Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Mutant Giant Scorpion

Lila’s POV

I leaned on Jasper’s shoulder, listening to the whistling wind outside the cave. It sounded like countless vengeful spirits weaving and wailing between the rock walls, making my skin crawl.

I shifted to get more comfortable. “This place… it’s too quiet. Unsettlingly quiet.”

He hummed softly, his fingers idly combing through my hair. “Death Canyon wasn’t named for nothing. This was once the final battleground for two ancient Wolfman Tribes. So many died here that their blood soaked every grain of sand and every inch of rock. It’s only normal for the place to be thick with dark energy.”

I looked up in surprise. “You… know a lot about this place?”

Jasper shook his head. “I’ve heard some legends from the elders in my family. This wasn’t just a battlefield; it’s also said to be the location of a sealed Dark Moon Altar. The cold, sinister aura might be the lingering aftereffects of a leak in that seal.”

“The Dark Moon Altar?” My heart skipped a beat. The Moon Power within me seemed to sense something, trembling slightly.

“Don’t overthink it.” Jasper gently pressed on my shoulder, urging me to lie back down. “That was all hundreds of years ago. The important thing now is, why would Derek choose this place? Isn’t he afraid of being corroded by the dark energy here?”

I closed my eyes, and Derek’s sinister face materialized in my mind. ’He’s a madman, willing to do anything for power. He definitely didn’t choose this place just to hide out.’

“He’s performing some kind of ritual,” I said softly. “He needs the dark energy here, or… something from beneath the seal.”

Jasper was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Whatever he’s planning, it will all be over when we see him tomorrow.”

The night deepened, and the wind grew stronger. Deep within the cave, something seemed to be squirming slowly in the darkness, making a faint rustling sound. It was like some creature crawling, or perhaps rocks grinding against each other.

Jasper’s ears twitched slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes. His fingers simply tightened around the hilt of his dagger.

————

I slept fitfully that night. My dreams were filled with fragmented images—the Queen’s agonized groans, that bowl of black blood giving off a foul, white smoke, and Derek’s malicious eyes lurking in the shadows. I woke with a jolt, my back soaked in cold sweat, and instinctively grabbed the arm of the person beside me.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here.”

Jasper’s deep, gravelly voice, rough with sleep, sounded by my ear. He gently patted my back, and the warmth from his palm gradually calmed my frantic heartbeat.

“A nightmare?” he asked.

I nodded, looking at the faint light filtering in from outside the tent. “Is it morning?”

“Just broke.” He sat up and stretched, his bones making a soft CRACK. “Kael and the others are already getting ready. That noise last night… sounds like it was something big.”

Only then did I notice a faint, lingering smell of blood from deeper in the cave, mixed with a scent like a scorched carapace.

Stepping out of the tent, I saw the campfire in the main cavern had been extinguished, with only a few wisps of smoke remaining. Kael and his men were gathered in a shadowy corner of the cavern, their expressions grave. When he saw us approaching, Kael turned, a trace of lingering fear on his face.

“Mr. Hale. Goddess.” He stepped aside, revealing what was on the ground.

I gasped.

It was a massive scorpion, over two meters long, with an eerie, dark-purple body. Its venomous stinger, curved like a scythe, now hung limply on the ground. Its carapace was covered in vicious wounds, the most fatal blow having been to its head—a hole had been punched clean through, and its brains and bodily fluids were spilled all over the floor.

But that wasn’t what shocked me the most.

What made me feel like I couldn’t breathe were the marks left on its front pincer. There was a deep claw mark, and though it had scabbed over, the distinct tearing shape and the faint, residual scent of a Werewolf…

“This is…” My voice trembled.

“This is the mutated giant scorpion,” Jasper’s voice, as cold as ice, came from behind me. “It’s also the one that fought the Wolf King of the Sand Sea Tribe.”

Kael snapped his head up, his eyes blazing with incredulous fury. “What did you say? This monster didn’t die? It’s still alive?”

“Not only is it alive,” Jasper stepped forward and nudged one of the scorpion’s legs with the tip of his boot, pointing to a tiny bump on its neck, almost completely covered by its carapace. “Someone tampered with it. Look here.”

Kael and I moved closer to look. Embedded in a crevice of the scorpion’s dark-purple carapace was an extremely small metal device, no bigger than a fingernail, which glowed with a faint red light.

“What is that?” Kael asked.

“A micro-injection pump for the Enhancer,” Jasper said coldly. “Derek didn’t kill it. Instead, he captured it and experimented on it. He injected this scorpion with the Enhancer, and possibly even a variant of the Silence Potion, to control its wild nature and turn it into a killing machine.”

He crouched down, deftly pried open the metal device with his fingers, and removed a microchip from inside.

“This is the proof.” Jasper flicked the chip with his fingertip, making a crisp sound. “The chip recorded the injection data and control commands. Derek used this scorpion to attack the Wolf King, creating the illusion of an accident. Then he used it to survive here, and he probably planned to use it against any pursuers.”

“That damn bastard!” Kael slammed his fist into the rock wall, sending stone fragments flying. “He used our King as a test subject! He used this monster as a weapon!”

He spun around and roared at his men, “Did you hear that? This is the truth! Our King didn’t die in an accident! He died because of this demon’s scheme!”

“Revenge! Revenge!” The men were incensed, their eyes burning with rage.

I stared at the dead scorpion, a chill creeping into my heart. Derek’s methods were even more cruel and twisted than I had imagined. He not only killed the Wolf King but also turned this venomous creature into his weapon.

“Jasper,” I asked softly, “did you kill it?”

Jasper shrugged, looking completely unconcerned. “It tried to ambush the camp in the middle of the night. I just got up to stretch and took care of it.”

’Took care of it?’

I looked at the enormous scorpion, unable to imagine what kind of power Jasper had used to single-handedly kill this vicious, mutated creature without waking the entire camp. Kael and his men were looking at him with almost fanatical admiration.

“Mr. Hale…” Kael took a deep breath, his tone more respectful than ever. “We are completely convinced of your strength. We must find Derek and tear him to pieces!”

“The smell in the cave has changed.” Jasper sniffed the air, his brow furrowed slightly. “Besides the rot and blood, there’s another scent… like a laboratory. Antiseptic, and… ozone.”

“A laboratory?” My heart skipped again. “Are you saying Derek set up a temporary lab here?”

“It’s very likely.” Jasper nodded. “If he could control this scorpion, he would have needed equipment. And…”

He didn’t finish, but I knew what he was worried about. ’If Derek was really conducting experiments here, he might have more leverage than we thought.’

“We need to hurry,” I said. “Whatever he’s doing, we can’t let him succeed.”

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