Previous | Table of Contents | Next
Sam, James, and the red-haired man, who was named Kerry, stared at Tom as the blue-haired man forged a path through the lava by pointing his blizzard-spewing palms at the surface of the molten lake. “Is it safe?” Vercedei asked, voicing Sam’s doubts for him.
“Dungeons are inherently unsafe,” James said. “We can walk on this road Tom’s building for us, or we can wait here until the dungeon expels us when time runs out; personally, I think we should stick with the latter.”
“So, you think it’s unsafe as well,” Vercedei said. “Out of curiosity, how do you know how long it’ll take for the dungeon to expel us?”
“Dungeon watch,” James said, pointing at the black watch on his wrist. “It’s a crystal tied to the fourth dimension. You know about the fourth dimension, right? Everything that’s happened, past, future, and present happens simultaneously there. When we sync up the watch to the dungeon, it takes its knowledge from the fourth dimension to see how long this dungeon will last.”
“Humans invented this?” Vercedei asked.
“No,” James said. “The supermodels did.”
“Supermodels?”
“You know,” James said. “The blonde-haired, blue-eyed, human-looking-but-more-beautiful natives of Oterra.” Upon seeing the average-looking man’s unchanging expression, James sighed. “Haven’t you ever heard of Venusians?”
The illusion of Sam shook its head.
Kerry cleared his throat. “They’re from the planet Venus,” the red-haired man said. “Before Earth’s cataclysm, there were a few planets in the same solar system, and Venus was one of them, but it was widely regarded as a dead planet since nothing lived on it. Well, humans didn’t know it at the time, but Venus underwent a cataclysm long before humanity developed on Earth, and the habitable parts of Venus were stripped away by Oterra, leaving behind the dead planet—the same thing that had happened to Earth.”
James looked at the red-haired man. “I didn’t know you were a scholar.”
Kerry shrugged. “I paid attention in class.”
“I don’t get why you work so hard when you’re just a dog like me,” James said and shook his head. What was the point of learning when the only thing he had to worry about was fulfilling orders? If did as he was asked, he’d be treated nicely. If he didn’t follow orders, his brain would melt. Thinking of melting…, James stared at the bridge being formed on the surface of the lava. He really didn’t want to walk across it. The beasts within the lava were massive, and all they’d have to do is throw themselves at the bridge to destroy it.
“So, these Venusians,” Vercedei said. “They can craft four-dimensional things?”
“Not sure,” James said, turning his head to look at Kerry.
The red-haired man nodded. “They’re like us,” he said. “Their bodies are as fragile as ours, so they went down the technology route also. If we had a few million years to catch up, we’d be what they are now.” Kerry stared at the lava as it hardened into a path of black rocks, still far away from another landmass. “It’s a shame Venusians don’t like interacting with humans; they’re a bit particular about beauty, and if someone’s not up to their standards, they won’t even give them a second glance. I imagine most of us look like slugs to them.”
“Alright, enough chitchat,” Tom said as he halted his talent. The black rock path he had created by freezing the surface of the lake was already beginning to melt. Red lava lapped against the side of the rocky bridge, eating away at the walkable area. “There’s no way I can build a road spanning this whole lake before it melts. If we want to get across, I’ll have to freeze and walk as we go. For balance reasons, I can only transport one person at a time.”
James exchanged glances with Kerry. “One of us has to go first,” James said. “If he”—James gestured towards Sam with his head—“gets left alone, he might get killed.”
“You can go first,” Kerry said, flashing a smile at James. There was no reason for Kerry to volunteer to go first. If something terrible happened to James and Tom while they walked across the surface of the molten lake, then it’d be unfortunate, but Kerry would live, and that’s all that mattered. “Show me how it’s done, so I don’t make any mistakes when it’s my turn.”
James sighed, not particularly willing to cross the lake. He looked at the illusion Werchbite had created to cover Sam. “Are you sure you want to cross? It’ll be dangerous, and you could lose your life. We could always wait to raid a different dungeon, one with a more hospitable environment.”
“There’s no technology you can whip out to cross this lake?” Vercedei asked.
“Nope,” James said. “If Tom weren’t here, then we’d have already set camp on this island.” A wry smile appeared on his lips as he looked in Sam’s direction. “Unless you have a method to get us across? Your talent wouldn’t happen to be flying, would it?”
Sam didn’t even have to shake his head; Werchbite’s illusion did it for him. Although Birdbrained could fly, the eagle couldn’t carry him; if it were any less graceful, it wouldn’t be able to carry itself either. “No,” Vercedei said. “I can’t swim in lava either.”
“Thought so,” James said and shrugged. He sighed again before walking behind Tom. “I’m ready.”
Tom gritted his teeth and exhaled while extending his arms, freezing the parts he had already frozen before to stabilize them. Then, he walked forward, pointing his palms at the lava’s surface to extend the bridge. As he walked while using his talent, James followed close behind while keeping a lookout, scanning the lake with a grenade in hand.
Sam took in a deep breath. With his All-Seeing Gaze, he sensed three beasts within the lava swimming towards Tom and James. Sam exhaled as he focused on his crown chakra, attempting to forge a connection between himself and the approaching beasts. A strand of lightning extended out of him within his psychic vision; the light branched into three parts, stabbing into one beast each. Then, while maintaining the connection, Sam focused on his root chakra and activated Toughen.
The lava beasts’ already tough bodies became even tougher; so tough, they could no longer move their limbs. The beasts stopped swimming, and they slowly sank towards the bottom of the molten lake, going so deep Sam could no longer detect them with his All-Seeing Gaze. He ceased his technique and exhaled, focusing his attention onto James and Tom. The bridge behind them was melting, and the rocky bridge they were standing on should be described as a moving platform rather than a bridge.
“You brave enough to do that?” Kerry asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest and stepping next to Sam. “Behold, the world’s shittiest boat, one misstep, and the whole thing tilts over, killing everyone on board.”
“Are you trying to jinx them?” Vercedei asked, conversing in Sam’s place. Sometimes, Sam believed the snake gagged him because it was a chatterbox and wanted to do all the talking. After all, since the snake’s other head, Werchbite, never spoke, Vercedei must’ve longed for someone to converse with. “I know how to cast a few hexes myself.”
“You believe in magic?” Kerry asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I have a book,” Vercedei said, “and I’ve casted a spell successfully.”
Sam thought back to the book of magic he had once suspected was a scam. He had performed one of the rituals inside of it, wishing for any wandering deity, spirit, or demon to bless him, and the next day, he awakened with an S-ranked talent. Was Vercedei referring to that instance?
“What kind of spell?” Kerry asked. “I heard people say magic can grant you wealth, but I don’t believe it. There’s no way you can get something for free that easily.”
“The spell I casted was a curse,” Vercedei said, “but some might think of it as a blessing.”
Sam really hoped Vercedei was not referring to his ritual conducted through pencil lead and used candles.
“Interesting,” Kerry said, his gaze shifting onto James and Tom. “If you’re nervous about crossing the lava, you can call them back, and we’ll all wait here until the dungeon closes.”
“It sounds like you’re the nervous one,” Vercedei said. “What’s your talent? I saw how fast you moved earlier.”
“It’s a B-ranked talent related to speed,” Kerry said. “I can move really, really fast, but if I do, it gets dangerous for me.” A wry smile appeared on his face. “If I ran at top speed and punched someone, my arm would shatter from the impact.”
“Are you fast enough to run on lava?” Vercedei asked.
Kerry let out a short laugh almost like a dog’s bark. “I’m not brave enough to try,” he said, his eyes twinkling, “but I can run on water. I’ll show you after we’re done with this dungeon if you’re interested.”
Sam wasn’t really interested, but Vercedei thought otherwise. “Sure,” the snake’s blue head said. “Let’s hope we both survive through this dungeon to witness that.”
“Are you casting a hex on me?” Kerry asked, taking a step away from Sam before playfully punching his shoulder. “Keep your curses to yourself. We got unlucky with our starting position, but once we’re out of this lava lake, well, I hope we wind up on a large landmass or something.”
“You’re awfully optimistic,” Vercedei said. The illusion of Sam turned to look at the large luggage packs that had been left behind on the island. “Don’t you need to carry those across when it’s your turn?” Werchbite’s illusion smiled at the red-haired man. “Be careful not to tip the world’s shittiest boat.”
Kerry’s expression darkened. Weren’t they bonding? Why was this fellow wishing death on him so much? The red-haired man looked at the luggage packs, and his expression darkened even further. James hadn’t carried anything on his trip across, and it’d be unreasonable to make their charge carry the bags when it was his turn; after all, if they failed to keep their charge safe, Monarch would melt their brains depending on the severity of their mistake. Then, it was up to him to carry all the packs since Tom had to focus on freezing the lava into a path. Kerry glared at Sam. “If you don’t want to be friends, just say so; there’s no need to jinx me to death.”
“You’ll be fine,” Vercedei said. “Look, James and Tom are almost there, and they didn’t get attacked a single time. The lava beasts must be smart enough to avoid us.” A pensive look appeared on illusion Sam’s face. “What if they’re smart enough to call for help, and they decide to come back and swarm us?”
“Then one of us will be the unlucky bastard who gets attacked by them all at once,” Kerry said.
“You don’t mind?” Vercedei asked.
Kerry shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if I mind or not; this is something I have to do, so I’ll do it,” he said. “Also, it’s not so bad when I compare what I’m going through to what Tom’s going through. He has to make five trips back and forth across this lake, so he’s the real sucker in this situation.”
“What a positive outlook,” Vercedei said. “You’re quite the optimist, huh?”
“Of course,” the red-haired man said and thumped his chest with his hand. “When you’ve gone through a life like I’ve had, anything is bearable. Besides, protecting you is the last mission I have to complete before I’m free to do what I want, so I can’t help but be upbeat. Sure, it’d be nice if you wanted to sit still and wait for the dungeon to close, but I’ve been through worse than walking across the surface of a molten lake.”
“Have you gone through many dungeons?” Vercedei asked. “What have you been through that’s worse?”
“Well,” Kerry said, scratching his chin. “I think the worst thing that’s ever happened to me is being captured by reptilians.”
“In a dungeon?” Vercedei asked.
“Yeah,” Kerry said, nodding his head.
“Et Serpentium is a dungeon?”
“Nah,” Kerry said, squinting at the two in the distance. It was hard for him to tell if they had made it to the other side yet. “We bumped into them inside a dungeon, the only reason I escaped. One of the reptilians were feeling particularly nice since it was rare to see a red-haired human, so instead of killing me, they let me go when time ran out.”
“Were you tortured?” Vercedei asked.
“I’d rather not talk about it,” Kerry said.
“You sure?” Vercedei asked, caring more about the details than Kerry’s feelings. Sam wouldn’t be surprised if Kerry punched him in the face. “It’s not good to bottle up your emotions; they’ll clog your chakras, and you know what happens when your chakras are filled with gunk, don’t you?”
“No,” Kerry said, saying the same thing as Sam’s thought. “What happens?”
“Demons and their ilk are attracted to you,” Vercedei said as illusion Sam’s face smiled. “They cling to you and sap your energy, making everything harder: mustering up the strength to clean your face will seem like an enormous task, and the things you once found fun won’t be enjoyable anymore, not when you’re weighed down by evil spirits.”
Kerry gulped. “Demons aren’t real,” he said. “There’s no such thing as ghosts or spirits.”
“Oh, I can assure you, they are very real. A kitten lies on a heated surface because it feels nice; a demon rests on a clogged-chakra human because of the same reason,” Vercedei said. “Would you like to see one? If my words aren’t proof enough, I can show you they exist.”
Kerry stared at Sam’s face. It might’ve been average, but that just made it easier for Kerry to see Sam was serious. Were demons real? Reptilians with massive frames impervious to bullets were real. Space-and-time-bending graylings were real. Invisible demons that sapped people’s energy…, didn’t sound so silly. “Let me see,” Kerry said.
“Spirits or other entities,” Vercedei said. “Please, show yourselves; give us a sign you are here.” Sam’s illusion pointed at the surface of the lake. “Observe the air shimmering from the heat.”
Sam activated his All-Seeing Gaze, curious to see if Vercedei was tricking Kerry or being honest. Although Sam didn’t see spirits, he did see Werchbite activating its illusion technique, causing a blurry face to appear where Kerry was looking, causing the red-haired man to flinch. The twin-headed snake might’ve fooled Kerry, but that didn’t mean the snake had to be lying. “There,” Vercedei said. “Did you see it?”
Kerry swallowed and turned his head towards Sam. “Yep,” he said. “I was tortured, but they had this stone coffin, some kind of reptilian technology, and after a session of them doing whatever they wished to me, they’d throw me in the coffin, and I’d be buzzed back to full health.” Kerry shuddered, and he stared in the illusion’s eyes. “They ate me. It was awful.”
“How?” Vercedei asked, eager to dig into the red-haired man’s trauma. “Raw?”
Kerry turned his head away, looking at the far shore. Tom and James had made it, and Tom was currently on his way back. “All kinds of ways,” he said, “but, yes, mostly raw. Reptilians aren’t fine diners; their noodles are tapeworms grown inside of humans.”
“Did they grow some in you?” Vercedei asked.
Kerry gave Sam the side-eye. “I should’ve known you were a weirdo when he started spouting stuff about demons,” the red-haired man said and shook his head. “These aren’t questions people normally ask, alright? Also, no, they didn’t grow any worms in me, but they grew some in my buddy. Took less than a week for those worms to wriggle right on out his rear end, must’ve been ten feet long or so.”
“Did they let you try any?”
“Alright, that’s enough questions out of you,” Kerry said. “Are you ready to walk across the lake with Tom? If anything happens, well, we probably can’t save you, so if you want to back out, there’s still time.”
Sam had entered a dungeon to obtain practical experience for the techniques he had learned from his mentors. He might’ve used All-Seeing Gaze a few times, but he could practice that technique whenever he wished. If he stayed on the little island in the middle of the molten lake, sure, he’d be safe, but he’d be wasting his time. Besides, he didn’t want his first dungeon experience to be a whole bunch of nothing.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, and my selfishness may cause you to die, but I’m going to cross,” Vercedei said. “Experiencing new things, learning from my experiences, and becoming stronger, those are my goals, and I won’t let anything get in my way.”
“At least you know what you want,” Kerry said and nodded. “With such a heartless mindset, you’ll definitely go far. I can’t say I’m too pleased about the possibility of dying on my final mission before freedom, but don’t let that change your mind.”
“I won’t,” Vercedei said. If Kerry decided to hate Sam, Sam couldn’t really blame the guy. Vercedei was being a bit brash and inconsiderate, and Sam was sure the facial expressions Werchbite was making for him were irritating to look at. Couldn’t any of the familiars created by his talent be a nice animal for once?