Dark Vine Entities, Submitting.

Joran unsurprisingly was the first to meet a ghastly end. His body was torn to parts before any could even blink. Lyla was quick to react putting herself into the center of the still-living duo while her arm worked its magic, the crossbow firing its bolts at the Dark vine creatures.

Some lashed out instantly while others hung back just watching or waiting.

The Dark Vine Guards were tall beings made of roots and vines twisted into a humanoid form with arms that could stretch and extend. Their heads bore no eyes as they needed none.

The reapers were even worse if that was possible, without form or shape they slithered about not caring for an opening just watching and waiting.

Rolock while weak was not one to lay still and die. The man pulled out various ammunition to be used. The first being a bottle of colorless liquid.

-Holy Water-

A light blessed liquid with purification capabilities.

The bottle smashed against one of the Dark vines shattering and letting out a strong smell of ozone. Yet before their astonished gazes, the liquid seeped into the vines themselves.

"That didn't do anything" Telma yelled.

"But. But. It's a Dark creature, it clearly has a dark in its naming" Lyla argued. The Dark guards were not so chivalrous as to let the three just attack.

From all angles vines lashed out, twigs reshaped and formed arms with deadly spikes. Some creating clubs with thickly knotted branches and roots.

Then the Dark vine guards leaped forward with a ferocity that made the three's heart jump.

A bolt dug into a vines chest area yet it was ignored. Telma's spear flashed as she clashed with a Dark Vine Guard only to be sent flying back across the hallway where the vines instantly cut her off.

"Ahhhh" Lyla's terror-induced scream shook the air but did nothing to stall the creatures as they pounced on her. Clubs struck, stakes and spikes lashing out while wood-clawed fingers raked over her.

Duck and dodge as she may there was too little room to maneuver and too many to avoid. The sharpshooter could only gasp as a stake skewered her from behind. Then unceremoniously the Dark Vine Guard who got her threw her to the Reapers.

Her fate was obvious even as the crowded Rolock.

Below Crimson lay shivering as he listened to the death throes of the man who had led the hunt against him. There was no guilt or care in him, just the fright of certain death.

Now that all were dead if he counted the screams right except for those who didn't scream not that anyone could escape, he was left.

Like the answer to the imaginations of one's worst nightmare, he noted the slithering vine approaching him. Too weak from the internal body pain to resist he could only watch as he was dragged into the darkness.

If his corpse could serve as a reward for whatever helped him annihilate this bunch of fools then he could only sigh and be glad for it. It wasn't like living was assured. With the Erken wood ravaging his system his time was simply, borrowed.

Crimson didn't know how long he had been pulled through the dark. All he knew was when he stopped. It was only now that he noted a few things.

The roof above him was destroyed, something had broken through it to extend into the sky. A bit of light managed to pierce the interior darkness from outside letting him see.

A huge wall of vines blocked off the doorway in such a thick cluster that he was certain it would take dragon fire to burn through.

He couldn't make out anything else but the feeling of more vines wrapping around his arms and body. He felt himself get propped up till he was kneeling his arms spread out almost like he was chained.

Only then did the vines drag him closer. His head neared the vine wall which parted right as the tip of his nose was nearly touching it. Like a curtain the vine untwisted, unraveling to create space just enough for a human head to pass.

Then he was shoved in. Just his head.

It took a while to adjust to going from darkness to light. When he finally did he looked and stiffened.

There, frozen stiff was a porcelain statue with vines firmly wrapped around it. It looked so alive it resembled a huge stone creature. It towered up over him and Crimson was certain it had nothing to do with being on his knees.

There was no distinct feature to the thing's face, just a smooth alabaster white stone with carved-out eyes, and a facial expression of intense pain. Its mouth opened and frozen in a scream by time.

Its arms extended up to grasp its head almost like it intended in ripping it away. Two huge horns that would make any demon envious rose out from the sides of its forehead.

Yet it was the wings that had him silent. This thing was one of two things. An angel so twisted it had become horrific or a demon.

Yet none of the options seemed to satisfy him.

To the right, he found another equally strange sight. Locked in a fierce grip by vines and stretched out around the edges of the circular room in a twisted shape was a form that he couldn't make out.

The vines completely covered it up. Creating a scene that made his heart beat from a strange feeling of terror.

While he felt nothing from the statue the twisted shape of whatever lay there gave him a pungent feeling of being at death's door. The same thick feeling of oppression that had clouded the castle could be felt in manifolds by just staring at it.

"What. What is this?"

The question like a trigger prompted a change in the environment as everything darkened instantly. Just as fast as the room dimmed a transparent box he knew all too well appeared in his vision with words that made him blink continuously.

His entire body shivered as he read and reread the runes over and over again.

-Uno energy detected-

-You are the first within the scene of a Hidden Divine Event-

-You have obtained an Uno Fragment-

Uno Fragment - UNHOLY BIRTH -

Once nothing. Now something. The terrors of three given flesh. A guide to watch and teach it has sought.

TIER - SHATTERED I

RANK - DIVINE-

-You have been granted an Uno Fragment-

-Submit to the Nameless and gain your rewards. Refuse and lose-

A voice came this time, with a tone that made him shiver. While he was unsure, a feeling of certainty rose in him. Choosing to refuse would be stupid in more ways than one.

What were events?

Haritia was a world filled with various energies. So much so that only one was made predominant to all. The one energy that could make a man king or a commoner emperor.

Events came in ranks. From the lowest to the highest, depending on the effect of the event on the world, its participant's power level, and other factors.

There were no common events or uncommon events. Just epic, legendary, mythical, eternal, celestial, and finally divine.

Each giving a different power level depending on the event itself. Uno Fragments were a piece of the event gotten mostly due to an incomplete event or other factors.

Like the fact that the participant of the said event still lived or he had not witnessed something.

Uno was a piece of the energy residue left by the participant. As such it was called an Uno Fragment. Then there was Dou Fragments for two pieces and so on.

The more fragments one got the better. Yet all these fragments were gotten from a certain point in an entire event that had been so great it created an entire energy residue.

In other words. While an entire event could happen only a certain point could create a fragment.

Such fragments were then called Episodic Fragments. Within this episodic fragments then could be divided depending on what was seen or not seen thus forming the Uno, Dou, and more fragments.

And just like that, he Crimson had gotten an Uno Fragment. Of a Divine Event and one ranked at the Shattered I tier.

Shattered was the highest tier for dark entities and Dominion was the highest for light ones.

More than anything Crimson pondered what sort of entity could create an Episodic Fragment of Celestial rank and Shattered tier. Even able to withhold it from him.

Such a being wasn't someone you said no to. His decision was obvious, even a two-year-old would know when to be stupid and brave. Crimson was brave as many of his hidden coven could attest yet he was not stupid.

Looking at the last row of runes still floating before him he sighed.

-Do You Submit? -

'Like I could refuse even if I wanted to'. Somehow he felt that the entity could hear his thoughts creeping him out further.

"I Do".

Two words with tremendous impact on the world. Crimson wouldn't know it yet but his choice had sealed the fates of many and given a new rise for others. Though if he had known his choice might not have been any different.

The red-eyed vampire roared as his body was plunged into pain. One that was not even a percentile of what his new master the Nameless had undergone.

He smiled stiffly as pain racked him adding to the burning within him while he read the new words inscribed in his runes.

-Uno Fragment accepted-

-Uno Fragment is acclimating with your body-

-Evolving Crimson Zen Caztula the III-