Crunch, crunch, crunch...
As the crystals imprisoning the Vastaya shattered one by one under the arrogant force controlling them, the big cats slowly stood up and began to stretch and move. A few of the younger Vastaya approached their elder, while the rest stood around in confused silence, staring at Duke.
None of them knew what fate awaited them.
Even Elder Raldan, the strongest among them, had been defeated by this young man. If Duke wanted to kill them, it would be all too easy.
And now he intended to use them... but to what end?
Duke, however, had no time to entertain their doubts. As he'd already said, things were about to get busy.
"Captain Oz!"
"Here, sir."
Captain Oz, still brooding over his recent gambling loss as his beloved coins disappeared into Jinx's purse, stepped forward at Duke's call.
"Since the vanguard team has been completely wiped out, we'll need to revise the plan."
"What do you propose, sir?"
"I'm going to reorganize the entire camp layout. As for the ship, it's not leaving anytime soon. We'll keep it moored here for now."
"What are our orders, then?"
"Leave a portion of the crew on the ship. Bring the rest, all of them, to the camp. Cut and burn down the trees around the perimeter. Clear out a wide open area."
"Prepare for a long campaign. I'll handle the rest through communication with House Ferros."
"Understood, sir. I've no issues with any of that. But... about those monsters..."
Oz's expression twisted with unease. These creatures, they could burrow underground and silently slaughter dozens of men in seconds.
They weren't just monsters. They were extinction-level threats.
"I'll handle them. All you need to do is follow orders. Now get moving."
"Yes, sir!"
Once Oz's tasks were assigned, Duke turned to the now-recovered elder.
"Now, tell me your name. It'll make things easier as we move forward."
"My name is Raldan, my lord."
"I'm no slave master," Duke replied bluntly. "I'll draft a contract and have someone explain it in detail to you later. For now..."
Without ceremony, he shoved a cigar into Raldan's hand. "Call me boss, Elder Raldan."
"What exactly is our task?"
"You'll escort the rest of the crew off the ship and bring them here. Once that's done, all of you will report for biometric scanning. I'm prepping gear for your people."
"But the Sabertoothed Beasts have always hunted with their claws and fangs, "
"You're not cavemen," Duke cut in, rolling his eyes. "And besides, it's not like Sabertoothed Beasts haven't used weapons before."
Kha'Zix had once been cast aside by his father for being born weak and frail. Yet he had overcome his shortcomings with tools, using every scrap of his environment to push himself to the limit, until he underwent a complete transformation in strength.
"That's that. Time to get to work."
"Yes, sir."
Elder Raldan gathered his tribe and went to coordinate with Captain Oz. A short while later, they left to retrieve the others.
Duke, meanwhile, pulled out his tablet communicator to contact Piltover.
A moment later, Dakal appeared on the screen.
"You're contacting me earlier than expected," she remarked, eyebrows raised.
"There's been a change of plans. The entire vanguard team, wiped out."
"What?"
Shock crossed her face. "But I handpicked them myself!"
"It wasn't your fault, nor theirs. They just got incredibly unlucky. Ran into something... inhuman."
"What do you need?"
"I've recruited a group of Vastaya. I need you to find a few Vastaya on your side to serve as cultural liaisons. I'll have Tahm pick them up."
"And?"
"I'll also send you a batch of schematics for their equipment. Find me a team of craftsmen who can manufacture the parts, I'll handle the assembly myself. Tahm will come collect the finished components."
"You know, with the vanguard gone, these Vastaya are now our new scouts and hunters. They're naturals in jungle environments, and I intend to turn that advantage into an organized defense force."
"I'll get right on it. Anything else?"
"One more thing, about the ship. I'm keeping it here. Until we have tangible gains, wood, ore, whatever, it won't leave. When it finally sails, it'll be fully loaded."
"We need results. Otherwise, Ferros will be the laughingstock."
"Understood. You're in charge on the ground. You have my full support."
"Good. Once the situation stabilizes, I'll begin searching for the Ishuoken. Be ready, once I find them, you'll need to negotiate diplomatic ties."
"You think they'll listen?"
"If they don't, I'll make them."
That made Dakal laugh.
"Duke, you're really starting to sound like your grand-aunt!"
"Hmph. You should look in the mirror before throwing stones."
Duke rolled his eyes and ended the call. The next step was to wait for Oz's return so Dakal could use the communicator to speak with him and the expedition team, stabilizing morale, and the situation.
With the call finished, Duke and Jinx entered the camp to investigate.
The tent interior had been completely transformed. The floor had collapsed into a deep pit, carved out from beneath. From within the black maw, noxious gas spewed forth, so toxic that it would kill any unprotected creature instantly.
Fortunately, everyone was equipped with full-coverage respirators. No one had dropped dead, yet.
As for Duke, the energy field emitted by Mingchan protected him from the toxic emissions.
"Big fella, huh," he muttered, peering into the hole.
Judging by the size, the creature that attacked the camp was even bigger than a lion. But among Void Burrowers, that barely counted as a juvenile.
Still, for humans, it was a nightmare predator.
The older a Burrower got, the thicker and harder its skin became. That meant stronger defense. Killing even a jackal-sized one was enough to earn a Shuriman hunter lifetime bragging rights.
And this one was bigger than a lion.
"Backfill the hole," Duke ordered. "Lay explosive traps in the soil. Install seismic sensors, we'll monitor underground tremors."
"Void Burrowers never abandon their tunnels. They loop through the same passages endlessly, searching for prey."
"They're blind, hunt by scent, sound, and vibrations…"
Duke recorded each task one by one, then tossed a glowing flare into the pit for visibility.
The flare vanished almost instantly.
Snuffed out.
"Ah, hell."
Grabbing the curious Jinx, Duke yanked her back and retreated rapidly. His flare was supposed to emit intense light, if it died that fast, it could only mean one thing:
The tunnel's owner had returned.
A second later,
BOOM!
Earth and stone exploded upward, blasting through the tent roof. A massive violet beast erupted from the ground.
No eyes. No nose. Just a terrifying, gaping maw.
Midair, it lashed out its tongue, long, forked, serpentine, tasting for scents in every direction.
"What the hell is that?!"
Jinx shrieked, staring in horror. Duke hurled her toward Pride, signaling him to guard her. At the same time, Duke gave a sharp whistle.
Buzz-buzz-buzz!
Mingchan's wings resonated through the air, and the airborne monster was dead before it hit the ground.
It collapsed with a thud.
"Just a burrowing bug. No need to freak out."
As Mingchan spread its field outward to scan the surroundings, Duke approached the dead creature.
Its chest and abdomen had been sliced open, Mingchan had flown inside and destroyed every internal organ within seconds, leaving the husk intact.
While this Void Burrower wasn't nearly as large as Rek'Sai, it had all the hallmark features:
Thick forelimbs, perfect for digging.
Terrifying tusks protruding even with its mouth shut.
A long, split tongue adapted for pheromone detection.
A leech-like tail dragging behind it.
Skin, thick as armor.
If not for Mingchan's molecular-level blade strikes, Duke would've had to fight tooth and nail just to kill it, let alone leave a whole corpse behind.
"The Void is eroding the material world faster than I thought," Duke muttered.
"Didn't think I'd run into one of these on Day One."
"And is it really just one?"
"Or are there more?"
As if in answer, Mingchan emitted a high-pitched warning screech, alerting Duke to approaching danger.
More burrowers.
"They've made this place their nest?"
Duke flicked his fingers. Mingchan launched into the air, vanishing in golden afterimages.
Moments later, the ground trembled violently. Three more Burrowers emerged from the earth.
Duke gave no orders.
Mingchan darted out,
, and returned.
Three more bodies hit the ground. No sound. No struggle.
A metallic clang echoed behind him. Duke turned.
Captain Oz had dropped his weapon.
He stared, slack-jawed, at the fallen creatures.
"Oh my gods... what are these monsters?!"
(End of chapter)
We're still in the early chapters fam! and to everyone who's joined the Patreon, thank you so much! 🙏Your support truly means the world. You're the reason this story keeps growing, chapter by chapter, world by world. I promise to give it my all! more content, more depth, more epic moments, to make sure your support is always worth it. You're part of the foundation that keeps this universe alive.
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
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