Dark Divinity

In an instant, he felt a curious sensation as if he was dissolving into the very earth beneath him. The black sand enveloped him, but rather than feeling claustrophobic or unsettling, it was oddly natural and smooth. He was no longer confined by the surface; he had seamlessly merged with the sand. The feeling was, for a better word... strange.

As he sank deeper, he marvelled at the ease with which he passed through the earth. There was no jarring resistance or disorientation, just a fluid transition from one state to another. He could still sense his surroundings, the cool, dark sand surrounding him in all directions. It was as though he was part of the very fabric of the desert.

With a thought, he sank into the sand once more, and then, shifting his focus, he tried phasing through a patch of rocky ground nearby. The transition was just as smooth, confirming that the skill was adaptable to various substances.

The ability to phase through different materials would give him unparalleled freedom in exploration and combat. Whether navigating through the dense rock formations, slipping past obstacles, or evading enemies, Sand Phasing would enhance his tactical options and mobility.

Omen couldn't help but smile at his luck. This skill was a massive boon; just imagining the way he could submerge himself and spring out of the ground was enough to give him thrills. The passive attributes [sand phasing] alone, along with its versatility, made it an incredibly valuable addition to his capabilities.

[Thermal Sensing] allowed him to detect heat signatures of any life forms around him within his visual range. The giant desert wyrms had no visible eyes, so this must have been how they tracked prey. Given his already exceptional vision, this added a significant edge, enabling him to sense and track creatures or individuals even if they were hidden or camouflaged.

[Iron Lungs] provided him with the ability to breathe through the sand via his skin, allowing him to hold his breath indefinitely if he so chose. This was a remarkable advantage, ensuring that he could remain submerged in any environment without worrying about suffocation or the need for air.

[Instant Drill] By far the most thrilling of the new skills, Instant Drill gave him incredible speed while moving underground. It was akin to [Instant Dash] but with even greater velocity, enabling him to traverse subterranean landscapes with astonishing swiftness, but it could only work when he was completely submerged.

Omen contemplated the full potential of his [Sand Phasing] ability. He realised that it would likely be effective even underwater or through any substance deep enough to drill into, as long as he initiated the phase from his feet. The versatility of this skill was staggering.

With his newfound strength, he was confident he could face another black desert worm, perhaps even one of the same colossal size as the one Malek had taken down. However, he refrained from activating his beast-summoning aura, aware that it might attract unknown creatures with malicious intentions.

As he continued to test his abilities, Omen recognised that he was still underground— or rather, "under-sand." The realization sparked a thrill of excitement. With a determined thought, he propelled himself forward with incredible speed, moving through the sand as if it were nothing more than air. He shot south like a projectile, the sensation of speed and freedom exhilarating.

The desert landscape whipped past him in a blur, distances that once seemed vast now covered in mere moments.

….

On the sixth night of the purge, Akelia was on watch, her patience wearing thin as she scanned the empty expanse before her. The night was heavy with the silence of the deserted area, and her boredom was intense. She had considered rousing Gara to gossip about the rumours of deaths in the male wing the night before the purge had begun, but she thought better of it. Their leader had a temper that could ignite with the slightest provocation.

He even went as far as killing a team member once for waking him up to eat. As Akelia continued to sharpen her knife with a frustrated edge, she suddenly froze. Her instincts, honed by years of training and her passive skill of aura sensing, alerted her to a looming danger. Something was approaching at an alarming speed, its presence unmistakable and ominous.

She concentrated, channelling her aura-sensing ability to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. The sensation was unsettling—an energy that radiated an unusual intensity, moving swiftly through the surroundings. Akelia's mind raced as she assessed the situation. Her summoning skill allowed her to call forth creatures, but only one at a time, and the numbers were extremely limited. She had already exhausted her options with previous summons.

Akelia sprang to her feet, urgency driving her actions. She rushed to wake the others, her movements brisk and determined. Yena, the only other girl in their group, stirred first. Unlike Akelia, Yena's muscular build and unadorned face gave her a more androgynous appearance, almost boyish in nature.

As Yena became alert, she quickly joined Akelia in waking the remaining members of their group. They turned to Gara, who had a reputation for being difficult to rouse, especially when sleep was disturbed. With a mix of shaking and prodding, they managed to get him awake, his irritation palpable.

Next, they turned their attention to Small Kree. Despite his diminutive height of just four feet, his presence was always significant. His small stature had earned him his nickname, and though Akelia had often suspected he might be a dwarf, his abilities proved him to be far from insignificant.

With everyone now awake and alert, the group's collective focus shifted to the imminent threat. They quickly gathered their gear, ready to face whatever danger approached. The once-quiet night was now charged with tension, and the group's survival depended on their immediate readiness.

The four of them had been through two purges together, and their familiarity with each other's abilities was crucial to their survival. As the urgency heightened, Gara, the eldest and most experienced member of the group, took charge.

"Akelia, you better pray you woke me up for something important, or I promise you, I'll mix you into a pot!" Gara's voice cut through the tension. His experience over three purges had given him a keen edge, and his versatile ability—gained from consuming various creatures—had recently been enhanced by the powers of a desert sand wyrm. This included thermal detection, which he activated immediately.

As Gara's thermal sight scanned the surrounding darkness, he soon discerned the presence of an intruder. To his surprise, the thermal image revealed that the approaching threat was... human? The revelation was a stark contrast to what he had expected—possibly a monstrous creature or a rival faction. Maybe it was even Jacobi's team? The group quickly regrouped, their focus shifting to this new human threat. Each member readied themselves according to their unique strengths and abilities.

"Small Kree, take the stage," Gara instructed, casting a glance at his diminutive teammate. His eyes then turned to the swiftly approaching human, still visible through his thermal sight. "Follow the direction of my hand."

Gara pointed sharply towards the intruder, a human whose presence seemed incongruous in the black desert. The shifting sands and the immense power of their abilities made the situation even more intriguing. Gara's voice carried an edge of confidence. "Such a suitable ability for the black desert, but you're not the only one with something special."

Small Kree stepped forward, his small frame a plain contrast to the energy he was about to unleash. As he extended his hands, a mysterious, transparent energy began to swirl around them. The air seemed to ripple with a subtle, pulsating force. Small Kree's smile was one of quiet triumph, a reflection of his readiness and confidence.

"Checkmate," he murmured, his voice conveying satisfaction as he prepared to deploy his unique power. The swirling energy coalesced into a visible form, an ethereal force that promised to be both potent and precise.

As Small Kree activated his Soul Manipulation ability, the transparent energy surged toward the intruder. Unlike telekinesis, which manipulates physical objects, soul manipulation targets a being's essence—its soul. Small Kree intended to disrupt or control the human soul directly, but to his shock, the energy was instantly repelled.

The unexpected rebound of his skill left Small Kree visibly stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief. The sudden failure of his attack was evident to the rest of the group, and their concern grew. Before anyone could voice their questions or concerns, Gara's commanding voice cut through the confusion. "Brace yourselves!" he shouted, signalling the need for immediate readiness.