Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking-Chapter 586: Gilderoy’s Adventure (V)

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The bane of Crystal Sprites' existence was here, all in its horrifying glory...

Its massive, fleshy body, dotted by crystal ores, wriggled furiously as if it was disturbed or hurt. Its jaws lined with multiple layers of teeth chewed on nothing; the sound it made sent chills that penetrated the bones.

It let out a terrifying screech that nearly caused Linus and Lennon's eardrums to shatter. Its aura made them feel despair gripping their hearts tightly, as if death itself was coming for them and they had no choice but to comply.

The image of the nightmare etched itself into their memory. Previously, they only saw shadows of it because they were scrambling to get away from it as fast as they could. Now, they were forced to meet it face-to-face, making them realize just how fortunate they truly were to truly escape from its jaws.

Lennon's heart threatened to jump out of his throat. He was obviously worried because his son, Linus, was standing practically right in front of the terrifying creature. He couldn't imagine just how frightened his son must be.

But at the same time, he felt bitter because he made this happen? Wasn't he the one who begged Gilderoy to take his son as his student? Had he not done so, this terrifying creature wouldn't have appeared right in front of them, and his son wouldn't have to face his worst nightmares.

Self-blame and guilt were eating him alive. Why was he so weak and useless? Why did he not have the ability to give his son a better life? It would've been fine if he suffered alone, yet in every step of the way and with every failure he faced, his son was always affected.

Inwardly, he swore...if his son were to perish here, he would follow him without hesitation. Because without his child, there's no meaning left to his life anymore.

While Lennon was being eaten by his guilt, Gilderoy, on the other hand, felt increasingly amused. Because contrary to what Lennon expected his son to feel, Linus displayed the complete opposite.

Linus stared at the enormous monstrosity with a feral glint in his eyes. Gilderoy couldn't sense an ounce of fear in his body. Linus stared at the bane of his existence fearlessly and with the desire to kill it where it stood to eliminate the shackles that bound him.

The little guy, despite knowing that he's outclassed and outgunned, didn't seem to mind that he stood no chance at killing this thing. In his mind, it's either he lives and it dies, or it's going to be the other way around.

Seemingly sensing this, the Nightmare Crystal Worm stilled. Then, without any prior warning, as if utterly provoked, it dove toward Linus, intent on swallowing the little guy whole just like it did to the previous ones it met.

Seeing this, Lennon let out a cry of terror. He scrambled forward, intent on pulling his son away from the creature, but his knees felt weak from all the groveling he did earlier. He cursed his weakness again as he stumbled, eating dirt from the ground as he fell face first to it.

But of course, could he, Gilderoy, stand there and watch as a tragedy unfolded before him?

"Son! Son! Get away from there, quick!" Lennon crawled on all fours, still in panic, and he never did so this fast.

He reached his son and dragged him back but soon discovered that either his son got a lot heavier just now or he's just too weak that he couldn't even make him budge.

Linus turned to him with sparkling eyes and said, "Pa, calm down. Look!"

Lennon looked at where his son was pointing, and what he saw made him slack-jawed.

The Nightmare Crystal Worm was suspended in the air, frozen and held up by some mysterious force. Its body pulsed again and again, a sign that it was struggling to break free from its predicament but couldn't for some reason. It's as if it was chained in the air and its bindings were too tough and durable to be broken so easily.

Tap! Tap!

The pair looked to the side and saw Gilderoy walking towards them with a small smile on his face. He then crouched right in front of Linus, ruffled his fluffy head, and said,

"Well done. You were very brave just now."

Linus preened at this praise. He really didn't understand how he passed the test, but he wouldn't argue either. The chance was here, and he'd be a fool to blow it out just because of 'righteousness.'

Under his sparkling gaze, something manifested in Gilderoy's hand. It was a pickaxe, one that Linus couldn't possibly mistake for something else since he had always seen his father carrying it as he left for work at the start of the day and whenever he returned home after work. Linus himself swung one of these once or twice; it's just that he was too young to be a miner, which is why he never had one for himself.

"The crystal ores that grow on the surface of the Nightmare Crystal Worm's body are ten times more precious than the ordinary ores that grow under normal and common situations."

"Your next task from me is to take this pickaxe and gather as many of these rare crystals as you can. You have until the end of the day to do so. You're basically a disciple of mine at this point, but how I treat you will depend on how much tuition fee you can afford. Those crystals will be that tuition fee, so do your best."

"Take the pickaxe whenever you're ready!"

Gilderoy placed the pickaxe right at Linus' feet before standing up and walking to the side. With a wave of his hand, he waved at the surrounding nature to create a table and chairs for him and his wife to sit. The nearby tree even extended its branches and grew more leaves just to provide better shade for him.

Such an effortless display of magic made Linus' eyes sparkle in splendor. A fire within him burned even more fiercely. This was another chance for him to prove himself. He was determined to not let this chance go. He oh-so-badly wanted to learn that kind of magic! If he could learn even a fraction of what his master knows, then he could give himself and his father a better life!

A life with no more fear! A comfortable life!

Linus was practically buzzing in excitement, and this much was clear to Lennon. The older crystal sprite also realized that Gilderoy wouldn't allow him to help his son directly with this, so he could only give some professional advice before his son began his next task.

Lennon grabbed his son's shoulders and solemnly said, "Listen, son. I know you're very eager to prove yourself, but while I'm relieved to see that, it doesn't change the fact that you have no idea how to properly mine at all. Even I can't say that I would be able to mine the ores on that thing's body since it's not normal."

His words doused the enthusiasm in his son's heart, yet they also provided him clarity that he had lost due to his excitement.

"I suggest you start at the ones growing at its midsection. The ones at its head and tail should be tougher to mine out, so the midsection is the best place for you to start."

"When you hold the pickaxe, don't just strike blindly. Search for areas that show vulnerabilities. Since you're mining crystal ores and you're a Crystal Sprite just like me, this shouldn't be hard for you; this is part of our instincts after all. After a few tries, you should be able to have a better grasp of this."

"And finally, once you've determined where you strike, strike with confidence. Put your back into it. Don't think that you will damage the ore; you won't. It's much tougher and more durable than you think, so strike hard, understand?"

"Yes, Pa." Linus' nodded eagerly, savoring his father's advice deeply.

"Alright. This is as much help as I can give you. The rest will be up to your efforts. No matter what, move forward without any regrets; don't worry about me."

"Mn!"

After confirming his resolve, Linue picked up the pickaxe and weighed it in his small arms. He swung it around, familiarizing himself with its weight and feel. Then, his eyes measured the worm that's still stranded in the air. And with a light-footed hop, he easily landed on its body.

As he was barefoot, the direct contact with the worm's pulsating flesh made him feel gross. Ignoring that feeling, however, he made his way to its midsection and chose a crystal ore clump to mine. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Taking a deep breath and focusing on it, he discovered that it was indeed as his father said: his instincts were telling him where to strike. He hefted the pickaxe over his head and muttered,

"For my tuition fee..."

Then, he swung down, making sure to put his back on the strike. A loud crack rang in his ears, and from a single strike from him, the ore fell to the ground, intact and ready to be collected.

"Awesome, that's the first one!"