A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 1104  They Are Creepy

Archerʼs mana repaired the broken life, shocking everyone around Yellowstone and causing the National Park Service to rush around looking for the source. He continued to channel mana into the Earth, with Midnight sleeping peacefully on his lap as he gently stroked her soft fur.

Eventually, exhaustion took its toll, and he blacked out from mana depletion. Awakening from her slumber, the little cat sensed his vulnerability and decided to protect him while he lay unconscious.

She stood on his body while scanning the surroundings and soon noticed a noise from a nearby brush. Midnightʼs ears twitched, sensing the danger, and a low growl bubbled in her throat.

With a fierce hiss, she lunged forward, her tiny form a blur of black fur against the moonlight. The lead coyote faltered, surprised by her audacity. Undeterred, she leaped at the nearest one, claws extended, and slashed across its snout with a swift strike.

The coyotes hesitated, momentarily taken aback by the fierce little furball before them. The cat stood her ground, fur bristling, hissing defiantly as she prepared to fight. One of the Coyotes lunged at her.

Midnight dodged to the side while swiping at the animal before pouncing on another. She continued to fight valiantly against the coyotes, her claws flashing like daggers as she darted between them.

Hisses and growls filled the air as she pushed back against the advancing pack. But the odds quickly turned against her. The coyotes, relentless and cunning, began to close in. One lunged from the left, snapping at her back leg, while another circled to flank her from behind.

Midnight dodged and swiped, but fatigue began to set in. A sudden sharp bite on her hind leg made her yelp in pain, and she stumbled. In that fleeting moment of vulnerability, the pack surged forward, overwhelming her with sheer numbers.

The catʼs heart raced as panic surged, urging her to escape. But just as she dashed away, one of the coyotes lunged, sinking its teeth into her tail and eliciting a startled yelp. Midnight spun around, ready to fight.

But thatʼs when she saw Archer standing there, his violet eyes glowing fiercely. He raised his hand, and Mana Manipulation lifted the coyotes off the ground. In an instant, he crushed their bodies, which burst into clouds of blood mist.

ʼDamn things tried to kill my cat,ʼ he thought while calming down.

As the chaos died down, Archer knelt, gently scooping up the little black cat while casting Aurora Healing on her. All of Midnightʼs injuries healed before she started showering him with affection.

He began to stroke her gently, his voice warm and reassuring. ʼʼThank you for protecting me. Iʼll keep you by my side from now on, as long as itʼs safe.ʼʼ

Midnight responded with a soft meow, nuzzling her head against his face in a gesture of affection that made Archer smile. He reached behind her ear, scratching softly, and she purred contentedly at his touch.

Satisfied, he settled back down, casting a cosmic shield to form a protective barrier around them. Archer started pouring mana into the ground before running out again and falling unconscious.

He lay on the soft grass while chaos erupted over Yellowstone National Park. People reported large stone people running around. The rangers were all searching for him, and a pair wandered into the clearing Archer was in and spotted the violet shield.

The man stopped walking and asked, in a confused tone, ʼʼWhat is that thing? Thereʼs someone in the center of it.ʼʼ

ʼʼLooks like some kind of new tech that the government is using,ʼʼ a woman replied while catching her breath. ʼʼWhy did we come this deep anyway?ʼʼ

ʼʼThe helicopters noticed a lack of wildlife in this part of the park and wanted us to investigate,ʼʼ the man answered.

While the two approached the shield, Archer watched Talila in the nightmarish ship, recusing hundreds of sailors. He observed the silver-haired elf trying to fight the monsters while still unconscious.

***

Talila turned to the survivors, her voice steady as she reassured them, ʼʼIʼll return soon. I must clear the corridors to the foyer where our reinforcements push through other parts of the ship.ʼʼ

With that, she tore the grate off a nearby vent, preparing to slip inside when a young womanʼs worried voice broke the silence, ʼʼWill you come back, Your Majesty?ʼʼ

Talila paused, her gaze softening as she looked back. ʼʼI promise,ʼʼ she said firmly, a reassuring glint in her eyes before disappearing into the vent.

She crawled through the dark, narrow vent, her movements silent. The metal felt cold beneath her hands as she pushed forward, each creak and echo amplifying the eerie stillness around her.

ʼWhy am I crawling through vents? Archer better praise me for this,ʼ she mused while taking out one of her short-swords.

 Suddenly, a low, guttural howl pierced the silence, sending a chill down her spine. The sound reverberated through the ducts, followed by a chorus of terrifying, distant wails that grew closer with every breath.

She steadied her breathing, pressing on despite the haunting noises swirling around her. Finally, she reached an opening. Bracing herself, she gripped the edge and dropped silently into the corridor below, landing in a crouch.

The hallway stretched out before her, dimly lit and ominously silent, save for the fading echoes of the howls behind her. Thatʼs when something lunged at her from the shadows; Talila quickly slashed through the creature and decapitated it.

Following that, more Blightborns and Ghouls charged at her. She dodged a sudden swipe of one of the creatureʼs claws, striking back with a blade that flashed in the dim light, slicing clean through its flesh.

It let out a sickening screech as it dropped down. Before she could catch her breath, a towering Blightborn emerged, its corrupted form radiating dark energy; Talila barely blocked its heavy blow, her arms straining under the impact.

She countered with a flurry of strikes, her blade igniting with a fierce glow of mana as she plunged it deep into the Blightbornʼs chest. The creature roared, stumbling back as her searing mana consumed it from within.

The Blightborn crumbled into ash moments later, and the corridor fell silent. Talila wiped her blade clean, her gaze steely as she pressed onward. She needed to find Oliviaʼs quarters, but with no clear direction, every shadowed hallway looked the same.

Determined, Talila moved cautiously, scanning each door she passed, her senses alert to any sign of movement—or a clue that might lead her to Oliviaʼs room. She moved like a shadow through the shipʼs corridors, her senses sharp in the oppressive silence.

Each step echoed faintly, swallowed up by the darkness stretching endlessly ahead. As she pressed forward, she encountered a hunched creature lurking near a broken panel, its milky eyes swiveling in her direction.

Without a sound, she drove her blade through its skull, catching its limp body before it hit the ground.

The deeper she ventured, the more creatures emerged from the darkness: ghouls with hollow, hungry eyes and monstrous Blightborn covered in oozing scars. Talila moved quickly, killing them quickly with her blade coated in the faint glow of mana, leaving nothing but ashes in her wake.

ʼIʼm getting used to killing these things, but they are creepy,ʼ she thought while resting.

Her breathing remained steady, her movements quick as she continued, even as her surroundings grew more unsettling; distant howls and shuffling noises echoed from unseen places, making the walls seem like they were closing in.

Finally, she reached a heavy door engraved with ornate symbols—Oliviaʼs quarters. She steadied herself, wiping sweat from her brow, her hand tightening around her blade as she pushed the door open, prepared for whatever horror awaited within.

ʼI can smell death,ʼ she thought while stepping inside.

Blood stained the wall, but several figures were crouched in the roomʼs corners, causing her to react as the first howl rang out. Talila shut the door before lunging at the first Blightborn and thrusting her blade through its skull.

She quickly spun and hit another with a Moon Blast that burned the Ghoul to ashes. Talila sidestepped the next attack but felt the creatureʼs claw slice open her cheek as she retaliated with a slash across its side.

Following that, Talila skillfully put down every monster lurking in the room. Minutes later, they were all dead, allowing her to sit down to catch her breath. Thanks to being an elf, she had no problem seeing in the dark.

ʼIʼve killed hundreds of them but the soldiers need to move careful as they ambush you from the shadows,ʼ she thought while cleaning her swords.

Talilaʼs gaze locked onto the door leading to the bridge; it would simplify things. After taking a moment to rest and regain her strength, she rose, steeling herself as she approached and stepped through the doorway.

Her relief was short-lived; she let out a weary sigh as her eyes adjusted to the gruesome sight before her. The corridor leading to the elevator was drenched in blood, strewn with torn body parts.

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