Alec's heart raced as they were swallowed by the void, an unfathomable expanse of swirling darkness that felt ancient yet timeless, like a place untouched by the hands of time. It stretched on endlessly, devoid of any visible limits or familiar markers.
He clung to Mother's snout, a complex mix of fear and exhilaration coursing through him. The ever-shifting patterns of energy and light that enveloped them held his gaze, a breath-taking spectacle resembling galaxies being born and fading in the blink of an eye.
Delving deeper into the abyss, Alec's senses were inundated by the presence of countless entities, each bearing their own tales and histories. Whispers of forgotten stories brushed against his awareness but left him undisturbed, as though he were cocooned within a protective sphere, perhaps courtesy of his mother's presence. Here, they traversed a realm where the boundaries of time and space were fluid, and the distinctions between reality and dreams blurred into an ethereal tapestry of existence.
A kaleidoscope of emotions swirled through Alec's mind, from awe and wonder to a hint of trepidation. Yet, he placed his trust in Mother, relying on her guidance through this ever-shifting reality that defied conventional description. It felt like something more than just a world. It was a place beyond comprehension.
As swiftly as the sensation of the Void had enveloped them, it receded, leaving Alec to grapple with his new surroundings. He remained perched upon his mother's snout, but the dimly lit castle corridor had transformed into something entirely different. They now found themselves within a vast chamber.
This chamber resembled an intricate labyrinth, dominated by colossal stone pillars that soared toward a vaulted ceiling. These pillars bore intricate, luminescent symbols and patterns that seemed to pulse with a mysterious energy.
The chamber held an eerie and surreal beauty, with orbs of varying sizes suspended at irregular intervals, casting a fluctuating and pulsating light that bathed the surroundings in a strange energy. The chamber's walls were an intriguing blend of earthy stone and enigmatic crystalline formations, radiating a soft, enchanting luminescence that contributed to its alien allure.
At the very heart of the chamber, a colossal dimensional rift tore through the fabric of reality. It was a swirling maelstrom of colors, a mesmerizing vortex that defied all known laws of nature. This rift seemed to possess a life of its own, exhaling radiant tendrils of energy that danced and weaved, constantly evolving into new forms. The air quivered with an electrifying energy, and Alec could feel the very essence of existence vibrating in response to its presence.
Amidst this ethereal spectacle, Alec noticed the presence of another figure. Near the rift, a man clad in the familiar crimson robes hung upside down, a nightmarish sight of mutilation. His arms and legs were conspicuously absent, severed as if by the cruel hand of some malevolent entity. Chains of obsidian, as though emerging from a subterranean abyss, pierced various parts of his body. The menacing tendrils of obsidian bore through his eyes and torso, creating a macabre tableau of suffering and torment. The gruesome scene was as horrifying as it was perplexing. Despite the horror of his predicament, the man exuded an unmistakable aura of power, and as Mother arrived in the chamber, he stared directly at her. What drew Alec's attention, however, was the screen that appeared in front of him, akin to those he had encountered with the centipedes and Mother.
[Scarlet Hierophant Lv59]
It had never presented itself with humans before, not that Alec had encountered many of them. He wondered if the other cult members possessed similar screens but kept them hidden. But Alec decided to file this oddity away in the ever-growing cabinet of unanswered questions that his life had become since arriving in this world.
In the dimly lit chamber, two more humans came into view, their features a stark contrast to the looming dimensional rift and the Crimson Hierophant hanging grotesquely nearby. Alec couldn't ascertain their levels either.
The man, likely in his twenties, had a rugged charm about him. Chestnut-brown hair framed his face, tousled from what seemed like numerous battles. His well-defined muscles hinted at both strength and agility, while sun-kissed skin bore the scars of past encounters. He held an impressive sword, glowing with pure energy, though it vanished upon Mother's arrival.
Seated beside him, the woman was a vision of serene beauty. Raven-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, framing her face, and her sapphire eyes held a tired yet resolute glint as they looked up at Mother. Her form-fitting armor was adorned with intricate engravings, enhancing her graceful figure. In her delicate hands, she held a leather-bound book, its pages filled with inscrutable scribbles.
The absence of visible levels among these humans only deepened Alec's curiosity about their abilities and the means they employed to conceal them.
As Mother approached, both the man and the woman stood up and knelt before her in a display of reverence. A familiar, unseen force gently lifted Alec into the air, suspending him briefly before Mother's warm, comforting tongue licked his face. With gentle care, she lowered him into the waiting man's arms.
She rumbled deep. It resonated through the chamber, carrying with it an aura of solemnity. It was more than just a message; it was a haunting reminder of promises unkept, of pledges left in limbo, and of the foreboding consequences that awaited in the wake of an impending catastrophe.
Mother emitted a soft purr, her maternal love enveloping Alec. He basked in the warmth of her affection, his senses still reeling from the rapid sequence of events. From his initial bewildered state within the confounding castle, his nerve-wracking centipede chase, the persistently uncooperative system that seemed to have its own agenda, the surprise party orchestrated by the cult, and now this thrilling journey through a literal void – it was like the universe had decided to throw a chaotic carnival of the absurd. In response, Alec offered a simple meow, a small token of warmth through their unique bond.
This was the first time Alec beheld the full majesty of his mother's form. In the castle corridor, only her immense maw was visible, but now he gazed upon her colossal entity—a dragon of incomprehensible grandeur. Her body was a captivating blend of shadow and light, adorned with scales that shimmered like black opals, radiating a cosmic brilliance. Her wings stretched to their full span, an expansive canvas of iridescent, ethereal membranes that appeared to absorb and reflect the very essence of the surrounding nothingness.
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Her eyes, twin orbs of endless depth, held the wisdom of ages and a profound, maternal love that transcended time and space. Her serpentine body coiled and undulated gracefully, as if she were a living embodiment of the cosmos, moving in harmony with the rhythms of the universe.
Alec could feel the sheer power that emanated from her, a presence that left him humbled and speechless.
As Mother moved gracefully toward the rift, her form melded with the fabric of reality itself, disappearing as if she were a fleeting dream.
The man holding Alec visibly relaxed, his shoulders slumping as the weight of their ordeal began to lift. Alec, on the other hand, had a mental catalog of questions longer than a dragon's tail, yet when the moment of truth arrived, his mind drew a blank. But he wasn't perturbed; he could see the answers in his near future. With those enormous, curious emerald eyes, he gazed up at the man who held him and practically vowed to leave no stone unturned.
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In the moments following his mother's departure, Alec bombarded the duo with an avalanche of questions, his small meows serving as his chosen form of communication. He hadn't been entirely certain they'd understand him, but to his amazement, they did. It appeared that his mother had blessed them in some way, although their strained expressions hinted that this blessing might not come without its costs. Alec had initially been sceptical that anyone would take a tiny kitten like him seriously, but it seemed his mother had left a lasting impression that demanded respect. It wasn't long before they began weaving the tapestry of their tales.
Jace Wulfric, the man who held Alec, and Lorelei Haverford, the woman, introduced themselves as mercenaries hailing from the city of Dunhaven. Their story began with the inexplicable disappearances plaguing the massive city of Dunhaven, which was constructed on top of an ancient dungeon. Such incidents weren't uncommon in a place with such a history, but a troubling pattern soon emerged. All the missing individuals had received some form of blessing from the Goddess of Secrets and Mysteries, Elandra.
Jace and his team were subsequently hired by the City Guard to assist with the investigations. Lorelei, being one of Elandra's blessed, courageously took on the role of bait. Her actions led them to their first significant break in the case, revealing the involvement of the Covenant of Vermillion, a sinister cult that worshipped the Lord of Crimson Horror, Erebexis. They managed to apprehend a few cult members for interrogation, only to discover a chilling truth about their adversaries. Each cultist was oathbound, and the moment they attempted to speak, they exploded into a crimson mist, vanishing without a trace.
The investigation into the Covenant of Vermillion was an arduous and perilous endeavour. Their initial attempts to infiltrate the cult through informants were met with frustration as those informants mysteriously vanished without a trace. The urgency of the case grew, prompting the collaboration of multiple guilds in the ongoing investigation.
As they delved deeper into their work, they managed to locate the cult's hidden lair within the labyrinthine depths of the dungeon. The cult was conducting a bizarre and ominous ritual. Jace and his team were part of the reconnaissance mission, and while they did glean some insights into the cult's plans, it was all a ruse to set up a devastating ambush. The pain in Jace's voice was palpable as he recounted the losses of his comrades during that fateful encounter, and it was clear that to him, they were like a family.
Jace and Lorelei were among the few who managed to escape the harrowing events, but their flight led them into the result of the cult's ritual—a rift within the dungeon. To be more precise, it was a Memory Rift. Jace confessed that he had never heard of such a concept before. The cult had been using these Memory Rifts for a while. According to their records, a memory rift was a type of volatile dungeon created through an intricate ritual. The entire dungeon was a replica of a memory, and the purpose of such a dungeon was to facilitate a phenomenon known as core resurrection.
When left in areas with high mana density, the core of certain monsters would undergo resurrection. These newly reborn monsters retained the original race, species, and potential of the old ones but lost all their memories. They essentially became entirely new creatures. However, with the ritual employed by the cult, the monster was incubated within the memory, allowing it to gradually regain its old skills, blessings, and levels. While it remained devoid of memories, it essentially became the same creature as before. Once it reached a certain level of maturity, the cult would harvest it.
The Cult of Vermillion had developed an entire illicit enterprise centered around memory rifts. Their network extended even into high-ranking positions, allowing them to operate undetected within the dungeon for an extended period. They specialized in taming and trading these unique creatures. However, something had gone horribly wrong in their latest venture. The core of Alec's mother was unlike anything they had encountered before.
Typically, creatures growing within memory rifts exhibited slow development, requiring constant nourishment in the form of ritualistic sacrifices from the outside world. Alec's mother, on the other hand, defied all expectations with her astonishingly rapid growth. When they believed she might be ready to be tamed, she proved to be exceptionally dangerous. She annihilated the entire team of cultists within the memory rift. The only solace was that, similar to a regular dungeon, the Bonded One could not leave the chamber where the core resided.
In response to this unexpected turn of events, the cult called for reinforcements. Their mission was no longer limited to taming the Bonded One but also extended to hunting down Jace and Lorelei, who had eluded them. The cult had formidable members, and during his confrontation with one of them, Jace encountered Alec's mother once again. She was indeed a magnificent beast, but even then, it seemed like Jace might have survived and escaped her. However, during their battle, something extraordinary happened. Alec's mother experienced a profound revelation, resulting in an exponential surge in her growth. Jace was dumbfounded as he watched her level increase before his very eyes, undergoing an unprecedented evolution that defied all expectations.
After undergoing her startling evolution, Alec's mother did not engage in any further aggression toward Jace. Instead, she stood there, her immense form appearing dazed, as if contemplating the newfound depths of her existence. She posed Jace with a series of questions, displaying an unusual level of sentience and comprehension, a far cry from the fearsome monster Jace had been battling just moments ago.
However, her growth showed no signs of stopping. Her levels continued to increase, and this development filled Jace with fear. He realized the unimaginable destruction she could unleash on the city if she managed to escape. Despite her overwhelming power, she exhibited no further signs of aggression.
Alec's mother went on to design a contract and demanded an oath of secrecy and protection for her offspring in exchange for sparing Jace and Lorelei's lives. The two mercenaries were utterly perplexed by this unheard-of behaviour from a monster but agreed to sign the contract nevertheless. The cult's forces were closing in on the rift, even employing a high-level individual in their efforts. They decided it was time to eliminate the creature, but by this point, she had grown to a degree the cult was unprepared for. Unknown to them, Alec's mother had become a master of space magic. She systematically and brutally murdered the cult's forces, one by one.
When Jace pointed to the man suspended by chains near the rift, it was revealed to be the High Priest. He had been left alive because Alec's mother had some questions for him.
Alec, overwhelmed by the multitude of revelations and information shared by Jace, could do little but listen. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, yet the flood of new questions and uncertainties only compounded his curiosity. However, just as he was pondering these complexities, a familiar "ding" echoed in his mind. It seemed that the system had finally acknowledged that he had successfully explored the strange fortress.