The Upcoming Expedition

Stepping out into the unbelievable landscape, Atrixus took a moment to marvel at the hole he had left within the mountain. The realization that he had become something more than human, something potent and wild, settled within him.

The quiet of the aftermath was punctuated by his heavy breaths, the only evidence of exertion the escape had demanded. Looking back at the cavern that had been both a tomb and a crucible, Atrixus felt a surge of gratitude for the trial that had birthed his transformation.

■■■

At the depths of the interior area within the blueish mountain, the figures of Corin and Talia emerged, their presence heralded by the soft crunch of alien foliage underfoot.

Adorned in transformation armors, the material an embodiment of their past victories over numerous Evos, they were a striking sight. Corin's armor bore the sleek, metallic sheen of an uncommon Vortex Panther, with sections that shimmered and shifted, mimicking the creature's ability to distort its immediate surroundings.

Talia's, on the other hand, radiated the luminescent aura of a crystal Seraph, its surfaces reflecting the environment with a prismatic purple brilliance.

As they approached the site of the collapsed rocks, the air was thick with a burning stench.

Corin raised his hand, which began to emit a silver glow reminiscent of the Vortex Panther's core energy. With a calculated thrust forward, the energy surged, targeting the debris with precision.

Thooom!

The rocks, an imposing barrier to any ordinary being, scattered as though they were made of mere sand, revealing the cavernous space that had served as Atrixus's initial prison.

What met their eyes was a scene far removed from their expectations. The carcass of the Sacred Revilcorn Evo lay partially consumed.

More shocking, however, was the absence of the boy's corpse, who they already assumed would be long dead. The space was instead dominated by a roughly tunneled hole that bore the marks of a desperate escape.

The two System Bearers exchanged looks of disbelief.

"That kid did this?" Corin's voice broke the silence, his tone a mixture of incredulity and grudging respect.

"But how? He isn't a System Bearer?" Talia added, her eyes scanning the remnants of the battleground for clues.

"Unless we were fooled, and he pretended to be a slum dweller in disguise," she speculated, her voice trailing off as she considered the implications.

The revelation that Atrixus might have been more than he seemed... that he had concealed a power capable of altering their mission, sent a ripple of shock through their ranks.

After a moment of shared contemplation, a decision was made.

"We need to find him," Corin stated, the resolve in his voice leaving no room for argument.

"He holds the answers, and we better have an explanation with proof for the boss, or he will have our heads."

With that, they ventured into the tunnel, the passage a crude reminder of the primal struggle for survival. The path was marked by the charred remnants of rock and the faint traces of energy they had yet to fully comprehend.

Their conversation, once filled with disbelief, now turned to speculation; "If he managed to assimilate the Sacred Revilcorn's ability..." Talia mused, her voice a mix of wonder and concern.

"I doubt it. Assimilation is not so easy and even harder to achieve for higher tier Evos, but if he did... the boss will have him give it up." Corin concluded, his words echoing through the tunnel as they pressed forward.

As the end of the tunnel came into view, the night light of Shunri Paradise greeted them once more.

Emerging from the tunnel carved with desperate determination by Atrixus, Corin, and Talia found themselves on the edge of an expanse that stretched infinitely into the horizon.

The terrain before them was blanketed with purplish grass, swaying gently under the breeze of Shunri Paradise, a sea of violet under the night sky adorned with seven moons.

The moons, each a different size and hue, cast a soft, ethereal light over the landscape, their positions in the sky creating a view of celestial beauty.

The largest moon, a luminescent crimson pearl, hung low, its light illuminating the path ahead, while the others, in a diagonal arrangement, seemed to guard the night, their glow intertwining with the colors of the grass below.

Corin's gaze swept across the expanse, "He must have gone this way. There's no turning back with the other access point sealed."

Talia nodded, her eyes reflecting the moonlit scene.

"That kid is out here, somewhere. We need to find him, and quickly."

"Come forth, Stregbor!"

Corin called upon his Assimilated Summon.

The air vibrated with energy, and from the ground rose a creature of majestic stature, a mammoth-like beast with teal hides that shimmered under the night sky. Its body was adorned with thick, reddish scales, strategically placed like an armor over its vital areas, providing natural protection.

The beast's eyes glowed with a quiet intelligence as it bowed slightly to allow access to its back.

Corin and Talia, without hesitation, climbed onto its back, settling themselves between the ridges of its armored scales.

With a command from Corin, the mammoth beast surged forward, its movements graceful despite its size. The landscape blurred around them as they traversed the purplish fields at incredible speed, the wind rushing past them carrying the unique scents of Shunri Paradise.

Behind them, a figure emerged from the side of the mountain they had just vacated. Atrixus's gaze lingered on the departing figures as he let out a sigh of relief.

"I was right... the unstable access point has closed. Good thing I didn't head back."

Turning his attention to the night sky, Atrixus found himself captivated by the sight of the seven moons. Each one told a story, a silent witness to the countless dramas that had unfolded under their watch.

He returned his attention to the direction both system bearers had headed in.

"There must be a legal access point in that direction... Time to start walking."

In the aftermath of his harrowing escape and transformative encounter with the Sacred Revilcorn Evo, Atrixus Timothy set his sights on a singular goal: to find a legal access point and exit Shunri Paradise.

With the System Bearers' departure as his guide, he ventured into the heart of the realm. A beautiful, bewildering, and incredibly dangerous world.

Sometimes, Atrixus would sprint, driven by the urgency of his mission. He discovered he was at least three times faster than before and imbued with a lot of energy as he moved with newfound agility.

The air would rush past him, filled with the scents of unseen flora, a mixture of aromas that no Earthly garden could hope to replicate.

Other times, he would slow down, especially when it seemed like there were dangers in his surroundings.

He was just a newbie System Bearer and was still very weak, so he didn't want to push his luck by purposely seeking out Evos. He decided to avoid them to the best of his abilities.

However, even after crossing a couple of miles, he still hadn't come across a single person. Only weird landscapes and flying Evos whom he did his best to hide from.

One thing he did note was the large footsteps of the assimilated summoned Evo that Corin and Talia were traveling on. Atrixus kept following its tracks as his guide.

■■■

Paricus City, a metropolis that thrummed with the pulse of progress, was a place of stark contrasts. Its heart, Sacred Heights High School, was proof of the city's commitment to nurturing the next generation of System Bearers.

The school grounds were alive with activity, the air filled with the hum of floating vehicles as they glided gracefully above the ground, depositing students from affluent families at the gates of the prestigious institution.

The vibrancy of the school was unmatched, its corridors echoing with the chatter and laughter of students. Among them, the year three students commanded a special status, their every move watched and discussed, for they stood on the cusp of stepping into the wider world as System Bearers, the elites of society.

In class three, however, there was an empty seat that had gone unnoticed for the past three days.

Atrixus Timothy, the boy from the slums who had dared to dream of becoming a System Bearer, was absent. His absence, while noted, stirred no little more than a shrug among most of his peers.

Whispers filled the air, speculations that he had finally succumbed to the inevitable, quitting a race that they had believed was never meant for him.

"The slum dweller finally realized his place," sneered one of the popular students, his words drawing a chorus of agreement from his circle.

The conversation soon shifted, as it often did, to the future that awaited them. They spoke of factions and alliances, their voices brimming with arrogance and entitlement, confident in their place within the world of System Bearers.

Amidst the day's lessons, an announcement from a teacher in class three captured everyone's attention.

"Next Friday, the school will host an expedition to Shunri Paradise," she declared, her voice cutting through the murmur of the classroom.

"It will be an educational journey, nothing too adventurous or dangerous. Remember, participation is limited to those who've passed the evaluation."