Insect Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 332. The end of a 20 year rivalry

Meanwhile, in another part of the gate...

Three bodies lay on the ground, their flesh cut open in numerous places.

The robed men had already been cleaved in half, their faces frozen with hopelessness, an expression that showed they weren’t even allowed to escape.

"Where did all your confidence go?" the Baron asked as he wiped the blood from his sword while sitting calmly under a large tree. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The third man, the knight, glared at the Baron, gnashing his teeth. He lay helpless on the ground, both his hands amputated and one leg missing.

"To fool everyone about your fatal wounds... I have to say, Aldric, I didn’t know you had such cunning in you," the knight spat, blood splattering the ground. One could feel the spite dripping from his voice.

"Hm?" The Baron looked momentarily confused. Then a faint grin spread on his face.

He rose and unlatched his armor, opening it to reveal his bare skin beneath.

The sheer size and refinement of the Baron’s abs showed just how far beyond the level of human he had risen.

There wasn’t even a single wound on his body, except for his hands.

But then, his fingers moved to his abdomen, pinching the end of it.

The knight watched in horror as the Baron peeled away a layer of flesh from his abdomen, and what he saw next made him forget the blood pouring from his mouth entirely.

Beneath the skin on the Baron’s abdomen lay a deep green scar that seemed to be swollen and filled with some thick, viscous liquid.

"Were you talking about this?" the Baron asked, his eyes filled with the same unsettling madness.

"You..."

"I have spared your life twice in the last 20 years, Malrec," the baron muttered, cutting him off.

"As much as I would have liked to give you a healing potion and spare you so that we can spar again..." His voice softened with a hint of pity, a tone that seemed to have irked the knight even more than a supposed fatal wound on the Baron’s body.

"You really crossed all the limits this time."

"Just because you went up a measly level, you thought you could fight me? And not only fight me... but take on a mission that threatened my dear son..." A vein bulged on the Baron’s forehead as he stepped closer.

"It’s about time I end this one-sided rivalry for good."

He then raised his freshly cleaned sword up in the air.

"I..."

The moment Malrec tried to speak was the moment the Baron swung the blade.

The next instant, a thin red line appeared down the center of the knight’s face, tracing along his neck.

The baron saw as the knight’s body split cleanly in two and all the organs began spilling onto the ground.

Anger twisted the baron’s face, but beyond that, there was an unmistakable sadness in his eyes.

The baron looked down at the pulsating wound on his abdomen. After looking at it for a while, he calmly placed the sheet of skin back over it, sealing it so perfectly that no one would be able to guess that there might be a wound beneath it to begin with.

"I feel pity for your children, you bastard. To leave them behind for such an obsession..." the Baron couldn’t help but mutter under his breath before turning and walking away.

It was clear he didn’t want to look at the scene any longer than necessary.

"Hm? You helped Theo?" the Baron suddenly spoke, amusement lacing his voice.

"Heh... I can already imagine the look on his face... I will be back there soon; keep protecting them," he said, leaping into the air and vanishing from the spot.

Almost immediately, crawlers burst out of the ground and began feasting on the three obliterated human corpses.

_____

Back at the camp, the silence was killing everyone.

For the past 20 minutes, not a single crawler had emerged from the ground, making the camp all calm and peaceful, if the broken terrain was completely taken out of the picture.

They were all seated inside the small hut. Even the beasts were inside this time, staying close to protect their humans.

"That was definitely Father’s beast; I am sure of it now," Theo said confidently. His voice had finally regained its composure and the sane tone.

"That seems to be the only explanation for such a beast to help us."

"And it talked with you too..." Clara added, taking a deep breath.

The trio then fell silent again. None of them had pleasant memories about talking beasts.

"There wasn’t much talking," Theo said. "When its beak touched my head, I think it formed a telepathic connection, just the way that primordial beast did." An embarrassed smile formed on his face.

"And it only said three words. Weak. Grow. Strong. Each word was spoken heavily... slowly too..."

Theo’s words left Clara and Elias deep in thought.

Silence stretched on until Theo noticed Clara glancing at him, only to avert her gaze when their eyes met. Realizing that it had happened more than a few times, he couldn’t help but ask.

"What is it, Clara? You can say whatever’s on your mind, freely like usual."

This time, Clara met his eyes, guilt clearly written all over her face. Theo immediately sensed what was coming, but before he could stop her from speaking, it was already too late.

"Elias and I... we aren’t worthy of protecting you, young master," she said, turning away.

Elias had his mouth agape, as if trying to say something in protest, but when he heard her, he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"That level 16 beast... when it arrived... that massive rocky beast... and even when that arrived... we were completely hopeless in that situation, young master," Clara spoke.

"These danger levels are far beyond our pay grade. And staying by your side now feels less for your protection and more of a selfish request..." She then looked at Theo, her eyes not holding the pride they once had.

Something about that made Theo want to shout at both her and Elias. Yet, for some reason, he too found himself completely at a loss for words.