Chapter 167: New announcement
A low rumble resonated through the air, RAAAAAAMMMMMMM and then, with a sudden, deafening crack, the statue at the heart of the tribe—the ancient totem that had represented the Stonehooves for generations—began to crumble.
The Stonehooves Tribe members watched in shock and horror as the statue of the Centaur, their old tribal spirit, disintegrated piece by piece.
The once-proud stone form that they had believed that would guard them for so long was now nothing more than rubble.
Dust swirled around the clearing as the last fragments of the statue crashed to the ground, leaving behind a gaping emptiness.
But then, something extraordinary happened.
From the ruins of the statue, a new shape began to emerge.
It was unlike anything the tribe had ever seen before.
The air around the crumbled stone seemed to shimmer with an eerie light, and out of the dust, a new statue slowly began to materialize.
Towering over the remnants of the old one, this new figure was far more imposing, its form powerful and brutal.
The image of a massive Minotaur, chiseled with immense detail, now stood in place of the Centaur, its horns curling upward like a crown of raw power.
Its muscles were taut, carved as if they were alive, veins bulging with silent fury.
Its eyes, though made of stone, seemed to burn with an otherworldly glow.
And then, the air above the statue rippled and warped, as if reality itself was being twisted.
A spectral form began to materialize—a ghostly, colossal Minotaur, as large as a mountain, took shape in the sky above the statue.
It glowed with an ethereal light, its entire body shimmering with a translucent, smoky essence.
Its eyes were like burning coals, radiating a bloodlust so intense that it seemed to make the very air vibrate with menace.
The ghost Minotaur let out a deafening roar, a sound so powerful that it seemed to shake the very core of the world.
The earth beneath the tribe cracked, the sky above darkened, and the winds howled as if responding to the beast\'s call.
The roar was like the voice of an ancient, unstoppable force, one that had been bound for too long and was now unleashed upon the world.
It was a roar of rage, of power, of freedom.
The members of the Stonehooves Tribe fell to their knees, covering their ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound.
The air around them felt thick with pressure, as if the sheer presence of the Minotaur was crushing them.
Trees bent and snapped under the force of its roar, and the mountains in the distance seemed to tremble in fear.
The very sky appeared to ripple, as though the heavens themselves recoiled from the presence of this monstrous spirit.
Lyerin stood at the base of the statue, his arms crossed, with a wide grin plastered across his face.
As the world around him seemed to buckle under the weight of the Minotaur\'s roar, he simply laughed.
His laughter cut through the chaos, a sharp, almost manic sound that seemed to contrast with the devastation happening around him.
"HAHAHAHA!" Lyerin\'s laughter echoed across the clearing, growing louder and more unhinged with each passing second.
"Look at it!" he shouted, his voice full of triumphant glee. "This is the power of humanity\'s endless potential!"
The girls—Corora, Maria, Elena, Sophia, and the others—watched from a distance, their eyes wide with fear and confusion.
They exchanged glances, their hearts pounding in their chests.
Why was Lyerin laughing?
What was happening?
Why wasn\'t he terrified like the rest of them?
"Lyerin... what have you done?" Corora whispered, her voice trembling. She could feel the raw power emanating from the Minotaur, and it was overwhelming.
The creature standing before them wasn\'t just a spirit—it was something far more dangerous, far more primal. And yet, Lyerin stood there, laughing like a madman.
The ground shook again, and suddenly, the massive, physical form of the Minotaur, the one that had been put to sleep earlier, began to stir.
The tribe watched in horror as the once-dormant beast slowly rose to its feet. Its eyes, glowing with a faint red light, flickered open.
It looked around, its gaze falling on Lyerin, and for a moment, everyone thought that the beast would attack him, crush him underfoot.
But then, the Minotaur stopped.
It raised its head, and as if in perfect synchronization, the ghostly form above it did the same.
Both Minotaurs—one of flesh and one of spirit—let out a unified roar that shook the mountains.
The ground cracked beneath their feet, and the air seemed to vibrate with raw, unchecked power.
The tribe members screamed in terror, some of them stumbled back as the force of the combined roars sent shockwaves through the clearing.
And yet, Lyerin continued to laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" His voice was now almost drowned out by the thunderous roar of the Minotaurs, but the madness in his eyes was clear to all who saw him.
"Do you see it now?" he yelled, turning to face the tribe. "This is the true spirit of the Stonehooves Tribe! A Minotaur, bound to us! We are now unstoppable!"
Corora and the others exchanged terrified looks.
This was beyond anything they had ever imagined.
The sheer power radiating from the Minotaur was enough to level entire cities, and Lyerin was acting as if he had complete control over it. But how could anyone control such a beast?
As the tribe trembled in fear, far above them in the sky, a new phenomenon occurred.
Velros Skybreaker (Jaldir, Zordrix), Elandra Leafshadow (Olerai, Kaeloris), Marinus Tidecaller (Sevarin, Treneron), Ignar Flameheart (Volcaris, Vortan), Gorn Ironmaul (Brutarians, Darrok), Vetrax Mindbender (Thrylos, Malvaros), Nerith Shadowfang (Seraphians, Keros), Sirena Deepwater (Zygron, Yvarka), and Sylkis Webweaver (Araknae, Pherin)—the strongest champions of each tribe in their respective realms—gazed up at the heavens as a bright light flashed across the sky.
The light was blinding, cutting through the darkness that had settled over the land.
It was as if the stars themselves had split open, revealing something more ancient and powerful than any of them had ever known.
And then, a message appeared, written in flaming letters that stretched across the entire sky, visible to all who lived and breathed in this world and beyond.
|| NEW MISSION:
|| DESTROY THE STONEHOOVES TRIBE TO BE THE WINNER! ||
The words were suspended ominously in the air, radiating a dangerous energy, as if they were more than just a message—they were a command, a challenge that none could refuse.
Velros, Elandra, Marinus, Ignar, Gorn, Vetrax, Nerith, Sirena, and Sylkis stared at the sky, their faces grim.
Aren\'t they the weakest said tribe?
Just what happened, why are they being targeted?
However, the champions knew what had to be done.
If that\'s what it takes to win in this survival event that they are thrown to, then they don\'t have much of a choice but to follow it.
Lyerin\'s laughter continued to echo across the mountains, but now, it was drowned out by the sound of thunder in the distance—the approaching storm of war.