Rave Beast—Hhoka

"Why…didn't you consume it?" Vhiny stared at the ruby in Stunra's hands in suspicion, "Are you doubting Vonne?"

"Not exactly, but I don't like being under her." Stunra said, revealing her plans, "I wish to become at least a Shaman, if not a Spirit itself."

"Well, after sensing the Fear in you, I can understand that I won't last long as a Spirit of the Pest Devil." Stunra said as she touched Vhiny's forehead, "I might die in a few years. So, my best bet is to become a Shaman."

"Do you have the confidence?" Vhiny asked.

"I do," Stunra stared at Knass' corpse, "But first, plant your eggs in his body. The Rave Beast created, as a result, will be stronger than the regular ones."

"The Garobu Faith is related to agriculture while the Pest Devil's power is perfectly antagonist to it. Therefore, rearing Rave Beasts using the corpses of Priests and Spirits is of utmost benefit to you." Stunra then looked around, frowning, "Since I lost my powers as a Spirit, I can no longer sense that Priest."

"What about you?"

"I'm not even a Shaman, so I can't sense it either." Vhiny sighed, unable to detect the Priest, "Relying upon the Fear in me, I can only feel the presence of someone on the level of a Spirit, that too only in my vicinity."

"A Priest is too weak to fall under your senses, huh." Stunra nodded after a moment of consideration, "Well, it doesn't matter. Let's change bases first."

Standing right at the other side of the wall, listening to them was Yuddu, feeling his heart thump in nervousness, 'Sir Knass was killed just like that. Miss Vhiny defected to the Fear Path while it seems Miss Stunra has the same plans. It means…'

He recalled the scene where Vhiny and Stunra sneak attacked Dullip during his confrontation with Keyn Garobu. And since the trio seemed to be on the same team, 'Seems Sir Keyn is the one that has betrayed the Faith.'

The moment he arrived at the conclusion, Yuddu quickly left the premises and began to rush towards their base of operations, intending to inform Iota.

Screech!

Suddenly, from one of the bedrooms of the house, an insect's screech resounded before a human head-sized creature burst out of the window and chased after Yuddu.

Dark brown shell resembling a beetle, with lines of crimson flesh peaking out from the joints, two conical heads like blades, connected to the body by long, serpentine necks, each reaching twenty centimetres in length.

Its insect wings carried it in the air, making it travel at the same speed as a wasp. For its size, that was overly menacing.

Its four forelimbs were like scythes, scuttling about nonstop while it flew, displaying its bloodthirstiness while its pair of rear limbs had bird-like claws, contrastingly calm.

"What is that?"

"Kyaah!"

"Monster!"

"Someone's head is flying!"

There were all sorts of reactions from the crowd as the creature flew past. The reason for their terror was the creature's back, one that resembled a human face, displaying a distorted expression of fear and despair that one experienced at the moment their mind shattered.

It was hard for the onlookers to stomach the sight of, the faint-minded ones losing their consciousness immediately.

Rave Beast—Hhoka!

It was the one birthed by Vhiny. She had just entered the Fear Path and had yet to become used to employing Fear. Therefore, her senses hadn't become attuned to sense the minuscule amount of Faith streaming out of Yuddu.

But, the Hhoka was able to sense it, created especially to destroy the Garobu Faith. Hence, upon seeing danger looming close to the Queen, it hatched in a hurry and chased after Yuddu.

"Shit!" Seeing the creature rapidly close in on him, Yuddu grunted as he condensed his sickle and lashed back, shocked upon seeing it evade his attack by tilting its body. It was plenty agile, just like an insect.

Yuddu had a fair amount of fighting experience though, and immediately upon missing his mark, he loosened the strength in his wrist, giving a torque to the shaft of the sickle as he moved his hand to the side.

The sickle spun and nicked the Hhoka that had swerved to his side, intending to bite the flesh above his liver. Blood spurted out of its injury as two of its forelimbs had been severed from the attack.

Yuddu wasn't content though, observing its blood corroding his sickle upon contact. Thoughts resounded in his mind in a hurry as he intended to finish things before Vhiny could catch up to him.

He took out a syringe from his pocket and stabbed it into his thigh, sensing a dense stream of Faith condense in his lungs as he inhaled air sharply and suddenly stared in the direction of the Hhoka and spat out.

A rice grain slammed into one of its heads, puncturing through, causing it to lose its balance as he cleaved forth with his sickle, killing the Rave Beast.

Yuddu tore off his robe and wound it around the Hhoka's corpse, slinging it on his back as he broke into a sprint, quickly leaving the street.

Viny only arrived at the scene a minute later, sporting pain as she stared at the traces of blood on the ground.

"Monster!"

"Run!"

"Dammit!" Vhiny grunted upon seeing people run at the sight of her. She didn't wish to reveal her identity so soon, but before that, the first Hhoka she birthed had been killed, causing her mood to turn chill-inducing.

"We have to make ourselves scarce." Stunra panted as she caught up to Vhiny and said in a hurry, "Before you accumulate strength, facing the Spirits is a death sentence."

"I understand," Vhiny gritted in pain, feeling the loss of the Hhoka that she considered her child—it was the influence of the Hhoka Queen that had merged into her.

The duo vacated the place as Vhiny carried all the captured servants from her house.

"Haah…hah…I'm alive." Yuddu rushed into a ship and barged into a room where Iota was carefully pouring tea to a high-profile customer, acting no different from a tea seller. The empty syringe nearby that vaporised said otherwise though, but Iota acted like that hadn't happened.

The customer received the tea in a daze, not reacting to the presence of the Priest—Yuddu—that had barged in.

"I found a clue!"

"Great," Iota's face beamed as his eyes fell on the bundle carried by Yuddu.