Then came a shout.
"Dodge!"
But it was too late as a massive beast burst through the wall of wind.
The attack struck at Kane directly.
His barrier shattered immediately and his body thrown backward.
The Lightningstorm Serpent roared as it tried to protect him.
Meanwhile, a nearby Support reacted instantly in the same moment, pushing Kane away from the attacked that followed.
The beast’s attack landed on the Support instead as blood sprayed into the storm. His arm disappeared.
And the Support collapsed after.
Unconscious.
Kane hit the ground hard also, genuine fear appeared on his face.
The situation had spiraled completely out of control.
Elsewhere, other awakened weren’t as lucky.
Screams echoed through the storm.
Some disappeared entirely.
Others were injured before the guides could reach them.
The formation collapsed.
Everyone was simply trying to survive.
And Damon was no exception.
A violent gust struck him from the side.
His footing vanished.
The world spun.
He rolled down a rocky slope before crashing into the ground.
Pain exploded through his body.
Before he could recover, a beast appeared.
Its glowing eyes locked onto him.
Damon’s heart nearly stopped.
His exhausted body screamed at him to run.
He forced himself up anyway.
"Not today."
His voice was hoarse.
He reinforced his legs.
Dodged.
Rolled.
Barely avoided another attack.
The beast chased him deeper into unfamiliar terrain.
Every second felt longer than the last.
Every breath burned.
His Aether reserves were almost empty.
His muscles were reaching their limit.
Still he kept moving.
Survival had become his only goal.
Nothing else mattered.
Then luck finally appeared. Or maybe fate.
The beast charged as he closed in, and Damon dove aside just barely.
The large beast missed and slammed directly into a narrow rock formation as the unstable terrain collapsed immediately.
Tons of stone crashed down.
The beast disappeared beneath the rubble.
Damon stared for several seconds.
Waiting.
Listening.
Nothing moved.
Only then did he allow himself to breathe.
The adrenaline keeping him upright finally faded.
Pain flooded his body.
His vision blurred.
He looked around.
No guides.
No awakened.
Nobody.
He was alone.
Completely alone.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"Well..."
"That could’ve gone better."
His knees gave out.
The last of his Aether disappeared.
Darkness quickly swallowed his vision.
And moments later, Damon lost consciousness.
*******
Damon’s eyes snapped open.
For a moment, everything felt hazy.
The roaring winds.
The stampede.
The screams.
The collapsing formation.
Then it all rushed back.
His body jerked upright.
Pain immediately spread through his muscles.
"Ah..."
He sucked in a sharp breath and looked around.
The first thing he noticed was silence.
The second was that he was alone. Only twisted trees, broken rocks, and the constant howl of wind moving through Tempest Hollow.
Damon slowly pushed himself to his feet.
His body felt sore everywhere.
His clothes were torn.
There were bruises along his arms and shoulders.
Thankfully nothing seemed broken.
"Still alive."
A grin appeared on his face.
"Not bad."
He dusted himself off and immediately became alert.
This wasn’t a place to relax.
If anything, waking up alone inside a distorted zone was probably worse than the battle itself.
He had no idea how long he had been unconscious.
An hour?
Several hours?
He couldn’t tell.
But one thing was certain.
The area wasn’t safe.
He could hear movement in the distance.
Branches shifting.
Leaves rustling.
Something was roaming nearby.
His expression became serious.
Then suddenly...
Pulse.
Pulse.
Pulse.
Damon blinked.
The familiar feeling came from inside his clothes.
The spark seed.
"Oh right."
He quickly reached inside and brought it out.
The tiny orb floated weakly into the air.
Its lightning flickered anxiously.
Pulse.
Pulse.
Pulse.
Damon stared at it.
Then he laughed.
"You were worried?"
The spark seed pulsed immediately.
Almost like it was answering.
Damon couldn’t help shaking his head.
"You really are alive."
Its glow brightened slightly.
A strange warmth settled in his chest.
The connection between them had become much stronger these past few days.
At first it had only been a vague feeling.
Now it felt almost natural.
He could roughly understand its emotions through the pulses.
Fear.
Relief.
Worry.
The little thing had probably been panicking the entire time he was unconscious.
Damon gently poked it.
"I’m fine."
Pulse.
"I’m alive."
The light became calmer.
Damon smiled.
"See? No reason to panic."
The spark seed floated around him once before settling beside his shoulder.
Like it finally felt reassured.
Still.
A trace of disappointment remained.
The spark seed had grown.
A lot.
Its lightning was stronger.
Its vitality was stronger.
Its presence was stronger.
Yet it still hadn’t evolved.
It remained trapped in this strange seed form.
The spark seed dimmed slightly.
Almost like it understood what he was thinking.
Damon chuckled.
"Don’t look so depressed."
The seed floated toward him. "You’ll get there eventually."
Pulse.
"When you become stronger, you can protect me."
Pulse.
"For now, let’s focus on surviving."
The lightning brightened happily.
Then...
CRACK!
Every hair on Damon’s body stood up.
Danger.
His instincts screamed.
Without thinking, he threw himself sideways.
BOOM!
Something slammed into the ground where he had been standing.
The impact shattered stone.
Damon rolled across the dirt before scrambling back to his feet.
His eyes widened as he saw the massive wolf that stood there.
It’s dark gray fur, and muscles packed beneath its body.
Sharp claws that dug into the earth.
Its mane looked like countless blades growing from its neck.
Cold eyes stared directly at him.
Damon’s heart sank.
"Seriously?"
The wolf growled.
The sound alone sent chills through him.
He recognized it instantly.
A Razor Mane Wolf.
A D Rank beast.
One of the most dangerous predators found around the middle regions of Tempest Hollow.
Fast. Intelligent.
And worst of all... They were pack hunters.
Damon quickly looked around.
No other wolves.
Yet.
But that didn’t comfort him.
A lone Razor Mane Wolf rarely stayed alone for long.
The beast took a slow step forward.
Damon tightened his grip around the knife hanging from his waist.
The difference between them was obvious.
One mistake.
One opening.
And he was dead.
The spark seed floated beside him nervously.
Damon swallowed.
Then he forced a grin. "Bad luck really loves me."