"Be careful with that! it's sensitive!"
The head barked, out loud as Park tried to manage the weird growth.
"I feel like a train ran over me..."
"Heh, that's one way to put it."
"..."
"What?"
"How do you want me to help you? The guy up there is driving me nuts, and I want him to quiet down."
"A golem of sorts. An awesome one in fact."
The starry eyes looked upon the heaps of the defeated scattered over the small battlefield.
"I don't follow."
"Round them all up and throw me in the middle..."
!
When did he...?
The sphere was gone, only a few bits of earth where it stood.
"WAIT! I'M SENSITIVE, I'M SENSITIVE, I'M SENSIITIIVEEE ...!"
The disproportionate head connected to Charles' metal foot. It made a large squelching sound before taking off, sailing over the field of goblins and into a small green hill, the king so badly wished for hands at that moment. The indescribable pain savored every single bit of his malformed head, chewing him to the point that it could have driven him mad.
The rest of the group stared at Charles; his sudden action amusing Ash who had just stirred awake some minutes prior. With milky white eyes, the unconscious boy scanned his surroundings as though they were unfamiliar to him. He flexed his hands and stared at his feet and back to the scenery. He looked at Park for a hot minute and back to the pile that he had just kicked the king's head into...
"I think I can hook you with my sis..."
"..."
"...aannd you lost her."
...and smiled.
"I THOUGHT I SAID I WAS SENSITIVE!!"
A fist emerged from within, tiny goblin fists knit together to form a whole, rushed in to greet Charles, whom upon seeing this, spread his arms wide to receive the attack.
"That's a bit overboard for a pinch..."
The metal shell shattered upon impact, landing Charles upon a soft cushion of fine soil.
Don't forget them...
"So, he's like a gecko now?"
...
"..."
"..."
"Sorry."
Minutes passed.
"Not that good like you were back in the days?"
"Why did you say that? We hardly know him."
"Don't ruin my fun, I just came back from hell, let me lift my spirits."
Park commanded the earth to help the king out.
"Maruna and now this."
"Ash..."
"I'm going to check up on Charles, apparently he's the only one on my side today."
"..."
(I have seen that which the lightless have seen and heard what the quiet ones have heard, and I still live.)
"Please show us the way."
(And much more if you would wish so.)
"Just the way, please."
They followed the archer up and out of the dungeon, as the patchwork monster ate to his full, the spoils of war littered all over.
"At least now I'm much better."
"Pshh, better? You look more like a..."
"Out of the way, potty mouth."
Earth pushed Ash out of harm's way as a group of goblins flew into the king's grasp.
"The puzzle pieces, it seems, are not yet enough to complete the whole picture."
"Not if you continue, thank you Park, using telekinesis."
He's a scary one...
"Yeah, just within seconds..."
His sense was cut off. But he had already known the reason as to why, the patchworked body was able to maintain its form without much of an effort, which also led to the second cause of alarm, as to what type of monster had possessed the king's body. Park was only glad that as much as Ash would try to get on this beast's bad side, he or she was still their ally. They spent some time "cleaning the castle", with each member added, refining the king's vessel.
A short while later.
"I think I'm now ready for the boss battle."
"But you just had to give them all the time in the world to prepare because of your big belly, I wish I was like Charlie boy over there, or I could..."
"..."
"Yeah, I think I'll join him in there, we'll talk about your pay later."
Park drew forth another earthen chamber.
"I would like it with a sunroof too, if you don't mind. OOH! And also, that thing you did with Charles' too back when we were down there!"
"Serene space."
"That's the one."
"..."
"We make such a great team."
Ash happily pranced over to the makeshift product and jumped right in, stretching himself right and making himself at home, not even once looking back to the remaining three. He knew in deep that Park had potential unlike anything he had ever seen. As much as he attributed his knowledge to V, he was not dumb, that fineness must have been something he had mastered over years, or he was hiding something. All in all, he admired that Park accepted his request and decided to give his mind a bit of peace.
"It's quite peaceful, isn't it?"
"AAAAHHHH...!!!"
{A shadow has been recalled]
{The skill, Metamorphosis, has been cancelled]
...
(We'll have to enter the forest and head southwards...)
"How far is...?"
(... but there is a door...)
(The one behind the castle?)
"I've been the king here for a while now, remember?"
I almost forgot that
They carried onwards to an aptly placed bush, and pulled a branch, mechanics beneath silently pushing a giant square aside.
"Looks like they didn't change its position this time."
(They do that?!)
The archer nodded. Park looked at the bushes and back to the two.
"Yeahh, they have to go."
They all look the same and you want to tell me they change it?!?!
It's not something that can defeat you, right now...
What are they even trying to hide
"Hey! Quit spacing out!"
"Right, there's also that."
{Multiple Energies Detected]
Park caught sight of multiple-colored wisps struggling to light the dark...
"Here they come."
...and another three, quickly approaching them. Theirs blazing, swallowing the darkness around them.
"Would you hold them for me? I'll be right back."
In one great leap, he descended into the darkness.
"He finally stopped playing pretend."
{Drastic Improvement has been confirmed; the familiar energy has boosted the development of the new chapter by a wide margin]
You worry too much of that which is yet to happen...
"So, it's definite."
Focus on that which you can, do not poison yourself...
"Thanks?"
"And that makes it three."
{Drain Link has been severely harmed.]
{Drain Link has been severely harmed.]
{Drain link has been...]
{Drain link has...]
{Link has established a risk...]
"Not on my watch."
It was a blink and miss.
{... a failsafe has been activated]
Shrieks of pain and agony shook the walls of the dimly lit hallway. He could see the once faint wisps burn brighter and brighter with each passing second.
"It's amplifying their abilities. They looked dead seconds ago."
Incoming...
"I'm sorry guys. I'm tired of this place."
"..."
"Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten..."
"... sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen aaand twenty..."
The king thrust his hulking build to the skies with ease, and with the many tiny green arms, grasped a little wrinkly escapee.
"...one."
(AAAARRRRGHHHHH!! LET ME GOO!! LET ME GOOO!! KUGH!!)
It slumped forward, unconscious.
"Don't shout at me, kindly."
hmm...
He has a similar feel like the others.
!
Wait, this thing...!
"I'll have to make a visit soon. If the answer is what I think it is, it's going to be like the tower incident all over again."
"..."
"Hah, life breathed back into this old soul of mine, never would I have seen the day."
"YOU KNOW YOURE WASTING IT FLOATING ALL WILLY..."
"...Nilly."
In a puff of ash, the king's vessel was terminated.
"What the...?"
A familiar rumble shook the place.
"Ah! right! there was that goblin..."
The goblin was nowhere in sight, just a small message written on the soil it stood.
"Tanku."