Chapter 59: Slayer Extermination (2)
{3RD POV}
Marching through the tunnel, the sound of the cohort's footsteps echoed, accompanied by droplets of water falling at irregular intervals.
The tunnel branched into two paths, and the cohort stopped. In the lead, Nephis consulted Cassie. The blind seer gestured toward the right path. It was larger and seemed... clearer.
In contrast, the left path had a smaller entrance and, if one looked closely enough, was blocked by a wall of impenetrable shadows.
With a wave of Nephis' hand, the cohort began moving into the right tunnel. As the group filed in, Pleiades stopped just short of entering.
With Sunny's body under his control, Pleiades was unusually sensitive to shadows like Sunny, and something about the left path made him uneasy.
His gaze darted between the cohort, already disappearing deeper into the right tunnel, and the ominous left path.
Furrowing his brow, Pleiades looked down at the two shadows. Gloomy, far from the left tunnel, shook its head erratically while raising its hands as if in protest.
A flicker of amusement crossed his eyes as a small smile threatened to form. "Oh, you want to go in that badly?"
Instantly, Gloomy froze, looking baffled, before pointing an accusatory finger at Pleiades and turning away with a huff. Lazy, meanwhile, remained inert like a proper shadow, clearly unwilling to deal with either of them.
Regis emerged from his form and materialized in front of the left tunnel. Sniffing the air, he wrinkled his nose and grimaced.
"Nothing good in there" he said simply, turning to head for the right path. He was stopped by a quick yank on his tail. The wolf looked back at Pleiades, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.
Pleiades, however, looked more curious than ever. Still holding Regis' tail, he stepped closer to the left tunnel and examined its entrance.
Standing at the threshold, his gaze fixed on the unnaturally dark maw. Even with his usual playful demeanor, a palpable tension lingered in his stance.
The impenetrable shadows that filled the narrow entrance were unsettling, a void that seemed to defy the faint light spilling from the main cavern.
Regis growled low in his throat. "Pleiades, this isn't the time to play games. That tunnel reeks of danger, and I know you like that kind of stuff, but I'd rather not get eaten by whatever's inside."
Pleiades didn't immediately respond. His sharp gaze darted between the unnaturally dark tunnel and the retreating forms of the cohort down the right path. His fingers tightened slightly on Regis' tail—not out of force, but as though grounding himself while he wrestled with his instincts.
Gloomy continued its erratic gestures in his peripheral vision, waving wildly as though shouting at him to leave the tunnel alone, only to freeze when he turned to it.
"Relax, Gloomy. Just... something about this feels off, that's all" he said, his voice softer now, almost contemplative.
Lazy remained motionless, blending into the ground like any proper shadow, offering no input. Its silence only made Pleiades more suspicious.
Regis snapped his jaws, breaking the silence. "There's a reason Nephis and Cassie chose the other path. You don't just wander into ominous shadow pits on a whim."
Pleiades glanced at Regis, his smirk returning but with a more serious edge.
"It's not a whim, Regis. Call it... intuition. Or curiosity. Either way, something about this tunnel feels important. Like it's waiting for something—or someone."
"Yeah, to eat them alive," Regis muttered, shaking off Pleiades' grip and padding back a few steps. His white eyes glimmered with irritation. "Fine. Go play idiot, but don't say I didn't warn you."
Ignoring the wolf's warning, Pleiades stepped closer to the shadowed entrance. He ran a hand along the rocky edge, noting the unnatural chill radiating from the stone.
The air seemed heavier, pressing against his chest, making it harder to breathe.
He crouched slightly, bringing his face level with the shadowy void. The darkness seemed alive, swirling faintly at the edges as though reacting to his presence.
(Pleiades.) Sunny's voice rang through his mind, sharp and commanding. (Don't.)
"Oh, now you're awake," Pleiades murmured, a lopsided grin forming. "Thought you were just going to let me handle this."
Sunny's irritation was palpable. (I am letting you handle it, but walking into that thing? That's beyond reckless—it's suicidal.)
Pleiades tilted his head, his smirk unwavering.
"Okay, so two votes against the spooky tunnel. Nice—well, three, I guess."
Regis turned toward the right path, taking a step before being yanked back by his tail. One look at Pleiades was enough to understand where they were going.
"Okay, then. Sunny, taking control now would be love—ahhh, too late."
Before Regis could argue further, Pleiades extended his hand toward the shadows. They rippled like water, retreating momentarily before creeping back toward his fingers. The sensation was cold and tingling, like dipping one's hand into icy water.
Regis growled again, louder this time. "Pleiades, if you get yourself killed, I'm not fetching your body."
Pleiades chuckled softly, his hand still hovering in the shadows. "Relax, Regis. Just a little look. What's the worst that could happen?"
"No! Why did you raise a flag!"
The moment those words left his lips, the shadows surged, tendrils darting out toward him with unnatural speed. Pleiades yanked his hand back just in time, his heart pounding as the tendrils reluctantly retreated into the depths of the tunnel.
"Well," he said, standing and dusting off his hands as if nothing had happened. "That was... intriguing."
"No, not intriguing, it was idiotic!" Regis snapped, marching toward the right tunnel without looking back.
Pleiades hesitated for another moment, his smirk fading into a more thoughtful expression. With one last glance at the shadowed tunnel, he turned and followed Regis, his mind racing with questions about what lay within.
Something told him he'd be back to find out—whether he wanted to or not.
'Why am I so insistent on going in there? It's like... ohhh right. Decryption. Completely forgot about that' he thought. The ability he had crafted long ago had momentarily slipped his mind.
As he made his way through the right path, he caught multiple pitying glances from Regis.
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"Oh, nothing. Just wondering how many brain cells you've got left after even considering that stunt" Regis replied with mock concern.
Huffing in response, Pleiades shot him a glare. "I wonder the same for you. Who knows how many brain cells you've burned from all that dopamine you get whenever Effie pets you."
Snorting, Regis wagged his tail at the mention of Effie's affection. "Oh, I wouldn't mind one bit. At least I've got a reason to act dumb. You, on the other hand? You've only got yourself to blame for your stupidity."
Pleiades rolled his eyes, letting out a sharp sigh as he adjusted his pace to catch up with the rest of the cohort. Seeing how far ahead they already were, he didn't bother trying.
"Oh, Regis, your humility never ceases to astound me" he muttered with mock reverence.
Regis grinned, his wolfish teeth gleaming as he padded alongside him. "I'm just saying, Pleiades, there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. And you? You're doing somersaults over it."
"Oh, please," Pleiades shot back, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at his lips. "You think everything I do is dumb. If I sneezed, you'd probably criticize my lung capacity."
"I'd only criticize you if it somehow endangered all of us," Regis countered with a smirk, flicking his tail. "Which, knowing you, it probably would."
Not wanting a headache from their banter, Pleiades fell silent, allowing his thoughts to drift to the nightmare creature they were likely about to face.
Mind attacks were always a problem, even for him. Though immune to their effects, he still felt them. The memory of the misty creature back during the Soul Devourer incident still plagued him, causing a small bubble of anger to rise in his chest.
At the same time, the thought of that same abomination filled him with excitement. The idea of crushing such a monstrosity beneath him made his heart race.
"You're doing it again" Regis grumbled, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Doing what?"
"Brooding. That Pleiades-style brooding you do, where you grin like an idiot while your brain sets itself on fire."
"Funny, I thought I was just being quiet for once" Pleiades replied, his grin resurfacing.
Regis snorted, his white eyes glancing up at him. "Sure, keep telling yourself that. But don't think I didn't notice how your hand's been twitching. Like you've got some unfinished business."
Pleiades hesitated, his gaze flicking back toward the shadowed tunnel they'd left behind. He could still feel its pull—faint but persistent, like a whisper at the back of his mind.
"Maybe I do" he admitted after a moment.
Regis tilted his head, his expression shifting from playful to mildly concerned. "You're not seriously still pissed about that mist creature back at the tree, are you?"
"Oh, but of course. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about it right now."
Regis didn't respond immediately. Instead, he watched Pleiades closely. His usual teasing demeanor gave way to something more thoughtful.
"Try not to dwell on it too much," Regis said finally. "And if you do go back to finish it off, try not to get yourself killed—or drag me into it."
Pleiades chuckled, giving Regis a playful nudge with his foot. "Don't worry, buddy. I'd never dream of dragging you into my chaos. Not unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Great. Can't wait for that to happen" Regis muttered dryly, though the faint wag of his tail betrayed his amusement.
The pair continued down the right path, their banter filling the otherwise silent tunnel. Faint echoes of the cohort's footsteps resounded ahead.
Unbeknownst to them, the wall of the shadowed tunnel rippled behind them. As the cohort's echoes faded into the distance, a monstrous pair of humanoid hands broke the surface of the wall.
One by one, more pairs of grotesque, clawed limbs emerged, followed by a flurry of guttural growls.
Next Chapter: Slayer Extermination (3)
A/N: Well guys the race to get two chapters on the weekend isn't going to well, so it seems i'll have a relatively free weekend :)
Let's not dwell on that though, i also forgot to tell you guys at what times i'll release the chapters, they'll be uploaded from 4 - 5 pm.
So then have a lovely rest of your day and let's see how the little game goes, who knows, i might be get a surprise when i boot up webnovel.
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