"Hm..."
A light flashed across the air; momentarily washing out the stony ground in white, as well as the faces of the people who were lying 18 feet below ground.
18 feet, because anything deeper than the size of the hole he dug would turn the hole into a Dig. A bit confusing, but that is just how things work in the Underworld — there was a certain volume of depth in which the gravity would start to shift completely.
Another flash of light snapped in the air as Rhys took another photo of the corpses of the Venom Brawlers; proof that he had completed his mission.
Elize, who was the last one to die by his hands, just had a single hole on her forehead, with the fear of expression still lingering on her lifeless face; perhaps a testament to how quickly Rhys killed her, as he promised.
"..." Rhys then glanced at Elize's belly, which was only starting to swell. And with a small but very deep sigh, he raised his hand and closed his fist. And as soon as he did so, all the rocks and boulders that were attached to the threads that were actually protruding from the tips of his fingers all fell down to the hole, completely covering the Venom Brawlers' corpses.
He stared at the Venom Brawlers' burial site for a few seconds, before letting out another deep sigh and walking toward their truck.
He then grabbed something from his utility belt — a red armband and a cap with the insignia of the Underworld Corps; wearing them as he entered the truck.
He took one final glance at the burial site he made, before just tilting his cap and driving away. And as always the case, the drive back to the base was uneventful. There was no need to even worry about gas, as the truck was powered by the helios' rays.
Rhys had noticed this before, but there was not really an onslaught of monsters in the Underworld... because most of them were already digging toward the Surface somewhere.
Rhys already considered himself busy with his duty in the Underworld Corps, he couldn't truly imagine how much more load Explorers have, as they pretty much do everything they do, plus everything else.
Perhaps the only advantage of being an Explorer was the sense of freedom that came with it — Rhys needed that.
And he had already done what he had set here to accomplish...
...it was time to go back to the Surface.
***
"Sergeant Rhys Wilder."
"Sir!" Rhys sat straight up as General Banner addressed him directly. He was even more confused now, as he remembered the General being brash—almost an older version of Ayesha.
"I know this may be hard for you, but I want you to recall the events that happened on the day your first platoon was wiped out. Start with the date, and if you can remember the time."
And as soon as Rhys heard the General's words, the faces of all his comrades that have died throughout his service flashed through his mind. His face, however, remained completely stoic as he looked the General in the eyes.
"The date was..."
And as Rhys started recounting the scenario as it happened, he was careful not to divulge information that would lead to them knowing too much about him... and his other abilities.
But as soon as he was done telling them the events, one of the General's associates took out some sort of tape recorder, adjusting her glasses as she did so. Rhys wasn't really surprised as it would be even more weird if they weren't recording the conversation. But instead, however, they played something for him.
His own voice.
[Please... Arachnea... you want me, right? You want to eat me!]
[...go. Let them go, please!]
[I can save all of you. I... I can talk to it!]
And as Rhys heard his own voice, as well as the voices of his departed friends; the stoic expression on his face very slowly faded away. And as he closed his eyes, the General's associates quickly removed the tape and once again adjusted her glasses.
"I apologize that you have to hear that again, Sergeant Wilder," General Banner let out a small sigh as he looked at Rhys and Ayesha,
"We recovered it from the jeep's internal DVR. Whatever remains of it, that is. But I know it is just not me, but...
...It seems like you and the God of Spiders have a connection to each other?"