Chapter 69: The Beast Between Worlds

Gene had learned an important lesson over the past year.

Whenever something seemed calm, peaceful, and normal…

Something terrible was usually about to happen.

So when he found himself sitting quietly beside Selene in the summoning chamber without explosions, invasions, cult attacks, eldritch prophecies, or escaped monsters occurring for nearly three hours…

He became suspicious.

Very suspicious.

Selene looked up from a notebook.

“You’ve been staring at the same wall for ten minutes.”

“I’m waiting.”

“For what?”

“The disaster.”

She blinked.

“What disaster?”

Gene pointed dramatically at the ceiling.

“The inevitable one that’s coming soon.”

Athena’s voice echoed from nearby speakers.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, HE IS NOT ENTIRELY INCORRECT.

Selene groaned.

“Great.”

“Even the AI encourages him.”

Gene sat up proudly.

“See?”

⸻

The peaceful afternoon had started with a simple discussion.

The Puzzle Box needed one more summon.

One final resident.

One final creature.

One final “unfortunate” soul.

After that, the mysterious cursed artifact would evolve.

Neither Gene nor Selene knew exactly what that meant.

Which naturally made them curious.

Unfortunately curiosity was responsible for approximately eighty percent of Gene’s problems.

The other twenty percent were caused by cultists.

⸻

Gene looked toward the ancient summoning machine.

“So.”

Selene smiled.

“So.”

“We make one together?”

She nodded.

“I think we should.”

Neither of them had ever attempted a joint summon before.

The possibility was intriguing.

Potentially dangerous.

Almost certainly weird.

Perfect.

⸻

They approached the summoning machine.

Ancient runes awakened.

Golden symbols floated through the air.

The machine hummed softly.

Waiting.

Listening.

Watching.

Gene and Selene exchanged glances.

Then began entering their ideas.

⸻

Gene provided the horror.

Selene provided the dream.

Gene imagined something predatory.

Something terrifying.

Something that stalked the darkness.

A monster from old nightmares.

A hunter.

A beast.

A creature that existed somewhere between man and wolf.

Selene added elegance.

Mystery.

Ancient intelligence.

Something lonely.

Something tragic.

A creature that wandered forgotten places.

A guardian and predator alike.

The machine absorbed every word.

The runes brightened.

The chamber darkened.

Athena immediately spoke.

POWER LEVELS INCREASING.

Gene sighed.

“There it is.”

⸻

The summoning circle erupted.

Silver light collided with black mist.

Dream magic mixed with horror.

Wind screamed through the chamber.

Shadows twisted.

The floor shook.

Then—

Something stepped out.

⸻

Silence filled the room.

Even Gene couldn’t immediately find words.

The creature was enormous.

At least twelve feet tall.

Perhaps taller.

Its body resembled a man’s.

Technically.

Very technically.

The proportions were all wrong.

Its limbs were impossibly long.

Its arms nearly touched the floor.

Its fingers ended in black claws.

Its torso looked stretched.

Pulled.

Warped.

Its ribs were visible beneath pale skin.

The creature possessed the lean build of a starving predator.

Its head resembled a wolf.

But not quite.

The skull was too long.

The teeth too numerous.

The eyes glowed silver.

Ancient.

Intelligent.

Sad.

The creature looked less like a monster and more like a forgotten god.

A lonely god.

One that had spent centuries wandering primitive forests.

Watching.

Waiting.

Hunting.

⸻

The monster slowly looked around.

Then bowed.

Gene blinked.

“Oh.”

Selene blinked.

“Oh.”

Athena paused.

THAT WAS UNEXPECTED.

⸻

The creature spoke.

Its voice sounded like distant wind moving through dead trees.

“I greet my creators.”

Gene nearly jumped.

“You talk?”

The giant wolf-man tilted his head.

“Should I not?”

Gene pointed.

“You look like something that drags people into the woods.”

The creature thought.

“I have.”

“…Fair.”

⸻

Athena completed her analysis.

NEW SUMMON DETECTED

Classification:

Dream Horror

Designation:

The Pale Huntsman

Threat Level:

Extreme

Abilities:

• Enhanced Strength
• Regeneration
• Fear Aura
• Shadow Movement
• Tracking
• Dream Walking
• Reality Distortion (Minor)
• Dimensional Awareness

Disposition:

Loyal

Gene whistled.

The Pale Huntsman sounded incredibly dangerous.

The creature simply stood quietly.

Almost politely.

As though unaware of how terrifying it looked.

⸻

The Puzzle Box suddenly vibrated.

Everyone turned.

The cursed artifact floated several inches above its pedestal.

Purple energy poured from its seams.

Ancient symbols appeared along its surface.

Athena immediately projected warning screens.

ALERT.

PUZZLE BOX EVOLUTION DETECTED.

Gene grinned.

“Oh.”

Selene smiled.

“Here we go.”

⸻

The artifact unfolded.

Not physically.

Reality itself seemed to unfold around it.

The room warped.

Shadows stretched.

Strange whispers echoed from nowhere.

Then the system appeared.

⸻

PUZZLE BOX UPGRADE COMPLETE

Requirements Met.

New Features Unlocked.

Resident Capacity Increased.

Automatic Population Activated.

Initial Population:

SINBITERS

Gene froze.

.

Athena paused for nearly three full seconds.

Which was apparently the AI equivalent of panic.

⸻

Selene slowly raised a hand.

“Um… what is a Sinbiter?”

Then Gene remembered.

“Oh no.”

Selene looked concerned.

“What?”

Gene pointed at the box.

“Nothing good.”

⸻

New information appeared.

Puzzle Box Population

Current Residents:

Dream Walker

Warrior Princess

Pale Huntsman

Sinbiter Population Initializing

Additional Resident Slots Available: 3

Future Evolutions Locked

The Puzzle Box pulsed.

Satisfied.

Like a living thing that had just eaten.

⸻

Several moments later a tiny dimensional window opened briefly on the side of the box.

Everyone looked inside.

Then immediately wished they hadn’t.

A group of strange humanoid figures stood in a dark corridor.

Chains hung from the ceiling.

Their skin appeared unnaturally pale.

Metal protruded from their flesh.

Their smiles were deeply unsettling.

One of them slowly waved at them.

The portal closed.

Silence followed.

⸻

Gene rubbed his face.

“We’re not opening that thing anytime soon.”

Selene nodded.

“Agreed.”

The Pale Huntsman thoughtfully raised a hand.

“I do believe… they wish to properly introduce themselves.”

Gene immediately pointed.

“No absolutely not happening!”

⸻

With the summoning complete, they decided if they should leave before anything else happened.

That decision lasted approximately twelve minutes.

⸻

They exited the hotel.

The afternoon sun shined brightly overhead.

Birds chirped.

The breeze felt pleasant.

Normal.

Suspiciously normal.

Gene remained cautious.

The universe noticed.

⸻

Halfway through the courtyard something strange happened.

The yellow gem flew out of his pocket.

⸻

Gene yelped.

Selene jumped.

The gem floated through the air.

Glowing brightly.

Golden light spilled across the ground.

The crystal seemed alive.

Aware.

Purposeful.

It hovered several feet away.

Then moved.

⸻

“I think it’s leading us.”

Selene stared.

The gem moved again.

Gene pointed.

“It definitely wants something.”

Athena’s voice came through Gene’s helmet.

RECOMMEND FOLLOWING.

THIS APPEARS IMPORTANT.

Gene sighed.

“Of course it is.”

⸻

The journey led them away from the hotel.

Away from the towns.

Away from the roads.

Toward a section of Mystic Blood Valley neither had visited before.

The landscape gradually changed.

Trees grew thicker.

The sounds of civilization faded.

Eventually they reached a small stream.

Crystal clear water flowed over smooth stones.

Nearby sat a beautiful pond.

The location felt peaceful.

Ancient.

Almost sacred.

⸻

The gem floated downward.

Toward the edge of the pond.

Then stopped.

Hovering above something.

An object half hidden beneath moss and dirt.

⸻

Gene approached carefully.

Selene followed.

The object proved surprisingly ordinary.

An old book.

A very old book.

Its cover appeared leather-bound.

Weathered.

Ancient.

Strange symbols decorated the front.

The gem landed atop it.

Then went still.

⸻

Gene picked up the book.

The moment he did—

Click.

⸻

Both froze.

Silence.

Then—

The ground vanished.

⸻

Gene had just enough time to shout.

“Oh come on!”

Before gravity claimed them.

⸻

The earth beneath their feet collapsed.

Stone shattered.

Ancient mechanisms groaned.

The trap had remained hidden for centuries.

Waiting.

Patient.

Perfectly preserved.

Waiting specifically for someone unfortunate enough to trigger it.

⸻

Gene and Selene fell.

Straight into darkness.

The book tumbled beside them.

The yellow gem followed.

The hole above rapidly shrank.

Sunlight disappeared.

Darkness consumed everything.

Wind rushed past their ears.

Neither could see the bottom.

Neither knew where they were going.

And somewhere below—

Something waited.

Something old enough to hide beneath Mystic Blood Valley for untold ages.

Something that had just successfully captured two of the world’s most troublesome summoners.

The darkness swallowed them whole.

And far above—

The yellow gem continued glowing softly.

As if pleased.

As if this was exactly where it wanted them to be.

To Be Continued…