Chapter 34: Mountainous Ventures: Part 2

'Whoever caused this definitely had their fun…' I grimly uttered to myself, observing this slaughterhouse.

This place is basically a giant treasure room, one-hundred feet in length, and fifty in width. A few scattered, derelict pillars across this place, and one doorway on the left of me, leading into next filled with lifeless gems. However, there was another thing present here. Corpses.

Mounds of bodies brutally mangled as if something squeezed them dry like a bloodied lemon. Some had gored lacerations all over their bodies and through their armor. While others were simply mutilated, severed limbs splayed on the ground.

The rancid, bold smell of metal and copper swept into my nose with each breathe I took. Leaving a very uncomfortable taste in my mouth.

I discerned the muffled patterns of someone growing nauseous, and when I looked to my right. Liam had retched vomit onto the white cobblestoned floor.

"W-what could've possibly happened here?" Evelyn asked in a revolting tone.

I only shook my head; nobody could come to an answer about this disgusting scene. The only thing we could do now; fulfill what brought us here in the first place. Collect lifeless gems.

After Liam had caught his breath and rattled his body to pump blood through himself. We carried on towards the doorway on our left.

Then, I felt a murderous presence, emanating from beyond the entry. The three stopped dead in their tracks, feeling this homicidal sensation as well. After we halted, I heard low, yet heavy footsteps, slowly getting closer. Next, a huge, masculine hand had seized the stile of the doorway.

Stepping out, it came to be a humongous bloke, standing near eight feet tall. An extremely musclebound man with chest hair and an unnatural skin tone of rose-burgundy. Only attired in a red robe wrapped around his waist, sitting atop baggy black trousers tucked into huge leather boots. Possessing a mass amount of unruly brown hair, deeming it to be like an animal's fur coat. His narrowed eyes were hazel. But what really caught my attention, was the shiny, black circular stone, embedded in the center of his forehead.

Liam firmly clinched his dual axes, "who-what are you?!" He yelled, pointing one of his weapons at the beastly bloke.

"Heh-hahaha… you're gonna wish you've never came here." The giant man cackled sinisterly.

He lifted his large foot and darted towards Evelyn and Liam. When he charged to them, he spanned his fingers apart and his nails extended into jagged, claw like blades.

He raised his arm and swung it down to Liam. Liam quickly lifted his axes above his head and blocked the heavy attack, causing his feet to engrave the ground below. But the giant briskly followed through, sweeping his leg across Liam's stomach, propelling him into the wall from us.

When Liam was knocked back, Evelyn lunged at the giant being and slashed her katana right at his torso. But he parried the attack with his dagger like claws and front kicked her on the stomach, smashing her onto a rock.

The giant turned to us and made a vicious smile. Both me and Ava lowered our posture, bracing for impact. When the man stampeded towards us, Ava aimed her arm at the bloke and launched numerous blades of water to him.

Less than a second, he created a large circle of scorching flames revolving around his self, making the blades of water evaporate. As he made the blazes disappear running to us, I took my chance. Faster than the eye could see, I emerged in front of him and threw a right hook onto his gut, casting him into the wall behind.

"Hahahaha… I'm surprised a sexy little thing like you packs so much of a punch!" His bass-toned voice laughed as he stood onto his feet. "KEENA! GET OUT HERE! Some people got past your beasts!" He shouted, making the entire room shake vigorously.

In that moment, a woman appeared beside him. She had light blue skin, pointy ears, with two antennas propped on the top of her head that draped over her eyebrows. Lengthy, wavy black hair and topaz-green eyes. Wearing a long red robe that fell over her feet. "I was busy collecting the stones, Gene." Keena growled with attitude in a calm manner.

'This-who are these people? I've never came across beings like this in any of the planets, or books and scriptures I read before. Could it be the last two planets, how did they even manage to get here??' I conjectured myself, utterly bewildered by these two.

"What are you here for?" I interrogated attentively, keeping an eye on the two.

"That's none of your business…" Keena uttered shutting down my question.

I heard groans and feet stumbling to stand, noticing Liam and Evelyn erecting to their feet.

'I need to beat them and bring these two in for questioning.' I stated in my head.

Then, Keena raised her arm, and created aggressive, sizzling lightning onto her hand. She shot the flashing shocks at the four of us simultaneously. Hastily, we all weaved and blocked the quick attack. At that moment, Ava manipulated water and sent another barrage of crescent liquid towards Keena.

Gene leapt in front of Keena and made a wall of fire appear, blocking the attack. He covered his hands in flames and made his nails grow into daggers once more, then dashed to us.

But Liam dove between us and cuts him off. He coated his twin axes in flames and swung them towards the giant man's stomach. Gene stood straight with a malicious grin, allowing his weapons to connect. When they did, it stopped right at his gut, not making a single scratch. I couldn't see Liam's eyes, but heard terror in his voice, "w-what the h-hell are you?"

Gene lifted his massive arm, "kehahaha…someone stronger than you, lesser…" He hammered down, ramming his fist across Liam's cheek. Slamming him into one of the deceased challengers on the ground and skidded across the room into the wall.

I was shocked by his defense, taking an attack head on. This only means he's much stronger then the three. But he seems to be very conceited of his own strength. If Liam survived, I'll be fairly surprised.

"LIAM!!" Dismayed, The two shrieked.

The three of us all charged to the unidentified beings. However, Keena lifted her hand once more and fired another crackle of lighting in our direction. As we all evaded the fierce attack, Evelyn was separated from me and Ava. When she faltered, Gene hurdled towards her and slashed his claws at her head. She lifted her katana, parrying the heavy attack but staggered back.

Before Ava and I could do anything to aid her, Keena sent more shocks towards our direction, keeping our attention on her.

Just as I side flipped from the attack, it collided into Ava, casting her away.

When she flew back towards the back wall, a sharpened stalagmite was waiting. Ava's thigh was brutally impaled and screamed a bloodcurdling cry. All at once, I heard someone suffocating, struggling to breathe. I turned around, only to witness the behemoth of a man, Gene. His large hand fixed around Evelyn's neck as he held her above the ground.

I clicked my tongue and swung my arm, firing a dimensional wave right through his wrist. Gene's eyes widened as his wrist was cleanly sliced off, unhanding Evelyn's neck while it fell to the floor.

'I should've just told these kids to leave...' I grumbled in my head.

Gene applied aura around his blood-covered nub, grotesquely regrowing a new hand. Watching his bone regrow, his red and white muscles quickly intwine, and his rose-burgundy skin form over his insides. Developing a new hand as if he was never damaged in the first place. Gene shook his wrist as he cackled, "this sexy little vixen is different from those three weaklings. She's dangerous."

Keena stepped beside him, "then we'll get rid of her…" She stated sheathing her hand in lightning.

"M-Miss Valentine… run!" Ava weakly shouted taking heavy breathes.

I shook my head, "it's fine." I immersed myself in chaotic black aura, feeling that malevolent sensation flow through my being.

This unnerving aura began to permeate through out the entire room. Noticing Gene and Keena's facial expressions, both brimming with overwhelming horror.

"We-we have to end this woman, by any means necessary…" Keena muttered frightfully, coating herself in more thunderous lightning. Gene simply nodded his head feebly, manipulating a giant ball of flames.

The two fired a bombardment of blazing fire and crackling lightning towards me.

I simply lifted my index finger distorting space, stopping their attacks in time. When they grew dazed by this, I flicked my finger, causing it to combust, exploding onto them.

They flew back towards the door and harshly smacked the ground. However, Gene speedily lifted himself and charged at me releasing a battle cry.

"Gene WAIT!!" Keena shouted raising her arm.

Still, Gene kept his pace running towards me. He increased his nails into elongated claws, conjured fire around them and leapt. When he slashed his dagger like claws at me, I quickly weaved under the attack, and shot an upper cut right onto his stomach knocking him in air.

While he was airborne, I made a molecular blackhole emerge precisely near his heart. Watching his back steadily become a small aperture, able to view the ceiling through him. Gene quickly fixed himself and back flipped, landing on the floor with a hefty 'thud'. "Hahaha, is that all you got cutie?" Gene laughed ignorantly as if nothing occurred.

Although, as a second went by, Gene glanced down at his chest, noticing the small hole where his heart was present. His narrow, hazel eyes broadened from realization as his mouth gaped open in fear. His rose-burgundy skin grew paler, turning into a greyish tone. Next, he attempted using his vital, enfolding himself in aura trying to repair.

In that instant, I created a humming purple blade on my arm. At the speed of light, watching my vision expand once more as it became a wide tunnel of images. I leapt to him and ran my arm flawlessly through his muscular neck. Coming to stand behind him as I stood before Keena.

Gene turned around, staring at me with a face drowned in dread. A thin line became perceptible on his neck, then, his head flew into the air as long strands of his brown hair fell to the ground. All while his giant body remained on foot, standing still.

I drifted my eyes to Keena, not daring to move a single muscle as her forehead was sweating buckets. When I finally discerned Gene's huge body hit the ground, "I'll spare you and bring you with me for questioning." I spoke, glaring at the woman with light blue skin.

Keena gritted her teeth out of spite and reached in her pocket. Alarmed, I raised my hand, prepared to apprehend her. Despite this, she only revealed a small red pill, coated in tiny lumps.

'What is that?' I pondered.

"FOR MY LADYSHIP!!" Keena yelled, engulfing the pill.

I noticed her vital was spiking uncontrollably, like she was trying to- 'Dammit, she's trying to destroy the entire mountain range!' I cursed in my head.

In haste, I lifted my hand and distorted space, creating a translucent cube, keeping her trapped. While Keena attempted to break out firing sheets of lightning, I made the cube decrease in size as she grew smaller inside. Then drifted it into my palm.

"Mi-Miss Valentine wh-what are you doing??" Ava asked in terror.

"Don't worry, its ok." I reassured her enclosing my palm with the other. I patiently waited and felt a powerful force in the cube as my hands shook. When I opened them, black smoke had flowed into the oxygen, slowly fazing away.

I sighed in relief, "whew… if I was slower, this place would've been nothing but a desert plain."

After all that occurred, I brought the three together and reversed time on their wounds. Their injuries began to glow a purple hue and gradually enclose, still, Evelyn and Liam were unconscious. I'm surprised that Liam even survived, that armor of his really saved him this time.

Before we could leave, "Ava, give me your bag." I demanded holding my hand out. Ava nodded and pulled a brown pouch from the pocket of her cloak and handed it to me.

I ran into the room on my left and came to find an abundant number of grey gems placed in large pores inside the ground. After I filled their bag with gems and got two for me. I returned to the three in the opposite room and encased mine, and their bodies in purple, teleporting to the medical center in Tayon City.

****

As the three laid on blue beds in a large infirmary room. Ava was still conscious. "Thank you for saving us, miss Valentine," Ava thanked with a smile.

I nodded, "of course Ava, just be careful when you all venture out." I noted.

"I understand." Ava chuckled.

"Well then, I'll be heading off. I have to get back home," I sat their pouch filled with gems in the corner of the room by a chair.

"Thank you, once again miss Valentine." Ava slightly bowed while sitting up.

"No problem Ava." I smiled waving her goodbye, sheathing myself in purple and teleporting back home.

*****

I surfaced onto the back of our yard and looked above to see the setting sun. Then I gazed down, viewing Sin and Rellgis sparring with wooden swords as Melluna and Tenko sat on a chair watching. When I advanced to my family, and they all noticed me.

"Mommy!" Melluna shouted wholeheartedly running to me with her arms widened. I lifted her into the air and kissed her forehead as the others approached me. "Hey mom, did you get the gems?" Skysin asked.

I nodded, "of course silly." I happily spoke rubbing his head.

Rellgis wrapped his arms firmly around me and bent down to press his lips against mine. "How'd it go?" Rellgis asked.

Flashbacks flew through my head. Those two people, unnatural skin tones and odd features. But I remained with a smile, not wanting to worry the kids, especially Sin. "I'll tell you about it later honey."- I sighed- "I have to cook some food too."

While we advanced to the back door of our great house, "hahaha, don't worry. Food has already been made." Rellgis reassured with a lofty smile.

"Ohh? And who made it?" I jested, playfully bending forward to him.

Rellgis opened the door for me, and we all entered the house. Viewing the large kitchen on the right of me, I caught sight of a small feast set on the granite counter. Pork, rice, and vegetables with glasses of wine for me and my husband.

"Where'd you get the food from?" I asked, surprised by this outcome.

"We went hunting for a little bit earlier today." Rellgis stated ruffling Sin's long hair.

"Hahaha, well thank you all…" I chuckled sitting Melluna down. Then, we brought the food into the dining room and finally dined in after a long day.

Still, what had transpired was running in my mind like a book filled with the same pages. I'll have to inform Rellgis about this later tonight.

*****