Entering Apocalypse in Easy-Mode
Chapter 286: Collected The Samples

Chapter 286: Collected The Samples

Clyde watched as the anomaly’s massive eye began to melt, its once-intense green glow fading into a dim light. The severed tentacles and tendrils scattered across the desolate battlefield also began to break down and dissolving into a thick black and green liquid.

Pools of the viscous substance formed around him, but even those began to evaporate into dark, curling tendrils of smoke that vanished into the air.

The smaller, detached tendrils dissolved completely, leaving no trace of their existence behind. It was as if the creature was erasing itself from the world, every piece of its body retreating into nothingness again.

Clyde stood still, his Elderglass Sword still in his hand, the faint hum of residual lightning energy gradually fading. He looked down, his mind churning with thoughts.

"The Burning Realm. Deus’s fire. What the hell does that mean?" His teeth clenched as he replayed the anomaly’s cryptic words in his mind. "And why the hell did it call me the Catalyst?"

The anomaly’s sudden and enigmatic appearance was so worrying for him. These creatures had started appearing without warning with purpose veiled in mystery.

Clyde couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t random occurrences. No, this was deliberate. And worse, it seemed personal.

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head in frustration. "Whatever the hell this Catalyst thing means, I’ll figure it out. But first, I need to collect them first to learn about them."

Reaching into his coat, Clyde pulled out two small cube. It was a sleek, metallic device crafted by Hammer he had asked few weeks ago. It was designed to contain and preserve samples from anomalies.

Clyde walked over to the eye that now almost became a fully melting mass of black and green ichor, its surface bubbling and hissing faintly.

Carefully, he activated the cube, their sides unfolding to reveal a hollow, bottle compartment. He crouched down and scooped a portion of the liquefied substance into each cube then sealing it tightly.

The device emitted a soft hum as it locked the sample inside, preserving it for analysis.

He tucked the cube back into his coat pocket, standing and surveying the battlefield once more. The land was eerily silent now, the oppressive energy that had filled the air completely gone.

The black smoke that had risen from the anomaly’s remains dissipated into the wind, leaving behind only the shattered and scorched terrain.

From a distance, Samuel and Leyan watched with their unreadable expressions.

Turning away from the melting remains of the anomaly, Clyde began walking back toward the two of them, the faint crackle of lightning still dancing around him as his power subsided.

He had a sample, and now he needed to give it to Graemory..

"Let’s move. We got the sample," he called out to Samuel and Leyan as he approached. "We’ve got work to do."

Samuel and Leyan walked closer to Clyde. Without exchanging more words, the three began walking toward the place where they had first arrived where the portal opened.

As they moved, Samuel broke the silence.

"What do you think?" he asked. "You were the closest to the creature and killed it. Did you get any insight so share?"

Clyde glanced at him, his expression flat as always. His Elderglass Sword, still faintly crackling, rested at his side. "That creature was strong," he said evenly. "And I still don’t know what it actually is. But we’ll find out later."

Samuel gave a curt nod, though the answer didn’t seem to satisfy him entirely. At least they already got the sample.

Leyan, walking beside them, crossed his arms as he let out a frustrated sigh. "We need more people next time. If another one of those things shows up, we can’t handle it alone. That thing was brutal."

Samuel nodded in agreement. "You’re right. We’re not equipped for another fight like that with just the three of us. That creature seems to changed its shaped everytime it appeared. Who knows what it will become later."

Clyde said nothing in response. To him, numbers didn’t matter. He strong enough to kill it and was the only one who could withstand the anomaly’s influence without succumbing to madness. Doing it with more people or alone, it wouldn’t matter.

He was the only one who had heard its words. He was the only one who had the burden of understanding that creatures words.

Still, he didn’t voice these thoughts, letting the others talk among themselves as they trudged toward the portal.

Leyan grumbled under his breath. "Seriously, if we’re up against more of these things, we’re gonna need better backup. We can’t let Clyde keep doing it alone."

Clyde kept his focus forward. In his coat pocket, the cube containing the anomaly’s sample hummed faintly. Meaning that even its remain contain some strange magic energy.

What the others didn’t know was that Clyde had taken two samples, not one. The second was for his own purposes, he will give it to Graemory to finish his Quest and get the informaiton.

They reached the place the portal and Samuel it with his amulet.

Samuel then extended a hand toward the portal. The swirling light grew brighter.

Without hesitation, the three of them stepped into the portal and their forms immediately swallowed by the radiant energy.

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Clyde, Samuel, and Leyan stepped out into the city of Sivagadh Fortress. The faint hum of magical energy from the portal lingered in the air before it vanished entirely.

Clyde moved with the cubes containing the anomaly’s samples tucked securely in his coat. Samuel and Leyan followed behind as they headed toward Hammer’s workshop.

As always, the workshop was filled with the constant sound of clanging metal, the hiss of steam, and the acrid scent of molten alloys.

But as Clyde coming closer, he realized that it wasn’t just the dwarf blacksmith waiting for him.

Standing beside one of Hammer’s workbenches was Maethion, the male Elf who was one of the member of High Council.

His presence was suprising. He turned toward them as they entered with calm and warm smile like he always wearing.

"It’s been a while, guys," Maethion said while looking at three of them. "I see you’ve been busy."

"Maethion. Didn’t expect to see you here," Clyde said.

"I heard word of a mysterious anomaly that appeared. Naturally, I thought it wise to intercept before you made any rash decisions."

Hammer, who had been tinkering with a small device at his bench, finally looked up, his thick brows knitting together. "Intercept, huh? Thought you council types were too busy politickin’ to bother with real work. What’s this about now, Sir Maethion?"

Maethion look at Hammer and let out a helpless sigh. "Well, you’re not wrong about that. Finally I have time to get out from that activity and checking this out."

Then he turned toward Clyde and the rest.

"Anomalies like the one you encountered don’t appear without reason. They’re part of something larger. I suspect you already know that."

"What we know now is that they keep showing up, and no one seems to have answers," Samuel said.

Maethion nodded slowly. "Answers come with time and effort, Clyde. You’ve brought back a sample, haven’t you? That could be key to unraveling this mystery. Smart decision to have Hammer make that container."

Clyde reached into his coat and pulled out one of the cubes, holding it up for Maethion and Hammer to see. The sleek device gleamed under the workshop’s light, its contents emitting a faint green glow and dark mist.

"This is from the anomaly," he said simply.

Maethion’s expression grew serious as he leaned in to examine the cube. "This substance... even from here, I can feel the energy radiating from it. It’s... volatile." He straightened, adjusting his glasses. "We’ll need to analyze this carefully. Hammer, can your equipment handle it?"

The dwarf grunted, taking the cube from Clyde and inspecting it with a critical eye. "Aye, my gear’s sturdy enough. Hopefully."

Maethion tilted his head. "But I think this is bigger than any one of. The High Council will need to be informed. You’re not the only one who needs answers."

Clyde’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Maethion had proven himself an ally in the past, helping Clyde recover his Elderglass Sword from the Council’s grasp. So he have a little more trust at him.

As Hammer moved to secure the sample for analysis, Maethion ask Clyde to walk away from them. He said in low voice. "There’s more to this than the anomaly, isn’t there? You’ve known something. Am I wrong?"

Clyde met the Elf’s gaze, his expression unreadable. "I’ll let you know when I have something concrete. For now, let’s see what this sample tells us."

Maethion studied him for a moment longer before nodding. "Very well."

Clyde nodded and walk away from them with long stride. For now, he will need to go meet Greamory with his own portal. Using the center city portal will make them asking more questions.

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