Harem of the final villain in an ERO MMO!!! I just need to survive

Chapter 152 151: Escaping The Hive

?

The pair walked into the hive with excited but worried expressions. There was a lack of sound and a lack of presence around them. It was almost as if the whole world had come to a standstill and was now trying to hide something big.

Standing in the hive was not the most secure feeling Keith had ever experienced. 

"Ugh, this place gives me the creeps. Are you sure it is safe for us to keep moving forward like this?"

Luna questioned as her body forcefully suppressed the shiver. What a nightmarish place this was. 

Not to mention, the ground beneath her foot was trying to force something out of her. She was thankful that she was wearing shoes. Otherwise, something tragic would have happened by now.

"For now, we do not have any choice but to keep moving ahead. The map says that there is a ticket just a little further ahead. We will not need to head toward the queen's room."

That was the only benefit Keith could see while looking for the ticket.

It would have been disastrous had they needed to go to the queen's room. Usually, it was the most well-guided place as well as the most dangerous.

"This place reminds me of a dungeon. The vibe is the same and the monsters are the same as well. Heck, even the presence of a queen screams 'boss' to me. But the only difference between this place and the dungeon is - this is the real world."

Luna pointed out and Keith could suddenly see her point.

He had not noticed it before, but this hive did have a lot of similarities to a dungeon. And now that this had been pointed out, Keith could also not get the thought of it all being a set-up out of his mind.

"You should not have said that, Luna. now I cannot un-hear your words."

Keith jested but his heart skipped a beat when he noticed some kind of moment. They were no longer alone in this room.

"Oh, come on. I am sure this would be a conclusion you would have arrived at eventually as well. And anyway, look out…"

Luna cried at the last second but Keith had been ready to be attacked for some time now. He quickly raised his barrier a sharp claw met his barrier.

Sharp, inhuman eyes looked back at Keith. The pupil covered the white of those inhuman eyes and a scaly face stared back at Keith.

He was startled but his training of remaining calm helped Keith stands his ground and not lose focus.

Once Keith had a better footing on his shield, he also got the time to observe his attacker.

There were scales on that androgynous face and the ears were feathered. Some antenna-like projections were coming out of the creature's head and a pair of wings lined its back.

The moth-like creature finally pulled back and created some distance between Keith and himself. 

Its claw-like hands and his arms were covered with coming weird kind of cloth. 

'No, it is not cloth but fur. This creature is like that half-spider Arcana I met in a dungeon before. But this one does not seem to have a consciousness of its own.'

Usually, creatures with human-like bodies gained enlightenment if they stayed in a dungeon long enough. They also gained power and other human-like features as a result.

But this creature does not seem to have received the same treatment as the ones in the other dungeon.

'Is this because this place is not a dungeon but the real world? Can these creatures not evolve in the real world?'

The only way to verify this would be to find the highest-ranking monster here and verify with it. But that monster was the hive's queen and the boss. It would be beyond foolish to seek her out when they did not need to.

"Noah, what should we do now? I think I can see the ticket from here."

Luna's sudden touch caused Keith to almost lash out at her. But thankfully, her voice reminded Keith of his companion and he calmed down.

Luna's scarred face was currently pulled into a frown as she pointed toward the ticket that was lying innocently on the top of a rock.

The only problem? One would need to brave through this room and their attacker to get to the ticket. It was not an easy task by any means.

"Hmm, we will need to get that ticket at any cost. Luna, do you think you are up for this task? I will distract the moth-man while you go after the ticket."

Keith proposed this plan with a lot in mind. He had felt the moth-man trying to steal his mana when Keith had cast his barrier. But the divine energy used in his barrier had not allowed the moth-man to consume itself.

That was why the moth-man had pulled back in shock and now looked angry. It had categorized them as a 'threat.'

"That is fine and all, but are you sure you will be able to distract that creature? Somehow, it does not look like it has great focus to me."

Luna pointed out but she was already moving around. She had decided to trust Keith this time and Keith would not let her down.

The moth-man noticed Luna when she moved and it did not hesitate for even a second before coming after her.

Luna cried out in fright as the moth-man attacked her. But Keith was able to cast a barrier between her and the moth-man in time.

"Hurry up and move Luna. I said I will distract this creature."

Keith yelled as his barrier curved to enclose the moth-man. But the creature had incredible flexibility and it managed to escape before the barrier could close fully. 

The moth-man also realized that it needed to take out Keith before it could take out Luna. And with that simple revelation, the target for the moth-man had changed.

Keith saw that attack coming and he was ready to receive it. His barrier was ready to combat the moth-man.

But the moth-man was much more cautious this time. It decided to cote its claw in poison and energy and rapidly strike the same zone of the barrier again and again.

Keith tried to reinforce his barrier in the place where it was being attacked but he was not fast enough with his skill.

The moth-man managed to break through the shield but Keith also managed to dodge by throwing his body aside and rolling on the ground.

His body decided to pick itself up and he now stood alert without his input but Keith was happy with this outcome.

The moth-man flexed its claw to get the kinks out before it decided to attack again. But it cried out in pain as a bullet was embedded in its back.

"Noah, are you alright? Do you need my help?"

Luna asked from the other side of the room. She held her gun up at ready and fired a few more shots. These many would have been enough to put down a wild dog.

But the moth-man recovered very fast. It was crying in agony one second, and it is body was repairing itself the next. Luna still stood alert with her fun out.

"Luna, start moving right now. The sooner you can get your ticket, the sooner we can get out of here."

Keith pointed out but Luna still looked hesitant. She looked at the moth-man with suspicious eyes, but the creature was not done. It stood and threw itself toward Luna in a flash. 

Keith was only able to shield Luna halfway before the distance between her and the moth-man. 

"Luna, go. You need to get the ticket."

Keith cried out and that snapped Luna out of her daze. This time, she did not hesitate to go after the ticket and closed her hand around the ticket. 

The moth-man cried out in anger and flapped its wings. Keith had no idea why it was doing that, but then the room decided to flash a purple color.

Keith could feel his insides burning with heat. The room had cast some kind of magic spell on him and Luna. Now they needed to get out of there before something happened to them.

"Shit, this is so scummy. Why did I agree to help you out."

Luna complained as she made her way toward Keith. Her face looked more flushed than before and her panting was also heavy.

Keith pulled her body on his shoulder and pocketed the ticket. With that, he quickly got out of the hive. 

It was a surprise when the moth-man did not come after them this time. But it is unnerving that eyes were looking at Luna all the time. 

Not that the pair noticed. They just ran away as fast as they could and hoped that they never had to come back to his place.

As soon as Keith was in a safe place, he let Luna down and slid down the wall as well.