CHAPTER 172: | SENTIENT CRYSTAL?

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  "I greet master." Ishtar said in reverence as she pushed Leah's head into the ground, the cool marble pressing hard against her forehead with a faint echo that bounced off the high vaulted ceilings of the chamber.

  Then she turned her gaze at the little girl running across the hallways, her tiny footsteps pattering like distant raindrops on stone, and Ishtar smiled, a soft curve of lips that held a mix of pride and something sharper, almost predatory.

  "You're mission had succeeded in an outstanding manner, Ishtar. So who's this woman?" Asked Samantha as she stared at the woman with her head pressed into the ground, the faint scent of sweat and fear mingling in the air around them, before she lowered her gaze, her silver hair catching the dim torchlight that flickered along the walls, casting long shadows that danced like whispers.

  Then Samantha activated her pupils' ability which was [sanguine eyes], that had the capabilities to peer through the potential of all living beings to see if he or she had what it takes to become something far more noble, the red glow in her irises pulsing faintly like a heartbeat, illuminating the veins in Leah's neck as they throbbed with anxiety.

  "Master, this woman is the mother of that child. As for her potential, I had no knowledge of..." said Ishtar respectfully as Samantha stared at her, and Ishtar, the focus of her attention, could feel a wave of dread wash over her back like icy water trickling down her spine, making her shiver at the dreary gaze of Samantha that seemed to peer through her fundamental existence, stripping away layers with a chill that lingered in the bones.

  But that feeling vanished as fast as it came, leaving only a faint echo of unease, as Samantha peered through Leah's body, her eyes narrowing slightly with the soft hum of mana vibrating in the air around them.

  "Hmm, I am indeed impressed in her compatibility to become one of my kin, just like her daughter, an impressive seedling indeed..." said Samantha in a detached voice as she nodded her head, the motion sending a subtle ripple through her silver strands that brushed against her shoulders with a whisper.

  Then she walked towards Leah, who was nervous as she could be, her breaths coming in shallow gasps that echoed faintly in the quiet room, as Samantha lifted her chin, forcing Leah to gaze at her, the touch of her fingers cool and firm like polished stone against skin.

  "If you wish to meet your lovely daughter, then you ought to prove yourself, that you..." Leah's heart dropped as she heard her voice, a heavy thud in her chest that seemed to reverberate through her ribs, but Samantha ignored the state of her mind as she smiled, a curve that didn't reach her eyes, then continued, "her mother is worthy of meeting her."

  Though she was nervous, like super nervous that she would wet herself right this moment in the presence of the leader of the cultists, Leah clenched her hands, her nails digging into her palms with a sharp sting that grounded her, as she mustered her courage to speak, the words tumbling out in a rush that carried the faint tremor of her voice. "Th-then... am I allowed to ask you a question?"

  "Ask me a question?" said Samantha in an amused tone as she turned her back, the fabric of her robe swishing softly like silk against silk, then walked to her seat, her silver hair cascading through the air with her every step echoing through the room, as the sharp clicks of her heels hitting the marble made Leah's heart sink every time she heard them, she was nervous that the leader of the cultists would be offended at her question.

  But before she could finish her thoughts, the sound of her footsteps stopped, and a sudden silence that hung heavy in the room, as Samantha sat in her throne with grace, as elegance could be seen in her movements as she lifted her leg then placed it atop her other leg, as the leather of her seat creaked faintly under the shift, as she nodded, "hmm, then you may ask me."

  "Then, if I'm not rude or too direct, your holiness, can I ask what should this mother prove to meet her child?" Leah said in her most respectful tone.

  Though she called to ask her a question it didn't mean that she was allowed to meet her eyes, so Leah still pressed her forehead into the marbled floor, the cold seeping into her skin like a persistent chill, as sweat trickled down on her skin, warm and sticky, pooling slightly under her brow as she waited for an answer, and the distant drip of water from some hidden crack in the walls added to the tension.

  Samantha expected that this woman would be smart enough to ask her a different question instead of this preliminary one that most of her followers knew, but still she entertained her question as she said gently, her voice carrying a smooth lilt that echoed off the stone. "To prove yourself is a complicated question to answer..."

  Leah nodded at her words, the motion scraping her skin lightly against the floor with a faint grit, since she too knew that to prove yourself meant a lot.

  It is a philosophical question that no schoolars had been able to answer except the one who asked it, and Samantha knew it as she continued, "it could mean everything or it could mean a single thing, so child, don't ask me this question since even I wouldn't even be able to give you an answer."

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  Then Samantha flicked her hands, a sharp snap that cut through the air like a whip's crack, as three servants with white strands in their hairlines entered the room, their footsteps muffled but purposeful on the thick rugs that lined the edges, then bowed at her to show their respect, their robes rustling softly.

  As they've proceeded to grab Leah by the shoulder, their grips firm and unyielding like iron bands, as they've dragged her out of the room, the scrape of her knees on the floor sent a dull ache up her legs.

  Though nervous, Leah didn't resist her captors for she knew the consequences of it, and before she could exit the room, Samantha continued, her voice following like a trailing echo, "prove yourself, child, since you yourself would probably know the answer to that question."

  Ishtar, listening to their conversation, nodded as she bowed to her master, the bow deep and reverent with a faint creak of her joints, then proceeded to follow Leah. But before she could leave the room, Samantha told her, "Ishtar, I have a task for you."

  Ishtar halted her steps, the sudden stop making her robes settle with a soft whoosh, as she turned her head then stared at her master with an unreadable expression, her eyes steady but the air around her thickening with anticipation.

  Samantha, seeing her disciple's unreadable face, smiled then chuckled, a light sound that bubbled like water over stones. "Ishtar, please meet Lumicor at the Lisa kingdom. As for the following instructions, please do it at your discretion."

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  "Huhuhu, how weird..." Alister himself couldn't help but frown, his brows knitting together with a deep crease that pulled at his skin, since when had demonic beasts made of crystals come into existence? For as long as he had remembered, such things were impossible to exist, so why now?

  The question hung in his mind like the damp, metallic tang of the cavern air, thick with the scent of raw mana that prickled his nostrils.

  The crystalline creature that took the form of a mountain lion, covered in its mighty mane that was as thin as threads but shimmered with refracted light like a thousand tiny prisms, was impressively higher than Alister, as its own height was nearly triple than his, a tantamount humongous that was 47 meters tall.

  Its golden beads with crystalline structure peered through at his essence, glowing faintly with an inner light that hummed low, vibrating through the ground under his feet.

  The crystalline lion, the leader of the pride, sensed that this man in front of it wasn't a threat, since how could it be a threat when its true form was this entire mine that spanned for miles wide and miles deep?

  It sneered at the man like it wasn't something worthy of its attention, as a low rumble in its throat vibrated the air, as it turned its gaze at its flock of females hushing at each other, their soft growls and purrs mingling like wind through chimes.

  Then all of his females yawned in boredom altogether, as their massive jaws parted with a crystalline creak, as if it was telling them to finish this impudent weird creature walking on two instead of four.

  And he the pride of the group obeyed its females commands since how could he let them keep waiting for his warmth? So he as the leader turned its attention to the puny man, his pupils took a vertical slits as he glared at the man and used his own mana that spanned at the millions to pressure him.

  Like a mountain, a heavy wave of mana exploded outwards from the lion's frame, pressing down like invisible weights on the human, it was as if the mountainous pressure dawning on Alister was telling him to scram before the lion's mighty presence.

  The air around them was growing thick and buzzing with authoritative mana in every passing seconds, as the vibrations humming low through his bones made Alister's skin tingle in excitement.

  Arrogant as the lion was, Alister merely chuckled at its foolish attempt to scare him away, the sound of his laughters echoing off the jagged crystal walls with a mocking ring.

  For some, this pressure that weighed like a mountain would dissuade them into thinking that they could not take on such a demonic beast, but fret not, for he is Alister von Fai, someone who had faced monsters more monstrous than this crystal beast, that screamed danger at his instincts.

  To show that facing a monster like this wasn't a big deal, he merely shrugged off the atmospheric pressure that pressed on his shoulder like a mountain, the relief washing over him like he had shredded off his old skin, as he smirked then said with hunger visible in his eyes, a glint that sharpened his gaze. "Huhuhu, I never thought that an oversized cat would be this haughty in front of me."

  Feeling offended at his words, the lion growled, a deep vibration that rattled loose crystals from the ceiling with faint tinkles, as the intensity of the atmospheric pressure that pressed on Alister's shoulder intensified, growing heavier like an avalanche was slowly building at his back. And to the lion's dismay, Alister merely stared at it with a bored expression as he yawned, the sound lazy and drawn out. "Huhuhu..."

  His laughter stopped as he stared at the creature, then his pupils that were already a deep red took a more deeper hue as it took vertical slits, narrowing with a predatory focus.

  Then in the next moment, a dreadful presence washed through the entire cavern, thick and oppressive like a storm cloud descending, as the bravest of the lions, be it male or female, paused their activities within the cavern, their movements freezing with a collective hitch in breath, as dread washed their faces upon feeling this dreadful presence.

  That even their instincts that feared none screamed at them to flee right this moment, it was a primal urge that made their crystalline forms quiver with faint cracks of light.

  Then in the next moment, as all of them collectively turned their gaze in one direction, and it was where Alister could be seen standing, the lion's relaxed expression broke, shattering like fragile glass.

  "Human, I've been magnanimous enough to give you the chance to flee, but how dare you display your authority in my domain?" The lion finally spoke, its voice cold as ice cracking underfoot, resonant and booming through the cavern, as its mane flared with color in its display for power, threads glowing brighter with hues of gold and blue that lit the shadows.

  The lion expected that this display of power was enough to drive the human away, but to its dismay, the human, or Alister himself, merely chuckled as he said, his voice carrying a mocking edge that bounced off the walls. "Hmm, yes, you've been magnanimous enough as to only warn me."

  Alister stopped as his vertical pupils intensely stared at the lion, locking eyes with a piercing intensity that made the air between them crackle faintly, as he continued, "and I too was magnanimous enough to tolerate your arrogance before the presence of an emperor."

  The lion lifted its brows, a subtle shift in its crystalline features that sent sparks of light scattering, then it stared at the man with contempt before it sneered, a sound like grinding stones. "Emperor or not, you are within my domain, so let us cease this foolery and let us fight."