Agent of Seraphim-Chapter 51: Fissure

"It’s probably just the scent of the worm’s goo, right?"

Brand got goosebumps from Karl’s shift of expression. Karl’s expression was not aligned with his tone earlier.

However, he did not point it out and just played along. He felt that Karl was just testing him, so he had to shrug it off, acting like he was not affected by his words.

"Maybe?" He replied. "By the way, let’s go to Ed’s side."

He shifted the topic not only because of finding excuses. There was danger approaching them, from what he saw on the Map. Red dots appeared near Ed’s team.

He brought out the outsider’s radar to Karl. He felt like an instructor explaining gadgets before they went on a mission.

"There, this is the position indicator of Ed’s team." He explained. "The outsiders have a lot of interesting devices."

Karl checked the device, but only briefly, as if he was getting used to it.

"He adapts fast," Seraphine remarked.

***

Brand, with the expedition teams, was now running towards Ed’s direction. He was recording with the device he looted.

"We can use this as precious footage to create a guide for warriors of the next expedition team." He explained to the others, who seemed to see him as the wise one.

"That’s a fantastic idea!" Eddy said in excitement. "We show them the terrifying battle we faced, and how we braced through the challenges!"

"Yea!!!" The other warriors shouted in unison, ramping up the mood by slamming their chests, creating a battle cry to elevate the morale of the team further.

’The purpose is not to show off, you idiots...’

He started to worry as the red dots on the Map were increasing in number. The outsider’s radar only showed the tracker on Ed, so they didn’t know what was happening over there.

Though Karl was an exception. He would make wary expressions from time to time when red dots appeared on the Map.

’He could smell the blood scent, right?’

—!

He had developed a heightened sense of touch after the multiple usage of Scarab Form. Now, he could detect vibrations to a small degree, even without activating the skill.

He sensed worms approaching from beneath the ground, and leapt to the side. Because of his lowered sense, the worm’s attack was dodged only with a very fine thread.

Shortly after he side-stepped, a demon worm erupted from the ground, gnawing the empty air.

He quickly went into a counterattack, piercing his fist into the worm.

"Worms are incoming!" He warned his teammates. The others quickly went into engage mode by taking their battle stance.

After the multiple battles earlier, everyone in the expedition had developed a survival instinct, which could only be gained after experiencing life and death situations.

He looked at the warrior with bandages all over his body, Eric, who held the buckler tightly in his arm, ready to defend against the enemy’s attack for his teammates.

Even with the heavy injuries, he still showed preparedness to defend against enemy attack, shielding his teammates.

"Guard Pulse!" Eric shouted. The worms tackling him had hit an invisible wall and bounced back with an equal reaction force.

Then he looked at Eddy, who had energy gathered in his fist, and leapt towards the worms. He grabbed the worm’s body and slammed it on the other worms, taking at least two worms out with his attack.

’Everyone had grown throughout the raid.’

Brand and the others had been encountering demon worms every now and then. Occasionally, there were other variations of demon worms as well.

"Bone-head Worm..." Ruby muttered. Brand saw that she started channeling mana into her palm, coating a layer of flame in her hand.

When the worms lunged at her, she would slap them down, leaving an imprint on the thick skull of the worm. The imprint of her palm then started to burn, fire spreading all over the worm rapidly.

"That’s no big deal, compared to the bigger worms we took out." Brand heard Ruby’s words, without any hint of hurry or worry.

’A delayed attack? Not only that... it is physically strong as well...’

He swore to not agitate Ruby in the future. The scene left a deep impression on his mind.

Karl was just dealing with the worms without any hiccups. They were nothing in his eyes. The worms tend to avoid him as well.

As for him, the worms seemed to view him as their sworn enemies. They were swarming at him. If the others were dealing with two to three worms, he was dealing with a dozen!

"They like you?" Seraphine was intrigued with the scene unfolding before him.

A series of notification sounds rang in his mind.

[The Beetle Who Consumed The Worms - Title effect activated.]

[The demon worms couldn’t accept that the beetle was above them and would take you as their priority target.]

[Mission: Survive the swarms of worms, and reach the Ruin of Worm.]

[Reward:

Title Upgrade, +3 AGIUnlock continuation quest]

[Failure:

Revoke Title - The Beetle Who Consumed The WormsRevoke Skill - Consume.]

’You must be kidding me...’

The earth started to rumble with great intensity, and a fissure formed, right under his foot.

"Brand!"

"Hold my hand!"

He heard his fellow warriors shouting while they were trying to reach their hands to him. However, he had long since fallen into the void. He could feel threads coiling around his limbs, dragging him into the darkness beneath.

He felt it was unfair for the scenarios to descend upon him. It felt like a personal grudge from the System, or maybe from the Den of Worm?

The fissure started to close after he fell into it.

Beside him was Seraphine, who was swirling around him like a ghost, and above him...

A bright red glow was above him.

—HISS

He heard a shriek, crackling hiss.

Then a shadow appeared.

’No... a light glob is falling down?’

’It’s so bright... Like a molten drop of lava...’

When the lava had cooled down, he saw a human figure appear from within. It was a woman with long hair, shimmering with a fiery glow, flickering in the suffocating space.

As if the darkness would not chain the will of flame.

Freedom.

He felt the flame was the embodiment of freedom. The flame seemed to be happy that it had been set loose, to run wild.

He then heard a familiar voice calling out to him from the human figure.

"Brand!!!"

Ruby was calling out to him.