Lost Origins: SS Ranked Awakening-Chapter 174: Not a kid’s show

The huge roar amplified the pressure on then, pushing them into the floor with several disturbing cracking sounds coming from the pit they were creating and sinking into.

’This was a bad idea!’

Kieran thought still without regret. Accidents happen and some more grave than the others, like this one. If not for the pressure on him, he would have shrugged his shoulders without much care.

’That doesn’t look good though!’

The thought walked it’s way into his mind seeing dark fleshy tentacles bearing high resemblance to the energy absorbing roots in the rooms they crossed creep out in their direction.

"Ughh!"

Kieran tensed his shoulders, trying his best to pivot his body upwards, a fuitle struggle as the recruit couldn’t bear the thought of dying so simply.

Unfortunately for them both, they weren’t just completely paralyzed, even their internal energies had stopped flowing under the pressure of the beast beyond the broken barrier. They couldn’t use their abilities, their only hope in the current situation.

’Fuck!’

He cursed with gritted teeth, feeling the impending doom approach.

The monster was just as he had thought—greedy. Despite everything, it didn’t kill them, but rather brought them to this point. Why? To rob them of their energy and suck them till they turned to dust like the monsters in those rooms.

’What the hell would drops like this do for it. What makes a hibernating monster this thristy?’

’.....an injury maybe?’

Kieran wanted to laugh at his own foolishness. What coukd inflict damage on a creature that had completely wiped out outpost, infected and enslaved all that survived or that it had kept alive.

Seeing the approaching tentacles, Kieran closed his eyes in defeat. Despite his intense disagreement, they haf been crushed by a stronger opponents for not being strong enough themselves.

’Fuck!’

This was the last thought that came to him. The only word that could express all the frustration and regrets he held in his heart. Kieran hadn’t even set on his journey and here he was, about to die.

Unlike what most people said, he didn’t see his life flash before his eyes, rather he was overcome with a dark, obsessive and overpowering emotion — hate, words from a certain event in the last coming to his mind.

"You will die"

’Why the hell did I have to remember that now?’

A butter smile managed to find its way to his face as he stared at the tentacle which was just inches above him, about to strike.

’Any time now’

He wanted to whisper as he closed his eyes.

RIIIIIIIPPPP!

SHWIIIIIP!!

THUD!!!

"ROOOOOAAAARRRRRRR!"

Just when Kieran had accepted his death, a disturbing and out of place sound reached his ears, like tearing fabric followed with a quick slash sound and a roar louder than the first one from within the barrier.

The roar wasn’t the same cold, domineering one as before. No, this roar was filled with a singular emotion—pain.

His eyes snapped open to see the tentacle that had been hovering above his head like the blade of a guillotine was gone.

Still trying to comprehend what was happening with his limited vision, a familiar yet unexpected aura busrt forth above him, pushing back the monster aura which surged like a river with ease, erasing the pressure on he had Jake.

’Who can injure a creature like this?’s

His thoughts from earlier came to him again and he felt like he had found an answer as he pushed himself up to the sight above.

"I know I said not to fear death, but this is a little too much. Right, kid?"

A lazy, nonchalant tone unique to only one person he knew reached his ears and a sense of relief washed over him.

"August"

"You lads should sit this one back, let the adults take care of this!"

He said, waving his hand lazily while placing the familiar wooden training stick on his shoulder.

’Why the hell did that old man send me here? I was having fun drinking that wine of his alone.’

’Ahh, the wine~’

’Focus!’

August berated himself.

’It’s him alright!’

Kieran had the urge to chuckle seeing the fluctuations Ina space around the instructor. Something that happened when he wasn’t laying attention and was lost in thoughts.

"How did he get there? We couldn’t even get in contact with base."

Jake coughed from the side, reminding both parties of his presence.

"I don’t know, but he’s here"

Kieran said, thinking the same thing.

His instructor August was a unique figure and he could barely say he knew anything about the eccentric figure.

"We should leave!"

Kieran neared Jake and assisted him with his shoulder, dragging themselves out of the pit.

Just the aura of the monster alone had almost killed them. The only reason they could breathe now was because of August who was helping them out.

Once the fight between them started though, there was no doubt that they would be crushed underneath the pressure of the two opponents.

’I’m pretty sure my control isn’t that sloppy’

August smiled seeing Jake and Kieran retreat away from the barrier.

’It’s a good thing regardless, its better if they don’t see happens next. I don’t like audiences either.’

"Now, how to deal with this"

His expression darkened peering through the darkness which prevented Kieran’s vision and looking straight at the monster responsible for all this.

"You were so troublesome and slippery that we had to use a whole outpost and a few kids as bait. You better be worth it"

August muttered, stepping down from the air, silently walking into the other side of the barrier.

....

"We’ve gotten far enough right?"

Kieran said, bringing Jake to a stop.

"I can still feel it’s aura, you know?"

Jake frowned feeling Kieran’s hesitation, he couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

’I can see, but not clearly. This is too far!’

Kieran narrowed his glowing eyes.

With August’s aura clashing with that of the creature, the suppression on his ability which prevented him from peering beyond the barrier was gone, but from this distance all he could see was the violent clash of two auras at a stalemate.

He couldn’t even make out the appeared of the creature responsible for all this, nor his instructor’s.

’I need to get closer’

Kieran felt unwilling to miss an opportunity to get a glimpse of what the instructor was capable of, nor was he willing to miss the sight of the famned creature dying. Not after all it had put them through!

"You can go further, I’ll be back"

"What are you th—"

Kieran let go of Jake gently, and bolted in the direction they had just run away from before Jake could even get the wordd out his mouth.

’Sigh’

"And I thought he couldn’t get influenced by anyone."

Jake shook his head feeling surprised. He had thought Kieran to be stiff and stubborn, but he was already getting influenced by that batshit crazy instructor of his and he didn’t even know.

August and his reputation amongst the instructions was a little known to the recuits with rumors flying around the camp.

.....

CRACK! CRACK!!

SHATTER!!!

Back at the barrier, the constant clah of pressure between August and the monster had worsened the crack on the already fragile barrier and it finally shattered the moment August stepped through it, revealing the creature which was concealed within it under the cover of darkness.

A few meters away from where August came to a stop was the creature stripped of its dark cover.

It had a humanoid form resembling what could be described as a failed imitation of a human, probably one of the members of the outpost.

The creature had stretched skim resembling the monsters that had been sucked of their energy before dying, with several tentacles extending outwards from its back to an huge eyeball floating behind it as it hovered between illusionary and real.

The red veiny eyeball had several of those fleshy tentacles floating around and dug into the ground and it constantly released waves which matched the flow of monster aura from the creature.

’It got you too!’

August looked at the incomplete humanoid form the creature had taken. If only Orion and his team where here. They would have recognized the stretched and melted down drippy face as the commander of the base.

At least what had become of him after falling to the creature just like the rest of the outpost.

"ROOOOOAAAARRRRR!!"

The humanoid form of the creature let out another roar with bared fangs and blackened eyes before several of its tentacles shot towards August like speeding bullets.

’More!’

August had bored expression on his face unbothered by the attack as the tentacles exploded from the impact the moment they hit a barrier in front of him, only leaving a subtle ripple in the space in front of him.

"More!!"

August demanded, tapping the wooden sword on the ground.

The creature seemed to understand the provocative words of August and lunged forward, just in time for Kieran to arrive and watch the unfolding fight