Chapter 178 178. MERE SCRATCH

The grasshopper beast thrashed Aiden's figure multiple time more, but its attacks didn't manage to hurt him enough.

It released more of its acid like substance on his still unconscious figure, but nothing worked.

It eventually bit on his torso, lifted him up, and suddenly dashed towards a seemingly random direction.

Being a really agile beast allowed it traverse that forest will almost full ease, but its encounter with other beasts slowed it down.

It managed to Injure its opponents, but did nothing more, before continuing it travel.

A few hours eventually passed, and it arrived at a cave deep inside the forest. At this point only quietness could be heard, as being an artificially empty forest, nothing produced any sound.

​ At least that was valid until the grasshopper arrived. It landed a few meters from the cave with a powerful thud. Part of the ground around it featuring large cracks.

Each of its steps towards the cave sounded heavy, and a light eventually lit inside that large natural space.

A whistle escaped the caves insides, and the beast rubbed its wings withs its legs to generate a chirping sound.

A series of Inscriptions lit up on the caves empty entrance, and two figures quickly exited it.

Their cloaked figures moved towards the yellow beast, and their soft steps gave off an eerie vibe.

"Good girl," One of the two figures spoke, placing his left palm on the grasshoppers head, and her reaction spoke of her satisfaction.

The other person raised his hand and she dropped Aiden's body on him, before proceeding to sit beside the caves entrance.

Although it looked big enough for her entry she wasn't allowed into it.

"He's still alive!" the man who received Aiden's body exclaimed. The acid like substance had dried up at their point making it safe to come in contact with Aidens still skinless body. He also didn't bleed since the acid-like substance had cased his body with its properties upon drying, or rather solidifying.

The person who had commended the grasshopper gasped at his partners words, walking forward to Inspect that grotesque scene.

"He's still alive," he gasped, still in disbelief. Glancing over at his pet grasshopper; he frowned.

"Let's get him inside first," the other person eventually spoke.

The two still cloaked men carried Aiden into their cave, and the inscriptions shone again, before returning to their invisible state.

Inside the well lit cave five other figures could be seen sitting around a fire. So as not to get noticed by the outside world, they had to limit their use of magical items.

"She actually got someone else!," one of the three males exclaimained, his eyes mocking Aiden's figure.

"It's fascinating how many Individuals try to act cool in these events," one of the two female spoke; giggling at the end of her words.

"Well many are tired of their subpar lives, and are trying to gain valuable attention," another male spoke.

"Yeah, yeah. All I want to know is why he's still breathing," the owner of the grasshopper spoke, letting go of Aiden's body carelessly, so did his partner.

"Does it really matter. We were asked to bring them dead or alive after all," the other female present spoke.

"Delivering a living person for a ritual isn't a problem I want to face. He probably still has most of his powers," the owner snorted.

"Well just end him then....I do wonder why she hadn't. Maybe someone spotted her," the man that spoke upon the duo's entry suggested.

"Already on that," the other of the duo spoke, an axe suddenly appearing in his grip.

"Whoa, whoa! We are eating here! At least let us finish. I do not desire human flesh in my food," the last male present complained, his face filled with disgust as the imagination of his last words.

"But he might wake up," the individual wielding the axe spoke.

"In such a state? I doubt that," one of the females spoke. She had black hair while the other sported blue.

"He might even die before we need to butcher him up," she added taking a bite from her plate.

A sigh escaped the expert holding the axe, and it soon vanished from his hands.

"I guess you're right," he stated dragging Aiden's body to the egde of the cave, where two corpses could be seen. Both males.

The group of seven ate and conversed; mostly jokes. As they seemed to know each other to a moderate degree.

Their meals eventually ended, and by this point the sun had fully set. The darkness of the night seemed to engulf that area in even more darkness, as not a shred of moonlight penetrated the densely packed trees.

"It's time to move. We don't have much time. I'm sure the other's are already on their way to deliver their findings," the owner of the grasshopper spoke, his tone that of authority.

The man looked to be in his mid-thirties, had short blonde hair, tired looking features, and held power at the peak of the lower-stage of tier 3.

Actually, they all held power at the peak of the lower-stage, only tiny differences in powers existing amongst them.

"His he still alive?," the black haired woman enquired absent-mindedely.

"Ye...yes!" the axe owner exclamained, and his axe immediately appeared in his hand.

The others nodded at his action, and without hesitation he swung the axe down in one powerful move.

To their utter shock, the axe bounced off Aiden's exposed muscles, and the sound of metal striking metal resounded in the cave, echoing in their perplexed ears.

Silence reigned in their midst as they tried to process what just happened, until it eventually dawned on them.

"Uh...." The axe holder muttered In a daze, and his axe suddenly struck Aiden's chest again.

A clanging sound echoed in the cave, and he couldn't help but glance at his colleagues to see their expressions.

"Aren't you doing it well?..." The blue haired lady complained, trying to deny the reality of what she just witnessed.

"I definitely am....." The axe wielder muttered, then his axe lit up with multiple green inscriptions, as the weapon suddenly gave off an aura of its own. Its metallic material began to radiate power at the bottom of the lower-stage of tier 3.

That heavy weapon soon arrived on Aiden's chest with a powerful bang.

An explosion resounded immediately the empowered axe touched Aiden's exposed muscles, and immense shock filled their minds when they saw that the axes' tip and barely pierced him. The effect of that attack being a mere scratch!

The axe wielder delivered two more attacks, the next contained more power than the last, but the results were only slightly better.

"What the fuck!" The axe wielder exclamained taking a few steps back. His eyes remained wide open in utter disbelief, and his colleagues faces featured the exact same expressions.

They had felt the power in those attacks, and confirmed that they were something even they would have to cast defensive spells to block.

But they had merely scratched the unconscious figure before them.

"Let me try," the owner of the grasshopper announced moving forward, and a silver sword quickly appeared in his left hand, flames instantly bursting out of its tier 3 material.

Soon the caves insides experienced a sharp increase in temperature, and he soon executed a slash with what looked like all the power his body could muster.

His colleagues shot out of the room at that sight, and the entire cave trembled violently when the slash arrived on Aiden's body.

Orange flames exploded out of the caves opening and its entire structure saw large cracks spread on it, threatening to bring the whole place down, but fortunately didn't.

The others quickly rushed back in after a few seconds to witness the effects of the attack, and their hearts inevitably skipped a few beats at the sight that lay before them.

A red mark stretched from Aiden's chest down to his waist, and it only bled superficially.

Their shock couldn't be expressed with words.

"What sort of monster have we gotten our hands on?" The fire mage grimaced. His brown eyes flickering with complex emotions, fear being one of them.