Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking-Chapter 585: Gilderoy’s Adventure IV
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The mines weren't that far from where Gilderoy and Allura were staying temporarily. Still, it was quite a walk, especially for an injured child like Linus, the young Crystal Sprite, to trek all while dragging his barely breathing father, making his act even more admirable.
They passed through a foliage of trees and bushes, occasionally seeing small yet docile insects along the way. Gilderoy could even see the tracks left behind by Linus as they retraced his steps.
After half an hour of walking, they arrived at the location of the mines. Its sight caused the two crystal sprites to feel greatly disheartened.
Lennon, the older crystal sprite, felt weak. His knees wobbled as he saw the destruction before them.
The entrance of the mine has completely collapsed, and there's not a soul in sight, though there were traces of remains left behind.
Crystal Sprites don't technically 'bleed' since they're pure energy lifeforms. And while they're immune to physical attacks, it doesn't make them invincible. The Nightmare Crystal Worm could be considered the bane of their existence because it can hurt and kill crystal sprites even though it's made of flesh and bones.
Varying shades of blue stains dyed the ground, especially near the mouth of the mines. From this, it was clear that most of their kind had fallen to the worm.
It was so eerily silent that even the breeze of wind was loud. Conflict of emotions wracked Lennon. It's a mixture of gratitude and loss; gratitude because he and his son were lucky to have escaped the nightmare, and total loss because it's basically over now. The mine was gone, and he couldn't possibly return there because of the possibility that the nightmare worm was still roaming in its depths.
"How tragic," Allura whispered to herself. Her words struck the pair of crystal sprites, making them feel even more depressed.
However, before they could say anything, they saw her stepping forward. Her hand glowed with a deep earthy color as she waved it around. And under the pair's dumbstruck gaze, the chunks of rocks and debris that blocked the entrance to the mine started moving.
The scene looked as if time was being rewound. The collapsed entrance reverted to its original state: intact and solid. It looked just like the pair remembered it to be, like nothing happened to it at all.
Lennon calmed his heart as best as he could. He had seen feats of magic before, most of it coming from his supervisors, yet the ones they used were far too inferior to what this lady just displayed, and she did it with such ease too.
Linus' eyes were practically sparkling in admiration. To him, that simple display of magic was simply too amazing. There is no doubt that this just became a core memory that he will carry for the rest of his life.
"Well, I don't sense the worm anywhere near this place," Allura told her husband. "It must've gone back to its nest, somewhere deeper in the mine, I think."
"I think so too." Gilderoy nodded, but in truth, he didn't just 'think'; he was certain. Why? Because he saw it himself. But that's not important right now.
Allura then turned to Lennon, wearing an apologetic face, saying, "I'm sorry, I can't sense anybody else in there."
She dared not say too much because this was already a lot for the father and son to handle. That said, she still thinks that they deserve to know the truth; that's why she directly informed them.
That last bit of hope in Lennon's heart completely disappeared after hearing this. But instead of lashing out or disbelieving, he just stood there, completely defeated.
Well, what could anybody expect from him? For him to deny the truth even though it's staring at his face? Cry? Shout and plot for revenge? Was he even qualified?
He's powerless to change anything. He's also incapable of reversing the truth of their situation. He's weak, so he could only stand there and take everything thrown at him. All he could really do was to mourn for his fallen comrades and think of a way to, at least, let his son, Linus, survive this cruel fate.
Gilderoy remained silent as he watched. He didn't tell him that the breeding ground of Crystal Sprites had been ruined too...that it's quite possible that they will be the last of their kind in this world.
Sure, he might be able to repair it, but it wouldn't be quite the same. After all, the strict environment needed for Crystal Sprites to be born should be a natural phenomenon; any interference lowers the possibility of it succeeding.
Poor creatures, really...
Thud!
"Pa!"
Under Gilderoy and Linus' shocked gazes, Lennon dropped to the ground and prostrated himself before the former.
"Sir, please. I know I don't have anything to offer to you; I'm even greatly indebted to you already. But as a father, the last thing I could do is to ensure that my dear son lives, so I can only take advantage of the kindness you've shown to us so far."
"Pa!" Linus started crying, but Lennon remained unmoved.
"Please, sir, take my son as your student. I don't ask for much; I just want him to live until he reaches the end of his natural lifespan. You don't have to teach him about life evolution or anything to make him strong. My son is clever and knows how to follow instructions; he can serve you well. All I want is for him to live because there's no hope of that happening here anymore. So please, sir..." freёnovelkiss.com
Lennon groveled even deeper to the ground, gritting his teeth and feeling incredibly desperate.
"Please take care of my son. He's the only one I have left."
The silence that followed was uncomfortable. Lennon kept his head down, and Linus knelt beside him, looking as if his soul was lost, while Gilderoy was momentarily dazed.
Gilderoy was somber. He sighed at the misfortune of these two. Their birth was already complicated and difficult, and living, for them, was even more so.
His mind drifted to the stories he heard in his youth, the old stories about when demons used to run rampant on Prime Earth. He couldn't help but wonder, 'Just how many humans have experienced the same thing? '
The horrible stories about people needing to betray their own kind for the sake of survival resurfaced in his memory. And more important, if his father wasn't so lucky and decisive, wouldn't he be like this too?
It feels so strange because, somehow, he could see his father's silhouette blending with the prostrating Lennon. It's like seeing his all-powerful father groveling for the sake of keeping his family safe. And obviously, he could see himself in Linus: weak and utterly incapable of going against his miserable fate.
The scene plucked at his heartstrings, and the image became so unbearable that he felt stifled upon seeing it. But he quickly caught his mood shift and took control of it.
"Stand up," he said to Lennon, mostly because the image still makes him feel deeply uncomfortable.
"S-Sir, please!"
Gilderoy sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "Your son clearly disagrees with your decision, you know."
Lennon blanched, but as he was about to speak up for his son, Linus' moved himself this time, and, like his father, he too groveled in front of Gilderoy and said:
"Please, sir! Accept me into your tutelage. I'll be good, I promise. I'll do anything you ask me to, just please take me in."
Lennon bit his lips in frustration mostly directed at his own weakness. Seeing and hearing his son beg for something was heartbreaking. The guilt was eating him alive, yet it's too late to change anything. At this point, this was the only way forward for his beloved child.
What he didn't notice, that Gilderoy certainly did, was that Linus' words were forced. The kid hid it well, but how can Gilderoy miss this? Lennon said it himself: the kid was clever and knew how to follow instructions. He immediately understood that things might go bad if he didn't do something. He already knew that his father was doing this for him, so how could he waste this chance?
A strange expression crept onto Gilderoy's face. Then he said,
"Alright, sure, but you have to pass my test first."
Gilderoy winced ever-so-slightly, feeling his wife pinching his sides stealthily.
Linus' looked up. His young face was marred with determination and a desire to prove himself.
Seeing this, Gilderoy sighed and said, "If you want me to accept you as my student, then face your nightmares. Stare at its eyes and don't cower."
Before Linus' could agree, however, the ground beneath them suddenly quaked violently. Then, from underground, a massive creature appeared. It was a large and pulsating mass of flesh that blotted out the sun from the little guy's perspective. Its skin looked hard and had a crystalline sheen; one could even see several crystal ores forming on it.
The most terrifying aspect of this monster was its large and gaping mouth lined with many rows of razor-sharp teeth. It was big enough for him to know that he wouldn't even count as an appetizer to it.
This...was the Nightmare Crystal Worm that he must face bravely.
