COI C86
It begins in the early morning. U’ecin shows the early birds the new loots they could get among these starved monsters once reigning through the surface during the swarm. Production of these raw materials for leather, bone crafting, and raw fuel to the eyes of many Agatheans who know how to make it. Eyes among these adventurers were either new or even stuck in this dungeon for days now. Not knowing the roots had put here for sometimes but worsen the minds of the less fortitude. It is some that Myrrkei sees them as ordinary civilians who sheltered prosperously to end of struggle from their world.
“It’s been two days. I can’t even try to sleep anywhere when the roots keep following us”
“But we don’t want to use the failsafe to escape and left the loots behind, we were dead ass broke during the lockdown”
The new adventurers who came early asks Myrrkei “These guys really been here more than a day”
“Better to experience it or not, this phenomenon is new to you. The dungeon you say had some unique possibilities when interacting both the moons”
They look around one more time through the small routes where the roots already block the main entrance. “We just got here and they already block it off”
“Be surprised a bit more that how your devices are not able to reach out from the surface. I heard of the term ‘state of the art’ even or barely reaching the signal to Enders Bridge now. I could say that with respect that no magic could reach the dense unfathomable air. The same air like scent to know those abomination to find us”
“It’s probably the roots are eating the mana signal or something”
“Again, this is still unfathomable”
U’ecin watches the place being picked clean where the adventurers from yesterday had wiped it off like no tomorrow. Even before the previous ones who are desperate enough to seek money, it was appalling to the citizens. To them, they like it better letting nature stays desperate for once. He tells them what happened if monsters let them suffer a bit when they reach the critical point of the Jigeram moon cycle.
“Little strands of life between Alga’s light and nature behold among these creatures. You see its starving faces and flesh skinned to their bones. It is the way of life of the wilderness. Feral goblins I could say is the most example here”
He shows the skull of the Ferals, shrunken to the point how it was compressed magically, it is the portrayal of shamanistic rituals on his hand. The accursed spirit lingers inside as there is no light to show its interactive effects but moves ever so slightly. The adventurers’ UI with their shamanistic encyclopedia. The spirit inside is something to be scared about. One of the adventurers couldn’t shut up and speak in her tremble tones
“The fuck! Another of those horror elements, is there anything you have that doesn’t creep us out?”
U’ecin brings out another item from his belt. An Enders made copy rituals, religious and heavily engraved for war.
He activates it and they feel hyperactive all of a sudden. A call of the horns coming from his grasp, but wasn’t feel convincing as he heard it. The others though, Myrrkei sees them being hype up all over again. The previous adventurers groan tiredly
“You and your big mouth, this the same item keeps us moving all night. No recovery or whatsoever, I know you guys are new entering this dungeon but I rather have mind effects than any other elements to boost us up”
“Sorry, I didn’t know . . .”
Later, they’re trapped for hours, the adventurers from yesterday had enough and asks U’ecin “We’ve been waiting here for how much long when those monsters are coming back. Just bring us out of here, please”
Myrrkei looks at them raising eyes with their faces being rash and more importantly not wanting to stay with their grime and dusts all over their bodies.
“It would take a long journey. The entrance is here, once it is opened you can teleport away without the roots interfering . . .”
“I’m sorry, but with the buffs already been given to us. This high in energy won’t keep us calm and relax. Please we need . . .”
U’ecin brings his weapon and tap the handle to Myrrkei’s arm. “That’s enough! Let’s go the hard way then. You told me that these roots were not special to begin with”
“Sigh* Wait for moment. Fine, let’s go and don’t use your magic where the roots will find us. Anyway, U’ecin, I know you are not supposed to be with them and everything went new everyday like any other years before”
“I cared less, if the elves have to continue their excavation before these roots ever been formed”
The adventurers watch them riling up among themselves where the older adventurers don’t care and follow through.
The other adventurers however, recently entered this place through the monsters’ burrows. It was an accident when they were standing before crumbles down and sink into the caves. The collapse of dead trees blocked the way, some tries to break through with magic but didn’t realize the roots quickly grown to the debris. The adventurers were rushing there and soon realized it already sealed off. Now together to the point of already mix morale, this is the early hours they thought they could get the loot.
The look of their eyes as they were busy hunting through the early morning, already filled the loots in their inventory and wished to leave. They have enough and the others thought they could get the rest of it to the new route that wasn’t been ventured before.
“Say, will you mind of us to get the loot when the monsters popping up here”
“Don’t care, you can have it as long as you’ll be the one dealing with them Yawn* The exposure we have right now is straining on our stats”
“That’s kind of painful”
“Lucky for you, we get the rest of the predators before they become healthy enough to fight”
One of the recent groups, who are in a team with four members. One frontline, one gunner, and two backline hybrids mage/support. The adventurers are looking at them as they look like a bunch of newcomers. These new members were inspired from the city guild sphere and now they have been trained and managed to get a living. With their devices on hand set to mana battery instead using their own mana, these people are probably are one of those rich groups except for one man carrying his weapon.
“These guys are probably in their early twenties”
“Just like us, you idiot what makes you . . .”
“She’s right you know, based on experience as adventurers. I have a bad feeling about them”
The team heard about talking trash at someone “You hear that? Even people like them are looking down on each other”
“That’s not how they should treat others like that”
“You guys, you know they have more experienced than us”
“They probably have less rank than us though laugh*”
“Hey! Don’t be rude”
“Even you’re our gunner, being C rank is something to care about”
The tired adventurers heard them clearly while the other recent adventurers even say something regretful.
“We shouldn’t get greedy with them when comes to looting”
“You know those guys”
“It’s been like that after that big rain of dusts coming down near the highway. They got good traits when comes to raiding, the gunner is the one who gets a good shot without harming the materials. He is a good huntsman I give you that, but surrounded with terrible people”
“Just like in Highschool, damn, I am wondering how they live before becoming adventurers?”
“I rather to forget it, imagined getting bullied by bunch of bullies who are more dangerous with magic powers”
“Sheesh! Getting bullied is the real problem”
Everyone stops and see multiple small burrows, a sight for trypophobia. Myrrkei bumps his head where a withered root hanging on the wall. He turns and the roots here are starting to wither. The root starts to chip off into pieces. They see the route where so many holes as it formed into a honeycomb wall. U’ecin picks every sturdy wood he could find among these roots and carved it with a pick edge at the end. He strikes it down on the holes and easily crumbles, making a new route for themselves.
The adventurers look to the other side where it still has withered roots, but it would take time like the entrance did to disappear. The look of their eyes and see U’ecin starts to dig through. One of them takes a glimpse of their map at the surface and tries to get the signal in their position. One of them stops him,
“Don’t you dare let that root heals because of you”
Both of them are tired and either patient but don’t like to waste effort’s time but they reluctantly follow them to find the escape route as soon as possible. It is the testament of their differences to get out of here.
Many follow U’ecin examples and help him dig. U’ecin directs them to dig close to where the roots are while he is alone to the other side. They look at him strangely as they are on that side and alone from the others. The sounds of crumbling keep going on, the sounds echoed through the holes. The monsters hiding inside start to get active, away from the noise as they tried to leave. The opposite side is coming up from the holes. Multiple feral goblins popping out, recklessly going as it gone insane and ravaged to where they go.
The adventurers dug slower as their number on their side keep bumping the roots. Incredible thickness that can’t be cut through, their eyes grew depressing as it reaches this far and the multiple holes where the one helping them dig properly. They could dig at the entrance, and they already see the surface but the trees covered the entire thing strongly sealed than here. Mundane tasks with their inventory are packed, regret of being greedy or painful lifestyle back to the city. It is the experience of the life of others following these footsteps.
Feint noise coming from the holes as they hear familiar but annoying sounds. They groan a bit and covered in dirt. They are coming, and their sense of reason is getting tired. At least one of them realized
“They’re attacking? Feral goblins?”
“Heavy breathing* What are you saying? They are probably desperate”
“But why, that’s not how those monsters behave”
U’ecin sees them already out pacing the digging. The monsters are coming hearing through those small holes. He intentionally pierced through the hole with his wooden spear. Quickly pulled out with blood and dust contracting from it.
U’ecin shouts out as he swears “The employer’s bloody mistake! Everyone! Stop digging and pulled back!”
The adventurers finally breach through as they see the light. Ignorance grew with impatience lead their determination. The adventurers see the light.
“Light! We can leave now!”
The tired adventurers pushed themselves through the cave as the tight path made them desperate to see it more than ever. The Feral are here with something special. The tired adventurers attacked them from the holes out of their frustration.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The echoes go through wildly and the holes keep echoing through the tight space they have to leave. Boldly or recklessness, which of them daring enough to face the mistakes they are facing. Feral goblins throw the dusts at them, a handful to big chunks that fits like throwing rocks. Myrrkei watch them getting filled with exposure when they were carefully tried to stay away reaching the exposure to 40%. Forced to leave, and large piles of loot burst through and spreading through the cave. Numerous materials and dungeon loots flowing down on the ground rolling through the caves and burrows like water streaming.
The remaining tired adventurers watch them forced to use failsafe as they are reaching desperately without sleep and endless hearing the noise echoing through the distance. Recent adventurers waited patiently, and see it happening. The look of their eyes with greed with piles of loot that they could not try to imagine flowing down at their knees. Keep moving forward where the roots already start moving through the dungeons inside. The cave is moving, and the loot sink or fell through the soft ground it lands. They tried their best to help while others greedily steal it from them.
After that one big incident, U’ecin finishes the new cave through the holes made from the monsters. Cleaning off the bits and pieces to make it sturdy and clear off the roots that won’t be affecting it anytime soon. Luckily, they made it out, for what caused as they see it. This part of the cave is noisy and keep echoing from the holes and burrows. It was a bad moment for the tired adventurers for being rushed. It was been done, and the recent adventurers continue on to be wary what those feral have now.
The arrogant team however is daring enough to go where the rest of the loots fall into.
“That idiot of a high official actually made the feral goblins learn to use the dusts”
“When did that happened?”
“That Enders had told us about before, probably you’re just boggled your head around after what happened”
“He was also impressed to the moment that guy appeared at the exit. Everyone turns wild at him who “teach” them how it did”
“Laugh* Accident my ass, but there are loots now falling through the holes. Say you huntsman, do you find it?”
“Again, with the name calling, I’m telling you stop calling me new names every time those guys don’t know us”
“Yeah, yeah, huntsman. We are just teasing you a bit chuckle* you can’t understand girls’ jokes”
They smile at him as he is the only one have a really good going skills on his hand. They ventured down sweeping all the loot remains, looking away the monsters they supposed to get for materials but the loot they left behind is exceptional better than they thought.
“I heard they are with that Enders guiding them through the predators who are migrating the hidden stash”
“With these loots, we can scrap it for materials for a higher price than as a whole itself”
They look at the loot as they are made out metals that can made electrical and electronical products. Their eyes are beaming with excitement to bring it to the city as theirs. One of them had second thoughts.
“I’m not sure about this, what if they thought we are stealing it?”
“I told you we could scrap it. Listen, we have been able to survive this long and trained at the city guild. Our first day was so easy even better than our part time jobs. Look at us now, earning big to stay afloat, it is better than our weekly wages”
All of the girls cheered of their success but for him, it doesn’t feel right. His goody two shoes thing made him hesitant for a bit.
Going through where the feral are, trying to flee to where they can go. They already know they have the dusts where the gunner is snipping them off one by one. The monsters see many of them falling and dying through the pave of its desperate action. All flee and fell through the dark. The frontline checks ahead and see a massive sinkhole. Trying not to use her magic as she looks back. The roots are following them whenever they use their magic. Their exit is almost closed up as they were ambushed by them multiple times now. Yet they continue, and the loot are still spreading around the place. Until one floor below them, they found a rooted dried dead body, mummified with roots.
The roots covered it to be the primary root, words from the employer said about the heart of the root. The plan gets better where they see it in front of them. However, it didn’t react nor defend itself once they reach it on contact. The gunner takes a picture first and tries to reveal the mana around him. The roots rapidly growing where it reaches his feet. He steps aside but it didn’t react.
“This is not the heart of the root. We should move on”
“You can’t be serious, look at it. Someone got caught from the roots and . . . disgusted* are the roots still seeping a dead body”
One of them tries to shine light with their rune flashlight on the dead body. Roots lingers on the body treating like it was part a living organism and seeping inside the dead body. The frontline warrior held her mouth as she didn’t feel so good.
“Ble . . . I think we should go, before I really going to puke”
When they about to leave, the mage and support detect something valuable from the dead body.
“Wait! Is something on its wrist . . . a bracelet. A valuable magic item”
Out curiosity both of them tried to approach it and identify it carefully. The gunner stops them
“Don’t . . . what?”
A notification pops up around them as they read as a warning
“WARNING! Eldritch source coming near this area, evacuate immediately. Challenge bonus: If kill the unidentifiable monster, gain knowledge of the Eldritch”
A message attached on the notification as it is quote from the dead body. The support reads it out loud
“The message says; kill me and you will have what I have on me. Please kill me”
After identifying the dead body, this man is still alive and he is weak and fragile. Their eyes got hook on that bracelet, it has powerful magic on his hand.
The warrior is getting spook “I think we better not get it. I’ve been trusting this notification for sometimes now. We’ve got away from danger quite regularly”
“But the bracelet . . .”
The gunner intervenes “S . . . She’s right, I can’t identify the dead body clearly. I suspect this monster over leveled us”
“Pfft, this guy. He looks weak and dead by the looks of it. Covered by roots and still has mana left inside of him”
“I know you will always acting worried about things but this is going to be another chance for us to get good rewards”
“Was it enough? We took the adventurers’ loot, get all the materials in this area, and we map out this new area with more roots stretching upward nonstop”
The gunner is always been this worried, but gets overreacting since the beginning. The dusts issue really brought to be more of a coward and before that. The warrior looks scared as she is not into this horror stuff. The two however, the mage and the support, have gain a lot of rewards during their first week. All of them are their first week, it is finally their take what they have after their NEET during the summer. It gets worrisome at the time when they needed money now as their savings drained out of the proportions. Friends since Highschool, they seem not mature of their new life.
The gunner continues “Look at what you are saying, on his wrist, it is already covered with roots. You can’t . . . hey what did you . . .?”
The mage brings out a container filled with dusts. She sprinkles it steadily on the roots as it starts to wither. Carefully, gently, and precisely on the bracelet. She easily pulled it out.
“See? That’s the way you get treasure”
The support screams as she brought the hand attached to it. “Aah! Get that hand away from me”
“Oh sorry, let’s throw it away and it’s done” She quickly wears it and the notification shows the detail of the bracelet.
“Received item:
* Mana Regen Bracelet (++), a passive gain only filling for 30% of the user’s maximum mana.
Enchantment:
* Low tier magic has no mana cost (uses elven magic as source)
* Self Exorcise, prevents demonic influence/corruption
Legendary item”
The mage smiles at the bracelet as they have something valuable. “We just have a legendary item . . . And look, nothing happened”
The dead body remained still as nothing happened. She reads that her low tier magic is now elven mana, she brings the support and the others out of this place as she hurriedly tried to use it. The roots lost its source of nutrients and the dusty remains stick on the wrist. A faint of glow coming from the dead body’s eyes. The hand separated from the main body begins to move, gesturing around at the body. The head moves around as its mouths moved entangled by roots but quickly breaks as it withers fast in the dusty touch.
Echoes coming from the holes where the mage excitingly use her new magic item on hand. Basic fire magic start blazing, identical power as the elves. The wavy light as it touches burst in flames. The roots can’t feed it as the mana has full control, monsters tried to resist the flames as they run. However, the dusts managed to mitigate it but the second wave flows through like air begin burning. The drops of solid dusts from elven magic are now on the floor. The adventurers witness a treasure they got lucky with.
“So, this is elven magic, op as fuck. Man, if you guys tried to stop me from getting it, we have to get ourselves problem with those roots”
Both of the girls are relief except for the gunner, his eyes still looking at the warning notification. The mage pats his back how much of scaredy cat he is.
“You still act like that well . . .”
“Hey! Something is coming over there”
The mage quickly uses her elven magic to that direction. Elven wind flows through the unknown monster in the dark. Light’s burning as they saw it. It moved slowly where the ticking fire start to combust. Explode from the fire within it as its body scattered around.
“Whoa, that’s monster is new”
The gunner doubts it “No, it’s the same dead body we found on the roots”
“Don’t be silly, there should be dead guys around here if you look deeper. Then again let’s get back”
The dead around this place starts to spread its corrupted air. Through the caves of its deepest depths, the dead body collects itself up and stand once again but this time the mana it craved starts to build up as its body begins to recover. Each passing mana consumed from the roots except the elven magic. The dead continues to follow them upward. Time goes on and repeated the same failed attempts, trying to get the roots instead as their nutrients, for now. Time and time again the noise continue to echo long enough as many wary listeners thought of those troublemakers.
Another chance where the dead body meet with them again, this time it’s body change and the mage remained confident. Now collected so much on their inventory, and only backline carried all of it. The gunner is stacked all his inventory with his ammunition and other weaponries, while the warrior kept her passive up without to carrying more items in her inventory. It is their win-win of the day.
“It’s that undead again. How is that thing keep coming back?”
“I told you . . .”
“Shut up! I have the item. We still have the failsafe”
They look at the undead as it has roots sticking out from its body. It leaps forward without them noticing its new transformation.
The support quickly raised the barrier. The dead reached out with is roots tendrils and sap off the mana it had. It breaks through as the mage quickly releases again with elven magic. Its tendrils grab the ceiling and starts crawling and dodging the elven wind. Surprised of its new abilities, the dead got shot on the spine as its head falls off. The roots catch it and continue the attack. The warrior steps in attack the monster. The roots reattached the head and spray from its mouth with dusts. The warrior gets exposed by the sudden amount and forced to activate her failsafe. She disappears as it is confused to see her gone.
The others back away and see what it did to her. Without even saying a word, the monster still savagely chases them. The dead screams for the first time, the demonic voice roared for the first time. Quickly activate the gunner’s panic paused as it detects demonic magic on use. All of them stop on this moment where support links their minds together. Figuring out what to do next, but one of them actually is panicking
“AAH! SHIT!”
Multiple time without stopping, both of the girls were in shock and check what is happening.
“No, No! The failsafe is corrupted from the demonic shout. How is it possible?!”
“Our frontline escaped before the shout. She will send help”
“But what about us!”
The time is ticking where the three has to choose. The gunner looks at them being scared won’t be able to help him fight off or even distract it. He has no other choice
“I don’t know what happened, but please, leave without me”
“No! I can’t! how can a punk like you to”
“SHUT UP! No one ever beat a demon before, even this monster is a low life demon. Tears dropping* I don’t think I’m good enough”
“Quit yapping like that, we made mistake and the failsafe got fucked from one demon. We could stall and . . .”
The paused is over and they resume where the monster engaged.
The gunner shots the monster with vital parts of its bone. The support tries desperately to reposition and fight on but the roots are growing around them, limiting their space to fight effectively. The mage tries her elven magic once again but it able to keep dodging her spells . . . an AOE spell. She pulls out again with her dusts. The roots quickly grab it and break it, destroying itself in the process. The gunner moves around where the roots chase him from his used mana. Carefully aiming at the monster that persists to on the backline. With one last ditch effort, he throws his mana grenade and throw at it in mid-air. It explodes and the roots chased it and covered it.
With one last seen until the roots block their way. The gunner still wept his eyes saluting them as a goodbye with the last time they see him. The monster is stuck between the roots as the two watch it tangled by it, with the rest of the roots chasing after them. They are forced to leave him and run back up to the surface. Once they got back up close to the sinkhole. Previous dead feral goblins left behind begin rising up, starving and maliciously teeth to gnaw them. That’s when they scream, where the man barely made it. At the same time Voldemyr reach the incident, too late and saw a dying adventurer on sight. He brings out a special idol on his hand blesses the dead body, continue on as others need help.
Now at the present, he sees the mage wielding an artifact on her wrist. Not knowing that the dead man was kept there for a reason. The demon curse, still trapped on that poor soul with its immortal body. Keep spreading its dying voice to all magic users around it. But where they are now is too far away from the dungeons they always go to and too deep to where the fugitive demons hide. He kneels down and talks to the two girls.
“How far did you go and found the corpse?”
“I don’t know, we were focusing carrying loot. Sir Voldemyr, did you see someone down there?”
He quietly nods “But I’m no angel casts down heal. Yet, my promise to him is fulfilled”
Both of them covered their faces on the man’s shoulders out of grief, quietly crying not knowing what happened. Voldemyr grabs the mage hand with the bracelet
“However, I may know an elven spell to keep yourself safe going up to the surface”
“Sob* really?”
“Yeah, but I want to know more about it. I read the enchantment and I see familiar elven language. But I need to know how it can do”
The mage explains briefly as it is simply described. He nods as he drops the things he is carrying.
“Good low tier magic means you can have someone with you leave together but only one” The mage looks at her partner, the support. The two had enough of raiding for today and the man who saved them is being left out.
“I’m sorry”
“Don’t be, I’m glad you guys are safe. Say, Voldemyr care to help me on something”
“Right now, I need to rest, I rush to blindly when the roots start growing too fast when the fight erupted down there. Let’s hope that monster is here”
“That’s a little bit . . .”
“It’s better be here instead it found another adventurer”
They gulped down their throats. Voldemyr throws some water at them as he thought they were thirsty.
The drink it down all the same. They took their time resting where the cloth hanged on the wall. This area is safe and the man still lies closer to the edge. Monsters that he can’t identify with, dead bodies with roots sticking out from its bodies.
“Why most demons always made things look horrifying?”
Voldemyr walks to his side “There are different types of demons. What are the common demons appearing from your world?”
“Like this . . . Wait the minute, is that demon possessing one of our own people?”
“No, it’s a different person long ago. It hid here and many people won’t bother to take away the item it had on”
The mage and the support hear them about the item, the bracelet she was wearing. The description, self-exorcism, meaning that dead body is trying to contain itself. Now she has it and the demon is free. Guilts grew in her mind as her friend tries to calm her down. Voldemyr made a loud noise with the clang of his crossbow. The noise shook them, and he said to them “Don’t start repenting now, your friend here still needs your help. Now the magic you are going to use . . .”
During their time underground, it is getting more terrifying as the monster is siphoning the gunner’s mana.