Kairos and Kaela hurried toward the settlent, the wind rushing past their ears as their feet pounded against the dirt path. Surprisingly, Kaela took the lead, confidently guiding them through the winding terrain. She seed to know the way as if she had walked this route a thousand tis.
Earlier, she had asked what had happened, and Kairos—though still disoriented by the events—decided to tell her most of it. Not everything. Just enough.
This seed to worry Kaela. After all, she was the caring type.
To further the conversation, Kairos decided to ask about Lina.
"Have you seen Lina? Do you know where she might be?" he asked, barely keeping the urgency out of his voice.
Kaela shook her head, her brows furrowed. "No... I haven’t seen her since the attack. I don’t even know if she made it out."
That was the last thing Kairos wanted to hear.
And so the two continued to run, taking care to avoid being seen. If they were being followed, even the smallest mistake could lead to their capture or worse.
Then, without warning, his system gave a familiar ping. Notifications began to pop up sporadically in the corner of his vision.
[You are being monitored, but no Intent is being sensed—only confusion.]
The sa notification appeared again. Then again. And just when he was beginning to panic, it vanished altogether.
Whoever had been watching... had retreated.
That was the first piece of good news Kairos had received since he fled the stadium.
’I still haven’t achieved full integration... and the Shadow Wolf seems drained from that earlier fight,’ Kairos thought, his body aching with each movent. His limbs creaked, and every breath felt like knives stabbing into his chest.
"Kairos, do you sense it?" Kaela’s tone suddenly shifted. She slowed slightly, her eyes scanning the horizon. Her voice had beco serious—urgent.
Kairos frowned. Sensing wasn’t exactly his strong suit.
"What do you sense?" he asked cautiously.
"There’s sothing powerful... really powerful, heading towards the settlent," Kaela said, her eyes narrowing. "Are you sure it’s safe?"
Kairos didn’t have an answer. He was just as lost.
[Ding]
[Quest: Defeat the Raging Legendary Summon]
[Reward: New Skill]
Kairos’ eyes widened. A quest?
That was new.
But more troubling was the wording. Another legendary summon.
’Another? Have I seen one before?’ The thought unsettled him. He racked his brain for any past encounters that might qualify, but ca up empty.
Before he could think further, another ssage flashed.
[Additional Reward: Reach the man who holds all secrets.]
[Reward: The First One]
’The First One?’ Kairos repeated in his mind. What was that even supposed to an?
Confusion piled upon confusion. Questions ca faster than answers.
’I’m receiving too many rewards. Why? What is this system seeing that I can’t?’ His gaze shot toward the settlent in the distance. Sothing was wrong. Deeply wrong. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach.
And with every step he took toward the settlent, his uncertainty grew.
The danger level was rising. The signs were clear.
And amidst all of this chaos, his thoughts spiraled.
’There’s so much I don’t understand. So much happening at once... and I don’t even know if I’m on the right path anymore.’
This attack had torn his resolve to shreds. His purpose, once clear, now felt murky. His goals once felt solid—anchored in stone. But now?
’I can’t even see my reasons clearly anymore...’ Kairos clenched his fists, trying to suppress the storm in his chest. ’What am I even doing anymore?’
---
anwhile—
In a realm shrouded in darkness, a vast world bathed under a purple sky stirred with eerie silence. The sun above, pale and ghostlike, cast an ashen glow across the terrain. It offered light—but no warmth.
The cold here was endless. The wind carried a chill that seed to penetrate through flesh and bone. And those who called this planet ho dressed in complete darkness, their clothing woven from strange, ancient fabrics.
This was not Earth.
This was the world of the Nyxaris.
Their civilization was unlike any other. Their hos were jagged towers, carved from dark materials that pulsed with an unknown energy. The architecture defied human logic—sharp, abstract, and surreal—yet it was organized, clean, and disturbingly beautiful.
The Nyxaris had the physique of humans, but they bore strange traits—glistening diamond-like stones embedded into their foreheads, their bodies lined with faint scales that shimred when touched by the purple light.
This was a Nyxaris planet. But unlike the others plagued by endless war and chaos, this one was... peaceful.
At the pinnacle of the tallest tower sat their leader—an enigma cloaked in shadow. His long, dark hair flowed like a waterfall, reaching all the way to his feet, concealing most of his face. Two majestic wings, as black as the void, arched from his back.
He sat silently on a high-backed chair placed right on the rooftop of his tower, overlooking the city like a guardian spirit. But unlike a guardian angel... this one had a storm brewing inside him.
He appeared calm. Collected. But within, he was anything but.
Suddenly, the silence was broken.
A Nyxaris clad in ornate armor rose from the ground, flying swiftly to the top of the tower. The knight bowed low before speaking, awaiting permission.
The Lord gave a small nod.
And in their native tongue, the knight began to speak in a voice low and composed.
"Gureuc kosh Hoi koshi ioshi..."
The words continued, the cadence of his speech rising and falling like a lody of grim revelation.
He reported everything. The attack. The humans. The unfolding chaos on Titanfang.
The Lord’s calm expression shifted. He hadn’t ordered this attack. In fact, he had no idea it had even taken place.
His heart tensed.
When the report ended, the knight bowed once more and departed.
The Lord remained still.
’An attack on the humans... Without my consent? Then it must be the other Lords... acting on their own.’
He grit his teeth, his mind consud by old mories.
The blood. The screams. The endless years of violence.
Many Nyxaris glorified war. They thirsted for destruction, for dominance. So even found joy in slaying their own kind. But he was different.
He had chosen another path—one of peace. He built this city as a sanctuary, a vision of what the Nyxaris could beco if they rejected bloodlust.
But now... now it seed the others were dragging them all back into the fire.
’A war is coming,’ he thought grimly.
And he knew what that ant.
Just like before, the humans would not tolerate provocation. There would be no treaty. No parley.
This ti, they would fight until one race ceased to exist.
And if that happened... all he had built would fall.
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