Emperor's Reckoning

Lumina was still having her mind occupied with how Lyon was able to predict the assault coming even before the little star tapped the ground with its feet, and the latter's explanation didn't help either.

"Seriously, Lyon how did you know that?" Lumina asked once more. The eagers in her eyes belied the natural predatory silver pupils of hers, but even Lyon could hardly explain. "Is it really just a jinx?"

"Not really," Lyon shrugged. "It's like there is this feeling that you just... know." His eyes squinted before he paused.

"What's the matter?" Lumina asked as the following party stopped in their track as well.

Lyon smiled before he crossed his arms, "Stop."

The little star obliged his order and stopped moving.

"Lyon did you sense something?" asked Mavis as he furrowed his brows.

"I won't say senses," said Lyon as he smirked, "Rather.. feel."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Mavis as he furrowed his brows.

"Just look at what's in front of you," said Lyon as he nodded up. "Then a sudden wide empty area with not a single beast in sight."

"A trap, is that what you're trying to say?" asked Hilde as she kept alert to her surroundings.

Lyon shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't feel so."

(Are we really going to act based on feelings?) thought Elder Anna as she gulped. The young man was highly powerful and in some aspects, intelligent. She had no way of withholding her expectations that was based on feelings.

"As an Alchemist, we must act based on what the book told us because the margin of error would be minimal," uttered Anna. "I think we can implement that concept in many aspects of a cultivator's life."

"Maybe," said Lyon "But not this one, the whole point of an adventure is to discover something new, but the best teacher is never the pages inside a book."

Cecile smiled, "It is one's experiences. Just like how an alchemist trying out a whole new formula that they conjured up themselves."

"Little guy, you stay here," said Lyon before he calmly walked forward. "I will enter the area alone."

"Young master Lyon! Please don't do that, it's too dangerous!" Cherie called but it was in vain. She then turned to Cecile, "Are you going to let him walk alone?"

"He is not alone, what are you talking about?" Cecile smirked. "He got us."

Nit gulped, "Don't tell me, he is willing to become a bait? That's insane!"

Kesya laughed, "What are you talking about? We got the strongest bait of them all! The only insane here is us if we didn't strike at the perfect moment."

"What?" Nit raised both of his brows. (What kind of madmen are they?!). He was an experienced adventurer himself, however, he found hardly anyone willing to become a bait lest an unknown beast that they couldn't sense. Yet here he was with his eyes wide open looking at the back of the young man whose confidence couldn't be thwarted even with the mightiest blade hanging around his neck.

Ivy furrowed her brows, but her glance was always looking for her mother.

Lyon glanced down and quickly noticed the green soft moss. His brows raised before he muttered, "There might be water running in this cave."

Everyone was furrowing their brows as they watched him advancing further to the dimmer light. The little star didn't budge even a blink as it stood and watched its master.

Soon, Lyon found himself at the center of this wide area without any noticeable changes in the surroundings. He could see another passageway on the other end, but he couldn't see further in-depth due to the natural darkness. With his eyes catching none, he closed them to spare the other four senses an extra heightened sensitivity.

In his ears, he heard none. His nose, he smelled none was out of the ordinary. His skin, only the gentle breeze of wind. The world surrounding him was silent, as the rest of the parties were clenched.

Ticks of seconds went by before a minute had passed, then two, then five there were no changes. Lyon was still standing at the center of the wide area without anything grand happening besides his occasional grunt.

"There might actually be nothing here, haha!" Lyon laughed before the ground suddenly shook. "Goddamn it!"

"Ah!" Anna was about to fall before she felt a push to keep her balance, "Thank you, Nit."

"I-It wasn't me," answered Nit.

Anna turned around before her eyes were met with the glance of a young woman with an icy gaze. It was her own flesh and blood. She could feel that her daughter's hands were cold, but the latter seemed to breathe fine.  "I—!!"

Lyon looked above before he smirked. "So there you are! You giant molerat!"

A pair of red glowing eyes were glaring at him under the pitch darkness before it leaped down with enough force to quake the island. The momentum was caught by their eyes as they were petrified by the sheer size of the molerat.

Its fur was deep black and blended perfectly with its surrounding, however, its nails were thicker than a boulder and they were coming to shred Lyon's entire existence.

The ground shook before the piled-up dust burst out from the ground. The shock brought about a boisterous wind that forced the part to cover their eyes.

"Lyon!" Hilde shouted before her eyes opened wide.

Mavis was lost for words and his lips were stuck open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing with his eyes.

A man that was a second ago standing at the very back of the row, was now beside Lyon. The movement was instantaneous, so much so that Mavis couldn't even pick up the change of wind when he moved. However, what made his eyes twitch was the sheer strength that the person possessed.

Graham had stopped the giant molerat's claw with his bare palm, a bare palm. His feet didn't budge an inch, he didn't even use them as an added force to block the attack for he was standing straight.

The giant molerat was in disbelief before its figure landed then a barrage of shredding claws ensued immediately, however, Graham didn't even use both of his hands as he repelled the attack with one. Each impact was like a blast to one's eardrum, but the horror noise only reflect the fear in the beast's eyes.

"D-Damn... he is toying with that beast."

"W-What is that beast?" Anna exclaimed. "There was nothing like that on the map!"

"I-I've heard rumors," Nit gulped. "This cave is still yet unknown but one witnessed had said that they watched a True God cultivator being shredded alive in a blink of an eye, perhaps this... this beast is what they are talking about."

"T-Then let's retreat," said Elder Anna.

Ivy raised her brows as she felt something was grabbing her arm, it was her own mother's hands. At this dire moment, she couldn't believe that Anna would make this simple gesture. It was not the grip for asking for help, it was the grip for running away together. However, Ivy was hesitating, she didn't know what to do before Kesya laughed.

"Hahaha, you don't need to worry," said Kesya. "The beast is fighting a literal monster right now."

"Said the monster," said Assid.

"Kuh!" Kesya could feel a sting in her heart.

"Are you done?" Graham asked before the giant molerat roared in rage.

The beast jumped to the walls before climbing up into the darkness unknown.

"W-What, what's going on?" asked Mavis. "The beast doesn't seem to be wagging its tail and running away."

Hilde gulped before she noticed something odd. The little pebbles on the ground were tremoring along with ther palpitation of her heart. "S-Something is coming... Right, Lyon?" She smiled wryly.

"Of course," Lyon nodded before his eyes turned sharp. "A horde, Graham."

"Understood," Graham put his right leg forward.

"Hehehe!" Kesya suddenly built up her speed as her hair turned darker along with her skin. "Emperor! Let me at it!"

(Emperor?) Mavis caught on.

"Eh?" Lyon raised his brows in question before he noticed Kesya jumped into the darkness, leaving Graham behind.

Assid sighed as he shook his head. A loud series of blasts were soon heard along with the tremor they brought. However, the calm after it happened was more frightening.

"What... happened?" Lyon squinted his eyes before his brows raised, "Oh she is back."

Kesya landed with both feet right in front of Lyon and her hair rapidly returned to normal.

"Is it done?" asked Lyon.

"En En!" Kesya nodded repeatedly.

"Well, then alright, let's continue," said Lyon before the little star started to move once more.

Hilde shook her head with a wry smile. She didn't complain a word as she followed Lyon and the others.

(How weird...) Mavis thought as he pondered with his brows furrowed (There are no carcasses at all, but the size of that beast was enormous). He stepped into the wide-area before looking up.

"Gh?!" His eyes opened wide as his shrunken pupils trembled at the sight. The carcasses that he sought were etched on the walls of the cave above. Not a single one out of the tens of the giant molerats was alive, and their blood was tracing down the wall slowly to his horror.