Chapter 85: A Long Walk and a Terrifying Sight

It had already been three hours since Arya started walking along the molten rocky path, shrouded in blinding darkness. As he moved forward, the oppressive aura surrounding him grew heavier, making each step more unbearable. At the same time, he had to remain vigilant—there was a terrifying beast lurking ahead, one that could appear at any moment.

"Hey... why are you so silent? And when exactly is that beast going to show up? Is it near, or do we still have some distance to cover? And you're absolutely sure that it doesn't have any real attacking abilities, right?" Arya asked, trying to break the silence.

"Hmm... Why are you suddenly so talkative?" Fang responded lazily. "And yes, I'm certain. That beast doesn't have any actual offensive abilities—its power lies only in its horrifying appearance."

Whenever Arya got bored, he made it a habit to bother the little beast within him. Having a living, talking spirit inside him came with its own perks, and never being alone was one of them. He continued walking with slow yet cautious steps, not just because of the suppressive aura pressing down on him but also due to the lurking danger ahead.

The entire cave was enshrouded in thick darkness, limiting his visibility. The deeper he went, the harder it became to make out his surroundings. He suspected this darkness was caused by Fang's so-called 'brother's' energy source. Because of it, he could barely see a few feet ahead, making it nearly impossible to anticipate what lay in wait.

After another hour of walking, Arya finally caught a glimpse of something—an enormous shadow lingering in the distance. Though its form was unclear, just the sight of it sent a wave of alertness through his body. His instincts screamed that this was the creature he had been warned about.

"Is that the beast?" Arya inquired, his tone cautious.

"Seems like it," Fang replied, observing the distant silhouette. "But it's still quite far away, so I can't say for sure."

"It's still quite far... Is there any way to avoid encountering it?" Arya asked, hoping for an easy way out.

"No, I don't think so," Fang answered bluntly.

With no choice but to move forward, Arya proceeded with heightened awareness. Though a part of him was wary, another part was strangely curious. This was a completely new kind of creature—one he had never even heard of before. He wanted to see it with his own eyes.

As he advanced, the shadow grew larger, and soon, Arya found himself looking up—far up—just to take in the sheer size of the being before him. His heartbeat quickened. The confidence he had built up, reassured by Fang's presence, wavered under the immense pressure of the beast's presence.

Still, he did not turn back. He believed Fang had no reason to lie—if the beast truly had no offensive power, then he just needed to steel his mind and push forward. Holding his breath, he took the final steps.

Just as he was about to get a clear view, Fang's voice rang out again.

"So much pressure... Just don't get a heart attack and die. It would be quite the shame if you dropped dead here—what a pathetic way to go," he remarked in a teasing tone.

Arya ignored the sarcasm, choosing to focus on what lay ahead. Finally, his vision cleared, and he got a proper look at the beast. It was enormous—exactly as he had imagined—but instead of terrifying, it just looked... weird.

Towering into the darkness, the creature's form was bizarre. It lacked visible eyes, a nose, or ears. Instead, it had only an enormous, unsettling mouth. Or at least, Arya thought it was a mouth—he wasn't entirely sure. He scrutinized it carefully, standing completely still, afraid that if he made the wrong move, he wouldn't survive the next second.

But as he continued observing, a strange realization struck him. Something about this beast's shape... felt oddly familiar.

Wait...

Arya narrowed his eyes, thinking aloud.

"If this whole path I've been walking on is actually a beast's body... then this thing... which looks like that..."

Suddenly, the realization clicked in his mind. His face darkened as he clenched his fists.

"Fang, you little—!"

Cursing internally, Arya turned his glare toward the spirit beast.

"Damn it! So you do know how to play pranks, huh?! But seriously, don't do this kind of thing in a place like this! I was tense for the last four hours, thinking I was walking toward some unspeakable horror!"

A deep, resounding laugh echoed throughout the cave, shaking the very walls.

"Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"

The laughter was full of amusement and satisfaction, rolling through the oppressive darkness like a booming wave.

"I GOT YOU!" Fang howled between fits of laughter. "I really got you! That face you made when you realized what this thing actually was... absolutely priceless!"

Arya's expression twitched.

"I was wondering the whole time while you were walking," Fang continued, still chuckling. "How did you not realize it sooner? I even mentioned it earlier!"

"Yeah, well..." Arya exhaled sharply. "Do you really think I'd have the time to connect those dots while walking through a dark, suffocating, and dreadful cave? Only you could come up with such a stupid prank in a place like this."

"Now that you know what it is, don't just stand there and stare at it," Fang teased. "Move forward already."

"I'm not staring at it!" Arya retorted, before pausing. "I was just... wondering. If I ever get as big as this thing, what would my—"

"Hah! Now that's a weird thought," Fang interrupted. "But I won't blame you. After seeing this, any man would probably think the same thing."

Arya's face twitched again.

"Stop making it sound even weirder!" he snapped. "Let's just move forward."

Suppressing his irritation, Arya resumed his journey. His steps quickened as they bypassed a dense, bizarrely formed forest and followed a winding path toward their destination.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, they arrived. They were finally close.