Outside the Rift
A man appeared outside the rift, his piercing blue eyes and deep black hair giving him an intense and commanding presence. A scar ran from his forehead to his lips, adding to his formidable appearance. He stood observing the rift from afar, his gaze unwavering.
Shortly after, another man joined him. This newcomer had a square face, but his hair and eyes matched the color of the first man. It was clear they were related.
"Did you see any sign of her?" the scarred man asked, placing his eyes on his newly arrived relative.
"No, I only found some outskirt rats," the square-faced man replied, his tone laced with disdain.
"Meaning she is either already inside or she has yet to arrive. I'll wait out here; I can't enter because of the restrictions. You go, and remember, if you confirm she is inside, don't attack. You alone might not be able to end her," the scarred man ordered, his voice firm and authoritative.
Nodding, the square-faced man sprang into the rift, his movements swift and determined. His scarred relative vanished, seemingly blending with the surroundings. It was as if he had become one with the landscape, his presence undetectable to all but the most perceptive.
.............
At the same time, after the battle, Leo sat underneath a tree, watching as Maya dug into the beast's body in an attempt to acquire the gene core. Her green eyes glinted, betraying her excitement. The forest around them was serene, a contrast to the violent struggle they had just endured. Leo took a moment to catch his breath, appreciating the brief respite.
Maya's movements were precise and methodical, a testament to her training. As she worked, Leo couldn't help but reflect on the day's events. The challenges they faced, the skills they honed, and the mysteries that still lay ahead. The gene core they sought was a key to unlocking greater potential, and Maya's determination to obtain it was palpable.
Ding! A noise rang as Maya's weapon struck the gene core. Reaching for the crystal, she pulled it out of the beast's bloody remains.
As she looked at it, it was as though a mass of swirling mercury dwelled within the crystal, and nine multicolored stars pulsed, revealing a halo that coated the crystal. It was a captivating sight.
Not able to stay patient anymore, she turned to Leo. "Please guard me. I don't want to waste any more time," she said, immediately going into a meditative posture. She began attacking the dimensional barrier, a phenomenon where practitioners attempt to break through to a higher plane of existence. This involves concentrating intensely to pierce through the metaphorical barrier that separates their current dimension from the next.
After thirty minutes, the gene core lost its luster, the nine stars dying out. This process indicated that the core's energy had been fully absorbed, leaving behind an empty shell.
Leo stood guard, his senses heightened for any signs of danger. The forest around them was eerily quiet, adding to the tension of the moment. He knew that Maya was at a critical juncture, and any disturbance could jeopardize her progress.
And then, as though it had been planning this all along, just as Maya's body started glowing and faint runes pulsed on her skin, the evidence that she had entered the first plane, the beast chose to attack. This was a critical juncture, as she had to ascend to the ninth plane. The beast was the vile shadow that had hunted Leo before.
Leo cursed as he lunged, intercepting the beast by swinging his sword—or what was left of it. The broken sword landed on the snout of the beast. Its fragile body crumbled, but even so, it succeeded in the mission of bringing the beast's attack to a grinding halt.
Maya's glow intensified as she continued her ascension, unaware of the imminent danger she had just escaped. Leo stood his ground, ready for any further threats, his senses heightened.
This was a really bad time for him to face such a foe. His sword had shattered from the attack he used to end the Terragrim. Now, he was weaponless.
But still, his eyes reflected determination as he prepared to brawl with the beast. His gaze focused on the beast as a bone-chilling smile appeared on his face. "Ah, how long I've been waiting for you. Come, kitty, I have a big surprise," he said, his voice portraying his mischievous delight, his face showing that he was up to no good.
The beast, though hesitant at first, recognized Leo. It pounced towards him, attempting to sink its mighty jaws into him.
Even with the impending attack, Leo still had a smile painted on his face. The beast had barely gotten close to him when it came to a skidding halt, rapidly leaping backward, revealing its decapitated paws.
The beast stepped back warily. Just now, when it had felt danger, it tried turning into a shadow, a way of avoiding any impending attack. But even in its incorporeal state, it was still cut, decapitating its paws.
In truth, Leo had come to understand that as a being in the ninth dimension, one is granted the ability to control anchored energy even before ascending the dimensional realm. Being the progenitor of sword energy, this ability was further amplified in him, as his range of control was broader. What he was doing was directly using his anchor to the first dimension to absorb sword energy from the atmosphere. Without absorbing it into his body, he used it to attack. Though this ability was limited by the fact that he couldn't absorb the energy into his body for now, it was still a formidable skill.
The beast growled as it disappeared out of sight, confusing Leo. To his shock, he sensed a disturbance in his shadow. Quickly, he tried to evade the oncoming assault, but how far can you outrun your shadow? Clearly, he wasn't doing a good job of it as He couldn't avoid the oncoming attack, and straight from his shadow, a claw reached out and swiped down.
Five bloody gashes appeared on his back, and Leo stumbled as the pain assaulted his senses. As he was trying to regain his balance, he heard a CRUNCH!
He looked down at his legs. One was perfectly fine, trying to acquire balance, while the other was bending at a weird angle. The pain of having his leg snapped came rushing in, and he gritted his teeth, barely letting out a grunt.
Losing one leg, Leo fell directly facing his shadow. During his run earlier, his position had shifted as the crimson moon cast its glow on his back. Seeing the disturbance in his shadow, "Fuck-" Leo barely let out as he was catapulted into the distance, leaving behind a muffled sound as the beast gave him a heavy headbutt to the stomach from his shadow.
As he landed on the cold rocky surface, Leo was in pain. He felt two of his ribs snap, but even that couldn't wipe the mad smile painted on his face as he looked at the beast expectantly.
The beast, which had landed, fell over twitching as its head fell off. Clearly, as it attacked Leo, Leo had prepared a strike back, leaving the beast the loser of the exchange.
Though he won the battle, Leo could only lie there in pain, waiting for his body to recover. The cold rocky surface beneath him was unforgiving, and every breath sent waves of agony through his broken ribs and shattered leg. Despite the pain, a sense of triumph lingered in his mind. He had faced the beast and emerged victorious, albeit at a great cost.
As he lay there, the forest around him seemed to hold its breath, the silence only broken by the distant rustling of leaves. Leo's thoughts drifted to Maya, who was still in her meditative state, unaware of the struggle he had just endured. He knew he had to protect her, no matter the cost. The road ahead was fraught with danger, but Leo's determination burned brighter than ever