Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 121: Brood Matron

Tia looked up just in time to see the Brood Matron descending upon her, all eight of its bladed limbs poised to skewer her.

Reacting instinctively, Tia allowed herself to fall, turning her momentum into a roll.

It wasnt enough. She narrowly avoided the matrons devastating limbs, but she hadnt rolled far enough away to clear the matrons enormous body.

Gaaaaaaaaaah! Tia screamed as the matrons weight crashed down upon her. It was all she could do to wrench her torso away but it came at the cost of her arm.

Her left arm lay crushed and maimed under the Matron. Tia gritted her teeth against the immense pain.

Shes not going to make it, Vir thought, observing from ten paces away. The Matrons ambush happened so quickly, none of the other party members had time to react.

But theyd been in fights before. Lots and lots of them. Whereas a lesser party might have frozen or fled, Spears Edge did nothing of the sort.

Neel weaved through the enemy Hunters, confusing them, while Haymi fired Splash before lashing out with twin Arc orbs. Vason activated Bulwark and Leaped forth.

Both attacks would have ended a human. Both attacks failed. Haymis Lightning spells harmlessly cracked against the Matrons tough carapace, failing to shock her target. Vason didnt even make it to the Matron. For the mother whod spawned so many beasts had not come alone. Over a dozen Hunter-Gatherers surrounded the Matron in a circular formation, guarding her against physical assault.

Vasons tower shield smashed into the formation. While the Hunter took some damage, their defense held, and the warriors momentum came screeching to a halt.

Worsethe Matron hadnt paid them an ounce of her attention. Her bladed limb raised, ready to decapitate Tia, who lay crushed under her immense weight.

Despite the agonizing pain, Tia mustered her willpower and fired an Ember spell right into the Matrons face, forcing the beast to abort its strike. It bought her a precious few seconds, but that was all. She remained stuck under the Matron with nowhere to escape to.

Left alone, she would die there.

Not if I can help it.

Vir hadnt been idle, either. The moment he saw Tia fall, hed started charging Dance of the Shadow Demon. With the current prana level of this area, it took only a handful of seconds to activate, but even that felt like an eternity to Vir.

The moment it did, he sunk into the shadows. Instead of looking for an exit he could escape to, he looked straight at the shadow cast by the Matron. Though hed never tried it before, shadows were an absence of light, and so it made sense that the ground under the Matron lay in shadow.

He was right. From the Shadow Realm, he saw Tia, sandwiched between earth and beast.

All he had to do was create an opening large enough. After all, hed done it before with Neel.

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Vir attempted to take a deep breath, but of course, his body was completely unresponsive within this Realm of darkness. Before his ten counts were up, he exited.

Right next to Tia. Right under the beast.

To say that the sensation was uncomfortable was an understatement. The Matrons immense weight compressed his torso, and he could feel his armor straining to retain its shape under her weight.

Even ten seconds of this would no doubt crush his Brigandine, causing his chest to implode. But Vir didnt need ten seconds. He only needed four.

Tias face warped from pain to horrific shock as she saw Vir emerge from the ground, right under the Matrons torso. Her surprise was so great that her lips moved, but she was unable to form words.

And then Vir grabbed her arm, and they disappeared.

Back into the Shadow Realm. The Matrons crushing weight immediately disappeared. Vir searched and found Tias prana signature right beside him, her body frozen just as his was.

Remembering his first experience in the Shadow Realmand the panic attack that had ensuedVir did not linger long, instead choosing an exit near the group.

The long rays of dusk gave him several options, and in the next instant, theyd both resurfaced behind Haymi and Vason.

Tia gasped desperately for air, as though shed been submerged underwater. The sensation was eerily similar, until one learned they couldnt possibly drown in the Shadow Realm.

Tia! You alright? Vason shouted, immediately falling back to her position. Haymi also scurried over, placing herself on the opposite side, while Neel barked and raced between the enemys legs, keeping them occupied. His efforts and Haymi's magic bought the party a much-needed respite, a brief moment of calm in the storm of battle.

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Apramor saved me, she replied, nodding subtly at Vir.

So shes not going to ask. Well, not like we have the luxury of discussion right now, anyway.

Hed hidden the true power of Dance from them until now. But was that secret worth Tias life?

No Badrakking way.

Tia, your arm! Haymi cried, immediately dropping to her knees and bringing out her B Grade Mend Bone orb.

No big deal.

No big deal!? Vason asked in irritation. First you fight a monster too powerful for us, and now you ignore your own mortal wounds? Come on!

Tia rolled her eyes. Haymi, do what you can, but Im not expecting a miracle, Tia said, grimacing as Haymis orb went to work. The mejai always kept her Life orbs precharged in case of a medical emergency like this. In fact, Haymi tended to keep nearly all her orbs precharged for emergencies.

What now? Vason shouted as he fended off a Hunter. Vir was right beside him, lashing out at Hunters who strayed too close as he kept watch on the Matron.

So far, the beast had been content to watch its minions harry the injured party. Did she think they were doomed? Or was she simply cautious, gauging them for weaknesses?

Shes intelligent. Highly intelligent, Vir commented. Shes using tactics like humans would.

And my magic is completely ineffective. With Tia out of commission

I can still fight, Tia said, scrambling to her feet. It was obvious to everyone just how much pain she was in, even with Haymis Numb Pain orb.

No, you can't. Stop pushing yourself. We should flee, Vason said, bashing another Hunter. Whatever respite weve earned wont last long. That Matron is eyeing us like prey.

Vir shook his head. We have no chance of outrunning her. You saw how fast she moved. If it was me, alone, I might manage something. But with you

Take Tia and flee. You can move through the ground, cant you? Haymi said.

And leave you behind? Youd be as good as dead. No, we need a better plan. We need towatch out, venom!

Aroo! Neel cried, jumping in front of the Hunter. The Bandy possessed no means of harming these creatures, so Vir had Neel run around. The Hunters limited intelligence made this plan possible, but against the Matron? Vir didnt want his friend anywhere near her.

Neel, back! Protect the others!

Awooo! Neel barked, returning to Haymi and Tia.

Vason moved into position, taking the Hunters venom with his tower shield.

Vir was on the enemy even before Vason had recovered. Jumping onto its back, Vir drove his Prana Blade katar into its carapace, beginning the process of gouging into its armor. For the Hunters, he needed only Prana Blade and Empower. Hed opted to slot Haymis Enhance Speed orb to get more strikes in, rather than Enhance Sharpness. Itd proved to be the right decision.

Though hed done this dozens of times, it was still a slow, cumbersome process, even with his speed. Hed tried swapping out for Vasons talwar in the past, but to no avail. Prana Blades limit was about the length of his katars blade. Without it, he had no hope of dealing damage to the hardened chitins.

Another blast of acidic venom flew through the air, but this time, it was aimed for Vir.

Hed been expecting as much, and Leaped out of the way, deftly landing on another Hunters back. He landed katar-first, gouging a deep wound in its armor before using his momentum to flip off its back and onto another. Acid sailed in an arc, but so long as it was all directed on him

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spied the Matron, charging at Vason, Tia, and Haymi.

Badraks Balls!

Shed waited for the moment Vir took action before acting, showing just how cautious she was of Vir. How long her caution would last, Vir couldnt say. All he could do was give her even more reasons to fear him.

Vir hurled a chakram, which bounced harmlessly off the Matrons carapace, before Leaping directly onto her back. Like her spawn, she possessed no defenses that guarded her back, and so Vir laid into her.

Augmented by Haymis Enhance Speed orb, Vir sliced faster and more viciously than ever before.

Innumerable marks appeared on the Matrons carapace, but his strikes did little to chip it away. As befitting a creature of her Balar Rank, her armor was even sturdier than her Hunters.

The Matron, finally noticing the entity on her back, roared.

Immediately, half the Hunters present fired their venom. Green acid arced into the air, all aimed for Vir, but he knew better than to press his luck.

Vir was gone the moment the Matron screamed for help, already on top of another Hunters carapace. One which hed already gouged before.

Apramor! Whats taking so long? Vason cried, tanking another burst of venom. The Matrons got that acid too, he said in desperation. And shes got a lot more of it than the others. I dunno how long my shield will last.

Vir glanced at Vason to see his shield corroding before their very eyes.

That acid can eat through steel!? Vir gulped. The Matrons attention was still solidly on Vason and the rest of the crew. He had to change that.

Luckily, he had a way to do exactly that. After having bounded from Hunter to Hunter, gouging away at their armor, hed finally exposed them all.

Vir landed atop a Hunters back and thrust his katar into the hole hed dug. This time, the blade dug deep enough, and with a shudder, it collapsed.

Having used this tactic so many times before, Vir didnt even wait to check his results. From one Hunter to another, he bounded. One by one, the Hunters collapsed.

In his wake, he left only a trail of death and destruction. And in doing so, earned himself the attention of their Matron.

The massive beast screeched in anger.

Or so he thought.

But that screech wasnt born of frustration or hatred. It was a declaration of victory.

For the moment Virs feet touched the ground, pain assaulted him. His boots melted off. The acid continued to melt his flesh, leaving him reeling.

Badraks Balls the ground!

The continuous sprays of venom Vir had dodged werent aimed at him. They were aimed at the ground.

To turn the ground into a festering pool of acid that crippled all who walked through it.

Apramor! Look out!!

Distracted by the pain, Vir failed to notice the Matron open her venom gland and spray a deluge of acidright at him.

Vir ducked and turned, but could not dodge in time.

He took the full brunt of acid to his back. His armor heldfor nowbut the rest of his body was not so lucky. The acid ate into the back of his head, his biceps, and most of his legs, consuming his clothing as if they werent there.

APRAMOR! he heard someone cry, but it was difficult to say who. Virs world had become one of all-consuming pain. He no longer knew which way was up or down, or even if he was standing or had fallen.

Had he fallen into the vat of acid that covered the ground? Was he being attacked?

Ah. This isnt good, he dazedly realized as his vision grew dark.

But it was not the gods he prayed to as his consciousness ebbed. It wasnt Janak, or Adinat, or even Vera.

Ekanai? Shardul? If youre there, I could really use some help right now