"A monster? In Main World? But HOW?"

Klaus's mind raced, completely baffled by this sudden revelation. He felt as if he might be seeing things that weren't really there.

"It can't be," he thought, unsure if what he saw in the reflection was accurate.

Despite his disbelief, Klaus knew his Perfect Precognition ability only activated in real danger, affirming that the monstrous presence behind him was genuine. Thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind. How had the creature entered the house? How had it snuck up on him so silently?

Desperately hoping he was mistaken, Klaus knew he had to confront the reality of the situation. After what felt like an eternity of tense thought, he finally deactivated his ability.

Instantly, Klaus activated his Phantasmal State as the world began to move once more. The creature behind him swung its claws, but they passed harmlessly through him, slamming into the water dispenser.

Stunned by the unusual outcome, the creature glanced at its hands in confusion, which allowed Klaus to finally lock his gaze on what was truly behind him. He witnessed a real monster for the first time.

He beheld a giant monstrous figure with dark, sinewy skin and glowing red eyes. Its gaping maw, filled with layers of sharp teeth, dripped toxic saliva. Long arms ended in grotesque hands, each finger tipped with a curved, serrated claw. The creature's low, rumbling growls filled the air as it loomed over him, slouched and menacing. The monster was even more horrifying than the stories had described.

Klaus stood stunned, feeling as if he were trapped in a nightmare. The massive creature's gaze locked onto him, and it immediately rushed forward, perceiving him as prey. Its razor-sharp claws swung at him with terrifying speed, but Klaus's evasiveness allowed him to evade each strike.

Everything felt so unreal as the creature tossed its entire body at Klaus, slamming itself on the walls and objects around them like a crazed animal. The creature's frenzied attacks tore through walls and furniture, reducing the room to chaos.

Amid the onslaught, Klaus heard a shout.

"Klaus!" Link's voice rang out as he rushed into the room.

Link quickly raised his hand and tossed a small cube, resembling a Rubik's cube, at the monster. The cube struck the creature's arm and immediately morphed into nanoparticles, swiftly covering its limb.

The monster, confused and enraged, tried to scrape the substance off with its other hand. But the particles spun faster and faster, shredding the creature's arm and spraying a strange purple substance across the room as it wailed in agony.

Noticing an opening, Link stretched out his right arm, pointing his finger at the monster. Beneath his sleeve, the gauntlet he had used during the Divine Tournament gleamed. From the tip of his finger, a metallic object fired ahead like a bullet, streaking towards the monster.

The projectile struck the monster's head with deadly precision, piercing through and causing the creature to collapse to the floor. The deep purple substance, presumably its blood, oozed from the wound.

With the creature dead, Link hurried to Klaus, who was still on the ground, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. His heart raced, and he could only manage silent gasps as he stared at the fallen monster.

"Are you alright?" Link asked, helping Klaus to his feet.

"How the hell is there a monster in your house?" Klaus demanded, his voice tinged with frustration and fear.

"I don't know," Link replied. "I got attacked in the gaming room too so that wasn't the only one."

Stunned, Klaus let Link help him up. An idea sparked in Link's mind, and he hurried to another room, Klaus following close behind. They entered the cinema room, and Link quickly approached the screen.

"Pixel," Link commanded, "access the surveillance cameras around the city."

"Accessing regional mainframe," Pixel responded before continuing. "Access complete."

The theater screen lit up, displaying various parts of the city. What they saw was beyond horrifying. Monsters were everywhere, humans running in terror and screaming. The creatures attacked indiscriminately, mauling anyone they could reach with their claws and teeth.

Different cameras showed the same horrifying scenes throughout the city. Klaus and Link stood in stunned silence, the reality of the nightmare sinking in.

"Check other cities and countries," Link ordered Pixel.

The screen shifted to show other locations around the world. Though the number of monsters was not as concentrated, the pattern was clear—this was a global crisis.

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"How?" Klaus asked, his voice barely above a whisper, disbelief etched on his face.

Link's mask displayed a shocked expression. They stared at the screen for a few moments before Link finally broke the silence.

"We have to do something," Link said. "This is what we were made for."

Klaus nodded, though uncertainty gnawed at him. He wasn't sure if they were ready or even capable of handling something of this magnitude. But he knew they had to try. They needed to save as many people as they could.

Link and Klaus left the Atlas residence, determined to head into the city to see what they could do. Link instructed the guards to protect his mother and the others in the main house. Seeing the fear in their expressions, he decided to ask Pixel to defend the residence as much as she could instead. The intelligence confirmed his request promptly.

"Copy, initiating project Exterminate," Pixel replied as Link and Klaus departed for the city.

As they made their way, they encountered numerous monsters. Sensing their presence, the creatures rushed toward them, mistaking them for helpless humans and feed.

Klaus quickly conjured a first-grade Solar Ball. Dodging a lunging monster, he thrust his attack into the creature's chest. The force was tremendous, and light particles flooded the area, affecting other monsters but leaving Link unharmed thanks to the light regulators built into his mask, a feature he had mentioned during the tournament.

The impact was devastating, obliterating the monster's chest and killing it instantly. Klaus realized the lethal capability of his attacks on mortal beings other than the demigods.

Meanwhile, Link deployed his NPCs, maneuvering nano drones to create sharp spikes that he launched at the attacking creatures. As the battle raged on, Klaus heard a familiar voice.

"Klaus! Klaus, can you hear me? What in the Gods' names is going on in Main World?"

It was Quinn, contacting him telepathically from Higher World. Klaus was taken aback, amazed she could reach him from another realm.

"I can feel multitudes of humans dying, and it's much more rapid than normal," Quinn continued.

"Monsters," Klaus replied telepathically. "Monsters are manifesting."

Quinn fell silent, struggling to comprehend his words but knowing he spoke the truth given the sheer number of human deaths she sensed from her great distance.

"How did this happen?" Quinn asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I don't know," Klaus responded, dispatching the last of the monsters around them as they continued onward.

Quinn took a moment to formulate a plan. Klaus had intended to return to Higher World to alert the other demigods, but now that Quinn was aware, he knew he could focus on helping as many people as possible. As he and Link pressed on, Quinn continued to communicate with him.

"I'll scrap the training session for now so we can solve this problem," Quinn said telepathically. "And I'll head to the domain of the Gods to inform them."

With that, Quinn ended their connection and set her plan into motion. Klaus and Link pressed on, reaching the city shortly thereafter.

Upon arrival, Klaus and Link were confronted with multitudes of monsters and screaming humans. The sight was eerie and surreal to Klaus, making him feel like he was in a nightmare. But there was no time for hesitation; every second he faltered meant another human life lost.

Klaus initially tried to save the humans without revealing his powers, understanding that witnessing supernatural abilities could be overwhelming for them. Though the monsters were already more than enough of a shock.

He directed the panicked crowds to safety, guiding them to homes that appeared free of monsters. Despite the chaos and difficulty, he remained focused, knowing that every person he directed to safety was another life saved.

Men, women, and children ran for their lives amidst the littered corpses, no one safe regardless of race, age, or status. As Klaus continued his efforts, three monsters suddenly rushed him.

The creatures towered over Klaus, attacking with ferocious speed. Klaus evaded them swiftly, but without using his light powers, he found it difficult to finish them off quickly.

Amid this turmoil, one of the monsters began to take damage rapidly before collapsing to the ground. Ace appeared above the fallen creature, pinning it down.

"Finish it off!" Ace shouted to Klaus as the monster struggled beneath him.

Seeing that there were no humans nearby, Klaus created a miniature Solar Ball and slammed it onto the monster's head, killing it instantly. Spotting Ace from a distance, Link quickly regrouped with them.

"Where have you been?" Link asked Ace.

"Do you not see what's happening?" Ace replied. "I was heading back when I noticed the monsters, so I had to intervene before returning."

With more monsters approaching, Klaus, Link, and Ace were forced back into battle, barely having time to think.

Meanwhile, in Higher World, Quinn had gathered all the demigods who were present for the training session. She informed them about the crisis on Earth, detailing the sudden and horrifying appearance of monsters and the resulting chaos.

"I don't believe it," Arthur exclaimed, his shock mirrored by the other demigods.

"I'm completely serious," Quinn replied with conviction. "Klaus and the others are fighting them right now."

"It's true," a voice suddenly confirmed.

Everyone turned to Shade, the owner of the statement, who began to address them.

"I can feel Klaus' emotions through his shadow," Shade said. "And what I felt is something I've never felt from him before. Fear."

The demigods were stunned. Without hesitation, they headed towards the Golden Gate to transport back to Main World. Quinn felt a strange curiosity and unease as she tried to make sense of what was happening. The timing seemed too convenient.

Arriving at the Golden Gate, the demigods swiftly moved towards the transportation podium. Shade stepped onto the podium, closed his eyes, and concentrated on the usual coordinates. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes.

"What?" he muttered, realizing he hadn't transported.

Shade closed his eyes and tried again, but remained in the same place.

"It's... It's not working," he said, his face a mask of shock.

The demigods were in utter disbelief.

"What?" Rose began. "That's not possible."

Shade stepped off the podium, and Riley stepped forward to attempt the transport. She, too, was met with the same outcome.

"What is happening?" Quinn wondered, completely stunned. The idea that monsters were present when they had left for Higher World was already suspicious, but now being unable to return to Earth made things even clearer.

As the other demigods continued to attempt to return, Quinn's eyes widened with realization. She spoke words that caught all the demigods' attention, making them grasp the gravity of the situation.

"I think... we've been sabotaged."