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Apocalyptic Life (Era Series Book 2)

Page 24

by Patrik Mielonen

“As a beast, I can tell it was a predator. Furthermore, it has a small head. Otherwise, it couldn’t have eaten the guts without further opening the human’s belly. Also, it has really strong claws.” Ti’s explanation doesn’t ease Ion’s mind at all.

  “Great! We’re in an underground labyrinth filled with some monsters! On top of that, we have bloodthirsty Priests as our companions. What could go wrong?”

  Louir recalls her final words before entering the place. Only now she can see why the devil girl went pale suddenly. She hasn’t seen her like that ever before, so maybe there’s something truly powerful lurking in the dark?

  She tries to call the raven for aid. Void, are you there?

  There is no answer.

  “This is bad,” Louir says.

  “Huh? What is it?” Ion’s heart is racing.

  “I can’t connect with the Void.”

  “WHAT!?” Ion’s face is pale.

  “I’m not sure if I can even use Void attunement in here.”

  “You better try it now.”

  “Calm down, as long as we’re here, there’s nothing that can beat us,” Tereahn assures.

  To demonstrate his powers, he increases the potency of the flame he’s been carrying around to light the path.

  “Huh?” He doesn’t look too happy.

  “What is it?” Ohan asks.

  “I can’t make this fire any stronger.”

  “You too!?” Ion’s hope is dying.

  “Then let me try it.” Ohan is at it, but she fails too.

  Louir tests her powers. She manages to summon a small Void orb. “No way, I can use the Void, but only what’s within me. I can’t draw anything from the Void directly.”

  “This is bad, this is really bad.” Ion is eating his nails. “I’ll try, too.”

  He casts a Flare first, starting off with something simple. He manages to illuminate the cave with it. Moving on to greater spells, he tries Arcane Arrow. Again, he is successful. Next, he tries Cloaking, executing it without problems.

  “I haven’t lost my powers at all.” He thinks for a few seconds. “I think we aren’t in our world anymore. We can use what’s part of us, but like in Louir’s case, if you draw powers from somewhere else that’s part of our world, you’ll only fail.”

  “Other world? Is this the other dimension of our world she has been talking about?” Louir is guessing.

  “Maybe, or maybe this is something else.”

  “Ugh, I don’t understand at all.” Ti doesn’t seem convinced.

  “No matter. We’ll just use our claws.” Ohan is as eager as ever.

  “Whatever it may be, we need to keep going. With our powers reduced, we have to find a way out before we are killed.”

  Once they’ve made up their minds, they start wandering in the dark. With all the noises they can hear, even Louir is slightly afraid. The Dragoni would be too, if they weren’t so proud of their powers. They don’t think there’s anything that can overpower them. And in that regard, they’re mistaken.

  Whenever they find an intersection, they enter a random path in hopes of finding anything. And before long, they find two more corpses.

  “These two have been rotting for a month.” Louir can tell.

  “A month!? This trap wasn’t active for that long, right?” Ion asks for confirmation.

  “No, it wasn’t. Either there are several entrances to this place that have existed for a long time, or time flows differently here.”

  “This is messed up.” Tereahn is growing impatient.

  In the dark tunnel, they can hear a very disturbing sound behind them. It reminds them of sizzling or hissing.

  Chiiihshhh...

  “What was that?” Ti turns around.

  “I don’t know, I haven’t heard such before.”

  “Could it be steam?”

  Ion casts a Flare to light the tunnel behind them. They can’t see anything there, but if it’s a living creature, it’s possible it’s behind a turn a dozen yards from their spot.

  “Should we just go and see if it’s following us?” Surprisingly enough, it’s Ohan who’s suggesting it.

  “Maybe,” Louir replies.

  Chiiihsh. The odd hissing repeats.

  “No, it can’t be steam. There’s something behind that turn.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Let’s run for it and see if it’s hunting us,” Tereahn suggests.

  “Ion, stay Cloaked and kill it if it comes after us.”

  “Why me? Oh well, whatever.”

  “Ready? Go!”

  Ion Cloaks, standing right beside the wall. The others sprint forward a short distance. To Ion’s horror, a monster dashes from whence they came. It has four legs, no eyes, no nose, just a long, horse-like mouth with fangs, its slimy skin is dark, and its torso is fat as if it had eaten well recently.

  He casts an Arcane Cutter, dismembering the creature as it tries to lunge at the others. Once immobilized, he kills the thing with an Arcane Lance. Dark blood spills from its wounds. Ion’s never been so scared.

  “The hell is this thing!?” Ion cries.

  “It looks disgusting,” Ti says.

  “Good thing we planned our strategy. It looks strong.”

  “So we’re prey for these monsters?”

  “What if we run into a nest?” Ion worries.

  “Can’t you just cast an Arcane Explosion?”

  “No way! This place might collapse if I did.”

  “Oh, right. Then we run for it.”

  ***

  They’ve been wandering in the dark for several hours. Ion and Ti are hungry. They didn’t bring food with them. Thankfully, they haven’t encountered more monsters since the first one. Ion gathers the area where the monsters dwell is now behind them.

  The thing that’s been puzzling them the most is the voice they can hear once in a while. It’s like any other eerie cry of a monster, except it doesn’t sound like a regular one. It’s been getting closer ever since they began hearing it. They fear it’s hunting them.

  Also, Ohan has been stealing glances at Ion. Whenever he sees her do it, she intentionally dangles her tongue in a very lewd manner. He’s creeped out by her every time he sees her do it. At one point, she asks what relationship he and Louir have. Louir is triggered by it, and a very brutal catfight unfolds.

  A day later, an unexpected turn of events takes place. After killing another hideous thing, they find a living human hiding in a small chamber. He is an old man, cowering in fear behind a bunch of rocks. His eyes are white as if he were blind, his body has grown weak due to malnutrition, and his mental state doesn’t seem any better than that.

  “Hey, old man, are you alone?” Louir asks while Ion makes sure the Dragoni Priests won’t kill him right off the bat.

  “Who...?”

  “I’m Louir.”

  “Louir...? I’ve heard it somewhere.”

  “When did you get trapped here?”

  “A very long time ago. Do you have food?”

  “We don’t. We’ve been eating mushrooms that grow on the walls. Are there others like you?”

  “Don’t eat those mushrooms! They taste good, but if you eat them for a week, you’ll turn into a monster.”

  “Eh, thank goodness we’ve eaten only a few,” Ion says.

  “Old man, are there others like you?” Louir repeats.

  “There were. Long ago, we were the knights and Elementalists of the King’s Guard, but one day, when a war broke out, we found ourselves from this dark place without any explanation. I believe there is only a bunch of us left. Day by day, our numbers decrease, until we’re all dead.”

  “What do you eat down here?”

  “What do scavengers eat?” The old man answers her with a question.

  Even the Dragoni are disgusted. The survivor is implying they should eat the flesh of the monsters, whether it’s already rotting or not.

  “““No way!””” Ion and the Wolf cry out in unison.

  “Shh...
!” The old man hushes. “If you’re too loud, the Labyrinthine Horror will come after you. I’ve heard its cry a few times recently, so you better be careful.”

  “The eerie voice that doesn’t quite sound anything like the others?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ve heard its voice for a day at least. It’s getting closer every time we hear it.”

  “In that case, you’re as good as dead. It’s hunting you. Now, get lost, or you’ll lead it here. I don’t want to be devoured.”

  ***

  They’ve lost track of time long ago, but if they had to guess, they’ve spent a week down there at least. They’ve heard the so-called Labyrinthine Horror more often recently. It’s only a matter of time until it finds the group.

  What Louir and Ion have concluded thus far is that time plays a huge part in the labyrinth’s reason of existence. Assuming the ‘trap’ came to be around the time Wraithian was defeated, the countless years the old man and the King’s Guard have spent in the dark tunnels is equal to a few hours in their world’s sense of time. In short, they’ve spent only a dozen seconds in the labyrinth at best, while in reality, they’ve been wandering for a long while.

  The biggest issue is whether they can get back or not. They’ve covered dozens of miles in the dark labyrinth, and there’s no end to it. On top of that, they keep running into more monsters the longer they are down there. Even the Dragoni are showing a change in their attitude.

  They’ve also stopped eating the mushrooms. Louir’s told Ti she doesn’t need to eat anymore since she is a servant of the Void. Ion, on the other hand, is a Mage Elementalist, and also a Shadow. Therefore, he needs nutrition. To his disgust, he’s had the pleasure of tasting monster flesh.

  Suddenly, Louir can hear a voice in her head. You are fading.

  Baffled, she recognizes the voice. Void? Can you hear me?

  A minute later. Now I can, yes. I see your body in the Void is suffering. What is going on? I cannot speak to you unless I am right beside you in the Void.

  I don’t know either. She said we had to clear a trap, and now we’re in a whole different world, apparently. How long has it been since I entered the castle?

  Another minute later. Two minutes.

  Only!? We’ve been down here for a week at least!

  Again, it takes a minute for the answer to be heard. What?

  That’s my line! Now, tell me, how can we get out!?

  According to her, you are in serious trouble she did not foresee, but I have no idea what it means. It is not the same trap we know from the previous timelines. You must not let Ion die down there. Get out before it is too late.

  So he is somewhere down here, too? In that case, we’ll just look for that bastard and knock him out. We can force our way out that way. But what did you mean by fading?

  Precisely what it implies; your body in the Void is fading. I think you have about six minutes or so. To you, it should be six weeks, approximately.

  Good thing it’s not six minutes for us. This place is a vast labyrinth. We can’t find a way out.

  A labyrinth? What kind of?

  Underground, full of monsters, pitch-black, no food other than poisonous mushrooms and mutant meat, that’s all. Oh, and we’re hunted by a powerful creature called Labyrinthine Horror. We’ve covered dozens of miles by now. Also, only Ion can use his powers. Can you fix that?

  No. But I think you can create a new Void you can use. You would become an Elementi lord in that place, unless there is one already. However, if you manage to return here, you will still be my harbinger.

  How do I create a Void?

  How am I supposed to remember? It has been eons since I created mine.

  As Louir is about to reply in her mind, Ohan and Tereahn find something interesting.

  “What’s this?”

  “To me, it looks like a dead end.”

  “But what about that symbol?”

  They’ve found their first dead end in the vast labyrinth. What makes it intriguing is the glowing symbol on the smooth surface of the wall. Nay, it’s not a symbol, but rather, it’s an inscription. Of course, they can’t read it at all.

  “It says, ‘Touch the symbol to enter the center,’ I think.” Or maybe it can be read after all. The spell she laid upon Ion makes him capable of understanding any language.

  “Center, huh? The very center of this labyrinth?”

  “Why would we want to go there?”

  Ion shares his thoughts. “I think there is no way out, which is why this symbol is here. Think about it, it’s a way to return to the center. It means we’ve strayed too far. But of course, that’s only my opinion.”

  “It does make sense that way. The real question is, what lurks at the center, if anything at all?”

  “I have to say, I don’t feel like testing my Dragoni claws down here at all. However, if the center of this place leads outside, I’m up for it.”

  As they discuss it, the Labyrinthine Horror can be heard nearby.

  “Even if we didn’t want to check out the center, it appears to be our only option. I’d like to not meet the horror thingy.”

  “I agree with that. Ladies, are you up for it?”

  “Yes.”

  “I am.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Together, they touch the glowing inscription on the wall. The Horror behind them is only a few dozen yards away. It roars angrily as its prey disappears in front of it.

  They find themselves in a vast chamber with a domed ceiling. From the very center above, light shines through a small hole, lighting the place. There are countless tunnel entrances all around. The diameter of the space is approximately five hundred yards. The walls are carved and decorated, giving the vibes of a temple.

  They look around, awed by the view. It’s the first admirable thing in the labyrinth—if not for the countless human corpses lying around. Some are decades old, some are fresh.

  “Is this the nest of the Labyrinthine Horror?”

  “Possibly. But think about it, if we were at the farthest corner of the labyrinth, doesn’t that mean we won’t have to worry about it coming here anytime soon?”

  “Wrong. Imagine if it touches the glowing thing.”

  “Eh... We’re in trouble,” Ion takes back his words.

  “I want to go home!”

  Close by, among the corpses, someone is mumbling. It seems to be a dying woman, covered in blood. “...”

  They all turn around to check who she is. She is lying between two corpses, and her condition looks horrible. She won’t live long in such state.

  “Excuse me, can you repeat?”

  “Flee, while you can...”

  “What did she say?”

  “Flee while you can, I believe.”

  “Cough, flee...!” The woman manages to raise her voice.

  “Can you tell us what killed these humans?”

  “We named it the Labyrinthine God.”

  They all freeze. They thought the worst monster down there is the Horror, but now they hear there’s an even greater threat than the beast. Even the Dragoni’s faces pale. With their reduced powers, they can barely stand equal to the monsters inhabiting the tunnels.

  “Flee...”

  “Is there a way out?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where is it?”

  “Kill the God.”

  “““““What!?”””””

  With Ion as their sole powerhouse, there’s no way they can beat a god-like creature, that is, if it’s as powerful as the Void itself. It’s true the Dragoni and the Wolf offer deadly claws and fangs, but are those enough when up against a god? On top of that, all Louir can do is creating a small orb of Void energy that barely kills a human.

  However, the entity that lurks in the world wherein they’ve found themselves is far worse than a malevolent god. Even now, two pairs of ancient eyes watch the group. It’s not the master of the labyrinth, but the lord of the Labyrinthine God.

  �
�We have a few weeks until we run out of time. Should we flee and come back later once we’ve figured a way to win?” Louir suggests.

  “We have a time limit?”

  “Void contacted me. It told me my body is fading. We’ve got about six minutes in our homeworld’s sense of time, which is about six weeks down here.”

  “What? Exactly how long have we been down here?”

  “Two minutes,” Louir answers.

  “Really!?” Ion finds it hard to believe.

  “Now, what do we do? Should we flee?”

  “I think that’s the best idea.”

  “Agreed, let’s come back later once we’ve found a way to battle the god thing.”

  Suddenly, the whole chamber is quaking. The tunnel entrances are sealed one by one. Magical doors appear out of nowhere to block their escape. At the center of the space, a powerful aura gathers into an orb of raw energy.

  “Don’t tell me, the master of this place is coming for us!?”

  “Looks like it.”

  They can feel the intensity of the power gathering in the middle. Slowly, the raw power starts to form the shape of a humanoid. The size of it is close to a human’s. It has four arms, and two of them are on its back. Its head is faceless for the most part, but it has a pair of eyes. It doesn’t have any claws or weapons. It’s just a muscle brute with four arms, two legs, and one head, no clothes whatsoever.

  Once the thing has formed, it starts walking towards the group. Even now, the thing is oozing with a powerful aura. It looks far more intimidating than Louir in Archon.

  “Any ideas?” Tereahn asks.

  “Let’s try defensive. We need to figure out how it fights. More than that, we must find its weakness.”

  The distance between them is two hundred yards. There’s no way the thing can close the gap in the blink of an eye, so they use the opportunity to plan their moves. The battle may very well be their last.

  “What do I do?” Ti quivers.

  “Stay behind. Fight only if it’s necessary,” Louir replies.

  Without warning, the ruler of the labyrinth closes the gap in two seconds without using magic of any type. Before they can even react, Tereahn is struck by its fist. He’s knocked back by the blow, stunned briefly.

  “It’s on now, you piece of shit!” Tereahn declares.

  Tereahn lunges at it, claws of the Dragoni summoned. He goes all-out with his attacks, recklessly utilizing his natural weapons. The brute dodges all of the attacks with lightning reflexes. Ohan joins the fray, and to balance the situation, the master of the labyrinth kicks Tereahn away from the melee range.

 

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