Chương 15: The Monolith
The world felt heavier the closer Eliar got to the monolith. Every step forward was like wading through an invisible tide, the weight of the air pressing down on him. It wasn't just the atmosphere—it was the sensation that something was watching, assessing him, waiting for him to falter.
The monolith loomed ahead, a tower of black stone that shimmered like oil under the faint crimson light. Its surface pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat, and the veins in the ground converged at its base, glowing brighter with each pulse. It didn't just dominate the landscape—it commanded it, as if the world itself bent to its presence.
Eliar stopped a few feet away, his breath shallow. The construct in his mind flared faintly, threads twisting and weaving as if trying to interpret what he was seeing. The monolith wasn't just a structure. It was alive—or at least something close to it.
"What are you?" he muttered, his voice barely audible. The monolith didn't answer, but the hum in the air seemed to grow louder, a low vibration that resonated deep in his chest.
Tentatively, Eliar reached out with his hand, the construct guiding his movements. He didn't know what he was expecting—answers, maybe, or some kind of sign. Instead, the moment his fingers brushed the monolith's surface, the hum became a roar.
Light exploded from the veins, racing up the monolith in jagged patterns. Eliar stumbled back, shielding his eyes as the ground beneath him trembled. The construct in his mind twisted violently, its threads unraveling under the sudden surge of energy.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, the light stopped.
Eliar lowered his hand, blinking rapidly as his vision adjusted. The monolith stood unchanged, its surface dark and shimmering, but something was different. The air was thicker now, charged with tension, and the faint whispers that had haunted him earlier returned—louder, clearer.
"Break… adapt… balance…"
The words were fragmented, layered, as if coming from a dozen voices at once. Eliar clenched his fists, his pulse racing. "What does that even mean?" he growled. "Balance what?"
The monolith didn't respond, but the ground around it began to shift.
The veins pulsed violently, cracks spreading outward as the terrain twisted and warped. Shadows coalesced from the fissures, their forms fluid and unnatural, shifting like smoke caught in a storm. They weren't creatures in the traditional sense—there was no solid form, no defining features. Just jagged edges and glowing crimson eyes that blinked in and out of existence.
Eliar took a step back, his heart pounding. The construct in his mind flickered erratically, struggling to maintain its shape. Whatever these things were, they weren't natural. They were born from the monolith—shards of its power given form.
One of the shadows lunged.
Eliar barely had time to react, the construct flaring as he shaped it into a barrier. The shadow struck with a force that rattled his bones, its edges rippling against the light. For a moment, the barrier held, but the shadow twisted, its form reshaping as it slipped through a crack in the defense.
Eliar cursed, stumbling back as the shadow lunged again. This time, he shaped the energy into a jagged spear, thrusting it forward with all his strength. The spear struck true, piercing the shadow's core. The creature let out a shriek, its form collapsing into ash.
But there were more. Dozens more.
The shadows moved in unison, their forms shifting and blending as they surrounded him. Eliar's mind raced, the construct twisting and fraying as he struggled to keep up. He couldn't rely on the same tactics—they were adapting too quickly, countering his every move.
"Think, damn it," he muttered, sweat dripping down his face. The shadows were closing in, their glowing eyes like beacons in the dark. He needed something new, something unpredictable.
The construct in his mind pulsed faintly, its threads weaving into a new pattern. Eliar didn't question it. He reached out, shaping the energy into a swirling vortex of light and force. The vortex expanded rapidly, its edges jagged and unstable, and for a moment, the shadows hesitated.
Then, they attacked.
The vortex tore through the first wave, shredding their forms into fragments, but the remaining shadows pressed on, their movements sharper, more coordinated. Eliar gritted his teeth, the construct flaring as he poured more energy into the vortex. It wasn't enough. They were adapting faster than he could adjust.
"This isn't a fight," he realized, his breath hitching. "It's a lesson."
The monolith wasn't trying to kill him. It was testing him, forcing him to adapt, to grow. Every shadow, every attack, was a challenge—a puzzle he had to solve.
Eliar closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. The construct in his mind steadied, its threads weaving into a more intricate pattern. He reshaped the energy, the vortex collapsing into a single, concentrated point of light. The shadows lunged, but Eliar was faster. He unleashed the energy in a burst of raw power, the light spreading outward like a shockwave.
The shadows dissolved, their forms disintegrating under the force of the blast. The ground trembled violently, the veins flaring brighter, and the monolith pulsed one last time before falling silent.
Eliar collapsed to his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The construct in his mind was steady again, its presence a faint hum that kept him anchored. The air was silent, the tension gone, but Eliar knew it wasn't over.
The monolith had given him a glimpse of its power, a fragment of its purpose. It wasn't just a structure—it was a gate, a conduit to something greater. And whatever lay beyond it, Eliar wasn't ready.
Not yet.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực