The heroic atmosphere of the battlefield grew heavy, the tension so thick it pressed down like an invisible weight. Nyxander lay sprawled on the ground, staring up at the lead Rhinoceros in a mixture of awe and dread. "So it manipulates the law of gravity-not just for itself, but its subordinates too," he realized, his voice tinged with wonder. That explains how they get to come at me in such a blur, speeding up against gravity like that was some afterthought.
Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed a ball of light landing with a thunderous force just inches from him. The impact erupted like a mini explosion, hurling thick soil into the air and peppering his face with stinging debris, snapping him back to reality. As the thick cloud of dust fell, more balls of light came whirling in his direction; their brightness was a laceration against the murk of the battlefield. Nyxander somersaulted and backflipped, dodging these with desperate agility until, where each missed its attack, craters were stamped in the earth to show what devastation they could deal.
He sprang to his feet, running hard in a wide circle around the lead Rhinoceros, trying to get out of its line of sight. But to his horror, the beast barely had to shift its stance. The attacks continued, controlled easily by the manipulation of gravity. Realizing this, Nyxander skidded to a stop, digging his feet into the dirt as he turned to face the towering beast.
The Rhinoceros launched another volley: several glowing balls of light interspersed with piercing beams of energy. Nyxander clenched his fists, raising them to jaw level, his movements sharp and calculated. He dodged each attack with the precision of a seasoned boxer, weaving and stepping forward, closing the gap between himself and his opponent. His breathing quickened, but his resolve sharpened.
Storm Break Void Fist: Lightning Rift (Third Stage)," he growled. Unlike the Void Fist his father had mastered, Storm Break Void Fist was his own evolution, imbued with raw lightning power. His fists crackled with electric energy, and sparks danced around his knuckles like restless spirits. Unlike the direct manipulation of the void, this technique would send ripples through space with every strike, indirect but devastating.
The throw sent the tremor through the air in a brief, fractured spacial rift that shimmered like broken glass as Nyxander threw his fist towards the lead Rhinoceros. The beast suddenly stumbled, its balance askew, as its body contorted under chains of lightning that wrapped around like a living vine. The crackling and hissing of sparks seared into the thick hide as it let out a bellow, which rumbled over the battlefield like thunder.
"Rrrrrrorr! " the Rhinoceros cried, its voice raw with agony as it struggled against the electrified chains. But Nyxander did not relent. He pivoted and launched another strike, this time aiming for the beast's neck. "Storm Break Void: Void Tempest, second stage," he roared, his voice charged with determination. The second blow had sent a powerful surge of lightning into the body of the Rhinoceros; surges of energy coursed through its body in violent waves.
Its massive body shook and buckled to one side, its cries faded to a whisper, which was quickly taken away by the wind.
A few minutes later, the battlefield lay eerily silent except for Nyxander's labored breathing. He was still standing over the fallen beasts, his hands steady, even as he worked at skinning their thick hides to extract the essentia crystals buried in their heads. The crystals shivered with an ethereal light; their energy radiated outward, like starlight imprisoned.
While the crystals from the two Neonate Realm beasts were bright, they were nothing compared to the one he extracted from the Ascendant Realm Rhinoceros. Its brilliance was incomparable, its power palpable even in his hands. "Two-thirds the size," he muttered, his voice low, noting the difference with a calculating gaze. Nyxander tied the three skins together, placing the crystals inside, and made a cross-body bag of sorts. Slung across his torso, it weighed upon his side. Unfaltering in his resolve, he turned and continued his trial.
At the same time, somewhere within the same ancestral world. A place different from the location Nyxander was teleported to, a green land stretched wide, filled with lush grasses and vibrant flowers, their gentle beauty shrouded in a cool mist that clung to the air like a ghostly veil. Vacuros stood amidst the greenery, his Titanic feet buried beneath the tall, swaying blades, his wide gaze filled with awe.
The Nihilith Clan where he grew up was a stark contrast, a barren land of marble rocks, shadowed caves, and towering mountains. It wasn't the lack of life that made it unbelievable; the atmosphere itself was rich and welcoming, suitable even for celestial beings and demons alike. But the suffocating void law that cloaked the clan made it a graveyard for vegetation, suffocated any chance for vegetation to thrive.
Now, as Vacuros touched the lush pastures, his massive hand brushed against dew-covered leaves, and a rare wonder filled his heart. The soft twinkle of water droplets slipping from the blades of grass mirrored the tranquil harmony of the scene. Suddenly, a patch of twining grass caught his eye. Its delicate vines were adorned with roses of many colors, like a woven tapestry painted by nature herself. The small rock behind it was covered in moss and grasses, blending into the vibrant surroundings.
Curiosity pulled him closer, his towering form looming over the fragile sight. He bent slightly, reaching out to pluck the roses. But as his fingers brushed the vines, they moved with a life of their own. Like silent serpents, the twining grass coiled around his arm, slithering upward with an eerie elegance until they wrapped tightly around his shoulder.
He watched in awe, his heart a storm of wonder and unease, when suddenly, the vines snapped taut. With a force that defied their fragile appearance, they yanked him off his Titanic feet. The earth trembled as his massive body slammed into the ground on his right, then swung violently to the left. The repeated smashes echoed like distant thunder, each impact shaking the crust beneath him with the ferocity of an earthquake.
As he was swung to his right again, Vacuros gritted his teeth, his instincts roaring to life. His limbs moved swiftly, planting his feet like ancient roots into the trembling ground. The pull of the twining grass was relentless, but he gripped the vines tightly, muscles bulging as he resisted their force. Supporting his strained right hand with his left, he gave a mighty pull, and with a deafening tear, he uprooted the twining grass from the ground. The earth groaned as if lamenting the loss, chunks of dirt and stone flying in all directions.
Vacuros stumbled back, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell like the heaving tides, his mind racing to comprehend what had just occurred. Then, the small rock in front of him, previously entwined with the vines, began to shift. The greenery covering it slid away like a discarded mask, revealing a creature concealed beneath. Its true form emerged, a massive rhinoceros, its body camouflaged with grass and foliage that rippled like living armor.
"Rrrrrrr," the creature growled, its guttural sound rolling through the misty air like a war drum.
Vacuros froze, his gaze locking with the rhinoceros. Its eyes glinted with primal intensity, reflecting a raw, untamed challenge. "Hum," Vacuros sighed, the low sound rumbling like distant thunder, a moment of calm before the storm. The serene environment that once seemed like a paradise now buzzed with tension, as though the very air held its breath.