The Ultimatum of the Unknown Vessel

Silence fell over the city, broken only by the muffled roar of the ship as it slowly descended from the sky. A colossal shadow covered the buildings, and a bluish glow flickered beneath the metal hull of the craft, casting a spectral light over the cobbled streets.

The adventurers, still out of breath after the battle with the Mechanical Lizard, looked up at this new threat. Erd, standing on a rooftop, squinted. His instincts were telling him that this presence was even more dangerous than the last.

Suddenly, a hum echoed through the air and a huge hologram was activated above the ship. A hooded figure appeared, its face masked by an opaque visor. A cold, metallic voice said:

- "At last... we've found him."

Erd clutched his bow between his fingers.

- Who are you?" he said sharply.

The hologram tilted its head slightly.

- It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is who you are, Erd. We watched your fight with the Lizard. It was only an evaluation."

A shudder ran through the assembly. A simple test?

The stranger continued:

- We have finally confirmed your potential. Now we offer you a choice."

The air vibrated as the hologram moved slightly closer, as if staring straight into Erd's eyes.

- "Surrender, or this city will be wiped off the map."

A heavy silence fell. All eyes turned to Erd, who remained motionless, analysing the situation. He could feel the tension rising among the adventurers. Some were already clutching their weapons, ready to defend the town at any cost.

Lila, standing back, activated her magic bracelet and began to analyse the ship. Abnormal energy flows, an unknown structure... It was more than just a ship.

Erd, for his part, smirked.

- What if I refuse?" he asked calmly.

The hologram didn't flinch.

- "Then you condemn this city."

At these words, the ship let out a muffled roar, and a squad of soldiers appeared below. Their black armour gleamed in the ship's artificial light. They carried strange weapons, a mixture of steel and pure magic.

- "Last chance, Erd."

Erd exhaled slowly, then raised his bow.

- "No."

The next instant, he bent his bow and, in a fraction of a second, fired a Stellar Arrow. A streak of light shot towards the ship.

The attack hit with full force, but an invisible barrier was deployed, absorbing the energy with disconcerting ease.

- Interesting..." whispered the voice of the hologram.

Then war broke out.

The town plunged into chaos in a fraction of a second.

Soldiers in black armour had materialised around the ramparts and were charging in without the slightest hesitation. Their weapons projected magical discharges of unknown intensity, piercing the adventurers' conventional defences.

Erd, still perched on a roof, was watching the battle below. He could see Lila deftly dodge a shot before returning fire with a dagger imbued with magic. Further away, a group of adventurers led by a paladin were trying to stem the enemy advance, but the soldiers in black were formidably organised.

A scream rang out. A mage had just been struck full force by an explosion of violet energy. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Erd gritted his teeth.

- These guys are no amateurs..." he muttered, raising his bow.

He summoned a series of luminous arrows and fired them at lightning speed. The projectiles pierced several enemy soldiers, but to his surprise, some of them got up almost immediately.

It was advanced regeneration magic.

He had no time to think further. An overwhelming presence made itself felt.

In one fluid movement, a figure slowly descended from the ship.

It was there.

The Primordial Hunter.

His armour was different from that of the other soldiers. Black as night, it seemed to absorb the light around it. He wore a strange weapon on his belt, a blade of pure energy that created slight distortions in the air.

Erd knew that he had never faced an opponent like him.

But instead of fear, a smile spread across his face.

- So it's you who wants my head?" he said lightly.

The Hunter drew his weapon. An abnormal vibration ran through the air as he took a step forward.

- You're an anomaly. It's time to put an end to it."

The fight was inevitable.

Erd tightened his grip on his bow and took a deep breath.

The duel could begin.

The wind suddenly picked up. An unbearable tension fell over the battlefield as Erd and the Primordial Hunter faced each other.

Around them, the fighting continued to rage, but everything seemed to fade away, as if the whole universe was holding its breath before the confrontation.

The first to move was the Hunter.

He disappeared.

No. He didn't disappear. He moved with astonishing speed, his sword of energy tracing a luminous trail through the air.

Erd, reacting on instinct, leapt back and fired an arrow of pure light.

The projectile split the air but was met with nothing but empty space.

A split second later, the Hunter reappeared right next to him, his blade aimed directly at his torso.

Clang!

A wall of light sprang up at the last moment, narrowly blocking the attack. Erd stepped back, gauging his opponent.

- Not bad..." he murmured, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

The Hunter didn't reply. He attacked again.

This time, Erd didn't wait to be cornered.

He activated Space Domination.

The space around them twisted, slowing his enemy's movements slightly. This tiny lapse of time was enough for him to bend his bow and fire a volley of golden arrows.

The Hunter parried the first, dodged the second... but the third hit its target.

An explosion of light illuminated the battlefield.

Erd fell back to the ground, his gaze fixed on the cloud of smoke.

But he had no time to savour his success.

With a flap of his mechanical wings, his opponent emerged from the fog, unscathed.

- Interesting," he said at last. "But not enough.

With a fluid gesture, he raised his hand.

A black sphere materialised in the air.

Erd had just enough time to understand.

An antimatter attack.

- Shit..." he breathed, raising his bow.

He only had a few seconds.

But that was more than enough time.

He summoned Sanctuary.

A dome of light spread out around him as the Hunter's attack was unleashed.

The impact was titanic.

A shockwave swept through the streets, shattering cobblestones and knocking adventurers to the ground.

But Erd stood his ground.

And when he opened his eyes again, he knew exactly how he was going to counter-attack.

He raised his bow one last time.

An arrow formed, brighter than ever.

He infused it with his magic of ice and light at the same time.

The wind froze around him.

- "Ice meteor."

The arrow split the air.

The impact was instantaneous.

The Hunter was thrown backwards, his armour covered in a thick layer of frost. He tried to move... but his body refused to obey.

He was trapped.

Erd stepped forward slowly, a smirk on his face.

- What do you think? Still as confident as ever?"

The Hunter didn't answer.

But in his helmet, a light signal activated.

A call.

From the ship, a new voice rang out.

- Don't underestimate your target. We'll take care of it ourselves."

The ground shook.

And slowly, very slowly, the gigantic ship began to open...