This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

The tremors came first.

A low, almost imperceptible rumble pulsed beneath their feet—barely noticeable at first.

But it grew stronger and stronger with time until it couldn't be ignored even if they wanted to—followed by a metallic screech like twisted gears grinding inside bone.

Zareth didn't hesitate. "We've got company."

The others snapped into formation, spreading out in practiced efficiency as they summoned their respective contracts and scouted the tunnel entrances trying to place from which one the approaching enemy was coming. Moments later, from the shadows of one of the tunnels, they emerged—abominations.

Worse still, these weren't the average kind—they carried that strange fusion of Source and Abyssal energies.

They approached at a terrifying speed, plated with steel and sinew, their movements smooth, fluid, disturbingly precise. Glowing black and violet veins pulsed beneath their semi-metallic hides and they were staring ravenously at Kain and the others—well, mostly at Kain.

There were over a dozen of them. Where even a single one would pose a massive threat to the group.

Various contracts growled in anxiety, while his teammates either unconsciously backed up or exhaled sharply in fear.

But Kain? He simply narrowed his eyes.

Perfect.

Without a word a wave passed through the cavern originating from the centre of the room where Bea was. At first, it seemed like nothing more than pressure—a strange tingling sensation brushing the edges of everyone's minds. Then, more distinctly, an unnatural stillness fell over the battlefield. The air thickened.

The Pale Thought Field had begun to bloom.

Even though Bea was invisible, immobile, and microscopic, her presence now consumed the space like a gigantic entity.

At the edge of the field, one of the abominations twitched. Then another. Their sleek movements stuttered just for a moment, barely noticeable—unless you were looking for it. Kain was. He recognized it immediately.

Splits.

Kain found it fascinating to see Bea spread her effects without using a clear medium like threads, mist, or a liquid. The "splits"—or rather, the "echoes" as they were more appropriately called now—formed spontaneously in the minds of nearby targets if they were around Bea for long enough, kind of like the contamination ability of Abyssal energy.

The battle erupted in a flash of heat and motion. Jamie's bear unleashed a torrent of fire down the corridor, forcing several of the abominations to scatter. Zareth's spear gleamed as he vaulted forward, carving into the flank of a four-limbed creature with grinding mechanical joints. Sparks and black-purple liquid flew as it lost balance and then the mandibles of his millipede-like contract pierced through its metallic outer shell to strike the core as indicated by Lina.

But while the others engaged head-on, Bea worked in silence.

One abomination faltered, eyes unfocused. Another's attack—previously aimed at Zareth who was blocking the path to Kain—diverted mid-swing, slamming into its ally instead. They didn't even seem to notice the betrayal. They were too focused on Kain and the others (mostly Kain).

Kain's lips curled upward.

Strangely, due to the Abyssal Invasion skill, these hybrids were actually easier for Bea to control than the standard abominations that ran on pure source energy and were quite resistant to control.

The allegiance of several began to shift. Whatever instinct had once compelled them to defend their home planet was fading—replaced by something else entirely. They had a new master. It didn't matter whether they understood what they now served—only that they serve 'Master Bea' well.

Jamie and his fire bear fought hard near the front, fending off a cluster of enemies while the rest of the group migrated towards a tunnel opposite of where the enemy streamed in from in case they needed to escape. Heat warped the air around them, but the creatures were adapting—too fast.

"I need help!" Jamie shouted.

A metal-plated abomination barreled forward, forcing Jamie back. Another of his contracts, an earth and fire dual attribute armadillo burst from the ground in a blaze of flame, intercepting it—but the cost was immediate. As it collided, black ichor sprayed across its armored back. Dark veins began to spiderweb from the point of contact.

"No!" Jamie called out, rushing forward.

The armadillo gave a low, pained whine, rolling awkwardly to the side before unfurling with difficulty. Smoke hissed from its body as the black marks continued to spread.

"Damn it," Jamie muttered. "It's not—It's not fading."

Lina turned toward Kain. "Can your contract, the one we heard about from your last mission—"

"Aegis' absorption doesn't work so well in these ruins," Kain said immediately, already moving closer. "Not on this weird fusion type of energy."

His fingers twitched as he reached for the healing tool—the one he'd damaged Pangea to charge, specifically for Serena—the only thing that could potentially combat this fusion of abyssal and source contamination.

He hesitated. It only had one charge left and Kain couldn't risk recharging it in front of the others. Kain trusted Serena to tell her about Pangea. The others? Not so much. Was Jamie's contract really worth what may be their last usage of this tool?

Then Kain looked across the cavern. Serena had already turned toward him. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes flicked once—down to his space ring, likely already guessing what he was conflicted about—and then she gave a single, silent nod.

Support.

Kain exhaled in resignation and opened his mouth, about to offer up Kain and Serena's last insurance policy that they'd (a little selfishly, admittedly) kept from the others—

—but the ground trembled again.

Not the same tremor as before. This one was deeper.

The roar came next. Louder. Closer. A bassy, otherworldly echo that rattled the walls and made the abominations stop fighting, heads tilting slightly, twitching. Even the ones under Bea's influence flinched in confusion.

Dust spilled from the ceiling. A low groan of stone grinding against stone echoed in all directions.

Zareth's spear snapped outward as he turned toward the sound. "That first roar… doesn't seem like it was from any of these things."

Kain's pupils narrowed. "No. It wasn't."

Far behind the main group, somewhere beyond the tunnel the rest of these abominations streamed in from, something massive was forcing its way forward—something big enough to collapse the passage behind it due to its exceptionally large size.

The roar came again. Louder still.