From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Chapter 41  The Return

Tyree's smile shifted from joy to confusion as the voice persisted, unseen. Suddenly, a shattering sound echoed from beyond the far side of the barrier, revealing a man with blood at the bottom of his white gloves.

Wearing a weathered face that carried the rough etches of age; it gradually morphed before his eyes brightened and his skin turned into a paler shade, a comparatively youthful visage now adorned him with a mix of orange and black hair.

"CLAP CLAP"

As the barrier mended itself, transitioning from invisibility to a greyish hue, he clapped his hands appreciatively. "What a fine show you have put on, Mr. Fireboy," he remarked theatrically, and while his words carried an air of mockery they were also delivered with a hint of genuine admiration, which only seemed to further perplexe Tyree.

'Who are you?"

Offering a smirk in return, Tyree's patience waned, as he demanded the man to identify himself. Standing beside him, Waddell shifted his attention to Ashaiki with a tinge of urgency in his voice as he asked, "What's going on?!"

"There was no intel of a secondary creature breaking through, and what's going on with the police workers keeping guard?" Waddell inquired, his voice steady yet laced with a note of concern. Calmly surveying the scene around him, his eyes sought to understand the unfolding dynamics. The unexpected developments brought a rare furrow to his brow, a subtle testament to the anomaly of the present situation.

Moments passed as Ashaiki pulled a marble from her pockets, which transformed into a short radio. She pressed the button and spoke into the device, "Intel Division 1! What is going on here?"

"The Medium Level Threat has been eliminated, but another creature has shown up, looking almost like a complete human."

A few moments ticked by before a soft voice resonated through the radio, accompanied by a hint of static, "This is not a Creature from the Vale!" the voice on the radio asserted with a sense of urgency. "The readings for this one are off the charts; we can't estimate its threat level." "These readings match the ones from the night when 20 souls were stolen," the voice continued, the static briefly crackling before quieting down again.

Upon hearing this, Jade's heart sank as she refocused her attention on the man who was casually stretching as he stood before them. Losing his patience, Tyree yelled at the man, "Who the hell are you!"

Quickly responding from his stretch, the man said, "You know, I was thinking about that cool line you said earlier to that inferior creature."

Saying that he pointed a finger over his lip, tapping it slightly as he began, "Oh, that's—"

His words were cut off as a fist encased in red flame swiftly came flying towards him. Tyree, fueled by anger, landed a clean punch on the man.

The impact from the strike caused his energy to flutter for a moment as it plunged the scene into a hushed silence while everyone was still processing the sudden escalation.

"I told you to identify yourself!" Tyree's voice carried a blend of heavy anger and worry.

With the fist still connected to his face, the man turned towards Tyree and stated, "How rude of me, the name is Erebos Alkandros, and I'm here to test your luck."

Shock coursed down Tyree's spine as he realized that his powerful punch had little to no effect on this man. Flexing his arm out, Erebos stretched for Tyree's neck. In a blur of motion, Ashaiki intervened, delivering a harsh kick to his side, sending him crashing against the barrier. She caught the retaliatory strike mid-air with an open palm before recoiling back, skidding along the grassy ground and kicking up a spray of dirt.

"Oh, if it's not the Mighty Pink Diamond. You sure are a wild card here today," Erebos commented, amazement apparent in his voice.

Ashaiki squinted her eyes and retorted, "I don't know anyone who calls me by that name, but I do remember rumors of a creature who is almost impossible to track."

With a determined stance, she demanded, "What do you want, and why are you killing humans?!"

"Even if I explained it to you, it's way too early for us to be meeting."

"So, you will need to go for a swim," Erebos declared, his voice carrying a menacing yet playful tone. "SNAPPP"

With a casual snap of his fingers, a portal had emerged silently behind Ashaiki– an eerie void, a silent promise of the unknown danger.

The portal's sudden appearance rippled through the still air, sending a chilly current to sweep across the scene.

The cool breeze brushed gently against Ashaiki's skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

The leaves in the surrounding trees responded to the current with a soft whispery rustle, as if whispering secrets of the impending battle.

Without a moment's delay, Erebos lunged at her with a ferocious intensity, his eyes ablaze with a dark fire. His strike was feigned, a tactic he had used to catch her off guard, his movement was like a blur—swift and deadly.

Yet, in the heart of the chaos, an unusual calm enveloped Ashaiki.

It was as if time seemed to have bowed to her will, slowing down just for her. Every detail of Erebos's menacing advance seemed to be stretching out, giving her the precious moments she needed.

With fluid grace, she maneuvered her body slightly, her lips swiftly moving to the rhythm of an ancient enchantment. Each syllable of her chant danced in the air, weaving a protective veil around her, as she prepared herself to counter the storm that was Erebos. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Her words hung in the air, resonating with an ancient power.

As she chanted, the solid ground beneath her feet shifted eerily, morphing into something else, as if it had a will of its own.

A secondary portal unveiled beneath her feet and started pulling her down, its dark opening swallowing the natural sounds around.

"Shit," Ashaiki muttered, her heart pounding crazily against her chest as the unexpected trap sprung into action. The ground beneath seemed to betray her as she started falling towards the new portal that had emerged right below her. Panic tightened her heart, but her mind raced for solutions. Instinctively, she tried to propel herself back up, her fist slamming against the ground. But much to her horror, the solid earth seemed to have liquefied upon impact, turning into a swirling mix of water and dirt, refusing her the leverage she was desperately seeking.

As her descent towards the portal quickened, in a desperate, last-ditch attempt, she ripped a dagger from her side. The cool metal was like a reassurance in her grip, however, time was against her. With a swift motion, she hurled the blade towards Jade, her voice slicing through the chaos as she yelled, "Survive."