NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126: ʕ•̫•ʔ---Allghoi
Just as I feared, the worst-case scenario sprang to life—literally. From the ground ahead of us erupted a massive, writhing creature that looked disturbingly like a giant, blood-red intestine with teeth.
"What the hell is that thing?!" I yelled, slamming the brakes, the buggy screeching to a halt.
Jiuge let out an ear-piercing shriek, clutching her face as if that would shield her from the horror. "Eeeek! I HATE worms! Agnos, kill it!"
Agnos, ever the poster child of indifference, barely glanced at the monstrosity. "You know, you could kill it yourself," he replied, his tone so casual it was infuriating.
"Did you not hear a wor—" Jiuge's frantic words faded into the background as my brain caught up with what I was seeing.
"WHO IN MYTHICA LET THEIR INTESTINE OUT?!" I blurted, my voice cracking at the end.
"That, my overly dramatic compatriot, is an Allghoi," Agnos replied, still unbothered, as if a colossal nightmare worm appearing out of nowhere was a regular Tuesday for him.
"A what now?" I asked, my face probably as pale as Jiuge's.
"A giant red worm, idiot!" Jiuge snapped, smacking the back of my head hard enough to rattle my thoughts. "Kill it before I accidentally kill you out of sheer terror!"
The worm reared up, its toothy maw gaping wide as it let out a guttural screech that made the buggy tremble.
"AGNOS!" I screamed, my voice cracking under the weight of pure panic.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him roll his eyes, clicking his tongue like dealing with a giant, rampaging intestine-worm was a minor inconvenience. Seriously, why did I get stuck with the most uncooperative guardian helper in existence?
"Tsk. It's just a little worm," he drawled, waving his hand dismissively. "No need to lose your mind over it."
A swirling purple mist materialized from his fingers, enveloping the massive creature as it thrashed. Within moments, the worm's violent movements slowed, its grotesque body convulsing briefly before going stiff. With an unsettling thud, it collapsed mere inches from our buggy, its enormous frame sprawled motionless on the ground.
"Danger eliminated," Agnos said lazily, a smug smirk tugging at his lips as if he'd just swatted a fly.
I turned to him, my heart still pounding in disbelief. "Is it... dead?"
He arched an unimpressed brow. "No, Carl. It's playing dead, planning an elaborate surprise party for us. What do you think? Of course, it's dead. It's not moving, is it?"
I stared at him, then back at the worm, still half expecting it to leap back to life. "You could've just said yes, you know."
Agnos shrugged, already leaning back in his seat like nothing had happened. With a lazy flick of his hand, the grotesque worm shrank until it was no larger than a grape. Then, just like that, it vanished.
"Where did it go?" I asked, half-wary, half-curious.
Agnos flashed a grin that was far too sinister for my liking. "Collected it. For research purposes."
A shiver ran down my spine. "Right… research. Totally not creepy at all."
Jiuge, who had been silently recovering from her earlier hysteria, still looked pale and visibly cringed at the mere thought of the worm. Sensing an opportunity, I smirked.
"You know," I mused, "I never expected a powerful god like you to be afraid of worms."
Her eyes snapped to me, radiating pure murder. "Say that again, and I'll show you what a god is capable of."
I quickly raised my hands in mock surrender, laughing nervously. "Message received, loud and clear."
Eager to avoid further wrath, I turned back to the buggy's controls and resumed driving. The holographic map hovered before us, the glowing sun marker blinking steadily in the same spot.
As the silence stretched, Jiuge groaned impatiently. "Can't this thing move any faster?"
"It's a buggy, Jiuge," I shot back, glancing over my shoulder. "Not a race car. Unless you've got some divine powers to supercharge it, this is as fast as it goes."
She crossed her arms and muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "useless mortals." Meanwhile, Agnos leaned back in his seat, clearly enjoying our bickering like it was some kind of live drama.
The sun marker blinked steadily ahead, its unchanging position keeping us both hopeful and on edge.
Whatever awaited us at the end of this journey, it was clear we were getting closer—but not fast enough for my nerves
"I don't get what's so dangerous about this place," I said, leaning back as the buggy glided over the uneven terrain. "Other than that giant worm, the ride's been pretty smooth so far."
Agnos gave me a sidelong glance but said nothing. Jiuge, still recovering from the worm incident, muttered something about my optimism being misplaced.
Two hours later, as the buggy bounced over another root-covered path, an unsettling realization hit me. I squinted at a familiar landmark—a jagged, broken tree leaning at an odd angle.
"Hold up," I said, slowing the buggy. "I've seen that tree before."
Agnos raised an eyebrow. "It's a forest, Carl. Trees tend to look alike."
"No, no. That tree." I pointed at the distinctly shattered trunk. "We've passed it four times. Same angle, same spot."
Jiuge groaned, leaning forward to peer out. "Oh no. Don't tell me we're going in circles."
Agnos smirked, crossing his arms lazily. "Congratulations, Carl. You've officially jinxed the forest. And now you know why this place is dangerous—it's not just the creatures; it's the place itself."
He gestured dramatically at the surrounding woods. "Welcome to the Forest of Forgotten Tales, where logic goes to die, and you're now officially lost."
I stared at him, slack-jawed. "Lost? How? We have a GPS! This thing should lead us right to the goddess!"
"Well," Agnos drawled, "maybe this forest has magic that messes with navigation—GPS included."
"Great," Jiuge muttered, slumping back in her seat. "So we're stuck. Fantastic."
Panic bubbled in my chest, but I shoved it down. "Alright, no big deal. We'll figure it out. Maybe the core fragment can lead us—"
Before I could finish, the map flickered and glitched, the glowing sun marker spinning wildly in place.