After closing the book and putting it back down on the desk, Arqus felt bewildered by what he had read. The book was about a group of people who found a portal leading to an unexplored land. One of them had their fortune told by a lady who said that he could find vast riches at this place, but it came with danger, and he wouldn't be able to stand alone.
She was very vague, but since he didn't have anything else to do, he gathered up a group of the strongest people on Earth. Despite their differences, he told them about his encounter with the lady. They were all skeptical because none of them were strangers to fortune-telling, but when he mentioned an unexplored land, their curiosity was piqued.
Each and every one of them had explored the globe, and they knew that if there was truly land that hadn't been touched by mankind, they would know about it. They were well aware that there were places mankind knew about but hadn't fully explored, such as the Amazon rainforest and the vast depths of the ocean. New species were still being discovered, and who knew what other creatures and mysteries remained unknown to mankind?
The lady had said that she saw a storm brewing in the north, the earth would shake, and providence would guide those who were truly aware. It was clear when he told them this part they would need to go north to find what they were looking for.
They were eager to find this new land of vast riches, but after searching for days that turned into weeks through the harsh, stormy weather, they were about to put an end to the expedition. The weather had been terrible, and just as they thought things couldn't get any worse, they saw a cyclone forming. Panic set in among them, and they thought they were done for.
The ship they were on started being pulled toward the cyclone, and there was nothing they could do. Just when they were about to accept their fate, a streak of light spread across the sky and the cyclone erupted, forming a heavy mist. They were unable to see anything around the ship. It wasn't until the mist settled that they saw an island.
Everyone was excited, smiles could be seen on their faces. After weeks of exploring, they finally found this so-called new land, they had high expectations for what this island was holding, but they bound to be disappointed. When they explored the island, they couldn't find anything at all.
They figured they would spend the night before leaving. Some tried to examine the light in the sky and some tried to figure out if there was any abnormalities to this island, but to no avail—they couldn't figure anything out. They thought the light in the sky as a normal aurora that would pass after some time. After a while, the aurora starting to fade, but in an unexpected turn, it formed into a pillar of light beaming onto the island.
Their curiosity was piqued, and they went to the location where it was slowly fading out. What they saw was a portal. They didn't know it was a portal at first, but within a day, after conducting experiments and probing attempts such as throwing stones, they understood that whatever went through never returned.
After they passed through the portal, they were in an open area stretched out, covered in a blanket of grass that swayed gently in the breeze. The sky above was clear and blue, with only a few wisps of clouds dotting the horizon. A few people stood scattered under this vast, open expanse, appearing small and serene against the backdrop of endless green and sky. However just as they emerge from the portal, they felt an enormous pressure bearing down on them, they could take a few steps at most before they would collapse from the gravity.
With the team going in and out the gate just to experience the torture they were at loss on what to do. It went on for about five days and the most steps they could take was 10 and on that particular day where there was a clear sunny sky they saw a dark cloud moving in the distance and it seemed to moving towards them.
This single dark cloud was moving at a constant speed, and at certain points, they could see it burst with rain falling down. After each burst, a small mist would form and then disappear. Based on its current speed and their calculations, they predicted that they would expect the rain. What they had predicted came to pass. Before long, that dark, gloomy cloud let loose its rain right above them as they walked. As the rain washed over their bodies, one of the men opened his mouth to taste a drop of water. Unexpectedly, he felt his body surge with energy, and the immense gravity weighing him down vanished. He quickly informed everyone of what had happened, and this was how they became accustomed to the gravity of this new world.
Later, they discovered a spring pond with this miraculous property that allowed them to become accustomed to the gravity and soon they began to settle the land by constructing a small settlement. It wasn't long until they discovered that monsters and beasts occupied the land around them, and they realized they weren't safe at all. While they were fortunate not to be constrained by the gravity of this world, the presence of monsters posed a new threat. How they would survive became a pressing question for them all.
Just as Arqus was contemplating what he had read, a tremendous surge of energy erupted from the forest, toppling trees in its path. Arqus saw the exact same creature that Ozil had encountered, standing in place and facing the house in the distance.
As it noticed Arqus, he could see its eyes glaring at him. The snake head moved up right next to the creature's head, now four pairs of eyes also fixed on him. Arqus felt a chill run down his spine. While the stare down continued, Arqus frantically thought of how to escape. In that same moment, he lost sight of the creature and blinked. The next second, it had appeared right outside the house, staring through the window at Arqus.
When the creature disappeared, Arqus observed how the energy moved and operated around and within its body. He was mesmerized by the energy that flowed through the air and floated all around this creature.
The creature raised its left hand, pointing directly at Arqus. From its palm, a bright red and black ball of condensed energy began to form. When Arqus saw this, he knew he was as good as dead if it hit him. When the creature released the ball of energy, it shot out like a beam of light. Arqus stared wide-eyed as the energy beam came straight at him. The red and black energy beam obliterated the house as if it had never existed, leaving behind only a burnt line on the ground extending into the distance.
The creature stared at the spot where the house had been. As it did, it felt an immense fear, as though someone was watching it from behind. Compelled to turn around, it saw Arqus standing right behind it, mimicking the creature's actions from before. Arqus was condensing a ball of energy in his palm, but this ball of energy was black with a white outline.
The creature couldn't move, as if it were rooted to the spot. When Arqus released the energy, its tail, with the snake head, seemed to have a mind of its own. The snake head pulled the creature just out of the way, but it wasn't enough to completely dodge the beam. The creature's arm disintegrated into nothingness after the energy blast, but it didn't stop there. The energy beam continued moving in a straight line, obliterating all the trees in the forest and scorching the earth in its path.
The creature finally snapped back to it senses when the energy dissipated. It couldn't comprehend this human in front of it and didn't dare to make direct eye contact at Arqus. It immediate fled flying through the air. As the creature departed, Arqus experienced a wave of relief. However, the toll of the encounter weighed heavily on him, and he collapsed to the ground, utterly drained both mentally and physically.
As Arqus lay recovering on the forest floor, he remained blissfully unaware that his unleashed power had shattered the very formation that had kept both him and the creature trapped within this forest. The barrier's destruction sent ripples of force outward, disturbing the local beasts and drawing the gaze of enigmatic entities.
Arqus, after resting, thought about his current situation and if he would ever get back to earth. Returning to Earth will be a goal? he thought, the question lingering in his mind. But if he ever dared to return, he would have to remain hidden. The allure of this new world was strong. He felt it was better to stay, to explore both its wonders and the extent of his newfound abilities.
While contemplating, Arqus sensed an energy fluctuation in the area and approached it. What he discovered was a creature the size of a beetle—a small, black, fluffy ball adorned with two curly antennas atop its head. Its pair of green eyes held an intriguing secret: three pupils aligned horizontally. As it climbed toward an orange-like fruit on a tree, Arqus noticed the subtle distinction—the fruit bore red spots, setting it apart from a typical orange.
Those curly antennas shone. Arqus noticed how they attracted the surrounding energy and started to absorb it, and then the creature spat out a ball of fire at the stalk of the fruit, causing it to fall to the ground. Arqus was amazed at what this creature could do. The one he fought before had a predatory nature, desiring to kill the moment it laid eyes on him. However, this fluffy creature didn't seem to mind his presence when it noticed Arqus.
This creature collected energy through its antennas when the other did it straight to its body. Arqus was fascinated by this world even since he saw how the energy was being used. The way it flowed and operated fascinated him. Driven by curiosity, he attempted to mimic its flow, hoping to replicate its effects. However, as he processed everything, a moment of clarity struck him. He paused, shaking his head, and chuckled, muttering, "What the hell am I thinking? Trying to spit out fire?" He didn't know if his whole mouth would burn, and he would most likely be harming himself if he didn't think this through.
When he imitated the one he fought, that creature was full of energy and still collected energy and used it to send that beam. However, when it teleported to the house, that was the only time Arqus saw it use it's own internal energy. Arqus wondered whether, since the creature had a humanoid appearance, he could perform the same exact feats. If he were to classify the one in front of him at the moment it would most likely be the insect type but the way it used the energy and collected it was different then the one he fought.
A creature that can store energy and use it had the advantage of being able to accumulate power and unleash it when needed. This stored energy can be harnessed for various actions, providing flexibility and strategic advantage in different situations. On the other hand, the insect creature that can only use energy as it comes has to rely on the immediate availability of energy in its environment.
So what if the energy source is disrupted or depleted? How would this insect cope? When Arqus thought of this, he immediately reflected on how he had lived before. Does Earth have this energy, and how does energy come to be? Was it always there to begin with? With that, a sudden realization struck him: "Since that group of people was able to use energy, why wasn't it public knowledge?" he wondered
Meanwhile outside the formation the monster Arqus fought was moving at full speed, it passed by many rivers and mountains before it finally came the ocean and flew across it without looking back.