58 Guardian

This place is really dark. Luckily, the echo location helps me steer away from any sharp stones and slippy edges.

Been walking for a while, and I seem to have found a small blue light source not too far away. I also noticed that it comes from the same direction where that weird energy can be found. They must surely be connected.

As I further my advance, the light only continues to grow in strength. And with it's ever growing radiance, my mind slowly fades. No, I feel rather light headed actually. Why is that?

No matter, I finally arrive near this thing. And as I do, the mossy stench disappears, quickly replaced by a very pure and stingy scent. It smells like dried sugar actually.

The light source which has kept drawing me towards it lay thoroughly attatched to a small stone pillar, resting in the center of some large underground lake. You could probably fit a blue whale inside this giant body of water. However, that would probably only cover the surface. Depth vise, I can't make out how deep down this thing goes even with the bestial senses.

Anyways, I changed back into my beastlord after getting here. The water walking is only possible with the tyrant, but with the enhanced legs of this guy I could probably reach the pearl with a single jump.

I rearrange all mental power towards the smooth gem on top of the pillar, trying to calculate how much power to use in order to get it in one sweep. However, looking at this white ball is actually rather pleasent. There, on the ancient rock pedastol it lay.... What a beauty! Actually, that thing is quite large. Mabye the size of a tire if my estimate isn't wrong. Can I even lift it?

Mabye the light it gives of affects my mind, but either way, I prepare myself to fly up and catch it. I really want to find out what that thing is!

However, not even a second after I reposition my body, the rich crater in front of me suddenly begins to tremble. No, rather, its content seems to have begun to boil over. As if someone just dropped a truck filled with nitrogen inside.

Despite this, however, the water is by no means hot. Icy cold would be a better description. But as I my vision moves past the bubbles, An indescribable image fills my eyes. Something seems to be moving from the depths of the lake. Oh, it is now headed upwards..WAIT NO ITS MOVING TOWARDS ME! The dark figure keeps growing in size the further up it gets, hastly ascend up to the surface without stop.

I embrace myself for the unkown enemy, and jump backwards as to get some distance between us. hitting both my lengthened feet into the rigged stone floor. Digging the sharp black nails down, and throw my body away in one move.

And as I land, the sizzling noise generated by the water gets engulfed by a low pitched splash. Generated from large parts of the liquid falling of onto the surrounding floor by the gigantic shadow's ascent.

I speedily spin around, facing the enemy head on while also instinctively lowering my body. This move seems to be engraved into the Beaslord's DNA, as the spine even seems to compress itself in this stance, allowing me an easier time moving.

However, before me now stands a creature resembling an enormous scaley brown snake. Its dark, but this guy is probably no larger than a...whale shark with the length of a train.. And there are the black spikes running down each of it's side. Fully armoured with dark scale plates flowing over the long body. Actually, are snakes supposed look like that?

Wait, the eyes....where are the eyes? And what are those two long horns sticking out from its head? WAIT AGAIN! Did they just twitch?!

As I gradually eye down more of the worm, realization begins to emerge from my mind. This is no snake...

"A centipede?!"

The creature before me stops moving entirely after hearing what I said. Steadily positioning its large frame towards me and swings both antennaes into my direction.

The insect suddenly breaks the silence by speaking to me. Its voice, no, it did not physically speak, but a high pitched scentense instantly resonates inside my head. This voice, or rather, the sound I received resembled a morse code, only now formed by words and not clicks.

"You know of my specie?"

'Holy sh*** it spoke!'

Feeling its message resonate throughout my brain almost makes me puke. It feels like someone just rattled all my organs back and forth as if my body was some cheap blender, and my flesh was fruit.

However, this amazing find truly exceeded all my expectations! My first time seeing an insect after coming to this world! I have to sound casual. Don't want this thing to run off or anything.

"Yeah, what's up?"

To my response, the giant worm withdraws part of its massive body back into the lake, allowing for a more humane distance between us to communicate.

Once more, the chippy voice of the creature make its way into my thoughts, but more tolerable this time.

"Why have you come here, Beastlord? Your home is rather far away, is it not? And where did you learn of my race?"

The centipede became much more visible with the illumination of the light, and two spiky mandibles came into view. However, they seem to have been retracted into the mouth, only showing up as two small horns.

'This thing really is a centipede..'

"Ended up here? Yeah, I got on the wrong plane. As for your race.."

When was the first time I saw such a creature again? No wait! I remember!

"There was this one time i took a sh***, and one of those fu... I mean, your bretheren paid me a visit. Yeah... What a tale actually!"

The centipiede begins to flick its long antennas back and forth after my answer registers, generating a small air current which wafted the sugary smell of the cavern into my sensetive nostrils.

'Damn, this place really does smell nice.'

"Anywas, now you answer some of my questions! Why are you here, and what is that orb?"

I looked at the insect while talking. Noticing that the long feelers would shake slightly every time I moved my mouth. Those things must be quite sensetive.

"My father, Kelen Innar, ordered me to guard this orb. It is known as the Pearl Of Chaos, and is one of the four stones of eden. It was created by the Spirit of chaos, Kindrel."

What was that just now? Ruin? Spirits? Chaos?! This is way better than any pizza I could have ordered!

However, my ecstatic thoughts get disrupted once again, as the chippy voice reemerges.

"Now, Beastlord. Can you tell me more about how you know the name of my specie?"

'This thing wants to exhange information? Sure, why not.'

"Just stumbled upon a couple of those guys some years ago. And yeah, found some information in one of my old biology books from school. Now, tell me more these orbs!"

The antennas of the beast twitch once more, and the voice enters my mind again. Does it know if I lie?

"They all possess different abilites. However, legend has it that if someone manages to bring all of them togheter, then something I'm unfamiliar with will happen. I do not know more than this."

'This thing really knows a lot of stuff. I wonder if there are any more insects in the other locations, or just some powerful monsters.'

"Is that so? Where did you learn of this then? Haven't you ever been interested in leaving this hole and bringing all the orbs together?"

"Father told me to stay. And no, I was tasked to keep watch. It also smells nice in here, and the lake water feels very pleasent.

The message sendt by the centipede has become much easier to handle, and my brain can now process it with ease.

"Yeah, it sure does. However, how about you hand that little glowing ball over to papa Michael and we will call it a day?"

As a sign of respect, I try to negotiate with this guy. I mean, who would kill such an innocent creature?

Too bad that thing never go that smoothly for me..

"I will not. But you may tell me more about my specie."

I give off a small sigh. Noy very content with thr answer i received.

"So you won't hand over that little pearl no matter what I do?"

The centipede then suddenly shoots out all it's spiky legs running down each side of its body while twitching both the antennas for the last time. Is it trying to give of a threatening appearance?

"Correct."

As the chippy voice disappears, I am only left alone with the thoughts of regret. Cursing at the turn of events, even though it was most likely destined to happen.

'Looks like my luck ran out....'

.

[Ability Activated]

[Mad King's Hammer]

.

And by willing it, I command all the power coursing through my veins. Ordering it to travel over to my right hand. Leaking out after hitting the end, and slowly molding itself into translucent blue flame. It violently flickers with intensity while clinging onto my bare uncovered fist and sharp claws. The fire holds an aura of peace and sorrow. I can feel the energy it gives off, it resembles that of an emotion, but which one?

However, as my mind wanders once more, the centipede slowly draws out more if it's body from the water, while also stretching out the previously contracted mandibles.

I seem to better understand the emotion my flame holds after eyeing down the beast. Yes, altough it is faint faint, I can recognize this.

It is the feeling of pity.

"Then you will have to excuse my lack of manners...!"

....

"Mrs Winter, I urge you, please let us go back!"

Winter and her company had kept following the trail of destruction Michael always left behind. And now, they had finally arrived in the location where he previously stood. The area which he had leveld with the earth.

Trees and vines were splintered all over the ground, and the dirt smell had mixed with the moist scent usually emitted from the plants. Greatly distorting the surrounding atmosphere. You would probably start to unconsciously cringe if you breathed too much in.

However, no matter how ruined this piece of land became, Winter kept her stubborn attitude. Not choosing to listen to neither Wilsen, the female knight, and especially not Bander.

Every step she took would cause some tree shards to splinter off into even more fragments. Scaring the already overworked team every time.

"No! We will conti..."

But this time, the female knight did not blindingly agree. For although she admired this young woman very much, she had to also consider the safety of the other ones accompanying them.

"Mrs Winter! This has already reached a level where we are unable to guarantee everyone's safety! Please, I beg of you, let us just return here after reinforcements have arrived!"

Hearing the desperate calls of the long time guard and friend plea, and also seeing the worried expressions on the face's of her two friends seemed to spark a fire of compassion within her heart. Swaying Winter to agree.

"Very well.... Let's go ba.."

However, before she could answer, Winter was once more interrupted. Not by another person, but by the shaking earth which rattled all the crushed trees against each other like and infinite pair of drums.

The unexpected quake caught everyone off guard, and even some of the knights fell to their knees. Uncertain about what was happening.

Bander, who was the first one to trip over, frantically yelled out in fear as the earthquake continued to grow in magnitude.

"W...WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

His hoarse voice was filled with tiredness and exhaustion, only holding onto his sanity with the help of the abruptly geneeated fear.

Winter looked out towards the distance where a hole was drilled into the ground. Highlighting an endless darkness which seeped its way out. Although she could not properly see how deep it was, no human could possibly dig such a thing out.

As she kept looking at it, while also feeling the powerful tremors shutter up her legs, realization dawned upon her mind.

"Whatever was here has caused the king of the region to move..!"

.....

*BOOMP

*BOOMP

*BOOMP

Deep underground, Michael was currently being hammered through several rows of stone pillars by the monstrous being.

The fight had immediately started after his provocation. However, as he called for the battle to begin, the centipede answered instantly by propelling the rest og its 20 meter long body out of the water, and slamming it against him.

The impact cut open part of his stomach and violently rocked him into the air. Even with the protection of his hide, the insect's natural born thorny armour proved much more robust. Flicking his body of into the distance like a flat rock bouncing over a body of water.

The centipede looked at the departing figure of Michael through its antennas. Wondering if the creature was killed by its sudden move.

"What a shame. I wanted to know more about my specie."

The antennas then lowered themselvs slightly. Indicating that the beast showed some sort of negative emotion.

"It has been long since someone last came here, but I cannot let father down. Even if I must wait another thousand years."

"For you are not the one he spoke of.. Not the one destined.."

The ancient beast then slithered its scaly body back towards the pond after rummaging through its thoughts. Letting the sharp legs tap against the floor like a set of piano strings. Planning on going back to sleep now that the threat had been dealt with.

However, just as the insect was about to reenter the lake, its two anntenas twitched once more as some weak signals began to hit against its body. Forcing it to spin around in order to properly register the sound.

It kept wringing them back and forth, but all it could receive were some blurry lines of text.

"HA....HAHA....HAHAHA!!!"

The centipede further turned around and stretched more of the body in the direction of the noise, aiming its entire head towards place where the signals were strongest.

Finally, it managed to fully pick it up. But why was it coming from the direction where he had sendt the beastlord?

"HAHAHA! WHAT A HIT!! DAMN FINE!!! DAMN FINE INDEED!!!"

The message fully sunk into the centipedes brain. However, right after it dissapated, a new noise called for it. No, not a noise. But a set of sounds resembling the one generated by grinding bones into each other.

Soon, the cracking ended. However, only long enough to allow a new set of words to follow up.

"NOW..."

"IT IS MY TURN!!"