Human Inner Earth Stronghold, year 2185.
Thick and heavy, an unfamiliar energy pierced the air and pressed down the group. Standing at the edge of the abyss was Warlord John Terrado, a figure carved from iron and granite by his experience in warfare. His hard, glowing eyes focused on the swirling vortex of light that pierced the ancient ruins crumbling structure. It was the opening to the center in the inner Earth, the gateway and portal from other realm.
Each handpicked for bravery and talent, his top team stood around him. They were called the Dominator. The group that is well-known and respected in countering the different otherworldly forces. Electra Briggs, his second-in-command, a warrior as fierce as she was bright, adjust the settings on her rifle, its laser beam emitter humming with contained power. Checking the charge on his plasma grenades was hulking Sergeant U'Wyne, whose strength was surpassed only by his loyalty. The team's xenobiologist, Dr. Nigel Svolis, fidgeted with his spectacles and scanned the portal and the primitive symbols carved into the nearby rock. Other teams were on stand by.
The ruin themselves showed how a civilization vanished to time, a location where magic and technology had entwined in ways only starting to be understood. Resonating with the energy flowing from the gateway, the stones emitted a subdued, internal glow. This was an invasion rather than a natural occurrence.
"Report," John's voice was a low growl barely discernible above the wail of the gateway.
Electra informed, her voice tight with concern, "Energy readings are off the charts, sir; the portal is unstable, fluctuating; whatever's coming through is going to be huge."
"Doctor?" John turned to Nigel.
Nigel stammered, his eyes wide behind his spectacles, "I'm sensing… biological signatures unlike anything I've ever seen. " Their physiology… it's not of this earth. Or any planet I am familiar with. "
The portal reverberated with a piercing roar, while the ground trembled. The swirling light grew stronger, morphing into terrible shapes, frightening silhouettes against the blinding brightness.
John said grimly, "Here they come." Drawing his twin daggers, he watched the blades glint with an unearthly glow. These were infused with universal magic elements and could cut through dimensions; they were not typical weaponry.
The first creature appeared, a massive bone and chitin monster whose eyes shone with malicious intelligence. Following others, each more horrible than the last: winged terrors with razor-sharp talons, serpentine monsters with venomous fangs, and massive hulking brutes bearing weapons of twisted metal and pulsing energy.
"Hold the line!" John bellowed as he raced toward the beasts. His knives glinted, slicing the air and leaving shimmering light trails. He moved with a whirlwind of deadly grace, a speed that defied his size.
Electra fired her laser rifle, bolts of searing energy emanating from it. The beams, which seemed to be limitless, struck the creatures and evaporated their chitin and flesh.
U'Wyne flung his plasma grenades, the blasts rocking the wreck. Driven by a primitive hunger, the animals yelled and twisted as they were engulfed in the scorching plasma, but still they moved ahead.
Despite his terror, Nigel worked feverishly, scanning the beasts with his sensors in an effort to determine their weaknesses, their vulnerabilities. Though knowledge was their most potent weapon, he was a scientist, not a warrior.
The fight was furious, a desperate fight against an unrelenting enemy. Though outnumbered and outmatched, the team showed bravery and talent. Their attacks were ferocious and persistent; the creatures were tireless.
Electra brought down a winged monster with a well-aimed shot, but another lunged at her, its claws dripping with poison. She parried the attack with her tactical knife, but the creature was too strong. Its bad breath hot on her face, it knocked the knife from her hand and pinned her to the ground.
John materialized, his daggers gleaming as the beast was just about to strike. He thrust the blades into the creature's chest; it turned into a pile of smoldering ash.
Electra gasped, rising from her knees, "Thanks, boss."
John remarked, his gaze scanning the battlefield, "Save your breath. We're not out of this yet."
Then, the portal suddenly shimmered with a blinding light, and a person bigger and more terrifying than anything they had ever seen came out. Its eyes glowing with an ancient, malevolent power, the great monster towered, its body covered in impermeable armor.
"That's their leader," Nigel yelled, his voice full of dread. "We're doomed."
The behemoth raised its hand, and a wave of energy swept over the crew. U'Wyne was slammed against a wall, his body trembling. Electra stumbled, her gun falling to the ground. Nigel collapsed, out cold.
John stood by himself, staring at the massive monstrosity. He understood this was the last showdown. He had to halt this monster, or mankind would be doomed.
He surged forward, elemental magic channeling in his dagger that fires to the enemy. Like an insect, the behemoth smacked him off. John fell to the ground, his body writhing with pain.
He, nevertheless, refused to give up. His eyes locked on the enormous foe, and he fought to stand. Into his knives he concentrated all his will and energy. Burning with the force of the universe, the blades blazed with a brilliant light.
He dashed for the behemoth with one last scream, his daggers directed toward its center. The blades cut through the creature's armor and plunged deep into its flesh.
That strikes turned the behemoth to shrieked, the force tearing at the fabric of reality. Then the enormous foe wobbled, Its body convulsing, it staggered back. Then the portal opened wide and started to break apart.
Standing his ground, John gripped the daggers in place and directed all his might toward the dying behemoth. The body of the monster started to melt; its energy was feeding back into the portal.
The gateway exploded in a final rush, sinking onto itself and closing the gap between planets. Warlord John Terrado's laborious breathing was the only sound the silent ruin offered.
He stood there for a long while, his body scarred and wounded, but his spirit intact. He had fought the darkness and come out victorious. Though the doorway was closed, the danger persisted.
Looking around at his team, he turned to them. U'Wyne was moaning, Nigel was gradually returning to consciousness, and Electra was stirring. The group finally take a deep breath after fully assessing the result of the battle.
After the said mission, each of the group returned to their previous lives. Occasionally, they would gather to share stories, reminisce about past missions, and offer support while awaiting the next call to action.
But the last encounter was so far the last, half a decade had passed, the realm has been quiet in turmoil, no portals have emerged and no chaos has occurred and this is perhaps the most peaceful period in the world.
Even the group has been silent, and their achievements in the field of battles have been slowly forgotten and buried in oblivion, while politics has become noisy and prevalent. Gradually the group has also been dragged into politics because of other leaders who do not like the popularity of the Dominator group of Johns. They believe that the era of conflict has passed, deeming the once formidable group obsolete in a world they perceive as secure. Peace renaissance and grandstanding of politicians have prevailed.
This Earth is currently in a technologically advanced stage, what was once called Magical power has become a common strength of humanity. The development of the human genome has advanced significantly over the last few centuries. By discovering a human elixir and making significant technological advancements, scientists and physicists have been able to increase the typical mortal's life expectancy by about 400 years.
Each new generation, upon reaching adolescence, receives an elixir known as the 'Power Serum,' which injected and directly connected to their soul, disseminating throughout their entire body that enhances the body connections with the universal energy and unlocks human innate talents. One of the significant benefits of the Power Serum is its direct influence on the brain and nerves. This empowerment enabled humans to manipulate natural elements, transforming them into unique beings possessing a blend of power, strength, and intelligence.
As the human's progressions bloomed, "Liana Leblaze" an enlightened sage found a method for preserving the soul of a deceased person after it separated from its body. These technological breakthroughs, led the government enact a law that every individual should have a soul chamber in the government sectors that is imprinted with soul fragment of every person. Should that person be destroyed or killed, the soul container will automatically activate to gather the soul that resonates the fragment on the container. The government will just activate the soul and transfer it into a new vessel as the new human body. This technology, technically makes the humans become immortal, allowing them to live for thousands of years by just transferring their soul to a new vessel every time the body dies or destroyed.