Chapter 227: Kruthiks

Kruthiks were reptilian hunters that form a hive of their own underneath the Araneum. They use their superior numbers to overwhelm and invade the Hive and other nearby creatures.

Some Kruthiks butcher their kills and carry them back to their territory for unknown reasons. One it could be that they were feeding their Queen, or simply they showcase it as their trophy.

According to Otik, he saw one of the Kruthik carry the skull of its prey and held it up high midair with a scream.

These underground hunters crawl in four spikey limbs. Their faces were like human-skulls of thick outer shells. These outer shells were like stones in nature, and some spikes sprouted their bodies.

To carry their prey without harming them totally, Kruthik's forearms were set in a toxic liquid. Incapacitating its prey.

"I haven't seen them on the surface," Ned said after listening to Otik.

"Well, that's because we stood in between you humans and the Kruthiks."

Aren't you human as well? Ned assumed the thought. But dismissed it

Roy dashed forward after listening to the two, he seemed to be in a hurry as he approached the roars that were getting louder.

He went ahead of the two.

"Why do you want to capture them?" Ned asked.

"You see," Otik spoke. "Their skins were harder and more durable than normal iron. I also extract their toxins to make an antidote."

"So," Ned said. "You were the Hive's top thinker?"

"Oh," Otik hummed. "But Moloatiss is far a thinker than me."

Before Ned could ask another question. The two of them stopped outside a cavern.

There, across Ned, was Roy standing outside the mouth of the cavern.

"This is where they were seen invading," Roy said over his shoulder. "And many other more, luckily, this is the only part of the hive they invaded. They didn't get to go far this time."

He then spun, with his shield and blade. He looked at Ned and said, "Looks like your training will start here. Kill as many Kruthiks as you can, Ned. Remember, they hunt in packs, so be careful. Alone they're nothing but with a pack their superior to goblins. If you think you are overwhelmed, withdraw. You know how to use a shield?"

Ned nodded with such an odd question. He then gripped the hilt of his iron sword, and the strap behind the shield.

"Good." Roy nodded. The tip of his horns glowed red as if eager to jump inside the cavern and to start slaying. "Remember, I'll be watching."

Before Roy entered the cavern, he commanded several Arachneas to light the cave.

The humanoid spiders pulled out mana stones in their pouches and threw them inside the cave. But before the mana stones light the entire passage. Kruthiks, in a decent amount of number, pulled the mana stones off the ground and eat them.

As the stones crunched under their strong mandibles, Roy hissed in anger and dashed forward with the shield held up in front.

The Arachneas and goblins followed.

Ned noticed that most goblins were also the ones that were stationed as guards near the Queen's chamber.

"Go on, kid," said Otik. The old man was eager than scared. "Just bring me some spikes, better be fresh. I'll get more toxin if it's fresh."

"Okay," Ned said with a long breath and hesitation.

Without proper lighting, Ned proceeds together with the other beasts. He never thought that he would fight alongside them. But, he got no choice for now. So he went inside.

Hundreds of them entered the cavern. The cavern was seemed to be the border between the two factions of the beasts.

The beasts, be it goblins, or Arachneas proceeded to kill the Kruthiks that were crawling the cave, some were above the surface as their spikes were sticking to the walls.

They ( the Queen's forces) were accustomed to fighting the Kruthiks as Ned saw them struck the beasts' open mouths.

Since the Kruthiks body was hardened of a shell, the only weak spot they have was their eyes, and their mouth when opened.

Ned couldn't get a hold of one Kruthik since they were overwhelmed by the Queen's forces.

Under the dimming light of some mana stones on the ground that were yet to be eaten by the Kruthiks, Ned saw a wide fork the leads to an unknown path.

"When in doubt," he whispered. His voice echoed over the cave. "Go left."

He did go left.

Crystals, in spear-like formation, from above were leaking of water like teardrops.

Not long after, to Ned's surprise, the pathway he chose was empty of both beasts from the queen and the invaders.

He hissed as he was eager to test out his body and Silk Road.

[Be careful.]

ICE prompted with care.

Ned nodded as if ICE was beside him.

[This part of the cave was too quiet. And I don't like it.]

Ned paused. "Wait," he whispered and frowned. "You don't like it, why?"

[Well.]

ICE responded.

[Not really me. But I don't like it for you.]

She paused and Ned wished he wanted to hear more of her soft voice amidst the eerily silence. Which he did as ICE proceeded to prompt.

[Even though your senses are heightened, especially after the rest. There are still limits as to how far you can hear things.]

Ned nodded as a sign of agreement. ICE was right as Ned stopped moving and focused his senses. He hears nothing aside from the screeching from above. Looking up, there was nothing there.

Ned continued to walk toward with his shield angled across his chest, and his sword readied in a stance against these beasts.

To aid him, Ned turned on his Predictive Combat Emulator in case of an attack that surprises him from different directions. His vision was filled with red digits of zero and blackness from the cave.

He smiled satisfactorily as his eyes rested at his half-filled mana bar and energy at full capacity.

To compensate for the darkness, Ned used Detect skills.

The moment the Detect skill activated, Ned jumped to his right as his vision was filled with dozens of life signature above the ceiling of the cavern.

The ceiling cracked and Kruthiks fell one by one with spikes stabbing whoever below them.

To their disappointment, the Kruthiks hit nothing but the ground of rocks, and mud.

There were dozens of them and Ned has yet to test their Grade. So he dashed forward to meet one of the Kruthik.

The beast hissed and crawled toward Ned.

Ned raised his shield to block the spike attack of the beast.

The shield blocked the attack with ease.

Its spike slipped at the side which gave Ned an advantage as the beast was thrown off-balance.

Ned raised the iron sword to attack the jaw of the beasts. Forcing him to open his mouth. It didn't.

Ned couldn't accommodate them all. There were six Kruthiks to his right and a handful to his left.

Ned jumped backward to form a wide gap between him and the beasts. He then stabbed the ground of his sword, letting it rest, and raised his hand and conjured a fireball. The cavern lit orange and red as the fireball hummed midair going to the beast.

The targeted beast evaded Ned's fireball. But the one behind it took all the impact.

The fireball exploded and made a roaring sound that echoed the cavern. The impact was devastating that even the Kruthik that evaded was caught in the blast.

Their bodies scattered, limbs, and head and landed randomly on the ground.

"Grade E?" Ned wondered. They appeared to be weak for Grade E. That was a level two fireball, I guess Grade Es couldn't handle that much firepower. Ned smiles with the thought. Of course, they're Grade E. Or was they?

Ned's lips formed a grin. His mana was enough to conjure a dozen fireball.

Ned raised his hand and conjured another fireball. He then threw it toward the angered beasts. And again, they all exploded upon contact.

Ned smiled with the result. He felt extremely strong after the rest.

If that's the case, he thought and pulled the sword off the ground.

He then taunted the beasts by banging his sword against the shield. This made the already angry beasts even angrier.

The shells behind their backs retracted and formed tiny spikes that were shot towards Ned.

Ned raised his sword to block the dozens of spikes.

The first spike was blocked, came the second, and the third, and the fourth. Spikes were planted against Ned's shield.

Came the fifth, then the sixth.

After a dozen spikes flying toward Ned and blocking, the shield cracked. Ned stood on the ground stunned.

Why would his shield break? Ned was fighting them for not less than five minutes. And he assumed that the beasts were Graded E. So why? Why would his shield break?

"Unless," Ned said, as he jumped to evade the spike of the beasts flying toward him. "Unless Roy gave me a defective one."