"A traveler?" the tall man repeated, his voice tinged with suspicion as he studied me with sharp, calculating eyes.
"Yes, I am a traveler from the no—" I began, but the words caught in my throat as the earth groaned beneath us. A deep, resonating rumble shook the ground, and fissures snaked outward, splitting the soil like shattered glass. The wooden walls encircling the town splintered and toppled, crumbling under the quake’s relentless force. Houses collapsed one by one, their timber frames snapping like brittle bones, dust rising in thick, choking clouds.
Then, I felt it—a Presence. Its weight pressed down on my very soul, suffocating and vast. It loomed in the distance, an entity so colossal it seemed to rival the mountains themselves.
So this is the source of the earthquake, I thought, narrowing my eyes as I channeled my magic. Through my enhanced vision, I could make out its form—a massive, hulking creature with the unmistakable shape of a turtle, its shell jagged and glistening like obsidian, as if carved from the very earth it walked upon. Yet, as I focused harder, its presence flickered and vanished, leaving no trace of its overwhelming aura.
Vanished? My brow furrowed. Great. A foe that can appear and disappear at will. And if my magic can’t track it, this will be a pain.
Moments later, the Presence returned, this time so close I could almost feel its breath. The air grew heavy, the ground trembling beneath its unseen steps.
Wasting no time, I thrust my hand outward, summoning a barrier that shimmered like molten glass, encasing the town in a protective dome. Energy crackled in the air as I began to channel my next spell, the power of fire, water, earth, air, and lightning swirling together in a storm of elemental fury. The colors of the elements coalesced, forming a sphere of radiant, shifting light. Just like that guy I faced before, I thought grimly, remembering the battle that had pushed me to my limits.
The instant the Presence reappeared, I struck. Tendrils of magic lashed out like chains, coiling around the massive
figure. I could now see it clearly—a monstrous turtle, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly crimson light, its shell lined with jagged spikes that pulsed with an eerie energy.
"Got you," I muttered, pouring every ounce of power into my spell. The binding magic tightened, holding the creature in place as I unleashed my attack. The elemental blast roared forward, a dazzling surge of destruction that lit up the night sky, obliterating everything in its path with raw, unyielding force.
As the beam of elemental energy collided with the massive turtle, the explosion tore through the air, deafening and blinding. The ground beneath us quaked violently, cracks splintering outward from the sheer force of the attack. The radiant light of the blast illuminated the destruction—fragments of earth and debris suspended mid-air like shattered stars before falling in a deadly rain.
I kept my hand outstretched, steadying the barrier around the town as shockwaves rippled outward, threatening to tear it apart. When the light finally faded, the silence that followed was oppressive, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Smoke and dust blanketed the area, and for a moment, I dared to hope the creature was gone. But then, through the haze, I saw it.
Its shadow loomed, impossibly tall and unbroken. The turtle had barely flinched, its massive shell now scorched but intact, its jagged edges glowing faintly with a molten orange hue. The crimson light in its eyes burned brighter, almost mocking me.
It absorbed the attack?! My mind raced as I gritted my teeth. No, that’s not right. It’s weakened—but not enough.
The creature let out a low, guttural roar that reverberated in my chest, its sheer volume rattling the remnants of the town’s structures. With deliberate slowness, it raised one colossal foot, its movements like the shifting of mountains, and brought it down with a thunderous crash. The shockwave shattered my barrier in an instant, the protective dome fracturing like brittle glass.
"You've gonna be kidding me" I muttered under my breath, feeling the sting of failure.
The townspeople’s screams echoed in the distance, snapping me out of my shock. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to think. I couldn’t let this thing rampage.
The turtle began to glow, faint patterns of runes spreading across its shell like veins of molten lava. Its power surged, and I realized it was preparing for something—a devastating attack that could level the entire town in one blow.
Summoning all of magic I can draw out right now . My body screamed in protest, the strain of maintaining such power threatening to tear me apart. I thrust both hands forward, conjuring a new spell—a storm of blades made of raw magic, each one razor-sharp and humming with destructive energy.
The sky darkened as the blades formed around me, spinning like a vortex of death. With a roar of defiance, I unleashed them all at once. They rained down upon the turtle, striking with relentless force, each impact sending shockwaves that carved deep craters into the earth.
The creature howled, its defenses faltering as cracks formed along its shell. But it wasn’t enough. The turtle’s glowing runes began to pulse faster, brighter. Time was running out.
But suddenly, the turtle disappeared again, vanishing as if it had never existed. I clenched my fists, my magic probing the empty air, searching desperately for any trace of its presence. Then, without warning, it reappeared—this time towering above the town, its form shimmering and surreal, as though it were moving through a reality beyond time itself.
The beast’s crimson eyes flared, and with a guttural roar, it unleashed a devastating wave of magic. The sky darkened as torrents of raw energy descended upon the town like meteors, each impact shaking the earth to its core.
I gritted my teeth and raised my hands, channeling every ounce of my strength into fortifying the barrier around the town. The protective dome glimmered faintly, rippling under the relentless barrage.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I screamed, my voice raw as I pushed my magic to its limits. My body began to betray me—skin tearing, blood dripping down my arms, and every nerve screaming in agony. The onslaught didn’t stop. For an hour that felt like a lifetime, I endured the turtle’s relentless assault, each attack hammering against the barrier, threatening to shatter it and obliterate everything behind it.
When the attack finally ceased, the turtle’s colossal form flickered and vanished again, leaving behind a moment of eerie silence. My vision blurred as I struggled to stand, the weight of exhaustion nearly dragging me to the ground. But then, I saw it—far beyond the town, the turtle reappeared, its massive form looming like a mountain, its crimson gaze fixed on me.
"Like hell I’m about to let you escape!" I snarled, fury igniting in my chest.
I raised my tattered arm, every movement sending waves of pain through my body. Summoning my magic, I let the rage consume me. My power surged wildly, my skin cracking and glowing with an unearthly light as I pushed beyond my limits. The cracks along my body widened, energy spilling out like molten lava until—Boom!
I exploded in a burst of raw magic, my body disintegrating for a moment before reforming, now pulsating with overwhelming power. The pain was gone, replaced by a searing heat and clarity that filled every corner of my being. I could feel the limits of my abilities shatter, and for the first time, I wielded power akin to what I could in my dream world.
"You won’t survive this!" I roared, my voice echoing like thunder.
Summoning a colossal surge of energy, I launched my attack. Shadows erupted from my hands, an all-consuming darkness that coiled and twisted like a living entity. The shadowy tendrils surged forward, spiraling into a vortex that swallowed the turtle’s massive form.
The beast thrashed and roared, its mountainous body consumed inch by inch by the encroaching darkness. The earth trembled violently as the turtle’s massive frame was dragged into the abyss, its crimson eyes dimming and finally extinguished.
As the last remnants of its form disappeared into the void, the world fell silent. The shadows dissipated, and I stood there, my body battered and broken yet alive, the town safe behind me for now.