Ughh…I feel like my head is breaking apart as a headache torments me.
And…I’m lying on something cold and… it feels really damp…
I’m hungry and thirsty…
What happened…?
………
That’s right…I fought Nil in a battle… though it seems he was still holding back a lot against me. Also, Ichirou is there as my strength but…
I open my eyes to confirm where I am right now.
To my surprise…it seems that I am in a cave right now!
So that’s where the moisten smell coming from and the damp, sticky feeling. Stalagmites are everywhere and rocks, sand, and stones alike are scattered. Also, a cluster of a different color of crystals is planted everywhere that gives off light which repels the darkness. It looks like a usual underground dungeon.
………
Seriously, where am I right now?!
I look left and right and no signs of anyone, just me in this damn place.
Is this even a cave or an underground?! What if I was sent near to the core of this world! I saw a movie once like that and it’s really scary!
What if lava starts invading the place or weird creatures start coming out?!
……….
Yeah…I’ve seen weirder creatures before so there’s no real reason to panic…
“Haa… Anyway…there’s no point sitting here, I should move along and try to find something first. Geez, exploring another underground city or ruins… it would have been better if someone is with me.”
As I stand up, my legs wobble a bit and it’s…
“Geh! It’s tingling…! My legs are tingling and numbing…!”
I fell back on my spot.
What misfortune…
“Guh…! Please stop…!”
The cold, hard ground isn’t even helping.
Seriously, what an unlucky day…
Suddenly, something came to my mind…
Astlan’s memory that mother showed me refreshed in my mind and I recall everything that happened to him, the events the led to the birth of their lineage and the passing of their power the cruel, bitter story of the man who experienced the death of his beloved.
I began feeling nauseous again and my stomach cramps as the memories invades my head again. I felt my knees getting weaker and I lost strength all over my body.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
I feel like I’ve also experienced what he had gone through.
But, I cannot mope for something that happened in the past or I won’t be able to move forward. It’s an important lesson that I learned from Master and Milin.
I wish Violetta and Fon are safe.
I hope Casablanca and Hibiscus are able to escape too.
I have to move on but I feel really down and melancholic… I wonder what should I do? Think of something happy? Let’s try.
Hmmm…
Alstoe’s bright cheerful and idiotic smile came to mind… It’s a bit dazzling and pure for me but I feel smarter whenever I’m together with her.
Next came to my mind is Higan’s…smug face… Eh…um… It’s annoying… I am going to pinch her cheeks if I saw her making that face again.
………
I feel better in an instant.
Or rather, I’m a bit vexed that those faces came to my mind. There should be a lot of people I could immediately recall but they pop out instead. Well, this should mean that I really miss those two, our time together fooling around and chatting pointlessly while traveling.
I wonder what they are doing right now.
“Okay! Time to explore! Go!!”
I fired up myself!
It’s hard to be alone after all.
Right now, I do not have any knowledge about this place. I don’t have much survival skills, to begin with so I have to make sure my brain will absolutely functional in dire times. Also, food and water should be my priority!
It would be pathetic and stupid to die because of starvation and dehydration.
And yeah…I won’t be eating any magical beast’s meat anymore. They taste extremely awful and they are poisonous. I don’t want to get blind again. I might stick to eating grass but as the place suggested, the possibility of grass growing here is impossible… I guess…
I stand up again and start walking aimlessly. There isn’t much anywhere to go because I’m on a one-way path to proceed to. I’m really relieved that there are these shiny crystals all over the place. It's really plot convenient if I say so myself.
Except for the lack of food and water right now…
GURURURURU!
My stomach, please be quiet!
Hmm…
Wait… I have hyper regeneration, right?
Maybe… Hell no!
Wicked thoughts, be gone!
That literally sent shivers to my spine and I hope I never go to that kind of thinking even all hope is lost. I would literally chew on a rock if I had to but for now, I won’t chew on a rock and keep hoping that I would find something better like grass.
I walk and walk and walk and all I see is the endless path of dirt and rocks.
I wonder why is this cave were built in the first place?
Seeing all of these crystals here that emit light, this sure to be made by people or something, the structure of the ceiling is well dug too. Was it built by the same people, those ethers, or something entirely different?
The etheric city was so cool that I get goosebumps remembering how that post-apocalyptic place was built. I wish I could have gotten myself of one of those laser guns that makes pew pew sounds.
Come to think of it, Ichirou being alive and arriving at the right moment was really cool. Also, his steampunk themed arm looks cool I wish I could get one myself.
Though, I am not willing to get my arm to be removed.
Uwaah…
As expected…
Weirder thoughts are swirling inside my mind if I am alone. Though it gives me time to think of some idea I never thought before, albeit really stupidly clever or out of norms.
And with that, my mind drifted again if it is night or day at this time of hour since I cannot tell being inside a cave like this, or underground? I don’t know, I might as well say that the world isn’t moving at all.
Ahh…!
I’m going crazy…
I’m really doing my best…not to think of sad things…
Mother, what should I do?
Well, I’m bound to find something if I keep walking, right?
Maybe I can find a treasure or better, a holy sword or godly relics that will give me more power. That said, though, what if it is being guarded by a golem or something more brutal like Cerberus?
The only skills in my arsenal are just barrier, barrier, and more barriers, also a dimensional storage. If I don’t have anyone like Ichirou beside me who I can use Divine Possession to or any compatible hosts of Divine Ascension, I am pretty much not going to get anywhere when it comes to fighting.
Speaking of, Divine Possession is such an incredible skill that let me borrow strength from Ichirou and I guess it kind of stacked our power and got a boost.
It felt really warm inside and I can feel Ichirou inside of me.
It just means that I need him to fight Nil.
Hmm…
I am still aimlessly walking around but I don’t see anything unusual yet.
And yeah…I jinxed it…
TAP
TAP
TAP
The sound of footsteps enters my ear. Judging from the sound, there are at least more than two people. It seems they will come out from that intersection that I just found. Maybe I was really going in circles the whole time.
Never mind that, I stand frozen in my place as I anticipate whoever or whatever comes out from there.
I do just hope that it’s an ally and not an enemy.
TAP
TAP
TAP
The sound is getting closer. My heart pounded in anticipation as I prepare to draw out a sword from my dimensional storage or immediately cast barrier if it is something I cannot handle.
As I saw them, my mouth hangs in surprise and astonishment.
“Oh hey, it’s Asagao! What a coincidence!”
“…”
“…”
The worst…
It’s Nil!
And side by side, he is holding the hands of Casablanca and Hibiscus. They look so terrified holding his hand like he is walking them in the park. Well, even I would be really terrified holding that man’s hand.
The twins won’t even mutter a word even as they saw me.
………
Damn it…
Final boss right off the bat!