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(Mystic Realm – Root Core)
10 minutes ago
Udonna was currently training the Mystic Rangers. It was a special witch class—ride on the broom training.
"Woahh~!"
"Yeahh!"
"Ahhhh!!!"
Screams of laughter and excitement filled the forest air. The faces of the rangers were bright, looking as though they had returned to their childhood days. They were all happy… except for one person.
"Get me off this thing!!!"
A fearful scream burst out of Chip's mouth as he swayed erratically in midair. His hair stood completely on end from fear as he kept sneaking glances at the distant ground far below.
"Damn it… whose idea was this training? Don't they know I'm scared of heights?" Chip thought to himself, blaming and cursing whoever designed this training regimen.
The others might have enjoyed it, but to him, it was pure torture.
A figure dressed in white below watched the situation of the team's training and couldn't help but feel amused.
"So much youthful energy," the woman in white—Udonna—murmured softly. "I was also this carefree before the darkness… Oh, how much I wish to turn back time and go back."
Melancholy and reminiscence echoed from the depths of Udonna's heart. Memories of the past—days spent with her husband, her lost child, her friends, her sister, and many others—flooded her mind. Those memories, along with the hope of bringing back such good days, had been Udonna's anchor in life.
It was what still allowed her to believe in good magic and not lose hope completely.
It was also the reason she had persevered and waited until this era to teach the new generation of rangers—or rather, the ones chosen by the book. Although the long years of loneliness had affected her way of thinking somewhat, it was still manageable… for now.
Shaking off her thoughts with a quiet sigh, Udonna looked at the 'hardworking' rangers and spoke with a gentle smile.
"Alright kids, that's enough for today. You should prepare—Hmm?!"
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a very familiar aura coming from the Midgard—Earth realm. Wasting not even a single second, she used a spell to trace its origin.
Waving her magic wand—
Fwoosh!
A bright white light emanated from the star-shaped tip. Before Udonna's eyes, the surroundings shifted into a multicolored atmosphere. As if sensing the unique environment, the white light left the star tip and immediately spotted a thick purple line before beginning to trace it.
All of this might seem slow, but it happened in a flash.
"It couldn't be…" Udonna frowned as she sensed the source of that aura. "This is too early. Moreover… it's corrupted. No, no, I have to go and stop it now."
She turned to look at the dumbfounded rangers and spoke sternly.
"Rangers, get some rest. I have an important matter to take care of."
"Sure, Udonna. Take care of yourself," Nick replied with a worried tone that seemed foreign even to him.
"Mm. I will." Udonna smiled back before waving her wand once again, forming another spell.
"Malorium Orvis."
A white rune appeared beneath Udonna as the short-distance teleportation spell activated.
Flash!
With a bright and rapid burst of light, she disappeared, leaving only the rangers staring at the spot she had vanished from, worry evident in their eyes. They had stayed with her for days now and had come to see her as both a mentor and a parental figure—especially Nick.
Moreover, ever since they had known her, Udonna had always been calm and in control of everything.
So for something to make her this nervous…
It had to be bad.
So bad that if they tried to handle it themselves, they might end up meeting their maker.
"I hope she makes it back safely," Nick thought to himself, as a strange feeling of loss and worry surfaced in his heart after Udonna left.
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Whoosh!
A wormhole appeared before the rest of the Omni-team. They were somewhat startled by its abrupt appearance, but after sensing the familiar aura, they calmed down.
A figure walked out of the wormhole, his steps calm, yet he arrived before them in an instant. It was Zayne.
He did not directly appear before Nina, as he had to settle his team first. The primary mission had been accomplished, and they had to return to their normal lives for today—unless another mission appeared, which he sincerely hoped would not happen. The day had already been chaotic enough.
"I used to watch the shows and comics and wonder how they fought monsters almost every weekend", Zayne thought bitterly to himself. "Now I know. It's freaking stressful".
Although he was mentally drained, he didn't show it. Instead, Zayne made sure his body remained upright before his team as he briefly explained what had happened and how he had another personal mission to complete in a minute.
The team naturally did not notice the fatigue hidden beneath his helmet. Only Kira, perhaps by some special feeling or simple natural care, spoke up.
"Take care of yourself, leader. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, Zayne."
The word Zayne was spoken very softly, yet it made the owner of the name calm his tense nerves.
He looked at Kira, as if making a small decision, and replied, "Thank you, Kira. I'll be back as soon as possible."
"Mm." Kira nodded before following the team as they left in a flash.
Staring at the spot where his team had disappeared, Zayne sighed and activated another wormhole.
"I'll have enough rest after dealing with the invasion."
Those words echoed in his mind as he disappeared once more.
...…..
In a small room with simple decorations, Layla could be seen staring at a small figure tossing and turning on a bed.
This small figure was Nina, and her current situation was far from good. In fact, it was dangerous.
Purple veins spread across her body, especially around her forehead. Her face alternated between pain, brief relief, a deep frown, and then pain again.
She had been fighting whatever had entered her consciousness for several minutes now. Although Layla was helping, it was minimal. Only Nina herself could win this battle.
"Ugh… Mom, where are you?"
"Mom… you promised to come back."
These words unconsciously left Nina's mouth, making Layla's expression grow even more saddened.
"Even after enduring such pain, you can still think about your mom. Oh, you poor thing."
A tear slipped from Layla's left eye as she pulled Nina onto her thighs and gently patted her, as if trying to relieve the girl's pain.
Before she could continue speaking, a wormhole abruptly appeared in the room, making even the foresight mutant Layla shudder in fear.
"Who is it?!" she barked at the open wormhole, both scared and confused as to why her mutant power had not warned her about any danger or sudden visit.
Before she could fully process the situation—
A figure in red walked out of the wormhole.
His gaze immediately landed on the unconscious Nina.
With a speed Layla couldn't even track, Nina appeared in Zayne's hand and vanished from her own.
"So fast!"
Her pupils contracted. Then, after a few seconds, rationality took over.
If he wanted me dead, I would have died just now. He should be here for Nina. I'll watch for now.
Meanwhile, Zayne scanned Nina's condition with his Morpher and quickly understood the situation.
[Name: Nina
Species: Mutant (Evolved Humanity from X Cell)
Powers: Animal Empath (Rapidly evolving)
Foreign Power: Mystic Beast Crystal
Status: The consciousness of the crystal is attempting to take over her mind, but her mutant powers are fighting back.]
"So that's it. Easy enough to solve."
Noticing the wand in her hand, the solution instantly appeared in Zayne's mind.
Without hesitation, he tapped her forehead, sending a gentle stream of Omni-energy to overpower and destroy the consciousness within the Mystic Beast wand.
Fwoosh! Crack!
As the new energy clashed with the invading consciousness, it was destroyed within seconds, shattering like fragile glass. It simply could not withstand the assault of Omni-energy.
It was far too powerful.
The purple veins on Nina's body receded, and her face gradually regained its calm as her breathing steadied.
Layla, who had been watching quietly, had her eyes light up with joy and relief.
"Thank goodness he's a good guy. I almost contacted the X-Men. Moreover, his help came at the right time. If not… we might have had another Nina," Layla thought to herself, a gentle smile blooming on her face.
As she stood up to thank him, another strange rune circle appeared in the room, startling her once more.
"Again?!" Layla subconsciously barked at the new arrival.
This was the second time her powers had failed to notify her. She was beginning to feel a little scared.
The new figure ignored her and instead stared at Zayne with surprise.
"Oh, it's you again," Udonna spoke with a serene tone, though she couldn't quite hide the surprise in her voice.
Udonna's calm gaze slowly shifted away from Zayne and settled on the unconscious Nina in his arms.
For a brief moment, her expression remained unchanged, serene and composed as always. But then her eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed something unusual.
The gem.
The Mystic Beast crystal that had once been embedded within the wand now rested faintly against Nina's chest, glowing with a soft purple light. But what truly caught Udonna's attention was not the glow itself—it was the way the energy moved.
It was flowing.
Not violently, not chaotically like most unstable mystical artifacts. Instead, it pulsed gently, almost as if it had become part of Nina's very being.
Udonna's brows lifted slightly in surprise.
"That's… strange."
She stepped closer, her white robes swaying softly as her attention remained locked onto the girl.
"The crystal…" Udonna murmured under her breath. "It has perfectly fused with her."
Even Layla, who had been watching nervously from the side, looked confused by that statement.
Udonna then turned her calm eyes toward Zayne.
"What exactly happened here?"
Her tone remained composed, but there was unmistakable curiosity within it.
Zayne did not hesitate.
He saw no issue explaining the situation.
"She was almost having her consciousness invaded by that wand," Zayne replied calmly, gesturing slightly toward the broken Mystic Beast wand lying on the floor. "The crystal inside it had a residual consciousness attached to it. It was trying to take over her mind."
Udonna's gaze flickered briefly toward the broken artifact.
Zayne continued.
"I destroyed the invading consciousness. Once it was gone, the crystal lost its host and fused naturally with the closest compatible energy source—her mutant power."
He spoke as if it were a simple matter.
"As a result, the power stabilized and fused perfectly with her body."
Silence filled the small room for a moment.
Layla blinked.
Udonna simply stood there.
Inside, however, the Mystic Sorceress was extremely shocked.
A perfect fusion?
Even among practitioners of mystic arts, such a thing was rare. Magical artifacts almost always resisted being absorbed by living hosts. The process usually ended in corruption, madness, or death. Only special beings like the chosen ones of the book could achieve this with its help,
Yet Nina had not only survived…
She had perfectly synchronized with the crystal.
Udonna's calm face did not change, but within her mind, countless thoughts were moving.
This ranger…
She had already suspected something unusual about him.
From the moment he had first appeared before her during the mystic rangers' first mission, she had attempted to consult the Book of Magic. The ancient tome that recorded the history of magical forces across countless dimensions.
Yet when she searched for him…
Nothing appeared. The book didn't even react. It was as if the ranger before her was always meant to be here, so he basically had no origin, just existence.
What she did not notice was that she forgot about the issue. Like it was normal
Although she wanted to be wary of him, she couldn't. But curiosity is taking over.
And now, seeing him casually destroy a mystical consciousness and stabilize a power fusion so easily only deepened that mystery.
Udonna always feared the unknown.
For years, the Mystic Force had fought against the endless darkness—forces that thrived in hidden places where knowledge could not reach.
And this ranger…
He felt similar.
Although not evil, he had a mystery wrapped around him.
Her current thoughts were churning. Still, Udonna maintained her calm composure.
"May I check the girl's condition?" she asked gently.
Zayne looked at her for a brief moment before nodding.
"Sure."
With a subtle movement of his hand, a faint ripple of Omni-energy appeared.
Nina's unconscious body slowly lifted from Zayne's arms, floating lightly through the air before drifting toward Udonna.
The sorceress accepted her carefully, supporting Nina as she raised her wand.
The crystal at the tip of the wand glowed softly.
A circle of magical runes appeared in the air.
Udonna quietly scanned Nina's condition.
The energy moved through Nina's body, examining her mind, soul, and the newly fused crystal power.
After a few moments, the magic faded.
Udonna lowered her wand.
"There is nothing wrong with her," she said calmly.
Layla visibly relaxed.
"The fusion is stable, and her consciousness is intact. In fact… her life force appears even stronger than before."
That revelation made Layla release a long breath she had been unconsciously holding.
Udonna then turned toward Layla.
"If you permit it, I would like to take her with me for further observation," Udonna said gently. "Her new powers may require proper guidance."
Layla's response came instantly.
"No."
Both Udonna and Zayne looked at her.
Layla shook her head firmly.
"She's been through enough already. If she's going anywhere, we ask her when she wakes up."
Her response gave Udonna no choice to bargain with her. There was only determination in her eyes
Udonna studied her for a moment before slowly nodding.
"That is fair."
Her gaze then shifted once more toward Zayne.
For several seconds, she simply stared at him.
The red armored ranger stood there quietly, unmoving, like a calm pillar in the middle of the room.
The air between them grew slightly tense.
Udonna's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Then she finally spoke.
"Who really are you?!"
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I'm back, guys!!! The journey had been stressful for me. I had to sleep throughout the day. But the updates would flow on normally now.
Thanks for the support, guys.
Power stones, please!!!