Chapter 861: Cave Spiders
[Lucrezia's POV]
Lucrezia was hunting around Draconia and had just finished eating a Trench Whale she hunted when she received Archer's panicked message, which sent her into a frenzy. The Mosasaur woman rushed to the Avalon Empire.
She cut through the water like a torpedo and attacked any sea monster that got in her way as she thought, 'A new poison already! The Dragons Kiss was bad enough, but what have they done now.'
Without thinking, Lucrezia saw a Ghost Whale swimming toward her with anger in its blue eyes. She didn't stop as she quickly dived down and dodged the monster's sudden attack before turning and speeding toward the creature's underside.
Lucrezia's massive jaws opened up before clamping down and ripping the whale in half, causing blood to explode like a balloon. Following that, she continued swimming north while attacking anything near her.
While traveling, Lucrezia sent a message to Demetra and Kassandra, who rushed to join her. The trio traveled north until they reached the Oakheart Kingdom's shores. She rushed toward the surface before breaching it and transforming it into her humanoid form.
The Mosasaur woman landed with a thud as the other two followed suit and appeared behind her while she sent Hemera and Hecate a message. The elves soon answered and told her that Brooke, Mary, and Sia battled powerful enemies while they ran.
Lucrezia reassured her that they did the right thing. Archer needed to be projected because the poison affected his whole body. While on land, Demetra sniffed the air and growled, "The Terrvians are here. They are hunting the girls."'
"Let's deal with them and find the others," Lucrezia said. "We need to get to Archer before the poison overruns his body."
The other two nodded before the group rushed toward the closest Terravian. Demetra told them that she would deal with the enemy. Lucrezia agreed, causing the shark girl to transform into her Demon Shark form and swallow the enemy whole.
Demetra returned to her humanoid form and crashed into another Terravian. Lucrezia floated into the air, her blonde hair floating as the mana around her turned blood red before she started chanting.
"From the depths where shadows reign,
Grant me power through my pain.
Death Goddess, hear my solemn plea,
Bestow your might, come unto me.
In the name of night's dark flame,
Fill my soul with strength and name."
Kassandra and Demetra stopped fighting when the atmosphere changed. It felt like the death gods were walking among them, but Lucrezia let out an ear-piercing scream as she started casting Death Blasts.
The red beams slammed into the Terravians. Lucrezia was a storm as she attacked the Terravians pouring out of the forest. She got in close, and every enemy she punched exploded.
Blood splattered everywhere as she tore through the enemy like a whirlwind of death. Demetra felt left out, so she rushed in and started attacking them, using her fists and teeth to decimate the creatures.
Kassandra saw the two women fighting and was amazed. She clenched her fist before sending a Trench Blast at the closest Terravian. The spell carried the force of the pressure in the deep
sea.
When it touched the creature's body, it exploded into nothing. She joined the chaotic battle that destroyed part of the forest, but the three women annihilated the Terravians searching for Archer and the girls.
Once the danger had passed, Lucrezia descended to the ground, breathing heavily. She glanced at the other two and said, "Let's go."
The trio hurried to the cave where Archer and the girls were hiding. As they arrived, they saw hundreds of monsters lurking around the entrance. Without hesitation, Lucrezia sprang into action, slaughtering every single one within minutes.
Demetra and Kassandra exchanged puzzled looks but shrugged as Hecate lowered the moon barrier. Lucrezia remained silent and approached Archer, who was still unconscious and sweating.
She crouched beside him and placed a hand on his chest before scanning. After a few seconds, her hand flew back in shock. Seconds passed, and Hemera shook her shoulder, "What's wrong, Luce?"
"They used the Devil's Bloom Plant and their creepy magic," Lucrezia commented. "I can create a potion, but not here. We must return to Draconia, where he will be safe while I collect the ingredients."
"What do you need to retrieve?" Demetra asked as the others started preparing to leave.
"The heart of a Ghost Leviathon, Blue Grass from the Avidia Desert Oasis, bark of the Nevander Tree, and a leaf from the holy tree on Verdantia," the Mosasaur woman revealed. When the group heard this, they stiffened, but that wasn't all, "There are two more ingredients: the heart of a Dark Unicorn and Rainbow Swamp Moss."
"We can decide who goes for what when we return to Draconia. I will have Ella, Llyniel, and Halime meet us at the coast so Kass can pick them up," Lucrezia ordered, and the others nodded in agreement.
Following that, the group rushed out as Kassandra held Archer in a protective embrace. Some monsters tried to attack them, but the creatures were wiped out instantly. While they made their way to the coast, they sent a message to the rest of the girls traveling with the legions. Lucrezia updated them about Archer and asked them to take the ship back to Draconia, which they agreed to do. Once that was out, Kassanda, Demetra, and Lucrezia transformed into their titan forms.
Hemera, Hecate, Talila, and Leira jumped on Demetra's head before she cast a spell that would keep them safe before diving into the cool water, followed by the Kraken and
Mosasaur.
They started swimming north while Lucrezia kept Archer in her mouth so she could bathe him in her magic. It only took the group an hour to reach Draconia, and when they arrived on shore, Aisha was there to meet them.
Lucrezia noticed the worried look on the redhead's face as she had a carriage. Everyone bundled into the biggest one while the White Dragon Knights surrounded it and escorted them toward Dragonheart City, which had just been finished.
Aisha informed them that the capital city was finished, Archer's first palace was nearly finished, and they could move him there.
***
[Mary and Sia's POV]
Mary dived into the sea, but the Terrapins continued their chase; the Primordial woman got angry and swatted them away using her massive tail, but they were using magic that hurt her
even more than usual.
With powerful strokes of her tail, she propelled through the ocean's depths, her form gliding effortlessly through the water. The sea around her was alive with vibrant colors and darting creatures, but her focus remained on the pressing need to escape the relentless Terravians.
Her large, streamlined body cut through the currents like a knife, her massive tail propelling her forward with each powerful sweep. She glanced back, her eyes narrowing as she saw the shapes of the Terravians pursuing her.
They were relentless, their magic lashing out to try and hinder her progress. Mary felt the stinging bites of their spells, but it only fueled her getaway as one of them was stronger than
herself.
While swimming, she spotted the entrance to the Underrealm and made her way toward it. As Mary entered, the Terravians stopped chasing her and became enraged by her escape into the
darkness.
Mary swam further into the dark water and felt Sia hitting the inside of her mouth. She looked around, saw a glowing light a few miles away, and headed straight for it. When getting closer, she spat the dragonkin woman out and transformed into her human form.
The two breached the surface and ended up in a large cave glowing with crystals. When Sia hit the ground, she started coughing. Shortly after, she asked, "Where are we?" "Somewhere, the Terravians and monsters of the Underrealm cannot find us; I'm injured and need to rest," Mary spoke in a strained voice.
Sia noticed this and noticed there was blood staining half her dress, which caused her to start panicking, but Mary waved her away, "I need to sleep and will recover, but I'm afraid you will be stuck here for a while."
The dragonkin woman's face paled as she gulped, "How long?"
Mary didn't answer immediately. Instead, she removed a mattress and some blankets from her storage ring, arranging them on the ground before lying down. "A week, maybe two. If I don't sleep, the poison will kill me, Sia," she said wearily. "Take my ring if you need food or water; there's enough to last a year."
With that, the grey-haired woman curled up and quickly began to snore. Sia watched her, a mix of concern and wonder in her eyes. She approached the sleeping Primordial, who seemed to be in a deep, much-needed sleep.
She sighed before examining their cave, noticing a pathway leading deeper into the darkness. What caught her attention were the numerous crystals embedded in the cave walls, which she
recognized as Manaheart Crystals.
Seeing this, Sia tried to message the other girls but received no response. She concluded that she couldn't contact anyone until Mary woke up. As she approached the pathway, she heard a chittering noise echoing through the cave.
Sia whipped her sword as another Cave Spider crawled out of the hole. The sight of the creature made the dragonkin woman cringe, but she struck swiftly, her blade slicing through the spider's body with a clean, decisive motion.
'Oh god, don't tell me I'm trapped with these creepy monsters,' Sia thought while cutting down another spider that crawled out of the hole.