The next night, Aubrey accompanied a slightly hung-over and subdued Shorty as the pair traversed the damp and dismal alleys and passages, following a small crowd toward a hidden entrance in a secluded alleyway.

As they neared the secret door, Aubrey noticed strange symbols etched onto the frame.

 ᚢᚾᛏᛁᚱᚴᚱᚬᚠᛏ

"What symbol is that?" Aubrey nudged a recovered Shorty and inquired.

"That's the symbol of the Undercroft. It means 'Under Tyranny.'" Shorty responded, his lucidity and awareness appeared to have regained since the previous night. "Not sure why they chose that symbol or motto."

Aubrey and Shorty blended and merged with the throng queueing at the hidden door. Soon, the crowd funneled and compressed themselves through the narrow entranceway. Aubrey and Shorty followed suit.

Inside, a dank and dreary tunnel greeted the duo. The passage descended, its walls and surfaces composed of craggy and jagged rocks. Aubrey felt her footing slip and slide against the damp and muddy floor.

Eventually, the tunnel's downward trajectory ended, and the throng spread and dispersed, revealing a massive underground chamber filled with spectators, a ring, and an audience area.

Torches illuminated and bathed the subterranean space with a dim and flickering orange. Aubrey observed a crude cage encircled the chamber's center. Around the cage were tiered rows of stone bleachers, providing elevated viewing platforms.

Surrounding the audience area's circumference and perimeter were several rows of vendors peddling their wares and services. Aubrey surveyed the merchants and their businesses—food stalls, gambling dens, betting booths.

"Come!!! Try my spicy and flavorful beef sticks. Cooked slow and roasted. Tender and succulent. Perfect snack. Great appetizer." One vendor hollered and advertised.

"Place bets. Win huge purse. Place a bet. Choose a winner. Bet today." Another shouted.

"Drinks. Drinks. Drinks. Buy and try. Spiced ale. Rum. Whiskey. Enjoy. Nurture thirst and parchedness." A third advertised.

Shorty nudged and nudged Aubrey, leading her toward the registration table, manned by the bespectacled scholar.

"Shorty. Participant. Check-in." Shorty announced.

"Number?" Scholar inquired.

"Fourteen."

Scholar rummaged and searched through his documents. He scribbled a notation on his clipboard and returned his attention back toward the pair.

"Here." Scholar presented Shorty a tag. "Wear and display. Identify yourself."

Shorty accepted the plaque bearing the number fourteen.

"Welcome. Good luck." Scholar acknowledged.

Shorty departed from the registration table and sauntered toward a tunnel encircling the chamber's periphery. Aubrey followed and trailed.

Shorty veered and navigated his way through the corridor until the pair encountered a makeshift prep area occupied by fighters psyching up and hyping themselves.

"Number?" A gatekeeper interrogated.

"Fourteen," Shorty reported.

"First bout." Gatekeeper indicated and jerked a thumb. "Line up."

Shorty's gaze gravitated toward the sand-covered ring. Several fighters already squared and circled each other.

"Shorty," Aubrey whispered. "Good luck. Kick ass. Beat em. I'll be up there singing for you. Rock your shit."

"Thanks. Appreciated." Shorty bowed.

Shorty removed his tunic and shirt, revealing his exposed torso and physique. Aubrey appraised the fighter's rippling muscles and bulging biceps. Even his beer belly did little to detract or undermine his intimidating and hulk-like stature.

Shorty marched and joined the contenders mingling inside the ring's sandy battlefield. Aubrey navigated the raised tiers and seats, locating an elevated platform suitable for vocal projection.

"Hey, am I allowed to sing for the combatants?!" Aubrey shouted over at Scholar.

"Sing? As long as it boosts the audience's morale and excitement. No restrictions," Scholar affirmed.

"Great." She unstrapped Hellion's Cry and tuned the guitar.

Once ready and prepared, Aubrey strummed a rhythm and melody. Spectators below rotated their heads and gawked, zeroing their sights and attentions upon her. Aubrey channeled her vocal fortitude and projected her voice.

"LET'S GO SHORTY! LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!" She bellowed.

Below, Shorty smiled and grinned, raising a fist in support.

The first match commenced.

The crowd roared and cheered as Shorty and his opponent faced off inside the makeshift sandpit. Aubrey strummed a riff and a refrain, bolstering and adding additional impact and weight to the conflict.

The opponent lunged and swung a haymaker. Shorty dodged and ducked the attack. Shorty retaliated with a devastating uppercut, staggering his adversary. Aubrey thundered and belted a note, eliciting cheers and shouts from the spectators.

The opponent charged and attempted a bull rush. Shorty sidestepped and delivered a knee to the gut. Aubrey shredded a solo, her fingers dancing and twirling across the guitar's fretboard.

Even though it looked like Shorty would win this fight handidly, Aubrey didn't want to take any chances.

[Ability: "Echo of Vitality" activated! Duration: 180 seconds; Cooldown: 240 seconds]

[Ability: "Swift Cadence" activated! Duration: 90 seconds; Cooldown: 180 seconds]

Aubrey tapped into her Banshee abilities and imbued Shorty with her buffs. Suddenly, Shorty moved faster and his dwindling stamina replenished.

Shorty seized the advantage and delivered a series of lightning-quick blows. The opponent crumpled and collapsed, surrendering and conceding. Aubrey played the triumphant and victorious outro, her strumming and playing resounding and reverberating throughout the underground chamber.

Match: Won.

Second Round commenced.

The cycle and pattern repeated: Aubrey sang and played normally during bouts featuring pairs of other contenders. Whenever it was Shorty's turn, Aubrey empowered and imbued the fighter with her buffs.

Meanwhile, the crowd's enthusiasm escalated and intensified—no doubt due her musical accompaniment and vocals. She noted the spectators' enthusiasm escalating with each match.

Soon, Shorty had vanquished and defeated the competition, securing and advancing into the semi-finals. Aubrey utilized Swift Cadence and Echo of Vitality once more, ensuring Shorty's health and fortitude remained at maximum capacity.

"Round's over," the Gatekeeper hollered. "Rest and recuperate."

Shorty returned toward the prep area, sweat glistening and dripping across his musculature. Aubrey approached and assisted the fighter, fetching him water.

"Good job, Shorty. On track. Almost done. Semi-finals. Finish and finish strong." Aubrey encouraged and hyped him.

"Thanks. This never happened before. I barely feel winded and I'm moving faster than usual. This happened before when I heard your singin'. Keep playing and cheerin' me. Helps a ton."

"Count on it. I got your back." Aubrey promised.

She couldn't suppress her grin. Shorty was a competent fighter, but he had obstacles and issues—like as endurance and speed. Buffed, however, Shorty was a force to reckon and contend.

"Semifinals: Number Four versus Number Fourteen," the Gatekeeper bellowed.

"You're up." Aubrey pumped a fist and gestured. "Go. Go. Go. Smash him. That two hundred sovereigns as good as ours!"

Shorty rotated and ambled toward the sand ring.

Aubrey scaled her designated vocal platform and strummed Hellion's Cry, initiating an intro and a cadence. Below, the crowd erupted and the spectators' fervor and passion reached a fever pitch.

Below, the Gatekeepers instructed the fighters to prepare and ready themselves. Shorty squared and confronted his challenger—a tall, lanky fellow with a build akin to an oiled-up string bean.

String Bean's limbs resembled strands of celery. Aubrey wagered his muscle mass equated to Shorty's beer belly. But, he looked fast and had an insane reach advantage.

Let's GOOOOOO, Aubrey mentally communicated. Shorty understood the cue and reciprocated a nod.

"Final bout commences. Begin!" the Gatekeepers commanded.

String Bean tested the waters with a jab and a probing stretch. Shorty retreated and evaded the strikes. Aubrey improvised an impromptu refrain and a chorus.

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"SHOOOOOOOOORTTTTYYYYYYY! SHOOOOORTTTTTTTTTYYYYY!!!!"

The spectators chanted and reciprocated her call-and-response.

String Bean increased his offensive pressure, throwing quick and successive jabs and straights. Shorty bobbed and weaved.

Aubrey's melody and music adapted, adjusting accordingly, matching the tempo and cadence of the bout while continually applying her buffs. There were brief windows where their cooldowns overlapped, causing gaps. Aubrey optimized their timings.

String Bean advanced and unleashed a combo, weaving a tapestry of jabs, hooks, and crosses. Shorty ducked and sidestepped a majority of the strikes, but a stray jab cracked him on the chin, wobbling him. Aubrey's heart skipped a beat.

String Bean capitalized and pressed his attack. Shorty turtled and defended, weathering and enduring the storm.

Damn it! Shorty needed room. Aubrey's buffs were still on cooldown. She improvised an epic and climactic instrumental. Below, Shorty absorbed and endured String Bean's volley of attacks.

"SHOOOOORTTTTTTTTTY!! DON'T QUIT! YOU'VE GOT THIS. BEAT HIS ASS!!" Aubrey roared.

When the cooldowns expired, Aubrey refreshed her buffs.

But just as she felt her voice's influence reach him, she noticed a subtle shimmer and shift in Shorty's form. Aubrey abruptly stopped her strumming.

Slowly, Shorty's limbs distended and his skin split open, revealing an abomination of tentacles, teeth, and appendages. Aubrey watched in horror as his body ballooned and inflated to unfathomable proportions. His eyes warped and distorted into a dozen gelatinous orbs. His mouth yawned and unhinged into a cavernous maw of gnashing fangs and clicking mandibles.

As the transformation completed, the creature that had once been Shorty unleashed a primal screech, sending the spectators fleeing and scattering.

"Unhallowed! UNHALLOWED! RUN!!" Gatekeepers screamed.

Aubrey could not tear her gaze away. She was frozen in terror and awe.

The monstrosity surged and consumed his opponent, tearing the unfortunate String Bean limb from limb. Blood and viscera coated the sand and splattered the chamber's surroundings.

She could hear the muffled dying screams and pleas emanating from within the creature's stomach. Soon, the muffled cries and shrieks ceased.

The monster scanned and roved, surveying and appraising its surroundings.

Finally regaining her senses, Aubrey scrambled and evacuated the premises, joining the hordes of fleeing spectators. She dashed and maneuvered her way through the dank and dreary tunnel, clawing and pushing her way past the panicked crowd.

Behind her, a deafening roar shook and trembled the underground chamber. Aubrey glanced back and witnessed a deluge of tentacles and appendages emerging from the subterranean arena.

Oh shit oh fuck oh shit OH FUUUUCKKKK!! Aubrey sprinted and hastened her retreat, fear propelling her forward.

Above, the stampede of panicked and frenzied spectators funneled and compressed their way through the tunnel's entrance, scrambling to escape. Aubrey struggled and fought against the surge and current.

Suddenly, the tunnel quaked and rumbled, exacerbating the panicked crowd's hysteria and desperation. Aubrey shoved and elbowed her way forward, not willing to become a victim.

Behind her, a swarm of writhing and pulsating tendrils slithered and snaked their way toward her direction.

OH FUUUCCCKKKK!! Aubrey redoubled her efforts.

Finally breaching the tunnel's entrance, Aubrey burst and emerged outside the alleyway. Around her, the frantic horde dispersed and scattered.

Aubrey's terrified gaze rotated and focused toward the hidden entrance.

Emerging from the tunnel's aperture were the monstrous appendages, reaching and grasping blindly for fleeing victims. It managed to snag a few unlucky stragglers as they attempted to escape.

Their agonized and despairing screams echoed and ricocheted off the alley's walls. The tendrils held them aloft, their bodies hanging limply. Aubrey watched in horrified fascination as the appendages pierced and punctured their victims.

Moments later, the bodies morphed and twisted, transforming into hideous and malformed monsters similar to the creature that had once been Shorty. The newly formed horrors screeched and cried, echoing throughout the alleyway.

The original monstrosity then slowly squeezed and compressed itself through the narrow tunnel entrance. In its wake was a trail of viscera and organs that trailed behind it like a macabre smear.

Aubrey turned heel and ran, but a tentacle snatched her by the ankle. The appendage hoisted her upside down. Panic-stricken, Aubrey futilely struggled and tugged, attempting to free herself.

But to no avail.

Her captor hauled her into its waiting maw of serrated fangs.

"Fuck off!!" she cursed, activating Hellion's Cry's battleaxe form.

With all her strength, she swiped at the appendage restraining her leg, severing it with a single stroke, sending Aubrey tumbling and crashing hard onto the pavement.

Ignoring her minor scrapes and cuts, she staggered to her feet and resumed her flight. The creature's death wails and shrieks nipped at her heels. Aubrey dared not look back.

Damn it! What the hell happened back there? Why did Shorty suddenly turn into an abominable horror? Was he originally a monster masquerading as a human? No. That couldn't be. Surely she would have sensed that.

Then did that mean that someone from the crowd turned him into one using some sort of magic? How else would that explain the sudden transformation?

Aubrey's thoughts whirled and swarmed. She replayed the sequence in her head and recalled the shimmer she saw just before Shorty's transformation. Something happened to him then. It must have triggered the change. But who or what caused it? And how?

Shit! There goes our fifty sovereigns!

Wait... MY fifty sovereigns! Sonovabitch!

She needed to go back down there and retrieve the money. But that thing was dangerous, especially after it spawned two more minions.

No. What was she so scared of? She wasn't a human, she was an Unhallowed—a Banshee! That damn thing was just a glorified tentacle abomination. She can wipe the floor with it! Probably! And she had a legendary guitar-axe! It cut good!

Aubrey skidded to a halt and turned on her heel, rushing back to where the creature had first emerged from the tunnel. She brandished her guitar-axe in a white-knuckle grip as she steeled herself for the confrontation.

She hadn't really paid attention to it until now, but the music that accompanied the creature sounded like a discordant mixture of dark ambiance and industrial noise. It grated on her ears and gave her goosebumps.

Even the visual cues that accompanied the melody felt out of place. The shimmering lines that danced across her field of vision flickered and warped, making it harder for her to predict the path and timing of the creature's strikes.

Fortunately, they didn't seem fast.

"C'mon you bastard! You owe me two hundred sovereigns! Pay up! I need those winnings!" she shouted angrily as she dove back into the fray.

The two smaller masses of tentacles and mouths that had burst forth from the other people scuttled toward her in a flurry of clicks and snapping teeth.

Aubrey swept her axe in a wide arc, cutting through the thicket of incoming tentacles with a powerful blow. She followed up with another slash that bisected the first creature cleanly in half. The two halves of its body spasmed and writhed as it died.

She took a stance with her axe as the second creature lurched at her. She strummed her guitar, her fingers flying over the strings as she let loose a Vibrakeld.

[Vibrakeld activated. Cooldown: 38 seconds]

Thundering notes blasted from the guitar and slammed into the second creature, knocking it off its course. The vibrations traveled along its body, making its tentacles and appendages flail uncontrollably as it tried to regain its bearings.

Aubrey jumped over its thrashing body and swung her axe in an overhead strike, splitting it neatly down the middle. Her axe cleaved through it so easily that she nearly stumbled forward from the sheer power of her swing.

But she recovered quickly and brought her weapon down again and again, hacking at the creature until it stopped moving. When the last of its tentacles had gone limp, she relaxed and caught her breath.

A sudden movement from the corner of her vision caused her to activate a Zyphrendil without thinking.

[Zyphrendil activated. Cooldown: 45 seconds]

Swirling shadows coalesced around the guitar's strings, spewing out and enveloping Aubrey like a protective cloak. The incoming torrent of tentacles and appendages crashed into the dark mist, but the barrier held.

The shadowy mist expanded outward in a sphere, protecting Aubrey from harm and repelling the writhing mass. She could hear the sound of flesh sizzling and burning against the dark energy.

"Pay up, you fucker!" she spat at the large creature that had been steadily approaching her.

[Thraunquill activated. Cooldown: 30 seconds]

With a deft flick of her wrist, she strummed her guitar again and unleashed a barrage of spectral blades that tore through the incoming tentacles and struck the main body dead center.

The blades burrowed deep into the creature's mass, leaving behind smoking wounds that sizzled and hissed. The creature screeched in pain as the spiritual blades continued their journey from the inside.

[Vibrakeld Ready. Cooldown: 0 seconds]

Aubrey strummed her guitar again and launched another blast of thundering notes, sending the creature reeling back. It tried to defend itself by raising its remaining appendages in front of it in an attempt to absorb the brunt of the attack.

But Aubrey wasn't done yet.

She charged forward and swung her axe, slicing through a bundle of appendages and striking the main body once again. She followed it up with a Zyphrendil to block an incoming counter-attack and then finished the combo off with another Thraunquill.

Again and again, she unleashed her attacks. Every time the creature tried to launch a counter-attack, Aubrey would disrupt it with a Vibrakeld or a Zyphrendil. When either was on cooldown, she relied on her Harmonic Synesthesia and passive skills to dodge the incoming strikes.

Even with the dissonant and disturbing music, she was able to anticipate and avoid the creature's movements. Eventually, the creature's appendages withered away until all that remained was its main body.

Aubrey seized the initiative and rushed the weakened monster. With a mighty yell, she chopped her axe into the creature's core repeatedly. Its body shuddered and convulsed with every strike, but Aubrey kept going.

"We had a deal, Shorty! We had a fucking deal!"

She channeled her anger and frustration into her swings, swinging her guitar-axe again and again. Until finally the creature fell silent and collapsed to the ground with a wet thud.

Aubrey stood among the carnage, panting and exhausted. Sweat dripped from her brow as she surveyed the aftermath of the battle. Her knuckles ached and throbbed from the exertion, but it was well worth it.

[You’ve acquired a moderate amount of experience]

[Your Rank has increased from Adagio to Andante]

[You have 2 unused Talent Points]

[You have 2 unused Ability Points]

[You can increase two of your attributes by one grade]

Nice. It had been a while since she increased in rank. The weekly concerts with the band gave her a steady amount of experience. Guess this fight tipped her over the edge.

But she'll have to worry about that later.

Onwards to the original plan—loot the venue. The organizers probably forgot to flee with the prize money since the whole thing went sideways. And Aubrey planned on getting her share—or maybe just all of it. After all, she earned it.

She descended back underground and entered the ruined chamber. Her eyes widened in surprise as she witnessed the aftermath of the chaos. Broken chairs and debris littered the space. Corpses were strewn about. The smell of death lingered in the air.

After looking around for a bit, no cash box was in sight. But she knew it had to be around. Probably kept in a secret safe. If she had to guess where the safe's location could be, then she'd put her money on one of the walls of the chamber.

But why bother guessing when she could just locate it in a different way.

She brandished her guitar-axe and strummed a simple tune.

[Lumivox activated. Cooldown: 12 seconds]

A pulse of light resonated from the guitar and illuminated the entire chamber. Slowly but surely, the light revealed the outlines of various objects and structures. Among the silhouettes was a faint outline of a hidden compartment beneath one of the walls of the chamber.

A secret safe. Exactly where she thought it would be.

"Found you."

When the pulse had subsided, she approached the wall and began hacking at the bricks and stones. Chunks of worked stone and brick flew everywhere as she cut through the solid materials. Soon enough, the two metal boxes came into view.

Aubrey grabbed one and shook it while listening carefully. The sounds of coins rattling against metal confirmed her suspicions. Money. Lots and lots of money.

She pocketed the box and went for the other one. It sounded emptier than the other one but might have valuables. Who knows? Either way, Aubrey planned on taking it all.

She exited the underground arena and made her way back toward the surface. As she walked through the empty streets, a shiver ran down her spine. The events from earlier kept replaying in her mind.

Just what exactly was an Unhallowed?...