BBrrrrttttttt!!
“Coommeee onnn, Bitttcchhhessss~!” Snowflake shrieked gleefully, her tail wrapped around the machine gun, spraying bullets in every direction as waves of snake monsters charged toward them.
Meanwhile, Aether blinked, utterly dumbfounded at the sight.
He had handed her the weapon because she’d begged to play with it—he had been reluctant, considering she was about to kill down her own kind—but now…
‘Where did I go wrong?’ Aether thought, feeling a pang of guilt as he watched her blow holes into the charging snakes with a manic grin on her face, ‘I’ve definitely failed in raising her right…’
Look at her!!
She even somehow managed to pull out a pair of sunglasses, which now sat crookedly on her tiny face, “Hehehe~” Snowflake giggled, thoroughly enjoying herself as she obliterated her fellow snake creatures.
Aether was speechless. “Where the hell did she even hide those?” he muttered under his breath, still in disbelief. His eyes scanned the battlefield. The snake horde seemed never-ending, pouring in from every crevice of the valley.
Baggrrruhhhaa
Aether’s ears twitched at the ominous rumble in the distance, “I can’t waste time just standing here killing wave after wave…” he muttered, shifting his gaze back to Snowflake…. who was now casually eating popcorn while continuing to fire the gun.
“…”
Aether didn’t even have the words anymore. All he wanted to know was where the hell she was getting the popcorn from.
He grabbed a few dozen boxes of bullets and handed them to her, “Look, Snow… These rounds should last you for the next three or four waves. But if the monsters start getting too strong, I want you to immediately pull back and come to my position, okay?” His tone was serious, his eyes locked onto hers.
Snowflake’s face fell, her eyes widening with sadness. “L-Leaving meee~?”
Aether shook his head. “Of course not! I just need you to watch my back. Can you do that for me? Keep an eye out and protect me?” He gave her a gentle smile, trying to reassure her.
[+4000 AP]
Her sad expression melted away, replaced by a wide, feral grin. “Of courseeee~ Anything for masstterr~!” she hissed, her excitement building as her tail slapped the ground in anticipation.
The thought of Aether trusting her enough to show his back—his vulnerability—filled her with pride. “Masterrr trusttt meeee~” she squealed, loading another belt of bullets into the machine gun.
“Succckkk it uppp, bitttcchhessss~!”
BBBBRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTT!!!
Bang, Bang, Bang!…..
“….”
Aether blinked again, rubbing his forehead with a groan. ‘Yep, it’s official. I’m responsible for this… I totally corrupted her.’ With a resigned sigh, he gave her a soft pat on the back. “Be careful, okay?” he said before turning to leave.
Snowflake watched him go, her sharp eyes tracking his movements. She knew what Aether was thinking—after spending so much time by his side, she could read him like a book.
He always left her behind when danger loomed, and always kept her out of the thick of it. But this time was different….. This time, he trusted her enough to face the little danger alongside him, but not too danger and she was ready to prove she could fight by his side, no matter what.
She was still lost in thought when—
A massive red snake, its eyes glowing with murderous intent, slithered silently behind her, fangs bared and ready to strike.
HHIIIISSSS!
It’s hiss echoed in her mind as it lunged toward her with lightning speed.
Snowflake’s eyes widened, her instincts kicking in, but before she could react—
Chuccckkk!!
A sharp metallic nail shot out, piercing the monster snake right before it could reach her!
Snowflake stared in shock, her head whipping around to see a small patch-like device attached to her back. The device whirred to life, sending out another nail, and skewering another snake that had been sneaking up from behind.
Her eyes sparkled with realization, a grin spreading across her face as she understood what was happening…
[+4000 AP]
[+4000 AP]
[+4000 AP]
“Masstterrr lovessss meeee~~!” she squealed, filled with joy as she unleashed another hail of bullets on the incoming wave of snakes.
BBBBRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTT!!!
Meanwhile,
Aether was focused, his senses attuned to the rumbling sound ahead. The deeper he ventured into the valley, the louder it became.
Crack… Crack…
Aether flinched as he felt the ground beneath him tremble, the very roots of the earth stretching and snapping under some immense force.
Whatever was ahead… it was massive!
“Interesting…” he muttered, his pace quickening as he moved further into the depth of the valley.
Step… Step… Step… Step…
Suddenly, Aether froze. He could feel it now—heavy, deliberate footsteps, each one causing the earth itself to quake.
The air grew heavier with each step, the oppressive force pressing down on Aether as he sprinted toward the source.
‘It’s close…’ Aether thought, his heart pounding in his chest as he pushed forward…
And finally, after running deeper into cracked roots…
He saw them—two rainbow-coloured crystals suspended in the darkness, floating unnaturally in mid-air. The pitch-black surroundings made it impossible for Aether to discern what they were attached to.
With caution, Aether conjured a small burst of purple flames, sending them shooting upward. The moment the flames illuminated the dark void—
BOOM!
As the purple light cut through the gloom….. Aether’s eyes widened in horror.
“What the fu—”
BAGRUUUUUUUHHHHHAAAAAA!
BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Before he could finish his sentence, something colossal crashed into the ground where he had just stood. The impact was deafening, obliterating everything in its path and sending a shockwave that made the earth quiver.
“Huff… huff…” Aether’s breath came in ragged gasps. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, barely processing the fact that he had narrowly avoided being flattened into a bloody smear.
He rolled to the side, ducking behind a large rock for cover, his body trembling with adrenaline and…. fear?
What had he just seen?
Nothing… just an
Elephant!
But this wasn’t any ordinary elephant—this beast was the size of a towering mountain!!
He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, his hands trembling as the memories of his past death flashed vividly in his mind.
Crushed!!
The thought of being smashed again, reduced to nothing beneath the weight of something so immense, made his heart race even faster. His breath hitched, panic threatening to overtake him…. His death really did number on him!!
Slap!
Aether slapped his own face quitely, forcing himself to focus. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm the storm withinm “Aether… Focus… You need to overcome this fear! This is why you’re here!” he muttered, his voice shaky but determined.
He exhaled, relieved that Snowflake wasn’t here to witness him nearly break down.
Taking another deep breath, he peeked around the edge of the rock.
Step, Step, Step, Step….
The two rainbow-coloured crystals were still moving like…. in a circular path, glowing softly as they swayed in the air… But now he realized something terrifying—
“Those are… its eyes?” Aether whispered, his voice filled with disbelief. The monstrous elephant’s eyes glowed like twin jewels in the dark, each rainbow-coloured orb shifting as if scanning its surroundings.
He needed to light up this area, but conjuring flames would give away his position immediately. Aether bit his lip, calculating his next move. The structure they were in was circular, giving him some tactical advantage, but it wouldn’t matter if the creature crushed him before he could make a plan.
“Tsk, I really miss Aria’s weapon right about now…” Aether gritted his teeth. With a bow, he could have shot crystals into strategic positions, lighting up the area without exposing himself. But now, he’d have to do this the hard way.
“This is why I shouldn’t have relied on the Log too much,” he muttered under his breath, slowly moving behind the cover of a large boulder. He took out a handful of small, white crystal balls—had a function similar to LED lights!
He carefully placed one crystal at a time, his heart hammering in his chest as the thunderous footsteps of the beast grew louder and more frequent. Each step sent tremors through the ground, making Aether’s pulse quicken, ‘Stay calm, Aether… You are not going to be crushed again!!’ he reminded himself, forcing his legs to move as he circled the beast.
THUMP!
The ground shook as one of the massive feet landed close by, close enough that Aether felt the impact in his bones.
His heart skipped a beat. He gritted his teeth, determined not to let fear paralyze him. With slow, deliberate movements, he continued placing the crystals in a circular pattern, aligning them with the movements of the creature’s glowing eyes.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of careful, silent steps, he hid behind another rock. His fingers trembling, he snapped them—
Snap!
Flick… Sshhh!
A chain reaction of light erupted around the area as the crystals he had placed ignited one by one. The darkness receded, and the entire cavernous space was suddenly bathed in radiant white light.
“Unbelievable…” Aether breathed, momentarily mesmerized by what he saw.
It was a big elephant.
No, not just a big elephant—this was a behemoth, a creature of myth.
Its massive form lumbered forward, Its tusks were colossal, curving outward in a graceful yet fearsome arc. They were thick and heavy, stretching impossibly long, they were engraved with glowing runes, pulsing with power. The etchings seemed to shift and writhe as the creature moved, as though alive with ancient magic.
The trunk, thick as an ancient tree, hung with an effortless strength, swaying in gentle movements. Its surface was rough and ridged, with deep folds running down its length. It was clear that this trunk could crush or lift with equal ease…. as it wrapped around root!!
The legs of the creature were pillars of raw strength. Thick and sturdy, they held up its enormous form with ease. Each foot was broad, the pads of its soles sinking slightly into the earth with every step, creating deep imprints that resembled craters.
The elephant’s rainbow-coloured crystal eyes were filled with a deep, primal intelligence, but there was also something dangerous, something untamed. (Image in the comment)