THIS BEAST-TAMER IS A LITTLE STRANGE

The dull throbbing in Kain’s chest grew stronger with every step, a relentless pull guiding him deeper into the ruins.

The sensation was impossible to ignore, like a compass needle pointing to the true north. It led him through winding corridors and vast chambers and got stronger as the distance between him and the source of the pull narrowed.

The glowing sigils on the walls pulsed faintly, their eerie light casting long shadows.

Serena followed close behind, her piercing blue eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger. Prismarin’s illusions scouted ahead, a welcome change from having to risk losing the Vespid guards acting as scouts.

The half-mechanical abominations had grown more frequent, twisted forms emerging from the shadows with relentless aggression. Each one was a grotesque amalgamation of flesh and metal, their glowing eyes locked onto Kain as their primary target. Though Kain and Serena gradually got familiar with targeting their weaknesses, the strain was beginning to show.

“They’re getting worse,” Kain muttered, driving his spear through the chest of a weakened abomination who had already had several of the its wires and purple ‘veins’ severed. The creature let out a guttural screech before collapsing into smoldering heap. “It’s like they’re coming from everywhere.”

Serena nodded, her expression grim. “Likely whatever is drawing you, is also related to their increased numbers”

The pull in Kain’s chest grew almost overwhelming, directing him down a narrow corridor lined with glowing sigils. At the end of the passage stood a massive door, its surface covered in intricate carvings and glowing sigils.

“There,” Kain said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Whatever’s calling me, it’s behind that door.”

Serena turned to him, her expression wary. “Then let’s—”

A deafening roar cut her off. The ground trembled beneath them, and the walls seemed to pulse with energy. Kain and Serena spun around, weapons at the ready, as a massive figure emerged from the shadows.

It was unlike any abomination they had faced on the way there. Towering over them, its body was a nightmarish blend of flesh and machinery, elongated limbs tipped with razor-sharp claws. Its glowing purple eyes burned with greater intelligence than the others, and its gaping jaw contained teeth as long as Kain’s torso. But what truly set it apart from the others was the sheer aura of power surrounding it—a palpable energy that made the air crackle with tension.

“That’s one of the ones with that abyssal-like energy,” Serena said, her voice tight. “The kind that nearly killed me.”

Kain tightened his grip on his spear, heart pounding. The creature’s gaze locked onto him, the weight of its attention almost suffocating. It let out another ear-splitting roar and charged.

“Get ready!” Kain shouted, bracing himself.

The battle erupted into chaos. The creature moved with terrifying speed, claws slicing through the air. Kain dodged and countered, his spear flashing as he struck at its limbs. Serena and his contracts unleashed a barrage of attacks, lighting up the corridor with bursts of energy.

Prismarin attempted to grant Kain some reprieve with its illusions, but it, like the previous creatures, seemed to be able to easily differentiate the real Kain from the fakes .

But the creature was relentless. Its movements were precise, its attacks devastating. It shrugged off their strikes as if they were nothing, its body regenerating almost instantly. Kain felt the strain building in his muscles, exhaustion creeping in.

“How the hell did you defeat this thing alone the last time!?” Kain shouted. “It’s not going down!”

“By almost sacrificing my life.” Serena replied with a deadpan expression while moving to intercept one of the weaker ‘generic’ abominations that was trying to circle around and attack Kain from behind.

Kain grit his teeth, eyes darting for a weakness. His grip on his spear tightened. The creature was too strong, too fast. Every injury they inflicted regenerated within moments, and their attacks were slowing.

Then—something stirred in the back of his mind. A gnawing hunger.

Aegis.

Kain hadn’t summoned him yet. Normally, he’d be Kain’s most reliable shield, but ever since Kain’s previous mission he’d never gotten the chance to fully recover and got further damaged when they’d first entered the relic. Therefore, Aegis had not been released by Kain in recent battles.

But now, Aegis pulsed in his mind, a quiet, insistent demand. Hunger. A need to consume.

Kain’s breath hitched as he realized what Aegis wanted.

This thing—it had the same abyssal energy Aegis had once absorbed in the Memory Relic.

He hesitated only a second before releasing Aegis.

With a low rumble, the golem, only around Kain’s height, emerged. Its burnt-orange eyes locking onto the massive abomination. Aegis trembled, not with exhaustion—but anticipation.

The monstrous abomination twisted its head toward Aegis just as a deep, guttural sound rumbled from within the golem—almost like a growl, that was uncharacteristic of his normally stoic demeanor. Then, Aegis lunged.

Faster than Kain had ever seen him move, Aegis slammed into the abomination who had its eyes fixed on Kain instead of the approaching threat. Aegis stone limbs gripped its figure as it ignored Aegis and continued trying to run at Kain.

However, it soon paid the price for ignoring the golem. Black-purple energy began seeping from the creature, coalescing into wisps of mist. The abomination screeched, its body thrashing violently as Aegis devoured the unique abyssal-like energy.

For the first time, the monster wasn’t regenerating.

Kain’s exhaustion dulled—just slightly—as he felt something rush back through his bond with Aegis. Strength. Aegis was feeding on the creature, and through him, Kain was receiving some positive feedback.

Moreover, a soul deep pain—that belonging to Pangea—was relieved. Albeit slightly.

A sharp glance at Aegis, then at Kain. She says nothing but slightly narrows her eyes, as if filing the information away for later.

The abomination convulsed, its movements growing sluggish as more and more of its energy was drained away. Aegis was relentless, his stone hands clamping down as he absorbed everything the creature had to give.

Kain wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

With a burst of adrenaline, he dashed forward. His spear pulsed with energy as he leapt, driving the weapon straight through the creature’s head—and the monster collapsed.

Silence fell over the corridor.

Kain landed unsteadily, breath ragged. Aegis rumbled, his orange eyes gleaming with satisfaction as the last wisps of the mist were drawn into him and he began to use it to rapidly reconstruct his body. His height was still incomparable to his prime, but in less than a minute he had tripled in size.

Serena strode over, sparing Aegis a wary glance before turning to Kain. “You good?”

Kain nodded, flexing his fingers. The fatigue hadn’t vanished entirely, but the bone-deep exhaustion had lessened.

With all of the surrounding enemies dead, Kain turned his gaze forward.

The pull in his chest was stronger than ever. And the cause of it was just beyond those doors.

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