Chapter 75 - Venturing The Hidden Tunnel Beneath the Chaos

SUTA POV

Time drifted gently on, and one of the most challenging things for Suta to acclimate to was the absence of night and day since the red skies had appeared. There was no discernible difference between dawn and dusk here. He went to sleep and awoke to the same crimson-stained heavens plaguing his days.

Meanwhile, the ugly blue-shelled carp continued cycling through the stages of grief, and Suta repeatedly had to put him down again and again. By the sixth time, however, the hardheaded monster finally waved the white flag.

A constant buzz filled the warm air, and a chorus of countless flying insects were forever present and moving around the rolling hills. These tiny bugs weren't as bad as the ones carrying human faces. Suta had grown accustomed to their noise over time, hardly noticing the incessant buzzing noises anymore.

Both he and Verdi enjoyed the stroll through the crowded jungle today. For once, they didn't need to worry about stumbling upon dangerous creatures unannounced. Being led by the carp meant that not only were weaker predators warded away, but the monster also possessed a heightened sense of smell, able to pinpoint threats dwelling miles ahead expertly.

"We should've executed this plan earlier," Suta mused aloud, admiring the colourful flowers blooming amidst the foliage around them. By now, he was immune to their noisy chants for this unknown Abbra fellow. Who he assumed was him, although he had no idea why they called him that. He half believed it meant human. That could only be the logical reasoning.

With hands folded casually behind his head, he relished today's stroll, feeling a rare sense of fulfilment approaching. Verdi fluttered beside him and sat against his shoulder, using one of his pink dreadlocks for balance as usual. Its innocent emerald eyes closely watched its surroundings, mainly the ugly blue carp.

Despite his relaxed attitude, Suta didn't miss the sly glances from their begrudging guide. He could only imagine the schemes being plotted against them right now. Surprisingly, he found the thought more intriguing than distressing, a part of him almost welcoming the challenge. Fights and battles he could win felt almost like a game these days. And a chance to learn some skills in the process.

That realization troubled him.

'I need to find my way off this island,' Suta replied to his thoughts with a depressing sigh. There was no telling how much of a barbarian he was becoming.

They eventually reached the top of a steep hill in the jungle's heart. Deep below ran a sickly-colored swamp infested with strange, cyan-skinned creatures. Observing these ghoulish figures from their vantage point, Suta noted their bone-riddled, deformed limbs and the cascade of wiry pale hair obscuring their faceless heads. This wasn't his first encounter with these things; the same fear gripped him every time he saw them.

'I can't put my finger on it, but I sense death around them. Why is that?'

Standing beside the carp, Suta sensed the uneasiness clouding around it too. "Are they that dangerous?" he eventually asked.

The monster shivered slightly before nodding. But he swiftly changed the subject.

"There's a way down over there. L-let's get away from those things," it grimaced. Suta gave Verdi a knowing look before following their guide.

As they approached the jungle's northern side, the dense foliage noticeably shifted to a more tropical ambience. The trees grew slender, their leaves thicker and fuller, while thin blue streams snaked through the forest bed. The creatures they encountered became more troublesome, from giant mosquitoes with deformed human faces to green-shelled beetles with whip-like tails and four-armed monkeys with multiple eyes. Suta tasted blood more than once during these skirmishes, and thankfully, Verdi was on hand to heal his wounds.

After a few hours of constantly walking, stopping, and fighting, they appeared at the foot of a gaping hole carved against the side of a slanted, stony hill covered in moss and thick green vines. Just when Suta felt they had reached their promised land, Verdi alerted him to the arrival of giant hornets emerging out from the crowded bushes. These things were as big as he was and terrible to look at. Four of them hovered around their path before they universally caught their presence and slowly moved towards them.

"Tsk! Damn it, let's get this over with then." He readied his dagger and dashed forward to confront the creatures.

***

Suta dodged to the side, narrowly missing the giant hornet's stinger.

He moved quickly and sliced forward while creating distance between them. Dark purple blood slid down his dagger.

The creature's terrible, sharp cry rang through his ears like a disheartening squeal. Fury birthed in its glazed black stare, and just before he could catch his breath, it charged straight towards him. He retreated away, but looming against his shadow was a second giant hornet positioning itself behind him, waiting for his arrival.

Clicking his heels, Suta dashed to one side, anticipating their intent to sandwich him. He spun his body and tossed his dagger at the hornet, which was tearing through the air to catch him: a red line streaked forth, and the dagger found its mark between the creature's glass-like eyes. A pitiful, sharp scream pierced the air.

Suta lost his footing and skidded across the ground, sliding against his back. He eventually came to a standstill. But he saw a shadow rising upward in haste. The second hornet swooped down and pounced upon him.

'Shit!' His nerves screamed at him to react. Slamming a palm off the ground, Suta dove to the side as the hornet's stinger crashed down, puncturing the hard earth like butter. A sharp pain shot through his right arm - that bizarre movement had dislocated his shoulder. Adrenaline rushed through his body, masking the actual weight of the pain for now.

Suta reacted fast.

{ Intimidation }

A wave of darkness spread from his body, catching the enraged hornet. Though stunned momentarily, the creature shook itself free of the mental coercion and resumed its chase. Suta waited until the last moment to sidestep, but the agile hornet pressed forward, unable to spin around quickly enough. It charged into his body, sending him rolling harshly against the ground. His head knocked against the earth, dazing him as the hornet's loud buzzing infiltrated the ringing in his ears.

Sensing imminent danger, Suta caressed his dagger and blindly stabbed forward, feeling the soft penetration of flesh before a heavyweight bombarded him. Fearing the worst, he continued stabbing the creature piled on top of him in a crazed frenzy, refusing to relent lest the stinger pierce through him.

After a while, Suta realized the hornet had long ceased moving. His arms spread apart, and his chest heaved rapidly as he lay pinned beneath the giant insect, staring into the hellish crimson skies above.

A strange calmness washed through his bones. It felt like the peacefulness after a storm, and he almost felt the need to lower his eyelids. Exhaustion took hold, and the rare sensation of sleep finally fell upon him after countless days on edge.

As soothing darkness enveloped his view, a soft, concerned voice graced his ears.

"Uh... Mister, are you okay?"

Suta's eyes snapped open to find Verdi hovering before his face, the bright-eyed fairy blinking curiously at him. The scent of chestnuts filled his nostrils as the pressured weight was thankfully lifted away.

The ugly blue-shelled carp monster hurled the giant hornet's carcass aside as easily as tossing aside a child.

Standing over Suta, its twisted mouth contorted into a mocking smile. "You look terrible, Man-cub. Ho-oh-ho! But rejoice - we've arrived. Take a look."

Struggling to lift his torso from the ground, Suta's burdensome woes fleetingly disappeared. Verdi fluttered towards the partially sealed entrance, and with its dainty hands outstretched over the webbed vines, a soft hum began to circulate. By now, Suta understood the fairies could cast a strange, wordless magic native to their kind, a natural connection between them and the world around them. Though not yet versed enough in the art to comprehend it fully, he watched in fascination as the vines parted, revealing the path ahead.

As the webbed vines fell away, a small gust of smoke escaped from the cave's mouth. Suta approached the entrance, feeling a frigid cold draw him into the darkness. The ugly blue-shelled carp appeared beside him soon enough, and they both stood there in marvel, at the gaping dark hole beckoning.

"Say, how long has it been since these tunnels were used?" Suta asked it curiously.

"Hm, can't say for sure. I haven't used them before, I only heard rumours about them."

"Rumors? Do tell."

The carp studied the boy in silence for a moment before responding thoughtfully,

"This tunnel was supposedly made at least 100 years ago, during the same time the Queen of Chaos ruled these lands in her tyrannical supremacy."

"The Queen of Chaos... Lysann and the Northern Queen?" Suta muttered to himself. That story was still fresh in his mind. In truth, it was all he thought about at times, trying to piece together anything from that story that might aid his escape.

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"Hm? Whose that? L-lee-sen? What sort of name is that, Man-cub?"

Suta exhaled deeply.

"Doesn't matter. More importantly, you're sure this will take us beneath the sea and towards the second island?"

"If the rumours are true, then yes." The ugly carp responded as a matter of factually.

Pondering silently, Suta questioned his readiness to confront whatever awaited them within the tunnels. He felt nervous, unafraid to admit it, especially considering the creatures he'd encountered in the jungle were all uniquely troublesome. There was no telling how strong the beings concealed inside might be in comparison.

'For Demoria... for my family. I have no choice.'

"Verdi, I'll need your light. Are you... okay with that?" His slightly broken voice revealed the anxiety he tried to conceal. Suta knew Verdi was already over-exerting itself, but there were no other options.

Verdi lowered its large eyes for a brief moment before clenching its tiny fists and puffing out its little chest. "I'm ready for anything, Mister! Let's do this!"

Drawing a deep breath, Suta steeled his resolve and stepped into the tunnel's gaping maw.

With Verdi's soft glow illuminating the path ahead. The air grew colder as they descended, the darkness pressing around them like a physical presence.

As Suta and his companions ventured deeper into the cave, Verdi's soft golden light fractured through the cold shadows, barely illuminating their path ahead. Still, it was much better than complete darkness. Everyone's nerves were on edge, with Verdi sensing disturbances despite the fog and the blue-shelled carp, remaining uncharacteristically quiet. The air grew colder with each step, making Suta question his decision to press forward into this situation.

"H-hey, do you see anything?" he anxiously asked the talking blue-shelled carp.

"I... I'm not sure. But it's... dark."

"Tsk! I think that's stating the obvious," Suta retorted.

"No... You don't understand me, man-cub. Darkness! In its truest form, I can feel it waiting in the bosom of this place. Crap! What kind of madness have you signed me up for?"

Suta couldn't argue with those feelings, as he was beginning to second-guess their choice.

They continued to walk in relative silence. Suta's eyes slowly adapted to the thick shroud of darkness. Reaching out to the side, he felt the cave's earthy walls beneath his touch, smoother than the uneven ground. Occasionally, his fingers traced unknown symbols indented into the rock, capturing his attention.

'Wait... What if I...'

Closing his eyes, Suta channelled the faint wisps of mana through his body and into the back of his eyes, using the 'bright eyes' technique Granny had taught him for reading incantations. To his delight, the dark symbols began to glow with a cyan tint, covering nearly the entire inner walls of the cave.

'Are these incantations?' he wondered in awe, realizing they must be if he could discern them using the Arcanist method. Seeing his strange behaviour, Verdi fluttered directly in front of Suta's wide gaze.

"M-mister... your eyes, the-the-they've changed colour," the fairy said, worried, pointing towards his wide-open eyes.

'Oh, have they?' Suta hadn't considered the physical effects of bright eyes until now.

"Wh-what colour are they now?" he asked the wide-eyed fairy.

"Er-erm... they are violet, mister. L-like..."

"Just like the Deceptors," The blue-shelled carp interjected.

'Deceptors.' The name sounded familiar, and after a thoughtful ponder, he conjured the image of the annoying, jovial lion dressed in a onesie.

"I heard something about these so-called Deceptors. They were supposedly the enemy of the Candy? Is that true?" Suta asked,

"Pfft, an enemy of Candy? Buahaha! Oh, man-cub, those fellows are Candy! They were the first kind of folk who resided here, just before the first man-cubs' arrival - the one who made the spell that turned all those freaks roaming the lands into tolerable things. Ergh, if only that peace would last forever. Then I could hunt and eat to my fill."

Ignoring the monster's last comment, Suta's brows lifted as he realized something. "Wait a second, how long have you been living here?"

"Who, me? Well, let's see... Almost 100 or so years, give or take. What's with all the questions, anyhow? I should question why a man-cub has the same eyes as those folk."

'One hundred years... no way. Which means Lysann, Anak, and the Northern Witch - what happened before the blue castle was built? Surely, he must know about it all.'

"Can I ask you a question?"

"No, you cannot," it responded abruptly.

Suta's brow furrowed in the darkness. "And why can't I?"

"Because you haven't even asked my name! Is this how all your kind treat others?"

Suta paused, realizing the creature was right. He had forced it into following him without even asking his name, though given their history, he didn't feel entirely guilty.

"Considering you've tried many times to kill me, I guess we should start on a clean slate. Ahem! My name is Suta."

"S-u-t-a? Strange name for a man-cub."

"Tsk! I thought you'd never met one of my kind before?"

"Buahaha! That is true, but still... weird name."

"Whatever you say. And what's your name, then?"

"Gio..."

"Gio? Seriously?"

"Yes! Seriously! What kind of response is that, you rude man-cub?"

"Ahaha! I meant no harm by it, it was just a strange name, that's all. Not one I might've expected."

"Humph! And what is it you expected?"

"...Ugly Blue-Shelled Carp Face." Suta announced proudly

"..."

Gio fell silent, having nothing more to say as he continued walking

After a little while, they started a conversation regarding Gio's understanding of the first man-cub, who Suta quickly deduced must have been Lysann.

Unfortunately, what Gio knew was even less than what Anak had explained. However, he did have a little insight into the so-called Deceptors now, though judging by their description, Suta wasn't sure if Gio's intel could be trusted.

"Grey skin, pale hair with bat-like wings, and horns on their heads? What kind of creatures are those?" These details kept Suta pondering what the Deceptors might have looked like. He also noticed that the cyan symbols on the walls were rather ominous. Despite seeing them quite clearly now, he couldn't make sense of the symbols themselves.

'Granny said I could read all five languages of power, so what's the difference with these symbols? Unless... could these symbols be an ancient language I haven't-'

A tremor quaked beneath his feet, interrupting his thoughts. Suta could feel the entire cave shaking as pieces of stone fell from the ceiling. His feet naturally hastened forward, and he stumbled, taking a few extra steps before his feet landed on something out of place on the ground. Suta paused, noticing that the ground had sunk a little. It took him a few moments for reality to snap into gear as the cogs started to turn rapidly in his mind.

'Oh no!'

On cue, he heard the sounds of iron arrows whipping through the air.

Suta's instincts screamed at him to react.

"GET DOWN!" He grabbed Verdi and dove straight towards the ground, narrowly avoiding the sharp projectiles hissing through the air beside his ears. A dozen or so arrows tore over his body. His heart was racing so fast that he could barely comprehend how he managed to avoid them.

"Damn it!" Gio growled. Suta lifted his head, seeing Gio standing prone with arrows lodged in his giant pincer. Swiftly rising to his feet and releasing Verdi, Suta inspected their dark surroundings. As he scanned the area, his gaze stopped at a particular spot on the wall where he noticed a gaping hole, which he suspected led down another tunnel within the cave.

But the tunnel's presence was the least of his worries, for what he could vividly hear from within that hole made his skin crawl.

Verdi quickly fluttered a little higher and slapped its two hands together. The natural light surrounding its body started to glow brighter, and the luminous golden pale light spread wider, revealing a considerable amount of the cave.

Suta had no time to admire the strange interior of the cyan-stoned cave as the approaching sounds of what felt like a herd of tiny insects disturbed the frigid, silent air.

Agonizing moments passed before the insects finally showed themselves along the tunnel.

'S-spiders?' He couldn't believe how many there were. Red-legged, furry-backed creatures numbering in the hundreds, if not more. Sensing the severity of the situation, Suta could only do one logical thing.

"Run!"

And that's exactly what they all decided to do.