Galaxy's First Ruler

"I have been waiting for you two to show up."

Aldrich heard a hoarse voice and felt like his eardrums would burst if he kept listening to it. The words that he heard echoed within the suffocating chamber dozens of times. The majestic creature stood up from its resting position. But Aldrich couldn't figure out the reason for so much hate within its eyes.

ROARRRRR!!!

The Divine Beast roared, shaking every nook and cranny around it. Even Aldrich and Boomie couldn't help but take a step back. But this wasn't just a meaningless show of power. The Lava-pool under the Crawler churned as hundreds of different beasts came out of it. These tiny crawlers didn't have a normal body like others. Instead of flesh, they had rocks and ash. And sleek lava streams had replaced the blood in their veins.

Aldrich noticed lizards, cats, apes, boars, and goats among many as they crawled out of the pool.

"Boomie, no matter what, don't deal the killing blow on it."

Boomie raised his brows, listening to Aldrich's instructions. But he didn't refute them. This wasn't the first time for Aldrich to tell Boomie what to do and what not. And unlike other Dreamers, Boomie didn't have any ill thoughts about being bossed around by Aldrich.

Aldrich had his reason to utter such demanding words. He had become much warier since his last encounter with an Elite. And now whenever he felt something wrong with a Crawler's Skill, it sent him into a frenzy mode. Aldrich didn't want what had happened to Sonu repeating itself. And he had been feeling strange vibes since he saw one of the Chimera's Skills.

Aldrich saw the data over the towering creature and only one skill had its description hidden from his Shared Vision.

[…

Record of Rare Chimera

Status: Enraged

Level: 19

HP: 735/735

SP: 935/935

MP: 1060/1060

Rank: Rare

Attributes -->

Strength: 45

Defense: 40

Agility: 50

Vitality: 35

Perception: 40

Correspondence: 60

Active Skills -->

1. Heartburn Venom

2. Lava Breath

3. Devil's Whisper

4. Minor Golem Summon

Passive Skills -->

1. Divine Authority

2. Mark of Vengeance

…]

The army of Lava golems marched towards the pair of Dreamers. With every step of the summoned creatures, globules of Lava came pouring out of their pores. Aldrich nodded towards Boomie and dashed towards the Elite Crawler, leaving the golems for Boomie to handle.

But before Aldrich could approach the beast, the Chimera's lion-head opened its mouth and sucked in the air. The suction created a vacuum around the Crawler and Aldrich felt an immense sense of crisis. The Chimera had seemed to wait for one of them to be in midair. Aldrich's eyes reflected a red and golden glow as the lion's mouth opened and blasted out a pillar of Lava towards him.

But Aldrich wasn't as helpless as before amid his temporary flight. There was one thing that he could use to change his trajectory without using his footing.

"PULL!"

The Rumok on Aldrich's right hand shone with a blue glow as Aldrich gestured towards the wall of the chamber. And because of the difference in their sizes, Aldrich got pulled towards the wall instead. The Lava pillar went straight towards the ground and impacted the pool. A splashing sound resounded in the chamber as the different Lava met each other.

Pooshh!!!

A tsunami of lava originated from the pool and covered almost half of the chamber in an instant. Aldrich watched the incredible scene as he kept going towards the wall. But a disturbance in his Divine Sense soon took him out of his thoughts. Aldrich saw a twisted rope getting whipped towards him. The snake-tail of the Chimera which was only a couple of meters long had elongated to bite Aldrich.

By the time Aldrich could react, its fangs were only a couple of inches from him. Aldrich saw drops of purple venom on the sharp fangs as the snake tried to bite Aldrich's left arm. But to the amazement of the beast, the fangs that had pierced even the demigods couldn't leave a scratch on Aldrich's skin. The snake, failing in its attempt, was about to go back. But how could Aldrich let go of such an opportunity?

The moment Aldrich's feet landed on the sidewall, he grabbed the snake-tail.

The Chimera too got to know the weirdness of the situation. Aldrich, for the first time, saw the goat-head turning itself towards him. The goat on the Chimera's back opened its mouth, but no words came out of it. Contrary to the lack of sound, Aldrich's mind got filled with countless whispers.

Devil's Whisper!!!

The silent incomprehensible words ravaged Aldrich's thoughts and filled his mind with strange visions. But before the visions could take a definite shape, the whispering stopped like it was never there. For any other Dreamer, this Skill could have been the most dangerous threat.

Unfortunately, for the Chimera, Aldrich had tolerated the whispers of a real Devil. Compared to them, what he heard now wasn't a fraction of their dreadful nature. Aldrich tightened his grip on the snake-tail and it hissed with pain and suffering.

"How… How are you… "

The Divine Beast got a shock of its life and stuttered to complete the question. But before it could ask what it wanted to, Aldrich's word reached its four ears like a ring of doom.

"Change."

[…

Title: Enemy of Crawlers (10% buff applicable)

Strength: 143 (+99)

Perception: 99 (-99)

…]

Like flicking a whip, Aldrich slammed the Crawler into the chamber's roof. The Chimera whimpered, and its pain got transferred to the red pupils of the snake. But Aldrich didn't give it a chance to catch its breath. Before the debris from the roof could fall onto the ground, Aldrich smashed the hybrid back onto the platform.

BOOM!!!

Aldrich reappeared by Boomie's side, who had already taken care of all the golems. They could see the pieces of the platform getting drowned in the pool of lava, one by one. And there was no sign of the beast being alive. But Aldrich and Boomie had yet to get any notification regarding their Quest. The entire chamber quaked as the fire engulfed the lava on the ground and something came bursting out of the pool like a canon.

BANG!!!

"You mere mortal dared to touch me?"

The bloody Chimera hovered in the air using its huge wings and its red eyes had gained a golden hue. A strong feeling to bend their knees tried to take roots in the Dreamers minds.

DIVINE AUTHORITY!!!

With his head held high, Aldrich looked at Boomie and found his veins had swollen in defiance.

"Would you like to try it out?" asked Aldrich.

"You… Are you letting me?"

Boomie reacted with an amazed expression. Whatever Aldrich was letting him try out wasn't supposed to happen at this moment.

Aldrich nodded, and a childish smile surfaced on Boomie's red face. With brief steps, Boomie neared the hybrid creature as much as he could. The Chimera looked at him like watching an ant. But even in its dreams, the Crawler hadn't thought of what was about to happen next.

Boomie raised his hand towards the Divine Beast and the Rumok on the back of his palm flashed with a golden glow. A voice, mightier than the beast, came out of Boomie as he commanded.

"KNEEL."