Meanwhile the only source of light. The small fire flickered and crackled in the chilly nighty air, aglow with an eerie luminesce casting long shadows across the uneven earth, moving, changing, life-like as though guided by an unseen force of nature.
Giving the air an — otherworldly nightmarish sensationalism.
"I, Scor'ell swere on my very being that I would kill you in the most brutal manner and use your heads as a trophy to wash away this humiliation". Exclaimed Scor'ell. It's eyes glimmered with a malevolent tone, voice laced with evil, the words dripped from his mouth like silent promise of destruction.
The scorpion's voice echoed like venom, spreading its poison through the air. A jarring reminder of the eerie creature, it's aura palpable, brushing past them like a low hum in the air, a vibration they couldn't ignore.
Hinting at the creature's subtle yet powerful presence even formidable strength.
Both Black and Zephyr had their eyes wide in wonder and awe, reflecting the vastness of the new experience. As the sight of a talking monster an insect no less.
One that was even threatening them, it caused a sense of intrigue and curiosity to rise up within there mind.
There expressions — A stark contrast to the serious atmosphere.
However the glint in the two pairs of Golden and Scarlett orbs wasn't one of fear, unease or trepidation, when learning of the creature's sentience and its formidable strength.
It was a gaze filled with raw, unbridled enthusiasm, thrilling even wild passion.
Zephyr screamed,"Aaaa... After so many day, we finally found one. A real talking and sentient magical beast... or insect, I don't know what should I call it." she muttered at the end confused yet still turned to look at Black, her eyes wide, sparkling with suprise, causeing him to chuckle in curiosity.
"Right, we sure did!!." He repeated.
"Do you want to fight it!!" Black suggested with a playful smirk looking at Zephyr.
At his suggestion Zephyr serpentine eyes shone in astonishment. She asked —
"Would you let me.. this insect is quiet stronge, you know, with the kind of murderous aura its emitting" Zephyr said with a side-long glance. Skeptical.
Even though earlier she was acting so non-chalant. It doesn't mean that she was a fool. She had also experienced seven days with Black in these unforgiving caverns, after all.
Black nodded.
"Are you sure... " Still skeptical, Zephyr repeated her tone questioning.
Seeing zephyr's skepticism, Black smiled inwardly, his eyes glimmered with satisfaction. 'Looks like her negligence had all but completely vanished, when that burst of murderous aura hit her previously. She is being cautious because she felt the strength of the insect from the aura it released. After all, The aura of a Rank 6 creature is something neither she nor I have ever experienced before since all the creature's we encountered till now were either weaker then us or at our level' black thaught, his golden gaze locked on zephyr then at the scorpion who called himself Scor'ell.
He wasn't interested in this scorpions since it was very weak, this scorpion wouldn't be able to provide any challenge to him. So there was no point in him fighting it and wasting his time when he could enjoy the show.
Apparently this scorpion would immediately die the moment his [ Sensory Discordance ] ability hit it. However it could prove to be a good challenge for Zephyr.
When earlier Black saw the scorpion's info. on his holographic black colored system screen hovering before him.
He just sighed in disappointment. At that time, all his thoughts of battling the creature died all together like the morning mist in sun.
...
〔 I'll be changing Bloodline Rank to Bloodline Tier 〕
...
[ Name : Scor'ell | Male | 89 years ]
[ Race : Ruinous Poison Scorpion ]
[ Bloodline : High-level | Tier 2 ] » [ Base Prowess — 2 ]
Physique : None
Transformation Core : Rank 2 | [ Normal Core ]
First Phase : Mortal
Assencion Rank : 6 | Level : 68
Battle Prowess : 3.5
Base Prowess : 2
Ability : [ Ruinous Poison Stinger ] | [ Melting Haze ]
[ Ruinous Poison Stinger — Releases a poison that melts all physical matter upon contact from the Host's stinger ]
• [ Battle Prowess — 1 ]
[ Melting Haze — Releases a dark-voilet poisonous haze from the Host's body that slowly melts all physical matter that comes into its contact ]
• [ Battle Prowess —1 ]
...
After seeing the scorpion's info.
Black had decided to let Zephyr have it since as a poisonous insect it would serve as a good stepping stone for Zephyr.
Primarily to improve and polish her skills, foundation and battel instincts even more and Secondly to learn more about her current limitations and abilities.
Furthermore, It would help her in the future when she reaches the next assencion rank making her further stronger.
He also checked Zephyr's info. before letting her have it. She had just recently evolved into a Quantiarch. So he wasn't worried that she would loose, get seriously injured or even die. That was simply impossible.
...
[ Host Info. ]
[ Name : Zephyr Onyx Quantiarch ] | [ Age : 7 days ] | [ Gender : Female ]
[ Race : Quantiarch ]
[ Bloodline : Primordial | Tier 9 ] » [ Base Prowess — 9 ]
Physique Rank : ???
Physique : Incomplete [ ??? ]
• Physique Trait — ???
Transformation Core : Quantihyrt
[ Core Rank ??? ] —— [ Incomplete ] 〔 Previous Core Rank 3 ≡ Base Prowess — 3 〕
First Phase : Mortal
Assencion Rank : 5
Level - 59
Battle Prowess : Unknown
Base Prowess : 11
Abilities : [ Transformation ] [ Soul Poisen ] [ Poisen Mist ] [ Baleful Malignant Eyes ??? ]
[ Transformation — Can transform into a Serpent and a Quantiarch freely ]
[ Soul Poisen — Victims hit by Soul Poison have there Soul Essence Currepted causing it to Implode Resulting in the Collapse of the Soul Sea ]
• [ Battle Prowess — 2 ]
• [ Mastery — Biggner Level ]
[ Poisen Mist — Creates imperceptible Poison Mist which erodes a victims manavains upon contact both physical and spiritual additionally making the victims weak and partially-paralysed. Speed of the erosion depend on the difference between the victims strength and Host's. And the Host's mastery of the ability ]
• [ Battle Prowess — 2.5 ]
• [ Mastery — Accomplished Level ]
[ Baleful Malignant Eyes — Physique Incomplete ??? ... ??? Unknown ]
Bonded Entities : Black Quantiarch
...
Neither Black nor Zephyr knew just how strong a rank 6 creature was.
Well, Black did know just how strong this scorpion was but he didn't tell Zephyr. Which made Zephyr to overestimate the scorpion by a large margin when it released it aura.
A mistake but not a fatal one — She had no prior experience with a rank 6 beast to accurately judge just how strong this scorpion was.
However she had an instinctual feeling that she would be able to kill it, if she gave it her all.
Zephyr questioned him, "So, your answer is no.. Huh!!." as Black just kept looking at her for the past 10 seconds without replying.
*Hmm...* seeing that he was quiet for so long.
Black spoke his tone confident, "If I wasn't sure. Then why would've I asked you".
"But why do you want me to battel it. Why don't you do it yourself, you would probably be able to handle it rather easily, No". Zephyr probed, wanting to understand.
What made Black ask — her to kill the insect.
Upon registering her question, Black panicked. He was unprepared, and hadn't thaught that she would ask 'why he wanted her to kill the insect, he couldn't say that it was a hassel or that the insect was weak, since if he said that she would probably transform into her serpent form and coil around his neck and simply doze off. Then he would have to deal with this annoying insect and he didn't want that'. So, Black quickly thaught of something on the spot and replied, his voice calm, hiding his earlier panic.
He cleared his throat, "But I want you to do It, you could say it's a form of test. To see just how much stronger you have grown over the past few days. Since not much time is left before our Battle with that Nether spirit... Hm!!" Black said, a light smile gracing his face. He already had small beads of sweat forming on his forehead from nervousness.
Zephyr serpentine eyes glimmered in realization, she nodded and replied.
"Alright..." she said, her voice a pitch louder like a rising tide, pushing against the silence.
...
Meanwhile, When Black and Zephyr had there little exchange, The Ruinous Poison Scorpion 'Scor'ell' had already crossed almost half the distance between them. Its steps were heavy like the relentless drumbeat of the approaching doom.
It stopped, standing 30 meters away from the small fire.
The scorpion saw one of the creature's walking towards him, with something unknown in her hands that he couldn't identify.
A minute had passed since the scorpion swered on his being to end the two creature's who had humiliated him not knowing that the grim reaper already had his scythe placed upon his neck.
After taking her improvised sword made from the right arm of the Orc-ox.
Zephyr moved towards the scorpion, her raven black hair, a cascade of midnight silk, shimmered in the darkness. Her scarlett onyx orbs shone with the predatory glint of a serpent's gaze. reflecting a fierce spirit and a boundless enthusiasm.
The improvised sword, while not wide, was like a monstrous needle of unknown material, reaching nearly twice her hight.
The sword looked more like a claymore than anything and she used the upper arm bone of the Orc-ox as a sword hilt.
Though rough, the sword's dark emerald blade, shimmered in the gloom, becoming a venomous serpent in zephyr's hands, her fingers coiled around the upper arm bone — ready to strike.
Although outwardly Zephyr had an expression of caution and stern yet inwardly she was both excited and fascinated at the prospects of battling a sentient beast or insect for the first time, one that was even stronger then her.
Meanwhile as Black watched zephyr move towards the scorpion with a mix of calm and composed step, suddenly he had a thought, with a mischievous grin. He added —
"Zephyr be careful about its venomous stinger at the tip of the tail, though I doubt this scorpions venom is strong enough to harm you. But still it doesn't hurt to be careful alright". He finished, reminding Zephyr of the potential dangers that lay ahead, and of the need for caution.
'Now I'll get to watch a good show.. hehe.. ' he thought.
Zephyr nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling with eager anticipation ready to plunge into the exhilarating tempest of the battle —
...