Chapter 1061 (2/2)

After nodding, Randidly floated back down toward the area of Aether conjured by Salazar. He had not slowed in the slightest in their absence, nor had he noticed any disturbances. But then again, Randidly Ghosthound had been able to eliminate five Nether Beasts in a little less than ten seconds. All without taking any damage.

But to Zauna’s shock, after the Ghosthound returned to the safety bubble of Aether, he seemed somewhat diminished. A lot of the luster went out of his body and it was easier to see the damage that the Nether had inflicted on him. His spear of a right arm was still sizzling, and the claw of his left hand was missing one of its talons.

Not without damage then, but he took all the damage selfishly onto himself.

Zauna felt an impulse to ask the Ghosthound how he was faring, but she was also under compulsion not to volunteer any information and speak only when spoken to. As such, she could only convey her concern in the stance of her body, but the Ghosthound was too preoccupied with his own struggles to notice that she loomed over him in a protective manner.

And because only ten seconds had passed, Salazar was still in the midst of his rather amusing story. “And to that my mother replied, ‘I will never surrender, because the son that will be born from me will be cunning enough to devour the whole world! And his name will be Salazar!’ and the mongoose and its rat minions fled in fear from my name, as on top of that volcano-”

Despite the fact that the fighting hadn’t grabbed Salazar’s attention at all, he immediately shut up when the Ghosthound slowly raised his claw and clicked two talons together. It seemed that the effect of the threat wasn’t diminished at all by the mission talon.

With the small tail on his neck flicking side to side, Randidly lowered his claw. “No need to continue, let’s save the rest of the story for times where we are in a more peaceful situation. It’s hard to concentrate on your… virtues out here in the Great Rift.”

Salazar nodded and gulped visibly. The effect of his image on the surrounding area rapidly began to shrink, but such had been the strength of Salazar’s belief in his own stories that it had grown into quite a large area in the time he had been talking. They would probably have a few minutes longer of rest before all of it was eaten away by the Nether.

The Ghosthound reached up and scratched his neck. “I’d like to congratulate, everyone, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. Something big is heading our way. It might be what they call a Nether Well… has either of you encountered one before?”

Zauna shook her head mutely, but a surge of excitement started rising in her chest.

Salazar blinked several times. “Well, this is my first battle without an Aether Key.”

Cracking the bones of his neck, the Ghosthound shrugged. “Then I suppose we will go in blind. That’s fine. I’ve been waiting for a challenge.”

And although Zauna would like nothing more than for herself to finally be killed and therefore freed of her oath, the Ghosthound’s words were quite alarming. Because you didn’t fight Nether Wells. You ran away from them, lest they seize your body and corrupt you with their strange energies. That was the reason that Nether Wells were so dangerous; the people who encountered Nether Wells weren’t technically killed.

Just like the stars, Nether itself generally had a core and a bubble. People were seized by the Nether Wells were worn like a suit, becoming the ‘bubble’ around their core. The individuals probably knew something was wrong, of course, but they were largely overwhelmed by the evil of the Nether Wells. They would wait, almost unconscious, pumping out Nether constantly until someone else returned to send them back to the staging area.

Which was exactly how the tragedy of the recent attack on the one camp had occurred. Someone who was just constantly pumping out Nether was sent directly back to a staging area, rapidly destroying and destabilizing the surrounding area.

Look at me, Zauna thought desperately. She took several hesitant steps closer to the Ghosthound. But his eyes were pressed closed and he seemed to be using whatever trick he had utilized earlier to sense the approach of the Nether Beasts. I can’t volunteer information, but if you ask the right questions…

But of course, what questions would he need to ask? Something akin to ‘should we fight the Nether Well’? Which was an impossible question for a superior officer to ask subordinates and be taken seriously.

Zauna sought oblivion, but she had enjoyed these peaceful few days serving out her sentence under the Ghosthound much more than she had expected. It was the worst sort of torture to think that these lives would be ended because of her. Because she had the information to save them, but she was not able to share it with the group in time.

As Zauna watched, the Ghosthound stretched out his spear and pressed it passed the edge of the dispersing image and into the Great Rift. Immediately, his eyes snapped open to reveal the warm green of the deep forest in summer. It was a gaze filled with light and life. It was the look of a determined man who trusted his own ability to survive.

And so soon you will die. Zauna thought bleakly. It was cold comfort to know that she would also be joining him.

“About ten minutes,” The Ghosthound grunted. “That’s how long we have until it arrives. Make your preparations, this fight won’t be easy.”