Nier gazed upon the Fulcrum, its colossal form now suspended in a state of eerie calm.
The beast was now kneeling on eight legs, it's gravitational aura had dimmed, no longer pulsing with the raw fury that had defined their battle.
With its mind reshaped and tamed, it sat there like a conquered titan, its once-menacing maw was close shut as well, Nier had made it subservient to him, and made it so it was in state between awake and not awake while also erasing it's kill instinct and unbearable hunger that push it to hunt.
But as Nier delved deeper into the remnants of its consciousness, through the open Mind Book still glowing faintly in his mental realm, he uncovered layers of history that painted the creature not as a mindless monster, but as a survivor forged in the fires of an unforgiving existence.
Originally, the Fulcrum possessed intelligence on par with a normal human; it could think for itself, reason, and strategize.
However, its home dimension nameless to this world had been a brutal crucible, ever-hungry, where war among kin was a constant reality.
Even its earliest memories were stained with horror: its own mother, a gravitational behemoth, attempting to devour it and hundreds of its siblings in a savage bid for power, only to be spared by another powerful behemoth eating her at that moment allowing them to escape and fend for themselves.
Fulcrums reproduced through cloning every thousand years, birthing several thousand sentient graviton cores at once, each housing a soul and conscious mind.
For this one, that cataclysmic birth had occurred more than twelve million years ago.
Battle and devouring were all it had ever known, shaping its human-level intellect into a razor-sharp tool for combat and survival.
About three years ago, it had suddenly emerged into this world through the great rift above, without understanding why it was here as well.
After all, a similar colossal rift had appeared at the center of its home dimension, mirroring the one that scarred this universe's sky. Yet it felt no longing for that forsaken place; to it, the old realm was nothing more than an infinite prison, a void of endless strife.
Here, resources were abundant. With the myriad materials available, organic and inorganic alike, it had constructed a truly formidable vessel for itself.
At its current rate of assimilation, it was confident that in another twenty to thirty years, it could rival its own mother, who had billions of years to grow in that horrific domain ahead of him.
By species standards, it was still a baby; true maturity came only after reaching its first billion years. In this human-dominated world, teeming with mysteries and otherworldly creatures like itself, the possibilities for growth were endless.
From the moment of its arrival, it had targeted weaker entities to gradually build its ideal vessel, held together by its innate gravitational forces.
Even the life forms evolving within its internal space had recently advanced, crafting simple weapons and revering it as a god — "the Great Blue," they called it.
It had discovered that offerings given willingly empowered it far more than mere devouring ever could. As such, it treated these beings like its own children, nurturing their devotion for it's own benefit.
This was a feat impossible for the Fulcrums back home, but since arriving here, its powers had adapted in unexpected ways, influenced by the mysterious energy emanating from the rift. Humans called it "Flux energy" and labeled anything they couldn't comprehend as "Flux." It mattered little; all the Fulcrum craved was greater strength. Day and night, it devoured, and when faced with unbeatable foes, it hid.
But everything changed when it had the misfortune to cross paths with Nier.
To this date, fighting Nier was it's hardest battle yet, all previous usually died instantly by its long range attacks of constant bombardment.
Nier closed the Mind Book mentally inside his head, with a satisfied smirk in the physical world, the ethereal pages dissolving back into the void of his mental realm.
As he open his eyes and looked at mini behemoth before him.
"Not bad, big guy."
He murmured, stepping closer to the docile behemoth.
"You've got quite the story. A twelve-million-year-old killer baby with mommy issues and a god complex. Hell, I almost feel bad for you."
His eyes gleamed with opportunistic hunger.
"But don't worry...your tale is just beginning a new chapter. As my Skin Walker's first real feast, you'll help me build something even greater after you are dead."
"Still, how the hell do I even begin with carrying you home without drawing attention to myself."
Nier said as he stared at the docile Fulcrum.
The question of how to transport such a colossal beast gnawed at him.
Then, a spark of inspiration flickered in his mind, drawing from the very creature he had just subdued.
"Guess I'll take a page out of your book, big guy."
He murmured with a sly grin.
"Silence."
Nier called aloud, his voice cutting through the stillness.
A familiar ache pulsed in his hand as Silence, responded.
The veins in his palm shifted, forming incomprehensible words.
[Yes, Master]
"How much Negativity do I have left after that fight with the Fulcrum?"
Nier asked, his tone sharp and focused.
[After your battle, you currently have 63,334 units of Negativity remaining]
Silence replied, its voice calm and precise.
Nier let out a low whistle.
"Not bad. Gotta say, Trevor's memories came in clutch there. Saved my ass from going broke."
He shook his head, pushing aside the thought.
"Anyway, I need a spell to store this beast. Something like a pocket space to hold things, like the Fulcrum inner world. What is it gonna cost me?"
[That depends on the specifics of what you envision. Do you have a concept in mind]
Silence's tone was analytical, ready to calculate.
"Yeah."
Nier said, rubbing his chin.
"I am thinking something like those vampires in old stories. They could use their shadows as a kind of mini pocket dimension to store stuff. Can we do something like that?"
[Calculating total cost… Calculation complete. Based on your concept, two options are viable]
[Option 1: “Vacuum.” This spell links your shadow to the expanding interstellar space of the universe, turning it into a nexus point for storage. You can store objects in random pockets of cosmic space, and you'll sense if anyone attempts to steal them. However, be warned...anything that cannot survive the vacuum of space will perish. This spell requires 1,200 units of Negativity to create]
[Option 2: "Shadow Space Creation." This spell allows you to create third-dimensional pockets within the shadow of any object. The size of the space depends on the amount of Negativity you invest. Time inside these pockets flows identically to the outside world, making them self-contained fragments of the universe, accessible only to you or those you permit. Each shadow creates a unique space, meaning items stored in one shadow...say, under a tree...won't appear in another, like under a car. This spell requires 10,857 units of Negativity to create]
Nier nodded thoughtfully, his gaze flickering between the docile Fulcrum and his own shadow stretching across the ground.
"So those are my options, huh?"
He mused.
"Well, I don't need to overthink this one. Everything in this world casts a shadow, me included. My shadow follows me wherever I go, so it is the perfect choice. I'll take the expensive one. Let's go with Shadow Space Creation."
[Affirmative. Shadow Space Creation has been created. Deducting 10,857 units from your total pool. You have 52,477 units of Negativity remaining]
Silence confirmed.
The moment the spell was complete, a rush of knowledge flooded Nier's brain, instincts guiding his actions as if he had wielded the magic for years.
He stretched his hands toward the Fulcrum, and his shadow came alive, slithering forward like a sentient creature.
The dark tendrils expanded, their edges stretching wide to accommodate the beast's massive form.
To ensure the space was large enough, Nier channeled an additional 5,000 units of Negativity to it, crafting a pocket dimension within his own shadow the size of a football stadium, more than sufficient to house the Fulcrum and other items or creatures he might collect.
Like a stone sinking into water, the Fulcrum descended into the black portal, its immense bulk vanishing from the world without a trace.
Nier grinned, flexing his hand as he admired his work.
"Oh yeah, this is definitely going to be useful."
He said, a spark of excitement in his voice.
But his expression soured slightly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Still, I'm down to 47,477 units of Negativity now. Damn… if only I could find a way to tap into more of those ancestral dreams to boost my reserves."
He sighed but quickly shrugged it off.
"Whatever. For now, this'll do. The hunt is far from over, and I am itching for more fights. That Fulcrum was just a baby by its standards, but it pushed me to my limits. What a rush!"
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I would be better to get moving. Strong Fluxes aren't going to line up for a deathmatch on their own. Fufuf... I wonder who is next on the murder board."
With a flicker of intent, Nier activated his Body Modification Magic, transforming into his eagle form.
His body shrank and reshaped, sprouting sleek feathers and powerful wings. With a sharp cry, he launched into the sky, soaring into the distance as the hunt continued.