"Did you...just kill two of those things?"
Obviously, such a feat would attract the interest of anybody.
But then, the presence they felt next took their minds off it, followed by a deafening shrill that shook the whole nest and shook the spines of every single person there.
The shrill sounded malicious. Like it had been greatly offended.
Albert looked toward that direction. He too could feel just how powerful it was.
He clenched his fists, withstanding the pressure from it, wherever it was.
And after a few more seconds, it stopped and its presence disappeared.
"That must be it" Albert said. He didn't quiver like the rest did, but he could very much tell this creature would be strong.
And he would soon face it.
However, Icard had decided not to join them. He might have looked quite impressive to them but he was out of mana.
Going to fight the Chieftain would just be suicidal.
"What are you going to do, Albert?" Gremit asked.
"I would like to recover my energy as much as possible" Albert said. "But I can't tell if we have such luxury"
Gremit, reasonably larger than what a porcupine should be, sat there.
'He's not going to help?' Icard thought in his mind. 'I'm sure he lent Albert a hand last time, because there's no way he could have survived this chamber and faced the chieftain'.
Albert looked back at Icard stoically.
"You're quite capable, young man" he said. "Can you continue?"
Icard chuckled briefly.
"Nahh. I'm not...I can't" Icard replied. "I'm totally out of energy" he explained carefully.
"I see" Albert said. "So this much feat did consume all your strength"
Then Albert turned to leave.
"Even so, you were very impressive. We should meet again when we make it out"
he said before walking away toward his men.
In his first turn, he eventually met with Albert but that was still a long time from now.
Luna hadn't been carried off yet.
She actually refused to go, asking for more time to rest.
They had bandaged her wound already while she breathed raggedly.
"I can...still continue" she said, then forced herself up despite being told not to push it.
"No you can't, Luna" Albert said somberly.
"Staying here is even more dangerous for you" Gremit said, agreeing with Albert. "We can't tell if the chieftain will come out to meet us"
Luna quietened but her resolve was still there.
[Icard]
His eyes widened then. His mind had just drifted from Alyxara.
"Where were you..." he said aloud, then stopped abruptly.
'Were you just ignoring me?'
[Noooooo. I Was...Somewhere Else]
Icard's eyes narrowed.
'Somewhere else. So you can leave the Frost Tower too, huh'
[Nooot Really. I Just... Wasn't Paying Attention. Hehe]
Icard sighed.
'I need to exchange my AP for mana. Is it possible?'
[Hmmmmmm. If It Were Possible, You Would Have Known Before Now, Icard. After All, You Completed The Frost Tower]
'Just tell me if it's possible or not'
[Hmmmmmm. Maybeeeeee. Or Maybe Not.
Icard exhaled deeply. He had to be patient with her.
'I'm inside a yellow gate right now but I don't have enough mana to beat the chieftain. At this rate, I'll end up not being able to fight'
[
'Can you help or not, Alyxara?'
[It Depends]
'On what?'
[You]
Icard narrowed his eyes again.
'What do you mean?'
[If You Will Do Something For Me, I Will Help You]
Icard's mind raced.
'What could she possibly want me to do?' he thought subconsciously.
[It's Actually Simple]
'What is it?' Icard asked, sweat gathering on his face as he knew she was definitely up to no good.
[Come Stay With Me]
"Ehh?"
Icard nearly blanked out when he read that.
'Stay with her?'
[Yes. Just Spend A Little Time With Me. It's Lonely Here
Icard read it and blew up.
'Hell nah! There's no way I'm walking into your trap! I'll just go home!'
"Tch" he clicked his tongue in annoyance then covered his face with his right hand, frustrated at this weird deal.
"She's definitely planning something. Damn it, what should I do now?..."
Just then, another shrill reverberated throughout the whole hive, interrupting Icard's lone thoughts. A shrill that rooted everyone where they stood.
Next, the place began to quake and from that same direction, Icard could sense that presence again.
It was moving!
'Is it coming?! It didn't come here last time!' Icard thought in tension, expecting the chieftain to appear any moment now but then, it never came.
After a few more seconds, it stopped again.
'It's not coming?' he thought, visibly relieved but still on guard.
Behind him were those who had just finished with the spawn ambushers.
Most of them were already too worn out to continue. Some were too injured and barely managed not to die.
After sensing all that, they remained where they were, unable to come down the slope into the chamber.
"What the hell was that?" someone muttered, taking a few steps back.
Albert felt the intense pressure but he wouldn't waver.
And Icard...
Last time, he remained just where those people were. He could understand them well enough to know that they realized whatever that thing was, they were no match for it.
And now, it was almost the same thing. He wouldn't get to see the chieftain, unless he agrees to Alyxara's wish - to stay with her, whatever it entailed.
Icard then watched Albert who stood facing the entrance that would take them to the chieftain.
After exchanging a few words with Gremit, he breathed in and out deeply.
"Let me come along" Luna asked longingly again but Albert didn't answer her this time.
"You'll die at this rate, Luna. Albert and I will take care of this. I'm already getting sick of this place" Gremit answered instead.
Icard walked toward them. If he could follow them, he would.
At this point, he really just wanted to see and kill the chieftain if possible. All he had to do was give in to Alyxara, which he was just too hesitant to do.
He followed them far behind, and when Gremit noticed Icard coming along, he said nothing and just kept moving.
Steadily they walked in through that entrance. The green substances were all over the walls of this tunnel as well, lighting up their path.
They walked for about two minutes and then came across a barrier this time.
Albert stopped first, studying the black membraneous covering before them before Icard caught up with them.
Albert looked at him sedately.
"I'm sure you know something dangerous lies beyond here" he said. "You should know you need energy to fight it"
"Well, maybe I have something up my sleeves" Icard replied with a faint smirk.
"You'll die if you don't have the energy, young man. I won't try to protect you, whatever your reason for coming may be" Albert said, looking at Icard from the corner of his eye.
"The same goes for you" Icard answered with a tense smile.
Obviously they could remember Icard telling them he had no energy but they wouldn't stop him if he wished to follow them.
Looking at Icard, Albert could tell he was quite aware of the dangers but he still had the confidence to follow them.
Albert smiled faintly at Icard's gesture then faced forward again.
Behind this membrane was the Chieftain.
Icard anticipated. The tension was building up but he wouldn't return now.
Albert used his ability and blasted through the membrane like paper.
And before them was another chamber.
A panel appeared before Icard then.
[Spawn Chieftain Detected]
[Name: Garlyk]
[Threat Level: D+]
'I see. It did say the maximum threat level was D. That's actually high for a yellow gate' Icard thought.
Albert moved first, along with Gremit, then Icard.
They all entered the chamber.
Being a new experience for Icard, he didn't know just what to expect.
He simply looked ahead, with his eyes searching for the chieftain. However, in the vast chamber, although not as vast as the cradle chamber, they couldn't spot the chieftain immediately.
They all stopped at the entrance.
The presence they had been sensing all this time; they were in the same space with it and they couldn't see it?
Around the center of this chamber was where a wide shallow crater was built.
Icard looked at the mound for a moment and then upwards.
There, he spotted a figure overhead the crater. He squinted his eyes a bit and then, in an instant, the figure disappeared.
The next thing he knew, it reappeared right before them and swung its clawed hand at them.
However, the exact target was Albert who was further inside the chamber. He received its strike and got sent crashing into the rocky wall of the chamber.
Next was Icard and the porcupine.
With its four arms as well, it went for both of them at once.
It was too fast for Icard to react, but not Gremit who used an explosive skill that repelled everything near it including Icard who got thrown back outside the chamber.
The spawn didn't stop though as it was barely pushed back.
It attempted another strike at Gremit but got blasted by Albert then from over where he was.
"Albert!" Gremit called, knowing fully well that he had just been damaged by it but still attacked.
Before it could attack him, he blasted it again and again, barely scratching it.
Then, it simply stood there receiving Albert's blasts like it was barely scratched by it.
Albert tried conjuring a stronger attack then but it rushed at him and struck his already bloodied body back into the wall.
'Alyxara'
[Have You Finally Made Up Your Mind?]
'Take everything! Everything!'