Chapter 41: The Call from Oblivarion

  Blood dripped from Shinin’s forehead. Sweat and dust covered his face. Around him lay the remains of three Syavadark cyborgs, their shattered bodies still smoking from the aftermath of the explosions.

  His breathing was heavy. His body trembled.

  He had won—but not without a price.

  From the mist of the battlefield, a figure approached. The aura of a vampire mixed with holy fire surrounded him.

  Fran appeared, accompanied by two combat drones scanning the area tactically. He walked quickly toward Shinin and crouched down to examine him.

  “You’re still alive. Impressive… but stupid,” Fran said with a cynical smile. “You fought three Syavadark without armor. Trying to be a hero?”

  Shinin could only nod weakly and give a faint grin before his body collapsed to one knee from vertigo and exhaustion.

  The world spun around him.

  One Hour Later – Middle Wildland HQ

  The medical chamber was filled with soft light and humming nanotherapy machines.

  Shinin lay inside a healing pod while outside, the strategy room displayed holographic maps and images of Syavadark portal incursions.

  Fran stood beside Dr. Nadia and Hasyalys.

  “He almost died,” Fran said. “But he fought three Syavadark alone and won. We need him.”

  Dr. Nadia studied Shinin’s biometric readings on the screen.

  “It seems my father used Shinin’s body as a medium to manifest the Werewolf beast form. That drained most of his energy. But through Vanth, we can synchronize the system with his body.”

  She tapped a control panel.

  “I’ll give him the latest variant of the Vanth nanobot armor. If Irfanos awakens inside him… he might become the key to this expedition.”

  Several hours later, Shinin awoke.

  Standing before him was Dr. Nadia in her white lab coat.

  In her hands—

  Vanth Armor Mk. II

  A dark black armor threaded with glowing blue veins and golden electric lines that pulsed with living energy.

  Training Grounds – Zaqharyn Forest

  The sky above Middle Wildland looked peaceful.

  But far below, in a hidden zone known as Zaqharyn Forest, the aura of death and survival mixed within soil that seemed to breathe like an ancient creature.

  This was a training ground reserved only for those brave enough to defy fate.

  Here, warriors of Middle Wildland were forged.

  Shinin stood at the edge of the ancient training zone with Fran, Aisha, Zoarfang, and Ritz.

  Behind the thorn-covered jungle foliage, ferocious creatures waited to be released once the trial began.

  Creatures such as:

  Thornlurkers

  Velociravagers

  Sava Behemoths

  All implanted with technology capable of tracking the emotional energy of trainees.

  “This place used to be the trial ground for Irfanos… and Zedwan himself,” said Yharnessa, standing atop a stone platform while activating ancient glyph panels that would release the beasts.

  “Anyone who fails… is never found again.”

  From the control station, Dr. Nadia sent one last message through the comlink.

  “Remember. Your Vanth armor has an adaptive stim-core. It will adjust to your beast transformation style. But once the energy runs out…”

  She paused.

  “You’re on your own.”

  Shinin swallowed nervously.

  “You know… I always failed sprint tests in school, sis.”

  Fran grinned.

  “This isn’t a sprint test, Shinin.”

  “It’s a run-or-die test.”

  An ancient SIREN erupted through the sky.

  Iron gates shaped like the veins of ancient dragons slammed into the ground.

  Wild roars shook the forest.

  The beasts had been released.

  The ground trembled. Trees groaned.

  The trainees were unleashed into the tangled forest zone as blue mist thickened under the dim sunlight filtered by Zaqharyn’s roots.

  Shinin didn’t wait.

  He immediately transformed into a Grasshopper Beast, leaping across giant tree roots before shifting again into a Raptorswift Bird, diving from above at lightning speed.

  “YOU’RE ALL CRAZY IF YOU LEAVE ME HERE!”

  A Thornlurker lunged toward him.

  With beast reflexes, he transformed again—

  Into a winged rhino with eagle wings, smashing the creature into a stone wall with explosive kinetic force from his Vanth armor.

  Meanwhile, Ritz and Zoarfang used their armor’s shadow systems to hide and ambush.

  Aisha remained calm, eyes closed, guiding her teammates through telepathic signals.

  But the threat kept growing.

  Then suddenly—

  A voice echoed inside Shinin’s mind.

  “You’re using too much energy in those wild forms… my son.”

  “Let me show you the proper way.”

  “I’ll take over.”

  Shinin’s eyes glowed.

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  A celestial panther tattoo on his back began to shine.

  Within seconds, his body expanded—muscles and bones reshaping into an armored humanoid werewolf beast.

  That was no longer Shinin.

  It was Zedwan, controlling his son’s body from afar.

  With overwhelming strength and relentless attacks, the beasts fell one by one.

  But something far more terrifying was watching.

  Beyond the dimension—

  A portal from Oblivarion opened slightly.

  Just enough for a single Syavadark eye to peer through.

  “Middle Wildland shines too brightly.”

  “We must extinguish it.”

  Command Sphere Hall

  The night sky was deep crimson when Ching Lee arrived at the Sphere Command Hall, a secret facility hidden deep beneath the earth.

  Fran, Zoarfang, Ritz, and Aisha were already waiting with tactical weapons and stealth armor after Yharnessa announced their team had successfully passed the trial.

  Before the portal to Oblivarion opened—

  A familiar figure emerged from the shadows.

  Shinin.

  He looked normal.

  Messy hair. Casual posture. Half-confused smile.

  But everyone knew.

  Inside him lay an untamed power—and he was the key to Dr. Nadia’s Vanth Syazalight experiment.

  “Shinin,” Ching Lee said, handing him a shimmering black sheath.

  Dr. Nadia stepped forward.

  “Congratulations on surviving the trial.”

  She smiled slightly.

  “This isn’t just clothing. It’s a Vanth nanobot cloak created from living metal fragments and synthetic Titanus DNA.”

  “It will merge with your body, forming automatic defenses and weapons based on your reflexes.”

  Shinin blinked.

  “So… if I fart from fear… will it turn into a cannon?”

  Nadia smirked.

  “Maybe. And if your fart is toxic enough, we’ll unlock Skunk Beast Mode.”

  Moments later, the Vanth activated.

  Nanobots flowed across Shinin’s body like living black mist, forming sleek armor.

  His eyes flashed red and blue.

  Far away, Zedwan observed through the spiritual realm, ready to take control using the teachings of Master Sein if necessary.

  “Prepare for the mission,” Ching Lee ordered.

  Fran opened the console.

  A gravitational portal spun into existence, forming a deep blue vortex filled with crimson plasma sparks.

  They stepped through.

  Oblivarion

  The atmosphere on the other side suffocated the lungs.

  This alien world felt like the bottom of a dead ocean—dark, silent, with no wind and no sky.

  Only endless stone caves and tangled roots.

  As if they stood inside the stomach of an ancient monster.

  Creatures here were unfamiliar with the energy of Earth.

  They were savage—but fragile.

  Light and heat were poison to them.

  That was the team’s advantage.

  “Infrared wave mode. No white light,” Ritz ordered.

  “We don’t want to become dinner beacons.”

  Ching Lee checked the holomap.

  “The Syavadark energy core is 13 kilometers northwest. But judging from this structure…”

  He paused.

  “We might already be inside their nest.”

  Suddenly the comlink crackled.

  Hasyalys’ voice broke through weakly.

  “Chi…ng… L-ee… signal… fading…”

  Aisha closed her eyes.

  Light patterns appeared across her temples.

  Through telepathy, she connected with Hasyalys and Elira from afar.

  The signal became clearer.

  “Creatures there are attracted to movement and heat,” Hasyalys warned.

  “But they are extremely sensitive to Earth energy—gravity and natural light can mutate them.”

  “Be careful.”

  Behind the group, Shinin stood quietly.

  His Vanth armor slowly pulsed with his heartbeat.

  He grinned.

  “If they’re afraid of light… maybe I can flashbang them from my mouth.”

  “But if it fails… please throw me away and run.”

  Fran smirked.

  “If it fails… I’m recording it.”

  “Viral video.”

  They advanced deeper into the darkness.

  Leaving Earth’s light behind.

  Entering a world that never wanted to be illuminated.

  “Our mission is simple,” Ching Lee said.

  “Enter. Investigate. Find the Syavadark command center—or Valdira.”

  “And destroy it from within.”

  The Voice Behind – Irfanos Awakens

  Their movement through Oblivarion slowed.

  The cave walls whispered like ancient spirits.

  Infrared light revealed rock patterns that seemed almost alive.

  Then Shinin suddenly stopped.

  “Why?” Aisha asked.

  The Vanth armor on his body began to vibrate.

  A voice echoed—

  Not from a device.

  But from deep within his blood.

  “This armor… is not yours.”

  “Who gave you such power?”

  Shinin turned slowly.

  The voice was familiar.

  On his back, the glowing tattoo of a celestial winged panther began to move.

  A purple-blue light formed the astral shape of a panther’s head in the air.

  “Irfanos…” Shinin whispered.

  An astral face appeared.

  A black panther with one eye shining like the moon and the other dark as night.

  Its voice carried the echo of the heavens.

  “I feel the change within you. Those nanobots… they do not align with your soul.”

  “But they force you to move like a warrior.”

  “Are you trying to surpass me, Shinin?”

  Shinin took a deep breath.

  “I don’t want to be a burden. I want to fight like everyone else.”

  “I want to become… stronger.”

  “Equal.”

  “You wish to be my equal?”

  “I am the disciple of Zedwan, and the champion chosen by Goddess Diana.”

  “In Middle Wildland, none have defeated me.”

  “I am not your enemy, Shinin. I am your protector.”

  “But if you wish to surpass me… prove it.”

  The tattoo burned in blue flame before fading back into his skin.

  “I will emerge when you are truly in danger,” Irfanos’ voice echoed in Shinin’s mind.

  “But if you want me to acknowledge you as equal… show me.”

  Aisha watched quietly.

  Something had changed.

  Ching Lee placed a hand on Shinin’s shoulder.

  “You now carry two powers.”

  “One outside—Vanth.”

  “One inside—Irfanos.”

  “Don’t let them pull you in opposite directions.”

  Zoarfang spoke softly.

  “If Irfanos speaks the truth… then Shinin is more than human.”

  “Perhaps he is the beginning of a new evolution.”

  Shinin inhaled slowly.

  In the darkness of Oblivarion—

  Light did not come from the sun.

  It came from the spirit within.