Chapter 20: Teleport

"Dune, Nely, and Atlas moved through the forest in tandem. Atlas led the way, his confident stride cutting through the dense foliage, while Nely and Dune followed closely behind, their footsteps muffled by the forest floor.

As they traversed the forest, the air thick with tension, an ominous rumble echoed beneath their feet. Nely's eyes widened in alarm. "What's happening?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Dune's brows furrowed as he scanned their surroundings, seeking answers that eluded him. "I'm not sure," he admitted, his tone grave with concern.

Without warning, the earth beneath them convulsed, as if stirred by unseen hands. A shimmering golden vortex materialized, its radiant energy pulling them inexorably into its swirling depths.

Darkness engulfed Dune, wrapping him in its cold embrace as he plummeted through the void.

Moments later, he found himself hurtling through the open sky thousands of meters high,"What the hell?" the distant horizon painted with hues of twilight.

Below him lay a small island,As he hurtled closer to the ground, the impending impact loomed ever nearer, threatening to shatter his bones upon contact.

Yet, just as Dune braced himself for the inevitable collision, a mysterious force intervened, arresting his descent with a gentle yet firm hand.

Suspended in mid-air, mere meters from impact, an unseen force arrested Dune's fall, sparing him from death.

"What the hell was that? " He was now alone. Dune's pulse quickened as he scanned his surroundings, the eerie silence amplifying the ominous atmosphere that enveloped the island.

Suddenly, growl shattered the stillness, jolting Dune from his thoughts. Whirling around, his eyes widened in horror as he beheld the monstrous creature before him.

Its 4 Meters tall grotesque form loomed ominously, Black body and exposed bare flesh, three twisted faces of Human, wolf, and Deer contorted in hunger, their six red eyes fixated on their prey.

"Food," the creature snarled with its three mouths, its voice a sinister echo that reverberated through the air, sending a chill down Dune's spine.

Without a moment's hesitation, Dune's instincts kicked into overdrive, propelling him into a frantic sprint.

He ran as fast as he could, the sound of his own ragged breaths mingling with the creature's menacing growls behind him.

Adrenaline surged through his veins, lending speed to his strides as he fought to outpace the relentless pursuit.

Dune crouched behind the rock, his chest heaving with exertion, he gripped his sword tightly, his senses on high alert. The air crackled with tension, every rustle of leaves a potential harbinger of danger.

Suddenly, without warning, the tranquility was shattered as the rock he hid behind exploded into shards, sending him tumbling backward in a whirlwind of chaos.

His heart pounding in his ears, Dune staggered to his feet, his eyes narrowing in determination as he faced the glowing creature before him.

Its hideous form pulsated with a sickly yellow Neba, its malevolent intent clear in the twisted curl of its lips.

Reacting on instinct, Dune darted to the side, narrowly avoiding another blast of yellow Neba that seared through the air where he had stood mere moments before.

With a surge of adrenaline, he lunged forward, his sword gleaming in the dim light as it sliced through the space where the creature's head had been.

But the creature was quick to retaliate, its clawed hand lashing out in a deadly arc toward Dune. With lightning reflexes, Dune twisted his body, the sharp claws grazing his skin as he danced away from the lethal strike.

Undeterred, he pressed on, his movements fluid and precise as he closed the distance between them. With a swift upward motion, he brought his sword down in a sweeping arc, aiming for the creature's exposed flesh.

But before the blade could make contact, the creature's hand shot out, catching the sword in a vice-like grip.

Thinking quickly, Dune released his grip on the sword, allowing it to fall from his grasp as he plummeted toward the ground below. As he fell, he twisted his body, narrowly evading another blast of Neba that erupted from the creature's gaping maw.

Regaining his footing, Dune snatched up his fallen sword, his eyes ablaze with determination as he launched himself back into the fray.

With a series of fast strikes, he sliced through the creature's flesh, he managed to cut off creature's hand, but the creature's wound began to regenerate themselves back together before his eyes.

"Yeah yeah obviously Regeneration.. this is great "

Dune clashed with the monstrous creature, his mind raced with strategies and possibilities.

"What can I do? How should I beat this monster?" he thought to himself, his focus split between dodging the creature's attacks and formulating a plan.

"Only way is to fight it until it's out of Neba,.. creature used Naba when it healed itself… that means it needs Neba to heal himself, if its out of Neba i can kill it " he concluded, his determination fueling each strike of his sword.

With each slice, he felt a surge of strength as his sword absorbed the creature's Neba, growing more powerful with every blow. A smirk tugging at his lips as he sliced through one of the creature's faces.

But his triumph was short-lived as the creature's retaliatory punch sent him hurtling through the air, the wind knocked from his lungs.Creature didn't heal its face ..it was out of Neba!

As Dune scrambled to his feet, his sword glowing with newfound energy, Dune's mind raced.

Creature dashed towards him, a sense of exhilaration coursing through Dune as he swung his sword and accidentally unleashed a torrent of white light from it, slicing through the creature's body with ease, Monster lost its head and fell down lifeless.

"What? This sword can unleash absorbed Neba?"

Hah, this is good. Why didn't Atlas tell me about this? I guess he didn't know either.".

Dune talket to himself and laughed as he continued walking deeper into the forest.

As he continued his exploration of the island, he finally found something, Ahead, nestled amidst the overgrown vegetation, loomed the silhouette of a village.

Or what remained of one, at least. It appeared ancient, its weathered structures bearing the scars of time.

As he ventured deeper into the abandoned settlement, Dune couldn't help but marvel at the eerie stillness that enveloped him.

The houses, though dilapidated, held an air of mystery, their silent walls whispering tales. Amidst the ruins, one structure caught his eye, a lone house that seemed relatively intact.

With cautious steps, Dune crossed the threshold into the dim interior, his senses alert to any sign of danger.

To his surprise, the interior of the house offered a semblance of shelter from the outside world. Despite the layers of dust that coated every surface, there was a certain comfort to be found within its walls.

Ascending the creaking stairs to the second floor, Dune surveyed the desolate scene before him.

Broken furniture lay strewn about, a testament to the passage of time and neglect. Yet amidst the wreckage, he discovered a room that appeared untouched by decay.

Two wooden beds stood side by side, their frames worn but sturdy. Without hesitation, Dune settled onto one of the beds, his weary limbs grateful for the reprieve.

But as he turned his gaze to the neighboring bed, he froze in surprise, a figure lay there, shrouded in slumber.

"How did I miss him?" Dune wondered aloud, his voice barely more than a whisper in the silent room.

Drawing closer, he studied the sleeping form, noting the crispness of his attire amidst the surrounding disarray.

guy had long dark blue hair and wore a smart ensemble, complete with a top hat resting atop his head, wearing black circle shaped earrings, tattoos on his hands and neck and a cane lying nearby.

With a mixture of curiosity and caution, Dune approached the slumbering stranger,

Dune's heart raced as the guy abruptly stirred from his slumber, his instincts urging him to ready his sword for any potential threat.

With trembling hands, he pointed the blade towards the figure, his gaze locked on the enigmatic stranger.

But to his astonishment,guy merely glanced at him before nonchalantly turning away, as though dismissing Dune's presence entirely.

Despite his best efforts to rouse him, the man seemed unfazed, simply returning to his interrupted repose.

"What in the world?" Dune muttered, his mind reeling with confusion. He couldn't make sense of this bizarre turn of events, the surreal nature of the situation leaving him at a loss for words.

"Hey, wake up!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with frustration. Yet still, the figure in front of him remained unmoved, his form receding back into the realm of slumber as if nothing had transpired.

As Dune settled onto the bed, his mind churned with conflicting thoughts. Was the stranger a threat, or merely a weary traveler seeking respite like himself?

He wouldn't kill me when im asleep right? Ah dammit! With a resigned sigh, he surrendered to exhaustion, allowing sleep to claim him.

When he awoke, it was to the unsettling sight of the man's face looming above him, his gaze piercing and inscrutable. Startled, Dune recoiled, tumbling from the bed in a tangled heap.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed, his heart pounding with a mixture of Shock and bewilderment. Yet, to his surprise, the man before him erupted into laughter, his features softening with amusement.

"I'm Elijah," the figure announced, his voice warm and inviting. Dune blinked in confusion, his mind struggling to grasp the sudden shift in demeanor.

"I'm Dune," he replied tentatively, his skepticism warring with a newfound sense of curiosity.

Elijah laughed again. "Dune? That's a weird name. And what are you wearing, Dune? Are you cosplaying someone?"

Dune frowned, confused. "Cosplay? What? No, these are normal clothes. And look at you, why are you wearing that?"

Elijah glanced at his outfit. "Oh, this? Doesn't it look good? Girls loved it."

Dune sighed. "Are you from Seraphein?"

Elijah nodded. "Yep. Wait, you aren't?"

Dune shook his head. "I'm from Sanatria. Different continent."

Elijah sighed. "Haha, so it wasn't only Seraphein. By the way, what's happening outside? How many Zetens are left?"

Dune was perplexed. "How should I know that? And what are you doing here, sleeping?"

Elijah replied, "Waiting until only 10 of us are left. That's my plan. Honestly, the last two weeks I've been living like this.

I go out only at night, kill something, take water to store, and then come back here. Eat and sleep. It's boring, but now that you're here, I have a companion. It's not so bad, right?"

Dune looked at him, annoyed. He realized Elijah was just a lazy bastard. But was his plan bad? He was just trying to survive. "I can't stay here. I'm going to search for my friends," Dune said.

Elijah stood up. "Okay, let's go."

Dune stopped him. "Wait, where are you going?"

Elijah was confused. "Um, to save your friends? Listen, I'm not weak. I can help you in your journey, and I'm bored. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it when you were asleep."

Even though he didn't trust Elijah, he still needed company.. "True," Dune admitted. "Alright, it's better to travel with you than alone."

Dune regretted his decision almost immediately. As they traveled together through the forest, Elijah didn't shut up for a second.

He sang stupid songs from his continent and talked about random things like TV. What even is TV? Dune thought, feeling more and more exasperated with each passing minute.

Elijah walked with one hand in his pocket and his cane resting on his shoulder. Elijah was complaining, "I thought this would end in a day, but I've been here for two weeks! Dammit, I miss my lovely city, the good food, and my beautiful house.

This is so annoying. I hate this," he thought to himself. "We've been walking for hours. I'm tired, I'm hungry, …

I want to take a hot shower, i hate this place. When I get back home, I'm gonna eat everything that i stored in refrigerator, starting with the cake first and then Ice cream"

He glanced at Dune. "What are you gonna do when you get back to your place?"

"My city was destroyed, so I don't know. I'm probably going to search for my family in the main city, Rendely."

"Oho, your family? I also have a family, you know. I think they hate me. They wanted me to be a hero and all that annoying stuff, but I just wanted to sing, draw, read and sleep, you know? And I'm pretty good, right?"

Sing? Dune, who thought Elijah was the worst singer, answered, "Yeah, sure, sure." He then asked, "Heroes? That's a job?"

Elijah nodded. "Yeah, you see, in our country, there are many terrorist attacks and bad people who want to harm others. So we have heroes with Zetens, and they protect people from evil. But it's a boring job. I was too lazy for it."

Dune was confused. "Wait, people don't hate Zetens in Seraphein? Don't they lose control? What if they destroy cities and kill people?"

Elijah laughed. "That happens too, and that's why there are other heroes to stop it. They have four-person teams, and if one loses control and becomes a monster, the other three will stop it. There aren't many accidents anyway. You won't lose control if you just listen and do what the whispers say."

"What?" This information was new to Dune. "What do you mean, listen to whispers?"

"Oh, that's—" Elijah was about to explain when a voice boomed from above, echoing across the sky. It was a God himself speaking to them.

A resonant, godly voice thundered from the sky, making both Elijah and Dune stop in their tracks.

"mortals. You have endured and survived. Now, with only 100 of you remaining, all gathered on this island, we near the climax of our grand event. May the gods bless you and illuminate your path. Only ten of you will be chosen.

The voice continued, echoing with divine authority. "Give the gods a reason to choose you. Show us your all, everything you have within you. Prove your worth and let your strength and spirit shine."

Important Information:

(There are billions of people and millions of Zetens on each continent, for the blessings ceremony only fifteen thousand Zetens were summoned.

And from this only 10 should survive at the end.. Zetens were chosen from ages 15 to 20.. every single Zeten was stabbed in the heart by a Cross sword or Consumed by Red special Neba before participating in the blessings ceremony )