“Nine minutes remaining.”
The goddess's voice echoed inside the trio’s heads as they approached the entity that the incarnate system had marked as their target. Chio’s stomach dropped with each step. This excursion was going far too well, and of course, they just had to receive a quest to hunt some sort of monster they had never even heard of before. What was worse and the reason that he felt like he was going to puke at any moment was that they could not even retreat if they wanted to. In a few minutes, their locations would be revealed, and even if they could somehow run for two days straight and make it back to the outpost, they'd only be leading the horde directly to their clan. Chio tried to calm himself as he followed behind Ren and Nevala, but horrific visions kept flashing through his mind. He saw his brother in the clutches of that horrific monster from the trials as it ripped him into shreds. The scene then switched to him, watching as that shrieker gored the hunter in front of him. A cold sweat trickled down his neck and the scene switched again. He saw his body on the ground, a ragged mess of broken limbs and carved flesh as he took his final breaths. The rapid succession of scenes in his mind caused his breathing to quicken until a hand on his shoulder jolted him back to reality.
“Chio!” Nevala said while shaking him. “You in there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I just got lost in memory for a few moments, that's all.” Chio responded.
“Okay, if you're sure you are ok we need to get moving. I was able to convince Ren to wait for a moment when I realized that you had fallen behind, but heavens know how long that will last.”
“Right, I'm sure let's get moving,” Chio said, trying his best to look like he was doing ok.
Nevala stared into his eyes for a few moments before she finally turned to move toward where she had left Ren.
“Alright, if you sure.” She said before breaking into a brisk jog.
“Six minutes remaining.”
They quickly caught up to where Ren was impatiently waiting.
“Took you long enough.” He said with a grunt before moving toward their target again without waiting for a response. The group got up to pace again, making their way through the trees and toward their target. After two more messages from the goddess warning them, they only had 4 minutes remaining. An awful smell filled the air and a large artificial clearing came into view. Nothing but tree stumps covered an approximately 100-foot area and had a white thread-like substance weaving between them, creating what looked like a massive spider web. Standing in the middle of the structure, Chio finally spotted their target. A massive ball-like body connected to four needle-like legs stood atop the web. A monstrous torso that looked like it could have been the upper half of a minotaur rose out of the ball-like body. Atop the torso, where its head should have been, sat a pulsating, fleshy mass that Chio knew he'd never forget. It was the only part of the creature that was not a dull metallic shine. A head that was cleaved in two sat impaled atop the creature. The only thing still holding it together was some of the same white thread. Despite its sorry state, the grotesque mass seemed to still be alive as it let out a gasping noise with every pulse that went through it. Chio put his hand over his mouth in an attempt to stop himself from losing his lunch, but was unsuccessful when he heard Nevala retching behind him. Luckily, they seemed to be far enough away that the beast did not hear them, but it would not have mattered either way, as a mighty war cry sounded out from beside them. Chio and Nevala quickly composed themselves as Ren recklessly charged at the creature. A chittering noise sounded out, drowning out all other noise before it condensed into a haunting voice.
“Welcome prey. It is bold of you to so brazenly charge into my home uninvited, but I will be sure that you learn some proper manners as I correct your mistake one limb at a time.”
The next moment it disappeared, Chio frantically searched for the creature but could not find it before a loud grunt of pain sounded out from where Ren was standing. The creature had suddenly appeared behind him and now had one of its pointed feet protruding from his right shoulder. With a yell of effort, Ren spun around and swung his axe with reckless abandon, straight toward the creature's chest. It disappeared from view again before returning to the spot in the middle of the web where it had started it raised its bloodied foot to the middle of its upper chest where a maw split open A large tongue fell from the now gaping mouth and licked the blood from its foot.
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“What a delectable flavor.” The horrible chittering voice shouted. "I'm going to savor you." It said with a sneer
“Power Shot!” Nevala roared, losing an arrow from her bow.
It flew straight towards the creature, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. The creature disappeared again, but the arrow was moving too quickly and a metallic scream resounded out as it appeared 5 feet from where it had diapered a small indent smashed into its lower body.
“A feisty one. Do you know how rude it is to interpret someone in the middle of their meal? Alas, it looks like you will all need a lesson in proper manners. Luckily, I happen to be an outstanding teacher.” A grinding laugh rescinded from the creature as it once again disappeared. Chio backed closer to Nevala, and Ren began swinging his axe frantically in every direction, trying to catch his invisible foe before he could sneak up on him again. As Chio searched, a cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He continued to back his way closer to Nevala when a scream came from behind him. The creature had appeared behind him and his archer companion and was now holding her in the air with its massive right hand as it sat embedded in her back. The life faded from her eyes as her scream slowly died.
“Now Now, the lesson has barely begun. You're not allowed to die yet.” The white tread spilled from its hand and into Nevala as it dropped her to the ground, the light returning to her eyes, but they now seemed cloudy.
“Now my new star pulp, why don’t you show your friend over there the lesson I taught you while I attend to that delicious morsel swinging his axe around like an uncivilized animal.”
Nevala’s eyes glazed over and she turned to stare directly at Chio. She raised her bow, knocking an arrow and drawing the string. Chio could not process the information. His brain had fully shut down when he had seen the woman that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with impaled by that thing. All he could do was stare with a horrified look on his face as the power shot ripped through his chest. He saw himself on the ground. The impact of the shot had broken most of his bones, leaving him in a horrific state as blood pooled on the surrounding ground. The eerily familiar scene played through his mind one last time as everything faded to black. Chio awoke screaming several hours later. He frantically scanned his surroundings and found himself somehow still mostly intact but bound and stuck inside a cage made of the same white thread. A groan came from beside him as Nevala, in much the same state, opened her eyes. She blinked a few times before also frantically scanning their surroundings.
“W-what's going on?” She asked.
“Oh, so you are finally awake.” The chittering voice came from nearby.
“What do you want with us?!” Chio yelled.
“Oh, nothing much. You would both already be food if not for that insufferable axe wielder.” The creature said with a growl. “Damn human, cut one of my legs off and forced me to make a tactical retreat. But that won't happen again, not when I have two hostages.” It said, breaking into a grinding laugh. Chio paled as he considered his chance of survival. There was no way that brute would put their lives above fighting this thing. Chio looked over at Nevala and finally resigned himself to his fate, but if he was going to die like this, he would not do it with any regrets.
“Nevala,” he said to get her attention. She looked over at him with the same look of desperation that he had had a few moments before, but a look of calm now sat on his face.
“Even though I only met you a few weeks ago, I have grown to truly care about you and I know we are most likely not going to survive this, but I have to get this off my chest. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter how short it might be. If we somehow get out of this, would you do me the honor of letting me take you to dinner?”
Her face took on a calm expression, and a smile touched her lips upon hearing his words.
“I was wondering when you would finally work up the courage to ask. Yes, I would love to.”