The void creatures were behaving more and more erratically. Mason couldn't shake the unsettling thought. 'At this rate, they might organize raids on our star systems.'
As he continued to watch the mass of void creatures, mentally counting their numbers, an hour slipped by. Then, Zol arrived.
"Think it's the same kind of situation?" Zol asked, his gaze fixed on the scene before them. When he turned to look at Mason, his expression betrayed his unease.
"Well, if you ignore the creatures clustering around the tear, then yeah, it's similar," Mason replied. But he wasn't finished. "Still, something about this feels… different. And I'm not gonna lie, it's making me uneasy."
Zol raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Mason to take things seriously. But when he did, it usually meant trouble was brewing.
Zol shifted his attention to the pulsating veil tear. It loomed between two planets, its sheer size almost incomprehensible.
Comparing it to the planets was like comparing a single kernel of maize to a fowl. One peck was all it would take for the tear to consume everything—it was that enormous.
'Exactly forty-six A-tier void creatures,' Zol mentally calculated. Those were his main concerns, as they posed the greatest threat among the gathered swarm.
"You sent a report to the capital, right?" Zol asked, needing confirmation that Mason understood they couldn't handle this alone.
The last time they faced something this severe, they were a team of five—and even then, it was one of their toughest challenges.
"I sent it before calling you," Mason assured him. "This time, I hope they send more than just two S-Class hunters."
"Agreed," Zol said with a nod.
Evelyn had only recently recovered from her injuries and returned to active duty. But the timing couldn't have been worse, with the madness that had erupted across the galactic community.
As they monitored the tear, Mason broke the silence. "Any progress on breaking the ice cage?" He sighed, lowering himself into a seated position within the void.
"If this tear is anything like the last one, we're looking at days," Mason muttered. Even then, the chaos meant they couldn't afford to leave and return later.
"None so far," Zol admitted. "I've tried everything the leaders suggested—except the last one. I'm reluctant to test that out."
"Then maybe focus on it after we survive this mess," Mason quipped, though he didn't explicitly add the weighty if.
Minutes ticked by in silence until Mason spoke again. "Shouldn't we do something about the creatures?" He turned to Zol.
"They're just sitting there, waiting for God knows what. We could pick off some of them before they become an even bigger problem."
Zol considered the suggestion, his gaze flickering back to the tear. The void energy emanating from it was the real issue.
"What about the energy coming from the tear?" he asked. "The creatures are inside its range, and we both know that stuff's dangerous—even for us."
Mason rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "What if you use your telekinetic powers to pull them out? The A-tiers are the priority. We can handle the small fries later."
It was a solid plan, but Zol shook his head. "You're forgetting something. Our abilities weaken in regions saturated with void energy."
"Oh, right…" Mason sighed, shaking his head. "Guess I'm more stressed than I thought."
"Maybe…" Zol agreed.
Suddenly the two hunters got to their 'feet' when a loud cracking sound came from the veil tear. Mason's expression grew solemn while Zol narrowed his eyes at the mirror-like cracks that continued to grow.
None of them expected the crack to happen this early on. But it was their mistake to see the veil tear as similar to the one they dealt with before.
Veil tears were already breeches in the spacetime fabric. However, when cracks come into the mix, it meant something was coming from another place not their universe.
"Damnit. The others aren't here yet." Mason cursed and quickly sent word to his ship for an update from the capital.
[Three hunters have been dispatched, sir. They should be here in an hour.] The reply was unfavourable, but it was the best he got.
"Get ready," Zol advised. "We can't wait on them and risk whatever is coming to escape." It would be a disaster if the incoming monster escaped their presence and went to wreak havoc somewhere in their galaxy.
On Zol's cue, Mason conjured defence barriers in front of them in preparation for any surprises. The two held their breaths as they patiently waited for the crack to spit out whatever was coming through.
*BOOM!*
Finally, the cracks stopped as the resulting gaping hole—almost as dark as the inside of a black hole revealed itself.
Then a powerful wave of void energy gushed out, spreading as far as they could possibly reach. The void creatures parted and made room while Mason and Zol backed away from the void energy wave.
"The energy…" Mason began but he didn't have to finish the statement as Zol understood. The void energy wave that washed over them was far stronger than what they experienced years ago.
They weren't sure if it was an S-tier void creature coming through or if it was something in between. They couldn't be sure as the only thing they could compare it to was what they faced all those years ago.
"It's coming…" Zol muttered in a solemn tone, his bladed weapons at the ready.
From the crack, a loud growl that shook the very fabric of spacetime resounded through the void. It was louder than anything they'd heard from a void creature.
But then what shocked them was the action of the void creatures facing the crack—they literally lowered their heads like paying homage to their king.
It was both impressive as it was chilling to the bone. Then the creature became visible—at least the part that had made it to the edges of the veil tear.
"Is that an opened maw…?" Mason asked in disbelief. The size of that thing was enough to swallow multiple planets at a go. Inside the blackness of its maws was what looked like a spinning vortex, and around its jaws were powerful rows of teeth and fangs.
Zol remained silent and focused, not daring to take his eyes off the monstrosity. The revealed maws were followed by two massive claws capable of slicing stars apart.
The head of the creature resembled a carnivora with burning red eyes as it came out of the veil tear. It finally come out of the veil, resembling a wolf—a Fenrir.
Its body was a blend of flesh and shadows as there were no clear distinction from where its body began to where it ended.
Impressive of all was its size which was akin to putting the planet Earth close to the sun.
It appeared majestic with its snout lifted slightly while the surrounding void creatures— the A tier and below continued to bow their heads in reverence.
"My god…" Mason couldn't help but mutter under his breath. Even he was taken aback by the majesty the creature projected.
"Its intelligence might be on par with a human's." Zol swallowed hard just saying those words.
"!"
Zol and Mason felt a chill down their spine when the creature out of nowhere turned to look straight at them, its red eyes piercing through the void. They were billions of kilometres away, their presence completely hidden.
Yet… it meant nothing before the monstrosity that made appeared. What was worse was the aura it gave off... it was overwhelming to say the least.
"This is horrifying…" Mason gritted his teeth as he resisted the pressure. It glued him and Zol in place, making movements almost impossible. Space trembled visibly like someone turned the gravity up by a thousandfold.
But what was worse were the planets and other celestial bodies in the system. They… they were ground to dust—instantly.