Volume 2 - Chapter 14 – Through the Den of Beasts

The group stopped before the enormous gate. Every mana gem once flickering with dim light along its frame now hung lifeless, drained to dull stone. The stale air pressed down heavy with the scent of rust, age, and something deeper—like scorched iron. The silence of the chamber pressed on their ears, broken only by the faint drip of water in some unseen corner.

Ash planted his polearm against the ground, narrowing his eyes at the barrier. “So, who’s going to take the first crack at it? This thing isn’t opening with polite knocks.”

Karna rolled her shoulders, her lips curving in a grin that was equal parts pride and challenge. She rolled her shoulders, fire already simmering in her gauntlet seams. “Step aside. If it’s brute force you want, I was made for it.”

Her gauntlet pulsed as she drew in magic, compressing fire and earth onto her gauntlet as molten lava and compressed earth formed around it, shaping into a massive molten earth gauntlet. Molten veins of lava threaded across the metal as the earth itself crawled up her arm, Heat shimmered, warping the air around her fist, the stone floor quivering as if fearful of what was coming. With a stance born of countless battles, she pulled her arm back and slammed it forward.

The impact thundered like a mountain splitting. Stone shrieked and shattered, shockwaves rippling through the cavern. Shards of the door blasted outward, forcing the others to shield their faces as dust and debris choked the chamber. The ground quaked beneath their boots.

As the roar faded, they blinked through the smoke. The massive door now bore a deep crater, its edges glowing faintly from residual heat. Yet the gate stood stubbornly tall, unmoved.

Karna hissed, flexing her still-smoking gauntlet. “Tch. This door is absurdly thick. Another strike will break it.”

Emma’s voice cut sharply through the haze. “No. Look.” She raised her hand, pointing to fractures crawling outward like veins from the crater. Her tone was steady, commanding. “One more blow like that, and the entire entrance will collapses. We’ll be trapped.”

Karna scowled but stepped back, frustration plain. “Then what? want me to tap it lightly?”

Emma’s lips curved into a confident smile. “No you already did the hard part. let me take a more precise shot at it.” She strode forward, boots crunching over rubble. Lowering her weapon to the heart of Karna’s crater, she launched its pile driver deep. With a hiss of steam and a violent quake, the mechanism shot forward, puncturing a perfectly round hole straight through the stone. They could see clear through the door into the darkness beyond.

“Not bad,” Ernest rumbled, his gravelly voice tinged with approval. He stepped forward, veins bulging as he braced his boot against the wall and seized the torn edge of the door. With a guttural roar he pulled, the ancient hinges screaming in protest. Ash and the others rushed in beside him, their combined strength wrenching the door open inch by painful inch, until at last the gateway groaned wide.

Beyond lay a tunnel sloping down, lit only by mana stones that flickered weakly, like dying fireflies. Their light was faint and uncertain, casting long, twitching shadows that danced against the walls like specters in silent mockery.

They descended cautiously, each step echoing into the dark. The stale air grew cooler, heavier, until finally the passage opened to an expanse so vast it stole their breath.

A cavern stretched endlessly, illuminated by a bright, unnatural glow spilling from some high point above. Bridges of fractured stone, broken roadways, and enormous support beams crisscrossed the void. As they continued down the slope the road split, and just past the fork was a balcony. From there, the view finally opened up before them. Far below, built into the depths of a colossal crater, sprawled a city both ancient and ruined. Its towers and domes glittered faintly under the glow, though half of it was torn apart—entire districts ripped open, their foundations sheared away to reveal the yawning abyss of the Darklands below.

Yet it was not the ruin itself that froze their hearts. At the farthest edge of the city lay a fallen colossus: a titanic metal head, toppled on its side. Its massive face was cracked, one hollow eye shining brightly, flooding the ruins in brilliance.

Karna whispered, awe mixing with unease, “What in the world…?”

The awe curdled into dread. The city was not abandoned. Movement churned below—monstrous, countless. Beasts of every size and form prowled its streets: scaled juggernauts with tails like wrecking balls, chitin-plated horrors with claws like scythes, winged predators wheeling overhead. Packs of wolves with manes of fire and eyes like molten gold clashed with hulking insectoid brutes spitting streams of acid. And there, slithering hideously among them, Ash spotted familiar nightmares—Darklands beasts, their wormlike bodies writhing as tentacles lashed out to drag prey into their fanged maws.

His chest tightened. “They’re here too… damn it.”

Before he could think further, Lumin floated forward from his shoulder. The little being pulsed once, almost as if in hesitation—then shot ahead like a streak of lightning, arrowing directly toward the metal head.

“Lumin!” Ash reached instinctively, hand outstretched, voice raw. But the light ignored him, vanishing into the distance.

Xanathis gave a dark chuckle, sharp teeth flashing. “It would appear your loyal companion has chosen to leave you.”

Ash’s teeth ground together. “No. Lumin has never abandoned me. I’ve always felt it close… always. Something doesnt feel right.”

“Then we follow.” Xanathis’s blue eyes gleamed like coals in the glow. “If it is drawn to that head, then so should we. There is no point in staying up here.”

Ash steadied his voice. “Fine. But we move carefully. Somewhere in that chaos, there has to be an exit. Keep your eyes sharp.”

Ernest lifted his scope and scanned the two roads ahead with a sharp eye. One road teemed with more beasts than he could count, a writhing mass of claws and fangs. The other was already engulfed in a brutal clash, Darklands invaders battling native monsters for territory. Lowering the scope, he raised a thick finger. “Left path. Right’s crawling with too many monsters. We won’t last a hundred steps.”

Ash nodded. “Then left. But listen closely—those Darklands beasts are worse than they look. Their tentacles are powerful, and their tongue lashes out like a spear to drag prey toward their jaws. If one manages to get hold of you, cut yourself free at all costs before it can reel you in.”

The warning silenced them all. The air grew heavier with the weight of imagination—each picturing the horror for themselves. Then, without another word, they began down the sloping road into the city. As they descended, the air thickened with smoke and the stench of blood. The sounds of battle grew louder until the sight opened before them: a vast battleground where the Darklands beasts surged upward in relentless swarms, their tentacles lashing to drag anything they could into the abyss below. Native beasts of every kind fought desperately to hold their ground, trying to prevent the Darklands beasts from encroaching onto their territory, claws, fangs, and elemental fury clashing against the encroaching tide. The slope delivered the group straight into a war of monsters, the city itself trembling beneath their struggle.

The battlefield engulfed them instantly. The air was alive with roars and screams, the crash of collapsing towers, the scent of smoke, blood, and ozone from elemental strikes. The ground shook as Darklands beasts poured from cracks and ruptures, swarming upward into the city. They lashed their tentacles into the streets, dragging at anything that moved, trying to pull the local beasts down into the abyss. Titans bellowed in defiance, their bulk smashing through avenues as they tried to resist being hauled into the Darklands below. Fire-wreathed wolves snapped and lunged at the intruding horrors, lightning flashing as talons tore through writhing limbs. Winged monstrosities wheeled overhead, shrieking as they struck down at the invaders with fury.

The group pressed forward, weaving through alleys and broken houses, hugging shadows as the invading Darklands swarm clashed with the city’s beasts only meters away.

Xanathis suddenly stiffened, nostrils flaring and ears twitching. “Stop. Blood… to the right. And something big moving.”

A heartbeat later, the street ahead erupted as a Darklands beast and a colossal native brute collided, rolling in a tangle of scales and tentacles where the group would have walked. The shockwave flattened nearby walls. Emma’s hair whipped across her face as she hissed, “Close. Too close.”

They veered down a narrower alley, stone dust raining on their heads. Ash scanned every corner, polearm raised. Ernest stayed close, his beam whip humming faintly with restrained energy.

Then Ash noticed a giant building in the distance—a structure that looked like a good way to bypass the eyes of the surrounding beasts. The problem was that a group of Darklands beasts and another pack of native monsters were locked in battle across the path. Ash spoke up, his voice urgent but rough around the edges, “We’re going to have to make a run for it. Get ready—if something gets close just knock it out of the way. Don’t hesitate, just hit it hard and keep moving.”

Ernest charged the shard cannon mounted on his shield, energy building with a rising hum. Emma powered up the beam in her hand cannon until it glowed dangerously. Xanathis began gathering mana for a strong ice spell, and Karna did the same with her wind magic. Ash stood gripping his polearm, glancing down at it with frustration. fuck, I really need to learn magic, he thought. All he had left were his polearm and a handful of orbs.

The group surged forward, sprinting into the chaos. They weaved under massive beasts as claws and limbs slammed down, dodging as titans rolled and collapsed in their struggle. A shriek split the air—a Darklands beast had ensnared a flying monster and hurled it toward the ground. The corpse spun downward directly at the group. Ernest stepped up, braced his shield cannon, and fired. A beam of energy shot forth, striking the falling body and blasting it aside, changing its trajectory just enough for the group to keep running across the battleground.

Moments later, a Darklands beast and a chitinous brute rolled into their path, smashing buildings as their chaotic battle raged. but Xanathis was already moving. She unleashed a massive burst of ice magic, freezing both monsters in place mid-struggle. “It won’t hold long—move!” she shouted. The group sprinted through a narrow gap between the frozen behemoths, squeezing past just as cracks splintered through the ice.

On the other side, a pack of elemental beasts blocked their way. Behind them, the frozen beasts began to stir again—there was no turning back. Emma unleashed her charged beam in a searing line, sweeping it through the pack. The shot carved like a laser, slicing the beasts in half as the smell of scorched meat and burnt fur filled the air. The group pressed forward relentlessly until they reached a heavy wooden door. Without slowing, Ash lowered his shoulder and rammed it, splintering the wood into shards as they burst inside.

Behind them, another beast barreled toward the entrance. Karna spun on her heel, meeting its charge head-on. She slammed her fist forward connecting with the beasts head, a vortex of wind erupting from her gauntlet. The force blasted the creature off its feet, hurling it through the air. It struck the ground with a thunderous crash, bouncing and skidding across the rubble until it vanished from sight. Once the group had all entered the building, only then did they allow themselves a single breath of reprieve.

They looked around—the building resembled some kind of ruined factory. Machinery husks and shattered catwalks loomed above them as they pressed forward carefully. Then a booming crash thundered from overhead—the ceiling split and a twisted beast corpse slammed through, the group barely diving aside in time. Dust and gore erupted around them as the carcass smashed into the floor. Ash’s heart jolted as he realized Emma had been too slow—he seized her arm and pulled her clear just before she would have been crushed. Breathing hard, each of them took a moment, shaken by how close death had come.

They turned to continue forward when the ruined ceiling above shuddered again. Shadows shifted, but none of them noticed until it was too late—the Darklands beast had already slipped through the hole, silent and predatory. Tentacles snapped down in a sudden blur, several coiling tightly around Karna before she could react, yanking her upward with brutal force.

Her scream tore through the factory, flames surging from her gauntlet as she thrashed. Ernest’s beam whip snapped forward, wrapping around the tentacles, and as he pulled the whip tight, melting straight through them. The searing heat burned through the flesh until the severed tentacles fell to the ground, still smoking, while the severed tentacles started to loosen their grip on Karna. She hit the ground rolling, wrenching herself free from the spasming severed tentacles. Then the Darklands beast opened its maw wide. Karna, barely noticing as she struggled to rise, twisted her body just in time. A tentacle shot from its mouth like a spear, missing her face by inches. With a fierce groan, she grasped the slick appendage tightly, refusing to let it slip past her. Inwardly, she thanked Ash for warning them about the Darklands beasts—without his words, she might have died right now.

But she was prepared, and she called out. “Freezing Grasp!” Her gauntlet crackled with frost, and she seized a tentacle. Ice shot down its length, racing into the beast’s mouth. It shrieked as its insides froze solid. Emma leveled her cannon and fired, the blast shattering the monster’s head in a violent explosion of crimson shards. Then a fountain of blood poured out of the severed head, spreading into a giant pool across the factory floor.

The building they were traveling through groaned dangerously, fractures crawling across the ceiling. After the Darklands beast died, the factory echoed with unsettling creaks and groans from above. Cracks split wider across the roof, dust sifting down as the entire structure warned of imminent collapse.

Xanathis thrust her hand upward. Blood surged from the ruined Darklands beast, coiling into a thick pillar that spread out like branches of a tree along the roof. Frost spread over it, locking the makeshift brace in place. “Hurry! The structure is breaking it wont hold for long!”

They sprinted through the collapsing factory, desperately searching for an exit as the roof started to cave in above them. Ash’s eyes caught sight of a jagged hole torn into the outer wall—a way out. He pointed, driving the group toward it. But just as hope sparked, a monstrous shape blocked the gap. Another beast forced its way through the opening, a reptilian giant, its maw yawning wide enough to swallow them all.

Ash thought to himself, Let’s give it a try… I think I can do it now. He was at the front of the group and didn’t stop moving. Planting his feet, he held his polearm out, concentrating as he imagined the spell forming. The white lines on his arms faintly glowed, light building in his weapon until it shone brilliantly. With a roar he called out, “Spear of Light!” and took a heavy step forward, hurling the radiant spear.

The shining weapon flew true, piercing the giant beast straight through its gaping mouth. Its innards and flesh ripped apart as the energy blasted through, tearing a bloody path of gore through its body and leaving a clear way beyond. The monster collapsed, its carcass splitting the rubble as a path opened in its ruin. Ash stumbled, his vision swimming, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

Karna and the others faltered, but Xanathis shouted, “Keep going, I will get him!” Karna, Emma, and Ernest darted through the blood-slick path. Xanathis surged forward, channeling ice magic. Frost raced ahead of her, freezing the ground beneath Ash and stretching all the way to the hole in the wall. The beast’s corpse and flowing gore hardened into frozen ridges. The icy glow at her heels burst, propelling her forward. As she slid, she caught Ash by the jacket, dragging his unconscious body across the ice. Together they shot through the hole in the wall just as the pillar of blood collapsed and the factory groaned, the structure beginning to tear itself apart.

Collapsing all around them, they barely made it outside, the air choked with a muddled cloud of dust, dirt, and frozen mist. Ash and Xanathis stumbled out last, joining Karna, Emma, and Ernest—who already had Ash’s polearm in hand.

Then a loud screech split the air as a massive head rose from the Darklands. A fully grown Darklands beast appeared from the massive hole then it slammed down onto the ground, its bulk sending cracks racing through the city streets. Entire blocks crumbled toward the abyss. The group ran, carrying Ash as beasts fled past them, uninterested in the small party as they escaped the collapsing battle zone. Their only hope was to reach the other side of the city as ruins toppled into the Darklands below.

Karna shouted, slowing her pace as wind began to roar around her greaves. “Grab onto me everyone I have an idea!”

The group skidded to a halt, turning toward her in confusion before realizing her intent. One by one they rushed back, pressing close and wrapping their arms around her, clinging tightly as Xanathis bound them securely with her blood magic. The green glow from Karna’s greaves glowed brighter and brighter until a massive tornado burst forth and flung them high into the sky. They soared over the chaos, the city falling away beneath them.

“Get ready for a rough landing!” Karna cried. Her gauntlets and greaves began to glow with earth magic as a sphere of soft clay encased them and they plummeted, smashing through the roof of another building. The clay sphere rolled and tumbled, denting and warping until it finally came to a halt as a misshapen pile. With a gust of wind it burst apart, sticky soft clay splattering across the floor, walls, and ceiling.

They staggered upright, coughing, but froze as their relief died instantly. The ruined house was already occupied. From the walls, floor, and ceiling, creatures crawled forth—dozens of them with eyes glowing hungrily, bodies twisting in unnatural spasms. Some were scuttling horrors, others bristled with spines or bore glowing glands that crackled with elemental power. Their overlapping shrieks filled the chamber.

Xanathis turned sharply, crimson aura flaring. She cast a quick glance at Ash’s unconscious form, then swept her hand. A dome of jagged ice erupted around the fallen warrior, shielding him. Her voice dropped to a cold growl. “Let’s clean this place up.” The group sliced, shot, and punched their way out of the dangerous area.

Ash’s eyes blinked open as they adjusted to the dim light, his vision slowly focusing on Xanathis leaning above him. When he tried to sit up, she gently pushed him back down onto her lap and spoke softly.

“Lay back down and rest. You need to recover.”

Ash looked around, realizing they were in a damp basement. The stone walls were slick with moisture, water dripping rhythmically from the cracked ceiling into small puddles across the floor. Rusted pipes lined the walls, and the air smelled of mold and wet earth.

“What happened?” Ash muttered, his voice weak. “The last thing I remember was casting that spell…”

Xanathis ran her hand slowly through his hair, her expression shadowed by guilt. “This is my fault. I should have told you something like this could happen the first time you cast a spell. You may have learned to use magic, but right now you lack the control for larger spells. As a beginner your mana capacity is low, though it will grow the more you use it. So in your case you forced all of your mana out into a single spell, and the backlash drained you, leaving you unconscious.”

Her voice softened further. “Now close your eyes and rest. Once your body recovers from the backlash, we’ll continue.”

Ash let his eyelids fall, comforted by Xanathis’s gentle caress against his head as he drifted back into uneasy sleep. The drip of water and the creak of old wood above lulled him into slumber.

Meanwhile, the core’s light was shining brightly over Arcea’s training grounds.

Arcea sat cross‑legged in the clearing, letting the warmth of the glow settle on her skin as she struggled with her exercises. She tried everything her mother had told her, but nothing seemed to click. With a sigh she slumped back, taking a break. “Mr. Sword… how’s your training coming along?”

The blade’s voice resonated in her mind. Slow but steady. Learning to control this power is difficult. I’m surprised you could mimic it from me showing you just once.

Arcea tilted her head, still catching her breath. “I don’t know… it just feels natural. I can use those two moves almost whenever I want now.” She paused, curiosity gnawing. “That seal—what kind of energy is it made of?”

It’s the power of a god, the sword replied. But its properties are very close to light.

Arcea’s eyes widened. She stood quickly, gripping the hilt and focusing. She could feel it—subtle, but there. “This… this is it. Mr. Sword, help me focus.”

Alright. Hold steady, and I’ll guide it.

She started channeling light around the blade. She condensed it into the weapon. Eyes shut tight, she focused, then snapped them open with a grin she swung the massive sword forward and called out. “Light Slash!”

A gleaming arc blasted forth, cleaving a training dummy in half and continuing on to topple a swath of trees. Panting, Arcea laughed and jumped in the air. “Yes! I’m totally going to win the bet with Dad!”

But Mr. Sword’s voice cut through her excitement. But can you cast it without my help?

Arcea lowered the weapon, determination settling over her—until she froze. Iris stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, her gaze sharp as a blade. Arcea gulped, eyes flicking to the wreckage of felled trees behind her. “W‑wait, Mom, this isn’t what it looks like—”

Ash finally woke, refreshed from his exhausted state. He carefully lifted himself from Xanathis’s lap, pushing up onto unsteady legs. Standing, he stretched his arms and shoulders until his joints popped, working the stiffness from his body. “I should be fine now,” he muttered.

Xanathis folded her arms, expression serious. “Yes, you’ve recovered. But it’s time to give you some training so this doesn’t happen again.”

Ash nodded, listening as she continued. “This time, think of a spell within your limits. Use your imagination—create something simple.”

Ash closed his eyes, concentrating. He extended his finger, sparks of light flickering at the tip, forming a fluctuating orb. He struggled to control it—the orb kept shrinking into nothing but a spark of light, then swelling too large before collapsing again. Its shape warped and distorted, unstable flashes sparking off it until, with a sharp crack, the spell failed. He tried again and again, sweat forming, until Xanathis placed her hand gently on his arm. “Relax. I’ll help you control you it just concentrate on forming the spell.”

Her magic flowed into him, steadying the wild energy. The light shrank, condensed to the size of a marble and held it in place. Ash continued to concentrate, finally feeling the orb stable and ready to cast. With a steady breath, he released it, whispering, “Light Beam.” The beam shot forward, piercing the stone wall and leaving a clean hole.

“Good. Now again, without me,” Xanathis said, stepping back. “Remember how I helped you control it, remember that feeling..”

Ash focused again, trying to recapture the feeling. The spark formed, flickered wildly, then stabilized just enough. “Light Beam!” The beam shot out but lost momentum, arcing downward to gouge the ground.

Xanathis burst out laughing, unable to stop herself despite trying. She covered her mouth and shook her head, then finally managed to point out what went wrong. “You lost focus right after casting. Don’t let go of that control so soon.”

Ash set his stance to try again—but the ceiling above them groaned suddenly. Dust sifted down as Emma, Ernest, and Karna descended a warped staircase, boots splashing into shallow puddles.

Karna’s eyes softened with relief. “You’re awake. I’m glad—you scared us back there.”

Xanathis turned. “Welcome back. How did the scouting go?”

Ernest exhaled heavily. “We were lucky. We didn’t land too far into the beasts’ territory, so we should still be able to reach that metal head without too much trouble.”