Asher nodded, his chin grazing against the top of hers, "Our bodies... they're responding or calling out to each other. In the old days, it used to be called primal instincts. But these days…it's called sexual tension."
"S-Sexual??" Ceti took a moment to digest his words. Sexual tension and primal instincts? She had never heard of such things, at least not in this context, nor had she ever experienced it before.
"T-That can't be…You are just bluffing…" Ceti didn't want to believe her body was "calling" out to him. That was absurd!
Asher let out a chuckle, the vibrations of it thrumming through her chest, "Ever heard of pheromones?" he asked, his eyes gleaming mischievously in the dim light.
"Phe-what?" Ceti responded, her brows furrowing. She was well versed in the art of war, knew every weapon and combat strategy like the back of her hand, but this... this was foreign territory.
"Pheromones," Asher repeated with a serious look, "They're sort of like vital signals in our body that people and even beasts release into the air. They can trigger specific responses in our bodies, making us feel strange and even induce changes in our body like the ones we are experiencing now."
Hearing such a sophisticated explanation, Ceti couldn't help but feel that he may not be bluffing after all since nothing else could explain what was going on.
She was always more focused on her training and fighting. Now that she thought about it, the signs were there. The tingling sensation, the increased heart rate, the flush on her skin... it made sense, but the realization didn't make it any less embarrassing or confusing.
Still, she asked while trying to suppress the wet heat pooling in her lower abdomen, "B-But why is it happening?"
Asher let out a soft sigh as he said, "Because our bodies want us to contribute to the evolution of our bloodlines together."
For a moment, Ceti just stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
She didn't get it but slowly her eyes widened in realization, "Are you saying... that we... that I..." she stammered, her cheeks heating up even more, if that was possible.
"Yes," Asher replied, his grin widening at her befuddled state, "In simple terms…Your body is craving for mine."
Ceti's cheeks reddened, her lips parting in shock at his audacious statement, "Nonsense!" she huffed, her dark blue eyes glaring at him.
The cavern, having settled from the rumble of the collapse, gave her a much-needed opportunity to extract herself from the awkward confines.
She wriggled out of the narrow space, shooting him one final aggrieved glare.
Once she was standing, she dusted herself off, trying hard to push away the lingering feelings of embarrassment, shame, and annoyance.
She turned her eyes on him, and noticed that he hadn't bothered to fix his... 'situation'. She raised an eyebrow, aghast at his lack of modesty, "And just how long do you plan to stay...like that?" She asked while quickly chugging down a mana potion.
Asher looked down, shrugged and smirked, "I think you already know the answer..."
Ceti took a deep breath in exasperation but before she could retort, her attention was drawn to a new change on the map in her mind.
Her expression morphed from irritated to serious as a red circle emerged on the map embedded in her consciousness. A new threat was approaching. And fast.
Asher followed her gaze, his face hardening as he too noticed the imminent danger.
His previous demeanor evaporated, replaced by razor sharp focus, "They must have come out of the same teleportation gate we did. We can't run…" Asher noticed another red circle in the opposite direction popping up but it was still a couple of kilometers away.
Now that the Cavern Collapse was over, he knew everyone must be desperate and excited again to resume the hunt for his head.
He was sure more people were hunting for him compared to when the bounty started.
"Oh no..." Ceti muttered, her usually fierce eyes wide with apprehension as she saw three figures racing toward them.
Asher noticed her change in demeanor. This was the first time he'd seen her look so unsettled since they began their quest. His attention shifted to the approaching figures - three werewolves in their humanoid form, their speed a blur in the cavern light.
As they came into sight, they slowed their pace, their expressions contorting into ones of hostility.
Low growls echoed through the still air as they neared, their predatory gazes fixated on Asher and Ceti.
The first was a muscular figure, his fiery red skin glowing ominously in the light. His dark green eyes held a chilling depth that can make anyone's blood run cold. Claws tipped with slender fittings glinted menacingly, reflecting an eerie sheen - a sure sign of poison.
The second figure was burly, massive and covered in intricate, dark tattoos that added to his intimidating presence. His yellow eyes blazed with a ferocious spirit, and his claw fittings were broad, serrated, making him seem quite savage.
The last one was a beautiful woman. Tall, slender and red-skinned, she held herself with the grace of a dancer, yet there was an air of lethal elegance about her. Her claws, delicate and ornate, were as deadly as the men's.
"The Rustblood Clan..." Asher murmured, his gaze flicking between the three werewolves and Ceti. The name and the auras emanating from their bodies were enough to make Asher frown. They were infamous for their use of poison.
Ceti nodded, her expression grim, "This isn't good. They are too strong for us. Two of them are Soul Purgers, one at the peak and the other at the mid-level. And the woman... she's a peak Soul Reaper. Serkan, Lyra, and Raza…they are quite renowned warriors of their clan."
Understanding dawned on Asher as he realized why Ceti looked so troubled.
They were up against werewolves from the 2nd strongest werewolf clan, who were experts in poison and surely hated Ceti and him right down to their bones. And the strength of these three...easily overwhelms the two of them combined.
"Serkan…" Ceti spoke first, her voice as hard as steel, "If you are so determined to fight, then know this: at least one of you will die. But we can avoid that, we can avoid needless bloodshed if we just... forget we ever crossed paths."
Serkan scoffed and let out a snort of contempt that echoed eerily through the stillness. His gaze never left Ceti as he sneered, "I didn't expect any less from the traitorous rat who ran away from her own clan."
The burly figure, Raza, crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips, "You two must be trembling over there. I bet you didn't expect there'd be no running away from this, huh? We have been tracking you two the entire time, waiting for a good time to corner you both. But that caused us to get separated from the others, tch."
Asher now realized why only three of them were here and guessed that the rest must be the other red circle behind them.
Ceti's eyes narrowed, her voice cutting through their mocking laughter, "Are you really so desperate? Don't you care about each other's lives, all for the sake of 40,000 shards?"
Lyra stepped forward, her eyes filled with scorn as she looked from Ceti to Asher, "We're not doing this for the shards. Ignoring the fact that the Moonbinder Clan had offered all the clans a handsome reward in return for your head…" her gaze landed on Asher as she continued with a veiled glint in her eyes, "There are so many powerful parties offering a lot for the head of that alien standing behind you, one of them which has offered us something we can't refuse. By entering this quest, he just signed his death order, and so did you by being with him."
Asher furrowed his brows, wondering who that party was to even entice the 2nd strongest werewolf clan. Darkmoon Clan was the weakest right now, so he was sure it couldn't be them, and they were the only ones he had personally offended.
Who else would go to such lengths to have him killed even though he hadn't yet become that big of a threat.
Ceti clenched her fists, her heart racing as she wondered if this was it.
She knew Asher was stronger than those of his level, but these three…they weren't exactly wrong. Even if she goes all out, she might only get to take out one of the weaker ones.
But it won't change the reality that the two of them were going to die here, 'I am sorry…mother…'
Asher chuckled darkly at this, stepping up beside Ceti. His gaze was challenging as he eyed the three werewolves, "How long do you plan to keep barking? Because from where I'm standing, it seems like your bite isn't that strong."
Ceti slowly turned her head to look at him, wondering why he was still so confident despite the grim reality they were facing. Was he faking it to not give in to despair? Or did he really not care about dying?
However, she had no idea that she was half-right. Asher was faking his confidence not because he was afraid of dying but because even if he survives, Ceti will probably die, and this would mean his chances of surviving this quest would lessen, let alone claiming the Deviar.
However, upon hearing Asher's taunt, the three of them didn't have their expressions changed.
Instead, the look of contempt on all three hardened as Serkan let out a low growl, "False bravado isn't going to save your life, Bloodburn Consort. Let's see you say the same thing once one of us claws out your heart."
Asher wasn't surprised upon seeing how these guys weren't the kind to get easily triggered, unlike Dreven.
But nevertheless, it didn't mean his Hellbringer form would stand to gain nothing. The only question would be whether he can last long enough or be forced to escape to his Damned Dimension if Ceti dies.
As his words echoed in the tunnel, an intense energy began to pulse around the trio. It surged like a storm, the air crackling with their anger, and with a sudden, spine-chilling roar, they transformed.
Serkan's body contorted and grew, his red skin darkening and stretching as thick crimson fur erupted from beneath.
His arms twisted, fingers curling into deadly claws that glowed with a sickly green hue.
His face morphed, cheekbones sharpening as his mouth extended into a pronounced snout filled with deadly teeth. His eyes remained, a chilling dark green glowing with an eerie luminescence against the fiery-red of his fur.
Their muscles bulged and rippled, expanding as his body took on a larger, more formidable shape as they stood on their feet.
Lyra had a similar transformation, though her feral form was taller and more agile. Her fur, although the same crimson hue as her companions', appeared softer, more delicate.
In their transformed state, the trio stood, a terrifying picture of unity and power, and embodied a deadly threat that no one could ignore.
*GROWL!!!*
With a synchronized growl that echoed like a chilling battle cry, they charged at the two.
The ground seemed to tremble beneath their powerful feet, each step sending ripples through the earth as Asher took out his ring blade and Ceti pulled out the sword from her back, their expressions grim.
Ceti couldn't think of any way they were going to survive this.
