Alista stood at the base of the Slayer Statue, gazing upward at the monolithic structure. It was a colossal, headless figure carved from weathered stone, draped in a cloak that looked more like biological armor than fabric. Strapped to its waist was a massive, sheathed dagger, tied with a thick waistband of fossilized coral. One of the statue's majestic hands reached toward the gray sky, as if grasping for a lost star.
"It's majestic," Artemis whispered, though her eyes remained sharp, scanning for threats.
She didn't waste time. Summoning her Silver Rope, Artemis began the arduous climb. She carried the petite Gwen with her, while Klaus, Fors, and Alista Tudor followed, hauling themselves up the shimmering cord.
The ascent took hours, the wind howling around the statue's smooth curves, but eventually, all five reached the summit. They stood upon the flat, jagged neck of the headless titan, overlooking the desolate ruins of the Forgotten Shore.
Alista immediately reached into his satchel, pulling out a handful of selected debris he had gathered during their travels. He handed them to Klaus. "Use these well. I need eyes on every beast within a kilometer of this base."
Klaus took the stones, his fingers glowing with a soft, vibrant light. Alista had previously mentioned the existence of familiar creatures—leeches, moths, and butterflies. Klaus focused, and the stones began to liquefy and reform. Within moments, several butterflies took flight. They were beautiful but horrifying; their wings were made of jagged coral, and dark, protrusion-like horns grew from their delicate heads. They looked less like insects and more like miniature Nightmare Creatures.
Klaus closed his eyes, his consciousness tethered to the swarm. "Now, we wait for the report."
Time slowed as they waited in the high-altitude silence. To keep their senses sharp, Alista and Artemis engaged in a low-intensity sword spar, the ring of steel on steel echoing off the stone. Nearby, Gwen sat with Fors, patiently teaching the archer the intricate hand signs of her silent language.
Suddenly, Klaus's eyes snapped open. "Guys, the survey is done."
The group assembled around him instantly.
"There are dozens of Awakened creatures lurking in the ruins below," Klaus reported, his voice grim. "But on the north side, there's something… different. A weird-looking creature with sharp, blade-like hands. And it vanishes."
"Vanishes?" Artemis asked, her brow furrowed.
"It becomes completely invisible," Klaus confirmed. "It wears a solid, obsidian-like armor that protects its entire body." He spent the next hour meticulously describing its patterns and behavior.
As night fell, the Dark Sea surged below, turning the world into a black, watery abyss. The statue was an island in a sea of monsters.
"Tomorrow, we start the hunt," Alista declared.
"So," Klaus said, leaning back against the stone, "what shall we do to kill the time? This place is a bit too quiet."
Artemis sighed, looking toward Alista with a rare, mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, the Blood Emperor has quite a few stories from his 'homeland.' Tell them about Kuma."
The group turned their heads toward Alista. With a weary sigh, he began to narrate the tragic tale of the Tyrant who was actually a Saint, a man who bore the world's pain for the sake of those he loved.
When the story concluded, the atmosphere on the statue was heavy. Even in the dark, Alista could sense the impact. Artemis and Fors remained stoic, having heard it before, but Gwen was crying silently, tears shimmering on her pale cheeks.
Klaus sat stunned, his mouth slightly agape. "That… that was peak fiction," he whispered.
Fors moved to comfort Gwen, patting her shoulder. "It seems it touched her heart."
Trying to shift the mood, Alista spoke. "We've shared stories. Now, tell me about your parents, Klaus. And you, Gwen."
Klaus's face instantly became a mask of cold professionalism. "I'll tell you about it later," he replied, his tone ending the conversation.
Gwen wiped her eyes and signaled quickly on Fors's palm. Fors translated: "My father is a government employee. My mother is a homemaker. That's all my life was… that's all I have left."
Alista sensed a hidden depth of grief in her signs, but he didn't push. They were all ghosts of a previous life here. After finalizing their watches, they settled in for an uneasy sleep.
****
Morning came with the stench of salt and rot. The group descended the statue, their feet hitting the ashen ground with purpose.
The air around the base of the statue was thick with a killing intent so sharp it felt like ice. Suddenly, the air shimmered, and the light distorted.
"Formation!" Alista roared.
Out of thin air, the horror appeared. She was a sleek, feminine nightmare, encased in biological obsidian armor that gleamed with a predatory luster. In place of hands, two bone-white blades extended from her forearms, glowing with a faint, malevolent light.
With a burst of speed that defied physics, she vanished again.
"Above!" Klaus shouted. He slammed his spear into a pile of rubble. "Rise!"
The stones twisted into a swarm of jagged gargoyles that lunged upward. A screech of metal on stone rang out as the invisible monster carved through them in a blurred arc. She landed in the center of their circle, her blades clashing against Artemis's sword.
"Heavy!" Artemis commanded. A massive Gravity Field slammed down. The monster's knees buckled, her invisibility flickering as the sheer force crushed her into the visible spectrum.
"Now!" Alista lunged, his [Hunter's Sword] glowing. He hurled a handful of "bribed" debris—stone shards infused with his essence. As the debris struck the creature's armor, its defensive aura flickered, weakened by the mental weight of the bribe.
Alista's blade met the creature's bone-sword. The shockwave rattled his teeth. She was incredibly fast—even under the crushing weight of Artemis's field, her skill surpassed his. She parried Alista with one arm and lunged for his throat with the other.
Zip.
An arrow whistled past Alista's ear, thudding into the monster's shoulder joint. Fors reappeared ten meters away, her bow drawn. Zip. She teleported again—a spectral blur—raining arrows from every angle to keep the beast off-balance.
The monster shrieked, a sound like grinding glass. She tapped into a burst of speed that shattered Artemis's field, turning into a black streak aimed directly at Klaus.
"Klaus, move!" Artemis screamed, throwing her Silver Rope. The rope snaked through the air, wrapping around the monster's bladed arm just inches from Klaus's throat. Klaus didn't flinch; he grabbed the rope, adding his strength to Artemis's to hold the beast back.
"Gwen, now!"
Gwen surged forward, her katana drawn. She was a silent ghost in the fray, stepping into the monster's reach. But the beast was relentless. With a brutal kick, it sent Alista flying and spun, its free blade slicing a deep, crimson gash into Gwen's side and shoulder.
Blood sprayed the ashen ground. Gwen fell to one knee, but she didn't scream. Instead, she slammed her palm into the earth.
[Healing Field: Activated]
A soft, golden light erupted, knitting her wounds and Klaus's just enough to keep them in the fight.
The battle turned into a desperate grind. Alista's armor was shattered; his body a map of lacerations. Artemis was deathly pale from the mental drain of the gravity field. Klaus's spear was snapped, and Fors was out of arrows, using her short blinks just to distract the creature's gaze.
The monster was dying, its obsidian armor leaking pale ichor, but it was taking them with it. It gathered its remaining strength and vanished into invisibility one last time.
"I can't sense her!" Klaus gasped, blood dripping into his eyes.
Alista stood in the center, his breathing ragged. He closed his eyes, leaning into the [Mad King] urge. He didn't look for her; he felt the "bribe" he had placed on her armor earlier. It was a beacon in the void.
"There!" Alista pointed.
Artemis didn't hesitate. She poured every drop of her remaining essence into a single point. "MAXIMUM PRESSURE!"
The ground beneath the invisible monster imploded. The beast crashed down, its invisibility shattered for good, its legs broken by the sudden surge of gravity.
"Gwen! Finish it!" Alista yelled, coughing up blood.
Gwen rose from her healing circle, her body shaking from blood loss. She didn't use a stance or a technique. She simply ran. The monster raised its blades for a final scissoring strike aimed at her head.
Flicker.
Fors appeared behind the monster, grabbing its head and pulling it back for a split second.
That second was all Gwen needed. She lunged, sliding beneath the monster's guard. Her katana pierced through the gap in the creature's neck armor, driven by the weight of her entire body.
The Vanishing Wrath stiffened. The malevolent light in its eyes faded. With a final, wet thud, the terror of the statue collapsed.
Silence returned.
Alista slumped against a rock, his sword falling from his nerveless fingers. Artemis fell onto her back, staring at the sky. Klaus lay nearby, laughing weakly. Gwen stood over the corpse, her katana still buried in its neck, gave a small, tired thumbs-up, and then collapsed into the dust.
Then, a ethereal voice rang in her mind:
[You have defeated a Fallen Beast: Vanishing Wrath]
[You have received a Memory: Moonlight Shard]
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