NOVEL NEXT Chapter 183: Creepy Encounter
Lukas decided to go and check on Terry and his teammates.
Riley wanted someone to go with Lukas, but he decided against it.
He was worried that there might be a surprise attack on Riley and the others by the demonic beasts.
With his Ether Realm ability and his myriad of other abilities, Lukas was confident that he would be able to remain unscathed.
"Keep in contact with the earbuds and let us know if you need assistance." Riley knew Lukas was right and he relented.
Lukas didn't waste any time and used his Gravity ability to move through the trees and vegetation swiftly.
When he arrived at where Terry and his teammates were supposed to be, they were nowhere to be seen.
Lukas glanced around at the surroundings.
There were no signs of any battle.
No fallen trees, no debris or blood on the ground.
It was like they had disappeared from the forest.
Lukas looked back from where they came from.
Same thing. There was no indication that Terry and his teammates went back the other way.
There were only two possibilities left for him to check.
Forward or to the left.
Lukas decided to check ahead first.
He flew slowly above ground, trying to see from above whether he could spot Terry and the others.
It was after around two hundred feet that he saw something.
A bright reflection from something that was metallic shined into his eyes.
Lukas stopped, deactivated his Gravity ability and got onto the ground to check what it was.
When he got to the ground, he saw that the item that reflected the sunlight into his eyes was Lin's sword.
And from what he knew of Lin, she would never leave her sword unattended lying on the ground.
Something must have happened.
He picked up the sword to see if there was any blood on the blade.
Nothing.
Either there wasn't any battle or the enemy got to her before she could attack.
"Riley and Kevin, be on the alert. Terry's team is missing, and I found Lin's sword on the ground." Lukas spoke into his earbuds, updating them on what he had found out.
"We will do so." Riley and Kevin replied.
Lukas then continued further ahead.
Rustle.
When he took a few steps, he heard the rustling of the plants on his side.
Lukas took a step again.
And right on cue, he heard a rustle.
Next Lukas took another step, but this time, he used his Ice Ability, and the ice extended from the ground towards where the rustling sound came from.
"Let... Go..." A child's voice pleaded.
It came from where the rustling sound was.
Lukas entered his Ether Realm and got through the vegetation.
When he got to where the rustling sound was, he was astonished by what he saw.
The voice came from something.
He saw a figure struggling to break free from the ice that had frozen the figure's legs.
Its body was like an adult human's, with limbs that were different lengths, and its head was however like a small child's.
When he got closer to inspect carefully, he saw that the figure's head and limbs were stitched together with very crude string. Most likely made from coconut husks.
And from his vision within the Ether Realm, Lukas saw that at the heart of the stitched-up man was an illuminated red hue in the form of an insect-like creature.
Lukas appeared at the back of the stitched-up man and asked, "Who are you? And where are Terry and the rest?"
The stitched up 'man' started to give out a high-pitched growl with a kid's voice and spoke random words.
"Milk... Heaven... Food..."
As the stitched-up man spoke, Lukas could see that the insect-like creature moved and squeezed onto the heart of the man.
Lukas figured that the insect-like creature was a demonic beast that was parasitic, and the stitched-up man was already dead.
His conclusion was confirmed in the next moment.
Crack.
He heard the stitched-up man's spine crack, and it turned its body one hundred and eighty degrees to face him.
And with the spine being fractured, the stitched-up man used its hands to tear its upper body off the lower portion.
"Help...me...." The stitched-up man crawled towards Lukas with both of its hands.
Lukas lifted his leg and stomped it onto the ground.
Ice extended from his feet towards the stitched-up man.
The stitched-up man swung its arms at Lukas.
Whoosh.
The arms tore off its body and flew towards Lukas.
Lukas used his shadow and deflected the arms to the side.
"Argh!" When the stitched-up man saw what happened, it opened its mouth wide.
A red insect-like creature with six legs and two short antennae crawled out of the stitched-up man's mouth and lunged at Lukas.
Boom!
Lukas punched at it with his fist giving out a loud boom as it broke through the air.
The insect-like creature didn't even get close to Lukas before it was decimated by the air wave that shot out from his punch.
His strength and reaction at Level 8 were too much for the insect-like creature.
If it were other awakened, they would have fallen prey to such a cunning demonic beast.
Which might be what happened to Terry and his teammates.
The insect-like demonic beasts must have lured them with their voices and led them somewhere else.
A familiar sound erupted in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Slaughter Points +700]
[Current Slaughter Points: 8600/80000]
[Host Level: 8]
[Current Abilities: 8]
"Lukas, is everything all right? We heard some commotion." Riley's voice came into his earbuds.
Lukas replied, "Everything is all right for me. Terry and his teammates might have been tricked."
He went on to brief the others about what he had encountered.
"Those bastards!" Kevin said angrily.
Even though he was jostling with Terry to build good rapport with Lukas, he wasn't one to not recognize Terry as a fellow awakened.
They were after the same goal after all.
And that was to rid mankind of all these pesky demonic beasts.
Lukas walked over to the body of the stitched-up man.
It lay motionlessly and within minutes, he saw the flesh of the man decay and turn into a puddle of putrid dark liquid.