aurora moths.
"Would I be strong enough now that my core has grown a bit?" I wondered aloud. Determined to test my limits, I decided this remote spot would suffice. No one could interfere, and no one would find me.
Over the next hour, I pushed myself, experimenting with my abilities. With the increased size of my core, I found I could activate my field of influence up to four times if I limited its range to one meter in every direction. Expanding the field's radius significantly reduced the number of uses, though. Disappointingly, the duration of the field's activation hadn't improved either.
This meant I could handle a horde of starspawn-level astral behemoths without much trouble, especially if I absorbed their cores afterward. However, facing anything stronger for an extended period would be risky. I needed more time to grow. I was certain that if I could master the first rune of my fate constellation, I'd be able to challenge opponents a full stage stronger than me. But how could I compensate for the lack of time?
Rummaging through the belongings my father and I had brought with us, I searched for anything that might help—a secret weapon, an artifact, something. I found nothing. That left me with only one option: I needed to hunt. Growing my core was my only path forward, especially since the battery was practically useless to me without control over it.
When night fell, I slipped into the shadows and made my way to the rift. I couldn't risk being seen. Adam didn't know I had witnessed his atrocities, but if I stayed, he'd watch me like a hawk. Disappearing was the only choice.
When I reached the aurora moths' nest, I didn't need to search for them. Their glowing exoskeletons shimmered like a living light show, perfectly suited for their name. The nocturnal creatures fluttered around, seemingly unaware of my presence as they carried bits and pieces of carcasses to a structure near the rift. Staying quiet, I watched from the outskirts, inching closer with every step.
What I saw surprised me. The aurora moths were dropping flesh into an opening at the top of what looked like a massive cocoon. From inside came disturbing sounds—bones being crushed, flesh being devoured, and blood splattering. The noise was followed by guttural, satisfied moans that sent shivers down my spine. As one of the moths flew past the cocoon, I caught a glimpse of a silhouette. Something inside was evolving.
"Why didn't I notice this earlier? Were they protecting this all along, or was this a recent development?" I wondered.
Whatever it was, I knew this would be a valuable core to claim—if I could deal with the fifty or so aurora moths guarding it.
"Let's get this over with," I muttered, stepping out of the brush and sprinting toward the cocoon. Imbuing cosmic energy into my hand, I shaped my hand as if it were a blade, preparing to pierce the cocoon and strike whatever lay inside.
But as my hand cut into the structure, I was met with a thick, mucus-like substance that absorbed my attack. Pulling my hand free, I watched as the fluid began to flow out.
In a heart beats time, the moths surrounded me, while others worked to patch up the cocoon and refill it with mucus from their mouths. Just like before, they began dive-bombing toward me in frenzied waves. My chest glowed with radiant magenta hues as I activated my field of influence, forcing a dozen of the starspawn astral behemoths to fall from the sky.
"This shouldn't be too difficult," I sneered, cutting them down one by one.
With the first wave dealt with, I returned my focus to the cocoon. This time, I changed my approach. Instead of piercing it, I made multiple shallow cuts, forcing the moths to divide their attention between me and their precious cocoon. They couldn't keep up with the pace I was setting. As soon as they patched one cut, I made another.
This dance continued, each iteration wearing down their numbers. I could have used my ability several more times to finish them off faster, but I needed to conserve my energy. Without my father here, I didn't have a backup plan.
Eventually, the moths did exactly what I wanted—they abandoned their defensive strategy and launched an all-out assault. Smiling, I flipped away from the cocoon and prepared for my final move. Pouring cosmic energy into both arms and my astral tattoo, I waited until the last of the colony had entered my kill zone. Then, in the blink of an eye, they all collapsed, struggling to move.
No mercy was shown. I clipped every wing and punctured every exoskeleton. In this world, it was kill or be killed, and I had no intentions of dying now.
With the hard part finished, I approached the cocoon to claim my prize. But as I wiped the moth fluids from my hands, the ground began to tremble. Cautious I did not proceed forward. The cocoon shook violently, and I felt a surge of chaotic cosmic energy emanating from it.
A deep growl echoed through the forest.
Suddenly, massive pincers shot out desperately trying grab for something to get ahold of, tearing the cocoon apart. Mucus poured to the ground, revealing the towering figure of what could only be the colony's queen.
And she was furious.