Chapter 29: Four More Nightmares
The atmosphere was heavy, hot, and suffocating all at once.
The group fixed their eyes on the cocoons grimly as they tore apart from the inside out...
Regaleon’s gaze was narrowed beneath his helmet as thoughts churned rapidly in his head.
He didn’t care about the strange language spoken by the robed figure; instead, he cared more about the consequences of it’s words.
They were barely fighting one monstrosity and now, the figure actually wanted to unleash all of them at once.
That was dozens more of a nightmare they had yet to defeat.
Regaleon knew that if more of that thing were emerged at once, the battle would spiral beyond his control; and Essence Runes or not, they might all die here.
So without hesitation, he turned sharply toward Vaelorin and ordered.
"Vaelorin!" His metallic voice thundered across the cavern. "The pool. Burn it now!"
The reason for this was simple. They’ve been fighting against the product; now, it is about time the took the fight to the source...
Vaelorin reacted with immediate alacrity as he slammed his crimson Staff against the fleshly ground.
Fiery Aether flared around him like molten sunlight bursting from volcanic cracks. The runes upon his Staff ignited one after another, glowing with a violent scarlet radiance...
Then, he activated another of his Essence Rune "Eruption Pulse."
Immediately after, the cavern exploded with fire...
BOOOM!
Flames erupted directly from beneath the blood pool itself.
It was not ordinary flames; instead, these flames were golden-red, compressed with terrifying heat.
They surged upward like dragons escaping imprisonment, while devouring the scarlet liquid in a massive inferno.
Steam and shrieks filled the cavern simultaneously as the crimson liquid began boiling violently.
The heat became unbearable as the pool churned like a dying ocean giving in to the flames of the sun...
The organic pipes that were connected to the cocoons began shriveling and bursting apart one after another. Crimson liquid sprayed everywhere before flames consumed them greedily.
For a single glorious moment, it worked as several cocoons immediately blackened...
Their surfaces cracked and shriveled like dried corpses as the fire devoured them whole. Some of the creatures within the cocoons began twitching violently before collapsing into ash before they could emerge...
"Yes!" Veyrath shouted excitedly. "Burn those disgusting things." His fists were clenched as he cheered on.
But, the celebration lasted only for few seconds. Because by the next moment...
CRAAAACK!
The second cocoon exploded apart; then the third, fourth, and fifth.
Four massive figures managed to tear their way through the burning cocoons before the flames could fully consume them.
The atmosphere instantly became heavier and oppressive.
The smile on Veyrath’s face had turned upside-down as he instinctively stepped backward with Sylveris...
Even the blood-soaked cavern seemed to darken because of them...
The first two monstrosities resembled the original nightmare creature.
They were towering reptilian abomination standing nearly four heads taller than an ordinary man.
Their scaled bodies were grotesquely muscular, and layered with thick crimson-black scales resembling molten armour fused with rotten flesh.
Long crocodilian jaws stretched outward from elongated skulls filled with rows of jagged teeth.
Their crimson eyes glowed with primal bloodlust while curved black horns protruded backward from their heads like twisted branches.
Behind each of them writhed six enormous. These appendages were lined with hooked bone spurs while disgusting sound echoed as they dragged wetly across the ground...
However, the last two creatures were different and worse. Far worse.
As even the chamber itself seemed colder around them...
These monstrosities possessed slimmer humanoid torsos, though their flesh was stretched unnaturally tight over visible ribs and protruding bones.
Their arms were elongated beyond reason, ending in clawed fingers that scraped sparks against the platforms.
But the most horrifying thing about them would be their wings...
Massive bat-like wings unfolded from their backs with wet tearing sounds. The wings were not made of ordinary flesh.
Instead, they looked like skinned membranes stitched together from countless layers of muscles and blackened veins.
Jagged bone spurs grew from their edges like cooked spears while smaller hooks protruded beneath them like the fangs of a sickly predator.
Every flap released showers of crimson droplets and foul-smelling mist into the air.
Their faces were even more grotesque. Unlike the reptilian horrors, these ones possessed almost-human faces, but stretched and distorted...
As though someone failed terribly at attempting to mold human features onto monsters.
Their mouths split vertically rather than horizontally, opening into horrifying flower-like maws lines with spiralling teeth.
And their eyes... Their eyes were completely white; dead and emotionless.
Sylveris nearly fainted as she played with her fingers. "Oh gods..." Her timid little voice trembled. "What in the Aether are those things?"
Nobody answered her because nobody knew. Even Kaeloris, the failed Gnost, had no idea whatsoever about what these things are...
The only sound filling the chamber now was the wet breathing of the monstrosities and the crackling of Vaelorin’s flames.
Then... The robed figure reacted.
For the first time since the battle began, the mysterious figure moved violently. Her head jerked sharply toward the burning cocoons...
By now, the remaining unhatched cocoons were being devoured by fire. Thick smoke rose into the cavern ceiling while several of the unborn creatures inside shrieked horribly before turning into ash.
The figure seem to freeze for a moment...
Then suddenly... An aura exploded from it.
BOOOOM!
The aura was dark, cold and sinister. It was oppressive to the point that the blood within the chamber began trembling beneath her fury...
Though it face remained hidden beneath the heavy hood, everyone could feel it. It was angry!
Scratch that! Not angry, it was enraged!
Then, the four monstrosities immediately gathered around it protectively. Even the terribly injured one managed to drag itself towards her...
Then, the robed figure slowly raised a pale hand, and pointed directly toward Vaelorin.
It’s voice echoed across the cavern as it spoke in that same alien language.
"Vharak tul... Kherash nox ven."
The moment those words left it’s mouth, the five monstrosities shrieked simultaneously. Then... They attacked.
By now, every remaining Scaled Wight and already been killed as the cavern floor was littered with pieces of their blackened flesh and blood.
Also, it seems that Vaelorin’s flames had destroyed whatever spell or formation that was being utilized by the pool as it no longer pulled corpses’ remains towards it...
Now, there was only the eight exiles and the five, or maybe six, monstrosities.
"Attack!" Regaleon roared as the whole group rushed forward.
BOOOM!
The nearest reptilian lunged first as it’s massive claw smashed downward toward Valmyr like a falling boulder...
The failed Vanguard reacted instantly, planting his feet against the ground as he activated "Mountain Stand."
"Come then!" He roared.
CRAAAASH!
The impact exploded like thunder as the Shield bent slightly...
But he held, for a moment. Then, the monster began exerting itself...
Valmyr’s boots dug trenches into the wet ground as he was forced backward by the creature.
Veins bulged across his arms as muscles trembled beneath the strain while he tried to push back against the creature...
Fortunately, he succeeded.
The creature snarled directly into his face while hot black saliva splatter across the Shield...
"Gods above... Your mouth stink!" Veyrath growled before slamming his shoulder forward...
BOOOM!
Using his body weight, he forced the creature backwards briefly before swinging his Broadsword sideways while activating "Cataclysmic Strike."
The massive blade crashed against the monster’s ribs... And sparks exploded outward as it’s scales held.
"What?!" Valmyr’s eyes widened.
The attack which had obliterated the Scaled Wights didn’t even dent a single scale on this monster...
The monstrosity retaliated immediately as it lashed a tentacle outward like a spear...
SHING!
Valmyr barely tilted his head aside in time as the appendage pierced straight through the cavern wall behind him like wet paper.
The failed Vanguard swallowed hard, sweat gathering on his temple as he realized he just escaped certain death...
Meanwhile, the winged monstrosities had also move.
One moment they stood beside the robed figure, the next... They were already above the group.
SCREEECH!
The sound burst through the cavern like invisible blades as it reverberated across the cavern.
Sylveris screamed as she covered her ears in pain.
"Aerial attack!" Vaelorin shouted as he covered his own leaking ears.
One winged monstrosity folded it’s wings inward and descended directly toward Caelestra like a crimson arrow...
The failed Merchant was still reeling from the sound attack but luckily, she managed to react to the threat instantly...
Silver Coins exploded outward around her body as she activated "Coin Legion."
Several coins transformed midair into armored spectral warriors wielding shields. The constructs moved upward to intercept the diving creature...
CRASH!
The impact shattered three constructs instantly.
Caelestra paled visibly as she watched the creature’s claws ripped through the remaining soldiers effortlessly.
The monstrosity opened it’s jaws toward her face... And suddenly it missed.
Aureleah emerged from the shadows behind the creature. Her Cloak twisted unnaturally around her body like living darkness as one creature pierced through the creature’s shoulder...
"Down!" Aureleah said coldly before twisting violently.
SHRIIIK!
Using it’s momentum, she hurled the creature sideways, sending it diving into the ground beside Caelestra; thereby saving the failed Merchant’s life.
BOOOM!
Stones exploded outward as the creature crashed headfirst into the ground...
Before the creature could recover, Aureleah vanished again. Then, silver flashed repeatedly around the creature’s body...
SLASH! SLASH!! SLASH!!!
She has previously activated "Mark of Darkness" when she pierced it’s shoulder; so now, each of her strikes targeted vulnerable spots between the scales automatically.
Black blood sprayed everywhere... Yet, the creature still moved.
It’s neck twisted backward unnaturally before it’s wings suddenly swept outward...
CRASH!
Aureleah barely crossed her daggers in time before being blasted backward through the air.
She landed gracefully despite the impact, sliding across the blood-soaked floor...
Elsewhere, Vaelorin had unleashed devastation.
The failed Pyromancer thrust his Staff forward and activated "Solar Lance."
WHOOSH!
A torrent of fire exploded outward as the Inferno consumed an incoming reptilian monstrosity entirely.
The cavern illuminated with gold-red as the creature roared within the flames while it’s scales blackened and cracked from the unbearable heat.
Molten flesh dropped from it’s body as it forced itself forward regardless of the the flames...
Then, the ground beneath it erupted as Vaelorin activated "Eruption Pulse."
BOOOM!
His flames burst upward from below, swallowing the creature completely this time.
SHRIIIK!
The creature shrieked violently and yet, even then... It still survived. It was burnt, mutilated, and half melted; but still, it persisted.
"What the hell are these things?" Vaelorin gasped as he watches the monster that refused to die.
Unfortunately, Veyrath would soon discover the answer firsthand...
