Chapter 64: Leak I
Chapter 64: Leak I
As Damian tried to understand what was happening with Kitsuul, the group found a secluded point on the malformed mountain they climbed. Serena raised her hand to have everyone stop.From the ravines of the mountain, they could peek outside to see, at this moment, where the purple rift they had just come out of was...
ROAAR!
The bodies of three Entropic Beast Behemoths, just as massive as the one they had defeated earlier, appeared. Their eyes scanned the area, and their twice-malformed noses twitched as if trying to pick up a scent.
"Well, this is definitely new..."
Ariana, on her Winged Peacock Lion, frowned as she spoke those words.
Lyra held her Blue Slime tightly. She still looked Damian up and down as if to make sure he wasn’t really hurt.
"We dove into this Entropic Rift below. The Beasts themselves steer clear of the Rift Portal since they cannot leave it when it’s stable. They know something more powerful can walk in at any time. But now... one was freely near the Rift Portal, and three more came after that. Why the hell are they all Tier III?"
Yes.
They could see with their Visors.
Even from this far distance, the Entropic Energy Values they were picking up were about the same as the Entropic Beast they had just killed earlier.
"..."
Serena was silent as the Trial Guardians became thoughtful.
Damian communicated with Kitsuul to ask exactly what was going on, and the answers he received did not bring any comfort.
Kitsuul looked around, doing her best to suppress the silver glow of her fur, which by now would have been utterly radiant. She replied softly.
She said she felt like this chaotic domain was filled with extremely potent and pure Entropic Energy that was naturally drawn into her body. That the moment they entered, the energy began to grow even more chaotic and abundant as her body absorbed more and more of it. This potency of Entropic Energy... was also influencing the Entropic Beasts here.
So all of this... was actually their fault.
"..."
Damian remained quiet as he gazed out with the others.
At this time, Alex, on another Winged Peacock Lion, spoke out while sparing a glance at Damian.
"Yeah, so, I don’t like this too much. How about we contact Guardian Flameborn and make sure everything is good first? I very much like to keep my life and not worry about... uncertainties."
...!
Some might choose to forge ahead and treat this like some perilous trial to overcome, regardless of the difficulty.
But Glassblood Trial Guardians who knew of the wonders and richness of life... absolutely did not like uncertainties. They had nothing to prove.
"You want to send a distress signal minutes after we come into this Dive?"
Ariana raised her brows in a mocking tone as she looked toward Alex. This Trial Guardian did not back down as he replied quickly.
"Beasts are exhibiting behaviors we don’t commonly see, and their power is greater than even our strongest Trial Guardian."
He looked toward Serena... then shifted his gaze to Damian as he continued.
"So yes, I would very much like to utilize the distress signal before Guardian Flameborn leaves. And I think many of us would agree..."
He looked around at the Trial Guardians who were on their beasts, all thinking back to the terrifying Beast they had just defeated.
Well, some of them had actually attacked and defeated it, while others had retreated first.
Most of them looked toward Serena as they nodded.
"Yeah, let’s have things cleared by Guardian Flameborn first."
"I agree as well..."
Multiple voices of affirmation rose as most of the Guardians felt the same.
Even Lyra gave a light nod to Serena, who, at the very end, turned toward Damian and asked sharply.
"What do you think?"
...!
She asked as if the final determination would be made by him. It was something unique to see. Damian looked at the changes that he and Kitsuul were actually responsible for... and he nodded.
"No harm in having Guardian Flameborn check things out first."
He was no hero.
Nor did he crave unknowns.
Kitsuul was getting stronger just by standing here as pure Entropic Energy drifted into her, seemingly at a tremendous rate. He didn’t even need to do anything.
Even the Obsidian Entropic Soft Crystals from Beasts were not as useful or so easily taken in by her as the invisible waves of Entropic Energy were.
So let them make sure that whatever changes he and Kitsuul were causing would not lead to catastrophe.
After he said such words, Serena nodded as she took out an oval device and pressed the red button in its center.
Something the leader of the group had been given to make a distress call, if needed.
After she pressed it, only a few seconds passed before they looked out toward the purple rift portal in the distance, and...
BOOM!
An accumulation of crimson flames exploded out from the rift portal as the figure of Guardian Flameborn appeared. Her form was visibly angry and annoyed as she stood on top of her Flaming Eagle Archaeopteryx and yelled out.
"Really? Less than five minutes and you all are already fucking distressed?! I will cancel all your contracts if you—!"
Her words stopped as she blinked and looked around, seeing three massive Entropic Beast Behemoths staring right back at her eerily.
"Oh?"
Her eyes became serious as she looked them over from head to toe. Her experience told her these were Tier III Initiate Entropic Beasts.
And yet... why did they not quiver in fear when they sensed her power?
Even more than that...
BOOM!
All of them flung themselves toward her as if they were mad, actually charging toward a Beast Master who was an entire level above them in power.
This was more than just ridiculous. Guardian Flameborn snorted while clenching her fist.
And in the next moment, the Flaming Eagle Archaeopteryx raised its claws and slashed down. Four crescent flaming arcs, pulsing with heat, erupted out. They precisely charged toward the three Entropic Beast Behemoths and...
BOOM!
All three were smashed back while their bodies were scorched and sliced in half.
Their movement stopped right after as Guardian Flameborn spat toward their corpses.
"Bold fuckers. Since when do tiny Initiate Entropic Beasts not run when they see me? And where are you distressed kids hiding?!"
She roared out to the surroundings freely, without worry of who she might draw attention from. And from the ravines of a distant mountain, the figures of Serena and the other Trial Guardians began to make their descent speedily as Damian followed alongside them.