Tearing across the ground, avoiding all the conal potholes, Aiden made haste to the location he’d seen the flare go up. The vestiges of some great battle remained, blood stains anywhere and everywhere he looked.

Their town hadn’t been a big one, so for this much blood to present made Aiden think things weren’t all that bad. But then again, maybe they were. He hadn’t found much evidence of survivors since crossing through the portal from Zion.

As he ran, he observed all the surrounding teams that had spread out from their point of entry back to the world. Many hadn’t liked the idea, but Aiden hadn’t been given a choice by the authority of Midrath.

Something made sure that he could only connect to this place, his old home, and hadn’t let him skirt around its absolute will. He’d wanted to let the others go back to their homes, free them to their lives and families to do as they would, but alas, he’d be their leader a bit longer.

The monsters they fought were far different than anything Aiden had seen on Midrath. It’s like Earth had become the central warzone for countless invasions, and he’d been all of his power that one such invasion force was the reason for the fading trail of smoke in the sky.

Fast as he was, he easily tore across the blurring ground. A wind tunnel formed around him the faster he pushed himself, coalescing and accumulating into a boost of speed that completely reduced all air resistance.

Halfway to the trail, he spotted the massive house-sized portal they’d come out of, a blue thing that swirled without rhyme or reason. To his surprise, the surface that looked like liquid had resisted his touch and felt like concrete he’d had to force his way through. Even had to drag others through who weren’t strong enough to cross the boundaries themselves.

But that was then, and the smoke he ran towards was now, then and there. Any second he slowed because of his distraction was one where someone’s life remained on the line.

While running, he felt an invisible barrier accept his entry, similar to the feeling he’d experienced when he’d gone to conquer enough of Midrath to pass the Destiny Quest. When his feet touched the other side of one of these invisible lines, he experienced something akin to the system asking if he were sure he wanted to continue.

Obviously, yes.

But the farther he ran, the more intense the feeling. Right up until he came to the origin of the flare.

DANGER ZONE AHEAD!

Enter Rank 3 Territory?

Warning: This area is far above your current level of power.

Yes. | No.

He didn’t miss a step as he accepted the warning and blasted through. There was no time to waste with uncertainty. His people were inside, and too much time had already been burnt getting over.

Whatever was threatening his people and world, he steeled himself to face the threat. But passing through, concern turned to unmitigated rage. Whatever was causing a problem left a trail of carnage in his wake.

Clenching his eyes, he demanded the Cascading Steps ability to push faster. He was already too late. Tragedy had occurred, was occuring. It was his duty to put a stop to it.

And so I shall.

Following the carnage, what looked to be about three entire parties and at least another two in reinforcements that had responded to the flare, he knew he started to get close as the sound of battle reached his ears.

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Faster!

Flashes of light radiated another two blocks down, and an entire building shook, one of the largest in the town. Whatever had crashed into it was heavy enough to cause it to teeter to the side and imitated the Tower of Pisa.

The humorous thought lanced shame through his stomach as the remnants of whatever team had fought against this territory’s monsters rounded the corner. Injuries bled, but the unfamiliar fighter didn’t stop doing his damnedest to stay alive.

A flash of hope entered his eyes when he saw Aiden, but then something out of the corner of his eye caused the man’s face to fall. He mouthed one word… sorry.

“NO!” Aiden roared.

A blur split the air and struck the man with enough force to detonate his body like a watermelon being smashed by a baseball bat. Nothing remained. Everything tinged with veins of red as Aiden’s size expanded multiple times over, several layers of crystalline ice encasing his form as he sprinted forward.

The thought of what he might have seen didn’t cross his mind, only destruction did. Something was killing his people, and he needed to take care of it.

Then the monster came into sight, prowling around the corner to eye him. The power of that gaze alone sent chilling shards of damnation into Aiden’s chest, but Apex Predator refused to acknowledge another existence as greater than he.

Aiden lunged forward as a massive blade guillotined downward to cleave the beast in half. But reality was a cruel mistress, and the tank-sized predator snarled in disdain. His attack missed, and the beast blurred through the air with a sweeping claw, raking against his chest and throwing him back to where he’d just come.

Unwilling to ragdoll through the air so pathetically, Aiden claimed the air around him as his and reoriented his body midair, landing. Despite his mind-numbing rage, he had the sensibility to analyze the opponent.

Invasion Raid Boss Identified!

Unknown Serian Prowler - (D)Formation Monster - First Stage

A calamity, by every definition of the word. Abandoning its homeworld, it has laid claim to Earth in hopes of being recognized as a worthy candidate for the position of Monster Emperor.

Current Power Allocation: One Established Formation System

“What do we have here?” the beast asked while staring him down in the position it had sent him flying, licking its bloodied paw.

The only thing Aiden could compare the beast to was one of the Shadowstalkers he’d faced in Arkayan’s Incubation Chamber. But this monster was clearly in a league above and beyond even the Royal Guardians.

Meaning he was incredibly outclassed and in danger.

Clenching his teeth, he looked around and felt his heart break. “Are any of my people alive?”

“You think you’re in a position to ask questions?” It rolled its eyes at him.

“Answer the question,” Aiden growled.

“I thought you’d be more interesting, since you could survive an attack, but it seems like you’re just a fool who doesn’t know the luck he’s experienced.” Previously, the eyes had looked at Aiden as if he were a toy to play with. Now, Aiden felt his entire being freeze. “You, who haven’t even formed your first Core, dare to demand things of me.”

Aiden erected multiple Ice Walls and the strongest, crystalline Ice Shield he could summon and still leapt to the side in order to dodge the flurry of projectiles that appeared out of nowhere, the slashing claws that followed, or the lancing tails akin to a scorpion.

The thing was armored and moved as if it weren’t, yet also contained enough explosive force and speed to defy any rationale.

This… isn’t a fight I can take.

Again, his heart broke as he took a step back away from the prowler.

“At least you have good survival instincts, but you should’ve left after surviving the first attack. You’ve insulted me, so you won’t be leaving.” It looked as if it grinned at him. “Make your peace with this life, Foolish One.”