At Daffin Station, the place was bustling with activity, and the sounds blended with the roar of the train waiting at the platform. Three prominent figures stood amidst the crowd, distinguished by their long coats that concealed their features from view.
Julian watched the massive train, its dark black color, with steam pipes puffing out gray clouds into the sky. Beside him, Adair raised his hat slightly, gazing at the train, then turned his head toward his companions and said with a faint smile:
"Well, here we go."
Without hesitation, the three boarded the train, swept along by the flow of the crowd. The train was more crowded than Julian had expected, forcing him to navigate through narrow aisles, avoiding collisions with sitting passengers and walkers. His thoughts were filled with sarcasm:
"So, this is the steam train? I expected it to be much larger."
They settled into their seats as Adair pulled out his silver watch from his pocket, glancing at it intently before saying:
"We'll reach our destination in two hours, get ready."
The first few minutes passed in silence, but the atmosphere inside the train was noisy enough to prevent any quiet conversations. The sound of the train wheels grinding against the rails mixed with the passengers' conversations.
Julian sat by the window, watching the rapidly changing scenery. The trees and fields passing by the tracks seemed to swirl in a whirlwind.
Beside him, Bain sat quietly, one leg crossed over the other, while Adair fiddled with his silver watch as though counting the seconds with military precision.
When the train finally came to a stop, the passengers stood, preparing to disembark. Adair moved forward first, followed by Bain, with Julian trailing behind them. But suddenly, he collided with a small person, barely reaching his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, sir!" the boy said quickly before darting through the crowd, vanishing like a shadow.
Julian paused for a moment, then lowered his gaze to his hand, where he was holding his leather wallet, which should have been in his pocket just moments ago. He smiled wryly as he muttered to himself: "Seems like he was forced into this… or maybe he thinks he's a clever thief."
He had no intention of retrieving it; he had more important matters at hand now. He moved quickly to catch up with Adair and Bain, who had already started heading away from the station toward the nearby forest.
The Darius Forest stretched before them like a carpet of darkness, the dense trees blocking the sunlight, and the cold mist creeping between the dry branches.
The place seemed eerily abandoned as if life had long since left it behind.
Julian glanced around and said in a low voice:
"This place seems completely deserted… Are there no living creatures here?"
Bain calmly looked at the tangled trees before responding in a quiet voice, yet carrying an implied warning:
"This place has witnessed the appearance of many Abaliths in the past. That's why, due to our covert influence, we managed to convince the kingdom of Ovedil to designate it as a forbidden and dangerous area. But of course, we weren't the only ones who benefited from that… some dangerous groups have made this place their den for their activities."
Julian paused for a moment to process what was said before whispering:
"So that's how it is…"
Adair joined in, keeping a cautious watch on the path ahead:
"We might find some Abaliths here, and this will be a good opportunity for you, Julian, to train your skills on live targets."
Julian focused on Adair, then turned his head toward the darkness lurking between the trees. He did not doubt that tonight would be long… and possibly bloody.
Nightfall came quickly, the fog growing denser as if the forest was beginning to swallow the light. Suddenly, Julian stopped, an uncanny feeling washed over him, as though he were being watched. He looked away and said in a low voice: "There's something there… maybe a small Abalith."
Bain smiled faintly and said:
"Well then, let's take care of it."
But Adair raised his hand to stop him, then looked toward Julian, saying:
"This will be Julian's prey."
The three exchanged glances, and then Adair spoke:
"Julian, expand your range and search for it."
Julian closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, saying:
"Alright."
In the blink of an eye, he shot forward, whispering:
"Expand the range."
Suddenly, it seemed as though he could see faint fluctuations of presence behind one of the large trees. He charged his foot with hidden energy and leaped high, appearing behind the tree, but found nothing.
"Damn…"
Without warning, he felt the danger. He turned at lightning speed, and as he moved, a large chunk of the tree he had been standing near fell, cut in a bloodstained manner!
"Cut!"
As Julian stood up, he saw before him a grotesque creature, unnatural in every way. It had a body resembling a bear, but its face was half-human, and the other half resembled Bahamut.
Its body was entirely black, covered in strange layers, with massive claws the size of knives protruding from its hands, and its red eyes glowed with a thirst for blood.
Julian took a step back, his heart racing. He muttered in shock: "If I had been a second late turning around, my body would have been cut in half."
The creature roared in fury, then charged with unexpected speed, like a living arrow!
"Fast!"
It lunged at Julian with its claws, delivering a powerful strike. Julian didn't have time to dodge it, so he used his arms to block. The force of the blow pushed him nine meters back, nearly causing him to fall, but he regained his balance at the last moment.
There was no time to rest. Julian jumped high, manipulating gravity to regain his balance in the air, then unleashed a wave of intense black and red energy toward the creature.
In an instant, one of its arms was severed, causing a brutal scream that tore through the stillness of the night, nearly bursting Julian's eardrums.
He quickly pulled back, clutching his ear that nearly exploded from the sonic blast. The sound wasn't just noise; it was shockwaves that pierced his body, causing a temporary numbness in his limbs as if his bones were shaking from the inside.
But there was no time to stop. The creature showed no sign of pain; in fact, it seemed to become more ferocious. From the wound, there was no blood, only a thick black substance that twisted like smoke, as if trying to regenerate the severed arm.
"Self-regeneration? Wonderful…" Julian muttered sarcastically, but his eyes remained alert, watching every movement of this beast.
It didn't give him a moment to catch his breath, charging again with unnatural speed. Its foot dug into the muddy ground before it shot forward like an arrow toward Julian. In an instant, Julian gathered his energy, and with control over gravity, he shifted unnaturally in the air, dodging the creature's claws that passed just beneath his feet.
But the creature had anticipated that. It impossibly spun its massive body and then launched its long tail at Julian like a whip.
Julian couldn't avoid the attack entirely. He felt a violent shock hit his left side, sending him straight into the trunk of a giant tree. His body pierced through some dry branches before crashing against the tree with great force, almost knocking the wind out of him, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to rise.
"Damn it… He's not giving me any chance…"
He raised his hand, and dark energy began to form around it, a swirl of black and red lights spiraling around him. His body began to slowly float in the air, and his gaze grew sharper.
"If you have self-regeneration… let's try something more effective."
He extended his hand forward and began releasing his energy intensely, sending waves of invisible pressure surrounding the grotesque creature. An indescribable sensation overwhelmed the area as if the air itself became unbearably heavy, and time seemed to slow down.
In an instant, the creature collapsed to the ground under the immense pressure of gravity. It tried to move, but the pressure was overwhelming, beginning to destroy some of its vital organs.
The creature struggled against the force, but in the next moment, its body began to distort, as though the void itself was wrapping around it. Suddenly, a part of its body was pulled inward, as if space had swallowed it, and its regenerating arm shrank into a small point before exploding in a flash of bloody light.
Another scream escaped the creature, but this time it wasn't just a sound wave; it was something far more dangerous. A black energy wave erupted from its body, breaking branches, shattering small rocks, and forcing Julian to retreat for a moment.
But he wasn't going to stop now.
He moved quickly, but the creature wasn't foolish. It seemed to have started understanding Julian's fighting style. It charged wildly again, but this time, instead of attacking directly, it began to move erratically, changing direction suddenly, as if trying to avoid the cracks scattered around the area.
"It's getting smarter…? This isn't good."
Julian pressed his hand against his wound, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down his side, but he couldn't afford to stop. He then looked at the creature ahead of him and said, "Alright, let's end this before this thing kills me."
He closed his eyes for a split second and raised his hands. The energy of space began to gather more intensely. The air became heavier, and gravity in the entire area began to shift.
The creature felt the danger, but it did not retreat. Instead, it surged forward with all its might, aiming a final strike at Julian.
"But…"
In the moment when the claw was about to reach his chest, Julian vanished from his spot!
He appeared directly behind the beast, his hand ablaze with energy, then shoved it straight into the creature's back!
"This… is your end."
The creature's body began to crack open entirely, the spatial energy tearing it apart from within, before it exploded in a black flash, leaving only remnants of dissipating smoke.
After the creature exploded in the black flash, silence enveloped the area for a moment. The air was heavy, laden with the scent of charcoal and smoke, while the branches of the trees swayed slowly under the effect of the winds generated by the battle.
Julian stood there, his exhausted body trembling from the effects of the fight, his ear still ringing from the violent echo of the explosive energy.
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself. He thought to himself, Damn, that almost killed me, and raised his hand to touch the wound on his side, but the pain was nothing compared to the turmoil he felt inside.
He heard Bain's footsteps approaching him, followed by Adair's calm words:
"You've defied our expectations. We thought you'd lose, but you surprised us." Julian looked at him and pointed to his side. "I didn't succeed without a price."
"By this, you've proven your strength. But don't let your pride outweigh your wisdom. The creature was only the beginning… the powerful Abalyth don't die so easily."
Julian felt the urge to respond, but the silence pressed against his tongue. He knew Adair was right, but what surprised him more was the way his power was growing. He had only used a small part of the Space Sitrai, yet he felt something new within him, something that seemed to be subtly manifesting.
He answered in a low voice, taking a deep breath:
"I wasn't sure I could kill it… but I didn't expect to need this level of power."
Bain added, watching the creature's remains fade away:
"You've done nothing but use a small fraction of your ability. But you've made progress… the battle was a good opportunity for you to learn."
Julian listened to their conversation, but he felt pain in his heart. He knew the battle was a small part of something much bigger. This was just the beginning.
"Are we close to our goal?" he asked, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling in his chest.
Adair nodded and replied:
"Yes, we'll keep moving. But be careful. Every step brings us closer to them, and every place we think is safe could be a trap."