Chapter 291: 291: A familiar rage [pt1]
"Be alert. Something is heading our way at a tremendous speed from below the earth. We might be swept away by the currents of this power."
Amane warned the other two with her as she felt around for the power. Every time it brushed up against her, Amane felt the cold settle inside her heart. She could tell that fear was trying to grip her heart.
'Ugh. human feelings are a pain to deal with. I would have been paralyzed in shock if I did not pay attention to what was happening to the surroundings.'
No matter how powerful Amane was, there were still some things she was not able to overcome instantly. And her instincts were one such thing for her. Now and then, Amane tended to fall to them and react.
"What do you mean something is heading toward us? What kind of thing it is? And how do you know it is dangerous? Should I be concerned about my samples?"
Professor Cardin asked while holding his grass closer to his body. He looked at Amane for answers while making a disappointed expression on his face.
Either the professor did not understand how dangerous the situation was, or he simply did not care for his life.
On the other hand, Stella had tensed and she looked far more reliable to Amane than Cardin looked at the moment. The sharp look in Stella's eyes said that she was ready to act in any manner that was needed of her.
"Stella, pick up the dwarf and run. Hurry, and I will follow after you."
That current Amane was feeling was near the surface now. She could feel its power bubbling beneath the surface and calling out to her in a challenging manner.
Stella looked conflicted about the choice she had to make. On one hand, she knew that this was the best she could do for the pair - save Cardin. But on the other hand, she did not want to spend her effort saving Cardin. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire
The one she wanted to save was Yoko.
"Stop trying to scare me. I will not listen to you…or perhaps I should listen to you…."
Professor Cardin was a mess of contradictions. He could not seem to decide if he wanted to trust Amane or not.
And they did not have time for this bullshit if they wanted to survive. Already, the power Amane wanted to avoid was near the surface and right beneath their feet.
"Ugh, we do not have time for all this bullshit. Stella, catch."
Amane picked Professor Cardin and threw him toward Stella. Since the dwarf was light and tiny, it was easy for Amane to toss him around. Stella flinched when she felt a lightweight hit her arms. She looked at Amane with a shocked expression.
"Yoko, be careful with humans. You could have injured Professor Cardin…"
Stella complained but Amane had already grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the valley. Behind her, the surface of the valley erupted and a scaly head emerged.
When Amane looked behind, she could only see a part of the creature that broke the surface. And even then, All she could look at were the scales of this creature.
"Woah, what the hell is that? The stupid officer let me down. I need to take a closer look at that creature. One sample, no perhaps I will need a few samples of that creature for my research."
If Amane had seen that scaly face, both Cardin and Stella had as well. And unlike the other two, Cardin had shining eyes when he thought about that creature. He needed to hunt that creature and test its bi-products.
As much as Amane wanted to call the dwarf a fool for risking his life, she could not do that under fair means. Especially since she had been the same as him once upon a time.
"This is no time to be curious about that huge creature. Tsk, it is heading after us. I am afraid that we might not be able to avoid it fully."
Amane quickly realized the kind of situation they were in. The beast that had attacked them seemed to have locked on their location. And now it will chase after them.
She could already feel the energy moving beneath the earth and following their path.
"Stella, run toward the right side and out of this Valley. I will try and hold the beast back before joining you. I am pretty sure that the beast will not follow us out of the valley."
Amane's assurance made Stella feel better but then she considered what Amane's words meant and she flinched.
"There is no way I am leaving you behind like this. I do not want you to die. Besides, I can help you out, Yoko. I am a good fighter and…"
"You are responsible for helping keep Professor safe. You won't be able to do that if you stay behind in here. Just leave and come back once you have informed the authorities of what happened here."
Amane quickly dismissed Stella and the officer had no choice but to head out. Professor Cardin was already starting to try and slip away from her grasp. She did not want him to go after that powerful creature and get himself killed.
"I…this is not fair. You are using my duty against me…."
Stella complained but then she felt an invisible force pushing her back. Somehow, she knew that Yoko had separated from her and Professor Cardin to go her way. And just as Amane had explained, the beast turned toward Amane to follow her as well.
That was what allowed Stella to get out of the Valley of Criticus without harm and her charge survived as well.
"Hey, let me go woman. I need to go back and check up on that magnificent nature's creation. Do you know how important researching a creature like that is for me and my future? We need to head back now."
Professor Cardin tried to head back but Stella held on to him tightly. She even used the binding spell she always carried on herself to ensure that the dwarf professor would not be able to get away from her.
And for the record, the dwarf did try to leave the safe place and head back into the forest. The seal he had on his body was the only thing that saved him from a certain death.
"Stop trying to get yourself killed and stay calm here. Do you know how much effort it took me to get you out of harm's way safely? At least think of those who are sacrificing themselves to save you."
Stella's voice was not loud or accusing. But it might as well have been with her temper and the look in her eyes.
But the dwarf professor looked unmoved by her words or her actions. He only scoffed at her and looked annoyed himself.
"I never asked you to save me or keep me healthy. You are doing this for your satisfaction and because you refuse to go against the government order. I have told you before that you have a disease that causes you to follow someone's orders."
"As for what it means for you…Well, you know that better than I do."
In a matter of seconds, the professor managed to break down all of Stella's insecurities. Even if she wanted to say anything, her mouth felt dry and her brain felt blank.
"That is not true."
Even these words were forced out of Stella's mouth forcefully. But in her heart, she knew that the professor was right about her.
'I wanted to help Yoko, both now and before. But my orders acted like my shackles and held me locked in place. No, I let them lock me into my place so that I could feel better about myself.'
The more Stella thought about it, the more she was certain that she was responsible for her current condition. But it was too late to rectify her mistakes. She could only learn to live with them now.
'Yoko, I hope that you come back safe and alive. I will live in guilt my whole life if my decision is what killed you here and now.'
Stella clasped her hands, not noticing when or how the dwarf managed to get his bindings off and head into the valley. By the time Stella noticed this, it was too late for her to act.
......
'Hah, I knew it. The beast was targeting me from the start. Now, what does it want with me?'
Amane had felt it the second she had separated from the others on her ground. The power that had been following them did not even hesitate before coming after her. It had always been targeting her since the start.
The other two were unfortunate to get caught up in her mess.
Since this was the case, Amane needed to head deeper into the valley and find a clearing where she could force the beast to come up and show its face. That was the only way Amane would stand a chance against such a creature.
Ever since earlier, Amane's heart had been beating painfully. She could feel the power surging inside her and threatening to collide what the outside world. As much as Amane wanted to keep it inside and hidden, she no longer thought that it was a possibility.
'So you want to come out and fight me? Fine, bring it on. I will show you why you should not mess with someone like me.'