HPDBC Chapter 336: Crawl
Chapter 336: Crawl
The oppressive silence of the forest was broken by Lyerin's chilling laughter.The six of them—Scarred Soldier, Younger Woman, Donovan, Theran, Miriam, and Mikhail—were frozen in fear and exhaustion, their bodies barely holding together after their desperate attempts to escape.
Lyerin loomed over them like a predator savoring its victory, his grin widening as he studied their battered and broken forms.
"Well?" Lyerin said, his voice deceptively light but carrying a cold undertone. "Didn't you hear me? Crawl."
He tilted his head, his gaze flicking between them. "You're tired, your mana is gone, your bodies are failing… but I didn't say you could stop moving. Crawl."
None of them moved.
Their minds screamed at them to obey, but their bodies refused to cooperate. The Scarred Soldier clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms as he tried to summon the strength to defy him.
The Younger Woman's breathing hitched, her eyes wide with a mix of terror and disbelief.
Donovan let out a shaky breath, his legs trembling beneath him, while Theran, Miriam, and Mikhail simply stared at the ground, unable to lift their heads.
Lyerin's grin faltered for the briefest of moments, his expression darkening. "Oh, come now," he said, crouching down to their level. "I thought you understood how this worked. I give the orders, and you follow. Isn't that how it's been all along?"
When none of them responded, he sighed dramatically, standing back up. "Fine. If you won't crawl willingly, I'll give you some… motivation."
Reaching into a small pouch at his side, Lyerin produced a strange, writhing creature.
It was a small, grotesque-looking insect with segmented legs and a glistening, almost metallic exoskeleton.
The way it squirmed in his hand was unnerving, its movements quick and erratic as if it were desperate to escape.
"Do you know what this is?" Lyerin asked, holding the bug up for them to see. He didn't wait for an answer.
"This," he said, his grin returning, "is something I picked up back on Earth. You see, I was quite… curious. There's no shortage of terrifying things in nature if you know where to look."
The group's eyes were fixed on the bug, their fear intensifying with every word.
Lyerin's voice took on an almost giddy tone as he continued, "This little guy is special. It's a burrowing parasite. Once it finds a host—well, let's just say it makes itself comfortable. It digs under the skin, finds its way into the bloodstream, and from there, it… eats."
His grin widened as he added, "Slowly. Painfully. It starts with the soft tissues—muscles, organs—and then, eventually, the brain."
The Younger Woman let out a choked gasp, her trembling hands clutching at her chest as if to shield herself.
Mikhail muttered a curse under his breath, his voice shaking.
Donovan clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing in defiance despite the fear etched across his face.
Lyerin's gaze darted between them, his amusement growing. "Don't believe me? Well, why don't I show you?" Without hesitation, he dropped the insect onto the Scarred Soldier's arm.
The man flinched, his body instinctively trying to pull away, but he was too weak to stop the bug as it began to burrow into his skin.
The Scarred Soldier let out a cry of pain, his hand instinctively clawing at his arm, but it was too late—the bug had already disappeared beneath the surface.
The others watched in horror as the man's veins began to darken, the path of the insect's movement visible beneath his skin.
Lyerin's laughter rang out again, louder this time. "Ah, see? Isn't it fascinating? Truly one of Earth's hidden gems. Of course, I had to go to great lengths to find these little guys. Spent quite some time
Suddenly, Lyerin's voice turned mocking, almost playful. "Maybe I should bring out more bugs," he said, his grin widening. "You know, just to motivate you. Would you like that? Another little friend to crawl under your skin? Or maybe I'll just sit back and watch as you collapse one by one."
He laughed again, the sound cruel and unrelenting. "Oh, this is too good. You're all so weak, so pathetic. And yet, you keep going. Why? What's the point? You know you can't win. You know you're at my mercy. So why bother?"
But even as he mocked them, the group kept moving. They didn't have a choice. Every time one of them faltered, Lyerin was there, his kicks were outrageous and physically harmful, making them grit his teeth.