66 Chapter 66

For a few moments my mind blanked as I stared at the sight. What in the hell is that? Fear filled my mind as I stared at the yellow cloud that flowed out of the crack in the sky. Other shapes were coming through the crack as well but shortly after passing through the yellow cloud each of the dark shapes fell to the ground. Seeing that happening only justified the fear I felt when I looked at the yellow cloud.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts then looked at the yellow cloud again. This time I remembered to use my new enhanced sight ability. I hadn't put any additional wisps into the ability, but anything was better than nothing. While the single wisp was enough to give me a much closer look at the cloud, it wasn't enough. The crack in the sky was a lot farther away than I had thought it was. It was higher and larger than I had thought so I misjudged the distance.

With that realization I closed my eyes and quickly shifted my consciousness into my mana core and shifted nine wisps into the ability as fast as I could. As soon as it was done I opened my eyes.

"Daryl?" Megan called out to me hesitantly.

"I'm fine." I replied back reassuringly without taking my gaze away from the yellow cloud and crack in the sky. With a fully maxed out enhanced sight ability I got a closer look at the yellow cloud. What I saw sent a chill down my spine. The yellow cloud wasn't a cloud at all, but a swarm of tiny little something. I could see that the cloud was made up of an enormous number of individual creatures flying around on their own, but they were too small and too far for me to make out what exactly they were, despite my enhanced sight.

They weren't doing much besides hovering in the air, then I saw another shape come through the crack. Shifting my attention to the new shape I was able to see that it resembled a gargoyle. It had dark gray rough looking skin, ugly monstrous features that roughly resembled a humans, a muscular humanoid body, and large bat-like wings. As soon as the gargoyle flew into the swarm of insects they flew towards it like starved piranhas. As soon as the gargoyle noticed the insects a look of fear appeared on its monstrous face, or was that surprise? It was hard for me to tell. Either way the gargoyle immediately turtled up. It closed its eyes and mouth then wrapped its wings tightly around its body. Obviously without its wings to support it the gargoyle fell out of the sky until I lost sight of it.

Given the gargoyle's reaction to the swarm, I knew it was a very bad idea to get closer.

A warm hand filled my left hand, followed a moment later by another warm hand filling my right. I glanced to my sides to see Megan and Karen holding my hands. They were standing close to me as they nervously watched the crack in the sky.

I wanted to tell them that it would be alright, but I restrained myself. I had no idea what was going on, and that cloud scared me more than anything I had seen so far.

"Any idea what it is?" Micheal asked everyone.

I looked around, and only then realized that everyone who wasn't advancing to copper core was outside staring at the crack in the sky.

"The cloud is a swarm of tiny creatures." I replied, just as I said that two more gargoyles came through the rift and repeated the actions of the previous one. "The other things coming through look like gargoyles. As soon as they see the swarm they cover themselves tightly with their wings and fall like rocks."

"Isn't that suicide?" Courtney asked.

I shrugged. "For us? Sure. For them? Who knows." I said then frowned. "Actually, I am not even sure if that would be suicide for me, at least not anymore."

"Seriously Daryl?" Micheal asked his gaze curious.

I shrugged. "No idea, I just know my body is a lot tougher than it used to be." I replied.

Everyone else around Micheal looked at me doubtfully, Micheal on the other hand was excited. "How?" he asked me.

I considered it for a moment, I didn't trust most of the people here, but with others advancing to metal cores soon, I knew I wouldn't be able to hide it for long. So I relented and explained about the transformation I went through when I advanced into a true metal core, and the additional transformation from when I advanced my physical ability up to the second stage.

Once I had explained everything no one looked at me doubtfully anymore.

Instead they had completely forgotten about the threat of the yellow swarm and the crack in the sky, and wanted to ask me more about how they could advance to metal core too. I shook my head after hearing their questions and was about to tell them that I didn't know how to help them, when a loud screech drew all of our attention back to the crack in the sky.

What looked like giant claws were grasping the edge of the crack and a large fiery red head was poking through the crack.

"A firebird!" Enya yelled excitedly as she appeared beside me.

"Shit!" Micheal cursed as he stared at the crack in the sky. "Firebird, you mean like a phoenix?" he asked then looked over at Enya only to do a double take as he realized that she had grown in size. However he didn't ask and just waited for her answer.

"They are related, but not the same, kind of like how a wyvern is related to a dragon." Enya replied without taking her eyes off of the firebird as it tried to force its way through the crack. The yellow swarm seemed to notice the firebird and began to move away from the crack. Before the swarm could move far the firebird spotted the swarm then let out a thick torrent of flames that shone almost as brightly as the sun. The firebird directed the flames over the entire swarm. After a minute the fire disappeared. Once my vision was restored I could see the firebird continuing to try wriggle through the crack in the sky, and there was no sign of the swarm left in the sky.

"As happy as I am to see that swarm gone, I really hope that thing doesn't make it through." I stated aloud.

Several others agreed with me.

"How is that thing even doing that?" Karen asked. "That should be a crack in the dimensions…" she said then trailed off.

I shrugged. "I don't know. With the information I gained from my own spatial abilities, it shouldn't be able to. The edge of the crack should be sharper than the sharpest blade imaginable." I told her.

"Then how?" Karen asked.

I shook my head. "Maybe it is something about the bird, or maybe my understanding is too shallow." I replied.

"Maybe both." Micheal added.

I nodded.

"Master, master, can we catch it?" Enya begged.

"Huh? Catch it? Are you joking?" I asked looking at the three foot tall fire fairy like she was crazy.

"Master!" Enya begged. "With your new ability you should be able to catch it in a private space." she told me.

"I have other plans for that." I told her.

"Are you limited to one?" she asked me.

I frowned and hesitated as I considered that for a moment, was I? I hadn't thought about it before. As soon as I did, I was sure I wasn't. "What would be the point?" asked without admitting that I could.

"They are really rare, intelligent, and powerful. If we could befriend it, it could really help us out." Enya replied. "And since it is so desperate to get through, it must be running from something else." she explained quickly.

I stared at Enya for several moments, shocked by her recent replies. I had been thinking of her like she was a ditzy fool, especially since Delilah was summoned. Now though I was having to rethink that.

"She is correct, master." Delilah said from my shadow.

I hesitated for several moments as I looked back at the firebird. Given the size of the crack in the sky and the fact that the bird still couldn't get through, it had to be huge. Was capturing it a good idea?"

"Master!" Enya pleaded.

I looked down at Karen then Megan. Both looked back at me waiting for my decision.

"You know you want to." Karen told me.

As soon as she said it, I knew she was right. I did want to, I was just too scared that I wouldn't be able to hold it and bring danger to everyone else.

"Fine." I said then looked back at the firebird as it struggled to force the crack further open.

"Uh, Daryl, is that a good idea?" Micheal asked for the crowd around me.

I shrugged. "It should be safe." I replied evasively. Now that I had decided to do it, I didn't want to get talked out of it.

With my decision made I tried to figure out how I was going to do it. My mind raced as I considered the various options I had available to me. As I did a plan began to form in my mind. Once I had a plan I walked several feet away from the others then concentrated on a space a dozen yards in front of the crack. Once I had that place locked in my mind I opened a portal to that spot in the sky. As soon as the portal opened I shifted my sight to look through the portal.

Once the portal appeared the firebird stopped thrashing. A pair of bright golden eyes regarded me seriously as it looked back at me.

Enya flew to my side then waved at the firebird through the portal. "Hi!" she said excitedly.

Never mind, she really was an idiot.