Top of the food chain

Sek and I made our way towards the moon shrine and with each step, tiny ripples would spread out in all directions.

Tall pillars with ancient runes surrounding its entire length stood at an imposing height. These pillars shielded the shrine from any evil force that happened to find its way into the realm.

The Shrine itself was made with an otherworldly material. It had an ominous architecture and any regular person who gazed upon it would easily fall into a deep trance without any hope of returning their sanity.

We finally approached the small flight of stairs that led to its grand entrance.

"I guess this is gonna be my first time getting inside this building", Sek paused his steps. "What is it exactly?"

My movement also slowed to a stop but I kept my face still in position.

"The Moon shrine", I answered. "Think of it as some kind of intermediary between the Moon realm and yours."

"I see", he walked over to my side. "So this is what lets you unleash your powers to the real world."

I nodded in agreement and then proceeded to enter the shrine. Sek followed closely behind.

A room filled with a chilling emptiness greeted us upon entry. There was absolutely nothing except several runes carved into the walls.

"The centre of this very room holds the strongest link to the world outside this one", I moved over to the centre.

A bit of hesitancy revealed itself in Sek's eyes as he stood right before me.

"I see", he looked around the dark, empty room. "So, where are these memories of yours?"

I grinned as a shadow hid the emotion in my eyes, "Oh don't worry. It's already beginning."

"Huh?"

Just then, vibrations began to shake the very foundation of the shrine and only settled down after a few minutes.

Alarmed, Sek took a step back, "What's-"

"Shh", I interrupted and then began to draw ancient symbols out of thin air. "Once my memories reveal themselves, they'll be within a single bubble."

My eyelids were shut tight at that point.

In order to access the memories of souls within the sword, it was necessary to link the current state of the target to a specific timeline.

This timeline had its own rules by which it was governed and hence, was only allowed to be accessed through recognised means.

The technique I currently used was the trail tracker skill and with it, I could allow only a limited number of memories to play before a specific audience.

That audience consisted of just one individual; the current wielder.

Harsh beams of light began to seep out from the cracks on the floor and in a matter of seconds, the ground on which we stood instantly broke down.

"You've gotta be kiddi-", Sek didn't even get the chance to finish his sentence as he fell into the pool of water that formerly hid beneath the floor.

A smirk flashed across my face while I slowly followed after him.

"Uhh"

Sek's voice penetrated through my thoughts.

"Dzinu... it's all nice. The magic stuff and being able to breathe underwater and all but-"

"Do you mind?", I lightly snapped, trying my hardest to keep my irritation in check.

The technique wasn't complete yet and who knew what would've happened if I suddenly stopped the process?

"Shouldn't there be only one bubble?."

He was starting to kill my patience with each word he uttered.

"Hey! I actually think it's a problem!"

That was it

"What is it!?", my eyes bolted open in a fit of rage, but it all died down at that instant. "What... is this?"

Shock was clearly visible on my face as I stared at the endless underwater expanse which was filled with millions of tiny spheres.

My memories were supposed to be placed in a single bubble.

Where did the other bubbles come from!?

"See?", Sek pouted and then stared at me with an expression of seriousness. "I wouldn't have bothered you but the instant I saw myself in more than ten bubbles, I knew something was up."

Huh? What was he talking about?

I immediately got to the closest bubble and got even more confused.

The memories I looked at were something far from what I ever knew!

From the beginning to the end! It was all just different.

Were those really my memories!?

Also

How come Seksulfur found himself in some of my memories?

I hadn't stored any memories ever since I met him.

*Zzt!*

Unsettling vibrations began to set the bubbles into an unusual to and fro motion.

"The technique...", I muttered. "Sek-"

He wasn't there.

Where did he go!?

.

.

.

(Unknown planet - night time)

(Sek's P.O.V)

"Huh, I'm back", I blinked countless times.

The last thing I remembered was being surrounded by a torrent of water and returning to my body.

"Sek!", Dzinu's voice frantically called out. "Are you there!?"

A warm feeling of relief filled my chest. I thought something horrible had happened.

"Something horrible has happened!", the light that reflected on the moon sword's surface diminished.

"Great", I groaned. "What happened?"

"Thanks to you, my technique back fired and literally kicked us out of the pool of memories!", he retorted and then sighed. "But then... those bubbles-"

*Bzzt!*

"Quiet", my eyes narrowed.

My instincts were running wild all of a sudden.

Something was coming...

...

...

...

Tensions choked the air with each second that passed. I had no idea what the threat was, but its presence had an incredible bloodlust that came with it.

It was as if the eyes of a million predators stared from the darkness. The once calm forest was now dead silent with a thick air of ominousity.

[Dzilaiza: High speed object located!]

The sound of rustling suddenly filled the space, followed by a thick vine that shot at me from the dark!

"Tch!", I immediately made a clean evasion, making sure to face the direction from which the attack came from.

My eyes widened in shock as I saw a thorny vine stuck in the ground.

"The plants are attacking!?", my feet moved on instincts alone, getting farther away from the danger. "How come I didn't notice this bloodlust earlier!?"

[Dzilaiza: Scanning current bio activity...]

[Dzilaiza: Scan complete]

[Dzilaiza: S class predator plants]

Predator plants? S class?

I thought Dzilaiza said-

My thoughts were interrupted by a shadow that loomed over me from behind.

Every fibre of my being was kicked into an emergency evasion at that moment!

Behind me was one of the large vine plants with a mouth-like gap on its stem area.

"Get out of there Sek!"

Dzinu desperately warned of the impending doom however the sudden activation of my instincts at that moment had rendered me motionless.

"Shit"

*Chomp!*