[ COUNTDOWN TILL DISCHARGE : 2 HOURS ]
Late afternoon sunlight spilled over the crumbling landscape as Nyx's group trudged forward, all eyes fixed on the distant tower looming like an ominous spire against the horizon. Dust and debris swirled in the shifting wind, the entire world trembling as if bracing for impact. Nyx, at the lead, scrutinized his surroundings with an unrelenting focus.
"There's something about that tower that draws me near," Nyx murmured to himself, eyes narrowed. He observed the three translucent blue panels that hovered in front of him, each one detailing his companions' progress.
_________________________________
PLAYER : VIKTOR MARSH
LEVEL : 19
STATUS : HEALTHY
TALENT : SHIFT [ B ] ---> Allows User to Move from Point A to Point B
SKILLS : NONE
_________________________________
PLAYER : LUCAS VYSKAL
LEVEL : 18
STATUS : HEALTHY
TALENT : SHARPEN [ C ] ----> Allows User to Sharpen Object of Choice
SKILLS : NONE
_______________________________________
PLAYER : RYAN
LEVEL : 14
STATUS : HEALTHY
TALENT : DARK BARGAIN ---> Sacrifices the Contracted's life force to improve attributes greatly
SKILLS : NONE
________________________________________
Nyx's gaze lingered on Viktor's profile. Almost level 20, he mused. It'd be interesting to see what happens when he breaks that barrier.
"And as for me," Nyx whispered, summoning his own status panel.
______________________________________________
[ STATUS ]
PLAYER : NYX VALMEISTER
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
LEVEL : 22 [ 21,854 / 220,000 ]
TALENT : GENERATE [ Z ]
SKILLS : COMMAND [ SS ] | PROFICIENCY : 10.71% / 100%
SWIFT HASTE [ E ] | PROFICIENCY : [ 72% / 100% ]
VITAL SIGHT [ C- ] : PROFICIENCY : [ 31.5% / 100% ]
COMBINE [ SS ] | PROFICIENCY : [ 2.61% / 100% ]
CAHINED DEPT [ B ] | PROFICIENCY : [ 5.29% / 100% ]
FEARFUL DESCENT [ D ] | PROFICIENCY : [ 9% / 100% ]
ASHEN BODY [ C ] | PROFICIENCY : 2.72% / 100%
TITLES : GOBLIN KILLER [ ACHIEVED ] | KOBOLD KILLER [ ACHIEVED ] | DREADWOLF KILLER [ ACHIEVED ]
__________________________________________________________
HOURS PASSED
{ COUNTDOWN TILL DISCAHRGE ---> 14 SECONDS }
The entire world seemed to hold its breath, and then… it started.
The blue timer in the sky ticked ominously.
TIK! 10... A loud sound echoed, like the heavy strike of clock hands.
All of Earth trembled as the countdown echoed across the world.
TAK! 9...
Viktor, Lucas, Ryan, and the rest of their group tensed, an electric energy spreading through the crowd.
CLACK! 8... Lucas wiped sweat from his brow, trying to mask his nerves. "I guess this is where it starts," he said, voice cracking.
TAK! 7...
Ryan, who always tried to play it cool, couldn't hide the tension. "I think this is where the fun ends," he retorted, looking skyward.
Nyx's eyes gleamed, cold and calculating. "No," he said, his voice low but steady. "This is where we enjoy."
TIK! 1...
An explosion of wind roared across the land. WHOOSH! A powerful surge erupted from the tower, circling the globe and meeting itself back at the tower like an atomic wave. Silence followed. The entire world seemed to pause, an eerie stillness blanketing the chaos.
TING!!, the air was silenced upon meeting the tower once again
The Blue Panel in the sky soon lit up a again after dimming with that few moments
{ DISCHARGE COMPLETE }
{ TUTORIAL COMPLETE }
{ RELEASING NEXT WAVE }
The blue panel shimmered, words forming in sharp, foreboding letters.
{ CREATURES UNDEFEATED FROM FIRST WAVE IMPROVED GREATLY }
{ DISCHARGE ONTO PLANET #71 EARTH }
{ INJECTING GROWTH OF PLANET }
{ PLANET SIZE WILL INCREASE TO 1.2x }
{ PLANET STRUCTURE SHIFTING }
The ground shook violently. Cracks tore across the earth, and the world felt like it was being restructured from the inside out. The blue panel updated rapidly:
[2% SHIFTING...]
[16% SHIFTING...]
[38% SHIFTING...]
[54% SHIFTING...]
Lucas clung desperately to the ground. "What the hell's happening!?" he shouted.
"I don't know!" Viktor shouted back. "But it's definitely not good!"
Ryan added, "We can see that!" His voice rose over the chaos, panic seeping into his usually composed demeanor.
[ 99% SHIFTING ]
[ 100% SHIFTING ]
The quake ceased. Dust settled, and the ground stabilized, but the landscape had transformed. Lucas tried to take a step forward but was yanked back by Nyx, who grabbed his shirt collar.
Lucas's eyes widened in horror. Right where he had nearly stepped was a giant chasm that hadn't been there before. "What the... what the hell!?" Lucas gasped, shaking. "I... I almost died!"
Viktor chuckled, trying to mask his own fear. "Hahaha... what a way to go out," he said, though his laughter held a nervous edge.
{RELEASING WAVE}
{DISCHARGE DONE}
The blue panel in the sky faded into the now clear, vibrant blue above. Yet the final message burned brightly:
{TIME UNTIL PATCH: 359 DAYS}
Ryan exhaled, disbelief evident on his face. "Well... fuck. That's something I never expected," he muttered.
Behind him, Lucas and Viktor's bickering resumed, but now it was tinged with the relief of survival. No one noticed the grin beneath Nyx's mask. It was a terrifying, hungry smile, one that promised chaos and thrill. I'm going to enjoy every second.
NOTE : HASTE [ F ] -----> SWIFT HASTE [ E ]