The second antenna came through, and it started to feel like the world was convulsing on itself.
A wave of weakness swept over the soldiers, and they found their movements almost completely still.
Toby flew past the force field surrounding the island and hovered at face level with the emerging beast.
Its insectoid underlings, too, were frozen but started to clock in a unified hu, almost like a chant.
The Tier 3 beast slowly pulled itself from the rift and Toby watched.
Kale stared at the colossal entity that was emerging. He couldn't move, he couldn't think properly, and even breathing was a bit difficult.
All these from a beast that was merely emerging and this was nothing compared to a Tier 4 beast.
A wave of hopelessness started to fill Kale's heart and his will was weakening.
The head of the beast had fully come through.
It was exactly like a housefly's except its compound eyes were made of smaller human eyes.
Its mouth opened and let out a mighty shriek. The island shook and many soldiers lost consciousness.
The force field flickered endlessly but survived.
Black spots filled Kale's vision but Nova interrupted his view.
[Temporary Damage Received]
[Suit's Efficiency Reduced By 60%]
But Kale couldn't read it because his mind felt hollow and empty. He had no will to live or push on.
Toby still hovered in front of the beast. A trail of blood trailed down his nose.
His hand wiped it and he looked at his blood. The crimson fluid took on an orange glow and he threw it in the direction of the island.
Mid-air, it ignited and fused with the force field to give the latter a faint purple color.
The feeling of loss and hopelessness vanished as soon as it had come.
A clarity like none other hit Kale and he realized what was happening.
'Was the beast's presence alone making me feel like that?!' But his surprises weren't over.
The prompt from Nova was still displayed.
'Its shriek debuffed my suit?!' Kale looked around and saw that some of the other soldiers' suits had lost power.
Another wave of emotions hit Kale. It wasn't hopelessness alone but fear mixed in.
The fear he was feeling was different from normal.
"If someone doesn't kill these things then who knows what damage they'll manage to inflict." A new determination burned in his heart.
While he wouldn't be able to kill the Tier 3 beast, he would do the next best thing.
Kale tightened his grip on his sword and plunged it into the gap of the nearest lower-tier beast.
The thing had still been chanting when cold steel passed through its defenses and claimed its life.
The other soldiers who still had their suits functioning quickly picked up his example and started slaying the insectoids.
The beasts didn't even try to fight or run, they just stayed still in their unified clicking.
It was almost as if they would give up their lives to summon their 'god'.
Kale's eyes darted to Toby who was still in the sky. 'We have a god on our side as well.'
Ming performed a double backflip and pierced the thorax of two beasts. "Your swordsmanship has improved."
Hearing her, Kale chuckled lightly.
Ian smashed another beast open with his warhammer and drew their attention to him.
"Victory depends on the fight happening above." His words made Kale and Ming look up.
The beast had almost come all the way through yet Toby hadn't made a move.
He looked at his arms. No, not his arm but below them.
His blood started to glow with a red heat. It started to burn his veins and muscles and then his skin.
Beads of sweat ran down his forehead and he gritted his teeth. Toby took on a deep breath and soared higher into the sky.
When Toby reached the clouds, he stopped flying and started to drop.
His body burst open, throwing his entrails and bodily organs everywhere. They all turned into flames and gathered into the mighty Phoenix.
The soldiers who were a bit free gasped because they recognized the Phoenix as the one they saw on the ship.
The Phoenix spun on itself and turned into a beam of bright orange energy and struck the eye of the beast.
It screeched and tried to squirm its way out of the gate.
The Tier 1 soldiers that the soldiers were facing went into a frenzy and started attacking one another.
The victors carried their deceased to the Tier 3 beast.
Upon contact, the tissue of the beasts fused and the Tier 3 insectoid spread out six wings from the part of its body that was out of the gate.
The wings flapped erratically and pushed the beast out of the gate.
Screech after screech resounded across the island as the beasts left their worshipping frenzy.
The Phoenix's body reformed and it flapped its wings, generating a pillar of flames that threatened to engulf the Tier 3 beast.
The latter spat out a dark brown liquid that exploded as soon as it came in contact with the flames.
Kale, Ian, and Ming resumed their plundering of the beasts.
Now that the beasts were active, they had to protect the soldiers who couldn't move.
Another screech shook the skies and to the bewildered gaze of everyone, the gate started to close.
Toby even had to stop his offense to observe the closing gate. A gate has never closed by itself before!
The gate slowly became smaller, then the insides imploded on themselves.
Waves of chaotic energy ravaged the force field and shattered it.
The remnant energy started to twist reality, creating minor fissures similar to Dimensional gates.
The gates flashed for a couple of seconds, pulled a random item or beast inside before vanishing.
There were multiple, primarily in the air, and a few on the ground.
Kale performed a roundhouse kick and stabbed a beast when he noticed the air a few meters away from him twisting.
He looked at Ming, who was close to the event.
A red spark flashed across the air and Kale knew he didn't have time to warn her.
His foot kicked the ground and he grabbed her before pushing her out of the way.
A small tear spread around him and an immense pulling force fell on him.
He tried to resist it but he got pulled in. Kale had entered a dimensional gate!!!