Advent of Chronos Chapters 1 - 5

Chapter 1 ""Twenty years. Was this war necessary-?"" The words hung in the air, and the smell of death filled the once crowded city. Sorrow filled his face, seemingly etched into his bones. ""My Prince - of course it was. The more death and suffering there is, the stronger your father becomes,"" A woman smiled brightly, cheerfully, as she overlooked the once prosperous city. The prince stood motionless, looking at the dark clouds that lingered overhead. Small drops of rain began to fall. His thoughts were filled with regret. ""If only - If only I were stronger. These people wouldn’t have been massacred! I am so sorry, people of Earth,"" He thought to himself, sighing softly. The Prince was a dignified man who cared greatly for others. Although, in his current position, he was more akin to a soulless grim-reaper. His six-foot frame adorned the royal armor of house Midnight. Years of intense training and constant battle left his body chiseled to near perfection. His ocean blue eyes seemingly glowed as his white and silver hair blew gently in the breeze. The prince's thoughts were interrupted by screams in the distance! Without looking at his companion, he swiftly moved towards the noise and within moments the source of the screams came into view. It was a group of people, Earthlings, a total of ten of them; two dead, another missing his legs. Under his father's orders, the soldiers were allowed to do anything they saw fit to the Earthlings.

The strong make the rules, after all. The city, no, the world was already mostly conquered. He'd managed to save some Earthlings in the last 20 years. However, he also killed many more. Could he save these? Sadly, he could not, no matter how badly he desired to. He looked back at his companion who had caught up - not with her here. Demon Goddess Xia, ranked as the tenth strongest in all the lower realms, and fifth within the Empire of Midnight, his home. The prince could only watch as the Earthlings were slaughtered. He should have been used to this scene. He’d seen it since the war started. Death was better than what some received after all. He hated this damn war! The prince took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Now is not the time to be ruled by emotions. His next major objective would be appearing soon - Hells Dungeon!  Meanwhile, in the realm of Lu-Kar, Capital City: Aurora, a class was being conducted, ""Since the fall of Earth, humanity escaped through a rift in space, created by Earth's strongest, Avalon Silver. Over the span of the war, billions of lives were lost. However, thanks to Silver, billions were also saved and moved into the ever expanding city of Aurora.

Though this new world offered far more safety than Earth, it still had its dangers - spacial arrays, mass electrical anomalies and one of the planet's original inhabitants, the Nijia - monkey in appearance, vicious and bloodthirsty. Once caught, be it human or other, the Nijia will suck blood and bone from flesh within seconds. A truly terrifying creature. Though, not everything is dangerous. Earth found friends and allies in the Builder Fiends. Small, skinny, and wrapped in a mysterious, abnormal cloth. Though small, the Builder Fiends were powerful; lifting several tons by themselves and are, without a doubt, master architects. The two civilizations merged over time and thus, the birth of the Aurorian Republic came to be. This new world also brought great opportunity for the people of Earth. The realm of Lu-Kar promoted an awakening in the human body and some began to obtain immense powers that defied known knowledge. Silver was able to help guide the awakened and founded The Aurorian Sect. It serves two purposes; to train new awakens, and to defend Aurora. Within the earliest years of the sect, four branches appeared; Mages, Martial Cultivators, Summoners, and Diviners. Mages controlled elemental forces; fire, wind, water and earth. Summoners initiate spirit bonds with beings from other realms. Martial Cultivators are capable of ascending internal 'realms'. Which allows them to obtain an in-depth understanding of themselves and the surrounding universe. Diviners could use the forces of light, dark, healing, and other god-like abilities.

The four branches have access to world force, which assists in growth and understanding."" Pyro Master Lahr stopped speaking as a new awakened entered the room, very, very late - Frustration flashing across her face, ""I - I am so sorry!"" The girl exclaimed. Master Lahr raised her eyebrows and looked at the girl, ""Name?"" The girl's voice rang out in a nervous response, ""Rain VanCollins!"" Rain was a beautiful woman of average height. Waist-length red hair swept down her back, alluring, emerald eyes shimmered in the light of the room. Master Lahr opened a large book and located Rain's information, ""So - your core awakened. However, you’ve failed to enter any of the four branches? Not to mention your world force signature is well below average! Absolute Trash!"" She snorted, disgusted by the information. Many of the other newly awakened began laughing. This wasn’t the first time she’d been called trash. It was her life’s story, her legacy to date. Rain stood there, embarrassed, anxious and upset, yet still resolute in her stance to join the Sect that stands between the armies of Midnight and the Aurorians. Rain, shaking slightly, looked directly in Master Lahr's eyes, ""Are you going to keep larking me out, or may I take my seat?"" Larking, an offensive term the Builder Fiends created for not just the English language but all languages and loved to use to offend those they didn't like. The room grew silent. Master Lahr was taken aback by the comment.

Absolutely stunned! ""How dare trash speak to me like that!"" In a moment of blood-boiling rage, Master Lahr raised her arms - blazing red flames appeared, vastly raising the temperature of the room. ""Trash should be removed! Permanently!"" Before Rain could react, flames engulfed her! To her surprise, she felt no pain. ""Lahr! To think you’d try killing a newly awakened! No matter your views or prejudices, this can’t be tolerated!"" Thundered a voice. Rain recognized the voice clearly. She turned and confirmed her thoughts. Before her stood the leader of Aurora, the man who slaughtered the corrupt world counsel, and the only mage capable of standing toe to toe with Avalon Silver, Isaac Lancaster. He was only 10 years older than her, yet, he’d already achieved so much. Rain snapped out of her daze as she heard Master Lahr screaming in pain?! It was then reality sunk in. The flames that engulfed her were frozen, suspended in place. This was Isaac's legendary Frozen Space. A mysterious force that combines water magic and his space divine ability. The powerful frost also consumed the arms of master Lahr, threatening to steal them from her. Rain watched as Isaac walked down the stairs, his eyes void of all emotion. ""Though a master of your power, you have failed to master yourself. I am so very disappointed, Lahr."" He stopped speaking, and for a moment, a sense of sorrow dripped from his body.

""In light of your father's recent crimes against the non-awakened, and because his teachings and prejudices still reside in you, I’ll pass a light sentence. You will serve twelve years in the prison mines of ExoCron - mining the minerals non-awakens use for everyday life!"" Master Lahrs eyes blazed with anger and defiance. ""How could I, a superior-!"" Before she could finish, the same frost that consumed her arms, had frozen her mouth as well. ""Lahr, there’s no room for your backward thinking! In addition to ExoCron, I’ll also be taking your core!"" The words seemingly echoed in the room and Lahrs eyes widened in absolute terror as Isaac's frost entered her body, striking her magic core with pinpoint accuracy, shattering it. ""I will always give chances before passing judgment! Let me be perfectly clear, newly awakened-."" his gaze flashed across the room and every person there felt a deep, soul-tearing fear. ""Corruption will not be tolerated and, if need be, eradicated-!""

Chapter 2 Prince Cypher stood atop the White House. His companion, Demon Goddess Xia, by his side. He surveyed the area, and his army, which was prepared for the appearance of one of Earth's Dungeons. In a matter of hours, it was calculated that seven massive other worldly structures would appear, one for each land mass. Each holding power beyond one's wildest imagination. To conquer the dungeons, his father sent his four siblings, two Arch Shadows, and himself to claim these powers for the Realm of Midnight. Prince Cypher rubbed his eyes, wondering how his father predicted this? Predicted the appearance of these dungeons. Along with that, the war with the Earthlings, who had no chance of victory. His father's calculations always pinpointed where and what would happen, with terrifying accuracy. Before he could think further, his thoughts were interrupted by Xia, ""My Prince, all preparations are complete. Once Hell's Dungeon appears, we can move in accordance to the emperor's plan."" She flashed him a beautiful but wicked smile. Demon Goddess Xia was a gorgeous woman of the dreaded demon fox race. With a slim yet powerful body, her allure was undeniable. She looked mostly human except for two features - her fluffy, long, snow-white tail and her snow-white fox ears atop her head. Prince Cypher nodded and looked at the sky. He was concerned about the dungeon they would be facing. He and his army would be conquering a new dungeon type, one indigenous to Earth.

One, that came with a rare warning from his father, ""Beware the cage on the bottom floor. Do not approach it, do not open it, do not seek the surrounding treasure. Invade ONLY towards the top from the entrance!"" His father's warning bothered him. More so, the warning made his father seem - afraid? He shook the thoughts from his head. Now was not the time for these thoughts. Using a movement technique, Prince Cypher moved to the helm of his army. He could feel it. Hell's Dungeon was about to appear-. Suddenly, an immense thunderclap rocked the planet! Lightning sprang forth, seemingly everywhere! The prince had seen plenty of lightning, but this eclipsed it all. The smell of fried flesh filled his nose and he turned to witness his army being bombarded by a torrent of extreme electric force. The ground began to tremble and quake, which brought his gaze forward once more. Before him stood a massive structure that reached beyond the clouds above. Seemingly touching the heavens. He turned back towards his army, the lightning changing to a red tint; increasing its range and ferocity. Without another thought, he issued the charge order and moved his forces inside the now opening doors of Hell's Dungeon. Upon entering, things quickly calmed, and a camp was established. Xia ordered the commanders of each brigade to check their losses. The results surprised all of command, especially the Prince. Over half his army died outside the dungeon doors.

""Already so many losses."" He thought. Externally, his facial expressions remained neutral. However, his heart was shaken at the sheer loss of life. Taking a breath, the prince surveyed his surroundings. The inside didn’t appear as expected. It was massive, yet, void of any life. The army camp was stationed on an enormous, round platform connected to stairs that ascended and descended. Below appeared like a dark, endless abyss. A single misstep would see one to their death. He looked up, and as if able to peer through the darkness of the future, vowed, once more, to obtain the power needed to end his father's reign. A day later, and after much discussion, Prince Cypher decided to lead an advanced scouting party ahead of the main force, which consisted of his elite guard, led by his life-long friend, Aletier. They were his most loyal, not to his father or the empire, but to him alone. Xia would be left to lead the main force. With luck, they could find the treasures and artifacts before Xia arrived-. The scouting party moved up quickly. An hour later, Aletier noted how unexpectedly easy the journey had been. Cypher thought the same. Suddenly, though, his instincts began to scream, as if his thoughts had set something sinister in motion! The Prince signaled his party to stop. Things were silent-. No! The sounds of screaming, of terror suddenly filled their ears. It was coming from below. It was loud, very loud!

Echoing off the massive walls of the barren dungeons' interior. Seconds later, silence reclaimed the air. After a long moment, one of the scout party asked, ""was that-?"" Her voice trembled slightly as it trailed off. ""It must be a trick of the dungeon, right?"" Another member of the unit suggested. Prince Cypher spoke next, ""No - Something attacked the main army, and if I had to guess, they are all dead."" His words hung in the air as he held up the proof. It was an essence book. The book recorded the names of everyone under his command. As long as they are alive, their names will be in the book. However, upon death, their names would vanish. The Prince further noted, ""even Xia's name has vanished. We are all that’s left-.""  Meanwhile, Rain awoke - dazed from a dream. She recalled drowning, and one word; no, a name. ""Krudaya,"" she said softly to herself. ""What a weird ass dream."" She shook her head and drank a cup of water, ""Huh, didn’t I drink that last night? Did I dream that too?"" She put the cup down and decided to take a shower before heading to the manual pavilion to check if there was a way to stabilize her core and increase her world force signature. As she washed her body and thought of her future, Isaac suddenly appeared in her thoughts! He saved her, like a hero out of a story.

It left a deep impression on her, as if her heart was stolen by his noble actions. Her body began feeling hot and a great deal of focus was needed to get her thoughts under control. Sighing hard, she finished her shower, dried off and dressed in the clothing provided by the sect. After one final check in the mirror, out the door she went. What Rain didn’t notice, was the cup she drank from was, once again, full of water. The manual pavilion was located in the center building of the sect. Which was a hard contrast to her housing at the edge of it. Her lack of ability to enter one of the four branches, coupled with a low world force signature put her on the low end of awarded privileges. She didn’t mind this, though. Growing up in the slums of Aurora forced her to fight for what she wanted. With no parents or family, Rain only had herself to rely on. Most of Rain's walk was quiet and uneventful. Well, until she was approached by a group consisting of five people. Its leader, a tall man with broad shoulders, short light brown hair, and long sideburns, introduced himself, ""Hello there pretty thing. I’m Will Snallek. I remember you from Master Lahr's introduction class. You’re branchless, have a low world force signature and no backing. As a B class disciple myself, I can keep you safe and help you grow.

You simply need to join my group and be mine too."" He said, gesturing to the four beautiful women with him, while looking Rain up and down, lust and desire in his eyes. In terms of strength, the sect separated its members by a 'letter' scale based on a few factors; world force signature, branch progress, and techniques learned. Basically, the higher the letter, the stronger the individual was. A 'B' class disciple was considered to be decently strong. Rain stared at Will, absolutely disgusted. She suppressed the desire to vomit and smiled, ""No, thank you though. I’ve always survived on my own. I’ll build myself up."" After politely declining, she continued on her way. Will watched her go, while silently promising to make her his, be it her choice or not-.

Chapter 3 ""My Prince, it’s hard to tell just how long we’ve been walking. My sense of time says a couple of hours. Yet, the device your father sent shows another day has past,"" Aletier noted while poking a time device. Cypher sighed, ""my father warned me that time would pass much differently in the dungeon space. We need to reach the top as quickly as possible!"" He said, taking the time device from Aletier. Aletier placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and flashed a comforting smile, ""Do not worry my Prince. With us here, nothing can stop you!"" He said cheerfully. Cypher exhaled slowly, “you’re right, as always-."" As the unit continued climbing the dungeon stairs, they passed through a barrier. Ripples appeared in the air, similar to the surface of water when disturbed. Cypher quickly motioned for his team to stop. An enormous door materialized, seemingly out of thin air. Made of an unknown black and gold material, dawning hieroglyphs on its surface. Within the center of the massive door stood a tree, its branches void of life. Except for one branch, which held one apple-. A member of Cyphers unit, Clair, specialized in deciphering lost languages. After studying the entirety of the door for some time, she spoke, ""There was a war over this tree-. Well, to be precise, over this fruit. On one side, were the worshipers of the tree. Its name was 'Sin' and the fruit was, according to this, able to grant immortality.""

Cypher narrowed his eyes as a smile crossed his lips. Clair continued, ""The opposition wished to destroy it-. Apparently, the tree was sapping the world’s life force to live and grow its fruits. In the end, Sin's defenders were victorious. After the long, bloody war, the world died, and the tree vanished with its worshipers-."" As she finished speaking, another voice sounded. It was a wicked, venomous voice, that dripped with malicious intent. ""Are you a worshiper, or perhaps, food-?"" The apple on the door opened a set of blood-red eyes, a horrific smile appeared on its surface. A tremendous blast of killing intent was released from its sinister core. Even though the unit was strong and vastly experienced, they all took a step back, their stomachs turned and vomit nearly made its way out of their throats. Cypher, however, withstood the mass of killing intent and stepped forward. He respectfully bowed and responded to the question, ""we are neither your defenders nor your food. We seek power - I seek power!"" A wave of cosmic energy was released from his body, protecting his unit from the Apples' killing intent. A blood-curdling laugh erupted from the Apple. ""Bold! I do like bold! Fine! I will allow you to take my test. If you pass, you may proceed. If not, well, you will be food-."" It laughed again as a trail of blood slipped down its grotesque mouth.

The massive door rumbled as it creaked slowly open, a gust of air spewed forth and the smell of blood could be detected within. Aletier stepped next to Cypher, ""Please tell me you don’t plan on going alone?"" He asked, a deep look of concern etched on his face. Cypher, not hesitating, began to walk towards the open door, ""Aletier, this is the way forward. Wait for me here,"" He commanded. Aletier clenched his fists and bowed, ""yes, my prince."" Cypher entered, and the door creaked slowly closed behind him-.  Meanwhile, Rain lay face down on the pavilion floor, absolutely and utterly exhausted. Mountains of books surrounding her, ""There's lots of material to be read but nothing points me in a good direction to go in. I can’t even afford the basic growth manuals. These free ones suck! I can't even stabilize myself-!"" She huffed in frustration. There was an inherent difference between books and manuals within the sect. As expected, books contain stories and information. Manuals, however, contain specific directions and guide one in their growth. Each of the four paths has its own manuals. The most basic manuals were highly expensive and could be paid for in spirit crystals, which contain world force, or with sect points. Unfortunately, Rain had neither-. She kicked her feet out in frustration and, by accident, bumped the bottom of one of the mountains of books, causing them to tumble down over her.

After a long moment, she burst out, her long red hair a complete disaster-. A moment later, Rain heard a small chuckle and she jumped slightly. A woman stepped forward from behind a shelf of books, ""I apologize for laughing and scaring you. My name is Elena Dashton. I overheard you. Would you like to join my group on a mission tomorrow? It pays very well in both sect points and spirit crystals."" She said, pausing. After a moment she continued, ""It was given to me by an elder of the sect. We will be mapping some old ruins outside the city. If we find anything, we can keep it. The elder's a collector of rare items, and will pay extra if we find any we wish to part with. Our group requires another member. So, what are your thoughts?"" Elena smiled warmly and helped Rain to her feet-. Rain took a moment to absorb the offer. Although, truth be told, she didn't require much convincing. She needed money, so how could she possibly say no? ""Thank you for the offer. I would absolutely love the opportunity!"" She said, smiling widely. She blushed slightly after remembering she hadn’t introduced herself yet. ""Elena, it is wonderful to meet you, I’m Rain VanCollins, I’ll be in your care-!"" The two shook hands gleefully. ""Perfect, it's wonderful to meet you as well!"" Exclaimed Elena. She continued, ""our meeting point will be the sect teleportation room, which is in the core building.

Same area as the registration building. We have a portal reserved. Be there around six in the morning. We already have all the needed gear-."" Rain's heart swelled with excitement, ""I’ll be there on time, again, thank you so much for this opportunity!"" She said, happily. Elena smiled, ""Honestly, I’m the one who should be thanking you for joining. The sect rules require a six-person team. We only had five. For safety reasons, another was required to join us-."" The two continued speaking for a while and were quickly becoming fast friends. Later, as the pavilion prepared to close, with a snap of her fingers, Elena activated the pavilion's book array. The mountains of books flew back into their original places on the shelves. Rain marveled at the array's efficiency. ""I do believe I should learn arrays!"" She noted to herself excitedly. Parting at the door, the two said goodnight. Not far away, however, hidden in the shadows of the manual pavilion, a man watched Rain walking away. ""Soon, you will be mine."" A sinister grin could be seen-.

Chapter 4  After the doors of the trial closed, Cypher was left all alone in total darkness. Except for the apparent sea of blood, he found himself floating in. The smell of death and iron poured into his nose. Unable to move. He attempted to shout. No sound was produced. Time seemed to freeze, yet, he still felt its passage. What felt like years, all alone, he was forced to recall his life. From birth, he was stripped from his mother’s arms and isolated from the world. No love. No comfort. Just cold, unrelenting, isolation. Only receiving the bare minimum for survival-. As the years passed, he was trained in combat, forced to kill at a very young age. He took so many lives. All in the name of his father, the emperor of Midnight. After his training was complete, Cypher was introduced to Xia and the other commanders of his soon-to-be army. Of their goals and expectations. With cold, hollow eyes, he could only agree. However, before the invasion started, he met a young shadow guard, soon to be under his command, Aletier. Aletier treated him differently. Kindly. They became close friends and Aletier pledged himself to Cypher. Their friendship became a source of light for the broken child. Even after the start of the invasion, Cypher found himself with more companions dedicated to him. The hole in his heart slowly starting to heal. The strings his father placed on him, unraveling.

Suddenly a loud, malicious, sickening laugh rang out in the infinite darkness. It caused Cypher's body to tense, sweat formed, and his heart pounded rapidly. A tremendous, murderous intent fell upon his soul. It was far greater than anything he’d ever encountered. He couldn’t breathe, think or react. Completely consumed by terror-. The voice of the apple appeared, dripping with hatred, ""you poor soul. So sad. So broken. Even your fate is broken. Destined for pain. Fated for hate. Used without knowing."" A bloody smile appeared in the darkness, hovering by his ear. Whispering softly - slowly - the voice hissed, ""only a puppet can pass my test. You pass, puppet! Put on a bloody good show!"" Blood spat from the blood-stained mouth, ""Now - return - puppet on strings."" Laughing, the mouth grew to an enormous size, and descended upon the frozen, confused, terror-filled Cypher, swallowing him whole-.  Meanwhile, back in High City Aurora. Rain awoke in a cold sweat. Her heart racing, extreme panic overwhelming her. ""What the hell was that? Why are my dreams so freaking weird!"" She thought. She screamed into her pillow. ""Last night I drowned. This time it’s a blood sea. At least I didn’t drown - in - the blood sea!"" She sighed dramatically. ""Well, it’s not real, so, it’s whatever."" She stated, attempting to comfort herself. After a moment's pause, Rain willed herself up, and prepared to leave. Arriving to the teleportation room early, the smell of food filled the air.

Putting her hand on her chin, she contemplated, ""breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so."" her voice trailed off as her stomach growled loudly. Grateful nobody was around to witness that absolutely embarrassing moment, she made her way to the sect's meal hall. Upon arriving, she noticed Elena and four others sitting at a table eating and chatting. Elena quickly noticed Rain and waved her over. Rain happily approached with a radiant, cheesy smile. ""Be cool - Be cool-."" She thought to herself nervously. Elena stood and greeted her. The other four, consisting of two males and two females, said their greetings as well. Following up, Elena introduced the others. ""Starting with the man to my left. This is Albert Austin. A B-class summoner who has partnered with two frozen bearded wolves."" She paused as Albert blushed and scratched his short, orange hair. He shook Rain's hand. After a small, light-hearted chuckle from Elena, she introduced the others. ""And this is Fred Coolly, an overly confident B-class fire mage who's the team's firepower. Hopefully, we don't need him."" She said, smiling at Fred. ""Then we have Shaina Orderly, a C-class support diviner who specializes in ability buffs, enemy debuffs and is proficient at detecting potential enemies, which places her as our scout. Lastly, Serine Croft, a genius B-class diviner who is unmatched at healing within her class."" She said, looking at Rain. Rain did her absolute best to hide her shock and embarrassment.

They all had their branch occupation. Whereas she. Well-. After the introductions ended, Rain ordered her food and sat at the table with the others. They talked, laughed and seemed to get along incredibly well. Rain was all smiles. Joy filled her heart-. As time slipped by, the group moved to the teleportation room. As the leader, Elena stepped up to deliver some important reminders, ""Today’s goal is simple. To map some unexplored ruins. History shows this isn’t a dangerous job type, with very few accidents happening. However, I like to play things safely. We move together - as a team. Do not go off alone. If any treasure is found, the finder is the one to keep it and decide its future. Now, we will be outside the capital walls and away from the defense arrays. We will return using a return stone. So again, keep your guard up."" She looked at Rain and continued, ""Rain, this will be a very good experience for you. Once we return, you’ll have some resources to use to grow some. I look forward to your future-."" Rain, feeling embarrassed, nodded, resolve and anticipation burning in her eyes. Using an activation token, Elena brought the teleportation array to life. The portal shimmered and glowed a beautiful, transparent green. It hummed gently. The group, led by Elena, entered and, within an instant, appeared in the ruins.

Upon arrival, Rain noted the group quickly secured the area, and began setting up small scale defense arrays, ensuring everyone's safety. Next, Elena ordered the camp to be built on higher ground, to have a more defensive position. The camp consisted of six tents, each containing its own fully furnished room inside. Rain was astonished and wondered what kind of background Elena had to afford, not just one, but six of these. There was so much to learn! Rain, not being one to shy away from a challenge, observed at first, then, after some time, was able to pitch in and contribute to the group. By midday, everything was set and prepared for the first day of mapping. As the team moved away from camp, twenty hooded men, wearing devil masks, observed from a safe distance, ""I will soon taste you-."” A sinister grin could be seen.

Chapter 5 Within the infinite void of his mind, Cypher could hear the faint screams of his unit. His consciousness began returning to him. The smell of iron and sulfur filled his nose. As his eyes slowly opened, he discovered himself on Aletier's back, being carried as his friend barked commands. Still weak and very groggy, Cypher scanned his surroundings. His expression darkened as he took in the scene. The vast, expansive dungeon had drastically changed. The barren walls now oozed with boiling blood, chunks of flesh hanging and rotting about. The temperature of the once cool dungeon changed dramatically. His skin, as tough as it was, felt as if it would catch fire at any moment. The intense heat caused small and large, red blisters to appear. Regaining more of his senses, Cypher took in the full-scale hell around him. The unit was under attack by humanoid-like creatures. Melted skin, hairless, with fiery slits where the eyes belonged. The creatures wailed in agony, as they poured onto the group. Their numbers seem endless. Multiple members had already perished under the weight of the assault. Those that remained wielded various enchanted weapons and gear. Defense arrays were spread across the ground in an attempt to protect themselves. However, the creature’s bypassed all attempts to slow or stop them-. Yet another member of the unit was slaughtered. Guts, organs and body parts thrown about-. ""Aletier, let me down-. I’ll handle the rest-."" Cypher commanded as he moved to his feet.

Though his balance was still slightly off, he managed to stay upright. ""My prince! I thought we might lose you. I-."" before Aletier could continue, Cypher stopped him, and with a gentle smile said, ""I’m fine, no need to worry any longer-."" Calling upon an enormous amount of cosmic energy within himself, Cypher activated his greatest, most powerful, secret, 'Return to Void.' An attack capable of destroying the very essence of a target. Developed and mastered in secret, it was meant to be used against his father. However, given the circumstances, it was now their only hope for survival-. The unleashing of the technique caused the air to tremble, pop and crack. The space around each creature collapsing onto itself. Within moments, every single creature vanished into the void. Never to exist again-. Cypher fell to one knee, panting heavily. Sweat dripped from his head and body. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically-. Aletier approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. ""I’d say that was fantastic timing, my Prince. But, um, what was that move-?"" He asked, a curious expression on his face. Regulating his breathing, Cypher avoided the question and asked how this situation came about. He gestured at their surroundings-. Aletier knelt next to Cypher, ""it started after you returned from the door. You weren’t gone long either. Maybe a few minutes at most. Once we saw the door open, though, we expected you to walk out. However, you were flung towards us.

You were unconscious, and before we could attempt to wake you, the door crumbled and everything mutated into what it is now. Not long after, those creatures began coming up from the lower levels. We retreated, but they quickly caught up. If you hadn’t woken up then I’m afraid it would've been a matter of time-."" His words trailed off. ""You did well - all of you,"" Cypher stated, regaining his breath. ""Let’s take some time to regroup and rest. Then we will-,"" Before he could finish speaking, an enormous gateway shimmered to life, not far away from the unit. It glimmered red and pulsed golden energy in all directions. Through the translucent portal, treasure, artifacts, herbs and other rare items could be viewed. In the center of the vast collection of items was an apple, seated upon a beautiful red stone-. ""At last-!"" Exclaimed Cypher, ""We did it, Aletier!"" He said, smiling. Moving towards the portal, Cypher suddenly felt a sharp pain enter his back-. He looked down, finding a blade protruding from his chest. His spinal cord, severed-. Dropping to his knees, he couldn’t even turn-. Aletier's blade, enchanted with dragon's blood, was capable of destroying a person's cultivation base, ripping their power from their hands. Aletier walked in front of him. Tears were streaming down his face. Cyphers' blood staining his armor and hands. ""My Prince - I - I don’t - understand,"" He said, trembling. A sadistic laugh began to ring out-.

Clair stepped forward, ""Did you like my play? It was good - right?"" She asked as yet another laugh rang out as she began ripping the skin from her face. Cypher and Aletier watched in silent horror. An ominous feeling washed over Cypher as the last bit of skin hit the ground, revealing Demon Goddess Xia-. She spoke, ""do you have any idea how long this play was planned for?"" Snickering she exclaimed, ""since before your birth, by your own father. That was the entire reason he was with your weak - pathetic - disgusting mother. He needed you. You were his key to immortality! His pawn. His sacrifice. That is his, not yours,"" She laughed as she pointed towards the apple within the shimmering portal. Continuing, ""alas - I admit - you surprised me with that last move of yours. That could have been troublesome. However, everything worked out perfectly!"" She said cheerfully. Cypher sat motionless. His mind frantically searching for a way to somehow flip the situation. Looking up at Aletier. He asked softly, ""why did you betray me? You were - my friend - right?"" His strong demeanor crumbled, sorrow and confusion on his face. Xia interjected, ""oh - that’s right. I forgot to mention that I made everyone into my soul puppets. I couldn’t have anyone ruining the plan after all,"" She stated as she curled her arms around Aletier's shoulders, kissing his cheek. ""He’s been mine. Well - they’ve all been mine for many years.

So - In a way - I’ve been your best friend all this time!"" She chuckled happily. In a deep state of shock, Cypher couldn’t even speak. All the moments they shared. Their friendships-. The words of the apple rung in his mind, ""Destined for pain, fated for hate. Only a puppet can pass my test.""  He lowered his head, utterly defeated-. Smiling wide, Xia moved next to him and whispered in his ear, ""I’ll take good care of Aletier."" She stood and swiftly kicked the side of his head, causing him to slide to the edge of the platform. On the edge, looking down, Cypher could see his fate, death-!"" Aletier approached and plucked his sword from Cypher's back. Like a damn releasing water, blood poured from the wound. The last thing Cypher heard was Aletier’s cries, apologizing for not being able to stop. For not being able to resist. Then, a swift and powerful kick was delivered, sending him off the edge of the platform, into the pit below. Meanwhile, Rain stood attentively, looking out over the ruins while she sipped her morning tea. The first day of mapping was an absolute success! Under Elena’s leadership, things progressed incredibly smoothly. She was overjoyed to be part of such a reliable group. As the morning passed, the team began another day of mapping. As they walked, they spoke of their dreams. They laughed, teased each other and enjoyed the adventure. That night, they sat around an old-fashioned campfire.

Not one made of flame crystals. Everything was perfect. Until. The defense arrays suddenly - without any warning, deactivated. It startled the group. Elena was especially startled. As an array expert, she oversaw the array's setup. She sprung into action, ""Arrays don’t just go down. Be on guard! Shaina, scan the area. Fred, we need more light!"" She quickly ordered. Fred acted first, activating his fire magic to produce two glowing spheres of warm light, which lit up a considerable distance around them-. Shaina followed suit, activating her divine ability to scan the area. ""Oh shit! There's-.""Before she could finish, a lightning-infused arrow pierced her skull, killing her instantly. Before anyone could react, another lightning infused arrow struck both Albert and Fred. Albert, thanks to his command over summons, wielded a type of sixth sense. He avoided a lethal blow, but was badly wounded. Fred, however, was not so lucky. He took an arrow straight through the heart, with no time to even scream. With his death, the balls of light vanished as well. ""Damn it, what the hell’s happening!?"" Elena cursed loudly. Serine, as the group's healer, moved to Albert’s side, attempting to stabilize him as quickly as possible. He was bleeding badly from his neck and shoulder. Rain, with no ability of her own, could only hide and watch as her friends fought. Battling for all their lives against an unknown enemy-. Seconds later, a small, round device landed in the center of camp.

A clicking noise could be heard and a blast of light and sound poured forth. Blackness followed, as Rain lost consciousness-.