Kepler woke up, somehow feeling hurt all over. He was aching something fierce. Even in some spots where he couldn’t, or shouldn’t feel anything. He saw a big reptilian face right above him. He had a hard time reading the expression, but it looked like worry to him.

Kepler remembered what he had seen. Magic. He thought he had seen some with the enchanted arrow, but this time, it was different. It felt like it had been real magic, if that was possible. More real, if that made any sense. And it had defied the laws of physics. The electricity had gone through the circuits powering the armor, and instead of following the path of the least resistance and being absorbed into the battery, it had continued right through into his own system. Luckily his artificial heart hadn’t stopped.

But the ache he felt was different from shock, it felt like his very being was burning. He saw Zosk above him trying to tell him something, but he used words he didn’t understand. Zosk cast a small spell and pointed at it, then tried to mimic that there was a lot of it, then pointed at him. He had too much magic? Inside him? But that made no sense.

At the edge of his vision, he saw something move. He quickly checked the recording to see what he had seen. Oh no, another of those damned foxes. He tried to stand up while telling Zosk, but he was simply missing some words.

“Thing is back.” He said while pointing. How could moving feel so hard. It was like he had no strength at all.

“We need to get the _____ out of here.” Zosk replied, using a word he didn’t know.

More movement, the monster must have brought friends. Shakily, Kepler stood up, and they started moving in the opposing direction.

“We can use my jetpack.” He told Zosk, but he didn’t know what that meant. Kepler pointed at his back and mimicked flying with his hand.

Zosk quickly caught on and Kepler held him in a hug before starting to take off. It was a lot harder to keep balance with someone else to hold. They were barely a few feet above the ground when a lightning bolt shot towards them.

It barely missed them, but another fox was already charging the attack. Kepler tried to accelerate upwards, above the forest, they were almost out when a lightning bolt hit him in the foot, traveling up his body. He lost control for a split second, but it was enough to have them swerve into a tree. Kepler lost his grip on Zosk, and they both fell to the ground.

They stood up, groaning, as the foxes caught up to them. There were more than expected. At least a dozen were surrounding them. Another lightning strike flew towards them, but stopped as it hit a barrier in the air. Another one hit the barrier, and it shattered. Zosk put up another.

“Can’t ___ for long.” He told Kepler. Not one to hesitate, Kepler charged at the closest Threefox. The fox split into 3 images, but he had heat vision on and could clearly see the real one. He charged it and as he was about to hit it, a lightning bolt hit him in the side.

His vision went black. He woke up when he hit the ground. It wasn’t enough. They would die here. That damned magic ! He couldn’t do anything against it. Kepler was so frustrated, panicked, scared. But he couldn’t just give up. He had to do something.

[Level up ! Warrior level 1 achieved]

[New skill - Magic resistance - Weak]

Suddenly he felt better, so much better than he ever had in fact. He stood up fast. He wasn’t slowed down by whatever had happened before. Kepler lunged towards the elusive fox and caught it, then smashed its skull on a nearby tree. Another lightning strike hit him from behind, and he staggered for a second. It had hurt, but it was nothing compared to before.

Zosk was having trouble fighting the other foxes, but only had minor wounds so far, but he was slowly losing. Kepler quickly rushed one of the foxes harassing Zosk, his punch breaking the creatures middle skull.

Night had fallen a while back, and looking at them were lots and lots of yellows eyes. Slowly they moved forwards, towards their prey.

---------------------------------

Maximilian was in his lab. But he wasn’t alone. For once. Gathered in his lab were dozens of people. Most of them were scientists, but there were some from the military too.

“As some of you know, I have been working on stabilizing wormholes to solve our expansion problems. In the email I sent you all, I explained that I had a breakthrough.” He was getting nervous. He knew it wasn’t stable, but it was still an amazing start, and with this he should get more funds, and more importantly, help in getting all the kinks worked out.

“There are still some stability issues, but I hope today's demonstration will convince you of the importance of this project.” He continued. He saw some of the military were looking bored, but they stayed polite, for now.

Maximilian had brought several screens showing the inside of the test chamber, so they had a view from several angles.

“I’ll now start the prototype, and let you see for yourselves!” He said as he started everything up. The whirring noise started and most of his audience were waiting expectantly.

Slowly, a bubble started appearing on the cameras, soon showing a dark landscape, barely illuminated. There was enough light however to see grass, some trees, and nature on the other side. Gasps could be heard from some.

“Could we take a closer look?” One of the military asked. It was a general, Tobias Carter if he recalled correctly.

“Of course general. Follow me.” He could already hear excited whispering from the scientists, even some from the military looked surprised.

They all followed him out, having been warned that they would need power suits and quickly made way.

“An airlock? Did you pressurize the interior, Dr. Pierce ?” One of the scientist asked Max.

“Not initially, but you’ll understand why, if we you’d all follow me inside?” They soon walked into the airlock. Through the window one could see the portal already, but on the other side, explosions of light could be seen.

“What is that Dr.? Is that normal?” Someone exclaimed.

Before he could answer, the airlock opened to the inside, and they could hear something. Crackling lightning. In the distance they could make out bursts of light, coming towards them.

“What in the hell is going on Dr. Pierce?” The general asked him as they came closer.

“I don’t know sir, it’s a whole new world out there, unexplored! I have no idea what that is.” He quickly said.

“Shut it down.” The general ordered.

“At once sir.” Max responded, but before he could give the shutdown command, he spotted something. Someone was running towards them ! Wait, was that a walking, no running, lizard?!

He wasn’t the only one who spotted it and more than one foul word left their mouths. Wait, was that Kepler running towards them? What was he doing over there? What was going on?

“Shut it down now Maximilian!” The general shouted.

“Wait, general, that’s my son running towards us! We have to help him!” The general was quite for a moment, assessing the situation. He soon came to a conclusion.

“Soldiers, surround the portal, weapons out.” They all deployed the standard swords, and soon, energy could be seen on the edge of the weapons.

“Dr. As soon as he is through, you are to terminate the portal, understood?” The general said without looking back at him.

“Yes sir, thank you.” He said, getting ready to send the shutdown signal.

As they came closer, their pursuers could be finally be seen, they were so foreign, weird, magical that everyone was stunned after spotting one. They were shooting lightning, but also sometimes disappearing, or multiplying.

There were dozens of them, hot on his sons heels.

“General, permission to use a gun?” One of the soldiers asked.

“Granted.” The general immediately responded.

The reptile looking person took a lightning hit in the back, and Kepler stopped for a second, smashed aside one of the three headed foxes, put him on his back and kept running. They weren’t far now, only 50 meters left. 40. He was running at full speed.

A resounding bang could be heard, and the foxes stopped in their tracks for a moment. One of them had suddenly collapsed. They furiously started shooting lightning back. Some of the lightning bolts went hit the reptile on his back, another on Kepler’s leg, but he kept running.

A few of the lightning bolts went through the portal, one of the scientist got hit and collapsed. The other panicked and started running towards the airlock. The military held still, ready to hold the ground. They weren’t many, around ten in all. But clearly the general thought it would be enough.

Another shot was heard, and Kepler was closing in fast. Twenty meters, Fifteen. They were so close now. He activated the jetpack to fly the last meters, crashing through the portal and into the thick wall.

Instantly Max started the shutdown sequence.

“It’s not instant general, but it’s shutting down!” he screamed at the general to be heard over the sounds of lightning flying.

“Hold your ground, no one go through!” The general bellowed.

Slowly, so slowly, the portal started shrinking. Some of the foxes jumped through at them, the soldiers slashed through them with efficiency. One got hit by a lightning bolt, fell to one knee, before standing back up, continuing to defend, albeit with slower movements.

Another one had a fox stuck biting on his arm, but it couldn’t pierce the suit. The soldier shook it off, and sent it flying, it landed in front of a scientist who yelled in surprise. The fox quickly used this opportunity to jump on him, all three head biting at the woman. She panicked for a second until she realized it could harm her through the power suit.

Everyone quickly realized only the lightning was dangerous, and the foxes weren’t using it as much now. It was quickly devolving into a one sided brawl.

A minute later, dozens of fox corpses were strewn all around the room, the portal was gone, and only a few people were unconscious.

“Well, Dr. Pierce, I’d like to congratulate you on your most impressive discovery!” The general started.

“And I am glad I took the time to come in person.” He was looking at Kepler, and the Reptile still on his back, eyes glinting.