Chapter 457 Run! To Captivity! (1/2)

[Stop wriggling!] Came the irritated thoughts of the monster.

Granin resolutely continued to wriggle. He wasn't about to remain locked in the jaws of a monster that wasn't under his direct control!

[If you don't settle down I'll either drop you and leave you for the silver surfer back there, or I'll start to wonder who your cult would rather see turn up alive, me or you!]

The Shaper couldn't help but splutter at that.

[You really think they'd welcome you after you killed the cult member sent to capture you!?]

The two of them were still speeding away, the six legs of the ant flas.h.i.+ng with incredible speed to propel the enormous bulk of the creature forward. Behind them the nine warriors, led by a Balta so irate he was practically frothing at the mouth, or that might be acid, chased them through the tunnels.

[Split up ahead! Left or right? And you know what? I bet it wouldn't be the first time a cult member was killed by the monster they were supposed to look after. I can imagine Garralosh going through a few such as yourself…]

[Left! And I a.s.sure you that isn't the case!]

Despite his bl.u.s.ter, Granin couldn't help but reduce the effort he put into his wiggling dramatically.

[Much as I thought… Cosying up to monsters is rather risky work I would imagine.]

[Don't question the sacred mission of the cult!]

[Look, I'm not questioning it. I'm just sayin' that monsters tend to want to eat things that will give them experience. By the by, just out of curiosity, what level are you?]

[Not that high! Low actually! I barely have a cla.s.s, in fact!]

[… Relax, buddy. I'm not going to eat you. You do notice me carrying you to safety right now? Are you experiencing all of the not being eaten that is occurring at this time?]

[… I am.]

[Right. Let's remember where we are right now. We are in a place tha - left or right?]

[Right!]

[Great. We're in a place where I have no idea how to get back to where we were before. We could have travelled to the other side of the world for all I know. Not to mention you have my ape, and let's presume that there's a whole ma.s.sive load of you stone-heads about the place right now. You understand what I'm getting at?]

[How are you casting all this magic while talking?]

[Multiple brains my man. Divide and conquer. Why?]

[Multiple brains?! You have more than one brain?!]

[Of course. I can devote an entire brain to thinking about how annoying running away from you stone folk is a ma.s.sive pain in the business district at all times! Useful, no?]

[Wouldn't it be better to learn the Split Thought Skill?]

[The what now?!]

Granin bit his tongue (metaphorically) at that. Naturally the monster read into his sudden silence.

[Interesting… Wouldn't mind telling me how to unlock that would you?]

[I'd rather not.]

[Oh nooo. My mandibles are slipping.]

The powerful jaws holding him aloft flexed dangerously, pinching him around the ribs, but Granin was unmoved.