Chapter 8: City Under Attack
1052 Words
The Corrupted Void Drake stared at Grayson.
For the first time since emerging from the portal, there was no arrogance in its eyes.
Only caution.
Ancient caution.
The kind reserved for beings capable of becoming legends.
Or disasters.
The city trembled.
Silver energy continued radiating from Grayson.
Chunks of concrete floated around him.
Streetlights hovered several feet above the ground.
Even abandoned vehicles rose into the air.
The pressure pouring from his body shocked everyone present.
Kai's eyes widened.
"Is that really the same guy from yesterday?"
Victor looked equally stunned.
Though he'd never admit it.
Meanwhile, Lyra watched silently.
A strange expression crossed her face.
Curiosity.
Concern.
And perhaps...
Recognition.
The dragon suddenly laughed.
A deep, thunderous laugh.
"Interesting."
Dark energy began gathering around its body.
"Very interesting."
The sky darkened further.
Clouds twisted unnaturally.
Lightning flashed across the heavens.
The System immediately responded.
WARNING
Threat Escalation Detected
The dragon spread its massive wings.
Then it roared.
The sound shook Nexus City.
And something horrifying happened.
RIPPPPPPPP!
The sky tore apart.
One portal appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
Black dimensional rifts opened throughout the city.
Above buildings.
Between streets.
Inside abandoned districts.
Everywhere.
Silence fell.
Then came the screams.
Monsters poured out.
Hundreds of them.
"No..."
Kai stared upward.
Marcus clenched his fists.
Lyra's expression darkened.
The dragon smiled.
"If I cannot kill the Monarch Candidate today..."
Its eyes glowed.
"Then I shall drown his city in blood."
The portals erupted.
The invasion had begun.
Across Nexus City, panic spread instantly.
Emergency broadcasts interrupted every television channel.
Military forces mobilized.
Awakened teams deployed.
Sirens echoed endlessly.
Yet it wasn't enough.
There were simply too many monsters.
Creatures descended upon the city like a nightmare.
Some resembled giant wolves.
Others looked like insects the size of cars.
Some appeared almost human.
Which somehow made them even more disturbing.
Buildings caught fire.
Roads collapsed.
Entire districts descended into chaos.
The System suddenly generated a new notification.
WORLD EVENT
The First Invasion
Objective:
Protect Nexus City
Reward:
???
Failure:
Catastrophic Casualties
Grayson frowned.
"What happens if we fail?"
The System responded instantly.
Estimated Deaths:
1,700,000+
Silence.
For the first time since obtaining the Ascension System...
Grayson felt genuine rage.
The dragon laughed again.
Bad move.
A very bad move.
Without warning, Grayson launched himself forward.
The street beneath him exploded.
BOOM!
He crossed hundreds of meters instantly.
The dragon's eyes widened.
Even Grayson was surprised.
His speed had increased dramatically.
Apparently anger was one hell of a motivator.
The dragon swung a massive claw.
Grayson dodged.
The attack demolished an office tower behind him.
Glass rained from the sky.
Grayson retaliated immediately.
His telekinesis surged.
An entire section of roadway ripped free from the ground.
Thousands of tons of concrete slammed into the dragon.
The impact echoed across the city.
Dust filled the air.
The dragon crashed backward through multiple buildings.
People watching from distant rooftops stared in disbelief.
A human had just punched a dragon with a city block.
Grayson didn't celebrate.
Because the dragon wasn't dead.
Not even close.
The creature emerged from the rubble moments later.
Angrier than ever.
"GOOD."
The dragon's grin widened.
"Grow stronger."
Its eyes burned with anticipation.
"Become worthy."
Then it vanished.
The dragon's speed exceeded anything Grayson had previously encountered.
A claw slammed into his chest.
BOOM!
Grayson shot through three buildings.
Pain exploded through his body.
His vision blurred.
Several ribs cracked.
Blood filled his mouth.
The dragon appeared above him.
"Too weak."
The next attack descended.
But never landed.
A crimson barrier appeared.
Lyra.
The barrier shattered instantly.
Yet it bought enough time.
Grayson escaped.
The dragon growled.
Lyra landed beside him.
"Still alive?"
Grayson wiped blood from his mouth.
"Barely."
"Good."
"That's your concern?"
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"If you die now, all this trouble would've been for nothing."
Despite everything happening around them...
Grayson laughed.
And surprisingly...
So did Lyra.
The moment lasted only seconds.
Then another portal opened nearby.
A massive swarm of monsters emerged.
At least two hundred.
Heading directly toward a civilian evacuation zone.
Grayson immediately moved.
Lyra followed.
Without discussion.
Without hesitation.
They simply knew.
The civilians came first.
The two charged into battle together.
And for the first time...
Their powers truly combined.
Telekinesis.
Shadow magic.
Moonlight energy.
Blood magic.
The battlefield erupted.
Monsters exploded.
Buildings shook.
Shockwaves rippled across entire districts.
The cooperation felt strangely natural.
As if they'd fought together before.
As if fate itself had planned it.
The System seemed to agree.
Combat Synchronization Detected
Partner Candidate:
Lyra Nightshade
Synchronization Rate:
22%
Grayson nearly stumbled.
"Partner candidate?"
Now was not the time.
The System ignored him.
As always.
The battle continued.
Monster after monster fell.
Yet more kept arriving.
The city remained under siege.
Then suddenly
A child screamed.
Grayson turned.
A collapsing skyscraper.
Hundreds of civilians trapped below.
The building was falling.
And there wasn't enough time.
Everyone froze.
Even Grayson.
The structure was simply too large.
Impossible.
Then he heard Lyra's voice.
"Grayson."
Her eyes met his.
"No limits."
Something clicked.
No limits.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Not hesitation.
Just action.
Grayson reached out.
His telekinesis exploded.
The entire skyscraper stopped.
Silence.
The city froze.
Millions watched.
The impossible tower hovered in midair.
Held by invisible force.
Grayson's body screamed in agony.
Blood streamed from his nose.
His muscles tore.
His vision blurred.
But he refused to let go.
Not one inch.
Not one civilian.
Not today.
The System erupted with notifications.
BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED
Mental Capacity Increased
Energy Increased
Telekinesis Mastery Increased
NEW ABILITY AWAKENED
KINETIC KINESIS
Grayson's eyes widened.
A new power.
Energy flowed through his body.
Suddenly everything became easier.
The skyscraper stabilized.
Then slowly lowered to safety.
Cheers erupted throughout the city.
Thousands of people watched in awe.
For many...
This was the first time they witnessed hope during the invasion.
For Grayson...
It was simply what needed to be done.
Yet high above the city...
The dragon watched.
And smiled.
Because every battle.
Every victory.
Every breakthrough.
Was accelerating the growth of the future Battle Monarch.
And somewhere beyond reality itself...
Ancient beings had begun paying attention.
The game was getting larger.
Far larger.
And Grayson Storm had only just begun to understand the true scale of the war waiting for him.
- Writer
