"Proof?" Axel asked, placing his hand on the back of his neck with a cowardly smile. "What proof? I defeated that guy in the park... But I didn't say I wanted to face these two too."
"We need to see what your rank would be," Frank spoke again over the radio.
Without more time to chat, the two orcs attacked the boy.
One of them used his powers to materialize some kind of fiery chain, half wrapped around his forearm and the other half dangling in such a way as to be used as a weapon.
Axel cowardly dodged the attack, fleeing from the beasts.
"Help!" he shouted. "I don't want this! I don't want to be part of this shit anymore!"
"Okay," Frank said. "Noah, come in and help him."
Suddenly, another door in the enormous room opened. A young man, about 27 years old, entered slowly and imposingly. The aura he emanated was heavy and made Axel's hair stand on end.
Two tentacles made of diamonds emerged from the body of that imposing man. However, they were black. He wrapped one of the orcs around one tentacle, while tearing off the head of the second with the other. All with astonishing speed, almost in an instant.
Axel continued walking for a long time, as he didn't have money for a taxi. It was still nighttime, almost 3 in the morning. And the boy was still afraid after that strange night filled with strange events.
While walking down the dark and lonely street of Dilrite, Axel heard several people shouting. They came from a narrow alley, known throughout the city as the place where most beggars rested at night.
He was still a little hesitant about going to help, because after everything that had happened to him that night, he didn't want to hear about any more strange things.
He sighed tiredly and without thinking twice, he quickly headed toward that dark alley.
He couldn't see much, but he could see another extra-dimensional creature that had killed a man and had a woman and another man cornered against the wall where the alley ended.
It was a giant mantis, taller than an average person. Its color was black, its hind wings stretched perfectly to two meters, and it had sharp arms as if it held two swords. In its jawbone, it held the head of the man it had killed.
Sensing Axel's presence, the giant insect stopped harassing the two remaining beggars and turned toward him.
The boy was about to run away, but he remembered what he had done several hours earlier in that park. He closed his eyes, imagined, and tried to channel that energy again, hoping to use it and defeat the bug.
Axel felt that confidence again, as the energy was flowing through his veins once more. Now he understood a little more how to use that power; he realized he had to channel it and concentrate. He no longer felt afraid, remembering how strong he was in this state.
"Hey, bug!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to shove those sharp arms of yours up your ass."
Thinking of other ways he could use his power, Axel remembered the confrontation with the two orcs and how one of them was able to create those chains using only his power.
And so it was. Axel channeled all his power to create a red sword made of energy. Small rays and flashes of red light enveloped it. It emanated a destructive and corrosive energy…
The boy, amazed by what he had created and his power, now more confident, launched himself at the mantis. In less than a second, he positioned himself right behind the monster. He was so fast that neither the two beggars, much less the mantis, noticed.
"Die!" Axel said as he was already positioned behind the creature. He had his sword raised and swung just in time to deliver the blow and cut off the monster's head.
The beggars were relieved to see the monster's head fall to the ground. It rolled until it reached Axel's feet, and with a superb attitude, he placed one of them on top.
"Are you all right?" he asked the beggars.
"Yes, thank you!"
More confused than a chicken in a slaughterhouse, Axel decides to return to the association he had run away from.
After a long journey back, he managed to reach the building again. It was already dawn, and as soon as he entered, he bumped into Frank, who was getting ready to go home to rest.
"Wow! You're back..."
"I think I was caught off guard earlier, but I need to know my powers."
"Okay..." Frank tried to calm him down.
The man looked back tiredly, but after thinking about it for a second, he decided to grant Axel's request and return with him to his office.
"Take a seat, it's a lot to tell," he advised.
Axel, without saying another word, willing to listen, sat down, closed his mouth, and was ready to receive information.
"Listen, kid... We are an international association of hunters against extradimensional beasts. We welcome hunters to train and use them against these creatures, obviously paying for their services. After all, no one risks their life for free."
"I understand..."
"I also know you want to know information about these creatures. From orcs, mutant creatures, dragons, and even elves, all these beings existed on our planet millions of years ago." At that time, they belonged to our dimension, until powerful sorcerers exiled them to another dimension.
"Does magic exist?" Axel asked.
"Magic is the name any human would give it, however, it's actually ether. A powerful substance that exists everywhere, in every universe and dimension at once. It flows everywhere like oxygen does to us. These creatures were once the only ones capable of accessing the ether; over time, humans adapted as well, although we can't endure and control it as quickly and perfectly as they can."
"And why were they exiled from this dimension?" Axel asked again.
"Because they are fierce and destructive beings that threatened the future of humanity."
"I understand..."
"Now that you know a little more and I know you just faced another one of them, would you like to take the test again?"
"How do you know that?"
"Because as soon as you left, I sent someone to watch you."
"Fine," the boy agreed, a little more motivated.
"Then come with me. Noah already took out those two orcs, so I'll have to give you other opponents. Who knows, maybe even a little stronger."