Xane and Von rested for a short while. Xane's mind told him he was getting close to whatever was pulling him downwards and that he needed to hurry. Xane pulled Von up from his resting place. “We have to keep going. Almost there.”

“Fine but next time you ask me to go into a deep hole I will say no.”

“Just stay further behind me. Garry will stay by your side.” Xane commanded Gary to protect Von. The big snake slowed from his side to Von’s. A small hiss of acknowledgment. They slowly went down.

It didn’t take long till they came to another opening. The biggest cavern they’ve come across yet. Only reason they knew it was so large was the fact it was cascaded in a glorious light from a pedestal in the middle. A pool of water surrounded the pedestal. Xane couldn’t see what was on it but knew in his mind that it was the object he was looking for. Xane turned away from it the action harder than it should have been. “Von you and Garry stay here. I’m going to go and grab…I can’t believe I'm saying this…the brain over there. I have no idea whats going to happen. I just want to make sure you are safe.”

“That’s fine by me boy I had no intention to go out there anyway. Gives me the heebie-jeebies. I don’t trust that water.”

Xane didn’t really either but he had to get the brain. Every fiber of his being wanted him to take it. Sneak active he pushed towards the middle. He kept his eye out for danger but in the gloom anything could be there and he probably wouldn’t notice. It felt like an hour but was truly only a few minutes' time. Xane was starting to sweat from exertion. Some sort of force pushing him back as the force in his mind urged him forward.

He wasn’t half way there when the force was enough to actually start pushing him back if he stopped. The pull was stronger though and through sheer will he started crawling and pulling himself forward. When he got to the water he started to swim. The water is somehow less affected by the force than out of it. You're almost there. Keep going. He thought to himself. Or was it his own thought. It felt foreign but also not.

He accidentally got some of what he first thought was water in his throat. But it burned, taking off a decent portion of his health over time. Now that he was noticing the water was more similar to the shadow creatures and the attacks from the mother shrooms. Just being in the water was damaging him. He also noticed that his stamina was also rapidly shrinking. Luckily with his boon from Yug he was able to move faster while in water lessening the time it took.

Just a bit more. Reach. Touch it. Xane did so as he got to the pedestal. This is what he had been fighting for. The brain looked so small it wasn’t rotten but quite the opposite. It glowed of life. Radiated power. Of calm and rage. Of adventure and misfortune. Xane reached out to grab it. Yes! Please.

No. He yelled back at the voice. Why should he? All that the voices that lead him here were dangerous. He and Von were in pitched battles constantly. And for what? Would leaving it this place be best? Just leave and find civilization?

But no he couldn’t could he. It was something he should do. However not the way it wanted him to do it. Xane quickly pulled out a blanket and tossed it over the brain pulling taught like a knapsack. And putting it into his ring. At least he tried to, no matter what he did he couldn’t put it in.

What the hell? Usually, it just worked but the ring actually refused to do it. He didn’t have time to deal with that. The moment he pulled it off the entire place felt like it would explode. Verberations threatened to throw Xane back into the water. Weirdly a bit of land slowly pulled itself up from the depths making a bridge back. Xane didn’t hesitate as he sprinted at max speed. Rocks and stalactites fell from the ceiling making waves in the water as well as breaking apart the bridge. Xane however was fast enough to get to the other side taking minor damage from shattered rocks.

He had just managed to make it past when a pain erupted in his leg as if an arm made of razor blades grabbed his leg. His momentum slamming him into the ground his grip on the sack of brain lost. Just the simple attack sheared off 10% of his health and his leg felt like it was about to fall off.

A voice echoed around louder than the crashing of rocks. It sounded deep and raspy as if it needed to breathe after every word. “Where…are..you going. You have…something..of MINE.” The limb was a large tentacle. As it slowly wrapped up his leg it cut deep grooves. The pain was excruciating and threatened to force Xane to pass out. Another one came from the depths of the water and went towards the helpless brain.

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Please just grab the brain. Before-

Xane felt and saw a shadow cascade over him from the tentacle. “Tsk…tsk…little god…no more. This is…your own fault. You brought…your own..downfall to me.” It sounded like it was trying to laugh near the end but ended up sounding like coughs. “So far from..home. Lost…in another world…just to be pulled…into someone else…game. Give me…the godlings mind…and I will send you…back.”

“How-” Xane rasped through the pain,” How did you know I-”

“Stop.” Yelled another voice behind Xane. It was Von. “This wasn’t the deal! You said you wouldn’t harm him.”

Before I could say anything the deep voice spoke again. “I promised…NOTHING…even so you…have not..done your part. He tastes…delicious.”

“Von,” Xane croaked,” What's happening?” Xane’s mind was racing. Tastes delicious. Xane was trying to think of what to do. Should I just attack it? Try to break free. The problem was the injured leg. He didn’t know if he could move with it so hurt. The other tentacle finally reached the slowly pulsating brain. The pulses however kept it at bay.

“We will do as you asked. Just let him go.” Von either didn’t hear Xane or ignored him.

“Put the…MIND…..into the shadows.” With that proclamation the somehow sharp tentacle released Xane and moved away but still in reach. Xane felt a pressure he didn’t even know was there to fall away. And not a moment after a thought he now knew for certain wasn’t his arrived. Quick grab me. Xane later thought on this moment. Why did he do it. Did he have true control over that action? Was it the best choice if so? Xane pulled out his dagger and threw it hard into the tentacle. The dagger went deep and the appendage spasmed. He rolled over pain shooting through him as he reached out and touched the brain.

The tentacle with the dagger moved quickly and slammed into Von, sending him back near the entrance. A pulse of blue light blinded Xane as warmth spread across his body and healed him. "TREACHERY. DISOBEDIENCE. CONSEQUENCE." The darkness boomed in anger. It quickly however returned to its normal state. "It is fine….you have it within…you will join…too." With that a flood of tentacles rushed forth from the darkness and rushed towards him.

A new voice spoke in his mind similar to how Yug did it but this one felt less invasive. It was feminine. "Run fast. I don't have much power left but I'll try to help."

Running was his plan already and he rushed forward picking Von up into a fireman's carry. "We will talk later." Xane yelled over the increasingly breaking cavern.

"You think?" Yelled two different voices. Vin and the one in his mind. Xane saw Garry saddle up to him but the snake was clearly slower than him. Xane didn't know if he would be able to do it but he slung the snake on his other shoulder. Xane exclaimed in confusion. He felt much stronger than before. Something to deal with later. He thought to himself. At least it was suppose to be to himself.

"You have a new Feat. It gave you increased stats."

"Shit." He said out loud. Don't do that.

"Do what?," she sounded really confused.

For right now just no talking. Also can you read my character sheet- wait no just no talking.

"Fine grumpy. Not like I just saved you"

As she said this Xane was thrown to the side as the darkness surrounding them slammed into him. It coalesced into multiple shadow creatures. Xane tried to pull out his knife. Garry having wrapped itself around Xane freeing up his hand. However he remembered it was currently stuck into one of the tentacles.

"Bring them….back." the raspy voice echoed.

Xane instead pulled out his revolver and fired. 3 out of what Xane could tell as 12ish were dead in mere seconds. More shots rang out as Von too fired. Xanes ears rang for a few moments but with the passage mostly free he bolted back. An unearthly scream reverberated all around him as he fled. Xane ran past the battle site of the Stone Creeper. Speed through the still poisonous clouds of mushroom spores. And up the long path out.

He did this all whilst fighting off hordes of the shadow elementals. His increased stats allowed him to pump more and more mana into bullets. Even so his supply was running out fast. When it did he used it rapier to wildly slash out.

Next to start running low was his stamina. Carrying both Von and Garry was just about too much for him. In the end they made it to fresh salty air. Luckily it was morning and the shadow elementals refused to go further. The raspy voice spoke one last time. “This…is not….OVER.” With that the entrance caved in.

Xane’s exhaustion and injuries gained while trying to run all crashed on him as he collapsed to the ground passing out.