Brian's eyes lit up when he saw his friend. "Ilex, thank god we found you! We’ve been cosmically worried. Shit man, you’re wounded all over, we have to get you out of here?"

He couldn’t stomach the man's condition. Instead of a shoulder cloaked in skin, raw muscle fibers were on display, now an unnatural purple color with unhealthy yellow patches. Cuts and scrapes were scattered across Ilex's body, and his pants were torn, revealing his right thigh. His modesty was preserved, but a deep wound stood out on the bare skin, its edges reflecting the same disturbing purple color and unsightly yellow spots.

Ignoring his discomfort, Brian helped Ilex to his feet.

“How’d you find me?”

Sophia handed one of her vitality potions to Ilex. “HQ received your distress signal. We rushed over immediately.”

“Once we got here, it was easy. We just followed your energy signature with my Oculus Core.”

“I see.” In a hurry, Ilex uncorked the vitality potion and downed its contents. The group started moving with caution.

Sophia nodded, her eyes brimming with concern. "We're just glad you're okay.” Then she smirked a little. “Believe it not, we just completed the academy and this is our very first mission."

"Ah, That’s great.” Ilex exhaled in a way that seemed laborious. “Things here didn’t go as planned. I’ve been running from valtivenoms for lums.” Ilex managed a weak smile. “Who's this?"

Brian gestured toward Kael. "This is our very good friend Kael. We met him at the Decimator Academy. He's a heck of a fighter."

Kael inclined his head in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you, Ilex. How can we be of assistance?"

Ilex’s countenance darkened. "Something's not right about these valtivenoms. The information we have doesn't match what I've seen. They're consuming too much Valtite, and if this continues, their venom will spread across all of Valteria.”

“I noticed venomous pools outside of the valtivenoms' territory limits,” Kael said.

“You know what, we sneaked past a few valtivenoms to find you, but I was surprised there wen’t that many around.” Brian's eyes darted around the area, flicking from one shadowy corner to another, searching for any sign of danger, ready to react at a moment's notice.

“Yeah, I think I’ve lost them for now, but they'll be here soon,” Ilex replied.

Sophia's voice cracked with alarm. "What can we do to stop them?"

Ilex sighed. "I'm not sure there's anything we can do."

Brian stretched his back. "There has to be something. We managed to find a way to deal with the Grivaxians, right? We can figure this out, too."

Ilex couldn't help but chuckle, albeit weakly. "Ok."

Kael had that ‘I’ve got a bad feeling’ look on his face. "Let’s keep moving and discuss this on the way. Our priority is to get Ilex out of here,” he said, urgently. Kael then spotted Ilex's goggles on the floor. He picked them up and handed them to Ilex. "You might need these."

Ilex shook his head, a small smirk playing on his lips. "No need, actually. I've attuned to the Olfactory Core."

Brian's jaw dropped. "Seriously? How does it feel?"

Ilex paused, searching for the right words. "I was surprised, it was exactly how you described your oculus sight. Just how you could see the Grivaxians' energy even when they were invisible. It's like that, but I can smell the valtite in the air."

"Woah, and you were already so strong. Now that you have a valtite core, I can't even imagine you having limits. Oh wow, imagine if someone started hoarding cores. They would be invincible." Brian’s mind drifted away. “Maybe that is why Darius is so strong, the guy must have eaten at least five valtie cores.”

Kael released an exhaled laugh. “I doubt it. For starters, very few decimators have even attuned to one valtite core. And I read that the even fewer that have tried acquiring a second one reported to have obtained no extra benefits.” Kael shrugged. “Simply thousands of solars down the drain. One of them actually died… but apparently that is even more rare. Anyway, the government has banned decimators from consuming more than one core–”

[11 Valtivenom signatures detected]

[Energy Rank: Flicker]

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. Brian whipped his head to the right, his eyes narrowed sensing a potent valtite signature rapidly heading their way.

“I can smell him too. That’s the beta that has been hunting me.”

“Can we take him?” Brian drew his dagger.

“The last time I checked, he had ten valtivenom soldiers with him. I had no choice but to run away,” Ilex paused and looked at Brian. “But maybe we can. I mean, you fellas are decimators now, right?”

Brian let out a sheepish laugh and sighed. He knew he had grown stronger since first awakening in Reptiscale Caverns, but compared to Ilex's power or even Kael, he felt lacking. Deep down, he questioned his readiness for these perilous places; Reptiscale Caverns, Serpent's Pools. It all seemed so daunting. In truth, if it weren't for his heightened reaction time, he might have met his end several lums ago. No, I can do it!

A chilling breeze blew through the desolate terrain, carrying the distant hissing of unseen creatures.

Kael placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Don’t worry friend, we will get stronger together. Let’s give this beta a swift death.”

Sophia grinned and placed her hand on Brian’s other shoulder. “What he said.”

"Oh, great, now I've got the pep squad on my shoulders.” Brian raked his fingers through his hair, attempting to calm himself. “But seriously… Thanks, guys."

The venomous pool next to them bubbled, sending up toxic vapor that stung their eyes and throats. Brian winced. “Man, this definitely can’t be healthy for you.”

He straightened his posture, mentally bracing himself for the imminent battle. When the sound of slithering filled the air, the sudden emergence of the valtivenom beta sent a shiver coursing through Brian’s very soul.

The beta sneered. "We've finally found the vermin that entered our domain."

Brian glanced at Ilex and asked, "Can you understand them now that you have a core?"

"No."

Brian sighed. “I guess this’ll be like with the grivaxians.” He turned to the Beta. "What's your name? We would prefer not to fight. Is there any way that we can assist your race?"

"What’s this, an intruder who can communicate?” Nexis bared his fangs, his voice rough and threatening, each word resonating with a gargle-like undertone, as though he were speaking through a mouthful of liquid. “Nexis is the name. But names are of no consequence to you. And yes, there is a way for you to assist us!”

“Really?”

“The valtite in your body will be nutrition for the valtivenoms!"

“Fuck you!”

With a swift gesture, Nexis sent valtivenom soldiers to attack the group.

“What did he say?” Sophia gritted her teeth.

Brian’s words stumbled out of his mouth. “It doesn’t matter, just be ready. They’re coming!”

Ilex urged everyone to step back. He pulled out his spellbook and quickly turned to the second page. "My 'Viscous Tendrils' will buy us time, but we need a plan of attack.”

As he spoke the incantation, tendrils of acid sprouted from the ground, towering over twice their size. They whipped and swirled menacingly, cutting off the advancing valtivenom soldiers. One of them attempted to cross and was sliced in half. The top half landed at Brian's feet, yellow slime oozing from the severed body. The bottom half crashed on the other side of Ilex's acidic barrier.

Nexis's rage intensified, and he shouted a furious hiss. He aimed his stinger at them and shot venomous streams, which tore through the tendrils as if they were nothing. Brian quickly stepped in front of Ilex, activating his Event Horizon Grasp. Meanwhile, Kael took advantage of the chaos and slipped to the side, vanishing from sight using his camouflage ability. Sophia stood behind Brian and Ilex, desperately looking for an opportunity to help.

Brian wasn't sure his plan would work. As his Event Horizon Grasp—nicknamed 'EHG'—began to consume the venom, a rush of relief surged through him. The radius of his EHG was only slightly larger than a tennis ball, so he had to rely on his Chronal Gaze to keep the venom from reaching them. He found himself grateful for his earlier decision to invest heavily in dexterity, as the situation demanded above-human speeds—akin to playing a high-speed game of catch.

The overwhelming power generated by his black hole was electrifying. It cast stark, dancing shadows from the rocky formations onto the bare ground, creating an atmosphere that was as disorienting as it was mesmerizing.

The feeling was both exciting and scary, with his fingers buzzing from the energy of his valtite manifestation. This was the first time Brian had successfully used his spell in a fight, and it did its job! The harmful liquid vanished into the vortex. Most importantly, the energy was flowing through him, refilling his reserves. His used valtite was slowly getting restored, giving him the ability to maintain his Chronal Gaze.

However, Nexis was getting furious. He fired even more venom at a faster pace, and though Brian's black hole absorbed it all, the pressure pushed him backward. The vortex in his hand crackled with power, spinning faster and threatening to overwhelm him.

In one quick motion, Brian sheathed his dagger and supported his left forearm with his right hand, "Ilex, I can protect you from the venom, can you kill some of them from where you are? But do it fast! Move behind me!”

"The Soldiers are no problem, but my acid doesn't hurt the beta. His venom and skin are stronger.”

“Do valtivenoms have any weaknesses?”

Ilex pondered the question. “Um, they are weak against extreme temperatures.”

Brian, his voice strained, replied, "Can you decrease your acid’s pH?"

“What?”

“Make it more acidic!”

“How?”

“Heat is also energy. If you pour more valtite into it it’ll produce more ions, effectively making the solution more acidic.” The assault overwhelmed Brian; The intensity of the valtivenom's attack proved too powerful for Brian's event horizon grasp, or EHG, as he had started calling it. Recoiling, he saw a venomous stream hurtling toward him and, thanks to his keen sight, nimbly evaded the toxic threat. However, three valtivenom soldiers had flanked them aerially, their venomous stingers aimed straight at him.

“Half of that makes sense,” Ilex said.

Rolling to evade the deadly attack, Brian clumsily tripped and fell on his side.

“GO!” Sophia’s cadence ringed in Brian’s ears, he saw her teleport away and reappear in midair, slicing the tail off one of the valtivenoms. The wounded creature screeched and plummeted to the ground. At the same moment, another attacker spat a venomous stream, but Ilex fired an acid-pressured shot that overpowered the venomous discharge and punctured a hole through the soldier’s body.

With two assailants down, Brian's confidence surged. As the final valtivenom closed in, he deftly dodged his stinger by pushing himself backward, then lunged forward, plunging his dagger into his enemy’s neck. In his adrenaline-fueled state, he yanked the dagger out and plunged it in three more times, yellow viscous blood drenched him as he ensured the creature was dead. The skirmish came to an abrupt end as Sophia teleported to the ground and drove her katana into the first valtivenom, whose tail she had severed moments ago.

On the distant side of the battlefield, Nexis's looked as if had completely lost control when he witnessed his valtivenom soldiers crumble one by one, their once fearsome presence dwindling into defeat. With a surge of power, he launched skyward and his wings sliced the battlefield's tension as he zeroed in on Brian, Ilex, and Sophia. The Beta's speed was truly astounding, rivaling that of Zarkon himself, yet even more astonishing was the fact that he could fly.

As if bipedal alligators weren't fantastic enough, they now faced flying snakes. But 'flying snakes' didn't quite capture it; it was more like a sinister version of a Chinese Dragon.

As Nexis rushed away, a valtivenom soldier crumpled to the ground with three deep, searing cuts etched into his abdomen. That was the opening that Kael had been waiting for. His daggers moved like wolf’s fangs, as he swiftly dispatched yet another foe, driving the lethal blades into the enemy with unyielding precision. The remaining adversaries took notice of Kael's and they surged forward in a desperate charge.

Undeterred by the chaos behind him, Nexis's focus remained on Ilex, his speed increasing as he soared through the skies.

Ilex raised his grimoire. “I can take him.”

“Roger.” Sophia ‘swooshed’ away to support Kael. She vanished into the ether, only to reappear beside Kael in an instant. Her katana swept with such speed that it seemed to sing. The blade found its mark, severing the head of a hapless valtivenom soldier before it could utter a single cry. The decapitated head tumbled onto the ground, landing at Sophia's feet with a chilling thud. Its once-glowing amber eyes flickered briefly before surrendering to the darkness.