Null & Void: Journey to Defy the Creator

The battle against the Dryad continued for over an hour.

'This has got to be the work of a beast core,' Klein figured.

Not only were the feats of the Dryad immense in nature, but it had the capacity to launch attacks for longer than any fight Klein had encountered.

Overall, the fight consisted of Klein dodging and weaving between the nature-based attacks of the Dryad's creation.

The elements it could use consisted of earth and plant mofei, but anything could happen between a beast with something as advanced as a core.

The only thing Klein could do in defense was shoot out Wind Pellets and basic attacks such as the fireballs.

Seeing as his attacks were virtually useless, Klein was at a standstill with the Dryad.

Neither of them was harming the other and they were only expending their cores stockpiled mofei.

It was time for Klein to step up his game as he circulated the air mofei from his lungs and began to sprint towards the main tree.

What he did when he reached the base while the Dryad had yet to comprehend his incoming action was something he came up with after advancing his knowledge on the nature mofei.

His palm fully pressed against the tree onto the Dryad's form and began rotting.

By reconstructing the basis of the nature mofei, he produced the corrosive mofei that ate away at the bark and all.

He held nothing back as he poured in all of the remaining mofei he had left in his core.

Tshh!

"Aurgh!" The Dryad sent a wave of pained groans as the mofei ravished her avatar.

There was partial inclusions of mind mofei in the mix that sent waves of chills down Klein's back.

He jumped back and steadied himself from the crashing waves of pain and refocused his attention to the corroded parts of the enormous tree.

They were slowly healing with a green glow emanating from the parts, but he could not allow the Dryad to heal the wounds he made.

He resonated with the air mofei in his boots and dashed forward while the Dryad was still reeling in pain.

More of this corrosive mofei appeared in his hands as he rushed forwards.

The Dryad was not having it however and sent some thorny vines his way to entrap him.

'No good. I don't see how I can escape from those,' he thought fearfully.

Null too saw the incoming danger of the thorny vines and wondered if he would have to step in.

Alas, Klein faced the vines head on with the corrosive mofei he had and reached forth to corrode them away.

Tshh! Tshh!

His core went into overdrive to draw as much as he could to fight off the thorny vines.

When he was all but confident the onslaught would get the best of him, Null had suddenly appeared to place a hand on his back.

"What the-," he said in shock before feeling a soothing sensation in his body.

A surge of unfiltered mofei was sent throughout his body and fueled his empty core along with the centers of power of his charged organs.

The Dryad viewed the situation in shock as she pieced together what had just happened when Klein stepped up with renewed power.

"What did you just do to him!?"

'How come the mofei in his figure just replenished like that!' The Dryad was becoming wary of Null after witnessing the feat.

'It's a good thing he has yet to join the battle.'

Unfortunately for the dumbstruck meibeast, Klein was back to his peak!

With the corroded vines withered away, he rushed again towards the Dryad tree with newfound courage to face it.

The Dryad now had to combat Klein with a fully charged core while its own was running on empty.

"Wait! We can still reconcile this matter."

The Dryad left with no option but to stop the fight or eventually lose out decisively chose to end the battle with Klein.

Klein stopped his travel and came to terms with a new enemy capable of speech.

"Have you finally had enough?"

The Dryad humphed in annoyance at the words Klein spoke. 

"This all started when you invaded into my land and destroyed my babies."

It was Klein's turn to be annoyed, "That's something you must have come to accept given the way of the world. Nothing in this world is forever."

"You dare tell ME about the way of the world!"

The border of trees was sucked back into the earth, disappearing like that!

"I have been around before you or your ancestors were born to this planet," the protrusion of the Dryad on the tree grew to become animated, its eyes opening up.

Seeing the change in the Dryad's countenance along with it becoming more talkative, Klein figured the fight was over for now.

"What does that matter? You couldn't even take care of me. How do you expect me to care about some damn trees!?"

"Living beings are all so careless! You disrespect the very nature that nurtures you and take everything for granted."

Klein retorted, "Nature is all about the strong overcoming the weak. Those that cannot adapt, die helplessly."

"I told you not to explain things to me like a child!" The Dryad sought to give a demonstration but when she checked the reserves of her specialized core, she became distraught. 

"I am a child, yet you are powerless to harm me. What do you expect from me if not that?"

"I was going to kill you and research the power of a core besides my own, but since you've shown such wisdom," he said sarcastically, "I will rescind from doing so."

The Dryad was again taken aback by the words of Klein and scornfully erupted, "You! If my real body were here, I would not allow such tarnishing speech!"

Null was growing tired of the back and forth and spoke up, "Listen lady. I'm sure we've gotten on the wrong foot here, but with all due respect, I've got a short fuse."

He then manipulated a corrosive mass himself that grew much larger than what Klein had shown previously.

The Dryad's face immediately grew into an expression of shock.

'If that one wanted to destroy my entire expanse, I would be utterly doomed without a doubt. Just where did this kid come from?'

"I yield. For what reason have you come to my abode?"

"We're here for special meibeasts like you who have grown their own cores like my buddy here," Null spoke and patted Klein on the shoulder, secretly sending some more mofei through the contact.

"A beast core? So that's why I sensed a similar power within you. And what of you? How are you able to manipulate such to such a dangerous degree?"

Klein butted in, "He's what's called a freak. Someone you can't compare yourself to unless you want to live in constant shame."

"A freak indeed, I've exhausted my core to such a degree, and I figure you could help me with that."

"Talk first. We want to find some more beast cores to study their composition and learn more about the mofei."

"Learn about the mofei? What do two little ones like you wish to know about the mofei that you don't already know?"

She continued, "It creates. It destroys. It takes on the natural form of the world. It takes on the form born from the desires of its casters."

"It is an energy that transforms based on the environment or caster's attunement. Depending on the strength and will of the one manipulating it miracles occur."

"The beast core is a wonderous miracle that harnesses the power of the mofei as a conduit. How these miraculous objects exist is the key to learning about the ability to control the mofei."

Klein gave his lengthy analysis.

The Dryad was shocked at how passionate Klein was, "It's no wonder someone like you is so powerful for your age. Someone like you will grow to be a prominent figure in the future."

"Haha. I'm destined for things beyond this planet. This is just a stepping stone to the heights I will reach."

Null smiled, "That's only natural considering the gang you hang with now."