Saga:- Journey to the Sunrise
Arc 1:- Retro Anomaly
Chapter -> 13
--- CORE
The ground started shaking abnormally, as if the world's end had arrived.
(MYALE'S POV)
What is this thing exactly? I've tried Qi, but it doesn't seem to operate on that. It's moving abnormally fast and is even affecting our stance by unknown means. Is it even alive? Or is it a natural disaster?
The thunder was gouging the nearby trees, devouring them like a heavenly feast.
Ripples of gravitational discs started as Myale was intact with the ground using her enhanced Qi strings, as she started creating a sphere around the area with the plan of collapsing herself with the Anomaly and distorting its energy forever.
"I won't lose this time." She bit her thumb as a bead of blood dropped, which enhanced the speed of the cocoon germination and the girth of the threads.
The electricity started sharply hurting her open wound, making it hard to regenerate.
The cocoon was visible from afar.
(ZARITA'S POV)
I'm nearly done with these bastards. I looked up to see what's going on— is the anomaly here already? What's that cocoon? I have to head there. Scyures and the others must be holding it back.
Zarita started running towards the cocoon as a big explosion took place.
(SCYURES'S POV)
Tch! I have to get there before something bad happens. What is that cocoon?
Is Myale sister trying to...
Scyures jumped and activated:
[ THE EXCLUSIVE SKILL "GLITCH-WORLD" HAS ACTIVATED ]
[ THE SYSTEM IS PROTECTED FROM ABNORMAL ACTIVITIES DUE TO GLITCHING ]
Scyures's body was giving off blue, black, and red shivers, as his breath turned from an orange hue to a transparent one with a rainbow-ish tint.
Scyures jumped towards the cocoon and punched with his all might.
KABOOM!
Zarita saw an explosion near the cocoon as she jumped around trees to accelerate.
Scyures stood straight, facing the Anomaly. Myale was severely injured, resting her back against a tree.
Scyures stood stable due to his 'Glitch' attribute and started reaching the Anomaly's core.
It looks like... huh?
He realized it resembled something from his childhood.
[ Hey hero! Do you know I heard that the final boss in this game is a man in a business suit who kidnaps children. He can teleport and is made purely out of energy.
— Woah! That sounds broken. How do we even defeat him? ]
[ I heard that it will be revealed in the next game ]
Ugh! My head! I can't wait for the next... game!!
The Anomaly's core was like a burning star, ripples and waves of fire burning in and out, crashing against each other.
So, hot.
As Scyures's palm was facing the core, slowly vapors started to leave his hand.
It's burning.
His hand was slowly losing muscle and turning black and brittle, the nerves and bones were popping out.
I feel like I'm gonna melt.
His nails burned away, his fingerprints and palm lines were no longer visible.
Could this be my end?
He pushed further as his hand started to turn red and caught fire.
I can't lose.
His hand vaporized and burned away, the rings formed around the core like a magnetic field started to tear apart his body.
Huh? I can see it.
The body of the Thin Anomaly was visible more than ever, clear. It was a business suit. A man with the face of...
His hand burned away as his solar plexus were open and revealed, his beating heart entangled in nerves covered by his rib cage.
The regeneration couldn't work due to fire burns, and Scyures's eyes were blurring. His head was buzzing violently — all he could hear were cries.
Cries of the ones who mourned over someone's death.
Then it slowly became peaceful, like crickets and the rustling of the leaves.
BAAM!
Half-burnt and exposed, Scyures was blown back by an ice blast from far away, but—
Scyures still stood at the edge of the cocoon, not giving up. He extended his regenerating arm, made of bones wrapped in nerves.
The energy of the Anomaly started to wrap around Scyures's hand in blue and black shades.
[ EXCLUSIVE ATTRIBUTE "ENERGY CONDENSING" IS REACTING WITH SKILL "ENERGY COLLECTOR" ]
[ ENERGY EXTRACTION: "4,400" JOULES. ]
The energy bar was rising dangerously high. Zeros exceeded five digits, and all energy was being accumulated in his long coat that stretched for miles behind him, hovering like a river of stars. Shining bright like a sun manifested on Earth.
His nerves were shining.
That's bad — at this point I might seriously die.
[ THE PHOENIX'S BLESSING HAS BEEN OVER-RUN BY HUNDREDS OF MILES ]
The fire resistance was gone now.
KABOOM!!!!!!!!
The deafening sound made Myale and Zarita's ears bleed.
As Scyures flew back faster than sound, breaking the sound barrier, his spine was broken.
The moment his connection was dissected with the Anomaly, his regeneration started.
His back hit a large tree as his consciousness trembled behemothly.
What is this? I was seeing the whole world in blacks and white, but something was off.
My ears could hear the chipped whispers, and there was one soul I could see far away, entangled with white strings and feathers. The world felt like a heartbeat going on of someone.
The eyes of that soul emitted some holy flares that went beyond my comprehension. I could hear the sizzling sound of cooked steak, and the aroma of coffee. Why now?
Then I blinked, and my vision was normal. My body was wobbling due to the Anomaly's gravity distortion, and my brain seemed to be loose in functions because I couldn't control my limbs.
My body was slowly regenerating as I could see Zarita standing in front of me, facing the Anomaly.
The whole area was covered with thunder and ice.
And I...
Scyures blacked out.
Scyures is down and healing, Myale is also done. I can't back dow— where is it?
Zarita stood firm, but she couldn't see it. And slowly, her brain was getting lighter as she was slowly forgetting what she is even fighting.
What was it? Eh, whatever! I won't back d o w n.
Her voice slowly breaking down as something was floating past her — something lifeless, weightless, emotionless, existence-less.
Her feet started to harden, covered in ice. Her ice attacks, magic, and now resistance — all of them had been overpowered. Her body was slowly freezing in near-transparent ice. Purest crystal-like.
My heart feels cold, my body — I can't move it.
She was frozen as the Anomaly gazed at Scyures for a second and then went after Guffu.
Then, from the malice of the ground, someone was rising. Scyures's eyes opened as he heard a mystical violin. Something similar happened back in the castle.
He opened his eyes and saw the frozen Zarita.
From beneath the ground, a maiden in a pure white dress, with a white veil, manifested. She floated near Myale and grabbed her cheeks as Myale's eyes opened.
Who?
"I have come to take you." Her voice slowly crawled inside her ears.
"You... why *are* you here again?" The maiden reaper was slightly surprised, as she was caught even in her new outfit.
Without a single word, she held Myale's cheeks and—
**CRACKLE!!**
Golden sparks burnt her hand away.
"Heaven's blessing?"
Myale smiled at the Maiden's words. With no other option, the maiden left with some words.
"They are just using you." .....
These words stuck in Myale's head.
What do they mean?
Birds were chirping again as day rose. The Anomaly returned to the void, and Guffu disappeared.