True Picture of the Distortion Realm

My parents went missing for a few good days, but the project had to go on. The Grey Lizards were mostly in high spirits thanks to my father's promise. We talked about the whole Hydra incident, and Suly as well as my aunt mentioned a few things about Bramans.

Apparently, that race existed for a long time, and they were also practicing Formations. The difference was that their Formations were vile, and destructive in nature. They worshiped Hydra, or rather the place Hydra came from, the Distortion Realm. They believed that serving them was a better option, rather than siding with others.

The war between Humans and Bramans wasn't about the Distortion Realm, but rather their vile ways. Humans always tried to portray themselves as righteous, and pure. When they learned about the Formations Bramans used, they of course declared a war on them. In the process, other minor races suffered. Only when Hydra was summoned to our land, did the Hatmandor finally react. My father's predecessor destroyed most Bramans, and sealed the others. He also trapped Hydra beneath the North using his Formations and strength.

The barrier surrounding the North was also created at about that time. This was to prevent Hydra's escape, before it was sealed. Though my father's predecessor also sheltered the minor races inside. Away from Humans, and their wars. These things were only privy to high standing individuals of the North. Of course my aunt and Suly had access to such information.

Then they mentioned those Corpse Dogs. They were supposedly descendants of Bramans, who had a dog's head but humanoid body. When I asked them about those Corpse Dogs in more detail, they even described one to me. "Well, imagine a wolf, but everything on its body is rotting. The Corpse Dogs had specific stench about them too, and they were treated as scavengers for many, many years", Suly explained.

'... Wait a minute.. Didn't we encounter such a creature in the past?', I asked myself, trying to recall. A long time ago, me and Tara left Apium for a little adventure. She took me to some sort of cave, which turned out to be a long tunnel. At the end of that tunnel was a room, and inside that room a creature. A creature that Suly described to me.

"Why are you so shocked? I mean, yea, the Corpse Dogs were rather disgusting to look at, but they were quite weak… Albeit, the healthier a Corpse Dog was, the stronger it would be. Some of them had no signs of rotting whatsoever, they could even speak. The closer they were to the real Bramans, the stronger and more intelligent they got", she added.

I wasn't sure whether telling them about our little encounter from the past was a wise thing to do. 'I'll just keep that to myself. My father's going to scour the whole North anyway. He should be able to find each and every one of those creatures', I thought. Either way, that explained a few things, especially how Hydra came to be here. That also made me wonder, who in their right mind would actually try to summon such a being?

From what people said about Hydra, that thing wouldn't care who summoned or worshiped it. That thing existed for the sole purpose of destruction. Why they didn't kill each other was a mystery to me too. Besides, what were they really after? 'Even if they managed to control our world, and kill everyone that doesn't belong to the Distortion Realm… What then? They can't leave this place. What will they achieve by ruling the world?'.

The answer to me was really simple, nothing. They'd be left alone, maybe even fight against each other. Sooner or later, the whole life in our world would simply cease to exist. What was the point of that? To me, the whole war was preposterous, but at the same time, I had no clue what sort of reasoning these beings had. Perhaps they didn't care, perhaps they simply existed for the purpose of annihilation. Whether that would also kill them in the end, they simply didn't consider that.

"Alright, let's get back to work. The Formations is nowhere near the finishing point", my aunt announced. I became rather busy over the next few days. Rowan shared more knowledge with me, while his notes helped me with the studying and drawing of these new Formations.

My parents returned after about two weeks, and they even brought a few Furians with them. They assured everyone that the situation with Bramans and Corpse Dogs was resolved. They also visited all major places to notify everyone about the situation. "We'll be quite busy in the following days, Anna. I'm sorry we're throwing everything at you, but please take care of your brother, alright? Ulon will visit us soon to help you out as well. These guys will stay over to give you a hand too, so you should be fine", my father told me.

"Yes, father. I'll handle everything. Do what you have to, we all rely on you… Though, there are a few questions I'd like you to answer", I replied. "Hehe, sure I'll tell you about the Hydra. That's what you are after, right?". He then lifted me up, then carried to my house. "I'm happy you gained some weight. I don't want you to look like me in the past. That's not pretty at all", he said on our way. "Dad!", "What? I want my daughter to be beautiful. Look at your mother, she's not that skin… Bam!", something slammed my father's head before he could finish.

"You said something?", my mother's voice sounded from behind. "... All I'm saying is, don't try to slim down, alright?", he said then quickly made his way inside the house. "You shouldn't say that kind of stuff to women", I said. "I wouldn't mind if she was a bit fatter either. A bit more of your mother wouldn't do me any harm, hehehe", "You are impossible. Anyway, let's get to the business", I said while shaking my head.

"Alright my lovely daughter, ask away", "Then, how about you describe Hydra to me first?", I asked. "Hmm, let me put it like this. The Distortion Realm beings don't have one form, or rather they don't all look similar to each other. On the contrary, they are the most diverse beings you'd ever lay your eyes on. For example, Humans all look the same, at least in a broad sense. Same is with Shades or Furians. When you see one, you know what race that person represents, right?", he explained.

"The Distortion Realm beings don't follow such logic, although they have one thing in common. Their bodies, no matter what shape, will look like shadows with white eyes. The same eyes as mine to be precise. They are not corporeal or transparent, it's just that's how they look like. Hydra's body was akin to a turtle, but with five heads situated atop five long necks. A unique shape of the body, if you ask me", he added.

"I understand. That means, there isn't a specific body time which identifies a Distortion Realm being. Though they have the same shadow-like appearance. What about Hydra's strength? How strong was it?", I asked. "Primal Limits stage for sure. I mean, the Distortion Realm doesn't fight with the use of weak beings. I've encountered a few peak Inner Limits beings, but they are rare. Most of the time, these beings are in the Primal Limits stage", he said.

"How strong was it? Well, we tried to seal it at first, but Evarak was too weak for that alone. I don't know Formations much, that's not my path in life. That's why we had to get rid of it. Let me put it like this, I didn't have to use everything to bring down Hydra. Evarak and others were a huge help of course, but without them, I'd defeat Hydra together with Frosty", he added.

"Can you be more specific?", I tried to probe. "Hehe, sure. I guess we're going to throw everything at you, so that's the least I can do. I had to use two of my Auras, and the power of Void Element. I mentioned before that Void Element can't harm them, right? Theoretically, it can't harm me either… Theoretically. I can absorb the Void Element, even from a being such as Hydra, but there's a catch. I can't absorb too much of it, because my body will not be able to handle that. If Hydra was much stronger, I wouldn't escape with some light injuries", he said.

"So? What else are you hiding?", I asked. "Hehe, that is the question, is it not? Who knows, maybe you'll witness it one day. For now, let it be daddy's little secret", he replied. "That's unfair… Oh, fine. I know you are stubborn. I'm your daughter after all. In that case, what are the plans? What are we going to do now?", I asked.

"Now? We can only get stronger. That's exactly why me and your mother will be busy for a long time. I have to help out as much as possible…", he then patted my head before continuing, "As for you, why should I worry? You made such a huge progress, me and your mother pale in comparison. You can achieve a lot my daughter, so don't feel down or dejected. Hard work always pays off, right?".

A smile bloomed on my face, "Yes, it does". "Suly and Alicia must've told you about Bramans, since you didn't ask about them yet. You know, even I don't know their reasons for worshiping the Distortion Realm. Maybe they had no clue what they worshiped. Maybe they were wronged. These are all 'maybes', but that doesn't matter anymore. What matters to me is you, your brother and mother. As long as you guys are safe, I don't care what price the world demands from me", he added.

His words really made me feel warm inside. I felt like basking in that moment forever, but then I recalled something. "Oh yea, about learning Formations from Hatmandor…", "No, Anna. You are too young and inexperienced for that. Don't worry though, the future is limitless. Who said you won't be able to learn about those things? You just need patience", he replied.

Although disappointed, I shook my head. "I knew you wouldn't agree, but what about Suly? She's not that far away from reaching mastery, and you know how crazy she is about Formations. Can she get that chance instead?".

"Hehe, she asked you to do it, right? Indeed, I planned to decline Suly, but perhaps she deserves that chance. Evarak shouldn't complain too much about one more person... Deal, I'll make sure she's able to study those Formations. In exchange, take good care of your brother and the house, alright?", he proposed. "Yes, I will!".