Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 195: Book 3: Chapter 47: Catching Up

Read chapter 195 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book 3: Chapter 47: Catching Up Chapter 47: Catching Up The System text faded away, leaving only the uneasy quiet of fractured light and wind sighing across the hillside. Then the ground trembled beneath them. It started as a low, distant vibration that rattled loose stones near the biome’s edge. Then it swelled up, a rumble that rolled through the mountain’s belly. The air itself seemed to thicken from the resulting pressure. Then, an ear-splitting screech tore through the sky. It wasn’t the shriek of a beast Alex had ever heard before. It was older, deeper, and threaded with aether in strange currents. Every audible note set Alex’s teeth on edge. It scraped against his skull until he was forced to screw his eyes shut, clapping a hand to his ears. Even Obby hissed angrily in his head. “ Oh, lovely, ” the pebble muttered dryly. “ That doesn’t sound remotely horrifying. ” Alex swallowed hard, staring toward the mountain’s heart. “That’s her. The Queen.” Every eye moved toward the crumbling fortress of stone that loomed over the center of the mountain. “Gods above. I was kidding about the T-Rex thing… that sounds way worse.” Garret muttered, his face pale. “Doesn’t matter what it is,” Eric said, “That’s what we’re heading toward, so we need to be ready.” Nobody argued those facts, but nobody liked it. The silence that followed was long, broken only when the crystal biome began to stir. Shapes emerged from the prismatic forest, blurry at first, then clear as wounded figures stumbled into the light of the plains. Their armor was cracked, their clothes torn, and faces grim. Alex’s breath caught in his throat, then released in a rush. One by one, he counted them. Kate, pale but upright. Zach, silent as ever, with his shadow clinging to his footsteps. Rynel, leaning heavily against Cole’s shoulder. Sarson trudging behind, sword dragging, but still breathing. Selka was close on his heels. Doran and Devon came next, each with dark bags under their eyes. Myrae was after them, her hair dishelved, the normal grace of her steps marred by a limp. And finally Ghrukk, the ork was bandaged, bloodied, but somehow still radiating that monstrous presence of his even with half his weight resting on the shaft of his weapon. Alex let his eyes sweep the group again, just to be sure. Everyone was accounted for. His chest loosened, just a fraction. “About time,” he whispered. The hillside quickly became a tangle of voices, sighs of relief, and shouted greetings accompanied by the creak of battered gear and weapons. The two halves of the raid squad closed the distance between each other, their movements sluggish on both sides, like survivors crawling together from the sea after a storm. Kate was the first to speak, wiping grime from her jaw with the back of her hand. “Crystal biome. It was like fighting inside a kaleidoscope while being hunted by things that shouldn’t bend that many directions at once.” She grimaced. “And yes, Garret, there was a giant crystal predator. Not a T-Rex. More like… a centipede made of blades.” Garret made a strangled noise of despair. “Are you kidding me? That’s even cooler! I would’ve killed for a fight like that. Wait… how did you know I was thinking of a T-Rex?” Kate rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Trust me, you're glad you weren’t in that fight. You’d have died in about four seconds,” Selka muttered, still supporting Sarson as he trudged forward. Rynel managed a weak grin. “Three, if the thing was in a bad mood.” That got a chuckle from the group. Zach didn’t laugh, of course. He only leaned on his spear, pale eyes scanning the hills. But even he didn’t pull away when Peter clapped his shoulder in greeting, and that was almost the same thing. Meanwhile, Allie was already fussing over the wounded, her kit spread across a blanket, fountain-water vials lined up neatly beside tinctures and poultices. Her brow furrowed as she inspected Ghrukk’s bandaged arm, the Ork scowled but didn't shove her off. That alone was proof of how