Chapter 641: The Hunter Becomes The Hunted

Chapter 641: The Hunter Becomes The Hunted

641. The Hunter Becomes The Hunted

***

Asto was dead. It happened in an instant. He was a Captain of the Deathsquad Hunters— a Level 182 [Fiend]. He might not have been as high-leveled as Venas, but Asto had a powerful Grand Skill to make up for the level gap.

And yet, before he even had a chance to use his Grand Skill, he was killed. Ultis couldn’t believe her eyes. She didn’t even know what had happened. Something— a kind of creature she had never seen before— emerged from the ground beneath his feet and crushed him within its mandibles.

It disappeared into the ceiling, but it wasn’t gone. The mountain shook, and bits of dust and debris rained from above. Ultis simply stared at the gaping hole above as the rest of the gathered Deathsquad Hunters stared at Asto’s shredded corpse in shock.

“What the fuck just happened?”

Aliq managed to muster out as he took a step back. He turned to his twin, but Quid had nothing to say. Liquis looked towards the hole on the ground, whispering softly.

“I... I don’t understand. How did I not sense it? It just appeared out of nowhere...”

He stepped forward as he looked down into the hole. Ultis gritted her teeth, watching as he foolishly stood by the edge of the pit the creature emerged from, even as the cavern around them rumbled.

“Liquis, we need to move!”

She called out as she backed up towards the exit. Ocbu and Incol exchanged a glance, more amenable to what Ultis was saying now.

But Liquis ignored it. His brows just snapped together as he stared into the pit below.

“That monster... it didn’t come from beneath the ground. The hole doesn’t lead anywhere. Did it teleport in? That must be why I couldn’t sense it.”

He spoke quietly to himself, ignoring the impending danger of the shaking cavern. Even the twins turned to Ultis, unsure of what to do. She opened her mouth once more.

“Liquis—”

But it was too late. The side wall smashed open as the same monster from before emerged, its mandibles opened wide and aimed for their tracker. A powerful shockwave nearly knocked Ultis off her feet, however she had braced herself for it, so she caught herself.

She thought it was over for Liquis. But he had prepared himself for it. It was like he knew the attack was going to come. He started moving even before the monster broke through the rock, and he leapt out of the way just in time, barely dodging the attack.

The monster vanished into another side wall as he cursed, stumbling off his feet.

“Fuck! It is fast!”

Ultis rushed to his side and helped him up as she turned to Ocbu, Incol, and the twins.

“Everyone run! We need to get out of here!”

They didn’t argue. They nodded so fast, before sprinting down the tunnel. Ultis and Liquis were only a step behind the others. The tunnel trembled around them, threatening to collapse. But Incol raised a hand, using his earth magic to stabilize the cavern.

“Why are you guys so slow? We need to hurry!”

He called back as he ran at the front. However, instead of speeding up, Liquis slowed down. He shouted ahead as he grabbed Ultis, making her come to a halt.

“Not there! It’s going to—”

And the monster crashed into Incol from above. He screamed for a moment, but his voice vanished down alongside the monster as it continued to tunnel down. All around them, the tunnel began to collapse.

“That idiot.”

Liquis bit his lower lip as he ran forward, circling around the hole in the ground. Ultis followed after him as she used her scythe to slice apart the falling bits of debris. He turned to the twins and nodded at them.

“Clear the path.”

Aliq and Quid brought their hands together, before unleashing a red and blue blast out ahead. Ultis flinched from the attack— their combination casting letting them use spells that even Asto wouldn’t have been able to cast himself.

The group continued forward until they reached a fork in the tunnel. Liquis pointed at the left path as he called out.

Ultis was the last to go. She pursed her lips in hesitation as she gave Liquis a look of pity. But she shook her head and followed after the others.

“I’m sorry.”

He tried to give chase to her, but his legs burned off. He collapsed to the ground as he looked down at himself, his body slowly burning away and falling apart.

“No, I can’t die here. I can’t...”

He choked as Ultis turned and gave him one last glance. The gold and gray flames engulfed his body, and he gave out one last guttural scream. It echoed in the cavern as the tunnel shook. And he went silent, consumed by the undying fire.

Ultis gritted her teeth as she caught up to the others. They reached a large intersection of many tunnels. She recognized one of the paths as the exit of the mountain. But Ocbu, Aliq, and Quid were crouched over, just looking ahead.

“What are we doing?”

Ultis asked as she joined them. Ocbu raised a hand, and a gray aura overcame the remaining Deathsquad Hunters. Ultis immediately recognized it as one of Ocbu’s group camouflage spells.

“Do you hear that?”

Ocbu asked as she eyed the exit tunnel. She slowly inched forward as the other three trailed after her.

“I don’t hear anything.”

Ultis replied simply, before realizing what she said a moment later. Ocbu nodded as she clung to the wall, walking past a few tunnels that led further down.

“Exactly. The shaking stopped. That means the monster isn’t chasing us anymore. Which means that either the monster lost us...”

“Or it is lying in wait for us at the exit.”

Ultis said as her breath was caught in her throat. Ocbu nodded, stepping past another tunnel, her gaze focused entirely on the exit path.

“That is right. We do not want to walk straight into that monster’s trap, because clearly, it is intelligent.”

Ocbu continued to edge forward, but Ultis paused. A glinting golden light caught her eye, and she looked to the right. Her eyes went wide when she saw a figure hiding in the darkness of the tunnel right next to them.

“Ocbu...”

Ultis croaked. But Ocbu continued sneaking forward, speaking softly.

“We just have to find where this monster is hiding—”

And the monster shot out, grabbing Ocbu with its mandibles. She screamed as she was dragged back down into the tunnel with the monster. Ultis flinched as she heard the pained shouts of her dying teammate.

But Aliq and Quid moved, taking their chance to make a break for the exit.

“Stop standing there like an idiot— move!”

Quid screamed at her, and she broke out of her stupor. Ultis sprinted after them as the dying throes behind her faded away. They saw the red light of the Netherworld up ahead.

Aliq shook his head.

“We’ll be safe once we’re at the surface. Nonnu, Unis, and Vul are waiting up there. And that monster won’t be able to pick us off one by one.”

They were getting close to the exit now, and the twins seemed relieved. But Ultis didn’t share that confident sentiment. She glanced back one last time as she felt the quaking mountain, and she wondered if they were even safe from this monster when they escaped.

She didn’t know. Asto, Incol, Liquis, and Ocbu were already gone. Now, all Ultis could do was hope she survived.

Author's Notes:

What thonk?