Rise Of The Infinite Sovereign-Chapter 460: Crystal Shadow... sentinels?

[These crystals weren’t originally like this] says Zydrax. [The energy here is fragmented and distorted, be careful]

Ezra nods, keeping his weapon raised as he moves deeper into the cove.

The further he ventures, the more twisted the crystals become.

Some are cracked, leaking faint wisps of dark smoke, while others glow at irregular intervals, as though waiting to explode at any moment...

Ezra exhales sharply, his gaze narrowing as he steps deeper into the strange chamber.

His feet crunches against loose shards of crystal, each step echoing faintly through the stillness.

The oppressive air clings to him like a second skin, growing thicker with every step.

"Fragmented, distorted... I get that" Ezra mutters, his voice breaking the silence as much for himself as for his companions. "But what I don’t get is why this whole place feels like it’s waiting for me to make a mistake"

[It might be] Zydrax’s voice held zero tension and also a tinge of amusement. [Be ready for anything]

As if on cue, the crystals around him tremble faintly, emitting a low hum—like a chorus of voices just beyond hearing.

Ezra freezes mid-step.

Slowly, his eyes scan his surroundings, noting how the glow of the black crystals seems to intensify and wane as though responding to his presence.

A sudden chill permeates the atmosphere, and a distant, guttural sound echoes through the darkness.

Ezra tightens his grip on Skyfall, his instincts flaring.

"That’s annoying" his voice steady despite the gnawing unease.

He takes another step forward—and the ground shifts.

A violent tremor ripples through the chamber as the crystal shards pulse one final time.

From the darkness, something begins to move.

Ezra raises his vigilance to the max.

He had recovered enough stamina and energy to be confident in his chances.

But firstly, Ezra needed to understand what exactly he was going up against.

The darkness seemed to pulse with life.

Ezra’s instincts tingle, but he holds his ground, eyes darting across the shifting darkness in the periphery as he walks forth step by step.

Observing with more clarity, Ezra is suddenly reminded that this secret realm is light themed.

He had overlooked this because of his experience with the third section of the light island back at the Starbound Sanctuary.

But thinking about it, chances are low that such visuals is how this section of the secret realm originally looked like.

Not to mention, such a place was not in the debriefing, but Ezra hadn’t been bothered ealier because he already expected the intelligence to have holes in it.

’As I suspected, the gathered intelligence is partially or almost completely outdated’

From Ezra’s understanding, the information was last updated at most twenty years ago.

As such, it would stranger if there were no inconsistencies as changes would’ve surely occurred during that time lapse.

So from the start, he had known not to rely on it.

To this, a thought crosses his mind...

’So then, what did this place look like before?’

Though he wonders, Ezra couldn’t be sure because other survivors each had varying experience depending on which of colour bridge they used.

Right on time, the crystals’ glow intensifies in uneven waves, catching Ezra’s attention with grip tightening around Skyfall.

From the shadows beyond the glowing crystals, shapes began to emerge.

At first, they were indistinct—merely ripples in the dark, flickering like shadows cast by an unseen flame.

Then they solidified, forming into warped humanoid figures.

Out of the pulsating darkness, the first creature emerged.

Their form, a twisted amalgamation of shadow and light with jagged edges and fractures across its body, from which streams of light dimly illuminate the surroundings.

Their jagged, crystalline bodies reflected the dim light, sharp edges glinting ominously.

Ezra’s eyes narrow, analyzing their forms.

Each stood about eight feet tall, with elongated limbs and twisted torsos that seemed unnaturally thin.

Their heads were featureless save for two piercing, red orbs that burned where eyes should be.

"Well, this is something else..." Ezra mutters, shifting his stance. "But why do they look like that damn sentinel?"

Skyfall hums faintly in his grasp, responding to his heightened awareness.

One of the crystalline figures took a lumbering step forward, its movements disjointed but disturbingly fast.

Ezra watches as the creature raised a jagged arm, the edges gleaming with malice, his eyes narrowing and lips parting with a smile.

"Not exactly friendly, are you?"

The creature lunges, closing the distance in a heartbeat with blinding speed.

.....!

Ezra barely had time to dodge as it struck, the sheer force of its claw-like hand splintering the ground where he’d stood.

The smile is wiped off Ezra’s face instantly.

Crackling with energy, Skyfall meets the creature’s second strike with a resounding clash.

Skyfall’s collides with the crystalline limb, sending a shockwave through the chamber.

Sparks flew as the creature’s arm shatters, the fragments scattering like glass.

But Ezra’s momentary triumph is short-lived.

The shards began to reassemble mid-air, reforming into the same jagged arm within seconds.

"Figures" Ezra mutters under his breath. "Nothing’s ever simple"

The creature shrieks.

Initiating a counter, its fractured body emits a burst of light so intense that Ezra winces, momentarily blinded.

He staggers back, shaking his head to clear his vision.

"Light attacks... Great," he mutters, already feeling his senses strain under the onslaught.

The creature doesn’t relent.

It rushes forward, its movements erratic yet precise, forcing Ezra to block blow after blow.

Each strike carries a blistering intensity, leaving searing heat in its wake.

Ezra manages to land a counter-strike, with Skyfall slicing through the creature’s midsection.

For a brief moment, its form dissipating like smoke—only to reform seconds later, the light fractures across its body pulsating brighter.

"....Regeneration too? Fantastic!"

Before Ezra could recover, more figures emerged from the shadows—six of them, their forms flickering between solid and intangible.

’It a whole family!’

Each bore the same grotesque combination of shadowy mass and light fractures, their movements synchronized as they come upon him like predators closing in on prey.

The air grows stifling, the oppressive heat of their combined presence pushing him to the brink.

Ezra’s eyes darts to the black crystals embedded in the walls.

Their pulsating glow seem to feed the creatures, strengthening their attacks and amplifying their regeneration.

Ezra takes a deep breath, centering himself as he channels energy into Skyfall.

Here, he confirms a suspicious he had since entering this section of the secret realm.

Unlike the dark arena section that absorbs energy, this place disrupts energy movements, making it hard to control and direct energy at will, ultimately weakening his attacks.

And in reverse, it strengthened his opponents.

The creatures attack in unison, their strikes a flurry of blinding light and crushing force.

They sought to encircle Ezra, their glowing eyes locking onto him with unrelenting intensity.

Ezra moves with precision, deflecting what he could and weaving between the relentless blows.

Still, their sheer numbers began to overwhelm him.

One lands a grazing strike across his shoulder, its claws leaving a scorch mark.

Another unleashes a blinding flash of light, forcing Ezra to retreat blindly as the others close in.

As the claw marks and the scorch marks would begin to pile, Ezra reminisces about the third section of the light island he had explored.

The first creature lunge, followed by two others.

Ezra spins, Skyfall carves an arc through the air.

The blade met the creatures’ bodies with devastating force, cleaving through their jagged forms.

Yet, just as before, the shattered pieces began to reform almost instantly.

Ezra’s mind raced.

’They regenerate. Fast. Too fast’

Zydrax’s voice resounds.

[The core of these crytal shadow are likely tied to certain crystals, drawing endless power from the environment. It’s why they can restore themselves so fast]

"Very helpful...I guess" Ezra replied dryly, dodging another swipe that sought to cut his chest open.

[You have no chance of defeating them without destroying their cores first, so find those crystals]

’Yes. Sure thing. I will take liesurely stroll to find and destroy those crystals while fending off these bastards’

Ezra’s sarcasm couldn’t mask his underlying frustration.

He needed a plan, and fast.

As the creatures pressed their attack, Ezra adjusts his tactics.

Instead of focusing on outright destruction, he utilizes precision.

Skyfall’s blade became a blur as he targeted joints and weak points, severing limbs and slowing their movements.

It wasn’t a permanent solution, but it bought him time.

Between strikes, Ezra studies the chamber.

The crystals’ glow was strongest near the left side, where a massive, jagged spire jutted from the ground.

Its surface was covered in intricate, vein-like patterns that pulsed with crimson light.

"Of course" Ezra mutters, to which Zydrax immediately interjects.

[Anyone with a working brain would know that is most definitely a trap...did you for some reason grow dumber since the time we last spoke?]

Ezra: (⁠╬⁠⁽⁠⁽⁠ ⁠⁰⁠ ⁠⁾⁠⁾⁠ ⁠Д⁠ ⁠⁽⁠⁽⁠ ⁠⁰⁠ ⁠⁾⁠⁾⁠)

Ezra didn’t bother responding. He shifted his focus, weaving through the attacking creatures with fluid precision.

One of the larger creatures lunged, its crystalline claws slashing through the air.

Ezra ducked under the swing, retaliating with an upward strike that severed its arm.

[Think Ezra. If you were an evil mage, where would you put the crystal cores of your-

"Forget about that!" Ezra responds.

"<Sovereign Space>"