Gala "So, my dear, did that story whisk you away to dreamland?"

Margaret "Not a chance! I'm still wide awake after how Amelia those bad guys. More, please!"

Gala "Alright, but this one's the last."

Margaret "Adrian and Noah... Granny. Are the rumors true?"

Gala "Rumors flow like schools of fish these days, deary."

Margaret "You know about... that one. The one people don't talk a lot about."

Gala "Ah, that one. All will be revealed when we reach the end of this book. Now, stop bouncing on the bed, young lady."

Margaret "Oops. Sorry."

Gala "It's unfortunate that we'll end our little read session on a scary note."

Margaret "It's okay, Granny! I'm a tough kid! No nightmare is going to stand a chance against me!"

Gala "Ignorance is bliss, my dear, but if you're sure... Let's dive back in, shall we?"

Once upon a time, in a realm veiled by shadows and permeated with a strong stench of blood that seeped into every corner of the land, a man finds himself suspended upside down in a cave nestled deep in the northern reaches of the land. As consciousness slowly dawns upon him, Adrian grapples with a sense of disorientation, wondering how long he's been upside down. With a surge of determination, he thrashes his legs, forcefully breaking free from whatever binds hold him, the repulsive sound of tearing flesh echoing in the cavern. Collapsing onto his hands and knees, he winces as his skin grazes against something sharp.

Adrian "Ouch! What in the world?! Are these..."

Adrian takes a night google from the storage and dials the knob on the side.

Adrian "Just as I suspected! Good old bones, and a rib cage, no less."

As Adrian rises to his feet, a chilling realization washes over him— the very structure surrounding him is constructed from an array of bones and skulls, none resembling any known creature he's familiar with. With a sense of growing unease, he searches for his companion and finds that there is no trace of his partner, only an ominous exit looms before him, His attention is drawn with a gulp to a peculiar object at his feet— a long, green appendage reminiscent of an intestine.

Adrian "My scan indicates it's laced with poison. Damn. As savage as this place appears, its creator is cunning and a formidable hunter. Best, I keep quiet for now."

Turning his focus to the exit, Adrian cautiously proceeds forward. The walls, adorned with rows of skulls, suddenly seem to come into sight— one skull pops outward! Adrian swiftly draws his shield, only to discover it's a harmless hermit crab skull. Startled by Adrian's imposing presence, the creature scurries away. Adrian exhales, pressing on until he enters a vast chamber. The floor is littered with decaying corpses, infested with various worms, parasites, and pests. Above, hundreds of flayed bodies hang from the ceiling— some humanoid, others more grotesque and bizarre, including some that appear to be mermaid-like figures. The nauseating sight nearly overwhelms him with the urge to vomit, but then...

Adrian "Noah!"

Noah is suspended unscathed, hung highest among the gory display of corpses. Adrian seizes his shield, pondering his next move... a risky plan takes shape in his mind. With a leap, he slams the shield into the ground, unleashing a surge of electricity that incinerates some of the rotting bodies. Then, an icy barrier forms downward, lifting Adrian up and grabbing onto Noah. The sudden add in weight causes the intestine binding his friend to tear, sending both men crashing onto the burnt remains below. The horrid stench rouses Noah from unconsciousness, prompting him to vomit...

Adrian "Are you alright?"

Noah "Alright?! I'm far from alright! Where in the fuck are we?! Why is it so dark?!"

Adrian "[Shh. Keep your voice down. The hunter may still be lurking nearby. Just stick close to me. Oh, and put this on.]"

Noah dons the night vision goggles as the duo makes their way through another exit, escaping the confines of the cave and emerging onto solid ground.

Adrian "There! A boulder!"

The duo dashes with all their might, putting a considerable distance between themselves and the cave's entrance. However, they find themselves near the edge of the continent, where an unusual material lines the boundary. Adrian channels his power into it, realizing that the entire landmass is encased within a colossal bubble.

Adrian "We're inside a giant bubble."

Noah "Yeah, I can fucking tell with the air around! Why did we get assigned this hellhole?!"

Adrian "You're unusually tense. Normally, you handle this kind of situation with calm and composure. I expected you to be more excited, Noah."

Noah "Okay, I guess it's a good time to take the cat out of the bag. I'm a fraud okay!"

Adrian "Come again?"

Noah "I mean I was only pretending to be cool and edgy all this time to impress Sarah! Alright! On the inside and in every single fight, I was either scared shitless or angry!"

Adrian "Wow, your acting skills deserved an Oscar. You even fooled me and Kanji. Hey... I like your true self."

Noah "But what about, Sarah?! She'll think I'm lame!"

Adrian "Come on now, Noah. You've been friends for ages. I'm sure she'll understand."

Noah "You don't understand, Adrian! I fear rejection more than I fear FEAR itself!!"

Adrian "Easy there! Your fire almost scorched me. We'll talk about this later. Right now, our survival is top priority."

Noah "Alright... just promise me you won't tell Sarah."

Adrian "I'm a man of my word. Now, let's focus on our location. If I use my power on the land... it should... work! I'll narrate it out for you."

|Evolan, a realm devoid of hope, where only bloodshed and despair reign supreme in this atrocious place. Diplomacy, friendship, trade, mercy, and morality hold no sway here. Those who venture into this land must abandon such ideals and embrace the singular ethos it fosters— Power by any means necessary. Composed of dark volcanic rocks, remnants of a cataclysmic eruption of countless volcanoes triggered by The Split, Evolan is a grim landscape littered with primitive structures crafted from the remains of the dead.|

Adrian "Well, would you look at that! My power just generated a map of this place. It only shows Evolan's outline which is like a capital 'D' and we are at the northernmost tip."

Noah "That is very useful. Hey, can your power save the map somehow?"

Adrian "Not sure, but I'll give it a shot. Save map."

|The map of Evolan has been saved. Congrats, Aspect of Knowledge! You gained a special skill : [Map Creation] |

Adrian "Well, that was unexpected."

Noah "Holy shit, you got a special skill!"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Adrian "I wonder if this map can also track creatures."

Noah "We won't know unless we bump into one."

Adrian "Then let's go out for a little test."

Noah "Are... A-Are you sure?"

Adrian "Come on, Noah, unless you want me to spill the beans to Sarah."

Noah "Hey, that's blackmail! I thought you were a pacifist."

Adrian "Strange, blackmail counts as pacifism. Oh, forget it. On the bright side, if you show some courage, I'll make sure to tell Sarah about it. She'll be impressed. Hell, I'll give say it in a more grandeur way."

Noah "She would either be bored or interested. Either way, I'm in your palms so let's—

The rock in front shatters into fragments, the sheer force nearly sending the heroes tumbling over the edge.

In front of them stands a grotesque creature, as if plucked straight from the darkest recesses of nightmares. Its body, round and bristling with crimson needles, sports small feathery red wings on its sides, while two massive talons extend menacingly from below. Twenty large human noses protrude from its front, each with a reddish hue, flanking a large beak lined with jagged teeth. With a thunderous stomp, the noses twitch and sniff the air, followed by a piercing shriek erupting from its beak.

From its gaping maw, a torrent of green ooze and writhing worms spews forth in a wide cone... but the heroes swiftly dodge to the side, racing past the abomination.

Noah "W-W-What the fuck is that thing?!"

Adrian "You're not going to believe this, but my power indicates it's a typical Evolan resident!"

Noah "What?! You mean it's not some kind of animal?!"

Adrian "According to my readings, Evolens have the ability to absorb powers based on what they consume, but if they—

The two of them swiftly duck, narrowly avoiding two globs of fired ooze.

Adrian "If they consume too much without the necessary willpower, their power will mutate them into beasts, hence why it says 'Mutated Evolen!'"

Noah "That's good and all but is there anything that can help us beat that thing?!"

Adrian "Well, the needles are poisonous, the talons are incredibly strong, the noses can track down the beast's own poison, its beak shoots that stuff, and it can flay anything it catches automatically."

Noah "Avoid, the freaky thing's beak and talon! Got it! Cover me!"

The pair halts their retreat, bracing themselves as the creature prepares another breath attack. Adrian slams his fist into the front of his shield, angling it forward to direct the electric wave away from Noah. The blast stuns the creature, causing it to drool its concoction onto the floor. As a wave of ice spikes hurtles toward it, the creature snaps out of its stupor, thrusting its beak to destroy some of the incoming ice. Fortunately, one spike pierces its underbelly dead center, prompting the creature to struggle to crush it with its talons. Sensing an opportunity, Noah dashes around, leaping to strike the creature's back with his flaming axe.

The creature emits another ear-splitting shriek, shaking violently. With a powerful jolt, Noah is flung high into the air.

Noah "Oh... fuck."

Adrian "Watch out!"

Its beak tracking Noah's descent, the creature's mighty talons scrape the ground, poised to charge forward. Adrian reacts, sprinting as the creature charges. They draw closer... and closer... and—Adrian manages to intercept the flaming beast! His shield lights up once more, the electricity causing it to thrash about wildly, igniting the flames higher. Yet, as quickly as the fire rises, it is snuffed out in an instant.

The beast now lies trapped in a prison of ice, and Adrian catches Noah.

Noah "Thanks, Adrian. I thought I was a goner."

Adrian "Honestly, I feared I wasn't fast enough. Looks like Kanji's training really paid off."

Noah "Shit, but what now? What if there are more of these things?!"

Adrian "I highly doubt it. They seem rather unintelligent. Most Evolens we encounter will likely be similar or even more feral."

Noah "Damn it! We're barely a day in, and we're already struggling! We're screwed!"

Adrian "Calm down. We have your strength and my intellect. We'll find a way through. Say, what weapons are you proficient with?"

Noah "Well, I know my way around an axe from chopping wood. Dad took me spearfishing a few times, and I've hunted with a bow a couple of times."

Adrian "Alright. My suggestion is that you should wield as many weapons as you're good with. I believe your powers may have even greater effects with different fighting styles."

Noah "Hmm... shooting flaming arrows does sound pretty cool."

Adrian "The issue is, we need Kanji and Claire's help, so our first priority is communication."

Noah "Seriously, how are we supposed to find a phone here of all places?"

Adrian "A little bit of hope can go a long way. Come on, let's keep moving."

Noah "... Fine."

They continue their journey southward, tracing the spine of the 'D'. The land is barren and devoid of life which compliments how flat the terrain is... truly expels the feeling of despair. After a while, they come across a group of Walterans with vaguely familiar forms. Four of them resemble well-dressed lobster-like humanoids, while another appears to be a blobfish humanoid adorned in noble attire.

Noah "What the hell are those?"

Adrian "It says that they are Tradens, not Evolens. A couple of traders and it looks like they're here for treasure."

Noah "Yep, they are screwed."

Adrian "I'm not so sure. They too have their own power system based on the kind of trade they believe in. Unfortunately, my powers won't reveal more."

Noah "Should we tail them? We might test the water for us?"

Adrian "Isn't it a bit... cruel?"

Noah "Dude. We don't have the luxury to care for anyone but ourselves in this place. Besides, they were the ones who chose to come here!"

Adrian "I read a book that once said 'Overabundance of greed will lead to a just fate.'. Alright, let's follow them."

They maintain a safe distance as the Tradens journey further into the heart of Evolan. Suddenly, they pause, observing a large hole in the ground. The crustaceans raise their pickaxes in celebration, while the noble Traden secures a rope to a nearby boulder. One by one, they disappear into the hole.

Noah "Shit. We have to go down there—

Adrian "Hold on, Noah. Something's approaching."

Another horrifying creature emerges, just beyond the range of their goggles. Enormous, it's the size of two elephants, with a slimy body adorned with dark grey flaps that form a grotesque imitation of a fisherman's hat atop its head. Two long arms propel it along the ground, while its round eyes, with large black pupils, rest on the sides of this hat, tracking a group of fleeing Walterans. A long fleshy stem protrudes from its head, resembling the esca of an anglerfish, though this bulb emits no light. Instead, it's a blood-red hue, with blue and red veins snaking around three bony spikes.

Adrian "They're a group of thugs from Soulan. Looks like they've been forced down here."

Noah "Wait, what is it doing?!"

The creature swings its esca in a circle before hurling it forward, the appendage extending and crashing into the midst of the thugs.

The spikes on the bulb twist before launching out, skewering all but one grunt. He cries in despair as he watches the lifeless bodies of his friends get dragged onto the bulb, their forms stretching and folding over it like taffy. From under its countless skin flaps, a giant maw opens, and its hands squeeze the bulb, producing a stream of blood. As the maw retreats and the bulb sprouts three more spikes, the grunt's soul leaves him, his friends' faces reflected in the spikes. Filled with rage, he conjures his dagger and charges in for a stab but... the blade bounces off. He tries again, but the weapon wouldn't penetrate.

The creature's right-hand slaps the Soulen, sending him tumbling into the hole.

Blob Merchant "Oh, All Mother! Who in the daylight are you?"

Soulen Grunt "R-R-Run... w-while... you still can."

Lobster Merchant 1 "Hey! The boss asked you a question!... Hello?"

Lobster Merchant 2 "I think he's dead."

Lobster Merchant 3 "Wait a minute... he's one of those Soulens. Ha! Serve him right!"

Lobster Merchant 4 "Fellas, what is that?—

The fleshy bulb fires off its spike, and silence befalls the hole.

Adrian "We should strike while it's feeding."

Noah "Are you nuts? You saw how tough the fucker's skin is!"

Adrian "Listen. If we do this, we might be able to make a new weapon for you. Besides, I have a plan."

Noah "Okay but first. Tell me what your power tells you."

Adrian "Its body has ultra-tough skin, as resilient as iron. It can also use its esca as a flail in close combat. That's about it, but... it only says the toughness of its body. You know what that means?"

Noah "What are you on about— Oh... Ooooh. I see what you're planning."

Adrian "Let's do this then"

As the creature lifts its bulb, preparing to feed, Noah quickly maneuvers to its backside.

He leaps onto the hat, swiftly swinging his fiery axe across the stem before the creature can react, decapitating the esca. Blood gushes forth, and Noah panics, losing his balance and falling from the creature. Its eyes fixate on Noah, and it swings both hands. Adrian rushes in, blocking the blow with his shield, the electricity stunning the creature's arm as an array of ice spikes extend, pushing it toward the edge of the hole.

Filled with fear, Noah imbues his axe with a dark aura and strikes the creature, sending it tumbling into the hole where it meets its demise. Adrian and Noah exchange a high-five.

Noah "That was awesome!"

Adrian "You're braver than I thought. See, believe in yourself."

Noah "No way, Adrian. That black aura you saw there was actually Fear."

Adrian "Huh? Really? That would make a lot of sense now that I think about it. Anyway, help collect these spikes.

Noah joins Adrian as they begin to tear away the spikes from the bulb.

Noah "Wow, this weird, veiny stuff connected to the spikes feels like leather."

Adrian "Yeah, I'm planning to tie them together into some sort of flail."

Noah "Jesus, with 12 of these spikes, I'm scared that I might end up hitting myself."

Adrian "Don't worry, with my knowledge, you can master it in no time. Right, Noah?... Noah?"

Noah "These three spikes... a kid, a father, and a mother. How did they end up here?... HOW?!"

Adrian "Woah, calm down! You'll scorch the spikes!"

Noah "Ah, I-I'm sorry."

Adrian "Does this have to something with... your family?"

Noah "... I'm just pissed. Hey... Adrian?"

Adrian "Yeah?"

Noah "I've decided. You say this place doesn't welcome diplomacy or friendship. I think... we should purge this place."

Adrian "Noah... if that's your conclusion, then— I'll be your shield!"

The duo toss the remainder of the esca into the hole and continue their journey further into the land.

Gala "Alright, that's enough—Oh, she's already asleep. Time for some shut-eye."