28 A Rise in Strength

Riddled on the ground is the hundreds of mascaraed creatures that bombarded the group of six. The stench of burning flesh began to permeate the spotty lit tunnel. Upon a closer look, they noticed that no two creatures looked the same. One creature would have two heads, another would have three arms while the next had five, some would have two mouths or no mouth at all, some had tails, other wings, or any part of any animal. The only similarity on each individual creature was that modifications were made to its original body by a lunatics mad experiments.

Gror shuffled over towards his two brothers and whispered in an extremely faint voice, "Whatever you do, do NOT, make Leo made. Ever."

Grary and Grik both looked at Gror and understood what their brother is his hinting at. The corner of Grary's lip curled up forming a menacing look on his face. Unfortunately, Grik and Gror did not notice because of the shadow that cast over his face only showing the portrait that remained unchanged.

"Sozoth has always been more of a lone ranger. In addition, this type of place is more of her natural habitat. After experiencing the strength of those…things first hand, I don't think we need to worry about her right now. I think that the more pressing concern is what the hell are those things are that we just killed, and what created that shrieking sound? At first, I just thought that they were some type of cave dwelling monsters, but now that I get a better look at them, I can tell that they obviously are not naturally grown, moreover, they have somehow been created." Dax changed the subject.

"I don't care what they are. I'm done here." Gror complained.

"What ever the fuck is down that cave, I want nothing to do with it." Grary added on.

"Ya what they said I'm out of here." Grik agreed.

"I'm getting tired of you three wimping out on every mission that we take on. When are you three going to stop being such little girls? Have you ever heard a single word of complaint out of my mouth? No. And I am only fifteen this year. When are the three of you going to realize the strength that you each have? Stop being pussies." Ithaa ridiculed the triplets.

Leo and Dax took a step off the side and let the four argue back and forth.

"Hey, uh, how often does this happen?" Leo asked Dax.

"Honestly, this is the first time. I do not know what has gotten over her. I have never seen her explode like this before. You are the only plausible reason that I can think of to cause her to be like this." Dax guessed.

Ithaa was still scolding the triplets in the background.

"Me?!" Leo gasped, "Woah, woah, woah, you guys seem to be in good health, so its time to continue on. We don't have any time to waste."

Since the group had entered the cave, Leo had been rushing the group forward as fast as possible. His five companions discussed amongst themselves as to why he was in such a hurry. The only plausible explanation that they had produced is the set of footprints at the entrance of the cave. But the question of who Leo could have known that came into the cave before them always came back up. The group decided to write it off and follow his lead.

The group continued walking down the tunnel with the aid of the light of Ithaa's fire. Each step of the way there were more dead bodies of the jigsaw creatures. Once and while a small cavern off the side of the tunnel would appear. Leo would rush in under the light produced by Ithaa and come out. Each time he returned from a cavern he would seem to be in deep thought then continue to rush down the path.

Every so often that same ear-piercing shriek that carried the presence of a king would sound out. The group would stop in their tracks and prepare for a battle since they had no clue if anything was coming to attack them. The oddest part of the shriek is that it seems as if the source of the shriek has stayed the same distance away each time it reaches their ears.

Under Dax's orders the group took a fifteen-minute break in one of the side caverns in order to eat any provisions and replenish their energy. Dax originally wanted a thirty-minute break, but Leo insisted that they only needed fifteen. Gror, Grik, Grary, and the others were flabbergasted when Leo took out food from his space ring for them to eat.

Originally, they thought that Leo was just abnormally strong without and specific type of large background. When they realized that the ring he is wearing has an interdimensional space, they really wanted to figure out just where he comes from.

In addition, the food that Leo had provided for them was not ordinary by their standards. Leo used the last bit of provisions that he had with him when they were teleported to this realm. Even though what Leo had with him was only ordinary food at best in the Diety realm, in a lower realm it was seen as more than a godly treasure.

The five of them had felt their physical bodies grow stronger and that they would be able to jump two levels because of the abundant essence in their bodies now. Leo took notice of this and decided to let them cultivate until they used the extra essence up. After hearing this each person closed their eyes at sat on separate sides of the cavern.

A couple of hours later everyone had finally rose from their seated position and regrouped. Dax climbed two levels and now entered the fifth level while the other four had barely crossed the boundary into the ninth level. Ithaa had surprised Leo the most as her speed of cultivation would only lose out the prodigies back home in the Diety realm. The triplets were closer to twenty years old. Their speed should only be a couple steps ahead of an average person in this lower realm.

The group set off again down the dark gloomy path. The farther they got down the path the colder and eerier it would become. Small breezes of wind would cause goose bumps to form on their skin. Each time Grary would squeal and jump backwards in fright.

Down the path two small purple flames that gave off a feeling of death flickered on the walls. As the group got closer another flame would show itself, then another, and another until they finally came to the largest cavern that they have seen yet. Circumventing the cavern is the same purple flames. Each is exactly fifteen feet off the floor and fifteen feet apart.

The aura of death and smell of blood assaulted the newcomer's souls when they were within fifty feet of the entrance. When they walked through the doorway, they noticed an abnormally large creature struggling in the middle. What made this scene ridiculous is that there seemed to be nothing holding or forcing down the creature.

In the center is an enormous twenty-five-foot sized creature with a body that mostly resembles a spider. Some major differences between a normal spider and this one is easily seeable. This one has six legs on each side instead. While a typical spider has eight eyes, this one has three fully formed faces. On its rear a scorpion's tale that is fifty feet long curled into the air above its body. The front of this beast housed a set of four fingered claws. This abomination is giving off the source of the death that the group felt when they entered.

Along the wall on to the left of the entrance is a small group of three in terrible condition. The two humans have deep lacerations all over their bodies. The blood from the cuts and the leaking blood from the seven orifices fill the puddles of blood that sit idle underneath the two humans. Laying next to the boy is a wingless griffin in no better shape than the humans that it is next to. Patches of fur were cut deep enough to see its bare body. Its continuous whimpering gives evidence to its overall state.

Leo slowly scanned the caved from right to left. When he saw the battle worn group, he disregarded the creature in the middle and used his full speed to arrive at the injured party.