Ren crouched low behind the ridge, the jagged stones biting into his palms. Below, the Kaijura prowled through the valley, its massive frame rippling with unnatural strength. Corrupted scales glinted like oil on water, shifting in hues that churned the stomach. Each step crushed the brittle earth, leaving jagged craters that steamed faintly, as if the ground itself recoiled from its presence.
He tightened his grip on his blade, its worn hilt grounding him as his Cypher vision activated. Faint lines of shifting data overlaid his sight, tracing the Kaijura’s movements in erratic patterns. The creature’s aura burned in his vision—a grotesque swirl of red and black, like a wound that refused to heal. Ren focused, diving deeper into the roiling patterns, searching for cracks in the monster’s defenses.
A jolt shot up his spine—a warning. The Kaijura’s head snapped toward him, black eyes locking onto his hiding spot. Its growl rumbled across the valley, low and primal, the sound of something ancient and irreparably wrong. The corrupted essence around it churned violently, as though reacting to its rage.
It sees me.
Ren launched himself down the ridge, rocks skittering beneath his boots. A massive claw tore through the space he’d occupied a heartbeat before, the force of its swipe splitting the air with a shriek. The Kaijura’s roar followed, shaking the valley and hammering through his chest. He sprinted harder, breath burning, each step an effort to stay ahead of the beast that loomed behind him.
“Focus,” he muttered, pushing Cypher vision to stabilize. Data flickered erratically, the Kaijura’s aura distorting the patterns into meaningless fragments. The creature’s movements jittered like a broken image, snapping unpredictably between moments, making its next attack impossible to track.
He veered right, vaulting over jagged stones. The ground shattered beneath him as the Kaijura’s foot slammed down, spewing debris in every direction. Dust clogged his lungs, but he kept moving, even as his legs screamed in protest. The beast roared again, the sound thick with malice, rattling through his bones.
The fractured data swirled like static around him, breaking the Kaijura into jagged, flickering shapes. The harder he focused, the worse the interference grew, as though the corruption itself sought to blind him.
“Why can’t I see it clearly?” he hissed through gritted teeth. Panic gnawed at the edges of his mind, but he shoved it down. His Cypher powers were his edge, his lifeline—and now they faltered against the Kaijura’s festering aura.
Memories clawed their way forward—his homeworld in ruins, towers crumbling beneath a blackened sky. His best friend’s scream cut short as darkness consumed him. The failure, the guilt—it was all back, pressing down like a stone. Am I going to fail here too?
The Kaijura lunged. He twisted, the air splitting as its jaws snapped inches from his shoulder. The stench of its breath—rot and ash—coated his senses, thick and suffocating. Ren pushed harder, legs burning as he scanned for any way out.
Then he saw it: a narrow crevice in the rock face, barely wide enough to fit.
He bolted, the Kaijura’s claws tearing into the ground behind him, spraying shards of rock against his back. The crevice loomed closer. He dove, twisting sideways to wedge himself inside as the beast’s claws scraped the stone inches from his legs.
Ren pressed himself into the cool rock, chest heaving. The Kaijura roared outside, its claws raking against the stone in frustration, sending cracks splintering outward. Dust trickled down, but the creature couldn’t reach him.
For a moment, he stayed still, the cold grounding him as his heart slammed against his ribs. Slowly, his Cypher vision steadied, the fractured data settling into faint, coherent patterns again.
He exhaled, but the tremor in his breath lingered. If this was the kind of monstrosity Godwana held, he wasn’t sure his blade—or his Cypher powers—would be enough.
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Ren stepped out of the crevice, squinting against the sudden brightness. Warm air rolled over him, carrying the mingled scents of damp earth and bamboo, layered with the sharp edge of mountain wind. He stopped at the edge of the cliff, and the Valley of the Red Star spread out before him—a world untamed, brimming with life.
Dark-blue ruins jutted through the endless green below, moss-covered towers and broken spires lost to time, their jagged forms defiant against the forest’s relentless grip. Beyond them, a shimmering lake caught the sunlight, rippling like molten silver. Farther still, grassy plains stretched toward another mountain range etched faintly against the horizon.
Ren’s gaze lifted to the skies, where shadows glided between clouds. Birds darted in flocks, weaving through the larger shapes of winged Kaijura. Their distant cries echoed faintly, a symphony of beasts and sky.
He sucked in a breath, the sharp contrast stabbing into his chest. This place teemed with energy, every inch alive and vibrant. His mind dragged him back to the wasteland he once called home—where dust choked the air, and nothing remained but blackened craters.
His hand drifted to his pocket, fingers brushing the cool surface of the portal stone. One crack across its surface, and he’d be back at the Silver Spire, far from this overwhelming world.
“You’re not ready for this,” he muttered to himself, gripping the stone tighter. His Cypher powers were useless against a single corrupted Kaijura. What chance did he have against a world that seemed to be filled with monstrous Kaiju?
He pulled the stone out, its crystalline surface glinting faintly in the light. This wasn’t surrender, he thought, just strategy.
Then movement flickered in the forest below.
Ren froze, narrowing his eyes as lights sparked in the bamboo canopy. A shriek followed—high, guttural, unmistakably Kaijura. He focused, Cypher vision flaring to life. Amid the shifting foliage, a figure darted through a clearing, as two winged forms swooped down at her. The scan returned:
Cama Descendant
Base Level: 16
Chroma Color: Green
Category: Life Guardian
Type: Bat
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Description: These aerial predators are swift, cunning. Their sonic abilities are designed to disorient and demoralize enemies, while their physical attacks exploit openings created by confusion.
Active Abilities: Sonic Shriek
Passive Abilities: Echo Sense
The human figure stumbled, barely dodging a raking claw. Her hand rose, but her movements were sluggish, desperate.
Ren’s heart kicked. He shoved the portal stone back into his pocket.
He didn’t think; there wasn’t time. He turned, gripping the edge of the cliff, and began his descent. The valley roared around him, alive with wind, cries, and the distant clash of battle.
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Ren entered the ruins, every step deliberate. The shallow water pooled around his boots, rippling with each movement. The air carried the metallic tang of damp stone and a sour note of decay. Shadows loomed from fractured walls, their surfaces streaked with veins of red crystal that pulsed faintly like the heartbeat of the valley.
Through the remnants of a shattered arch, he spotted flashes of movement. Silver light shimmered in erratic patterns, dancing through the ruins. He crouched, creeping closer, the tension in his chest tightening with each step.
The woman fought with a relentless grace. Her hands carved arcs of silver in the air, illusions taking form around her—phantom prey that twisted and darted like living things, trying to bait the attackers. The bat-like Kaijura circled her, massive wings slicing the air. Their membranes shimmered black, veins bulging like pulsing rivers. One screeched, the sound ripping through the ruins, shaking stones loose from the crumbling walls.
Ren froze, gripping the hilt of his blade. The woman staggered under the force of the sonic attack, her illusions faltering. She regained her stance, her eyes narrowed, defiant. The Kaijura didn’t relent, their bulbous, glowing eyes locked onto her.
Something inside Ren twisted. Her determination mirrored a memory he couldn’t shake—the girl who had given him his pendant. The one he hadn’t been able to save.
“Get down!” His voice cut through the chaos.
The woman spun, barely dodging a diving Kaijura. Its talons raked the air where she’d stood. Ren surged forward, intercepting the beast mid-dive. His blade struck its hide with a metallic scrape, sparks flying. The creature screeched, recoiling.
“Are you insane?” she wheezed, scrambling back to her feet. “These things will kill you!”
Ren didn’t respond. His focus narrowed as he activated his Cypher vision. Data flooded his senses: wing structures, weak points, corrupted energy signatures. He read as fast as the creatures moved.
One of them screeched again, the sound blasting through his skull. He staggered, clutching his head as vivid images crashed into his mind—Azelia’s crushed remains, failures carved into his memory.
No. Not again.
A surge of heat bloomed in his chest. His grip tightened on his blade as red lines flared across his skin, blazing like molten iron. The soundwaves crashed against him but left him unshaken. His thoughts sharpened, his will solidified.
The Kaijura hesitated. Ren didn’t. He lunged, his blade finding the gap beneath one creature’s wing. With a sickening crunch, it fell into the water, lifeless.
The remaining two dove at him, talons gleaming. Ren spun, evading one and striking the other. His crimson marks burned brighter, each slash more precise.
With a final, powerful strike, the second Kaijura collapsed. The last creature faltered, flapping its wings in retreat. Ren leaped, his blade slicing clean through its chest. The beast groaned low and fell, the ruins falling silent around him.
Ren stood amid the wreckage, his chest heaving. The red glow faded from his skin, leaving behind a steady warmth. He glanced at his Cypher display showing his status.
Base Level: 5
Class: Cypher, Crimson Will (new!)
Chroma Ascendancy: Crimson Drive (new!)
Chroma Level: 1
Passive Abilities: Crimson Mind
Active Abilities: Crimson Might
Forms: Crimson Blood
A small smile tugged at his lips. He wasn’t the same as before.
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Ren leaned against a crumbling stone pillar, his breath unsteady as the crimson glow faded to faint embers across his skin. His hands still trembled, tinged with the lingering heat of the Red Chroma. The power had surged through him like a storm—wild, unrelenting, yet clear. It wasn’t just strength; it was will, sharpened to a blade’s edge. A will that refused to break.
The air was heavy, wet with the scent of moss and decay. Shallow water rippled at his feet, disturbed by the faint shudder still running through his body. He stared at his hands, questions tumbling in his mind. Why now? Why here?
A voice interrupted his thoughts. “Are you all right?”
He looked up sharply. The woman approached through the water, her movements deliberate, her golden eyes unwavering. Her silver hair clung to her damp face, streaked with dirt and battle. There was no threat in her posture, only a calm, steady presence that disarmed him more than any weapon could.
“I’m fine,” Ren said, though his tone came out sharper than he intended. He straightened, forcing himself to steady.
Her gaze softened but didn’t falter. “You’re not,” she said. “That Chroma—whatever it was—doesn’t belong to you. Not yet.”
Ren’s jaw tightened. He didn’t respond.
She stopped a few paces away, her hands open at her sides. “I’m not here to pry. Just breathe. The battle’s over.”
Ren exhaled slowly, tension unwinding from his chest. She knelt by one of the fallen Kaijura, her fingers brushing over the leathery wing. Her touch was light, reverent, like an apology to the dead.
“They didn’t deserve this,” she said, her voice low. “Even corrupted, they were once part of the balance here.”
Ren frowned. “They attacked you.”
“They were driven to,” she said. “The Worm Emperor’s corruption twists everything it touches. These creatures fought for this land once. Now they’re pawns.”
He studied her, unease creeping into his thoughts. Her compassion felt out of place against the brutality of their battle. “You don’t seem like a fighter.”
She tilted her head, amusement flickering across her face. “And you don’t seem like you belong.”
Ren froze at her words, but her tone carried no accusation. He activated his Cypher, scanning her.
Base Level: 7
Class: Primal, [Redacted]
Chroma Ascendancy: Essence Eater
Chroma Level: 3
Active Abilities: Essence Extraction
Passive Abilities: Essence Infusion, Essence Empathy
Ren’s pulse quickened. A class hidden? And a second class even—it didn’t match anything he had ever seen. Outside of Cyphers no one was supposed to have a second class, because only one Chroma force could be dominant.
Finally, she stood, brushing her hands on her tunic. “I’m Linsia,” she said. “Thank you for stepping in, but I have to ask—who are you?”
He hesitated, then said, “Ren. I’m here to stop the corruption.”
Her golden eyes narrowed, curiosity evident. “You’re not from here. I can feel it.”
Before he could respond, the ground trembled. A deafening roar split the air, and Ren looked up. The ruins darkened as a shadow passed over them. A monstrous bat loomed above, wings spread wide, its form eclipsing the forest in an unnatural night.
Linsia’s breath hitched. “Hanumantha’s friend,” she whispered, but there was no awe in her tone—only dread.
Ren gripped his blade, his chest tightening. “Friend? That thing?” He could see the corruption all over its body: black skin, a rising darkness, and glowing eyes, staring directly at them.
Her voice hardened. “Not anymore.”
Ren hesitated to scan it, fearing what would show. But he did it anyway.
Cama
Base Level: 502
Chroma Color: Green
Category: Kaiju
Type: Bat
He didn’t bother to read the description or its abilities. These things wouldn’t matter anyway when he was dead.