Cris had wondered exactly how Ren had been able to dig through a mixture of solid dirt and rocks. Punching through the stone wall had made sense when he’d seen the construct break apart a steel studded door directly off it’s hinges and into the room they had been captive in. But it was the manner in which he did it that surprised Cris, he’d assumed that it was simply the construct using his spatial storage ability to remove obstacles, store them in himself and then carry on.
But doing so would have meant a massive volume of dirt and soil and as amazing as the construct was he must have had some kind of limit. Not even the High Priests of the Goddess had the ability to store such vast amounts when they called on the powers of the one who guarded the kingdom against the evils of magical corruption.
The answer was far simpler, there was a long forgotten series of sewer drainage that ran deep through wherever this place was located. Likely far down below the capital city where the bones of previous generations had built their own forgotten capital cities until they were forgotten by time.
‘Our friend is lucky eh? He doesn’t smell like we do. Here, you should eat some of these before we get deeper in. I’ll be immune from any effect, such is my namesake. Why my heaven defying technique is unparalleled in all the infested places this city has to offer!’ said Maxton Ge as he held out several fragrant smelling pills.
The sight was bad but the smell was simply far worse as Cris understood how the capital city kept itself so clean and organised despite the numbers involved. They had the benefit of centuries of rebuilt city underneath to dump all the refuse and waste products that existed. Liquid dripped down from the walls in the light of his light magic infused daggers and he heard the squeaks of vermin hunting down prey or feasting upon each other.
His fine clothing was already becoming tattered and entering this place would make it even worse. There was a hint of light from patches of florescent fungi which had spread along the walls but the condition of the tunnels was another concern to his eyes.
The roof was crumbling and when they had stepped the vibrations from their footsteps had caused enough dust to fall that he had struggled not to cough. The fact that the construct Ren had made his way through this place without any horrendous smell lingering on him or traces of sewer wastage made Cris wonder what other tricks he possessed.
Certainly the smell of him entering the small cell that he and Maxton Ge had been tied up inside hadn't smelt as bad as this.
Noticing the outstretched hand of his new comrade who seemed quite comfortable and not showing a single sign of discomfort from either the smell or the stale air, or dripping suggestible liquids from the ceiling Cris considered taking the sweet smelling pills. They must have been strong enough medicine if they could overcome the stench of this hidden sewer entrance.
Turning his head sideways Cris looked towards the hole in the wall where the lit torches gave off more light than his meagre knives. He didn't know the distance they needed to travel through the sewers but his own energy reserves weren't going to survive a long trip.
Likely, the pair had torches but chose not to light them for a reason. Or an alternate form of light source given the blue glow from the hands of the construct. Perhaps both of them could simply see in the dark and they were simply humouring him by giving a sense of agency so he wouldn't feel worthless in the light of their own powers.
Still, he'd had enough of being led around and his stomach was going to force him to throw up if he was in the sewers any longer. Secure passageway or not he'd rather fight or work his way through a series of traps then tolerate the disgusting mess of this place.
'Ren, Disease Master. I'm grateful for your assistance but this isn't going to work. The smell alone here is going to make me sick and I know that once I start it's not going to stop.' said Cris as he halted and decided to release the magical flow into one dagger and stuck it back in his arm leather bracer.
Despite the light dimming, Cris was able to clearly make out the hole in the wall behind him due to the lit torchlight shining from the empty hallway within. The construct Ren had continued walking and Cris heard a few short squeaks followed by crunching sounds, likely he'd trodden on a few of the vermin who infested this place.
Not that Cris suspected that they'd be able to bite through the tough skin of the construct. Or he'd store them inside his storage. Living organics didn't work well with that type of magic he recalled from his own tutors.
'Young Master Cris, it's the reason I'm holding out medicine. If I wait any longer my hand might rot and fall off. Yes, this place is full of decay, pestilence and all manners of natural disease but the pills should do their work even if you fell into the water and swallowed some. Or rat bites. I'm not sure what would happen if you ate the glowing mushrooms but I bet it would be interesting. Shame I filled up earlier. Ren will scout ahead of us and you and me will make our way through the sewers pathways to the exist. Even find ourselves right in front of this place. But we are comrades now and only a fool fails to listen when thoughts are spoken. Tell us your plans and Ren and I will comply. As long as the idiot remembers to come back again. He took long enough last time.' said Maxton Ge as he took one of the fragrant smelling pills and threw it into his mouth chewing it.
Cris took several steps back and waited at the edge of the hole in the wall. The light from within helped his eyes adjust better to the relative darkness of the sewer tunnels.
'You said the hallway was trapped, we send in Ren to disarm them and then make our own way out. As a novitiate of the Goddess and a noble it's my duty to eliminate and report all instances of corruption especially on this scale. I need to fight to build my own reputation, I need the opportunity especially after I was kicked out of....where I was training.' said Cris.
The sound of small mammals squeaking and the crunch of boots was beginning to fade as he realised that the construct had gone quite a distance. The air from the sewer tunnel was lessened enough that the sensations of wanting to throw up was reduced enough that Cris felt more comfortable.
Looking down at his own boots, they had already acquired a layer of the liquid slime that dripped in places from the ceiling underneath but a quick check of his fine clothing and leather backpack had escaped thankfully.
'As you wish but I think that Ren has gone ahead far enough though so it will be you and me. Lead on then Young Master Cris, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you find in the hallway. Finding the hidden entrance it is and I'm not going to touch those torches high up on the walls. Not as though I cultivate the Path of Trap-Seeking. Ren! See you by the entrance you lazy pile of living stone. There, he'll find us when he's ready. Or he can sink into filthy water for a hundred years. Either way suits me.' said Maxton Ge.
As soon as Cris had turned into the hallway he blinked his eyes rapidly. The bodies of the brutally killed cultists in their grey robes had been reduced into piles of mere powder. Either there had been a deadly trap in the hall which he and his comrades had been lucky to escape or his own magic had resounded with the corruption.
Applying his senses before he dared to take a single step into the room he found that there were minor traces of corruption but it had been compressed rather than eliminated.
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Strange. Compacted but not removed.
He’d need to take a sample to take to the...Ren. They’d left Ren behind.
Stopping he switched his position to scry the relative darkness of the sewer channels for any sign of the construct. Yes, he’d walked ahead but it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t return.
Cris would have preferred more reliable comrades than one who was possibly a blood drinking demon and another one who was a magical being created from inorganic matter. At the least the three augmented had been human, they’d even accompanied him and promised protection after taking his noble issued scrip but the kiss had certainly been an experience.
‘Ren? Will you not walk with us as comrades Ren?’ said Cris as he partially held a hand over his mouth to avoid any further stench of the stale sewer air and stink getting into his nostrils.
A hand clapped onto his shoulder which gripped tightly and pulled him hard into the stone hallway once more.
‘Best not to talk with him too much. Trust me you won’t get the response you expect. I literally had the same conversation with him a hundred times before he began to talk with any sense of normalcy. And all I asked was what was his favourite food. We remain in a tiger’s den. Best to make our way out.’ said Maxton Ge.
With his hand firmly on the shoulder of Cris holding tight in a strong grip he half pulled him towards the end of the stone hallway to a plain-looking wall which was located near the hole in the wall which led to the sewers tunnels.
Maxton Ge rubbed a hand and spat on it before placing it onto the wall which began to crumble apart revealing a set of stairs leading upwards.
‘An easy path. Heh. You’ll have to forgive me and Ren, Young Master Cris. We’ve not exactly been honest with you. I was advised to test you a little first. You passed thankfully. Brave, curious, able and you think. Not calling me a foreigner again after the first time is also a mark of respect for your elder. You can follow me junior and I’ll lead us out of this place. After all we have an appointment to make with a very special type of lady. The dangerous kind.’ said Maxton Ge.
The stairs in front of Cris were carpeted. He even recognised the style of material that had been used. The walls inside were painted bright red. There was an alchemical globe hanging from the ceiling inside and illuminating the bottom set of steps.
A deep velvet curtain blocked any further view he had beyond the initial set of steps. Unconsciously Cris reached a hand on a knife held within the leather brace strapped onto his arm before a set of fingers locked around his own hand with a steel grip and dug into his skin. The pain was minimal at best.
‘Calm down. If we wanted you dead you would be. Ask yourself, where is our corruption? Have you ever seen someone who looks like me or stupid Ren in this quaint mountainous capital city of yours? I doubt you’ve ever met someone like me despite those merchants in the trading section. Yes, I know who you are Cristiano. The half-breed who was unjustly forced out of a place of education for asking all the right questions. The Goddess blessed you and I don’t quite think you realise how much. You hold value in the eyes of a special woman. A woman without a face. We...work with her out of mutual agreement.’
His magic flared deep within him and Cris lashed out with his other hand as it was locked tight against the small of his back. This time he did feel pain as his arm was bent at an angle and he was forced downwards as his backpack shifted and the contents moved around.
‘You...tricked me. You kidnapped me and locked me into this place. Both of you lied to me. For what? FOR WHAT? The augmented...they were part of it. Did the Queen send you? Are you agents of the Dark Lord? BURN! I’LL MAKE YOU BURN!’ began Cris as he reached deep into his energy reserves and began to focus concentrated light and purity magic through his bare skin.
He knew that there would be a steep price paid for the result but better to remove the immediate threat. The price of his own free will and mentality for a life of service to the blessed Goddess as an unthinking creature of light was worth a good revenge.
‘Your blood is changing. I can smell it. I wonder how it would interact if I took a sample and applied it to the corrupted blood I absorbed from the corrupted. You are a...functional prototype. I wonder if you even understand what that word means. We never kidnapped you but you need to calm down. I’ll break your arms if I need to. The rate your blood is being changed you won’t survive the process. If you’re going to react like this then I’ll need to take my own measures to limit you.’ said Maxton Ge.
Cris knew his body would continue to purify as much as possible before it cracked apart under the stresses that no human was designed to accept. His arm was bent further and the physical pain warred with the magical changes taking place inside his body on a cellular level. The surface of his skin began to glow as the voice of the construct which had assumed had left them rang out with a booming tone.
[Disease Master. I return. You will remove your grip on Cris or suffer direct punishment. Response is required in one fen. Order priority override engaged. This one will oppose your direct instructions unless designate: Cristiano is released into my custody. Immediate response required Disease Master.] said the voice of the construct called Ren.
The quietness of which he had moved surprised him as there wasn’t a single sound that rang out.
Forced downwards, Cris had the same view of the carpeted steps which were in exactly the same style and design as when he had been led through various tunnels down through the tavern. He’d been knocked out when the augmented had failed to rescue him as doors had been smashed in and ended up not in a cultist site but simply further down.
The pressure holding his arm was nearly immediately lessened as Maxton Ge was picked up by his arm and flung with enough force that there was a visible crunch as his body slammed into the stone wall.
[Disease Master. Know your place. You are the servant of the Eternal Huangdi. Diversion from the mission will not be tolerated. Remember, if you do not complete your task you will never be given access to Mount Penglai. Designate: Cris, is to be protected. Your method is ineffective. This one will begin your punishment.] said the construct as with a sudden rush of speed it sprinted the short distance to the man trying to rise from the floor and grabbing him again with one arm swung him against another section of the wall causing deep cracks in the stone to appear.
‘GET OFF M-’ started Maxton Ge as his entire body was slammed into the bare wall of stone in the hallway as piles of grey dust flew up in the air from the impact.
Confused with the situation but aware of the fact that the two who had called him comrades were apparently fighting over his personal safety Cris forced himself to take deep breaths and calm down the rising tide of light and purity magic which was threatening to overwhelm him.
The effort alone drove him to his knees and he struggled to keep his eyes open as the energy within wanted release.
Tightening his hands into fists he channelled his will and slammed them into the cold stone as unconsciousness began to overtake him.
‘I..I WAS ROW-’ started Maxton Ge as his voice was cut off.
Further echoes of shattering stone and one sharp scream pain which ended abruptly as the arms of the construct lifted him up and swung him gently over a shoulder as Ren proceeded towards the carpeted steps and through the velvet curtain.
[Punishment has been delivered Disease Master, fix yourself and join us. Remember your place, your purpose. We have an appointment with the women with no face. Young Master Cris, you need to rest and recover. Sleep now.] said Ren.