Chapter 239: It Was Rigged From The Beginning

The walk back to camp was quiet, which was unusual for a group that normally couldn’t go five minutes without someone saying something ridiculous. Theodore kept sneaking glances at Raiden from the corner of his eye, trying to figure out if the man walking beside him was the same person who had been joking around and arguing with them constantly just two days ago.

The answer, based on the cold, flat expression on Raiden’s face, was a very clear no.

Aria walked slightly behind them, her eyes flicking nervously between Raiden and the small sheep sleeping in his arms. She had tried to say something twice already, but each time she opened her mouth, the words just died on her tongue.

What was she supposed to say? Sorry your Terra Beast almost got possessed by something because my family is garbage? That didn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

Rose, who had returned to her normal size and was now wrapped around Raiden’s neck like a very deadly scarf, noticed Aria’s discomfort and let out a small, disapproving hiss.

"Hiss Hiss..." Stop staring at Rai Rai like that. It’s rude.

Aria flinched and looked away immediately.

Neva, on the other hand, was completely unbothered. She sat on Raiden’s other shoulder, swinging her little legs back and forth, humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like the embarrassing song the system had played a few days ago.

Raiden either didn’t notice or had decided that trying to convince her otherwise right now was not worth the energy.

"So," Theodore finally said, breaking the silence after what felt like an eternity. "What’s the plan?"

Raiden didn’t look at him. "We walk to the final site. We beat whatever is there. We leave."

"That’s... not really a plan."

"It is now."

Theodore opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again. Arguing with Raiden in his current mood felt about as productive as arguing with a brick wall, except the brick wall could probably kill him in a heartbeat.

They walked for another hour in relative silence, the only sounds being the crunch of leaves under their feet and the occasional distant roar of a Terra Beast that had clearly learned its lesson and was staying far, far away from their group.

Word had apparently spread fast. Whatever wild Terra Beasts remained in the core area had decided that the small group walking through their territory was not worth the trouble, which was probably the smartest decision any of them had made all week.

It was around midday when they finally saw it.

The trees thinned out gradually, giving way to a wide-open valley surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides. In the centre of the valley stood a massive stone structure that looked like it had been carved directly out of the mountain itself.

It was old, older than anything Theodore had ever seen in his entire life, with pillars covered in faded carvings and symbols that glowed faintly with a golden-white light.

But that wasn’t what made everyone stop walking.

What made them stop was the thing standing in front of it.

It was enormous. Easily thirty metres tall, with a body covered in dark green scales that shimmered like polished jade under the sunlight.

Its head was broad and flat, with six curved horns spiralling backwards like a crown, and its eyes, when they opened, burned with a pale blue fire that made the air around it shimmer and distort. A long, muscular tail dragged behind it, carving a shallow trench in the ground with every small movement.

The pressure it gave off was suffocating. Even from this distance, Theodore felt his knees buckle slightly, and he had to actively fight the urge to sit down on the ground and pretend he had never seen this thing.

"That’s..." His voice came out as a strangled whisper. "That’s the final guardian."

"Diamond Tier," Aria breathed, her face going white. "It’s actually my Diamond Tier Terra Beast!! This was rigged from the beginning... We never had a chance to win in the first place..."

Raiden looked at the massive creature with the same dead expression as before. He looked like he didn’t even care about it at all.

"Raiden." Theodore grabbed his arm, his voice urgent. "I know you’re angry, and I know you want to finish this quickly, but that thing is Diamond Tier. That’s not something we can just walk up to and punch. Even for Woolie, even with Rose and Neva, a Diamond-Tier Terra Beast is on a completely different level. We need to retreat for now and think of a plan first!!"

Raiden finally turned to look at him, and the expression on his face made Theodore’s hand drop away instinctively.

"Theodore." His voice was calm, almost gentle, which somehow made it worse. "I watched my partner almost get eaten alive from the inside because I was too careless to see what was happening to him. I sat there and let him fight when I should have pulled him back. So no, I am not going to stand here and come up with a plan. I am going to walk over there, I am going to beat that oversized lizard, and then we are going home."

He paused, then added with a small, humourless smile, "But if you want to stay back and plan, feel free to do so. You are not needed anyway."

Theodore stared at him for a long moment, then let out a slow, resigned breath.

"You know what? Fine. Fuck it! I’ve given up trying to talk sense into you. I am going with you."

"Suit yourself."

Aria, who had been quiet this entire time, suddenly stepped forward. Her hands were trembling, but her voice was steady.

"Raiden, wait."

He stopped.

"That guardian... I can feel something from behind it. There’s something behind it, something that feels like..." She swallowed hard. "It feels like me. Like my bloodline."

The words hung in the air like a blade.

Raiden’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Your father put your bloodline behind that guardian."

"I think so. I think that’s why the clan needs me to reach the final site. This is a sacred site, and it won’t fully activate without the original bloodline owner being present."

Rose’s golden eyes flashed dangerously.

"Hiss..." Then we kill it and take it back.

"That’s the plan," Raiden said simply.

He shifted Woolie gently in his arms, making sure the little sheep was secure, then started walking toward the valley entrance without another word.

Theodore looked at Aria. Aria looked at Theodore.

"Your friend is insane," Theodore said.

"Yeah," Aria sighed. "But we will do the best we can to support him."

They followed him into the valley.