Chapter 238: Unknown creature
As Lyerin and his tribe continued their journey through the decaying streets of the apocalyptic city, a sense of eerie calm hung in the air.
The blood of the Fleshers still stained the streets, and the Tentatorn's crystal glowed ominously in the hands of his tribe members.
However, their short-lived peace was abruptly interrupted.
A sudden tremor rocked the ground beneath their feet, sending shockwaves through the cracked pavement.
It was unlike anything they had ever felt before—deep, primal, and filled with a kind of malice that seemed to seep from the earth itself.
The rumbling intensified, each quake more violent than the last, shaking loose debris from crumbling buildings and making the ground vibrate like the heartbeat of some titanic creature beneath the surface.
The tribe members looked around in wide-eyed terror, gripping their weapons tighter.
The Pig Orcs stopped in their tracks, snorting in confusion as the ground continued to shake beneath them.
"What is happening?" one of the tribe members screamed, her voice trembling in fear. "Is it another attack?"
"Something's coming! We need to get out of here!" another shouted, panic gripping his voice.
The tremors grew even more violent, the sheer force of them causing the ground to buckle and split in places.
Buildings nearby creaked and groaned, threatening to collapse.
A deafening roar echoed through the empty streets, shaking the very foundations of the city.
The tribe members, including Corora and the others, were on the verge of panic, some staggering and falling to the ground as the vibrations overwhelmed them.
"What is this again? Are we being chosen again?" one of them yelled, voice cracking as he scrambled away, wide-eyed and terrified.
"Hold your ground!" another shouted in vain, gripping his spear so hard his knuckles turned white.
But amidst the chaos, Lyerin remained perfectly calm, perched on the shoulder of one of his Pig Orcs like a lord surveying his domain.
His eyes narrowed, and he gazed toward the source of the disturbance with mild curiosity.
He made no move to show any concern, his expression completely detached from the pandemonium unfolding around him.
Without warning, the ground directly in front of them burst open, sending chunks of concrete and dirt flying into the air.
The intersection in the middle of the highway cracked wide, and a deep, gaping hole appeared where the earth had split.
The hole seemed endless, a dark abyss that radiated malevolence, and from its depths, a creature began to emerge.
The first thing they saw was a set of twisted, thorn-covered spinal ridges, glistening in the pale light.
Then, slowly, the rest of the creature clawed its way out. It was a dog-like beast, though far more grotesque than anything resembling a dog.
Its skin was dark green, almost black, and stretched tight over its bones, giving it a skeletal, malnourished appearance.
Six eyes lined its spine in a sickening pattern, glowing faintly with an unnatural light.
Its jaw hung open, revealing rows of jagged, needle-sharp teeth, and its breath came out in harsh, raspy gasps.
The creature's spine was a mass of sharp, thorny protrusions, each one twitching with every movement it made.
The sight of it was horrifying, and the tribe members recoiled in fear.
"What is that thing?!" one of the men screamed, stumbling back in horror, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Run! Run!" someone else shouted, the panic in their voice palpable as they turned to flee, but their legs refused to move fast enough.
The creature's mouth opened wider, and thick strings of saliva dripped from its fangs, splashing onto the pavement below.
As soon as the saliva made contact with the ground, the concrete hissed and bubbled as if exposed to some potent acid.
Within seconds, the road began to deteriorate, melting away and leaving nothing but a smoking crater where the creature's saliva had landed.
The acrid stench of burning asphalt filled the air, making the tribe members gag.
"This…this is death itself!" one of them cried, backing away, barely able to keep himself from collapsing in terror.
Amidst the chaos and terror, Lyerin remained composed.
He raised a hand, his voice disturbingly calm despite the horrors before him. "I have no idea what that is," he said, his tone almost bored. "But it doesn't matter."
The tribe members looked at him, wide-eyed, unable to comprehend how he could be so nonchalant in the face of such a monstrosity.
Without another word, Lyerin turned to the Pig Orc carrying him. He patted the beast on its shoulder and gave a single, simple command. "Turn it into dust."
The Pig Orc grunted in acknowledgment and, without hesitation, marched forward toward the grotesque creature.
Its massive feet pounded against the trembling ground, sending tremors of its own with each step.
The other Pig Orcs followed, their weapons raised, ready to obey their master's order.
The beast growled low, its six eyes narrowing as it locked onto the approaching Pig Orcs.
Its thorny spine quivered, and its mouth opened wider, more acidic saliva dripping onto the ground, sizzling and evaporating on contact.
The creature let out a menacing growl, preparing to lunge at the Pig Orcs.
But before it could even make its move, the leading Pig Orc slammed its massive club into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling through the earth.
The force of the blow caught the creature off guard, knocking it off balance for a brief moment.
It snarled in frustration, baring its fangs, but the Pig Orcs didn't give it a chance to recover.
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In a flash, the largest of the Pig Orcs lunged forward, bringing its club down with bone-crushing force.
The club connected with the creature's head, the impact so powerful it sent a crack rippling through the air.
The beast let out a deafening screech as its skull caved under the sheer force of the blow, black ichor spilling from its mouth and eyes.
The other Pig Orcs quickly followed up, swinging their crude weapons with relentless brutality.
One by one, they struck the creature's thorny body, crushing its spine and pulverizing its limbs.
With each blow, the beast's movements became slower, more erratic, until finally, it lay twitching on the ground, its grotesque form mangled and broken.
In less than a minute, the once menacing creature had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of shattered bones and blackened flesh.
Lyerin, still perched on the shoulder of his Pig Orc, glanced down at the remains with a satisfied smirk.
"Good," he said, his voice as cold as ever. He stepped off the Pig Orc's shoulder and approached the corpse, inspecting it carefully.
"Take the crystal inside of it just like the Tentatorn," he ordered, his voice sharp and commanding.
One of the Pig Orcs grunted and moved to obey, tearing open the creature's chest cavity to retrieve the glowing crystal hidden within.
The tribe members watched in stunned silence, their fear slowly being replaced by awe at the sheer power and ruthlessness of the Pig Orcs under Lyerin's command.
As the crystal was pulled free, glowing with crystalline solid green light was displayed in each one of them.
It was beautiful.
Like something came out of an unknown world and was gifted from heavens above.
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