Chapter 47: Desert of Shifting Echoes

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Desert of Shifting Echoes Evon stood at the center of the global command archive, the International Hunter Bureau’s emergency communications hub. Holographic maps of Earth hovered around him, pinpointing every known Black Force incursion and every major convergence point. The room was filled with the muted hum of data streams and the low murmur of operators coordinating forces. Evon’s voice cut through the tension, calm but authoritative. "Attention all S-rank and above Hunters: you have your orders. Mobilize to contain Black Force operations in your regions. Secure every convergence point, defend every landmark. We cannot allow another breach." He turned to the assembled Bureau directors and senior Hunters. "I’ll be heading to the Desert of Shifting Echoes—the Kara-Kum Sands. Naia sensed Lyria’s signature there. It’s time we reclaim another seal." Commander Jaun Huang nodded. "We’ll coordinate global defenses. You have clearance to draw on any Hunter resources you need." Evon gave a single nod. He turned and strode through the corridor toward the portal chamber. Behind him, the world launched its counterstrike. Within hours, the call to arms went out: Tokyo’s ruins were sealed, and specialized teams of SS-ranked engineers and Hunters reconstructed anti-convergence barriers. In Europe, Argus Val’Rane led a team to the Eiffel Tower, reinforcing its foundations with holy light wards. In North America, Rosa Leclair’s Vanguard Squad shielded New York’s skyline, deploying chrono-suppressors to stall any temporal tear. Imari Laku marshaled allied Shamanic Orders across Africa to guard the Pyramids of Giza. Zeph O’Tanaki coordinated air patrols around Sydney’s Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef. Lucia Denholtz activated crystal sentinel arrays in Rio de Janeiro to protect Christ the Redeemer statue. Kael Sova deployed psychic null fields across Antarctica’s research outposts. Everywhere, the world’s strongest Hunters took their stations, answering Evon’s call. ### The Gate to the Kara-Kum Sands Evon arrived at the national S-rank command post on the edge of the desert. He wore light desert gear—black fabric woven with cooling runes. The gate stood among dunes, a swirling oval of shimmering sand and heat. Skilled A-rank Hunters conducted final scans; B-rank support teams secured the perimeter. The sand wind blew fierce, shifting the dunes with living grace. Evon approached the gate frame, etched with water and fire sigils entwined—a rare hybrid signaling the convergence of Naia’s and Lyria’s realms. His heart thrummed. He reached out and activated the gate. The portal pulse rippled in blues and reds, then settled into a steady glow. Stepping through, Evon felt the desert heat give way to a strange, cool dusk. The air smelled of scorched earth and distant rain. He stood on a plateau of cracked ochre stone, overlooking vast sand seas beneath a crimson sky. In the distance, dunes rolled into rocky ruins—towers half-buried in sand. The world was silent except for the whisper of wind carrying distant echoes. Evon closed his eyes, reaching out through Destiny Resonance. He felt it—Lyria’s True Fire coursing faintly here, suppressed by the sun’s harsh glare but vibrant beneath the surface. He opened his eyes and moved forward. ### Level One: Sun-Baked Ruins The first zone was a labyrinth of half-collapsed temples, their walls carved with flame glyphs now worn smooth. Scorch spirits—lesser fire elementals twisted by the desert’s heat—drifted through shattered halls, their forms flickering orange and black. Evon summoned a gentle swirl of Naia’s water around his ankles, shimmering like a protective moat. The spirits advanced, crackling fire buzzing like insects. He raised the Blade of Fate, blade humming with fused water and fire resonance. With a clear slash, he dispersed the spirits into harmless steam. Each spirit dissipated quietly, leaving only warm mist. Moving swiftly, Evon wove through the ruins, avoiding pitfalls of quicksand and flame traps. He found the first water basin—an oasis carved into stone, its pool still shimmering. Touching the surface, he felt Lyria’s voice in his mind: "Thank you. My echo survives." He smiled and moved on. ### Level Two: Glass Dunes Beyond the ruins lay dunes of shimmering sand—grains fused by intense sunlight into glass shards. The ground glittered under Evon’s steps, reflecting the crimson sky like broken mirrors. Here roamed the desert’s elite monsters: glass-scaled scorpions that sprayed molten sand, and dune mantises whose limbs shimmered with seismic power. Evon paused at the edge of this field, focusing through his Eyes of Fate. He saw the pattern: the beasts gathered around hidden pockets where Lyria’s flame had left embers. They were drawn to her power. He advanced, calling on Lyria’s True Fire to ignite the glass sand into ribbons of living flame. His blade glowed white-hot, carving paths as molten rivers coursed around him. The scorpions attacked in a wave—stinging jets of molten sand. Evon shifted to Sythara’s dragon resonance, boosting speed, strength and resilience. He moved through them, parrying claws and slicing exoskeletons with heated precision. One giant mantis leapt, its blade-arms vibrating. Evon dodged, catching the vibration pattern in his mind. He spun, striking at the mantis’s joint, sending it crashing and shattering on the glass field. Several more scorpions and mantis attacked and Evon relentlessly chopped them to pieces. The creatures fell back, the desert still humming with heat. The long going fight finally stopped. In around 3 hours Evon nearly killed a hundred or more of them. Breathing steadily, Evon sensed a stronger pulse beyond the dunes—Lyria’s seal close now. --- He found a sheltered crevice amid glass pillars, setting down his pack. Taking out a small water flask and a grilled meat stick from his supplies, he ate quietly. The harsh desert wind blew distant sands but lost momentum here. He closed his eyes and reached out to Naia’s orb stored in his spiritual realm. "I can feel her too," he thought. "Her strength grows." "Together, we are stronger," Naia replied. "Keep going." Evon finished his meal and stood, fixing his sword. Determination flared. Beyond the glass dunes, a towering peak rose—formed from fused sand and obsidian, crowned with dancing flame. At its base, a massive cavern entrance loomed. Within, Lyria’s seal glowed, hidden behind trials more intense than before. Evon stepped forward, the desert heat and mystical chill of water and fire converging around him. He took a deep breath and entered the cavern. Above the desert storms roared. Below, Evon pressed on toward the seal of the True Fire Goddess. The Black Force’s shadows receded under the sun’s glare—and under the Rising Flame of his Destiny. _____________