'So, Krager already reached the peak.' Compass Carburettor sighed, sensing his connection to his Spydragon getting re-established the moment Krager returned to his human form. Soon after, the connection vanished once again.
But, he couldn't care about that, frowning in worry as he looked at the fear-stricken figure of Neena beside him, trembling like a leaf, feeling the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance.
It was apparent that the situation was her doing.
Everything started once they had their breakfast. The trio continued to trek once Rhizen and Neena caught up to him. After that, they proceeded in such a manner in silence for a good hour before frowning suddenly, sensing mild vibrations course through the ground beneath them.
"Strange, was this place a tremor prone zone?" Compass Carburettor asked in confusion. He had checked before to see if any natural calamities existed on Mount Craire. And, even landslides hadn't happened since the trees on the mountain were old and had long roots.
So, they firmly held everything, preventing a phenomenon like a landslide from happening here. Besides, Mount Craire was a rain-shadow region. So, it didn't receive frequent rains. And, the downpour, when it happened, wasn't excessive enough to cause a landfall.
But, he acted surprised, just to see what Neena had to say, intending to probe her and see if she had been the cause. That was why he looked in her direction while shouting as such. He was hinting at the fact that since she was a local, she should be more aware of it than them.
"No, I've never felt anything like this." Neena's voice trembled, looking like she was scared. After all, the intensity of the tremor intensified when she pointed at a nearby tree, "That tree has deep roots and a strong trunk. It won't be uprooted or collapse even in the event of an earthquake happening."
There were less than ten metres from the tree she pointed at. And in their hurry, they nodded, beginning to run towards it in an effort to reach it before the quaking intensified.
Through the Mental Energy stream Neena generated while replying to him, Compass Carburettor understood that she was the culprit behind this quake. Moreover, he focused on the trees far away while running, seeing them standing perfectly still.
"…"
Only their vicinity was under this effect. And right as they approached the tree, the ground beneath them caved in, causing them to tumble through a tunnel and fall through.
It was filled to the brim with roots where insects grew in abundance. It was a sign that this tunnel existed naturally and wouldn't have caved in if the quake hadn't occurred.
But, coincidentally, it had occurred, causing them all to fall in. The tree Neena pointed at remained outside the collapse.
And, Neena had actually managed to reach there first, ahead of the other two, taking the lead at the start. And in actuality, she simply wished to save herself and cause the other two to fall into the tunnel for her plans to fruition.
But, since Compass Carburettor knew about her plans, why would he allow her to preserve her Mental Energy? So, he behaved like it was an accident done during their hurry and coiled his hands around her hips.
Though at the start, only his left hand grabbed hold of her dress, and when he began to fall into the tunnel, he instinctively latched onto her, making the entire process seem natural, like that of a panic-stricken youth struggling to grasp at all straws in a moment of crisis to save himself.
As he was obviously heavier than her and since she hadn't stabilised her footing from all the quakes, he dragged her too into the tunnel as all three rolled through it, sliding at times before resuming their rolling.
The screeches of countless bugs, a variety of them caused the hairs on their skin to stand on end while their expressions turned pale. Even during the adrenaline rush of their fall, the sounds of the insects caused all their attention to focus on that.
More than a dozen seconds later, their descent ended as they stopped after hitting a boulder.
As his head spun, Compass Carburettor was unable to make out anything. Not only was the place pitch black, but his senses also continued to spin like it had become drunk, preventing him from even making out the sounds around him.
And, before he could gather his bearings, he was alarmed as he repeatedly stomped on the ground, wriggling his body while dusting his pants in a flurry. He felt countless insects trying to crawl all over him, seriously regretting his decision.
But, he gritted his teeth, persisting. After all, if even he was like this, then it shouldn't be said about a woman…
"Kyak!" Neena suddenly screamed in horror as she used her ability in full swing, causing all the insects trying to climb over her to retreat. And, as she hadn't limited the ability, even Compass Carburettor and Rhizen, the two that were next to her were able to sigh in relief once all the insects left them and retreated.
Even though they couldn't see, they could sense through the reduction in the sound from the insects' screeches.
"Dammit, my phone died." Rhizen seemed relatively calm as he tried to find a source of light first, cursing when he noticed his phone had been smashed into two during their tumble. He was also hurt in a lot of places, so he wasn't feeling well.
Compass Carburettor fished out his cellphone, at this time appreciating the thought of buying a basic model. It barely suffered a scratch as he switched it on, increasing its brightness. It didn't have a flashlight, but in this darkness, even the light from its screen was enough to highlight their surroundings clearly.
And, when she saw the scene, even though she had set the trap herself, Neena was unable to endure, immediately losing her balance.
He didn't wish to see her lose consciousness. After all, that would cause her ability to deactivate. He wanted her to expend as much Mental Energy as possible.
So, Compass Carburettor hurriedly came to her rescue, catching her as he allowed her to regain her balance. And, since her legs lacked strength from fear, he allowed her to lean on him.
Author's Notes: January Month's Mass Release Quota
Target: Top 75 GT Ranking
Reward 1: 10 regular chapters
Reward 2: 18 Privilege chapters
Magic Castle: 2
Spacecraft: 5
Golden Gachapon: 10
[Tier 3 Privilege has 15 chaps with a 50% Discount]
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