A kaleidoscope of flashing colors and screeching echoes besieged Scott, the world around him spinning in a dizzying vortex. Indistinguishable flashes and gray blurs whizzed past, disorienting him completely. He couldn’t make sense of where he was or what was happening. The surreal experience lasted a minute or two, and then Scott slammed against a crystalline surface, the impact creating a lattice of cracks on the gleaming surface.
What the fuck was that? Scott blinked, forcing his arms to lift his body upright.
“What the hell was that?” Slim groaned, massaging his posterior.
“Get off me, bonehead,” Zara complained, pushing the necromancer who had landed on top of her.
“That was a fun ride,” Orion giggled softly. “I’d love to experience it again, but I wonder where we are.”
Scott turned and saw Ember floating a couple of feet away, suspended above the ground by golden discs. “Are you okay?” she asked with a thin smile.
Scott didn’t answer immediately, his gaze shifting to the rest of his companions one by one. The voidweaver chuckled the moment he noticed Slim pressing his posterior on a livid Zara. Shaking his head, he pushed himself to his feet. He approached Ember, stretching out a hand toward the dragonkin. “I’ve been better, but I’m not complaining,” he said.
Ember smiled, locking arms with the champion. With a gentle pull, she stood upright once more. Meanwhile, Zara had succeeded in fending off Slim, who pretended not to notice he had landed on the feline, and Orion was already curiously observing their surroundings. Surrounded by darkness, the hound extermination crew stood on top of a crystalline surface teeming with cracks from their arrival.
“It seems those vampires have no intention of reducing their sentences,” Zara noted, pointing out the absence of the pale champions. She pinned Slim’s head under her arm while curiously observing the darkened area, partially illuminated by the crystal road.
“A hundred years is nothing to vampires,” Orion chuckled, poking at an invisible barrier that seemed to shield the darkness. “We really can’t blame them. No sane person would willingly accompany us. I doubt there’s a bigger trouble magnet in the tower.” He grinned, turning toward his companions. “But that’s why it’s so fun.”
“You make it sound like we are troublemakers or something,” Zara harrumphed, slapping Slim’s skull while the necromancer pleaded for mercy. “But where the hell did they send us—” Zara’s words trailed off, her eyes widening as she focused on where Orion stood.
A massive mass of sewn flesh and bones pressed its face against the invisible barrier, mirroring Orion’s whimsical grin. Bloodshot eyes locked onto the champions, and the grotesque figure’s smile widened, its teeth glinting in the dim light.
Zara instinctively released Slim, who turned toward the barrier, sensing the change in her demeanor.
“What the hell is that thing?” Slim muttered, his face stern.
Scott and Ember shared the same thought, but neither spoke. Instead, they readied themselves for battle. Orion, meanwhile, scratched his head curiously, wondering why his companions were staring so intently in his direction. He raised his head without turning—noticing the eerie creature behind the barrier. His smile brightened. “Would you look at that,” he muttered.
The creature raised its head, mimicking Orion’s actions. Orion blinked curiously. “Oh?” His smile widened further, mirrored by the monstrosity. Then Orion burst into laughter, turning to face the creature with a maddened gleam in his eyes. The creature tilted its head, observing Orion like a child would an adult.
A second later, as if understanding Orion’s intentions, it opened its grotesque mouth, and a soul-churning bellow escaped, like a thousand wraiths screeching in anguish simultaneously. The creature’s laugh sent chills down the spines of the champions. Orion laughed harder, and so did the creature.
Orion suddenly turned toward his companions. “It’s copying me,” he said.
“We can see that, you dumbass. Should you be letting it do that?” Zara retorted, exasperated by the mage’s antics.
Orion giggled, tilting his head. “How am I supposed to stop it from copying me?” He grinned, but silence answered him. “I have a hunch it’s copying me because I touched the barrier earlier,” Orion said, glancing around. “I wonder what would happen if we touched the other sides too.”
“Let’s absolutely not do that,” Zara said without pause. The thought of multiple such creatures surrounding them was not a reality she wanted to face. “If it’s copying your movements and actions right now, there’s no telling if it can also copy your abilities and who knows what else,” she pondered out loud.
“Oh?” Orion’s brows shot up, mirrored by the creature. The smiling mage turned back to the creature, staring deeply into its eyes. A second later, Orion’s smile faded. He turned toward his companions. “It’s empty,” he said.
“Huh? What does that mean?” Slim asked.
Scott answered before Orion could. “It can’t replicate his ability,” he explained. “We’re lucky it can’t. If it could, we’d be in serious trouble.” He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the area. “Ignore the creature. It doesn’t have much time left anyway.”
Before anyone could respond, the massive creature unleashed a mournful cry as its flesh and bones began to shift and loosen. Orion turned toward the creature, smiling and waving. “Bye-bye, my friend.”
The creature mirrored his smile as its flesh gradually disintegrated, merging with the surrounding darkness. “Bye… friend!” it echoed, its voice a grotesque parody of Orion’s.
Shock twisted the visages of the hound extermination crew, Orion’s mouth hanging open in surprise. The darkness consumed the creature, and instantly a system notification appeared in front of the stunned champions.
A sentient clone is incapable of condensing a true being! You are being watched by one thousand gods and lesser gods!
Once again, the expressions of the champions stirred, and Slim and Ember instinctively raised their heads, turning from side to side.
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You have chosen to participate in the Raid of Worlds!
Scott and his companions stared at the system notification, confusion and curiosity evident in their gazes.
“Hey!” Slim shouted, his head turning from side to side. “Isn’t anyone going to explain what’s going on?”
Mission: Stop the champions from accessing Area D-15!
Slim frowned. It didn’t surprise him that his question had been ignored, but he didn’t like it either way. “What the hell is Area D even supposed to mean?” he pondered out loud.
Several lesser gods and gods are demanding a sentient clone shouldn’t be able to participate in the raid!
Instinctively, the champions all turned toward Orion who wore a thin smile. The data-obsessed mage adjusted his glasses, chucking softly. “That’s a bit discriminatory don’t you think so?” he muttered.
The administrator stresses that the clone and its prime are both distinct beings! The Principality of Destruction insists the clone must be replaced with its prime! The Ardent of Dawn is in agreement with the Principality of Destruction! The lesser goddess of the moon is in agreement! Visbos, the mad titan, agrees too! Three hundred gods and lesser gods agrees with the Principality of Destruction!
“Oh my, would you look at that,” Orion giggled, staring nonchalantly at the array of system notifications.
The administrator rejects the motion! The Principality of Destruction insists! The council of gods requests a recess!
The system messages disappeared abruptly, and the hound extermination crew exchanged puzzled glances, unable to grasp what was fully going on.
“Were they expecting us to form several of those disgusting creatures earlier?” Ember asked mentally, her brows creased in concern.
“That’s likely the case,” Orion stated. “I might have ruined their plans, though. Maybe the creature disintegrated since it wasn’t my main body that touched it,” he theorized, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I’m dying to know what would happen if my main body was here, or if any of you had touched it,” he said while adjusting his glasses.
“I would rather not find out,” Zara said, unsurprised by Orion’s words. The many bitter months they shared on the path of chains had revealed the mage’s obsessive thirst for data, regardless of his own well-being.
“I hate the fact that these gods are treating us like we aren’t even here,” Slim suddenly said, his displeasure palpable.
“Ignore it or get used to it,” Scott began. “To them, we’re just another means to entertain themselves. They couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what we think or feel,” he explained, taking a step forward. His ominous eyes prowled the area, lingering on a few spots before turning toward his companions. “None of us would give a damn what an ant thinks about us. We are that ‘ant,’ at least for now. So, we must get strong enough not to be considered mere playthings.”
A decision has been reached!
The champions watched with bated breath, their gazes flickering between the system notification and Orion, who seemed utterly indifferent to the commotion.
The clone will be considered a separate entity from its prime. All sponsored candidates hereby forfeit their rights!
Zara, Slim, and Ember immediately shuddered after the system's notification. A chill ran through them, a sense of loss so profound it felt as if something precious had been ripped away, something they could never reclaim.
"Are you guys okay?" Scott’s voice echoed in their minds, tinged with concern.
Before they could respond, a new system notification materialized, stealing their attention once more.
Estimated Time Until Descent: 1 minute!
Scott’s brows creased. These bastards aren’t going to tell us anything from the looks of it, he thought.
Removing the veil!
At the behest of the system, the darkness coating the surroundings vanished in an instant. Zara gasped softly, while Slim, Scott, and Ember wore stern expressions. Orion, however, maintained his smile, his curious eyes fixed on the towering creatures encircling them. More striking still were the other champions, seemingly caged in transparent boxes scattered across the infinite plane. The creatures outside the boxes eerily mimicked the appearances and demeanor of the champions trapped within.
Scott raised his head, staring at the flashing neon lights hovering above their box—Area D-15, it read. He turned toward the next box, straining to read the hovering words, but a monstrosity blocked his view.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but it seems like whatever is going to happen will be fun,” Orion muttered softly. He touched the barrier once more, but it remained unresponsive.
While the hound extermination crew surveyed their surroundings, the prisoners in the other boxes did the same. Many wore stunned expressions at the sight of the monstrosities, while others appeared indifferent.
Orion suddenly turned to his companions, his smile brighter than ever. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if they were actually from other Godsfall islands in different timelines?” he said, giggling softly.
The mage’s casual statement sent a ripple of speculation through the minds of the champions. The possibility was both fascinating and terrifying.
“Hello,” Orion waved at a creature and the champions in the adjacent box. The insect-like humanoids waved back, their mouths moving soundlessly. The creature outside also waved and spoke, but neither Orion nor the rest of the group could hear its words.
“It seems they don’t want us communicating with each other,” Orion said, adjusting his glasses. “I wonder why, though?”
With one eye on the timer and another on their surroundings, the prisoners watched as the counter slowly approached zero. Several champions attempted various means of communication, but all efforts proved futile. Many gave up, while a persistent few continued, hoping for a breakthrough. Moments later, the counter reached zero.
Descent will now commence!
“Guys, get—” Scott began, but the glassy floor beneath their feet shattered. A mana cocoon enveloped the champions, including the monstrosities, as they descended into the darkness below.
The raid will now begin!