Triple X System

The ship lifted off, leaving Kraken’s darkness behind. Kyle’s eyes narrowed as he watched the planet’s surface recede into the distance.

”We’re clear,” Lucias said, his voice relieved.

But Kyle’s instincts screamed otherwise. A jolt shook the ship, and the engines sputtered.

”What the...?” Layla’s voice trailed off as the ship was yanked back towards Kraken.

Kyle’s eyes widened as the planet’s gravity grasped the ship, pulling it back down. The engines roared, but it was too late.

Snow’s voice was calm, but urgent. [I’m trying to hack into the controls, Kyle. Hold on.]

The ship plummeted towards the surface, Kyle’s stomach dropping. The impact was brutal, the ship crashing and rolling before coming to a stop.

Kyle’s vision blurred, but he forced himself to focus. The ship was damaged, the air thick with smoke.

”Snow, report!” Kyle croaked, his voice hoarse.

[Everyone’s alive, Kyle.] Snow replied. [But the ship’s damaged beyond repair. We’re stranded.]

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his grip on his shadows tightening. He pushed open the hatch, and the survivors stumbled out.

The landscape was scarred, the air thick with an otherworldly energy. A figure emerged from the shadows, its presence commanding attention.

The snake man was unlike any they’d seen. Tall, intimidating, its body radiating a pure, dark energy.

Lucias and Layla stood, their guns trained on the snake man. Kyle stepped forward, his shadows coiling around him.

”Snow, what do I need to know?” Kyle whispered.

[This snake man is a Krael.] Snow replied. [One of Kraken’s most powerful servants. Its magic is rooted in the planet’s dark energy.]

Kyle nodded, his eyes fixed on the Krael. ”Let’s do this.”

The Krael regarded Kyle, its eyes cold. ”You are a Shadow Weaver,” it hissed. ”But you are no match for me.”

’How do they keep identifying my class?’ Kyle frowned not comfortable with this.

According to the strange goddess, he was now well aware he was being watched. By beings far above him in physical strength and powers unknown.

The thought of demi-gods wanting his head didn’t scare him. Already faced with a far more bigger threat, the demon king himself.

”Hiss!” The krael violently hissed, shooting out to Kyle.

The battle was intense, the Krael unleashing a barrage of attacks.

”Damnit.” Kyle cursed, dodged the shadow balls based on instinct.

’Sizzle~’ The balls that hit some boulders and trees immediately disappeared. Not teleported, but reduced into nothing but dark sand.

’I can’t get hit.’ Kyle dodged and weaved, his shadows protecting him from the deadly strikes.

But the Krael was relentless, its power overwhelming. The six remaining space guards fell, their bodies dissolving into pools of darkness.

Lucias and Layla stood, their chests heaving with exertion. Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his grip on his shadows tightening.

The Krael regarded Kyle, its eyes cold. ”You are strong, Shadow Weaver. But you will fall.”

Kyle’s shadows surged, but the Krael was too powerful. It struck, its magic overwhelming Kyle’s defenses.

”Ahh!” The duo surviving space guards yelled in unison, hit in the shoulders by the dark balls.

Lucias and Layla fell, their bodies injured.

Kyle stood, his eyes locked onto the Krael. He knew he was no match for the beast, with little mastery of his newfound shadow skills.

But he refused to back down.

Snow’s voice whispered in his mind, [Kyle, I can try to overload the ship’s engines. It might give us a chance to escape.]

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. ”Do it.” He ordered not placed with any other choice.

The ship’s engines roared to life, the energy building. The Krael’s eyes widened, its body recoiling.

Kyle seized the opportunity, his shadows surging. The Krael’s magic faltered, and Kyle struck, his blade slicing through the beast’s defenses.

The Krael let out a deafening roar, its body dissolving into a pool of darkness.

Kyle stood, his chest heaving with exertion. The ship’s engines exploded, the blast sending him flying.

As he hit the ground, Kyle’s vision blurred, and everything went black.

The darkness closed in, Kyle’s vision blurring as he lay unconscious. The Krael, its body badly damaged, slowly began to regenerate. Its eyes fixed on Kyle, a cold, calculating glint in its gaze.

It slithered towards Kyle, its body coiling around him. The Krael’s mouth opened, revealing sharp, venom-filled fangs.

But just as it was about to strike, a figure emerged from the shadows. Hooded and cloaked, the figure regarded the Krael with a cold, calculating gaze.

”You’re not taking him.” The figure said, its voice low and husky.

The Krael hissed, its body recoiling. ”You dare to interfere, witch?”

The hooded figure nodded, its hands weaving a complex pattern. The air around it seemed to ripple, and three wolf-like beasts materialized. They pulsed with negative energy, their eyes glowing like embers.

The Krael’s eyes widened, its body coiling back. ”You think those pitiful creatures can stop me?”

The hooded figure nodded, its eyes glinting with amusement. ”We’ll see about that.”

The wolf beasts charged, their jaws snapping as they attacked the Krael. The snake leader reared back, its body thrashing wildly as it tried to fess off the beasts.

The battle raged, the wolf beasts biting and snarling as they tried to take down the Krael. The snake leader was powerful, its magic overwhelming, but the wolf beasts were relentless.

The Krael’s body began to take damage, its scales cracking and breaking. The hooded figure watched, its eyes fixed on the battle.

”Stupid insects!” The krael yelled, forcefully yanking down two of the wolf beasts that latched to it’s arm.

Placing it’s right hand up, it placed it’s left hand underneath. Both palms outstretched to the wolf beasts, a surge of dark energy swirling in it’s grasp.

’Swoosh!’

An object cut through the air, it was the third wolf beast. Silver in colour than the two brown fluffy wolf.

It was fast cutting through the air in a silver blue. Latching it’s sharp canine teeth to the krael’s neck, biting down hard. Causing the snake man to stop in his attack, his attention shifting to the silver wolf summon.

”Grrll, grrrrr!” The two brown beast roared, opening their mouth wide. Shooting out a line of fiery red flames that resembled ember.

Hitting the krael in it’s chest, making it groan in pain. While a silver blast also shot out front the silver wolf beast. Freezing the krael’s upper body.

”Roar!”

Finally, the Krael let out a deafening roar, its body dissolving into a pool of darkness. The wolf beasts vanished, leaving the hooded figure standing over Kyle’s unconscious form.

The figure knelt, its hands checking Kyle’s pulse. Satisfied, it nodded, scooping up Kyle’s body.

Lucias and Layla, badly injured, were also gathered up. The hooded figure slared them both, and began to make its way back to its cottage.

The journey was arduous, the hooded figure moving with a quiet, deadly grace. As it walked, the air around it seemed to grow thick, the trees and bushes leaning in as if to get a better look.

Finally, the cottage came into view, a small, rustic building nestled in the heart of the forest. The hooded figure pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

The interior was cozy, a fire crackling in the hearth. The hooded figure laid Kyle and the others on a nearby bed, and began to tend to their wounds.

As the hours passed, Kyle began to stir, his eyes fluttering open. He was met with the sight of the hooded figure, its face shrouded in shadows.

”Who... who are you?” Kyle croaked, his voice hoarse.

The figure leaned forward, its hood falling back. Kyle’s eyes widened as he saw the woman’s face, her eyes piercing green.

”My name is Elara.” She said, her voice low and husky. ”And you’re in my home, Shadow Weaver.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his grip on his shadows tightening. ”Why does everyone here keeps referring to me as shadow weaver? And what do you want from me?”

Elara’s smile was enigmatic. ”I want to help you, Kyle. You have a great destiny ahead of you, one that will change the course of history.”

Kyle’s eyes fixed on Elara, his mind racing. What did she want from him? And what did she mean by ”destiny”?

As he lay there, Kyle knew that he was in this strange woman’s hands. And he had no idea what she was capable of.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing with questions. He wasn’t sure if he could trust Elara, despite her seemingly kind intentions.

”Snow, what do you think?” Kyle whispered, his voice barely audible.

Snow’s response was immediate. ”I’m not sure, Kyle. Her magic is unlike anything I’ve seen before. I can’t get a read on her.”

Kyle’s grip on the bed he layed tightened. He wasn’t sure if he should trust Elara, but he needed answers.

Elara watched him, her eyes piercing green. ”You’re wondering if you can trust me, Kyle.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his expression guarded. ”What makes you think that?”

Elara’s smile was small. ”I’m a witch, Kyle. I can sense these things.”

’A witch. An actual witch!’ Kyle felt his senses tingling.

Never for once in his life would he have thought he would come across a real witch. He’d read and watched so many fantasy novels and movies, highlighting witches society, culture, powers and so on.

But they were all scenes and dialogues without reality. Except till now.

Kyle’s eyes fixed on hers, his mind racing. What did she want from him?

Elara leaned forward, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. ”I know someone who might be able to help you, Kyle. Someone who’s been looking for you.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. ”Who?”

Elara’s smile grew. ”Yua. She’s one of the top dark summoners Kraken has to offer. And she’s been searching for you, Kyle.”

Kyle’s eyes widened, his mind racing. Yua was one of the women in his harem, a goth young adult woman with a talent for dark summoning.

’She’s alive.’ A soft sigh of relief escaped his mouth obtaining such information.

After the incident in vaanderwood, he was loosing hope of his women safety. But snow assured him they were alright, transported to another place like him by Lilith.

”How do you know about Yua?” Kyle demanded, his voice low.

Elara’s smile was enigmatic. ”Let’s just say I have my sources, Kyle. Yua is a powerful ally, one who could help you achieve your goals.”

’Powerful? Now that’s interesting.’ He was thankful Yua was alive, but didn’t think she’d awaken an ability just yet.

Kyle’s mind was spinning. He hadn’t seen Yua in months, not since he’d been forced to leave Earth.

”What does Yua want with me?” Kyle asked, his voice cautious. He played dumb and wary to test some theories out.

Elara leaned forward, her eyes glinting with excitement. ”Yua wants to join forces with you, Kyle. She wants to help you take down the current leadership of Kraken and claim the throne for herself.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, his grip on his shadows tightening. This was getting complicated.

’Snow, what do you think?’ Kyle asked.

Snow’s response was immediate. [I think we should hear her out, Kyle. This could be an opportunity.]

Kyle nodded, his eyes fixed on Elara. ”Tell me more.”

Elara’s smile grew, her eyes glinting with excitement. ”I’ll tell you everything, Kyle. But first, you need to rest. You’re not in any shape to make decisions.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed, but he knew she was right. He was exhausted, his body aching from the battle.

As he lay back, Elara’s words echoed in his mind. Yua, the goth summoner, was looking for him. What did she want?

Kyle’s eyes closed, his mind racing with questions. He knew he wouldn’t get any answers until he was stronger.

[Shadow craft activated!]

The system notification flashed in his eyes, as shadows completely covered him. Along with Lucias and Layla.