Dimensional Descent

Leonel took a breath, his grip on his spear tightening slightly.

They were everywhere. Or, at the very least, it truly felt like it.

The center of the Nest was an enormous, perforated, ball of rock. Pathways of all shapes and sizes, winding in all sorts of different directions, jetted out from the perforations.

This perforated ball of rock hovered above what looked like a green sea. This oddly discolored sea gave off a strong, pungent smell that seared one's nose hairs and tingled the skin. It looked like a vat of acid and Leonel wasn't convinced that if he took a dip, that it would react any differently from one either.

The number of Rapax that moved through this construction weren't small. But, there was something odd about their movements. Despite the fact Aina had just killed one of their own and they were in fairly clear view of them, none seemed to react.

That was when something that should have been obvious all this time clicked for Leonel.

'The Rapax are blind.'

Leonel had never noticed any eyes on the Rapax. In fact, their pill shaped heads were covered by their metallic carapaces so he had just assumed that their eyes were underneath and they had a method of seeing through the metal casing. However, now Leonel realized that that assumption had been stupid to make. He was still trying to see everything the Rapax did through a human lens when they were decidedly not human at all.

The Rapax must have used a different method to track their prey, and since they had no reason to lock onto this particular location, they wouldn't react immediately.

upon now and the perforated spherical rock that hung ahead. There was no pathway that connected it to where Leonel and Aina stood. If Leonel had to describe it, it was like they were standing in a window, looking through it. If

though, that if they truly did find a doorway, the reception wouldn't be nearly this benign. In fact, they

and retreated to the corner they had just wrapped around. Only then did they sigh a breath

made Leonel a bit skeptical about how the Rapax had engineered this place. It seemed that this 'window' was actually a designed lookout.

confirmed one matter: the Rapax did have methods of seeing things at long distances. And, secondly, it likely wouldn't be long before the Rapax they had killed was noticed to be

there were enemies here, something the Rapax were already aware of. It was also possible that it could reveal their location, but Leonel was confident that they would

observation station?" Aina

"I think so."

to find another entrance. But, even if we do, it'll

path to a suitable entrance. I've already memorized the layout of that spherical hive hovering in the center of that acid lake. The issue isn't that, it's just… What would we find on the

it isn't, then we'll end up surrounded from all

you notice, by the way?" Aina suddenly

"Hm?"

there's something oddly mutated about it, as though it feel more malleable and less aggressive. It's like

up. When Aina spoke those words, he too realized it. After a moment of thought, he felt like he had come to a conclusion, but

to force their young to be born in such an environment, but it would be another thing entirely if they

of muting effect on Anarchic Force. This isn't because Anarchic Force is being suppressed, but it's rather because the