The tunnel itself looked much better processed compared to the other tunnels. In fact, it lacked the classic look of one of the other tunnels, rather it actually looked as if it had been created or shaped, perhaps by the creatures that were subject to the stranger.
The ambience offered a complete contrast to the cavern and your interior. Surprisingly, he hadn't even noticed this tunnel when he first entered the cave system. How could he have missed that? This tunnel also had a certain sterility, as one would probably expect from a research laboratory. The walls were lined with light sources, so he didn't even need his mana eyes for it.
This place, one way or another, sent a whole new shiver down his spine. No, not himself, but something in him that seemed to have a clear connection to the void. Perhaps that something wasn't even very alien to him. Freud would certainly have enjoyed his condition.
Besides, he was still thinking about why the stranger left without taking anything with him. At least he didn't give the impression of having taken anything. The walls that he passed with a Leica all had some decorations. At first he believed it could be art, but soon rejected this assumption.
The man seemed to have that "mad scientist" vibe. Somebody like that had no interest in mere art. So maybe these could be enchantments? Runes? Should he pause them later? You would certainly have a rich research potential for him. After a few more meters, they seemed to find each other at an intersection. There were massive arrows on the walls with descriptions. Where should you go first? Scratching the back of his head didn't bring the expected catharsis of a possible decision, either. So all he could do was shrug his shoulders and go down the left aisle first. He didn't have to follow it very long before he could hear the first noises.
Soon there were massive pits on his right and left in which completely disfigured creatures lived. His identification was going completely crazy at this point. In some of the pits there were monsters with the markings of corruption, while in others there were only strange intersections or even presumably the original beings who inhabited this dungeon. In one of the larger pits, it was actually a mixed group of creatures. When something changed in a creature's image of his identification, he almost stumbled backwards. It changed from not corrupted to corrupted. Whatever spoiled these beings was contagious. However, the displays did not seem to change at the original ones, only at the intersections.
Fighting seemed to have broken out in some of the pits. Some pits were clearly individual pits. In some there were abominations that even Lovecraft could not describe. Some were missing limbs, others were just a writhing mass of flesh. Whatever this stranger was researching down here was beyond simple magic or genetics. Something in him felt deeply repelled by it and confronted with a primordial fear and anger. Somewhat happy about not being alone with it, he could perceive his companion, who was also raising her fur.
Subconsciously he already began to shape his Greek fires in his hand, but these seemed to be much more massive. He distributed them over the pits as best he could. The system had not rewarded him with a skill in this regard, either in or after the battle. However, this spell had not yet been used by him in a quantity that would have been standardized so that the system could have formed something out of it. Not only was he more generous this time, but he only allowed her to be found above each location he had specified. Sadly, he averted his eyes to continue on the path. After a few steps he snapped his fingers, releasing all spells at once and bathing those sick pits in a purifying fire. From the tunnel behind him a pitiful roar overtook him, which only seemed to mix with the rest of the roar.
It would certainly take some effort to get these images out of his mind. Not that he felt sorry for the creatures or had a problem removing them, which was still part of his job after all. In the meantime, his purge quest hit 95% and he realized that the last 5% was probably all that would give them some problems. For now, however, they would continue to explore these premises. The corridor finally seemed to end in a hall that hardly resembled a modern laboratory. Even if the floor consisted of tiled rock, there were tanks with a glass front in the corners, which were embedded in the tank made of pure rock. In the tanks, some of the crosses appeared to be in a dark yellow liquid, which made him instantly compare with suppuration. Just more aberrations and abundance are also alive in there. They seemed to be breathing, moving now and then, or even swimming in the liquid itself.
All over the room there were elevations that were very reminiscent of operating tables. Some were clearly dead monsters, some of them half-dissected and others completely disfigured. Some instruments next to the tables looked downright barbaric, while others, in contrast, looked deeply filigree. There was no doubt in his mind that if the stranger hadn't prioritized his escape from this place, then he'd probably find himself on one of those tables with him hunched over while he gave some monologue on his physiology. Some of the tools also looked extremely valuable, which seemed to confirm their identification. Many cited Mithril in their name. In addition, some of them had similar ornate decorations as the walls before, which clearly indicated enchantments or runes.
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Nevertheless, that he would clean this room as well as the pits before, he would still take some of the tools with him. For this purpose, he filled the combat backpack that the system supplied with his equipment. The latter confirmed to him beforehand that the equipment had actually been copied from his memories. The capacity of 60 liters was ideal for collecting all the tools in this room. In this place he did not want to seriously concern himself with these things. As much as he was ashamed of ways of thinking that sought to equate research and filth, he could not help but feel mentally poisoned, attacked and perverted by what he perceived there. Everything in this place was clearly draining his sanity.
The moment he left the labs behind him, he snapped his finger again and the fire began to dissolve the premises. The glass tanks burst under the tremendous heat, causing the flames to devour their contents. On his way back they passed the pits that had been burned black from his previous magic. Inside there were only bubbling masses of blood that slowly evaporated under the fire, which was still partly angry. More than just that something in him wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible. Back at the intersection, he used his earth-shaping to close this former passage and then go straight on. Locking the hallway wasn't necessary, but it did allow him to see where he was already, and it also made him feel better knowing that this place would be closed forever.
Once in the new tunnel, a growl from Leica quickly increased his alertness, as did the finding of blood on the walls. Intestines, innards and other things were distributed on some. There was clearly a fight going on here. But why didn't Leica growl the first time they passed this corridor. It wasn't long in coming, because from the depths of the tunnel itself, an angry snort had been heard. Shortly afterwards, one of the smaller creatures came flying out of the tunnel, twisting its neck in unnatural directions and curling it into a ball. This also clarified where the bodyguards had disappeared to. These massive, two-legged crocodiles with little intelligence seemed to be still chopping their way through the other beasts to the horror.
At this point he should probably have sealed the tunnel as well and left everyone in it to their own devices, but the potential gain still lured him deeper into it. Though he should have known better, even though he already knew better, he wanted to have those rewards. It has increased another 2% since he was busy with the labs. He believed the slaughter was over, but it was well known that to err was human.
Slowly he began to venture into the tunnel with the Leica, igniting two lumens in front of him that, with a push of his hand, drove deeper into the tunnel. Very soon, rooms that were reminiscent of halls opened up. There seemed to be a few tables in the first hall, with something like feed troughs on the walls. Something like the canteen for these experiments should have been here. It was all deeply rudimentary, but still amazing, as he suspected nothing in this dungeon seemed to be as it should be, but the smallest of their kind shouldn't have been fed here. Much more should something greater of these abominations have taken their meals here. These former bodyguards were probably still the most dangerous in this whole place. The room itself was hardly any different. Offal and other things were strewn everywhere. Here, shortly after this magician who was in control of the creatures was burned, a real slaughter must have taken place. Grateful for the mask, which covered his mouth as well as his nose and thus seemed to protect him from the worst smell, he made his way across the room. In the meantime, stepping an arm aside, he could already make out primitive bedrooms in the next corridor that didn't look much better. The snort seemed to come from this area. A little further down the corridor he could see how two of the bodyguards tore apart a somewhat larger creature in the middle in sadistic perversion. He almost choked at the sight. Even their presence did not seem to bother them while they were playing with the other creatures. Should it seem to him that they just didn't see him as a threat? What was left for him, because basically there were only three ways to react, fight, flight or freeze, if he had escaped, then they would probably have followed him directly. In addition, you are always on the defensive when you are on the run. If he wanted to keep the initiative, he had to attack while they were busy with their perverted game, but with what? These creatures seemed to have been the very tip of this tainted research. At least he could in these fights “all in” go, because there should be nothing of value to him in this area.
Flames began to gather in his hand. At first it seemed to form a classic fireball, but soon the flames became brighter and brighter, whereupon they changed to a blue until they were finally no longer visible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, he kept adding oxygen. Leica began to harden her fur, because the heat that radiated from the fire in his hand was already enough to scorch it. With this magic he was even forced to protect himself, which is why he began to spin a mana barrier around the ball. The moment he felt ready, he released his spell, which hit one of the creatures straight down the hallway. It didn't take the Ultra Hot Flames even minutes to burn their way through everything, at which point they emerged on the other side of the creature. There was a deep, pronounced hole in the center of the chest where the thing looked down in confusion, as if its mind couldn't really grasp its injury. It might only stare for a few seconds, but it was already enough for the other creature to start moving and moving towards him while its fellow-creature simply fell upside down after a few seconds. Ironically, the fireball didn't work as it should. He also burned a fair amount of his mana while creating it. The ball itself just seemed to disappear deeper into the corridor, whereupon everything combustible was ignited, which turned out to be in the growths in the sleeping chambers, which probably served as a sleeping place.
Probably fleeing would have been a better option for his approach, even a little dazed by what was happening, as well as surprised, his action was delayed beyond measure. Only a roar from Leica's throat got his mind back on track, whereupon he saw her standing in a protective position in front of him to lower some of her tail projectiles into this beast. Undeterred by the iron skin wolf's sporadic attacks and the iron spikes sticking out of his chest, he finally seemed to give them the attention they deserved.