"Hello Elder Capurn please respond,are you active,"Elder Leah talked to the radio but static was the only response received. "All units retreat to the hill 850 meters east,Leah meet me at the destroyed dacurus and Auburn you are in charge of the retreated units,"Elder Alric ordered as he got out of his dacurus and jumped towards the destroyed dacurus in a manner that semmed like he was flying in the air.
In the destroyed dacurus, Elder Capurn crawled out of the trench created by the blast caused by the humanoid creature. His body was taken out from his liver downward and he had multiple cuts and burn wounds all over his body. "Trade off, demon heart Ràlzid,"he said as his entire body glowed red and his entire lower body was regenerated. The humanoid creature stared at him with a surprised look and as it was about to point at him a giant sword descended on it's body seemingly from nowhere. It dodged swiftly but as it was about to trace the origin of the giant sword,a ray of light descended from the sky falling on to his general area. The creature narrowly dodged but his left hand was caught in the ray of light leading to it being completely burned off. The creature looked at its burnt left hand with a confused look as Alric and Leah landed near Capurn. "Are you doing well?"Leah asked as she approached Capurn. "I'm fine but I had to sacrifice one of my demon hearts."
"So the creature is that powerful,"Alric said as the giant sword disappeared into silvery particles and pulled out his sword from his sheath. He then blitzed to the creature and swung his sword downward cutting through its skin leaving a deep wound. The creature snapped out of its dazed state and moved away from Alric trying its best to create distance. Alric didn't give up the chase as he kept up with it swinging his sword leading to him landing some cuts. The creature then released a bright light blinding Alric for a few seconds giving it an opportunity to escape. As it was about to leave it was struck down by a pillar of golden light descending from the sky followed up by a volley of silver projectiles completely frying the creature. Finally, Capurn plunged his spear onto the creature's chest. The spear absorbed the creature's essence and a light resembling a constellation in the night sky flowed onto his body settling around the chest cavity.
Just like that they had finished off the creature threatening their Dive. "Truly such a foul entity was no match for our wits,"Leah commented recalling their plan. The moment they entered the battle field she used synchrony(one of the abilities of the Priest Path)to connect their senses and thoughts to communicate. Coordinating their attacks and battle senses,they found out the creature's weakness were close range attacks and low defense. Leah then used the unique power of the Cleric Of Hope to influence the fate of an individual to make the creature fall victim to the string of attacks that killed it. Capurn then noticed that the creature was trying to enter a dormant state avoid death but used his unique power as a Demon Hunter to absorb its essence to form a demon heart.
...
At the retreat hill, Marcus got out of the dacurus and met up with Eric and told him about the experience of the channelling crystals sparking due to the strange creature. "Luckily three Elders went to take care of it,"said Eric."Sadly we lost team 5 and 9 of the Warrior faction,"said Marcus and soon they both spent a moment in silence.
This was the reality of Diving in the Void over the past few years;one moment you are enjoying a meal together and the next you are wiped out during the Dive. The duo then started talking of the fantasies that they had about what they would do once they reach a habitable area in the Void. These fantasies were what kept their sanity and nourished their friendship during their time in the Void. It was due to this friendship that Marcus managed to stay alive to date since Eric had his back and Eric managed to survive his reckless encounters since Marcus was treating him. While talking Eric averted his gaze to a girl with short black hair and a rosy complexion with freckles. Her sea green eyes met with Eric's and he soon turned away with his face turning red. "I know you have a thing for Cathy but why won't you act on it and tell her. It's not like the world would collapse if you don't,"Marcus questioned. "I can't it's like whenever I try to words fail me since I'm captivated by her very existence,"Eric answered.
"Well then you can give up your dreams of..."just as Marcus was about to finish his statement the three Elders reached the hill and ordered everyone to enter their dacuri since the threat was neutralized. Marcus bade Eric goodbye as they approached their dacuri. Just as the Explorers were about to enter Capurn told them to halt.
"Before we head out to dance with death I would like to pose a question,"he continued with confused looks trained on him. Leah,Alric and Auburn looked at Capurn with a questioning look but they noticed that his eyes had a sort of mania hidden deep inside it. "If you knew everything that you were fighting for was merely an illusion what would you do at that moment of realization?"
Everyone was silent thinking about his words. This was a statement that never surfaced in the minds of the Explorers since no one wanted to accept that this may be a reality that they may face which made them unable to generate an answer. "Stop talking nonsense Capurn we all know that we will make it to the 71st level that contains the safe zone that could support our lives," Leah retorted and as she was about to hit him she notices a faint starry glow coming out from his chest and a crazy smirk forming on his face. "I've seen your kind before, clinging to hope like drowning man to a straw unwilling to admit that in the end that it's nothing more than a fantasy,"Capurn said before continuing," I'll take pleasure in crushing your fantasy".
Capurn flew in the air and held out his hand forming a bright burning ball of light and said,"blame the former owner of this body for your downfall since he forgot the most crucial rule of being a Demon Hunter: not all demons are meant to be turned into a demon heart". As 'Capurn' was about to throw the ball Auburn shouted using a language that seemed to stir the forces of nature,"all abnormal formation of stars shall be halted". The ball collapsed and dissipated. A large silver arrow shot towards 'Capurn' but he dodged instantly and retaliated by a spear at super sonic speeds which was cloaked with a bright burning gas akin to a star. When the spear landed on the ground a large explosion was formed throwing debris all around the hill and throwing a majority of Explorers off course.
"All violators of the previous rule shall be punished,"Auburn shouted and soon 'Capurn's' arms twisted nearly being broken off his body but suddenly Auburn coughed up copious amounts of blood. 'Capurn' locked his eyes at Leah's position and soon a golden light descended from the sky swallowing 'Capurn' but he managed to move out of it though a majority of his body was burnt but he still kept moving towards her. A bunch of Priests and Warriors threw a barrage of attacks and light pillars which majority hit their target. 'Capurn' looked at them and chanted a word filled with strange forces and evil,"consceleratus". A majority of the people nearby started transforming into monsters and went to devour those that hadn't transformed.
Meanwhile on another part of the hill Marcus drank a grayish liquid which closed up his wounds and handed the few healing potions he had to some of the teammates around him. Eric thanked Marcus as he drank the last healing potion. When they started planning on what to do next a monster approached them and ate the person closest to it. Marcus collapsed on the ground with his body shivering quickly rolling to a place of safety. A bunch of Warriors in the group including Cathy charged towards the monster throwing a barrage of well coordinated attacks injuring the monster but when Cathy landed the killing blow by plunging her electric charged sword to its body, another monster shot a pool of acid killing all of them.
Eric observed the gruesome scene leading to him screaming his heart out and in a fit of rage drew his sword and swung with incredible strength releasing a huge flame slash. The flame slash landed on the acid monster burning a fraction of its top body but undeterred,the monster engaged him in combat. Marcus observed this with his hands still trembling hoping that Eric wins but his enhanced vision due to the abilities of a Pharmacist of the Doctor path told him otherwise.
He saw bits of acid landing on Eric's wounds slowly corroding his body. "I have to save him before he bites the dust but how do I do it with my fear and limited combat knowledge?" Marcus thought as he observed the actions of the acid and an idea surfaced on his mind. He mixed a cyan fluid,a red liquid and a grey powder in an empty bottle which caused a sizzle forming a blue-gray liquid. He siphoned the liquid in a syringe and picked up a stone and carefully aiming at one of the wounds of the monster he threw the syringe and the stone at one second intervals. The syringe landed accurately and the stone followed up by pushing in the piston. The monster turned its head towards Marcus' direction, abandoned its fight with Eric and chased down Marcus. Marcus then threw a bottle filled with a clear liquid and he drank orange and white liquids from different bottles and filled with great power he ran incredibly fast.
"Scorch bird essence and Light eater concoction mixed together act as a steroid giving one great strength but has a dire recoil
causing the body to overheat. Sky jumper tears, Frost drake blood and yeti ashes are stable ingredients but when combined forms a volatile liquid that interacts with sulphuric acid in an odd manner forming frost,"Marcus' brain was filled with this information hoping his analysis involving the monster's acid secretions containing sulphuric acid was correct. Two minutes of running passed and the monster started to slow down with frost forming on its mouth.
Marcus noticed this and turned around to observe this but tripped on a rock and fell into a crater.
...
At the bottom of a massive crater, the Elders were severely injured with Leah being near death. 'Capurn' had arms formed by a cluster of stars and approached Leah. "Seems I'll have no choice but to use that move,"Leah thought as she pointed towards the Elders and chanted,"Master of Fate,Vilicus, heed my cry and send the individual ahead of me to the rivers of Fate to change our accursed fates". A mix of green and silver lights shot out from Leah's body but at the same time a screaming body falling from the sky landed in front of the lights.
...
Marcus woke up from his slumber after being hit by strange lights and saw he was in a greenish expanse with shades of white and in a distance was a mercury river filled with strange symbols that caused nausea by staring at it. When he was about to stand an ethereal voice said,"welcome to the domain of Master of Fate Vilicus".