Reincarnated As A Plant Life

Chapter 278: Minecrawlers [XVIII]

"What did you use back there? Pagan wouldn't stop mumbling to himself," Ghost whispered into Lucius's ear as the group trekked back to the surface.

"A new spell, I'll show it to you guys later," he replied, before picking up his pace.

It was for their own good. How could he tell them about a power he can't even control? What if they wanted to learn it? Would they be able to deal with its psychotic effects?

~Still, I'll have to show it to them someday. I should be prepared for that eventuality,~ he realized.

As they journeyed, he couldn't take his mind off the 'alien' runes the curse had left on the wall. Sure he couldn't sense any hostile energy following them, however, he still found it strange that the rune had no effect whatsoever.

It put him on edge. All sudden movements were met with a readied gaze, every odd sound, with a readied battle stance.

"Is something the matter, Lighted One?" Pagan asked, now walking beside Lucius. He took a brief moment to glance at the Morrentor with disdain.

He was against the idea of the Lighted One toiling for such a creature, however, when he suggested that the furtong pull the cart, the Lighted One pointed out that HE was the only one strong enough to. Earlier, he had tried taking on Lighted One's burden himself but found that he lacked the needed strength and stamina.

"I can't place my finger on it, but something feels… off," Lucius said after some thought.

He was certain it wasn't just paranoia. The runes definitely did something, and he was certain that the 'something' was right under their noses. They just weren't seeing it.

"Wait, that's it. Have you noticed something odd with your earth sense? It feels artificial almos-" Lucius was about to say.

Too late.

The ground rumbled and the tunnel walls shook, the suddenness of it sent almost everyone stumbling to the ground. Only Lucius, Pagan and Ghost remained standing, staring at a spot on the ground a few meters away.

However, it wasn't the ground they were staring at, but rather the energy presence coming from a place just beyond it. Something powerful was approaching them, and at an impossible rate.

~How did it get this close without me noticing it?~ he wondered, though he already knew the answer. Whatever was approaching them had something to do with the curse.

But still, for it to be moving this fast in a straight line towards them, it would have to be ignoring the tunnel systems altogether.

~A Morrentor,~ Lucius realized, preparing himself for the battle to come.

After all, running away from a Morrentor down here would be futile.

"Ghost, the next time you show yourself, it should be behind whatever is about to attack us. Preferably with a hole in its head," Lucius ordered.

He was a little surprised at the way he had put it; it wasn't the way he would usually say things, but it felt… natural for some reason.

"Pagan, your reserves are low, only take shots when you're sure they will connect. Hide among the furtong, and lower your energy presence. You know how to do that right?" he asked, now looking at Pagan.

Pagan nodded his head, hesitantly.

"Good, go now. Ursa, come to the front with me. Activate your mystic mantle as soon as the battle starts. But wait for my command, we have to make sure that fighting is the only option available to us," he added.

The thing was almost upon them, yet Lucius felt calm... composed. A chilled air clung to him, cooling him with every breath he took, comforting him.

At the back of his mind, he thought of kumulipo, of how it was a shame he had to use it, but also of how nothing could stand against it. His children would be safe, and what's more, he would have a manacore to devour, of course, that would be 'a shame' as well.

A few breaths later, the ground in front of them collapsed, giving way to a massive creature, with two massive tusks seemingly made out of deep purple diamonds. It had obsidian rock-like skin and a glowing brown gem at the centre of its forehead.

"It seems you were correct, Eilphyr. The pests were in this tunnel," a voice said from above the creature.

Two venari dressed in black robes stood atop it, the speaker being one of them. Behind them were five brown-robed venari mages, all of them murmuring something in unison. Their brown glow seemed to synchronize with the gem in the Morrentor's forehead.

~That must be the mind magic~

"Which begs the question, how did you know?" the venari added. It seemed like there was some in-fighting going on.

"Excuse me, but could you move your… Morrentor, you're blocking our path," Lucius shouted out. He could just barely make out Ghost's outline behind the venari called Eilphyr.

"I have my methods, just as you have yours. Now let us deal with these pests before the Queen finds out that there was an escape attempt," Eilphyr replied.

~Deal with us? Well, that's our queue,~ Lucius thought to himself, before gesturing towards Ghost.

"Watch where you point that filthy thing," the other venari said, now regarding Lucius.

His partner was dead before he even had time to process what was happening. Despite Eilphyr being more powerful than Ghost, assassination didn't care whose head was being impaled.

"Pagan," Lucius said, pointing at the remaining venari.

It pulled out its crux, a green glowing ball around the size of a large pineapple, and began chanting something.

However, Ghost was already upon it.

It dodged backward, right into Pagan's solar beam.

And just like that, the threat was dealt with.

"Quickly, take out the other-" Lucius was about to say. Though it seemed that he had a knack for saying things too late.

Before Ghost could reach the group of mind mages, they had already managed to set one of their spells in motion.

The Morrentor roared in anger, its brown gem glowing brightly before the entire tunnel began to shake. Cracks appeared on the walls, first slow, then all at once.

In that instant, as the rocks began to break off from the walls, and the tunnel seemed like it would give way, Lucius could only think of how his children were going to die. Not because he wasn't there to protect them, no, but because he wasn't strong enough to.

"Stop!"