A/N: The Gods of the Earth were kind enough to inform me in an inter-office memo that I was severely lagging behind on finishing this monstrosity I had created. I have spent these last few months (feels like a few eons) planning the plot out (believe it or not I was writing this off of the top of my head most of the time). I apologize for being gone for so long without any explanation, but I have returned to finish this in a manner as glorious and true to the series' heart as possible (satire and sarcasm aplenty). This is a small New Year's gift to my loyal fanbase who gave me a chance to prove that I could tell an engaging story. I thank you from the bottom of black heart. I also changed my name for convenience reasons.
TL;DR: I'm back. Should update more often. Changed my name.
Enjoy!
PS: I won't answer reviews from the previous chapter as I want to upload this ASAP. Next chapter I hope to return to SOP.
Chapter XXXIV: I've heard Nordberg is lovely this time of year
Hanson gazed around the passage he had entered, trying to determine his next move. The tunnel was clearly laid by the dwarves, as it was both wide and high, with an arched ceiling the top of which disappeared into shadow. The passage was lit with torches placed every few feet which revealed a cobbled floor and walls that had been skillfully crafted to look like the maw of some legendary beast long forgotten.
"Well this is quite strange," Elizabeth said hands on hips as she peered into the tower portal. "This wasn't here when I last fell in." "Perhaps the elves commissioned additional stonework from the dwarves," Gnarl proposed. "The real question here, is why?" "There's nothing for it," the Overlord interrupted. "There is only one way to find out."
He began to move down the hallway, the minion horde following slightly behind when suddenly the passage seemed to end. The stonework and torches disappeared, replaced by utter darkness. "What the?" Hanson muttered as he peered into the gloom. "Perhaps the tunnel was an illusion," Gnarl murmured. The Overlord shrugged and ignited a fireball in his palm. The bright orange flames chased away the darkness somewhat and revealed the earthen tunnel that Elizabeth remembered.
Hanson put one gloved hand on a wall and began to move forward. After a few minutes, he felt a gap in the wall and turned to face the discovered passage. Unlike the original passage, this one was completely cylindrical, more like a pipe than a passageway and much larger. "I would advise against going in there sire," Gnarl cautioned. "There's no telling what could be lurking inside." "Or it could be the way out." Hanson replied. "This passage looks like the main road while the one we came in seems to have been an offshoot."
With that, the Overlord turned and entered the circular tunnel, feeding more power to the flames in his hand as he did so to light up more of the area. As expected, the tunnel lead on and on, further than the light of Hanson's flames could reach.
The Overlord and his minions followed the deserted passage for some time and despite the occasional rocks tripping some minions, progress was smooth. Eventually, Hanson began to notice a dull thrumming that only seemed to be affecting him.
"I notice it as well sire, but only because I'm sharing your senses," Gnarl said through his telepathic link. "I'm not sure what it is you're sensing, but I recommend caution." Your powers have grown immensely, if you're able to sense something like that from far away," the minion master thought to himself. The ancient Cha'Kata tunneling worm will prove a worthy challenge for your newfound powers.
The attack came unexpectedly, fitting that of an ambush predator. One of the tunnel walls suddenly collapsed, revealing a blindingly bright blue light. As Hanson reeled, armored arm over his eyes, the worm emerged and snagged several minions. As his eyes became more accustomed to the light, the Overlord saw the massive creature in front of him in all of its crystalline glory. It was made entirely out of what appeared to be semi-translucent crystal that made up its armored shell. Its head was as thick as its pillar-like body and ended in a pair of feelers. At around twenty feet in length, the massive beast brushed the top of the tunnel ceiling and had several coils looping on the floor.
It gobbled the minions with its toothy maw, turning Hanson's loyal soldiers into multicolored mush before turning on the Overlord, its massive jagged teeth dripping with minion essence. It almost looked like it was grinning. As Hanson braced himself for the worm's onslaught, the creature abruptly ceased to give off light, shrouding the tunnel in darkness once again. The Overlord barely had time for his eyes to widen before the worm's armored tail slammed into his side, sending him through the hole it had just made in the tunnel wall.
Hanson winced as he felt his ribs break against the unyielding Arcanium as he careened through total darkness. With a thud, his armored figure came to a halt against the earthen floor. Faintly, the Overlord could hear Assira, Elizabeth, and Gnarl shouting something inaudible through the link he shared with them. His brain tried to process it all, but it was a hopeless task. Nerves, ears, eyes, and psychic ears begged for attention that he could not give. The Overlord's vision swam as he struggled to rise to his feet.
Hanson heard, rather than saw, the next strike coming. Unfortunately, with his untrained ears he could barely make out the direction of the strike. The Overlord raised his sword just in time to be grabbed by the arm and hurled against the opposite wall.
Blood began to flow out of Hanson's mouth as he struggled to rise to his feet. The Overlord reached for his sword only to discover that he had lost when the worm had grabbed him by the arm. The armor on his right arm was ripped apart by the worm's savage strength, barely intact from the punishment it had suffered.
Hanson brought up his left hand to conjure light and was relieved when the flames appeared and cast a warm red glow around him. The worm however, seemed to have all but vanished. As the Overlord looked around, his vision becoming more and more obscured as blood flowed into his eyes and his wounds took their toll, a nagging feeling told him to close his eyes and focus.
Out of options, Hanson closed his eyes and dispelled the light, shrouding himself in the darkness. However, instead of losing his sight, it seemed to amplify. The world around him achieved much greater clarity and sharpness. The Overlord knew where the next attack was coming from and almost casually rolled to the side despite the pain as the worm dropped from the ceiling, frothing at the mouth in anticipation of such tasty prey.
A/N: Review please! It helps keep me going and sometimes provides more story ideas.