The Astral Dogma

Each blow landed with bone-jarring force, threatening to overwhelm him with its sheer ferocity

Fatigue went through Xin's body as he stumbled, his vision swimming with dizziness. He fought to regain his footing, but the beastman pressed his advantage, closing in with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

Sweat dripped down Xin's face as he dodged the beastman's relentless attacks, feeling the sharp spikes grazing his skin. With each powerful blow, Xin felt the weight of the beastman's strength bearing down on him. But he refused to give up, his ether fueling his every move.

Xins hammer and the beastman's guttural spikes echoed through the forest, creating a tense atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Xin knew he was facing a formidable opponent, but he stood his ground, his eyes fixed on the beastman's feral gaze.

As the battle reached its peak, Xin's breaths came in ragged gasps, his muscles aching from the strain of the fight. The beastman's relentless onslaught pushed Xin to his limits, testing his resolve and his skill as a hunter.

Despite the odds stacked against him, Xin fought with unwavering courage, his heart pounding with adrenaline as he struggled to keep pace with the beastman's savage attacks. Each moment brought Xin closer to the brink of exhaustion, but he drew strength from his ether, refusing to let fear cloud his judgement.

Xin sprinted around the beastman's onslaught, his movements fluid and precise. With each swing of his hammer, he aimed not to kill, but to wear down his opponent, mindful of the beastman's strength and stamina.

Xin's breath came in ragged gasps as he barely dodged the razor-sharp spike that whizzed past him. His eyes locked onto the beastman, a fighter who seemed to anticipate his every move. The two hunters circled each other, waiting for one another to make the first move.

The beastman drew a multitude of spikes and quickly threw them at xin, With a swift motion, Xin executed a series of evasive maneuvers, using his exceptional agility to create distance between himself and the relentless beastman. His heartbeat echoed in his ears as he activated his hax giving him time to take a break.

"This guy is experienced; he knows how to fight pretty well, and he's out for my head!" Xin thought, as he examined the situation.

Cole, profusely tapping on the chair with a flicker of concern in his eyes. Jin's attention shifted, his gaze narrowing on the dragonborn on the screen.

"That dragonborn of yours... is a halfblood, right?" Jin inquired, his tone laced with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Huh," Cole responded, confused.

"Normal conventional weapons shouldn't be able to affect dragons, but your dragonborn seems to be able to get injured by that beastman," Jin pointed out.

"It is possible they're.."

"They're probably a half blood!" the voice exclaimed, causing Cole and Jin to exchange bewildered glances. 

Who was this person, and how did they manage to approach without detection?

Before they could voice their questions, the unknown individual spoke again, a childlike enthusiasm evident in their tone. 

"It's pretty cool!" They exclaimed, their words hanging in the air, adding to the already palpable tension in the room.

Cole and Jin, still reeling from the sudden intrusion, struggled to find their words. The situation was surreal, and their minds raced to make sense of it all.

"That's—" Jin began, only to be cut off by Cole's equally startled response,

 "What are you—"

Their voices trailed off as they tried to process the situation. Who was this person, and what did they want?

As silence settled over the trio, Cole felt a cold sweat form on his brow. Jin's expression mirrored his own unease, and together they exchanged another uncertain glance.

Summoning his courage, Cole took a deep breath, steeling himself to address the newcomer.

 "What brings you here into the guild wars, Archangel Micah," he finally said, his voice steady despite the underlying sense of apprehension.

Xin started to take deep slow breaths to slow down his heartbeat and to start thinking rationally. 

He knows what to do he can predict the fight patterns of the beast man but his body was not fast enough to keep up.

 Xin wiped the blood from his soft, pale skin, his senses heightened as he prepared to face the beastman once more. With a determined grit, he raised his hammer just as the beastman lifted its deadly spike, both combatants charging forward with reckless abandon.

The beastman struck first, its claws slashing horizontally towards Xin with deadly intent. But Xin, ever vigilant, anticipated the attack and narrowly evaded the deadly swipe.

"He missed!" Xin exclaimed with a mixture of relief and adrenaline-fueled excitement.

However, the beastman was relentless, launching a follow-up attack that found its mark, piercing Xin's abdomen with a sickening thud. Pain flared through Xin's body as he stumbled backward, his grip on his hammer faltering.

"Now you know the pain of those lives that you took, you monster," Cedric declared, his voice filled with righteous fury. 

"I, Cedric, will take your life in honor of the deaths of my people!"

With a menacing snarl, Cedric plucked a spike from his back and aimed it at Xin's head, the threat of impending death looming over him like a dark shadow. 

But in a desperate bid for survival, Xin unleashed a powerful sonic explosion at the last possible moment, the force of the blast could be heard throughout the entire forest and catching the attention of nearby hunters.

With his spiked stick firmly lodged into a tree, Cedric gazed at Xin once again, reminiscing about his home town.

In the mayor's office, Cedric immersed himself in legislative documents, the weight of responsibility furrowing his brow.

 His duties as mayor demanded careful consideration and strategic planning, as he went through the intricacies of governance and decision-making. 

The well-being of his town and its inhabitants weighed heavily on his mind, driving him to uphold justice and order with unwavering dedication.

But then he noticed, it was quiet, too quiet this prompting Cedric to abandon his solitude for the echoing corridors of the main building. 

The room seemed to be in pure silence, stirring a sense of unease within him. As he ventured into the dark hallways, the lacking of a presence loomed, casting shadows of uncertainty across the once-familiar surroundings.

As he sprinted down the long hallway, an unsettling emptiness greeted him in the front office.

 "What is going on around here?" 

he muttered, noticing the unnaturally dim windows. A peculiar smell lingered in the air, guiding his intuition. Cedric's instincts sharpened as he braced himself for the unknown, preparing to confront whatever darkness lurked within the heart of his town.

Opening a door, Cedric was met with a cascade of rubble blocking his path. 

"Seriously?"

channeling energy into his fist, shattering the obstruction and revealing a blinding light. The shards of debris scattered, unveiling a hidden passage that seemed to lead towards a sight of chaos and destruction. 

Cedric stepped into the blinding light, to investigate. 

The outside world erupted in chaos; fires danced ominously, and a nearby house succumbed to the inferno. Panic set in as Cedric dashed outside, only to find his guards lifeless on the ground. 

The devastation that surrounded him painted a grim picture of despair and devastation, pushing him to take swift action to protect his town from further harm.

Sprinting through the town, he called out in vain until a distant voice caught his attention. 

The cry for help echoed through the fires, leading Cedric towards a scene of desperation and danger. Determined to aid those in need, he raced towards the source of the plea, driven by a sense of duty and compassion that fueled his every step.

Frantically digging through the rubble, Cedric uncovered an injured old lady shielding a terrified child.

 Their eyes met, reflecting a mix of fear and gratitude as they looked to him for salvation. Without hesitation, he tore off his shirt, fashioning a makeshift bandage to tend to the wounded.

"Mayor..." the old lady said weakly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Just rest easy, ma'am, I'll go get help," Cedric reassured her, his gaze filled with determination as he made a mental note to return for her.

He rushed from house to house, helping families and doing everything he could to aid those in need. The sense of urgency fueled his actions, pushing him to his physical limits as he worked tirelessly to assist those caught in the chaos.

Suddenly, a cacophony of destruction echoed from halfway across town, alerting Cedric to a new threat.

 Without hesitation, he dashed towards the noise, the sound growing louder with each step he took. As he rounded a corner, his heart sank at the sight before him - giant cyborgs rampaging through the streets, leaving a path of devastation in their wake.

Anger surged through Cedric, a fierce fire igniting within him as he witnessed the destruction wrought by the mechanical beings. 

Without a second thought, he lunged at one of the cyborgs, his spiked stick finding its mark in the machine's head. Black liquid oozed from the wound, splattering over Cedric's black and white hair, staining it completely black.

The rush of adrenaline and rage clouded his thoughts as he turned his attention to the next cyborg, his movements fluid and deliberate as he prepared to face the monstrous threat head-on.

With gritted teeth and a heart heavy with anguish, Cedric cursed the merciless cyborgs who had decimated his town. "You heartless machines! How dare you slaughter innocent lives!" he roared, his voice echoing through the chaos. Ignoring the pain in his knuckles, he lunged at the nearest cyborg, his fists raining blows upon its metallic frame.

"Take this, you metallic fiends!" he yelled, his rage fueling each strike. With every punch, he unleashed a torrent of fury, his cries of vengeance mingling with the sounds of destruction. The cyborgs, unyielding in their advance, seemed unfazed by Cedric's onslaught, their cold, mechanical eyes gleaming with malice.

"You'll pay for what you've done!" he bellowed, his voice hoarse with fury. 

He fought relentlessly against the cyborgs horde, his mind raced with thoughts of revenge, his every move fueled by the memory of those he had lost.

With every blow exchanged, Cedric's resolve grew stronger, his spirit unbroken despite the overwhelming odds.

Cedric's focus narrowed to a single objective - to protect his town and avenge the lives lost at the hands of the ruthless cyborgs. His movements were swift and precise, his every strike calculated and purposeful as he waged war against the mechanical invaders.

As the clash reverberated through the town square, Cedric's heart was heavy with sorrow for those who had fallen, his grief transforming into a fierce determination to bring justice to their memory. With gritted teeth and steely resolve, he unleashed a relentless onslaught, each blow a testament to his unyielding spirit in the face of adversity.

The cyborgs, formidable in their size and strength, met Cedric's ferocity with equal aggression, their metallic bodies bearing the scars of his righteous fury. But the mayor fought on, his movements fueled by a fire that burned brighter with every passing moment.

In a final, desperate stand, Cedric's determination reached its peak. With a deafening roar, he launched himself at the largest cyborg, unloading a flurry of blows with all the pent-up rage and sorrow that had consumed him.

As Cedric's strength waned under the relentless assault of the cyborgs, a wave of despair washed over him. Collapsing to his knees amidst the chaos, he felt utterly helpless, his heart heavy with the weight of his failure. 

Surrounded by the ruins of his town and the echoes of his people's cries, he struggled to find a glimmer of hope in the darkness that enveloped him.

Just when he thought all was lost, a mysterious voice pierced through the chaos, cutting through the despair like a beacon of light in the night.

 "Do you want to make a contract?