[ Alert,
Multiple Signals detected. ]
What?....
The forest become silent... To silent Actually. Even the birds and insects that usually hummed at night seems to abandon that area. And replaced with a tensed environment that was filled the air.
Limbo exhaled slowly, resting while leaning back against the half fallen tree.
The three Fragments he collected were glowing softly within the cores.
Each of them was emitting an unstable corrupted vibe. They weren't any normal
Beast cores. They were the fragments of something big...
And far more dangerous.
Limbo closed his eyes.
He calls for system.
Hey system, he whispered in mind, 'start fragment integration.'
[ Warning: unstable fragments detected. ]
[ Integration may trigger heavy pressure.( Overload )]
Limbo moved his brows with Cool face.
"I know... Start the process anyway."
Inside his mind, the Fragment glowed in triangular formation. They were connected by energy lines, which was sparkling violently.
Gaja and Rin watching Limbo from a distance.
Rin titled her head.
"Is he meditating right now?"
"In middle of of battlefield." She paused and...
"But why now of all times?"
Gaja said nothing. He couldn't explain it, but he could feel something pulling inside him, something wrong. But yet different.
Limbo grind his teeth.
After the system shown him a message.
[ Fragment 2 unstable purification required.
Fragment 3 attempting integration.]
He forced his breathing to stable, trying to shape the violent energy into something useful.
He needed a new skill. A skill that can break Gaja's link.
Because of that he was suffering.
That link was a bridge that was binding Gaja with corrupted beast. But what was that connection Limbo couldn't understand yet, but if he manage to even sepate temporarily. Then system might figure out. And they will survive whatever coming next.
System... Create draft for link-severing
Skill.
Analyzing...
Attempting to construct Link break...
Core loading ...65% -> 79% -> 91%.
Limbo's heart was racing.
Too fast.
His blood pressure was rising..he was filled with excitement.
He was tightening his teeth with excitement.
Just a few more seconds.
Just few more time remain to stabilize fragments.
But, suddenly...
A deep growl echoes from the east of the forest.
Rin's eyes widened. "What was that...?"
Then another growl answer but this time from the west.
Then another... From the behind.
Gaja, look towards the sound. His muscles were tensed, his breath become uneven.
Rin looked one by one towards all directions were sound was coming.
Suddenly the ground started to tremble, while echoing marching footsteps towards them. They were to many to guess the count.
Limbo's focus break, he opened his eyes quickly.
Not at a time like this... What's this.
He muttered through biting his teeth.
Too late.
The three figure appeared out of the mist.
Then five more.
Then ten.
Their eyes were glowing with a light blue colour, the surrounding air filled with ash of burn tree and dust particles.
They surrounded the trio in circles.
While pointing fangs towards them.
Rin take a Step back, "w...wolfs...a whole pack..."
These weren't ordinary wolfs. Their bodies were larger than ordinary wolfs.
There fur was darker due to corrupt mana. They were moving in sync and coordinating. As they moved ground was trembling.
The Corrupted energy erupting from them was familiar.
Gaja was feeling same trauma as he felt when corrupted guardian approached.
The Humm.... Was calling him. He told to Limbo and Rin.
Limbo rise from his position, his integration with fragments was interrupted by this beasts. The was forcing to process, the marks on his arm was glowing.
'Hey Gaja'.
"Why don't you try to control them... If they can do that, then why can't you?"
Can I do that? Gaja asked...
Who knows!.
But right now ignore whatever the connection saying... resist it.
"I'm trying... my best." Gaja said while clenching the fists.
The pull was growing.
From the deeper in the mist.. something huge was approaching.
A huge shadow arived.
Double in size than others. It's due was way darker with red strips in some places, it's eyes was sharper.
And presence was heavier no less than earlier.
This wasn't just ordinary corrupt beast...
It was totally different... Like beta wolf.
Rin was fearful. "That ... Thing... It's aura feels sinister... And different."
The system was stopped in middle due to intruption.
The system responded, as if it recognises somthing. It echo in Limbo's mind.
Aplha Fragment Signature Detected.
Limbo didn't know how to respond.
Should he be happy that he will get one more Alpha fragment in same location.
Or he should be worried that this will be tough due to he has to face this many beast to get that.
Damn.. the fragment is inside that wolf. Maybe...
Limbo guessed on based of his previous encounters.
The Big wolf beast stepped forward, his paw were marking on the ground.
The other wolves lowered their bodies, and growl in sync as if they were greeting their leader.
Then ...
It roared.
It was different from other growl, this was stronger and deeper. Like a roar that was caused by glitching in reality.
The smoke was vibrating with sound waves.
The back bend on their feet.
Move! Quickly... Limbo shouted.
I have a bad feeling...
After that quickly two wolves run forward to attack on Limbo. He rolled aise and Dodge, the energy crackling around his hand. His incomplete integration was still active. Limbo was moving sharper, making every move unpredictable.
A wolf jump on him. But Limbo bend a little, the wolve hit his head on the ground wolve, but he instantly recovered and steady on his legs.
Rin raised her hands, vines emerged from ground, she grabs two wolves with their legs and slammed them aside by lifting and throwing.
"There's too many."
But another one broke her vine hold and
Bounce to attack.
Rin almost couldn't react. The wolf fang is about to hit her.
Bang...
Gaja intercepted it with short swords.
He crashed the wolf, he tackle it with pure brute strength. He threw a heavy punch into its jaw. The another.
The blood drops from wolf mouth.
That wolf was heavy injured but still trying to get up.
Gaja used his knees to attack on its ribs.
This attack final slay the wolf.
But Gaja's breath was still unstable. That strange pull was still there. Growing slowly.
Limbo noticed something.
"Gaja! Don't lose focus!"
"I'm good!" Gaja shouted.
But just like Limbo someone was also watching them and calculating with eyes...