Chapter 145: Beast's Settlement II

Ned rose, short-sword lightly inclined toward Sasani.

Her eyes trembled to see Ned with a great lax in his part. Nothingness filled his eyes.

The parasitic beasts leeching on his back throbbing like a drum. It couldn't think, but the way it pulsated seemed to be excited. It feasted on Ned's blood.

[Ned.]

[Notice: unknown organism detected.]

ICE chorused with the notification. A notice, not a warning.

[Eradicating unknown organism.]

No. Ned responded by canceling his system. "Wait," he muttered.

For a moment, Ned lost control of his body. Now, with the help of his system, he could stop the blood-sucking parasite. This was his chance, he needs to learn something from their conversation.

Before, it pricked like needles. He could feel his blood being sucked. Then, it was gone. Followed by an itch. Now, with the parasite attached behind him, he could understand the languages of the beasts encircling them. Someone or something is controlling the parasites. Ned remained, fooling the beasts that he may be one of them. It could be the beasts with cylindrical glasses attached to his neck or the Shoon. But, why would they come out? Ned thought. His eyes sweep left and right with minimal effort.

There were more than a hundred of them. Ned thought counting. While the two, that seemed to lead the group of beasts, seemed happy (although bast face, Ned could sense satisfaction in their voices. But the old goblin stood unfazed of the scene.

"Indeed," it was the purple beasts, a Shoon. Must be its tentacles that its voice seemed to be muffled. Answering the caterpillar-like beasts. They stood side by side.

"Look at, humans-humans," the caterpillar-like beasts said. Its foot like pincers under its belly crawled like a crab. The murky green-liquid bubbled along with the head of a human—a little older than Ned, short hair and eyes wide open like his mouth (as if he died with utter shock). "They populating this world, Queen Sas Koron was right—always... right. Humans are a must to exterminate."

As the caterpillar moved by wiggling its body, the head inside the glass spun. Giving an illusion that his eyes were looking at the surrounding.

"Ned," Sasani whispered. It was dark, she looked shadowed. Aside from the pin that shone on her shoulder against her black leather dress. The rest were dark. But her eyes show uneasiness. She trembled as Ned pointed his sword right into her forehead.

Rickart poured all the vials left. He was gone, his will to live faded away. He knelt on two, swaying back and forth. Sidric, their party leader, stood behind him. Between them was the bastard sword, gleaming orange with light from the bonfire.

The rest of the beasts grinned. It seemed that only the intelligent one Ned could understand. The old goblin remained quiet while the two argued who could please their queen.

[It seemed that a surge of energy was pulsating around us.]

[One of them was controlling the parasitic beasts.]

[How are you, Ned?]

I felt fine, but I need to act the part. The connection wasn't severed, but the parasite lost its control over me. Ned thought, he remained listening around him.

Yet, the parasite was still sucking Ned's blood. For a moment, Ned could feel that it was getting heavy behind him. His leather clothing, where it stuck behind Ned, was torn apart enough for it to linger behind him. At first, it was a foot length, now its gaining length.

"Nook lith zlap," the old goblin said. Like a human, a line of wrinkle run above its forehead. Green but paling skin, grey fur with a streak of remaining brown grew like a bush behind its nape until its waist. War-ax held on its massive fingers. Aside from its common counterpart, the old goblin wore much cleaner loin cloth. Boots with fur, more like a hide-covered its feet.

For Sasani, the old goblin said 'Nook lith zlap'. But for Ned it was clear. Like he learned their language since he was young, Ned heard what the old goblin had said 'Enough with the play'. To Ned, it might be a cue. But to the rest of the beasts, it was more a command. Aside from the rest, it seemed that the old goblin was the only one who could speak with straight beast language.

Ending their talk, the two smirked. Like they were halted from their play. Two of the purple tentacles wiggled; slow and rough. The caterpillar beast growled; bubbles boiled inside the cylindrical glasses.

"What we're doing is knowing, Gogmurch," the caterpillar said. It crawled closer to the settlement, gesturing the two swamp goblin to do something about the wooden fence.

"Moloatiss and Khiccaal never let Queen down," the Shoon said. Voice crackled. He spoke with himself in third person.

Ned relaxed his shoulder. According to the energy or signal that went through the parasite. Humans must remain alive; for the moment.

Ned heard a rustled behind him. The swamp goblins yanked to break the fences. Letting Moloatiss the caterpillar beasts passed through.

Its human eye, left side was that of a woman eye with long lashes while the other one was that of an old man with wrinkles running below the skin. The brown and black pupil of the eye gazed at Ned. Its mouth smiled, it stretched for almost two-feet wide at Ned.

Sasani gawked at the caterpillar beast passing behind Ned and stopping across the dead Keesha and the kneeling Rickart.

It was also at this moment that Sasani noticed the smashed Keesha. She raised her hand, covering her trembling lips, shaking her head at the same.

Moloatiss was trailed along by Khiccaal the purple Shoon. This was the first time Ned had seen an actual Shoon. According to his Master, Shoons were highly secluded; dark and wet was their favored place. But highly vulnerable to fire. It was shown since it stopped farther away from the snapping bonfire.

While Gogmurch remained outside the settlement together with the throng of different beasts. The old goblin was a massive, jagged tooth inside its jaw.

"Fire of course," said Moloatiss. Turning its whole body as it talked to the purple Shoon.

Even at a distance, Khiccaal's thin purplish skin almost dried in an instant. It hissed, tentacles twitched.

Ned spun around, facing the party. Sasani breathes a long and deep breath. She was relieved.

Rickart's eye stopped tearing. But his nose turned red along with a slimy and clear liquid flowing without a stop. Still swaying back and forth but was accompanied by a soft cry: "Keesha; I'm sorry. Keesha; I'm sorry. "

Khiccaal raised its hand, its finger pointed at Rickart. It stretched and with a flash, its finger blurred shooting at Rickart. Piercing his side.

Rickart cried. Looked up, gazing to who have caused him pain. He looked at Khiccaal, he stopped crying, then went back to the dead Keesha. He then swayed back and forth, again, as if nothing had happened to his side. Although, blood muddled with red leaking on his side. He doesn't care.

"This human lost it," Khiccaal said. Retracting its finger off Rickart's side. "So?" Its voice was directed to the caterpillar.

"Weak, indeed. Weak, indeed," Moloatiss hissed. Its body composed of rotten meat, and limbs quivered in excitement. Six of the human arms moved randomly: one of them clenched a finger, the three gestured high and low and the rest remained to finger the air. "Queen Sas Koron is always right. She knew how humans think."

"Not always," it was Gogmurch. The old goblin was fast. The two beasts spooked as it speaks behind them. Since when did he move? Ned thought after seeing a massive blur. "How about the lone man? That human has been an annoyance for a long time."

"Ah, the deserter," Moloatiss reacted to the sneaking old goblin. "Soon, enough, the human be caught. It can't hide forever."

"Finish it now," Gogmurch demanded. He turned around after throwing a gaze at Sirdric. Its eyes were like a challenge. Its war-ax was massive, almost as big as Ned's thighs.

Ned frowned, hearing their conversation. A human inside the forest, a hunter perhaps. It could be—

"Finish them, humans," Moloatiss commanded. The glasses attached on its neck bubbled and gargled.

The parasite behind Ned wiggled. Forcing the command directly inside Ned's thought. It won't work though. The parasite's existence was nothing but a meager beacon for commanding. Which Ned has sabotaged without the commander knowing it.

With the help of ICE, Ned made the parasite's mana to flow in a different manner, but still being recognized as normal. All this with the help of his blood. The parasite enjoyed it. The abundant mana on his blood, the taste of sweetness, and fulfillment. The parasite wiggled with joy.

Sidric pulled the bastard sword, gripped it both of his hand, and aligned it to the path where Rickart's neck was destined. He swung it wide, making sure that in one slash he would take rouge's ife.

Ned couldn't see their faces,. But with their humming, he knew they were happy to see Rickart die.

With a long breath, and wide angle. Sidric let go of his strength. With a swoosh like an arrow, he swung the sword—

"Wait!"