Chapter 208: Join Us

Ned walked with his vision blurring. His path stopped as the broken Butterfly clanked underneath his feet.

Baso stood beside him, confused about what to do. Was Ned an enemy, or their employer? Was he even Ned? Or the kid enveloped with black energy.

Ned's shoulders were flaming with black energy. His face obscured of black mist, his limbs throbbing with dark energy. Yet, his mind steeled. He reached for the broken Butterfly and brandished it midair. He hesitated for a moment, but he knew, his consciousness was fading once more.

"Am I that precious to you?" He started, eyeing the tip of the broken Butterfly. "This sword," he said, "killed you once, and once more you will die."

'What are you doing?'

Ned rotated the sword so that the tip be pointing toward him. At first, he aimed for his throat. But he wanted it to be quick. "With you inside me, I am an abomination. What good am I if hurt the people around me? Not again; not anymore." Ned then pushed his hands to stab himself with the sword. Yet a smile was—

'Wait! Wait!' Rassus cried. The black energy and tail scrambled like a kid seeing a ghost. But he was too late.

The sword was half an inch inside Ned's chest, a little more push and Ned's heart would tear. Blood leaked from Ned's mouth.

"Ned!" Baso cried, and dashed toward N—

Ned raised his hand to form a barrier between him and Baso. "Stay back, kid," he said, another blood bubbled his mouth. "Tell them my quest has ended."

Ned then pushed the broken Butterfly, going even further his chest. Ned then fell on his knees, some threads of black energy evaporated. His consciousness was fading, but not because Rassus was controlling him, but because his life was losing.

'Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Rassus yelled inside Ned's fading thought.

Startled, Baso fell on his butt, short-sword he let go, and feet scraping of anything under him. "No, no, no," he muttered. In shock, he spun around, crawled, and stood, and ran toward the darkened area of the forest, leaving Ned, and the bound Moloatiss.

Moloatiss's eyes were wide in shock, he was a beast of unknown origin, yet his eyes—eyes filled with sadness as he looked at Ned. "Human," he said. He said in the most understandable, human-tongue words. He lowered his head, shaking trying to brush any thoughts he has for Ned.

With Baso leaving, the black energy behind Ned that was acting as a tail tried to pull the broken Butterfly out his chest.

'Idiot!' Rassus cried as he tried to control the tail. 'Idiot! Idiot! Trying to kill yourself. What's with all the Master, the Mark, the quest, if only you tried to kill yourself. You are an idiot. You die, I die!'

"Then I am happy to die," Ned muttered, coldness ran his hands. His chin touching his chest.

"You're an idiot if you think dying is the answer,' Rassus remarking at Ned. 'Go on with your quest. Someday, you'll be needing me. And when that time comes, you will embrace the power I'll be giving you. For now, I'll leave you with this. The last of my mana.'

Rassus voice echoed and disappeared with Ned's head now clearing. The cold he felt, the pain of the stab he recognized. Then the black energy coiled around Ned's waist, up to his neck, and connected with the stab on his chest. Slowly, his wound was healing as the black energy kept on sipping his wound.

"No," Ned whispered. "Let me be."

'No, Ned,' Rassus said, before completely fading. 'You're not enough to take this world by yourself. You will live. Someday, I'll be needing you. Oh—and surely you'll be needing me. Greed attached me to you. Now I know, why. My purpose is your purpose. We're destined to take the Worlds. Stay alive. Devour, and evolve. That is your purpose. Ah!—I am at least able to savor this moment. Also, be careful with the bitch. She's not what you think she is.'

Rassus's voice ended with a laugh that able to shake a mountain. As his voice rang, ICE's voice cut in between.

[Ned!]

She cried.

[Ned. What have you done?]

"ICE?" Ned whispered. The last of the black energy sipped inside his wound and healed the stab.

Rassus's words rang. 'Be careful with the bitch, she's not what you think she is.'

The broken Butterfly laid beside him, and the last of Rassus energy dissipated like a mist.

Ned took a long breath, the longest he had since training in the Grieving Woods when he was thirteen—with no memory of who he was—trying to run around the woods for three hours. While Master Will sat atop a boulder trying to control himself to not take the booze displayed in front of him.

This thought made Ned's lips formed a tiny arc. "Master," He whispered. "I am fine ICE—for now. Where were you?"

[I lost connection.]

ICE chimed, her voice was now soft.

[After your display shut off. Something inside my system block my connection in you.]

Rassus, Ned thought. I'll have a lot to think about... but for now.

Ned turned his head, there, Moloatiss remained defeated. Blood leaked around the surfaces of his body as the magical rope tightened.

"I heard you say our tongue," Ned said. He grabbed the Butterfly and with a flick and a thought, he recalled it back to his spatial inventory. "Tell me, have you seen a Hunter old enough to venture alone, something he burns along the way?"

Ned's eyes rested to where the fourth settlement was. His team might be coming—no, they sure to come. He needed to wait for them.

But it seemed that Moloatiss had an idea of his own.

"I am once a miner," Moloatiss said. Body pulsating of soft muscles. "A miner trying to make ends meet. To feed my wife, my daughter, and my son."

"You're human," Ned said, hand clutching the wound on his side. It seemed that Rassus's energy wasn't enough to heal both of his wounds.

"Was, once a human," Moloatiss said, he shrieked as the rope tightened with his speaking. "Until they—by they it means you—by you it means human. Your kind, Ned. Your kind killed my family. My family was killed between the wars of humans. Just because the son of my lord killed another noble. They fought. Until none of them left. Until none of us left. Du'kki wasn't like this before."

"What was it before?"

"Nothing, there is nothing here," Moloatiss replied. "Until one human found something of importance inside the mountain. Humans then invaded the mountain, trying to mine stones." Moloatiss laughed. "Greed creates destiny. And it was destiny that I am brought to my Queen. My Queen, doesn't choose one after the other, be it humans or beast—she chooses the same. She loved us. After my family died, Kon Sas Koron awakened by the war, and there, she gave us chance to live another life. Dying humans were given another life. For me, my life is vengeance."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You're looking for a hunter," Moloatiss said. "I know a lot of hunters—or once a hunter. Follow me, you might find the man you're looking for."

"Too easy," Ned said as he eyed the beast with concern. "What do you want?"

"Join us," Moloatiss said. "With Kon Sas Koron, you'll have what you wanted. In return, be loyal to us."

"No," Ned said. He paused, eyes lingered back to his team's position, and went back to the beast. "But I need an answer. And I'm giving you chance to change my mind. What's in it on me if I join?"

"First, you'll be transformed into a beast," Moloatiss lectured. "But it seemed that you don't need it. The dark energy before—it wasn't human, wasn't beast either. It was more. Queen Sas Koron will be pleased meeting you."

Ned paused as he thought things through. This is it, he thought. Roy lost in the forest of Du'kki before. He might be there, transformed into a beast.

"I will follow," Ned said, "and decide if it's worth my time."

[Ned, are sure about this?]

Ned nodded, he doesn't need to answer her for a moment. Moloatiss might get wary.

"That's not how it works, Ned," Moloatiss said. "It's either you join now, or never."

"If I join now?" Ned asked. "How?"

Moloatiss's body shook, and his mouth opens wide and spilled out a Core the size of Ned's fist, with an unrecognizable pattern of dimples, and holes. The Core was alive as it beat on the ground. "Eat it," he said.

"I thought I don't need it?" Ned said.

"Yes," Moloatiss replied. "I'm just making sure."

Ned's hand slipped as he tried to grab the Core. Holding the Core, Ned felt its slimy surface, the Core was also exuding heat that increases as Ned tried to hold it longer.

[Ned!]

ICE warned, and Ned threw the Core back to Moloatiss. Light shone between the cracks of the Core and exploded.

Ned brushed off the pain from his wound as he flipped backward to avoid the explosion.

The explosion was quick, made only for someone trying to escape.

Moloatiss did escape after the light dimmed. The ropes melted as if an acid washed it over.

Ned caught a figure with limbs like a spider climbing between trees after the other.

Ned followed Moloatiss, his speed was average with his wound he tried accomodating.

Moloatiss stopped in the center of the burning fifth settlement. Ned hopped and brushed a limb under his black boots. He stood with Moloatiss in front of him.

Ned could force himself to use Overclock once more to capture the beast. He was waiting for Moloatiss next move.

"I am not an idiot, Ned," Moloatiss said. "I trusted human once, and never again."

"I just needed to know a man named Roy," Ned said and saw Moloatiss's eyes widened in shock. "You knew! You knew Roy!"

Moloatiss shook his head, the remaining cylindrical glass bubbled with air, the other one leaked of green liquid. "Join us, and I'll tell you."

"Shit!" Ned cried. ICE Overclock.

[But Ned, you had enough.]

"Just do it!" Ned yelled and his skin turned reddish hot and steaming. He then dashed toward Moloatiss. But, ICE was right, Ned had enough. His movements were sluggish and slow, and Moloatiss took advantage of this.

Moloatiss spilled out another Core. This time bigger, and worse, so it seemed as it throbs and exploded.

The air roared, and the ground shook. After which, the ground cracked open.

Ned and Moloatiss fell underground as the crack widened.

Before Ned was swallowed by the depths of the hole, he heard Sasani's voice, calling for his name.