Chapter 262: The Rush

She was desperate. The mother of all these creeping armies ordered her minions.

Whoever the ruler of this old civilization might have a passage where he led his people to safety. Unless they sacrificed themselves to seal S'vokalt.

To think that her powers could penetrate Katolin's mind. Now, Ned wondered what would happen if she was set to be free. Their underground mishaps led them to discover her, but she shouldn't leave this place.

Katolin woke up just in time for the army's approach.

Behind them was S'vokalt rampaging. But no matter how she struggles, the chains were keeping her leashed. The more she struggles the intense the light from the chain were shining. Ned felt the waves of energy rippling the air.

Ned brandished his sword. While Katolin ready herself by transforming to her beast form, but this time, it took her double the time of her usual transformation.

"What happened to me?"

She asked after the last of her body was covered with her scale. The limbs behind her back sprouted and waited for her commands.

"I'll tell you later."

Ned replied over his shoulder.

That is if we survived this, Ned thought. Then his eyes caught lights above the ruined castle. One of the spires was radiating light.

"There!" Ned said pointing at the tower to their right. "We should be able to get there."

Then the ground trembled with S'vokalt trying to reach Katolin once again.

Ned circled Katolin and blocked the tentacles that were supposed to control her. Two of her tentacles were cut out half but this does not bother the Mother. Instead, she sends more of her tentacles but only to be charred to black with Ned's Fireball.

Ned whizzed, he was at his limit. No matter how he trained, there will always be someone stronger than him. But this thought doesn't hinder Ned's decisions. If he's weak, then train more. Until the word, weak would not bother him any longer.

Ned spun and tagged Katolin by the hand and climb the stairs to their left that will lead them to the remaining standing tower.

But it won't be easy. After leaving the crater, S'vokalt screamed that even the walls of the ruined castle shuddered and the army of Kruthiks trailed them behind.

Annoyed, perhaps desperate, S'vokalt ordered some of her minions to break the chains that were keeping her locked inside the crater.

But as soon as the Kruthiks laid their spikes to the chains, they turned to powder. Without wind, the remains of the smaller Kruthiks fell to the bottom of the crate. This even enraged S'vokalt more. Four of her eyes turned cracking red with lightning sparkles around them. Then came two more Evolved Kruthiks under her belly.

Darkness looms under S'vokalt's massive body. But the crater that housed her was also massive as though it was made specifically for her. Ned had a vague idea as to how she could command and reproduce even though she was being leashed. She said she lived for a thousand years, but it could be longer than a thousand. Perhaps two thousand, that must be the reason why the chains were weakened and let her reproduce.

One of the Evolved Kruthik chased Ned, killing the smaller ones under its feet. Then the other Evolved Kruthik started to stab its spikes at their Mother's limbs.

Ned slashed the Kruthik that approached them from above. It fell with its head cut to half.

Due to their number, the Kruthiks were having a hard time trailing the two of them since the path going to the top of the castle was narrow that only two to three-person could fit.

This path must be once a hallway for servants since it was narrow and the floor was not meticulously built with expensive tiles or perhaps this was how it was built—plain-looking.

To their left, below the edge, was S'vokalt with her eyes looking upward at Ned. She was grumbling something with her deformed mouth and thousands of tiny teeth.

Bigger and faster, the new Evolved Kruthik were trailing them behind. As they escape this beast, the two turned to a broken hallway. This hallway once belonged to some nobles but infested with this beast the hallway was now looking like a tunnel with cracks like scars on the wall.

The roof of the hallway was covered with slate and holes where Kruthiks were visible. Spikes thrust through the holes which force Ned to slightly duck but also gave him the advantage to freely cut this spike without the Kruthik retaliating.

With the narrow hallway, Katolin had to call off her limbs and followed Ned with her spell on the ready.

Death approaching from behind with the Evolved Kruthik rampaging and destroying everything on its path. Above were the smaller ones trying to take a piece of both Ned and Katolin.

Under his display in red, Ned counted that it would take them a couple of minutes to reach the room that will lead them to the tower.

A scream resounded behind Ned. He spun only to see that Katolin was caught by Evolved Kruthik. Its spikes pinning her against the wall.

Ned dashed and approached the beast while he brandished his sword, he then cut the spike just in time before it stabs Katolin.

Ned had to use Overclock to battle this bigger beast. His body steamed and he vanished from his spot and appeared under the beast's jaw. From there, he stabbed its jaw upward, gaining a scream that made the beast back off, successfully freeing Katolin.

"I'm near my limit, Ned."

Katolin had to force herself to speak while she was kneeling behind Ned.

Her constant use of her spells bore fatigue to her body.

The massive beast shook its head and charges toward Ned.

Behind them, the holes above cracked and shattered as the smaller one's forces their way inside the hallway. The beast kept on falling to the hallway. But Kruthiks that balanced themselves charges to Katolin.

Ned vanished from his spot. He was unseen in both Katolin and the Evolved Kruthik's eyes. Traces of fumes and smoke were visible upon Ned's wake. He threw Fireballs upon Fireballs while on Overclock, strengthening the spell even further.

Ned was fighting a monster he shouldn't have. They were a monster worth hunting since its grade might sit between D and C or. While the bigger one might be graded B. These were monsters worth thousands of gold coins.

But all Ned was doing was slowing it.

Katolin uses her mana to reinforce her body while she conjures both fire and lightning spells, all these while she fought the smaller ones.

Too much firepower tore one of the limbs of the Evolved Kruthik, enraging it even further. Its eyes turned red while the scales of its body were greatly enhanced. Its spikes extended even further. Its Core was throbbing red.

Ned appeared behind, panting.

"What now, Ned?"