Underground; below the lair.

  The group's car sped along in a tunnel which seems to magically expand lengthwise in a way that the glittering and beautiful path it plies extends smoothly far ahead from the continuous collapse of the tunnel front wall that is blocking its path ahead as it get closer to it, seeming like the earth is giving way to them, thus the magical expansion of the tunnel lengthwise in the direction of their travel.

  Inside the car—a very large contraption that its iridescent smooth surface on the outside looks to be made from an amalgamation of precious stones, luminous and non-luminous;

  Skylar sitting at the front left seat converse with Raftelia at the backseat, while he from time to time glance through the car's transparent glass window on his left, at the incredible beauty of nature unveiling on the tunnel's wall—a scene of countless blue glittering crystals dotting the purple stone wall in a pattern very similar to the milky way, thanks to his inhuman visual sensing ability.

  "What about the riot going on on the surface...?" Raftelia with her head bowed squeaked. "It was not in the plan." She added after a small pause, and then she raised her head to look at the side profile of Skylar holding lady cat on his lap, awaiting his reply.

  She is really very smart and inquisitive... but must she know everything.. Skylar thought. He instinctively rolled his eyes.

  "It was a random backup plan I made," he replied in a clear and soft tone. "I was of the mind that if all our plans including the second one fails, she should at least get some kind of repayment; the mess going on up there... its just a small trick I didn't expect will do much damage."

  Well its true I didn't expect the riot to succeed in that manner. He added in his mind after which he turned his head to look behind at the little guy who is as quiet as ever, lunging beside Raftelia on the backseat.

  A moment later, Raftelia bowed her head slightly, and with a very soft squeaking voice, she resumed:

  "So, its basically the creatures who has the roasted meat recipe that are going around hunting other creatures for meat. Meanwhile, those without the recipe that knows about the situation are also going around, killing for the recipe?"

  "They are even teaming up." Lady cat yawned, she added to Raftelia inquiry.

  Maybe she is worried for some certain creature she is acquainted with up there. Skylar concluded as he lowered his head slightly while sighing quietly.

  He replied. "The riot was definitely going to happen at one point as long as the wolfs don't return; the meat stuff was just a catalyst that brought it forward..."

  He raised his head. He looked straight ahead through the car's screen at the wall of the tunnel that continues to collapse, blending with a path that therefore extends, making way for their speeding car.

  Despite the car solemn atmosphere, he continued. "The reason the millions of creature here have never rebelled is because of the wolf's presence in the lair, not that they can't and will not. They all individually fear the wolfs, and most creature here, especially the ones who enjoy the arena had no reason to rebel since they are attached to this place; funny enough, they might even help capture guys like us who wants to escape..."

  "Is that the reason you invited only me into your group? you trusted I won't betray you?" Lady cat meowed. With her wiggling tail pointing in a peculiar direction, she licked her front paw after which she raised her head to look Skylar in the eyes with her twinkling eyes, awaiting his reply.

  My mate just say it, I know you also feel the connection between us... Her thought was written all over her face and her twinkling eyes trained on Skylar who has a certain smile on his face lowered in her direction.

  Skylar raised his head which now have an expressionless face, looking straight ahead as he replied: "Not really, I trusted my judgment that tells me you have no reason to betray us."

  "You didn't trust my character?" Lady cat snarled angrily. Her tail stand tall, and her tail fur and the ones on her back became taut, looking spiky as she narrowed her large slit pupil which focused sharply on Skylar.

  "Okay I trusted it." Skylar quickly admitted. A bit... He also added in his mind, while he simultaneously pet her fur gently from her head to her tail in a bid to calm her down.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  They have this strange atmosphere around them that will make someone think they have been together for a very long time... If only I weren't this big... Raftelia watching there scene sighed wistfully, trying to suppress the expression of jealousy almost taking over her face.

  ...

  Few minutes later.

  Skylar made a gesture which the driver sitting beside him—Mr Rabbit—understood as a directive he executed which in turn made the speeding car to take a gentle turn to the left while the tunnel wall ahead that is collapsing also responded in accordance in a way its action of collapsing and blending with the car path also took a turn, leading the speeding contraption on a curved path.

  "Sky," Raftelia gained Skylar's attention. She resumed the conversation. "How are you certain the serpent is not waiting for us at the other side of the bridge?"

  Her inquiry also gained the attention of the others: Mr Rabbit glanced at Skylar and the little guy at the backseat sat upright. Lady Cat raised her head. I have also wanted to ask him, and especially how was he able to make that hole through that thing? She thought; then she angled her head to feel more comfortable.

  "Well, everything right now is a gamble." Skylar replied. "She might have seen us when we left our room, but I doubt it. Even if she saw us escape, she will be in dilemma where she will have trouble choosing between us and the riot on the surface, and..."

  He paused. With one hand rubbing his chin and his eyes looking at the car's screen, he engaged his mind, looking lost in thought.

  If she is really waiting ahead, all I have to do is use that. He concluded in his mind, and smiling, he glanced behind him, taking a quick look at the quiet little guy behind, lounging on the backseat.

  "Sky," Raftelia gained his attention, she lowered her head, squeaking softly. "If you could drill a hole that big under the floor of our room, why did you not do that instead of all the elaborate planning we did that never really worked?"

  "It was because I had inadequate knowledge which resulted in my hesitation"S kylar smiled. He continued. "On the day I participated in my first arena battle, even though I know she was going to change our cell after I displayed the ability to manipulate the earth element which she truly determined to be a cheat, I didn't expect her to put us in that isolation chamber. I thought she was going to put me in a place where it is impossible for me to manipulate my way through its boundary, but when I discovered it wasn't so, I thought she hid a trick somewhere; it was all because I kind of respect her intelligence that I hesitated... doing what I did today was a bold gamble that there was no hidden trick..."

  I don't think he knows he did not just manipulate earth element at the time, but he bypassed a rank seven glyph, even if it is a broken one... Lady cat mused. Her mind recalled Skylar first fight at the arena as she spied briefly at his face.

  "So that's why you were feeling the walls?" Raftelia squeaked, a look of realization colored her face. "You were trying to confirm if there is a possibility you could truly manipulate it, and you were also checking for traps?"

  The serpent might have really not been tricked but lost because of the impossibility that happened in that chamber, and like he said, she may really not know about our current situation... Lady cat thought after also coming to her own realization before she wiggled her tail which changed the direction its pointing.

  "Exactly." Skylar replied. He smiled. "At first, it was actually very difficult to manipulate the wall, but after several attempts, making a hole through it wasn't difficult anymore. It was also at the first time I felt maybe there was a trap she set somewhere, you know, I wasn't expecting things to be this easy and smooth?"

  As Skylar ended his speech, he pointed a finger in the direction lady cat's tail pointed for Mr Rabbit to see, which was also the direction the car gently turned to a moment later

  "You still have not answered the question... why did you decide to escape through the floor of the chamber now and not a time before?" Lady cat rephrased Raftelia original question.

  "Like I said, I thought it was a trap, but because someone recently told me about the history of the chamber; how it was even impossible for gods to dream of escaping it unless they use the front door which is the only way out of the chamber and that can only be unlocked somewhere far outside of it, I was just like, 'why don't I try', 'what can really go wrong', you know...?"

  "That's true, it was a place of isolation for some special devotees of that ancient religion in ancient times," Lady cat chimed in; repeatedly and instinctively, she batted Skylar's chiseled ab with her fluffy tail. "The door can truly only be opened in the receiving quarters of the overseer monk at the time, it should be where that serpent take up base."

  "Ah! its true, I remember, its a black gold sealed chamber, ahhhhhhhh...." Raftelia squeaked incredibly loud as she can as a sudden realization hit her, fright and horror written on her face. "How? How? How? Black gold, how?..." she stammered. As she turned to look at Skylar, she covered her distorted and terrified face with a hand.

  Meanwhile, when she screamed... the little guy beside her for a split second before it vanished seemed to also scream out and made a very funny shocked expression—a very unusual sight to behold—but no one seems to notice as Raftelia's scream dominated.

  Are they just realizing the implication of the hole now... Maybe I shouldn't have let them know about it... no, they were going to come to a realization at one point unless I kill them... but I can't, not until I get a proper measure of that vanishing beast... Thinking about it now, I have no reason to panic... He is definitely coming back with me to my tribe... Lady cat on the other hand, having already known about the hole came to a conclusion that excites her after she also carefully examined the expression of everyone including the vanishing beast—the little guy—that just reappeared.