After a lot of time had passed on the dragon bridge, and after thinking about the harm I had done to Franky, I felt a bit awkward. Obviously, I could have simply apologized, however Franky had stayed asleep — or at least pretended to be asleep — the whole time. I had an inkling that he wasn’t really sleeping, but this was something I had no way of ascertaining.

Still, as time went by, the contours of the second top that were not even visible, appeared, and as we approached, I saw that to my surprise the bridge didn’t connect to a mountaintop, but to what could only be called a cave.

Uh, what is that?

As if reading my thoughts, Albert answered the question, “This, as you can see, is the second mountaintop. "

“Yes.” I said.

“If you can even call that a mountaintop,” — he chuckled — “we call it the Abyss of the end, or just the Abyss for short.”

“While the Scorched Iron Plateau was relatively safe; this place is…”

“Dangerous beasts, maze-like structure, if you were to get lost in there you would without a doubt die.”

“Ah, I see...”

My eyes dimmed.

That was weird. There would be no reason for me to get lost, right?

“As long as you know...” he ended with a mysterious intonation.

This did nothing to reassure me.

The Herdrics trotted toward the dreadful cave, but now I hoped they’d halt.

Franky woke up and stretched with a noisy yawn. “That was a good nap,” he said as he picked his nose.

His eyes were puffy and hair disheveled — more disheveled than usual — then he looked at me with a complex face.

“Looks like your stress evaporated..”

“Hah, you know about what I said before—”

His eyes lingered on me, stopping me in my tracks.

“They rambled while I was sleeping, uh?” he said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “How much did they tell you?”

“Not much…” I said awkwardly — which was technically the truth.

“Good.” He looked at Hagrid and Albert with a death glare and then sighed. His eyes drifted toward the window and the rest of his body followed.

“You don’t need to apologize, it’s already embarrassing enough.”

“I understand, still, I am sorry,” I replied, not too sure what to say.

He didn’t bother to look at me, he just stayed silent and waved his hand as if saying to let it go. Feeling it would be inappropriate to tease him there, I just did the same as him and looked out my window. Having apologized, while I felt bad, I thought it would be a problem if I pressed on the issue myself. So I just waited for him to start talking again.

I was also hoping that I was overthinking what Albert had said earlier. After all, no matter how it was cut…

As I did so, I could hear Franky say under his breath.

“Brat, we're not friends.”

#

We had arrived at the Abyss of the End, a place that Albert had teased as serpentine. Unsurprisingly, despite all of my mental prayers, Albert called for a stopover.

However, Hagrid and Franky both stayed seated, Hagrid his nose in his notebook and Franky staring at a scenery that didn’t exist.

What’s going on?

“What are you doing?” Albert said, already about to get off.

“Ah- yes, I am coming.”

As we exited the car, we walked until we arrived at a place not caressed by the light — not too far.

This was a large area, with teeth-like rocks lining its sides; they seemed ready to bite through anything that’d have the misfortune to touch them. Besides us two, I couldn’t see the mana pool of anyone further confirming my conclusions that I was about to get abandoned here. The chamber seemed to connect to three pathways.

I could see faintly glowing blobs of colors floating around. I couldn’t quite call them ‘light’, as they didn’t seem to cast any sort of light on anything other than themselves.

What are these?

Still, I didn’t have time to worry about that.

I swallowed my saliva; I knew what was coming. It was much too obvious, but I tried to navigate around it.

“That... Ve.. Sir Albert…” I pulled on the sleeve of his blouse.

He removed his eyes from a piece of paper he had been perusing and looked at me puzzled.

“I am to be a test subject for the project Azure, right?”

“Umm yes. What?” In the dark, his half mask looked all the more sinister.

Him acquiescing somehow only supported what I feared, “Please don’t—”

“Well, before that...”

Death

I shivered.

“You,” he called.

I swallowed my saliva, not finding the words to answer.

“Hey, brat.”

“Yes!”

“This is your chance to entertain me.” he said a big smile on his face.

“Uh?” I asked puzzled, leaning my head as much as the helmet would allow me.

“See this map?”

“Y-yes.”

“It is a map towards a treasure, a treasure more valuable than any other.”

“Uh?”

“Go find it.”

A long time passed, before the words computed.

“Wait you won’t kill me?” I asked suddenly revigorated.

He looked at me as if I had asked the stupidest question, and said, “Brat, I might be me, but I do hold my promises, I told you I wouldn’t kill you in a boring way did I?”

I was forced to acknowledge that.

“So what do I have to go get?”

He sighed before handing me the map.

“I am not interested in getting in the details, just think of it as a scarce ressource I am not keen on wasting on a useless runt. If you can prove you can earn your keep though, it might make things more interesting.

“Do you get that?"

“Yes.”

In the darkness, he peered into my eyes as if to see if I could understand. I wondered if he could even see them.

He then continued.

“For you, without even a functioning core, I doubt you could even survive phase 1, but with this thing you might be able to make by.”

“Also, there.” As he said that, he gave me a small ball that attached to a necklace. “With this I should be able to see what you’re up to, so again entertain me.”

He smiled.

“You have 7 days. After that, we will assume you got devoured by some cavernous beast, or fell to your death somewhere. I will just have to tell your father you died in the experimentation or something.”

I looked at him with both curiosity and annoyance; I didn’t like the idea of getting spied on, but I wondered how this worked.

After putting on the necklace, I crouched to the ground and stroke it slowly — dry reddish dirt.

“Since I might die anyway, let me ask for something.”

“You are not trying to avoid it?”

“Would you let me if I did?”

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He laughed. "Smart kid. Ask away then.”

“Could you give me your blouse?”

He looked at me with a meaningful eye, as if considering my question. He didn’t answer immediately, and I thought I’d say something to push him to agree.

But he didn’t give me the time.

“You know you are asking for a scientist to remove his blouse, right?” he said in a stern tone.

“Yes...”

“And for you to use as what now?”

I swallowed my saliva.

“You won’t like hearing that.”

He stared at me, his gaze threatening.

“I am likely to die in there anyway, so you or these beasts it doesn’t make much of a difference.”

At these words he exploded in laughter. "Wow you really are weird kid, alright, alright take it.”

He said as he threw it at me and left.

I looked at him, a part of me still hoping that this was all a really elaborate joke and that he would let me come back.

“What are you doing? Get moving!”

I ventured deeper in, as I went further in the darkness, I could hear from where I had come steps that were leaving.

I guess this is for real.

##

Before venturing further, I stopped to plot.

I reasoned that if I wanted to venture deeper; I had to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. I had no way to know what beasts lurked in there, but I could only assume either they had eyes like mine, a nose like a dog; or freakish hearing. I had no way to make myself less visible, considering the area was already pretty much pitch black; so I opted to mask my odor as much as possible.

I sure hope no one sees this.

I threw myself on the ground and rolled.

I rolled for a while.

I rolled until I couldn’t smell anything other than fresh dirt in my nostrils. Only thus seasoned did I proceed forward.

As a Balmung, darkness never bothered me and I could still see clear as day. Remembering what Albert had said earlier, it was obvious he had been warning me.

If I didn’t want to get lost, I’d need some kind of trace. Which was why I had asked Alfred for his blouse.

Using the sharp rocks that were lining the cave, I tried cutting long flaps of garment by cutting in pieces the blouse. I presumed that by doing so, I’d make the way back easier.

To my surprise, however, the blouse held up.

Uh?

I tried again.

And again.

And again.

But it stubbornly held up, keeping its pristine white appearance while resisting to the puncture.

What the hell is that thing?

Well shit…

This plan out the window, I felt I had angered Albert for nothing.

Then what could I do?

I sat cogitating at the entrance.

Maybe I don’t need it after all? After I have a map, and if I took my time I’m sure I can remember the way back.

As I entertained that thought, the incident of the town flashed back to my mind.

Well, maybe that’s not a good idea…

But still, I have a map, right?

No no no no.

While this was true, I didn’t know if I could trust myself or this map in a high-stress situation. I’d need something easier.

Maybe …

I looked at the pristine blouse and dirtied it with the dirt on the ground, then I approached a wall, being very careful of the sharp rocks and smudged it.

A mark.

It left a mark. A reddish mark on a brownish wall.

Okay, that’s settled.

Now, I need a weapon.

Right along the side, I looked for a rock that was sharp enough that it could serve as a short dagger, but long enough that it would be possible to grab it.

After a few minutes, I found the one. A rocky incisive about the length of my elbow, ready to slice through whatever was ahead. I did nick myself a few times. I still had to deal with the grabbing part, so I removed my top. Used that to create bands and then wrapped these along the side of the rock that I was planning to use as a grip.

“Yes, now we’re set!”

I folded the lab coat into a half and then tied it under my armpits. I looked funny, but considering how I had failed to cut the coat, I hoped it would provide at least some level of protection.

In a fight against pretty much any beast out there, a frontal battle was hopeless, still I would feel a bit more at ease if I had something to defend myself with.

*???? Chest plate Acquired*

*Rudimentary Dagger Acquired*

“Whoa with that I might have a chance.”

After that, I looked at the map.

Making my best to create a mental image of it in my mind; this was difficult. After all, the map that Albert had given me was pretty rudimentary. On it I could only see a clear path to a certain region of the Abyss, but after a certain point, the line that I was supposed to follow on the map was replaced by a big circle highlighting an area. The map also lacked any sense of depth, so I had no idea whether the area I was heading towards was to a higher point than we had arrived, since we technically hadn’t reached the top, or if I was supposed to go down.

Still, there was nothing else to do, and once I was done memorizing it, I breathed in.

“Here we go.”

Even if I could see well in the dark, the ambiance was more than enough to make me apprehend. So even if I knew, it maybe wasn’t the best idea (noise), I kept voicing my thoughts.

The first hallway was much narrower than the place Albert had left me in, however the concentration of weird luminous but non light particles I had noticed in the wide area seemed higher here and the more I trailed forward the thicker it seemed to become.

The sides of this area were made of soft rock. Thanks to that, I could stay close and keep my back against it. I figured this way; I had one less angle to worry about.

I walked at a snail's pace. The longer I could remain in this danger-less area, the better.

As I walked, my foot fell to the ground.

“Ah!”

I could extirpate myself from the situation pretty easily, but this was scary. “Moles..?”

In the abyss?

Figuring fretting would give me nothing, I continued to advance, this time even more careful of every step I took.

I advanced.

I advanced again.

Until I began hearing from not too far weird burrowing noises.

“- I don’t like that”

“Hello, I come in peace,” I said, half-expecting this animal visitor would understand my intentions and leave me alone.

Something roared with murderous intent.

I yelled as I ran back as fast as possible.

From the ground, what I had imagined would be a mole turned out to be a gigantic wolf like creature, with a humongous snout and long terrifying claws. A Hardlett.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. In front of such a gigantic creature, I had absolutely no chance of winning, so escape seemed the best choice. I ran and ran, ran and ran, until the noises behind me seemed to have disappeared.

A Hardlett… That early.

“Phew-“

“Still Me 1, Abyss 0.”

Before I had even got time to regret what I had just said, I saw a mound of earth trailing me.

“Aaaah!” I ran away again, this time however I had no real energy to use. After all, I had just done my best sprint. As I ran desperately and stopped to pant. I turned.

“Well, look at this now—“

The mound of earth had easily caught up to me.

“Eh, looks like that’s how I die,” I said both resigned and angry, trying to catch my breath.

Still, if I was to die anyway, I would die fighting. The thing was hiding under ground so I didn’t know how useful the dagger would be. And even if he wasn’t, considering his size, I doubt I could have done any real damage.

Still, I ran and jumped towards the mound of earth. The creature jumped, hitting the ceiling of the corridor while I tumbled back.

As it shook its head in pain, it stopped to look at where I had been running probably surprised that I was nowhere to be seen.

It turned out that having jumped on the mound of earth had given me some time to turn back the tides.

It’s head!

But as I was about to jump on his head to attack, I remembered what I was dealing with. Yeah, no way that will work.

I imagined the scene in my head. If I had stabbed, not only the damage would have been limited but also him shaking his head would have sent me flying towards the nearby razor edges.

I said as I ran away towards my destination.

As I got off the mound, something kept croaking in my mind.

‘Coward.’

‘Coward’

‘Coward’

‘Coward’

"Shut up!" I said to myself, trying to quell the barrage of insults.

But it didn’t stop.

There’s no need to fight this thing! Come on…

‘Coward’

A part of me kept repeating.

‘Are you going to keep running your whole life?’

Ugh.

I was right.

If I ran now, I’d probably keep running forever. A Hardlett while big was nothing but a mana critter — the lowest tier of mana creatures. If I couldn’t fight that, there was no way I’d fight anything else.

Why am I me? I laughed.

I turned towards the creature.

“HEY OVERGROWN MOP, I AM HERE!”

The follicles of the Hardlett seemed to stand on end as he “looked” my way. Then he went again in the ground and burrowed my way.

Awesome… now what, genius?

The croaky voice was oddly silent.

Think

Think

Think

What is a Hardlet?

A creature that evolved to live in the Abyss. Due to its underground life style, its vision is extremely weak, and he relies on his hair and ears to navigate the world.

What can I do?

I ran towards the mound again. The advantage of this narrow halfway was the fact that his attack pattern would be linear and thus easily predictable.

I jumped above it again, and we repeated this dance for a while. This tired dance gave me time to breathe.

If only I could use a spell, I’d do quick work of this thing. Damned overgrown Mana Critter.

As the thought crossed my mind, I remembered the first scriptural magic circle I had learned. ‘Light’

Yes!

LIGHT!

This thing was nearly blind, but it had eyes. Surely light would stun it, right?

But how?

I still couldn’t use the spell after all.

“D— YES!,” I jolted, “I need a spark.”

It probably wasn’t the wisest idea to light a fire here, still.

I took my dagger approached a wall. I had fairly good confidence that I wouldn’t need to look for more than what I had in hand. If the Emperor Wyrm truly lived here and his droppings was a rare metal, it’d make sense to assume that he ate metals.

Thus the odds were good that this thing I had in my hands, and the walls of these walls contained metal too. Hopefully, enough to spark.

I didn’t have time to test the hypothesis though.

As if tired of being played with, the Hardlett got out the surface to sense who was the prey who eluded him for so long.

“Hello rat face,” I said as I looked at him.

“Give me a second. I’ll show you something really interesting.”

As if he had understood, he dashed toward me.

The creature — a good-4-meters high — dashed toward.

Despite the stature, now that I looked at it, it didn’t seem as intimidating as expected.

Did I almost run away from that?

Don’t get it twisted. This thing had ample strength and would easily kill me if he so wanted, but its movements above ground were so clumsy, and its intelligence so small that I had a hard time thinking he could pose a threat.

I guess he’s only dangerous if you run away from it.

As he approached, I breathed in and cut a long strip of my pants. Now that I knew what I was facing, I was calm.

It might have felt like an eternity, but only a few seconds elapsed before I smashed my dagger against the wall as I approached the strip to it.

Spark.

I turned my eyes away from the sudden light.

Fire.

The creature immediately stopped its approach and did a low moan.

“Euuuuuuuuum,” the critter let escape, as it shook its head from left to right.

“Told you I’d show you something interesting,” my eyes half-closed.

As I approached the creature, it stepped back.

I approached, it stepped back.

Again and again.

Until soon, as if its pride was hurt, he stepped forward.

But his big body much too heavy to be moved efficiently, and my eyes reading its pathways, I avoided the hit while letting the flame touch his fur.

Dropping the strip at the same time; the fire had risen it and its thorns had pricked my hands.

I licked the burn — which tasted like dirt — letting my opponent discover the embrace of fire, and while he seemed distraught, its stuffy woolly fur seemed to like it, considering how happy it was to let it spread all over.

“How do you like it?”

It roared again, this time in a low, panicked growl as he tried abating the fire.

Smashing itself against the walls.

Smashing itself against the razor blades.

A pitiful sight.

Soon he stopped the fire, but by then his fur was doused in its own blood. It whimpered away.

I let him go.

A big stupid grin on my face.

Had I really won?

No… technically, he had defeated himself.. But still?

Hahaha, yeah this doesn’t really count, does it?

I was happy for sure. I had made him run away from me.

But there was no way it would work against a human opponent, or anything truly intelligent.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!” I said as I stretched my back, the tension gone.

“Back where I started.”

While this should have disheartened me, I was actually rather glad.

I had no real certainty of how to deal with this thing; still no matter what happened next, I had just tricked death and had now a little more confidence about this whole affair.

I looked at the place where the Hardlett had been; at the uneven ground that just now had been burrowed; at the broken spikes now lying on the ground, and after that, I sat.

“So... should I have killed it after all…”