Chapter 77: Meeting the beast titans
I shook the thought off quickly. It was treason what I just thought of.
If I ever said it out, I could be hung.
I shook the thoughts off and continued walking.
After a few more steps, I still hadn't seen a portal and I was starting to wonder if I there was a portal here at all or I was wrong with my presumptions.
But then…
I felt it before I saw it.
A premonition that I had crossed into a different space.
It tugged at my chest, at the ring of mana around my chest.
I quickened my steps until it was in my field of vision, the portal.
It was just as I remembered. There was a pink gem suspended in the air and from it sprung a sphere large enough to let even a human crawl out of it.
I felt it draw me like a magnet, pulling me, calling me to venture closer.
I fought the urge to move closer to the portal and turned back.
I had done my part by confirming the presence of the portal, it was now time for me to go back to meet Aaron and Emily.
The three of us would then come to destroy it.
If it was possible.
I turned and traced my way back to the gate.
I was a little relieved to find the portal. Now I knew my hunch was correct and we could end the battle a lot quicker than it would normally take.
I just hope the mages were still holding back the beast monster army.
When I reached the gate, it was locked.
It was then that I realized I had seen the portal but I hadn't seen anyone beside it.
Should there be at least someone guarding the portal?
I looked at the gate again, it was not just closed, it was completely locked with the chains.
I turned around quickly, ready to fight any beast monster I saw.
There was no one behind me.
My eyes roved the garden, looking for any unusual movement or appearance.
Then I smelled it.
It was an odd rotten smell, like a dying termite.
The odor filled my nostrils, making me wince.
There were crunching sounds as the two beast monsters stepped out.
The last time I saw them it was night and I was far from them, this time I could see them clearly.
Their heads were very small, much smaller than a humans and it had an odd shape that reminded me of an ape.
Their body was human like and completely covered in dark grey fur.
Their right leg was shorter than the left one, giving them a lopsided gait when they walked.
They had a triangular groove where their noses were supposed to be and their lips was a thin slit.
Their eyes were even more terrifying up close.
Their pupils were a speck of red that swam in a sea of black.
It made them appear mindless, as they were merely zombies, possessed by a someone or something else.
By some paradox, they appeared thoughtful at the same time.
Perhaps it was the seriousness of their face.
There were two of them and they looked at me as they stepped closer.
When they were a few feet away from me, they stopped.
The first looked at the second one spoke but it's mouth did move.
"He's a weak one". It said.
The second one shook its head. "I can smell his power level, there's something strong about him".
I held my fans tighter, I would show them who was weak and who was not if any of them dared to make a move.
At the same time, I wondered how I was going to escape this garden.
I barely even had time to attempt to open the gate and I knew that if I turned my back on these two, they would attack me.
I decided to buy as much time as I could for myself.
The longer we stood at an en passé without fighting, the more time I had to figure something out.
"What are you guys anyway?" I asked them.
"He's stalling for time". The second one said.
The first sighed. "Regardless, his fate is sealed. Might as well have some fun with him".
"Okay, but I'm not comfortable with it". The second replied.
"We're beast titans". The first replied.
"All of you or just the ones that look like you?" I asked.
"Just the ones that look like us". The first beast titan said.
"Who sent you here?" I asked.
The two of them exchanged glances.
"The three beast kings". The first titan said.
So there was a ruler in that alternate world, just as I suspected.
"What do they want with this world?" I asked.
"What else?" The beast titan shrugged. "Domination and total enslavement".
"But why?" I asked, confused. "Do your kings just go around destroying worlds?"
"It's much deeper than that". The beast titan replied.
I shook my head. "So what happens if you conquer this empire?"
"We move on to the next". It replied.
I shook my head. "It's a pity then".
The beast titan frowned. "What?"
"You're never going to conquer this empire, not while I'm in it". I replied.
The titan looked at the second one with a grim face. "I think we've talked enough, it's time for you to die now".
[Enemy attack detected]
[Initaiting battle mode]
It raised its sword and ran at me but I had been waiting for it to make a move so I was ready.
"Vortex". I said and sent a vortex flying at it.
The titan moved out of the way, dodging the vortex.
One directional wind slash. I said and sent a blast of wind at it.
It knocked the gust off with its sword and jumped at me.