Continuation...
MORINJO
Abaddon rips chunks of earth from the ground, his monstrous strength tearing apart the village behind him. Shattered houses and debris swirl around him like a storm before he hurls them at me with terrifying speed.
I react instantly, twisting through the air as the jagged fragments scream past, but the last broken wall is already too close. Before I can dodge, it slams into me like a wrecking ball. The impact detonates through my ribs, sending me spiraling backward. My body crashes through the outer wall of a house, shattering wood and stone on impact. The force doesn't stop there—I smash through furniture, splinters slicing across my suit, before bursting out through the back of the house in an explosion of debris.
The world tilts, sky and earth blending into a dizzying blur. Then—hard ground. A violent crash. Pain explodes through my body as dust and rubble billow around me.
Path Finder groans in my head, my own voice echoing through the suit. "Ouch... that hurt."
I push up, my limbs aching. "You sure we can take this guy?"
"Absolutely. We've handled worse," Path Finder responds.
A deafening roar rips through the air. The ground trembles. I look up—Gordon, a four-armed brute of an alien, is descending toward me like a meteor, all fists raised, ready to pound me into the dirt.
"Oh, hell no!"
I rocket off the ground just as he lands with a thunderous crash, his fists driving deep into the earth, sending shockwaves that crack the terrain. Dust erupts around him, but he doesn't hesitate—his red eyes lock onto me, his face twisting in rage.
"Get over here!" he bellows, voice like rolling thunder.
"Take it easy, big guy," Path Finder quips, hovering just above the ground.
"Easy?" Gordon stalks forward, his hulking frame casting a shadow over me. His four fists clench. "Gordon doesn't do easy. Gordon smashes."
Lightning slashes down between us, a blinding flash of white-hot energy. The impact rattles the air, forcing Gordon to halt as smoke coils around him. When the dust clears, Trivium stands before me, his Almighty axe crackling with raw power.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Trivium says, voice calm but edged with steel.
Gordon grins, his tusked teeth bared in a sadistic smile. "You think you can take me? I'll rip you apart."
Trivium tightens his grip on the axe. "Let's find out."
I tap into Path Finder's systems, readying myself. "I'm heading to help the Sorcerer. Don't let four arms here slow me down."
Trivium doesn't take his eyes off Gordon. "Go. I've got this."
And then, all hell breaks loose.
TRIVIUM
I stand in the heart of destruction, Almighty axe crackling with raw power in my grip. Chacang Village, once peaceful, now quakes beneath the weight of impending war. The sky is thick with smoke, the air heavy with the acrid scent of burning wood. Villagers scramble for safety, their terrified cries swallowed by the storm of chaos.
Gordon looms before me, monstrous and unyielding. His four massive arms flex, each clawed hand curled into fists capable of shattering stone. His obsidian skin gleams with sweat, his breath steaming in the cool air. He grins, sharp teeth bared like a beast savoring the kill before the first drop of blood spills.
"Trivium, God of Thunder," he roars, his voice a rumble of rolling boulders. "You are too late. The Amulet will be mine!"
I plant my feet, muscles coiled, Almighty axe pulsing in my grasp. Lightning arcs along the blade, eager for war. "Gordon," I say, voice steady, "your path ends here."
He moves like a landslide—fast, unstoppable. The earth buckles beneath him as he lunges, houses collapsing under his sheer mass. I meet him mid-air, Almighty axe singing as it slices through the wind. The instant we collide, a thunderous shockwave rips through the village, sending debris spiraling into the storm-lit sky.
His first pair of arms lash out, claws raking through the air where my head was a breath ago. I twist, barely dodging, and drive my axe into his ribs. Sparks explode as the blade meets his hide, a deep gash splitting open. Gordon bellows in pain but retaliates instantly, his second set of arms hammering toward me like battering rams.
The first punch catches my shoulder—an explosion of pain rattles through my bones. The second grazes my ribs, the sheer force knocking the wind from my lungs. I stumble, and in that moment of weakness, Gordon seizes me by the throat. His grip is a vice, crushing, unrelenting.
He lifts me off the ground, his breath hot against my face. "You cannot match my strength, Ultras," he snarls, tightening his hold. Black spots dance in my vision.
MORINJO
Flying at breakneck speed to aid Shang Lei, I spot Abaddon in the distance. He raises his arms slowly, causing rocks to rise from the ground, sharpening into spearheads. With a flick of his fingers, he launches them at Shang Lei. Swiftly, Shang Lei opens a portal, but Master Hong intervenes, redirecting the deadly spears back towards Abaddon.
Abaddon slams his feet, conjuring a defensive wall from the ground, then hurls it at Master Hong before he can react, sending him reeling.
Shang Lei reacts instantly, conjuring a chain to ensnare Abaddon, but before he can close the distance, Abaddon traps him within a solid building wall, leaving only his face and waist exposed.
"Your powers are impressive for a human," Abaddon remarks calmly. "I never knew humans wielded magic."
I seize the opportunity, sending a burst of fire to his left hand, forcing him to relinquish the Amulet with a cry of pain.
Abaddon glares at me, his expression hardening. "Stay out of this, Finder."
Twisting gracefully, I unleash a powerful blast of air that slams into him, knocking him back. Landing with precision, I prepare for the next onslaught.
As the wall containing Shang Lei shatters, I command, "Go. This is my battle now."
"I'm not afraid," Shang Lei retorts defiantly, levitating in readiness.
"No one said you were," I reply, watching him disappear into a cloud of dust.
Abaddon returns, landing squarely before me. "You think being Erebus's adopted son makes you invincible?"
"This is your last chance, Abaddon," I warn. "Surrender and leave Earth."
Abaddon scoffs, lifting a massive rock with his telekinesis and hurtling it towards me. Reacting swiftly, I deflect the attack, shattering the rock into pieces.
"Fine," I declare, assuming a fighting stance akin to an Earth Bender.
Manipulating the ground, I hurl rocks at Abaddon, striking him hard in the ribs and stomach, driving him back.
Undeterred, Abaddon charges, manipulating metal and rocks in a deadly dance. I counter each attack with precision and speed, redirecting his assaults with equal force.
He hurls boulders at me relentlessly, but I evade them all, studying his movements.
With a swift motion, Abaddon sends a house roof hurtling towards me. Reacting instantly, I redirect it back at him, forcing him to deflect it with his powers. Seizing the opening, I conjure flat metal squares and send them flying towards him. Abaddon manages to deflect most but struggles with the last, which I crumple effortlessly.
Continuing the onslaught, I hurl rocks at him, forcing him into evasive maneuvers. A heavy rock shoots from the ground at his command, but I counter with a wall, redirecting its force back towards him.
Abaddon punches one wall away but fails to react in time to the second, which strikes him with brutal force, sending him sprawling.
Approaching cautiously, I keep my distance as Abaddon growls, breath heavy with exertion.
"You should surrender," I urge, my voice firm.
With a roar, Abaddon conjures three large rocks behind him. I summon a fiery rock in response.
Before either of us can act, a mysterious figure clad in red and black appears, intercepting Abaddon's rocks and kicks him faraway.
The mysterious figure suddenly shrinks down to the size of a teenager. He lands lightly in front of me.
"What's up, Mr. Johnson?" he says, like we're old friends.
I squint at him. "Where'd you come from, kid?"
"Peace College. Nigeria. Go Panthers!" He throws up two fingers like it's a school cheer. "And I am sopumped to be here, you have no idea."
I shake my head. "Go home. You're not supposed to be here."
Without waiting for a reply, I shoot into the sky, angling toward Shang Lei.
But then—whoosh—he's right beside me, flying like it's nothing.
"Yo, is this guy always this grumpy, or did I crash his nap time?" he says, flying sideways like he's reclining midair.
I glance at him—and that's when I realize how he's flying.
He's sitting on top of a robotic insect. Not a jetpack. Not a hoverboard.
And this thing? It's not just tech. It's art.
Its wings ripple with every beat—broad and perfectly symmetrical, patterned in red and black like some nightmare butterfly. They're made of a high-flex polymer mesh, shot through with black metallic plating and glowing veins of circuitry. It looks like it was designed in a secret lab and a fashion show.
The body's armored like a tank, plates overlapping with surgical precision. Every joint moves with unnerving smoothness. The legs—six of them—look sharp enough to slice through steel. Hydraulics hiss quietly with each tiny adjustment.
But the head. The head is what gets me.
Two glowing red eyes. Not just for show—these things look. They watch. The way they follow me, I get the sense this moth is thinking. Calculating. Waiting.
Two thin antennae twitch on its crown, like it's sniffing the air for danger—or snacks.
I stare, half-impressed, half-suspicious. "What are you? Insect-Man?"
He snorts. "Pfft. No. The name's Moth. Just Moth. Like—dramatic pause—Batman, but with wings that won't snag on your cape."
I raise an eyebrow in my mask. "You're riding a flying insect the size of a Vespa."
"Correction. I built a flying insect the size of a Vespa. From scratch. Using parts from a junkyard and my uncle's broken blender. Long story."
I sigh. "Kid—this guy we're fighting? He's from space. He's here to steal an amulet from a wizard. This isn't some school project."
"Even better. Space wizards. My guidance counselor is gonna freak out when I put this on my résumé."
TRIVIUM
Gordon growls, tightening his hold. Black spots dance in my vision.
With a snarl, I summon the storm. Lightning surges through me, a blinding bolt exploding from my skin. Gordon howls as the electricity courses through his body, muscles spasming, grip loosening. I tear free and slam my axe into his chest, sending him skidding backward, leaving a trench in the earth.
"People of Chacang!" I bellow, my voice rolling through the battlefield. "Run! Hide! This fight is not yours to bear!"
Gordon shakes off the pain and roars, his fury setting the village ablaze. Flames leap from shattered buildings, casting twisted shadows across the carnage. His four arms move in a brutal, calculated rhythm, each strike meant to kill.
I duck beneath a crushing blow, sidestep another, then launch upward, driving my knee into his jaw with enough force to crack stone. His head snaps back, but he recovers, claws slashing wildly. One rakes across my side—I hiss in pain as blood soaks my armor.
"You fight with honor," I grit out, my body screaming in protest as I deflect another strike. "But I fight for those who cannot defend themselves."
Almighty axe blurs in my hands, carving deep into Gordon's thigh. He staggers, and I seize the moment. Spinning, I bring the axe down in a two-handed arc, the blade finding flesh, bone—then through.
Gordon's bellow turns into a choked gasp as he crumples, blood pooling beneath him. His arms twitch, his body betraying him as he struggles to rise.
I tower over him, chest heaving. "It is over."
The villagers watch in stunned silence, then a single cheer rises—then another, until the air rings with their victory cries.
I lower my axe, exhaustion pressing heavy on my shoulders. Around me, Chacang Village lies in ruin. Buildings are gutted, the streets a graveyard of shattered stone and smoldering wood. The cost of victory is steep, but the battle is won.
"Great job, god of war," a voice speaks behind me.
I turn around, watching dust and sand gather and shape into a figure.
"Actually, it's god of Thunder. And thank you," I reply.
"You finally conquered the monster you were scared of," the voice remarks as the dust forms Shang Lei, the Epic Sorcerer.
"Was I scared?" I quip.
"What happened to 'this guy might be a problem. Toughest one I've seen in a while'?" Shang Lei counters.
"Alright, you caught me," I concede, raising an eyebrow.
"Ermm, I don't think you defeated him 100 percent," Shang Lei points out, glancing behind me.
"Of course, I did. What are you looking at?" I turn and see Gordon rising slowly, blood still trickling from his mouth and wounded shoulder.
"Why can't this guy die?" I mutter, gripping my axe tightly.
Shang Lei takes his fighting stance beside me.
Gordon groans, staggering backward.
"Why don't you just give up, huh?" I challenge.
"Gordon never gives up," the four-armed alien retorts, advancing towards us.
"Trivium, I can't move," Shang Lei suddenly says.
I look at him, noticing his limbs frozen.
"What's wrong?" I ask, concerned.
"I don't know."
Suddenly, a force pulls him away, lifting him into the air.
"Shang!!!" I shout, watching him being carried off.
MORINJO
Shang Lei blasts past us like a streak of fire and smoke.
"Kid, that's the wizard. Get on him."
"Say no more," Moth replies, already banking hard in pursuit.
No hesitation. He spins his moth around and rockets forward.
---
JOHN
The force dragging the wizard through the air grows stronger the moment Mothy hits 240 mph. My cheeks press back from the speed, the wind screaming past me as we slice through streets, rooftops, and small villages like a missile on wings.
But the closer we get to the wizard, the more it feels like he's getting yanked away—like something's reeling him in faster than we can close the gap.
"Come on!" I growl, leaning forward as if that'll somehow make Mothy go faster.
Then, the world shifts.
We cross into a sprawling, neon-lit city—massive buildings towering overhead, sleek electric cars below, flashing signs written in Chinese. This is no longer a chase through countryside—it's China.
"Okay… wow," I mutter. "Definitely not in village anymore."
But there's no time to admire the skyline.
The city reacts.
CRACK!
The side of a building shatters like a shotgun blast, and a concrete wall comes flying at me.
"OH MY—!"
I yank hard left, just missing it, but more debris fires my way like heat-seeking missiles.
"Nope! Nope! Nope!" I shout, then shrink—snap—down to 3 millimeters.
Everything blurs. Even with my tiny frame, shards whip past so close they singe the air. I dodge, twist, duck—barely making it through. I blast some chunks out of the air with laser bursts from my fists.
"Who the hell is controlling this?!" I yell. "This is like Inception meets *WorldWar Z!"
Concrete keeps raining. It's a storm of walls. Endless. Relentless. Like the whole city wants me dead.
"Mothy! I know you're scared and probably super offended right now!" I shout over the wind, my voice shaking. My chest is a war drum—bam, bam, bam—every beat a warning. "And honestly? Same. I'm terrified. Sooo sorry for dragging you into this, buddy!"
Then I see it.
Theimpossible.
A giant alien spaceship rises above the skyline, glowing under the daylight like a metal god. Disc-shaped. Orange-red rings pulse along the edge like it's charging for war.
And then I see him.
The second impossible.
An alien.
He hovers effortlessly above the city. His skin is ashen gray, stone-like. Lifeless. His face is a mask of sharp angles and unreadable eyes. No emotion. Just calculation.
He's armored—thick layers, old but worn like it's seen ten lifetimes of battle. His chest is covered in overlapping plates, his shoulders broad, limbs wrapped tight in segmented bands. Every inch of him says: *You will lose.*
Below his waist, a dark armored skirt hangs, flowing like it's made to march through fire. His boots hit the air like anchors, planted even in midair.
"What the hell—aliens are real?!" I whisper. My voice cracks. "Why am I always right when I'm joking?!"
The alien raises both hands—right arm pulling back like he's summoning steel, left arm locked straight forward. And then I realize:
He's the one dragging the wizard.
A blue beam erupts from the center of the ship, shooting down like God's flashlight. It locks onto the wizard, the light humming like it's alive, pulling him up through sheer force.
"We can't lose him, Mothy! Accelerate! Enlarge once we're close!"
"Affirmative," Mothy responds, his mechanical voice calm despite the chaos. The speed jumps again, and we're burning toward the beam.
The debris stops just as we pierce through the last wave of wreckage. The wizard's almost gone.
"You can do this. You can do this," I mutter, summoning every scrap of courage left in my body.
Then—I launch.
I leap off Mothy's back, grow mid-air like I hit the big button on a game controller, and grab the wizard's arm. My other hand snatches a nearby streetlight like it's a lifeline.
"GOTCHA!" I shout.
But the beam doesn't care. It yanks harder, pulling both of us up like toys on a string.
"Uh, Mr. Johnson?! I'm being beamed up!" I scream. "This is not part of my internship!"