‘Shit Shit Shit!’

Celes rushed to the North of the city on Sapphire.

The worst-case scenario had occurred. Her sister was curious about the alien monster and went over to the Stone Cyclops' range of movement. She even tried to save a fleeing family member from it with the guns she had given to her as insurance, enraging the monster!

As if that wasn't enough, their parents heard about it and rushed to her rescue. Now they were all running from the Stone Cyclops at this very moment!

"Damn it! Sapphire is fast, but at this stage, she's not fast enough to get there in time. I can't boost her with my card energy to increase her speed."

It took very little time for Celes to make a decision. She had been in tougher scenarios with a lot more vague priorities, but now it was simple. Her family was and would always be number one, no matter what.

‘I have no choice, I have to use a card!’

Celes had no way of knowing just how much danger her family was in, and it was better to be safe than sorry.

Even if she had to sacrifice some precious cards, if it got her there even a little faster, it would be worth it!

With zero hesitation, Celes took out an Ash Grey card. Its back was covered with a flowing sea of pure grey ashes, like a vat of colored ink. The card face was also simple and only had the image of concentric circles and a droplet of liquid.

She took out another card. The rear of this one was green and white, with tangled threads spread to the four corners like crystalized plant fibers and resin. Its face had several arrows pointing in one direction.

Celes poured her card essence into the first card and slammed it into the second.

Kachak!

The first card released thick liquefied gas, pouring into the second card before disappearing into nothingness.

A mysterious aura enveloped the bird and card master, tripling Sapphire's speed as they surged towards the city's North, Celes silently praying for everything to end fine.

*

A thick growl shook the earth, causing buildings to slightly tremble.

A 30-foot tall stone-skinned creature with a single giant red eye on its head howled, smashing nearby buildings with a wrecking ball of a wooden club.

Four-story buildings were turned to rubble in just two swings.

At this moment, its thick drool was dripping in the wind as it chased a group of people.

"F-fuck. What the hell is that thing?! Where did it come from?"

"That's not important right now! We should run to where it's safe!"

"Where the fuck is that?! That thing smashes buildings like they're made of sand!"

Crowds of people scattered in all directions from the monstrous creature, some lucky enough to escape, but others were right in its path.

With the wide swings of its club, people were reduced to bloody mush. Its destructive power did not end there, the flying rubble from broken buildings increased the possibility of injuries and fatalities. Screams, cries of terror, and a strong stench of iron emanated from the fleeing crowd.

A few people noticed the monster was following a specific group and quickly avoided them like the plague.

"Jasmine, maybe you shouldn't have provoked it by shooting at it..."

Celes and Jasmine's cousin wryly smiled, trying to hold back her blaming tone. Priya felt she was partly responsible, so she couldn't throw all the accusations at her accomplice and helper.

It was she who was curious about the appearance of the monster and came to see it with this childhood playmate of hers, convincing her it would be harmless.

The ignorant were fearless, weren't they?

Priya decided from that moment on that she would kill her curiosity before it killed her.

Well, if she made it out of this one alive.

Jasmine felt a similar sentiment in regretting her actions. Of course, her tiny guns couldn't scratch such a fearsome giant. One look at its flesh made it obvious it wasn't as fragile as humans, even if they were the same size. Her little pride from being proficient in using the AK-GF5R she had gotten from her sister was crushed into bits seeing the bullets bounce off the giant monster.

"I was just trying to help that mother and her child. They were defenseless..." Jasmine weakly tried to stand up for herself, but her parents sending glares her way didn't help.

In extending a helping hand, she had effectively shifted the aggression to her and her friend, forcing them to rush over here and get involved... even though she never asked them to. Of course, Jasmine would never dare say it out loud and knew to hold her head down when the odds were against her.

"I'll deal with you later,” vowed her father. “Even without the warnings from your sister, you should have the common sense to stay away from such a monster. Fortunately, its size seems to be slowing it down. As soon as we get out of this street and find a decent path, we should look for a working vehicle and use it to get away."

Jasmine winced at her father's calm yet sharp tone, the growling giant behind them sowing the seeds of fear within their group.

"I'll try and call Celes,” her mother said. “She might have a good way on how to get away from that thing."

Rebecca noticed Jasmine struggling to say something, but when she remained silent, Rebecca quickly took out the mini radio Celes had given each of her family members and looked for the right channel.

"Still though, that mother and daughter didn't even run with us and ran the other way after seeing it chase us. Ungrateful much?" Priya felt the subtle gazes towards her from the couple. Feeling guilty about being the 'bad company' parents often warned their children about, especially in such a life-or-death situation, she quickly found something to divert attention.

Falone Greymore was not having it. "It's understandable. She has to look after her child and should be thinking of her safety. If you can't help yourself, then helping others not only causes trouble for yourself but can even have the opposite effect. What would you have done if that monster had stomped before chasing us, instead of immediately rushing this way? They would have died anyway and you would have nothing to show for your heroic acts. Think next time before you act." Her father's words felt like daggers and Jasmine felt this lecture had returned her to the tender age of eight when she had received the most lectures.

Screee!

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A giant blue bird appeared, covered in bright blue flames.

It flapped its wings in front of the cyclops, sending forth blades of wind.

However, the thick skin of the monster was unbroken by this attack. It was further enraged.

"Quick, head back to the base and I'll take care of this!"

Hearing that bell-like voice, they all looked up at the back of the bird to find a familiar figure.

Celes!

Wait, why was her hair blue?

"Where did that bird come from?" Jasmine's mouth was agape from the addition of a new mythical beast shrouded in flames.

"Celes, are you sure you'll be alright?" Rebecca Greymore was also taken aback, but her astonishment quickly turned into concern for her daughter.

"I'll be fine, Mom!” Celes shouted. “Just go. I'll distract it and regroup with you guys as soon as you get out of harm's way." She turned Sapphire around to face the Stone Cyclops, having the bird send tongues of blue flame its way.

Mom?

Rebecca froze, hearing Celes address her in that name, almost tearing up. She urged her family to leave.

The Stone Cyclops was a second-order monster with tough defenses and great strength. Relatively simple intelligence, but still capable of making somewhat good decisions.

Celes swerved out of reach for another one of the monster's wide swings.

The others, especially Jasmine, were surprised by Celes, but they knew what was important and quickly evacuated, looking back at the awesome spectacle of the two monsters fighting.

*

"What exactly is this world coming to? Those things she said before... Could it really be true?"

Priya held her hand over her mouth as she looked over to the area where the two monsters were now clashing. They were very far away now, but clouds of dust and the sounds of shattering buildings were still traveling to their current location.

Jasmine, Rebecca, and Falone Greymore all were silent, thinking of Celes.

They exchanged glances with each other, with subtle meanings and confusion.

The Cyclops howled, now holding its club with both hands and swinging up a chaotic storm.

The wind violently lashed at the buildings, shattering more glass. Dust swirled up, the fierce winds and dirt particles assaulting the defenseless Celes on Sapphire's back.

‘Damn it, I don't have enough card essence to use the Essence Barrier skill. But I shouldn't use a barrier-type card either, since I can't kill the Cyclops and recover the cost. It would just be a giant waste! Even if I wanted to, I can't find a barrier-type card right now in battle. A card wheel would be heaven-sent right now…’

Celes was struggling to deal with the Cyclops, with the air resistance and rough tossing around on Sapphire's back during combat, especially with the added flying dust and winds.

‘Sapphire, evasive maneuver V-Delta!’ Celes ordered mentally, but after receiving no response she switched to orally ordering.

"V-Delta Sapphire!" she cried.

"Sapphire?!"

Cawu~?

Sapphire's puzzled eyes looked back at her in confusion.

Celes then realized she had yet to train herself and Sapphire. Their battle experience together was gone!

Just great!

There was very little she could do in their current state. Fortunately, her knowledge of Sapphire's abilities saved her a ton and could be useful even now. No, especially now when she was at a disadvantage.

Celes quickly touched Sapphire's feathery head, urging her to a higher altitude. She shared her vision with Sapphire, successfully seeing her family in the far distance with the bird's eye view.

This skill took her three years to figure out. Now, she could do it instantly.

"I can leave now," Celes breathed a sigh of relief, gazing at the rampaging cyclops.

It was far from the time to engage with such a beast. In terms of danger level, even among the 2nd Tier, Stone Cyclops were among the strongest. Big, strong, thick defenses. High endurance, strong vitality, and three racial skills. These creatures were a force to be feared.

Suddenly, there was a low rumbling and a shrill crack.

The earth shook and the rifts in the sky opened even wider.

The world began to shake like it was a beast awoken from its slumber, finding pests on its body and intending to shake them off.

***

O'Brien drifted within an otherworldly realm, his senses enveloped in a boundless ocean of ethereal waters. In this dreamlike expanse, a solitary eye, vast and luminous, opened from the void above, its gaze piercing the veil of his slumber. This eye, resplendent in amber gold, bore an almost human-like quality, yet held the mysteries of ancient, unfathomable depths.

Surrounded by a dense, enigmatic fog that sparkled with the essence of distant stars, this celestial mist clung together like cosmic jelly, undulating with the ferocity of a tempest-tossed sea. O'Brien felt an overwhelming aura of majesty and awe radiating from within this nebulous veil, signaling the presence of a being beyond mortal comprehension, akin to a deity.

As the dim, twilight world around him suddenly erupted into brilliant light, the fog dissipated, revealing an awe-inspiring, majestic entity. Its form was colossal, an ethereal mirage that seemed simultaneously distant, yet vividly present.

This majestic creature was an amalgamation of the fantastical and the divine; it bore the horns of a regal stag, the head of a wise camel, rabbit-like eyes exuding serenity, a serpentine neck, and a clam's rounded belly. Its body was adorned with fishlike scales, shimmering in translucent grey, each scale a fortress of strength. Muscles rippled beneath this armored exterior, causing the very fabric of space to quiver with their latent power. Its serpentine form, supported by eagle-like claws and tiger-like paws, trailed through the grey fog, which clung to it like tattered robes of royalty.

Above, the sky transformed into a deep, golden canvas, adorned with clouds that veiled a radiant luminescence, while stars shone with an ethereal clarity against the backdrop of nine azure moons. A celestial river, turbid yellow and dirty, meandered across this cosmic tapestry, with ephemeral spirits and lost souls surfacing within its currents.

Opposite this heavenly river stood a colossal gate, towering higher than the mightiest of mountains. Crafted from gold, bronze, bone, and pearls, it stood as a sentinel in the heavens.

While O'Brien's gaze was captivated by these various celestial wonders, the Grey Dragon's gaze drew his attention earthward. Below, an endless legion of the undead raised their heads in reverence. Clad in battle-worn armor, they spanned a spectrum from ethereal wisps to towering giants and monstrous beings, an uncountable army that bowed in unison.

"Hail the Dragon God of Death! Hail the Sovereign of the Grey Expanse and Netherworld Descent! Hail! Hail! Hail!" Their cries, some beyond his hearing, filled the air. They chanted a great many things. Oddly, some words escaped his hearing while others were clear.

As O'Brien's vision began to blur, the dragon locked eyes with him, unleashing a roar that resonated through his very soul. In a fleeting moment, his perspective merged with the dragon's, granting him a glimpse through its ancient, all-seeing eyes.

A shining crown descended onto his head as the dragon, its light shining brighter and brighter.

And then, all was darkness.

*

O'Brien came covered in dust and rubble, in the very same place he fell unconscious.

"What was that...strange dream?" He held his forehead as it throbbed slightly.

Long strands of hair lightly caressed his arm.

O'Brien immediately noticed something was wrong.

His hair was longer and as white as a ghost, reaching below his waist, almost touching the ground, and his skin was a very pale grey. His muscles were also chiseled and tighter. Hell, he even seemed taller.

O'Brien's amber eyes lifted his arms in astonishment.

"The card factor manifestation? But my compatibility with card energy was low tier…"

Were the rumors true?

Wait, that means —

"I was successful in fusing the natal card!" he cried out in confused excitement.

A flood of emotions bubbled in his hesitant heart. The wishfulness, uncertainty, and fear all disappeared in smoke, replaced by a sludge of vibrant emotions.

Images from the future past flashed through his eyes like a movie reel. Memories. Memories of pain, struggle, sadness, futility, weakness, hatred, love and fear.

He dropped to his knees, facing the sky from the ruined ceiling.

O'Brien let out a deep laughter. He laughed gently at first, in soothing relaxation and triumph, then his laughs grew louder and deeper, almost with a tinge of the loss of sanity. He laughed the hardest and longest he had ever laughed before.

The tears leaking from his face gave him no sense of self-hate, sadness, and shame as they so often had.

He was one huge step forward. His new future was starting to look possible.