Chapter 25—First Trial Completed and the Start of their Week
For clarity, I will use [] for the gold system and "" for the silver one.
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As the parasite inside the ripped face was shown, cable-like tentacles came out and wiggled with multiple screeches, excited to gallop their tender flesh and devour them as they agonize in shrills. It tingled its sensations with happy hormones, encouraging it to devour them quickly. But it won't; as it will take pleasure in tormenting them first. "GHAHAHA, I'M SUCH A PERVERT AIN'T I?" It talked to them, enjoying their despairing face, Panicked and confused. "MAYBE I'LL PAINT WITH YOUR BLOOD, OR MAKE SOME ORNAMENTS WITH SOME OF YOUR BODY PARTS. BEFORE I GAVE THE REST TO SOME OF MY IDIOTIC SPAWNS..."
"WHAT SHOULD IT BE?" It inched to angela's face and asked with a smile on its parasite face; the vocals of old Greg isn't the one talking anymore, it's the parasite itself as it has the ability to speak with its lips and teeth-full mouth.
Angela's nose was then fermented by the parasite's saliva, putrid and horrendous, lingering around her face in purplish steam—She didn't mind them as she has bigger problems to mind off, death is looking at her from the bottom of the lake.
The parasite opened its mouth, like the abyss gate that would immediately take her to the afterlife. She can move, But if she did move, the cables will quickly strangle her and the mouth would soon rest with her head inside. She'll just fasten her death as it is nearing now. 'Shit, I don't want to die yet... Not now, not when I haven't fulfilled my dreams. Not when I'm not a great magician and still didn't meet father!'
"Shriieekkkk..." As the hellish spawn neared, the parasite stopped while the mouth quickly closed and opened with a pained screech. The body backed down with two steps before the cables began to ran rampant; they lashed to everything inside the room and destroyed Valor's furnitures.
Angela instantly ducked for safety and looked behind to see what's happening, there she saw Marcus holding a gadget that vibrates—spherical with multiple circles on it; which she can guess they're speakers, it was the gadget Marcus brought from his father's archive. It's quiet but she knows it is working; the reaction of the boss validates it. She can guess the gadget probably emmits high-frequency wave that can be only heard by the parasites' senses, and the boss is somehow affected by it.
Abrupt to her daze, a lash of wire came to her at a terrifying speed, but before she could notice it. A wooden doll shielded her from the lash and was instead destroyed in half, it was already scrapped when she looked back. "What?" she asked confused.
With the events transpiring fast for her to cope by, a hand grabbed her foot and pulled her away from oldkreg's feet. Taking her to a much safer distance.
With the parasite distracted with the excruciating tingling sound, the body deteriorated quickly and deflated with stretches. Them seeing this nodded and did what they can do, Rein commanded the lady doll to summon multiple dummies, Angela quickly ran to the balcony to activate the spell, and Marcus maintained the gadgets.
The parasite king of course isn't stupid, with its available attention now, it quickly lashed its cables to the gadgets and decided to devour them once and for all; it was angered by the three.
The cables quickly aimed at Marcus and the gadget he held. The two saw this and tried their best to save him from the barrage of lashes, but the lashes were too fast. Rendering them unable to cast a spell nor cock a shotgun.
In this situation, Marcus as the target saw the cables moving fast yet slow—he quickly tried to avoid it but no matter what, he's within the scope of this attack and will be shredded if nothing is done. But as he is expecting them to lash him, the fast-moving tentacles suddenly lost their momentum and fell to the ground with a thud, they were slashed.
"Diversion spell: Domain of fog." Valor suddenly appeared beside the parasite and summoned a ball of fog, below it is the magic circles that produced it. With the pour of mana and a twist to his hand, he made it explode, a cold smokescreen to hide them from the cables' wrath. The screen also weakens the ability "locate" dramatically as the waves are being bounced back by the fog, confusing the boss more. "Run! We don't have enough time for this!" As Valor said that, four shadows rushed out the room and went to the hallway.
The gadgets were also brought by them, with that, the leader of the parasites quickly recovered and followed the four to the hallway with an angry shriek— the body composition quickly changed and the cables destroyed everything they can lash to. Wrathful, it commanded all of his spawns to block them, causing them to gather against the group's path.
But they were all stopped by the gadget as it stings them motionless, proving their usefulness again.
"I'll COME AFTER YOU FOUR, YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME!" It shouted in the hallway while the four kept running, scared but now assured. They have a great probability of escaping with this pace, "Stay close to the gadget! It will protect us!" Valor's shout echoed in the hallway and the four heeded his command by compressing their formation.
They threaded the hallway but were kited by the parasite, with the leader's command, they formed walls that blocked the way. This is the least they can do for they can't contribute in the chase, the gadget will immobilize them, unlike the boss that can move within the gadget's scope. So by connecting their tentacles with others, their carcass that was immobilized still forms a steady wall; limiting the hallway the group can thread too.
The four ran, avoiding the paths where they can see an already built wall, and went to the hallways that aren't blocked yet. But as they expected it to be, they reached a dead-end, at the far distance is an already set wall. But even with that visible wall, they didn't slow down and kept on running at the same speed, baffled by their action, the boss commented, 'They've gone mad.'
But as it thought that, the wall of parasites suddenly exploded to bits, some charred debris even hit its face, while the group passed the burnt bodies and accelerated more.
'They've come prepared!' It quickly changed perspective and analyzed, 'is one of them a foreseer?" it pondered the possibility but soon disregarded it as he fastened his speed.
'Nonetheless, it won't help them, I'll end it here quick!' Rushed with thoughts, The malice heightened as it sped to the group, not minding its fallen spawns.
"I'LL END IT HERE!" It shouted again as it neared their distance, lashing its cables along the way. But with its attention focused on them, The ears suddenly heard a tick, echoing clearly through the noisy hallway.
The boss looked at its left and tried to see what produced the tick, but it couldn't, as a boom echoed afterward; blasting it to the wall of the opposite direction.
It wasn't stopped but the explosion lessened its speed, though it was angered more than it was before; A roar of frustration couldn't help but come out of its mouth. The feet accelerated and they went to a full life and death tag game, If they're somehow catched by the boss, they're dead.
As their huffing intensified with their feet drained of stamina, tired of running at their fastest speed for twenty minutes— The wall suddenly turned greyish, like life abandoned them. The Floor is dirty concrete while the lights above their head are flickering in exhaustion, finally reaching the end of their efficiency lifespan. At the end of this dilapidated hallway, a tired door awaited them—barely called door as there is only a vertical rectangular hole.
On the concrete floor, paralyzed waste monsters were squashed by their feet, splattering vile blood to their pristine leather shoes.
The parasite king behind them felt his intuition tingling, something isn't right, the kids were supposed to escape, yet what they're threading will trap them. They're going to the basement! It said in its mind and tried to analyze, but his mind was already washed with anger, and the thought to devour fueled his bloodlust. Reap their faces and bind them in a book, that's all he can think about.
As the four went into the rectangular hole, they didn't use the stairs, instead, they jumped and vanished from the boss's sight. Until he reached the door and looked for them above the stairs, at the bottom he saw them running to the far distance. So it quickly rushed down the wooden stairs and chased them faster, but the four stopped abruptly. Raising its thoughts as it ran on the cold soil of the underground cave and neared their distance.
To the stairs again rushed the waved of monsters, the spawns caught up and flooded the old stairs, fragile by time— as soon as they were halfway through, the stairs collapsed and they fell miserably.
The king slowed down and halted when it was a meter away from them, the four only looked at the boss on its eyes, deadlock they all smiled.
With a smirk, Angela talked. "Guess you're not that intelligent after all, another spineless idiot with high self-esteem." Insulted by her words, the boss growled at her, "you don't know anything little girl, you're already nearing your life." though while it said that, the boss paid more attention to her lips, they're not moving as how they should be.
It finally realized its mistakes. It lashed a cable to one of them and it didn't hit a warm body, what it striked was cold and a bit crunchy—mere woods compose their body.
"We got a surprise for you bitch, look up." As they pointed upwards, the concrete foundation of the manor collapsed with explosions above. The boss shouted angrily while he watched the floor fell with tremendous speed, he took every vital energy he has and built a monster of muscle. With his ripped body, he took the whole floor with full determination.
The concrete plane fell and crushed all of the living beings below. But it's not done yet, as the boss stood up bloodied; he survived the crash.
It looked around and saw every spawns dead. Pondering about it, he reached a testament. "I only reined for mere hours, yet I led them to desolation. I'm much an idiot as them Aren't I?" It questioned air, contemplating about its short life, while the ruble in front of him lit up blue and an overwhelming light enveloped him. Hot yet soothing.
They had slain thousands of parasites and stopped the worst infestation humanity will ever face. If they didn't risk their life for this, their town won't stand for a week, as it would collapse to social imbalance and be invaded inside out.
But they slowed the infestation by killing the current leader, giving them enough time to prepare and inform the others.
...
With the manor mightily standing, the town was also peaceful in this time of noon, the sun was setting while the night invades the east. But out of nowhere, they witnessed a hellish scene that would be carved on the stones for decades. A pillar of fire rose from the manor, blasting every dust within to the sky. It was seen and heard all across the town of raffvet, from the bazaar pubs to the busy posts above the walls. They witnessed it clearly, the scene that inflicted fear and raised awareness.
It then rained ashes for thirty minutes, while the locals started to gather in front of the enormous hole where the mighty manor stood a moment ago. Blazing with heat, the bottom is filled with magma of assorted elements. They couldn't help but shiver in front of the scene.
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-forty minutes before the explosion-
Across the Lively street near the manor, the sky is still blue, yet it's now dark on this particular alley—as lights are blocked the buildings' walls. It would be a normal noon for this isolated alley again when it suddenly lit up with light and sound, "that was hella close, I can't believe we were near death and we're fucking alive now!" Rein with her energetic voice exclaimed smiling, enjoying the thrill while the three sat tired, thinking about the events that just happened.
They were like that for twenty minutes.
'I already knew what would happen but it still placed a lot of stress in my nerves, this is hella hard for a thirteen years old to carry.' Valor sighed and stood up, he looked at the three and said, "let's go, we are just getting started. There's a lot of work to do, we'll get busy within these next days."
"How do you know it will get busy?" Angela asked intrigued by the weird actions of Valor.
"I know the future," he replied instantly, "but I can't tell anyone about it or I'll lose my memory."
The others went quiet with his answer, "but that doesn't mean I can't give feint instructions and let you three decide what to do..." he looked at them with hued eyes before giving each a card, written on it is his penmanship. They quickly read what was written.
"Heh, this will be fun." Rein commented as she read hers, sooner their silver screen lit up with a regard.
"Mission!:Request of Valor"
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"Your group killed 2376 parasite and 1 Leader. Tallying rewards for each member... Please wait."
"Congratulations! You have gained 3000 thousand exp, 2900 battle points, And 5 chest(4 F-grade and 1 E-grade)"
"Do you want to level up?"
"Weapon shop unlocked"
"Tallying your performance throughout the event... Congratulations! You were (outstanding!)
Even with the boss's level, you managed to kill it and even eliminate 2376 of its spawns.
You got the reward: [Six-pact spatial lock], for your outstanding work."
"Six-pact spatial lock(Passive skill)—With a critical hit to the opponent, you'll place a spatial lock to the target where the next six attacks won't miss nor be defended."
Thirty minutes later and their system lit up, as they watched a pillar of fire rise from the house—blasting every debris to the clouds above.
The four smiled when they saw the regard, "Seems like we're lucky."
Valor then saw his gold one lighting up, he read, [Tallying spirits gained, 2377 souls in total. Start devouring?] He smiled as he saw this, he commented, "And this is the real reward." Coming from the ground, he can see translucent wisps coming out of the cracks of the streets and deliberately went to him. Absorbed by the seed, he can feel it jumping in ecstasy.
[The Trial—Mutation Alert! was completed. Your reward is:
Slayer(Passive skill)—To those you fight with the intent to kill, Every direct hit would trigger a critical effect and heal you with thirty percent damage you dealt.]