Chapter 244: Enemy From Above

After Ned detected the dozen Kruthik, he almost gasped seeing a massive red obscuring image under his display.

His Detect skill converts mana and uses it to detect any lifeforms that surround Ned in a radius of 15 meters. Ahead of them, inside the right fork, was a massive lifeform. It was bigger than Sas Koron, perhaps it was almost half the size of her throne room.

Ned already knew that this was an ambush, and the only way was behind. But even if they could retreat, Ned was certain that the massive lifeform ahead of them wouldn't let them leave.

They were trapped. They didn't know it yet but Ned could abandon them. With his Overclock, he could escape, alone, with ease.

"Walls!" He cried instead.

All eyes turned to Ned. The giant beetle took its time to spin and face Ned.

"What human?" Said the captain of Katolin's team.

"Walls!" Ned bellowed. "They're hiding in the walls!"

Aside from Katolin, who gripped her spear even harder, all the beasts laughed—

And the walls that surround them cracked open along with sharp roaring and screeching.

Spikes so pointy that they flashed red against the torches the beasts were holding.

Regret was visible over their faces. They were surprised to see dozens of Kruthiks emerging from the cracked walls.

Yet, their inverted V formation remained intact. Katolin gripped her spear and thrust the spiky head of the Kruthik that was visible between the gaps over the shoulders of the male arachnes.

With each thrust, a Kruthik fell, dead.

Ned did almost nothing as he stood to be amazed by the Queen's army fighting prowess. Aside from the three males with a scrape over their shoulder, the rest were unharmed.

Then the voices came through from the right tunnel.

"Help."

"Let it go."

"Save me."

It was a mix of cry, wailing, and remorse.

The last of the Kruthiks fell under the spiky limb of the black beetle. Its rider, the team's captain nodded with appraisal as her team's number remained the same.

"Ned," Katolin whispered, wiping the dark-green liquid over her face, a blood of the Kruthik. "How did you know?"

Her eyes were twinkling with admiration.

Even the captain turned to Ned. Waiting for his reply. Instead, Ned raised a finger and lined it over his lips, and let out a hushed voice.

They went quiet once again. This time, they were attentive, they now believed Ned. Their inverted V formation tightened. Their eyes focused under the dimming light of the torches. Two of the female arachne, perhaps a lower rank than Katolin held the torches that lighted their path.

The black beetle was around six to eight feet high, and a spun of around ten to twelve feet. But Ned shook his head in defeat as the massive beast that was waiting for them at the right cave was bigger than the black beetle.

They should leave instead.

But no, the captain ordered the team to move forward, toward the right cave, where the wailing voices came.

"There was nothing there."

But beast were not humans. For beasts, they will save their kin no matter what. Even if it means danger.

So they carefully marched to enter the right tunnel.

For about ten minutes of careful steps. They reached the massive chamber of bones, iron spikes, and iron chains that were hanging against the walls. The chamber was massive, almost the size of a small town with an inhabitant of around 200 men. Some pillars support the chamber, the size of a regular person. Some parts of the walls were darkened with dried lavas. Specks of dust were falling like streams of falling water.

Ned used the Detect skill once again. And determined that the massive lifeform was almost the size of their team, even with the black beetle included.

"We need to leave." Ned started to break the uneasiness of the team. "Now. There's nothing here." Well, there was something, but they should leave instead.

To contradict Ned. The voices spoke again.

"Help."

"Save me."

"Help."

Instead of leaving, the team tightened their grip on their spears as how they tightened their formation.

The black beetle marched left and right in front of the team. Their captain was assessing their situation.

Ned couldn't determine the exact location of the massive lifeform that was staying still under his radar. To be exact, they were standing right above it. But Ned couldn't see a thing. Not even tiny limbs or heads. There was nothing.

Katolin knew something was not right. She looked at Ned, maybe to make herself better. She held the spear in a form that let her body looked tiny. She bent, Ned assessed that her formation focuses on her trying to escape just in case something went off. She was preparing.

Ned knew something was not right. But he couldn't let himself abandon them. No matter how stubborn they are.

"Unless," Ned said over his shoulder. Behind him was Katolin and the rest of the team.

"Unless what? Human Ned?" One of the male arachne responded to Ned.

Ned looked up.

"Spread!" He bellowed, seeing a massive beast attached to the ceiling.

It was Katolin who moved after Ned dashed away from the team.

In a panic, the rest of the team spread like ants avoiding a drop of water. They scattered.

Having been made out, the massive beast throws itself down to the team.

The gap from above down to the ground was almost 45 to 50 meters. But the massive beasts made it look like a narrow space with its massive body pouncing down the ground.

Most of the arachnes acted according to the situation. They spread as a massive shadow descends upon them.

Ned had reached the end of the chamber along with Katolin in a gap of seconds.

And since their captain rode a beetle, she was the first to die as the massive spike stabbed her from above skewing her down the beetle. She was supposed to be impaled by the spike. But since it was massive, the captain was split to two while the spike bore a hole behind the black beetle.

Entrails of green and black were mixed after the massive spike pulled away from the dead bodies of both the captain arachne and the black beetle.

It was a massive Kruthik. Its body, or scales, were like rocks, rough, and pointy. Every inch of its body were thorns and was two times bigger than Sas Koron. Eight of its limbs were spikes added with mandibles under its jaws that were also spiked in form. The only flesh on its body was the eyes in dark-brown, it jerked trying to look for its next meal. As if the four arachnes under its limbs were not enough. It moved like a crab with its eight spiky limbs. But its body was like that of a spider only hardened with scales like rocks.

"My Queen," Katolin gasped. She almost let go of the spear she held.

It wasn't surprising at all. Since under the massive Kruthik's jaws were heads of a different beast. Arachnes, goblins, gnolls, even Kruthik's head was attached under its jaws. One of them, was a human head, flesh rotting in green, pusses leaked under its eyes. The mouth of the heads twitched and let out agonizing voices.

"Help."

"Save me."

"Let it go."

"Help me."