Chương 31: Scarab Lord Hatchery

Something slimy and wet hit my shoulder. It stuck, stinking of foulness. Then smoke engulfed my clothing as it burned through, touching my skin. I ripped the portion of my clothes that had the vile stuff on it and threw it aside. Small bits still clung to flesh, holding on and burning.

"Master move!" Darwin cried. I jumped back, and where I had once stood, a large puddle of acid fell. It splashed, hitting a few of the larvae. They squirmed and then succumbed to it, soon liquefying. Despite my fear, I looked up. Above me was some sort of bug about the size of a car. It had a large dark-brown carapace, antennae, a mandible-like jaw, and beady black eyes. Its legs clung to the ceiling, hooked into stone and old roots, while drops of acid fell from its mouth and hissed against the floor below.

Wings burst from the carapace as it fell, flipping, and then the fluttering wings beat, stalling its fall. The force of the air from the wings was almost enough to blow me off my feet. Dust kicked up through the entire hatchery, and larvae rolled away from the center where the larger bug was. Once again, it was difficult to see, but I wasted no time as I turned and bolted toward the other end of the corridor. The race was on as I stumbled and tripped over larvae that still writhed on the ground.

I heard the splashing of acid rain above me, and rocks began to smash into the ground all around. The giant scarab was trying to cause a cave-in with me inside. No fucking way that was happening. Luckily, in addition to healing, the skewers had given me Dexterity, and I used it like I never had before. My feet were quick—far quicker than I'd ever thought possible. Deftly, I found each and every safe spot so as not to stumble in my pursuit of freedom. A large glob of acid fell close. Too close. I jumped to the side…

and went way further than I expected. I slammed against the wall, falling and landing on a larvae, which I crushed accidentally underfoot. They burst beneath me with a wet pop, coating the ground in pale slime and greenish fluid.

"Master duck!" Darwin screamed. Without thinking, I ducked, and a large glob of acid hit the wall just above me. Through the dust, I could see the dark form of the bug. The acid was doing its job. The entire room shook. The dust was starting to clear, and I could faintly see the tunnel leading out. I ran as fast as I could. I didn't bother trying to avoid the larvae now as I crushed them— Squish Squish Squish The sounds of my boots beat through the dead bugs, leaving me coated in vile carnage.

The chamber shifted as it began to collapse. Stone cracked overhead. Dirt poured from seams in the ceiling. The hot, sour stink of the hatchery grew worse as larvae were crushed beneath falling rocks. Close… but not close enough. I jumped, the skewers giving me the Dexterity and increased jump height. I aimed at the corridor, and as I crossed the precipice, I heard a skittering that sounded like anger.

A falling rock clipped me, and I skidded across the dirt, rolling to an eventual stop as the entire hatchery collapsed in on itself. The rumbling sent another bout of dust and roaring wind rushing through my hair. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I laid back and let my passive healing do its job. Fuck… how many times was I going to have to survive death today?

By the time I found my way out of the tunnels, it was midday. The fatigue of having no sleep and having been injured so many times, despite the healing, was becoming overwhelming. My head lulled, and I swayed from side to side as my vision sharpened to nothing more than a pin. A soft breeze brought with it a plume of dust. I coughed, and then I heard voices.

"By Luria," Marnie said, appearing from behind a nearby overturned pillar.

"How are you still alive?" I let out a soft grin… and then I fell flat on my face in the dirt. I felt hands around me and hushed voices.

"Is he injured?" Vaelith asked.

"Doesn't look that way," Sable replied.

"At least right now. His clothes are in shreds and he reeks of acid, though."

"Must have been one of his meals," Marnie concluded.

"No other way to survive."

"Master fight," Darwin said.

"Master brave." Nearby, Moolisa mooed contentedly. I forced my eyes open.

"The triumphant hero awakens," Sable said with a touch of the dramatic.

"Hero? I just survived a cave-in—and only barely. Glad to see you all made it out unscathed." Vaelith scratched at her neck.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well… I felt the ground shake, and I was able to save those two before they fell. You, however…" I was picking up on what she meant.

"So you saved them and let me fall," I concluded. Vaelith became defensive.

"Well, it wasn't a choice or anything. They were just closer, that's all. Besides, Darwin jumped after you, so I figured all was well."

"And what was Darwin supposed to do?" Darwin stood proudly as he hopped onto my shoulder. Vaelith shrugged and offered me a hand. I took it and stood.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Just outside the town," Marnie replied.

"We figured that you fell into one of the tunnels and, if you survived, you'd come out of one of the many holes in the ground."

"Many holes?" I said, my head killing me. I wished I'd had another skewer as it seemed to even heal headaches.

"So that means—" As if summoning the beast, the ground shook. The giant beetle that had been chasing me emerged from the sand like a crocodile from a river. It skittered, shaking its carapace and sending a spray of dirt. Its wings appeared and began to beat like a drum. Dust filled the air, yet Sable and Vaelith remained firm, both taking stances in front of me.

"We got this," Sable said, grinning.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head. I'll protect you as long as you keep making me more of those delicious meals."

"… Okay?" I replied, confused and stunned. The beetle thumped its legs against the dirt, yet Sable stepped forward, producing her lyre harp. Her fingers began to strum, slow at first, but getting quicker by the moment. Soon it matched the beat of the wings, each note cutting sharper through the dusty air. With one quick strum, like the crack of a whip, both of the beetle's wings exploded as if something had cut them from the inside out.

The bug skittered in what seemed to be rage, but Vaelith, likely having eaten one of my Heart Skewers, jumped well above the creature. Soaring in the air, the demon princess descended and slammed her simple farmer's hatchet into the neck of the beetle, just above where the carapace ended. The beetle stood still for a moment… then its head rolled off and its body slumped. Vaelith turned to me.

"I think this is what is known as a scarab lord. Not much of a lord if you ask me." She glanced back at the dead bug, then back to me, grinning as she did.

"Think you can cook it?" Darwin's eyes went wide.

"Cook it, cook it!" he repeated with infectious excitement. I shrugged, staring at the decapitated thing.

"I don't have a recipe… but I guess I can try."