“I FOUND YOU.”

I look up towards the ceiling, seeing a little black pane of glass towards the back wall of the room. My attempts at breaking the ship’s core have been fruitless. A defense system is in place, protecting it from being destroyed. At first, I thought it was an invisible enemy, but now I know it is simply a barrier of sorts. One that is capable of deflecting attacks sent towards the the core of the ship, while also attacking any assailants that threaten it.

Once I figured that out, I simply needed some reprieve from the constant bombardment of projectiles coming at me to locate the source of the defense system. Fortunately, I am able to turn the army of Esh and En assailing me against the defense system. That gives me the reprieve I need to use the School of Divination to find my target.

And now that I have found it, I will destroy it. I zip up, avoiding the invisible attacks of the defense system. These unseen claws of pure energy that lash out at me. But it is weaker. Slower. Because it is distracted, attacking its own allies. And I easily weave around its weak defenses, reaching the black screen.

I can see through the glass. On the other side of it is a bunch of machinery— some kind of machination that enables this defense system to work. With my current enhanced vision, I see the sparks inside. The electricity that crackles, enabling whatever this is to function. I know that if I break it, it will stop working.

And that is what I plan to do. I raise a fist, and the invisible mist flickers. Perhaps there is some sentience there. Maybe there is even sapience. But I care not for its fear. I smash through the glass, and there is a flurry of flashing lights within the defense system. Almost panicked.

In an attempt at self-preservation, it recalls half of the mist all around the room. I can sense it all quickly receding, focusing on protecting the machine hidden behind the glass. I punch again, but this time, my fist meets the barrier. It does not break through— an invisible force stops me.

I can hear beeping. Unlike the alarm that is blaring, this is soft and almost carries meaning. I narrow my eyes, hearing the beeps in tune with the flashing lights. As if it is laughing at me. Almost as if it is bragging that I cannot get to it.

My lips curl up into a smirk and I glance back— towards the already-weakened barrier surrounding the core. The one that has already been whittled down. I nod in response to the defense system.

“I know I cannot get to you,” I say and spin around. “But I can get to that.”

I raise a hand as the defense system beeps in shock. The mist surrounding it tries to return— to fully protect the core of the ship. But it is to slow. I have already prepared the Qi blast in the palm of my hand. It shoots out. Quick. Weak. But it gets the job done.

The Qi blast explodes against the surface of the ship’s core. A small explosion. A blast that can barely even kill an En. After all, it is designed to be swift above all. And the swiftness is what gains me victory.

For a moment, nothing happens after the small blast resounds in the room. Then the next moment, the entire ship rumbles. Like it is struck by an earthquake even mid-air. The entire ship tilts, and the machine soldiers in the room stumble with it.

I catch myself, re-orienting to face the defense system. Its beeping stops. The light in its panels dim as if it is staring in shock at what just happened. Then in that moment where it is distracted, I punch a hole in it, unleashing a flurry of flames, destroying the only thing that can stop me from escaping.

I can take no chances. If the invisible mist surrounds me, I know it can trap me unless I manage to struggle and break free. Even then, I am uncertain about my chances. Perhaps if I still have Void Walk, I can easily escape the defense system’s barriers… but the Feat cannot be re-used just yet.

And the defense system is smart enough— or ostensibly intelligent enough— to stop me from escaping. Because even if it failed at its duty, it can still bring me down with the ship. So I prevent that. I take a moment to incinerate the panel to nothing but ashes before spreading wings wide and turning around. I see a bright light before I can start down the corridor where I came from.

The core of the ship begins to flash— overheat. It pulses like a beating heart. Moving faster and faster by the moment. The rate of its pulse growing violent. Another tremor shakes the ship, and I take it as my time to leave.

I propel myself forward, flying around the group of Esh and En staggering around the large chamber. One of the Esh catches itself, using its propulsion pack to give chase after me, creating a blade of light. But I kick it aside, speeding down the corridor.

I need to escape… I remind myself of what happened when Galgom’s Hive’s core was destroyed.

It was an explosion that would have consumed me entirely had I not hurriedly escaped with the rest of the Keepers of the Grove. And this ship— it is far larger than even Galgom’s Hive. I know the blast will dwarf the last one I have seen. And I rush forward to get out of here.

The entire ship turns. The corridors flip sides. I can tell the entire ship is beginning to tumble out of the sky. I raise a hand, sending Qi blasts up, destroying walls so I can bore my way out of this coffin before it explodes.

I dodge the debris and the machines being flung in all directions, sending a final Qi blast into a wall. The explosion reveals the wheeling world at the other side, and that is when I shoot straight out of the ship.

I dive up, heading for the sky. I see up ahead the hole— the tear in the world. I stop as soon as I catch sight of it. I re-orient myself, looking back down as the giant ship falls from the sky. Fortunately, it does not fall close to Thornthistle. It spins in the air, losing all control it had.

Finally, it crashes into the mountain range beyond the city. Near when I first woke up in Utana. I wait for just a moment, holding my breath for what is to come next. And right as I begin to think it will not happen, the sky lights up.

A bright white light flashes, engulfing the entire world. Even I am forced to cover my eyes, looking away as the explosion continues to erupt. When the light vanishes, all I see is smoke. A large section of the mountain range is gone. Reduced to ashes. The nearby trees of the Flourishing Flatlands are lit aflame. An earthquake continues to reverberate over the lands for a moment. The ground cracks open all around the domain.

I can see the impact of this blast. The power of it dwarfs both the explosion of Galgom’s Hive and this new superweapon Beihal and Seiled built combined. If this ship had detonated in Warmthkeep, it would have wiped out the surrounding plateaus. The bunker built to protect the survivors of the Blazing Desert would have been utterly useless.

Fortunately, the ship itself had spiraled too far from Thornthistle. While the explosion was visible from all around the world, it does not engulf Utana, let alone the domain it is in. The city is safe. Although it felt some of the shockwave of the blast.

With my mission complete, I smile. I look down at the wreck of the ship. There is nothing there but a giant crater. And, finally, a blue screen flashes before me— the Elocunive tell me what is done. And I shake my head.

For destroying one of Idu’s Sentient Nests, you are awarded a level in your Class!

- Soulborne Level 8 advances to Soulborne Level 9

Tian

Race: Ren

Class: Soulborne Level 9

Feats:

- Void Walk

- Ray of Esh

- Dual Core

- The Guardian’s Blessing

- Soul Cycle

- Lifeblood’s Call

- Aura Pull

- Imprisonment

- True Illusion

“Good,” I whisper. “Now to lift the siege from the city.”

With that, I return to Thornthistle, helping the city wipe out the last of the Esh and the En. There are still thousands of the machines left on the ground. But together with the people of Thornthistle, we manage to crush the last of them, liberating the city from yet another invasion once again.