Chapter 8: Unseen Forces

  The battle with the Abyssal Stalker had left Alex with more questions than answers. His rifle was still warm from the burst of fire, but his senses were already recalibrating. The System had given him a boost in his skills, but this world—this realm—felt fundamentally different from everything he had known.

  Alex couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something much bigger at play. These beasts, the magical forces, the weird entities guiding him—it all felt like a game of chess with invisible pieces.

  He moved cautiously, his eyes scanning the forest, listening to the whispers of the wind and the crackling of distant branches. The shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally around him. The forest wasn’t just a backdrop—it knew him.

  Then came a distant crack—like thunder in the forest.

  Alex froze. That wasn’t just any sound. Something was coming.

  A blur of movement to his left.

  In a flash, he dropped into a combat crouch, rifle raised. But this time, it wasn’t a beast.

  It was a man—or rather, a humanoid figure.

  He stood at the edge of a small clearing, illuminated by a faint blue glow. The figure wore what seemed like a military-style uniform, but the design was completely foreign. It was dark, with jagged patterns running along the edges—almost like ancient runes etched into the fabric.

  The figure didn’t move at first, its eyes hidden beneath a strange helmet, glowing faintly with the same eerie blue light.

  Alex narrowed his eyes, his instincts flaring.

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  Another soldier? Or an enemy?

  The man—or whatever it was—slowly reached for something on his side. The movement was deliberate, controlled.

  Before Alex could react, a long blade appeared in the figure's hand, glowing with arcane energy.

  Alex’s grip on his rifle tightened, but the figure didn’t attack. Instead, it spoke—its voice hollow, echoing with the same unnatural resonance as the glowing entities from earlier.

  “You are the one they call the Chosen.”

  Alex’s heart skipped a beat. This was the second time someone had mentioned that title. The Chosen.

  “I don’t know who the hell you are,” Alex responded, his voice low, “but I’m not here to make friends.”

  The figure tilted its head, and Alex felt something tugging at his mind—a pull. He gritted his teeth, resisting the mental intrusion.

  “I don’t need your friendship, soldier,” the figure said, “I need your strength.”

  Strength?

  Alex felt the cold weight of the situation settle in. He wasn’t here just to survive—he was meant to do something. Fight.

  The figure took a step forward, its footfall soft on the ground. The ground beneath its boot seemed to ripple, as if the earth itself was reacting to its presence.

  Then, the figure spoke again, this time with a sense of finality.

  “You must join the Order. You are the key to this world’s survival.”

  Chapter 9: The Order’s Offer

  Alex was about to reply with another snarky comment, but the word Order struck him like a punch to the gut. He had heard the term before. It was the kind of thing that most soldiers avoided. Orders often meant chaos—control. Manipulation.

  Still, he wasn’t about to let a potential ally—or enemy—walk all over him. He stood his ground, rifle raised just enough to show he wasn’t intimidated.

  “I don’t know what you’re selling, but I don’t buy into some high-and-mighty group of people who think they can control me,” Alex said, his tone steady but cold.

  The figure stepped closer, still unphased by the threat. It raised its hand slowly, and the arcane blade crackled with energy, lighting up the surrounding trees.

  “I offer you a chance to save this world.”

  Alex’s mind raced. Save this world? He didn’t know if that was a joke or if the figure was serious. But there was something about the way the figure spoke—like it was certain.

  The figure didn’t seem concerned with Alex’s stance. Instead, it extended its hand toward him.

  “The Order is your only path forward. You can fight alone if you wish, but it won’t be enough. We know of your abilities, and we need you.”

  The words hung in the air, heavy with implications. Alex was a Marine, elite—trained to think for himself, to operate solo when necessary. But this? This was something else entirely.

  “And if I say no?” Alex asked, voice calm despite the storm of thoughts in his head.

  The figure’s response was chilling. “You will be destroyed by the forces you do not yet understand.”

  Alex’s instincts screamed at him—Don’t trust this. But then again, what choice did he have? He was out of his depth in a world he didn’t know, with enemies closing in on all sides.

  The figure waited, the tension growing thicker. Alex stared at the hand, the cold energy swirling around it.

  The System had given him new abilities. But what could he really do without the right knowledge?

  Finally, Alex lowered his rifle—just a fraction.

  “I’ll hear you out. But I don’t trust you. Not yet.”

  The figure’s helmet seemed to glint, almost as if it were smiling beneath the visor.

  “Very well. The path will be difficult, but you will find your place among us.”