Shadow Blood and Fire

Eli's gaze was fixed on the expansive map unfurled before him. It detailed the forsaken structure he occupied and another within range, spanning a vast tract of land. Two buildings were conspicuously marked with Xs—one in blue, the other in red. Intuition told him the blue X denoted the return crystal, while the red X likely indicated the boss's lair.

Despite the surge of fury within him, Eli's rational mind prevailed. "it is close and I even have a map that is not the worse that can happen."

Before leaving the hanger, Eli paused to mark the location of the return crystal.. 

The map revealed a sprawling shelter, dotted with numerous structures. It was not as vast as the city malls he remembered, yet it was considerable in size. Traversing from one end to the other would demand at least a two-hour trek at a brisk pace. 

Eli advanced through with the utmost caution, each step measured and silent. The mere thought of stumbling upon even a low-tier beast knowing well the cascade of troubles it would unleash.

Occasionally, he stumbled upon buildings harboring beasts. Eli's shadow-enhanced perception proved invaluable in these moments. Although the beasts possessed keen night vision, honed by life on this forsaken planet, Eli's sight surpassed even theirs.

Upon detecting beasts ahead in the darkness, he would deftly conceal himself in shadows or behind walls, biding his time until they dispersed. Then, with swift stealth, he'd circumvent them. He had learned that basic-tier beasts here moved in clusters.

At last, Eli laid eyes on the building marked with the blue X, remarkably intact. It was a large, dome-shaped edifice—the training center, where Travelers honed their skills and experimented with new gear.

The dome's exterior was crafted from a resilient material, designed to withstand errant strikes from practice bouts. It could resist assaults from the mightiest beasts and power users.

"No wonder it's in good condition," Eli mused, inspecting the structure.

Approaching the dome, he observed several mechs, once mighty war machines, now reduced to husks with their cores savagely extracted. Powering a mech required a high-tier beast crystal—a resource beyond the reach of lower power levels. Typically, mechs were deployed by the military or private firms that enlisted low-level Travelers to pilot them

However, it was a double-edged sword for a low-level Traveller. Usually, they would come with contracts, if the mechs were ever destroyed then the user would be asked to pay for them. Of course, a low level in their whole life time could never afford to pay back something as expensive as a mech. Causing them to forever be a slave to the company.

This was one of many societal shifts following the war with the Saihran. During the conflict, humanity had united against a common foe. But peace had unveiled the depths of human greed.

If the Saihrans were aware of Earth's current disunity, Eli feared the planet would fall. His resolve to grow stronger, to defend himself, was unwavering.

Reaching the training center's entrance, Eli noted two Rothsoths standing guard, clad in makeshift metal armor. He circled the dome, searching for alternative entry points, but found none other than the initial one, with the red X-marked building looming behind.

Eli's eyes widened in disbelief as he beheld the sight before him. There, sprawling across the horizon, lay the most colossal chaos storm he had ever witnessed. A vast expanse was shrouded in an eternal night, veiled by a massive dark mist. It was a mesmerizing spectacle, with enormous pillars of purple lightning crashing down intermittently. Visible to the naked eye, a bizarre force field shimmered, born from the myriad of whirlwinds chaotically spiraling in every conceivable direction.

The land itself bore the scars of turmoil; not a single beast dared to roam this desolate expanse. Amidst the tempest's heart stood a structure, now a mere silhouette against the relentless storm. It had succumbed to the elements, its form corroded, an amalgamation of debris, machinery, and earth— all sculpted by the storm's fury and the relentless pounding of lightning.

This solitary edifice, once ordinary, now resembled a dormant leviathan, formidable and still. It was the very building marked by a red X

He returned back to the entrance, Eli concealed himself behind a ruined mech, some thirty meters away. The Rothsoths remained stationary, their attention fixed. Eli waited, hoping they would depart.

Impatience soon overtook him, and he advanced toward the Rothsoths, their metallic skin and crude armor distinguishing them from their kin.

As Eli drew closer, he noticed the Rothsoths looked peculiar. Their crudely made metal suits resembled massive lumps, and their skin itself appeared metallic.

"Inspect" 

[Mutated Matallic Rothsoth]

[Basic Tier Beast]

[Level: 9]

[HP: 22,000]

[Mutated Matallic Rothsoth]

[Basic Tier Beast]

[Level: 9]

[HP: 20,000]

Eli wasn't surprised that some beasts are born stronger than others. These Rothsoths were very close to evolving, and they were even mutated. He had no reason to fight them because the commotion could attract even more beasts.

Eli found a broken piece of the mech nearby, it was a long metal shape looked similar to a pole but he had no idea what part of the mech it was used for.

He picked it up and looked off into the distance. He aimed carefully at another mech that was destroyed, far up ahead and off to the side of the entrance.

The clatter drew the Rothsoth's attention, and they scurried toward the source.

Seizing the moment, Eli dashed for the entrance and reached the dome. The entryway led to a pair of steel doors, which resisted his attempts to push them open. Unscathed, they were likely made from the same durable material as the dome.

A nearby access code machine caught his eye. Rushing to it, Eli placed his hand on the device.

"Inspect" 

[ An access code machine linked to the two steel doors. The combination is 775625377800 ]

"KRRREEEAAAAAAKKK!

However, just as Eli was imputing the code into the machine, the Rothsoth's had returned. As the beasts saw him, they shrieked and called out another two of its friends. There were now four of the metallic things.

*Beep

"Damn I must have put in a wrong number"

His nerves were getting the better of him and his concentration had been broken by the sight of the building in the chaos storm. He used his inspect skill once again making sure he had the right code. He started imputing the numbers again when he suddenly felt something chomp down onto his leg.

[–25HP]

[425/750HP]