Agent of Seraphim-Chapter 34: Den of Worm (4)

Ruby looked at the heaving mass of worms with tears in her eyes.

She tried not to show it, but a multitude of thoughts were running through her mind.

The man who lured most of the demon worms in the realm, and provided the expedition team a chance to kill off the worms, with room to breathe.

She had a lot to tell him.

In truth, she wanted to interrogate him.

Why was he so much different compared to the past?

His behavior, his way of speaking, even the way he carried himself. Everything had changed.

Could amnesia really affect a person so much that they seemed to be a different person altogether?

Was he still the same person in her memory?

Ruby was too exhausted to think.

She just kept pouring out spells after spells onto the heaving mass of worms.

She wanted to help the man underneath the pile of demon worms, to help him survive, even if it was just a slight difference.

She needed him to make it out alive. So that he could answer all the questions she had in mind. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Should she unleash the sealed beast in her?

If she does, she could easily tear apart the thick layers of worms. Still, the consequences she had to face afterward were... unimaginable...

She might have needed to be on the run, and by then, she would also have had no chance to meet Brand again.

In the worst-case scenario, Brand would be scorched along with the worms.

Just while she was still contemplating the choice she would be making, a voice rang in her head.

She paused and listened to the voice. This was the voice that had accompanied her since birth.

Her curse.

She slowly regained calmness while listening to the voice.

Normally, she would despise the voice for all the pain it made her go through. They were horrible and traumatising.

However, this was the first time that she welcomed the voice. Although it was despicable, it never lied.

’The brat was still alive, and his heartbeat was getting stronger.’ The voice scoffed.

Flame flickered in her eyes. Hope returned.

She held her family heirloom, the red gemstone, in her hand.

She would wait for him to make it out alive and burn him herself for worrying her.

***

It had been an hour under the pile of demon worms. The weight pressed on him was getting unbearable.

A new wave of worms came crushing on the carcasses of the demon worms he had defeated.

This was the perfect time to utilise the new skill he had acquired.

"Consume," Brand muttered the keyword, for the activation of the skill he just received.

[Consume - Consume slain enemies for energy recovery.]

Crimson mist emitted from Brand and enveloped the demon worms’ carcases.

Energy was absorbed into the mist, and when it returned to Brand, he felt his body getting lighter.

His energy started to return.

Brand was fascinated with the effect and spread out the crimson mist further from him,

The crimson mist spread out further, enveloping more carcasses of the demon worms.

The energy remains in the carcases sipped into the mist, and every time it does this, the crimson mist pulsed with eerie light.

After travelling for a certain radius around him, he could no longer spread the mist further, and he retrieved the fog.

As the mist returned, it spiralled around Brand as the centre.

Brand could feel strength returning to him. His arm, his body. He felt like he could have another bout with the horde of demon worms.

’Hmm, too bad it didn’t help with health recovery.’

’Consume’ only managed to replenish his energy, but not his health.

’But it’s alright for the time being.’

Brand would need to stay damaged to dish out the maximum damage output for the upcoming attack.

He would unleash the last Reverse Strike he saved.

He had also prepared, knowing that this would take a toll on his body.

Up until now, the strikes he made to the demon worms, the energy only stayed in his fist. This was what he learnt from the battle with Edd. To preserve his energy.

But this strike he was now making was different.

He muttered with a resigned smile.

"Reverse Strike!"

Brand drew a wide arc with the claw, with his exoskeleton intact.

A crescent-shaped wave of crimson energy was shot into the horde of Demon Worms.

In the dense fog without any light within the den, the energy wave was like a crimson moon.

The crescent-shaped energy traveled through the den, swept past all the demon worms in its path.

The demon worms that were in the way were disintegrated.

This was thanks to his hard work, unleashing the AOE skill on his training of demon worms.

The energy wave was still continuing on its path, and taking out any enemies it came in contact with.

Faint red text appeared in Brand’s vision, showing him the live feed of the battle in the den.

[Demon Worms - 185 nos remaining.]

...

[Demon Worms - 102 nos remaining.]

...

Brand grinned. He was glad that his strategy worked out.

He confirmed that things were on the right track and snapped a finger, driving it into the ground.

’Go and check the activity underground.’

Time to check on the possibility of future danger, just in case of second waves and more.

***

The warriors of the expedition team continued their fight with relentless determination.

Ed dashes toward a demon worm and shoulder-bashes it, to stumble the horrific and ugly worm.

Edd and Eddy followed up with their attacks to take down the worm.

Their combo attacks were admirable in the eyes of other warriors.

There were a few foreign warriors who used a pike as a weapon.

The number of demon worms was getting smaller and smaller.

Their only issue now was, they were unsure of Brand’s well-being under the pile of demon worms.

They noticed the screeching sound was getting softer, and deduced that Brand had taken out most of them, and he was still fighting.

"Retreat to the rear!" Karl ordered after noticing the pile of worms was vibrating intensely, with crimson mist leaking out and enveloped it.

They couldn’t know what happened underneath, for the pile of worms to have such sight. However, they all feel it.

A surge of energy was coming out from the pile of worms.