With the light emitting from the cracked torch and the crack of light from the barely open metal door, Matthias and Carissa were able to discern the nature of the stacks of crates in the room.
Carissa was thankful for the patches of darkness in the room, her face remained partially covered in shadow so Matthias remained unable to see her expression when she had held one of the packages from a stacked box.
It had been torn open and the contents mostly wasted but a small trickle of liquid fell out onto her arm as she held it closer to examine it carefully.
There were no markings or branding on the water-packs. Carissa had paid for them especially custom made and delivered by remote vehicle to Last Refuge as a means of protecting her final barriers of privacy. Even the purchases had been disguised through a series of shell companies, it could have been one of the reasons that Liam was able to track her down and send a team after her but Carissa swiftly disregarded the thought.
‘Carissa? Are these safe to drink? It appears as water, but the demon could have given us a false gift.’ questioned Matthias when he saw Clarissa's apparent hesitance.
The water packs were laced with enough vitamins and minerals to give enough sustenance combined with the protein packs to keep a human body or even a genetically and technologically altered one healthy and strong.
‘You can drink it Matthias. The taste might not be the same as what you’re used to but the water it perfectly safe and will give your health benefits.’ said Carissa as she took the torn open water pack and opening her spatial bag stuffed it inside.
Just in case I need to remind myself that I didn’t have an hallucination.
‘The demon...sorry...being told me that we were to be provided a gift. And one in particular for you as a reward for your efforts this far. He told me as a vision, I retain an impression of him inside my vision. I will try this water and trust you as my ally and group member Carissa. I believe this dungeon will offer both of us great dangers ahead. Trust is an essential factor for comrades.’ said Matthias.
Picking up an entire crate, Matthias settled himself into a corner as he carefully tore open the corner of one water pack and dipped a finger inside to test the effect on his gloved hand.
When Carissa glared at him, he shrugged his soldiers and poured the contents of the water pack into his mouth, letting it swill around before he swallowed deeply.
‘Delicious. Water but...with a touch of Mana. Infused Mana water, a precious bounty indeed. The demon knows the Lady. No longer will I call it demon but a powerful benefactor.’ said Matthias.
He gestured towards his own water-pack filled crate and gestured to the stack on the opposite side of the room. The light from the torch left on the floor was enough to make out the stacks and their contents but not close enough to see them in detail.
‘I believe we will have been provided with both a source of water and food from our benefactor. Let me drink another, then I will fill my own storage bag with enough to last us for the duration of this dungeon. I would suggest you do the same. Unless the flavour is not to your taste Carissa?’ said Matthias.
Shaking her head Carissa considered explaining how the water packs and the crates were from her home reality and in fact she had drunk from one a short time before she had found herself in this world. It was far easier to agree with the young man and exit this room to find their combat opponents. Time wasn’t on their side even if it seemed so. She decided to keep it simple.
‘These water packs are from my home world, that’s why I was staring at one and why I know about them. Why don’t you just empty the entire crate worth inside your spatial bag and then go and check out the stacks on the other side? I have a good idea of what those are going to contain already if these are water. Although, you may not be the biggest fan of them. They’re likely to contain a mixture of animal blood and fish parts. Pure in proteins with a few other necessary boosts the body needs.’ said Carissa as she ripped off the plastic top of the crate in front of her and began to stuff as many water packs as she could fit in her hands into her open spatial bag.
The light coming out of the cracked torch flickered for a moment before it settled back into the same bright glow which illuminated the room enough for them to make out a degree of light within the room. The same force which kept it in darkness was only repelled by the light from the torch asides from the crack of light from the barely open doorway.
A noise came from the stack of crates on the opposite side of the room where Matthias had gone to check through the ones which would contain enhanced protein packs of her own personal blend and design.
Carissa hoped Mathias didn’t have a weak stomach but either way he’d have to learn to stomach blood and fish along with an assortment of minerals to satisfy her own needs. The fact that neither of them had needed to use the bathroom in all this time was likely down to another factor of the grey suits in her view.
When the cracked torch dimmed again and rocked ever so slightly to the side, Carissa finished putting the last of the water packs from the final empty crate into her spatial bag and put her attention to it.
The description of the torch came into her mind’s eye just as Matthias called out to her.
‘Carissa…. this food source...is this meant to be food? The taste is...raw. Provisions are meant to be solid, not this...liquid mess.’ said Matthias.
Without turning her gaze away from the torch in the centre of the room Carissa stopped herself from shaking her head. When a person had little choice except hunger, then raw forms of protein worked best.
Deep within her own abdomen heat rose up to the surface of her skin despite the covering of the grey suit. Forcing herself not to place a hand on her stomach again, Carissa pushed the sensation down. Pain inside her reminded her of the need for energy in her present condition.
She had planned to take enough of the protein substance to ease the use of her implants and gradually control the power generated when she was able to enter the oceans freely.
‘As long as you leave enough for me then it’s not an issue. As a Knight in training of Avalon, didn’t you ever experience hunger? True hunger? I don’t think we’re in a position to be fussy right now. Either pack it away in your spatial bag and eat a bag or two or you can leave the rest for me. We need to be out of this room. I don’t like the darkness and the silence.’ said Carissa as she refocused her attention on the description of the torch hanging in front of her eyes.
[Candidate Designate: Carissa.
Tool Received from Ocean Gateway System
- Damaged Water Powered Torch
-Warning: Overuse is causing permanent damage to this item.
-Warning: Advise to turn off torch before power source overloads.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
-Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.
-Torch recharges when submerged in water.]
‘Carissa?’ queried Mathias again. He held placed three of the crates on the side and had filled his own spatial bag.
‘What? I’m not here to hold your hand. Our only light source is going to either explode or break, bring over a few of those crates or leave enough for me to fill. I’m getting increasingly hungry and I don’t need it to become an issue between group members.’ said Carissa.
As her abdomen burned hotter, Carissa pushed back her thoughts of hunger deeper within the recesses of her conscious mind. She focused on reducing the power output of the torch as it continued to flicker. A sound which was both familiar to her and entirely unwanted echoed inside the metal room.
A buzzing noise which angered her but made enough sense.
‘There is a small machine here. It doesn’t open or do anything but it makes the same vibrations as a Clipper Bee from my homeland. They are dangerous insects with jaws large and strong enough to slice through the forearm of one without armour. The peasants often make requests for their extermination across the realm as they can destroy a large number of crops if they spread their numbers.’ said Matthias as he stuffed more of the protein meal bags into his own spatial bag.
Although the light of the torch continued to flicker, Carissa was able to make out the sight of Matthias stood over the crates, his posture bent over as he was observing a device out of view of Carissa.
The buzzing sound rang out again, Carissa was overly familiar with it. There were only meant to be two in existence, two items barely even considered prototypes which had cost a fortune and their own private encrypted satellite network.
‘Carissa? The machine. There are words but I can’t read them. And no, I’m not illiterate but the words...they’re strange. Different than any I’ve seen. More like markings and the screen glows. I know this is a device for communication but I don’t understand the type. Should I break it? Is this another threat to us from our...benefactor?’ said Matthias.
The torch flickered and the brightness that shone from it nearly illuminated the entire room before it began to emit deeper glows as cracks along the length of the torch began to extend.
Focusing her attention on the torch, Carissa willed the power held within the torch to reduce, cracks continued to form but the light emitting from within the device began to recede.
‘Pick it up, stuff the rest of the protein bags inside your spatial bag and we’re getting out of this room Matthias. Also, you’re from a world with knights and magic and yet you recognise a machine used for communication? I suppose being possessed by an Ocean God will do that for you. I’m trying my best to hold back the power supply inside the torch but I’ve overcharged it and it’s damaged.’ said Carissa as she kept her eyes on the torch while using the light emitting from it to move swiftly to the barely open metal door.
‘Carissa….’ said Matthias.
Despite the torch, the doorway was harder to make out then she had first thought. The crack of light from the outside corridor was enough for her to see the opening.
‘Matthias. I need you over here, the door only opens fully when we push it together. We need to get out of this room. I can’t control the torch and we need to begin our combat experience as a group.’ said Carissa.
With both of her hands on the metal door, despite planting both of her feet planted on the floor and pushing hard against the door to force it opens there was an unknown force opposing her actions.
‘Carissa….’ said Matthias again. His voice sounded lost in thought.
‘Matthias. You’ve said my name twice now, say it again and we’re going to be caught inside this room when the energy source powering the torch goes off. The thing is meant to be powered by submersion in water, so we either drown or it explodes. Get over here and open the door to the...dungeon with me. The quest, remember the promise given to you by Mike. Remember your Lady. You are meant to protect me and guide me in combat. So, MOVE IT!’ said Carissa.
A rush of wind brushed against the surface of her hair as Matthias appeared next to her. This close, Carissa could see how ashen white his face actually was. His chalk-like complexion mingled with his platinum hair but he distinctly lacked colour in his cheeks. She’d need to make sure he took his fill of food and drink before they carried on too far, otherwise, she’d be at risk of losing her only ally in this place.
‘Push on three. One. Two…’ said Carissa as she marshalled her own strength, an ache from deep within her abdomen grew and spread through her body as she pushed harder against the door with both hands. Next to her Matthias had put one hand on the door and had another deep within his own spatial bag attached to his belt.
Preparing his sword at the ready.
A hot-blooded knight in training.
Or a foolish young man.
The metal door began to groan and creak open and as the pair pushed harder it swung open to reveal the same corridor, they had barely begun to explore in what felt like an age ago.
A watery message intermingled with bronze cabling and sparks of electricity appeared in the air of both of them as the door opened and Carissa and Matthias collapsed to the pristine flood. With the doorway behind both of them, it swung shut of its own volition as a dull crump and a sound of rushing water came from behind them inside the room.
The sound was audible through the door before there was a noise like an industrial strength vacuum and the doorway behind them sealed off and left both of them in the empty corridor.
Matthias began to try and talk to Carissa before she held out a hand and signalled for him to focus on the message in front of both of their eyes. The words were visible in a different form than her mind’s eye. These were there to clearly be read as part of their combat quest.
Nodding his head Matthias held an object cradled in his arms before he opened his spatial bag and stored it away.
The contents of the message were different this time and more surprising than Carissa would have assumed.
[Player-Candidate Designates:
Group: Carissa Acqua and Matthias Fischer
You’ve entered one of the worst excesses of technology and madness this planet has to offer.
Commonly known as Defence Lab 56 to the general public, the Deep-Water Purification Facility hides both hidden secrets and scientific horrors.
Funded through a combination of private investors, siphoned public and military funding experiments on the nature of the human form were done here deep under the ocean, far from oversight and transparency.
Survive through trial of combat by using your skills, experience and knowledge from your own worlds.
Your immediate mission is to survive until the destruction of the facility either through the hands of the player candidates or the actions of base personnel.
Additional rewards are offered for recovery or collection of any data relating to the facility and current news.
Main Quest Objective: Survive. Escape is not a valid option. Kill or be killed.
Secondary Quest Objective: Enable self-destruction of facility or deploy fail-safe option.
Tertiary Objective: Assist Ocean God Believers in their own trials.
Quest Rewards: Removal of Player-Candidate Status and establishment of full Player Status.
Additional Rewards depend on performance on completion of level.
Individual Ocean Gods may grant bonus rewards for selected player-candidates only.
The Ocean Gods blessings be upon you all. Remember, the Drowned Gods reward the faithful and punish the heretics.]
As Carissa and Matthias finished digesting the contents of the message from the Ocean Gateway System the same familiar klaxon rang out again along the length of the sterile corridor.