Free Web NovelChapter 150: A Tradition (1)
Kestrel and Ren had been on the move for quite a while. The place was like a crazy maze with tunnels going everywhere, tons of crossroads, and floors that sometimes went up or dropped down.
Thanks to the cool mapping tool Ren had made, they didn’t have to move all the time. When they felt wiped out, they’d pick a cozy spot and lean on each other. One would nap while the other kept watch.
When their tummies growled with hunger, they’d light a small fire and cook up something warm and yummy. Ren knew a lot about how to survive in the wild and was super crafty. Even in these weird places, he whipped up meals that tasted pretty good.
It felt like they’d been wandering in this dim place forever. The lights were weak, and the maze-like paths just went on and on. Because of this, they naturally stuck super close, often holding hands tight, scared of being split up in this confusing place.
Every now and then, they’d bump into strange mutant creatures from the shadows. A lot of them were mean and would try to attack, making Kestrel and Ren defend themselves. But sometimes, they’d meet friendly, smart mutants who’d chat and even help them find the temple.
"Stay away from the temple! It’s about to fall apart. Why would you want to go there?" warned a scary-looking but kind-hearted mutant. She was guiding her family to a safer place, away from danger.
As they kept going, Ren’s ears picked up a soft sound, and he signaled Kestrel to be careful.
Kestrel paused, starting, "But..." freewёbnoνel.com
While Ren, an alpha, used his super hearing and eyes to spot dangers in the dark, Kestrel had psychic power that let her feel the vibes of living things. The mutant hiding nearby made her think of the younger one they’d shared some soup with recently, hoping it would bring it to its mom.
Suddenly, a weak flashlight showed what was up ahead. There was this gigantic mutant, way bigger than the little one from before. He looked like he had eaten something super big, with its tummy puffed up and its skin looking like an overstretched balloon.
"Oh, it’s you guys," the huge mutant said, its voice echoing from its stretched skin.
Then, a squashed tin can popped out from under it, and rolled to Ren’s feet. Ren recognized it right away—it was the same can they’d used for that soup.
Shockingly, this giant creature was that same little mutant they had met before.
"You guys were so nice, giving me that soup, but my mom... she didn’t survive."
There was a touch of sorrow in its words. Its big, saggy arm moved, gently touching its big belly.
Kestrel and Ren remembered the young mutant’s words, "I really love my mom. I want her to stay with me longer. But if she doesn’t make it, I’ll make sure nothing of her goes to waste." The weight of those words hit them hard. They bit their lips, not daring to ask what had happened to his mother, as a shiver ran down their backs.
The mutant kid seemed to not notice their unease. His mood was uplifted, genuinely happy to meet the two strangers who had once shown him kindness.
"You’re searching for the temple, aren’t you? It’s kinda tricky to find," he chirped, crawling out of his cozy nook in the passage. "Follow me. I’ll show you."
He scuttled on ahead, sometimes zipping up walls, sometimes upside-down on the ceiling. Even though he was bigger now, he moved with the unpredictable energy of a young one—darting here and there, climbing, and getting sidetracked now and then.
He might seem playful, but some of the things he did felt downright creepy. Like that time he tried to ambush Ren and Kestrel, or the unsettling fact that he’d eaten his own mother.
It was clear that while mutants might have once been human, they’d become something totally different now.
Kestrel and Ren shared a look, keeping a careful space between them and their young guide.
From the front, the mutant’s young voice echoed back, "You guys are from up top, right? Everyone here says the world above is super scary and that humans are monsters. But I think it’s not so bad; you two are nice."
"Why are you guys headed to the temple?" he questioned, still on the move. "I’ve heard it’s kinda dangerous there now." freewebnσvel.cѳm
"Is something wrong at the temple?" Ren asked.
"It feels...empty. Like She isn’t there anymore. Some think She’s gone for good. Everyone’s whispering that the temple might come crashing down soon. That’s scary," he shared, winding his way through the dark tunnels, sounding both puzzled and worried. "I’m thinking maybe I should find a new home, but I don’t know any other place."
His whole life had been spent down here, in the pitch dark, without ever seeing sunlight. This sprawling underground world was all he ever knew.
Suddenly, just after he spoke about the temple’s possible collapse, the ground began to rumble. Dust started to rain from above, and the sound of groaning metal filled the air. Terrified, the mutant tried to squeeze his big form into a tiny alcove.
Dodging pieces of falling debris, Ren acted quickly, using his arm to shield the mutant from a chunk of metal plummeting from above. After the quake quieted down, the mutant stayed curled up, hesitantly extending a slender arm to sketch a path on the wall. "We’re close. Just go straight, then make a few turns like this, and you’ll be there."
Another tremor hit, causing more rubble to drop noisily from the ceiling.
Kestrel gazed up at the vibrating roof, pondering if it might indeed crumble. The mutant gave a frightened cry, huddling his large form even tighter. He had never known earthquakes or cave-ins, struggling to fathom that the metal city, which had protected him since he was young, could have such shaky moments.
