Nova Force Book 1

A group of young, promising individuals were engaged in a heated discussion. "You're weak!" shouted Traven, his voice filled with contempt. "No, I'm not!" barked Markev, his fists clenched in anger. The group had been arguing about an earlier incident, in which Markev and his team had struggled to defeat a set of basic monsters in the ranking exams.

 "Leave him alone!" interjected Carissa, defending her comrade. "You damsel in distress, be quiet. You couldn't do a thing. Some genius you are," sneered Traven, his words laced with sarcasm. 

Traven's friends laughed at every smart remark he made to disrespect Markev and his friends.

 The group continued to bicker back and forth, until a decision was made to visit a dungeon to test their strength. Carissa, a user of plant nova force, was a genius but very timid and sometimes froze up when attacked by monsters. Markev, efficient with light-based nova force, could absorb light from any source and use it to boost his strength or fire energy beams, but his hot temper often got in the way of his teamwork. Traven, on the other hand, was incredibly strong, his power of rage boosting his strength significantly, but also causing him to go on a rampage. His temper was even worse than Markev's and he tended to be somewhat of a jerk. 

''You guys, this is wrong; reconsider what you're about to do." said Carissa.

"Hey, we don't want anymore weaklings with is or whiny babies. You stay here!" Barked Traven.

 "No!" replied Carissa Reflecsively. 

"Talk again, and we'll have to tie you up." said another from Traven's team. 

"You wouldn't dare," she replied.

 A few moments later, Carissa struggled, twisting her wrists against the ropes that tied her to the tree.

"You can't just leave me here! This is illegal, and I'll tell on all of you! Visiting a dungeon without the right qualifications is a crime!"

Traven stepped forward, his eyes cold as he watched her. "Carissa, we don't have time for this. You're either with us, or you stay out of the way."

"I won't be a part of this—

"Before she could finish, Markev, her supposed friend, moved behind her with swift precision. "Sorry, Carissa, but you're making this harder than it needs to be." He quickly wrapped a cloth around her mouth, tying it firmly.

Carissa's eyes widened in shock and betrayal as she tried to speak, her words now muffled into angry sounds.

They left her there in the old house, tied up, and left for the dungeon. We're here, but I thought this would be a problem, but I'm not seeing any guards out front. They should have been here.'' Said Traven. 

"What were you planning on doing if any guards were here?' asked Markev. 

"Fight em." He replied. 

As the group entered the dungeon, they were met with a horde of monsters. A few people in the team froze up at the sight of them, their minds overwhelmed with fear. Markev, fueled by his anger, charged forward, firing energy beams at the monsters.

Traven, his rage boiling over, let out a deafening roar as he charged into battle. The rest of the team all engaged in battle cutting down monsters as they go along. 

Traven and his team were leading the charge, while Markev and the others were providing support. "Hey, these are all weak-level monsters," Traven taunted. "I just cleaned them up for you guys. When we get to the next floor, you'll have to show us your strength."

 Markev had always struggled to prove himself. When the supernova occurred and he discovered his abilities, he had always wanted to fight, but the older members of the community had wanted to keep the children safe. Markev knew he wasn't a lamb to be protected, but a wolf, a predator. These monsters were his prey, and this was his chance to show them what he was truly capable of. His friend Brad tried to intervene, "Hey, Markev. We can leave now. We don't have to prove anything to them. We know you're strong and destined for greatness." 

Markev, however, was determined. "No! I'm tired of this. Tired of being treated like a kid. I want to get stronger to protect the ones I care about. To hell with their stupid test and all. No one is holding me back anymore! You can leave if you want, Juro. I'm going on." 

Traven, impressed by Markev's resolve, shouted, "That's the spirit, man!" Markev had had enough of being underestimated and overlooked. He was determined to prove his worth and show that he was a force to be reckoned with, and he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. 

The group made their way to the second floor after battling their way through. Despite being exhausted, Markev was determined to prove himself and push on. However, their determination was clouded by their tiredness and they knew they wouldn't have the energy to fight against any serious threats.

 As they approached, a thundering noise greeted them and the ground shook beneath their feet. "What the heck is that?" asked Traven, to which one of his companions replied, "I'm not sure, but it's something big." The group was filled with anxiety as they prepared for battle against the unknown. 

In the distance, they saw what appeared to be herds of monsters rushing towards them.

From lizards to wolves to bull-like creatures, they were greatly outnumbered. Rather than fighting, they decided to run as fast as they could before the monsters could reach them. But something strange happened.

The air grew heavy with dread as the ground beneath them trembled. Several of the creatures that had been chasing them veered off, surging forward in a chaotic frenzy—but not towards the group. The monsters, for all their savage hunger, seemed driven by terror, hurtling past without even a glance. Their grotesque forms vanished into the dark, leaving only the thundering echoes of their frantic retreat.

The group, hearts pounding, scrambled to create an opening in the crumbling wall. They pressed inside, barely escaping the stampede. Confusion churned in their minds—what could possibly drive these beasts to flee?

The answer came in a shattering roar as the ground split apart beneath them. The air erupted with the crack of rock and the groan of the earth itself being torn asunder. From the gaping maw of the earth, a colossal horror surged forth—a worm-like monstrosity, its body armored with jagged, spike-like ridges that gleamed like obsidian in the dim light. Each spike glistened with the sheen of something ancient and unstoppable.

Its maw was an unspeakable thing, peeling open in four jagged segments like the petals of a nightmare flower, lined with rows of serrated teeth that pulsed and clicked in anticipation. The sound alone was enough to freeze the blood in their veins, a guttural clicking that resonated with hunger and malice.

The creature's very presence twisted the air, turning the cool night into a suffocating furnace of dread. Buildings around them shuddered and crumbled under its weight, reduced to rubble with every swipe of its gargantuan form. The ground quaked with every movement, the street below cracking like shattered glass.

Traven, acting on nothing but instinct and fury, hurled himself toward the beast with a battle cry that was quickly swallowed by the monstrous roar. He barely reached the creature's side before it reacted—its head snapped toward him with a sickening speed. With a casual flick of its armored skull, it sent him careening through the air like a rag doll, slamming him into the crumbling wall with bone-jarring force.

Terror gripped the group, their hearts thudding in their chests as they realized the magnitude of what had emerged. They stood no chance against this horror. 

 ROME

 As we ventured deeper into the treacherous territory, the air grew thick with an unsettling silence. Jagged rocks and the remnants of battle littered the ground, signs of the deadly creatures that prowled these lands. Anita's voice cut through the quiet, her tone edged with caution. "Looks like something passed through here," she said, her eyes tracing the torn earth and scattered bones.

Subaro, his gaze sharp and unyielding, nodded. "We must be close.

"Before I could respond, an eerie sound reached my ears—a distant rumble, almost imperceptible at first, but growing in intensity. It was not the usual ambient noise of the wilds, but something far more menacing, like the thunderous march of an unstoppable force. "Wait… do you guys hear that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, the tension rising in my chest.

Both Anita and Subaro turned to me, puzzled. "Hear what?" they asked in unison, their brows furrowed."Listen." My voice was taut with urgency. I strained to isolate the sound beneath the howl of the wind. It was clearer now—pounding, relentless, like a tidal wave of destruction. My heart raced as I recognized it: the unmistakable, frenzied charge of monsters.

Liger still attached to my head roared slightly."You hear it right, buddy." I said. He roared again, acknowledging what I said.

I scanned the horizon with my unique eyes, my pulse quickening. The shadows shifted unnervingly, the landscape blurring in the dim light as my eyes darted from rock to rock and through the rocks as well, desperate to find the source of the disturbance. And then I saw it. The twisted shapes in the distance—hulking forms moving with terrifying speed—monsters, their bodies coiled with power, their eyes burning terror. 

"Something is wrong, I gotta go!" I shouted, as Carissa came off my back. 

"Hold on tight, Liger," I muttered under my breath, feeling the gravitational forces coil around me like a second skin. With a deep crouch, I launched myself toward the battlefield where Markev and the others fought desperately. The ground behind me cracked under the force of my takeoff, my trajectory a blur as I tore through the air, praying I'd arrive in time.

The earth groaned beneath my landing, sending a shockwave that rippled through the landscape. Dust and debris swirled around me as I stood amidst the chaos. As the haze cleared, my eyes fell on the scene ahead—bodies strewn across the ground, worn from exhaustion. Most of them were already down, their strength drained by the relentless battle. Markev, his breath ragged, collapsed to the dirt as soon as our eyes met, his body giving up the fight.

Only Traven remained on his feet, wobbling as he struggled to stand. His gaze found mine, a fleeting moment of recognition before his knees buckled, and he too succumbed to unconsciousness.

But as I stepped forward, the ground rumbled with a monstrous roar. A colossal worm-like beast towered before me, its gaping maw wide with rage, its body bristling with spikes that gleamed under the faint light. The air vibrated with the creature's fury as it screeched, the sound tearing through the atmosphere like nails on steel. With a terrifying speed that belied its massive size, the beast lunged toward me, its maw open to devour everything in its path.