Chapter71

The Obsidian Monster
Gazel drew his sword and stepped in front of the carriage, shouting over the panic. "Form up around the princess! Now!"
The knights moved on instinct, steel ringing as they formed a tight circle around Didi and the carriage, shields locking together while their eyes stayed fixed on the cracked earth.
'Talking monsters don't just show up,' Gazel thought, his grip tightening on the hilt until his fingers locked hard around the leather, 'they usually only manifest speech at seven Shards or higher, and anything at that level needs at least a Master to handle.'
He had no Master, and he didn't even have a six-Shard in his squad.
'This is bad,' he thought, shifting his weight to block the clearest path to the carriage, 'top priority right now is getting the princess out safe, if I can buy them thirty seconds to mount and ride, that's enough. I just have to survive thirty seconds.'
The ground split open with a sound like tearing metal, dirt and stone collapsing inward while a massive shape pushed its way up from the dark.
The earth gave way to reveal a torso of layered obsidian scales and a head that looked too human for something buried underground.
Dust rolled off its shoulders in thick waves while it pulled itself free, its eyes scanning the knights before locking onto Didi with a slow, deliberate focus that made every sword in the formation tremble.
"Well now," it said, its voice grinding like stone on stone, a low rumble that vibrated through their boots and up into their chests.
"I knew my nose wasn't lying after all. One of the Underworld King's royal bloodlines, huh? His Majesty will be happy if I bring you back to him."
The monster tilted its head, sniffing the air again like a hound tracking a scent.
"Though my main mission was the Goddess's last bloodline," it muttered, its tone shifting to something almost annoyed.
"Filthy thing. I can still smell the residue of her power lingering in this area." It paused, its gaze drifting past the knights toward the distant tree line before snapping back to Didi.
"But that one is still too weak, not worth the effort of dragging back right now."
Its mouth stretched into a wide, unnatural grin, rows of razor-sharp teeth catching the light. "The royal bloodline, on the other hand. That will do nicely for now."