Asher and his guardian continued their cautious trek downward, descending into the depths of the cave. The spiral path leading them deeper made the air heavier.
As they progressed, the blue light from the ores seemed to pulse with a rhythm of its own, illuminated their path.
Eventually, the spiral path leveled out, opening into a vast cavern. The sight that greeted them was a subterranean world. Stalactites hung from the high ceiling like stone icicles, some dripping with mineral-rich water that formed colorful, luminescent pools on the cavern floor.
But the most striking feature was at the center of the cavern - holding both a macabre and startling sight.
The vast chamber was dominated by a large pool at its center, but contrary to Asher's expectations, the water did not shimmer with the tranquil blue of the ores. Instead, it was a chilling, crimson red – the color of blood.
The eerie glow from the ores cast a haunting light over the pool, revealing a gruesome scene. Floating atop the blood-red waters were the bodies of numerous fishmen, their forms still and lifeless. Each corpse was decapitated.
Asher stood at the edge of the pool, his heart pounding in his chest. The sight was shocking, sending a shiver down his spine.
"What happened here?" he murmured, his voice barely a whisper in the oppressive silence of the cavern.
The guardian, standing by his side, seemed to emanate a sense of alertness, as if sensing the ominous nature of the scene.
"What or who could have done this?" Asher wondered aloud. The fishmen, fierce in their own right, had been reduced to lifeless driftwood in their own domain. This was no ordinary skirmish; it was a vicious extermination.
He stepped cautiously around the pool, his eyes continuously scanning the shadows and recesses of the cavern. The possibility of a greater threat within these depths was very real, and Asher knew he needed to be prepared for any eventuality.
Asher's gaze swept over the pool, the grim tally of corpses floating in the water rising to over twenty.
His attention was then drawn to a figure on the far side of the pool, distinct from the others. This fishman was different, unique in its appearance, much like Whiskertus had been.
It lay at the water's edge, unmistakably lifeless in its seated position, with a significant portion of its upper body savagely torn away. Blood pooled around it, tainting the water with a darker hue.
Curiosity piqued, Asher activated his inspection skill, focusing on the fallen figure. The information that appeared before him caused his eyes to widen in shock. "Their king... the king of the fishmen." he murmured in disbelief.
The guardian turned towards Asher, sensing the gravity of the revelation. "Their king," Asher repeated, "taken down by something even more formidable. What happened here?"
He took a moment to process this. The king of the fishmen, the ruler of the fishmen species, the very same race that had pushed away the sea elves, laid low in such a brutal manner. It suggested a predator or a force of immense power within the cavern, one that could effortlessly overpower such a formidable creature.
"This changes everything," Asher said, his voice low but firm. "Whatever did this is still likely here. We need to inform the sea elves." The atmosphere in the cavern seemed to grow heavier, the weight of the unknown pressing down upon them.
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The eerie stillness of the cavern was abruptly shattered by a startling occurrence. Asher watched in disbelief as the corpses of the fishmen, which had been floating motionlessly, suddenly began to sink one by one into the depths of the blood-red pool. It was as if an unseen force was pulling them down, dragging them to the cavern's pool hidden depths.
As each body descended, more blood clouded the water. Asher's heart raced, sensing an impending threat.
Then, he saw it—a shadowy figure moving within the water. It moved with a speed and agility that was astonishing. The figure swam through the water with such velocity that it created ripples and currents, further disturbing the once-still pool.
"What is that?" Asher whispered, his eyes intently focused on the moving shadow. The guardian, sensing Asher's tension, positioned itself protectively.
The figure moved too fast to be clearly discerned, but its size and the fluidity of its movements suggested it was a creature of considerable power and danger. Asher realized that this creature might be responsible for the carnage in the cavern.
"Stay alert," Asher warned his guardian. "Whatever that is, it's not just a simple fishman. We're dealing with something much more dangerous."
The shadowy figure continued to circle in the depths, occasionally coming closer to the surface before diving back down. Asher knew that an encounter with this mysterious predator was inevitable. He readied himself, mentally preparing for a confrontation.
*Splash*
Suddenly, from the crimson waters of the pool, a tall figure leaped out with a formidable splash, landing on the shore in front of Asher. Water cascaded off the creature.
The being before Asher was a towering fishman, but unlike any he had encountered before. Its scales were a deep, iridescent blue that shimmered even in the absence of light. Adorned with intricate golden ornaments, it carried an aura of majesty to it.
The creature's eyes were a piercing yellow, like a lure of a deep-sea predator, filled with malice.
In its hand, it wielded a trident which prongs sharp and menacing.
Asher, taken aback by the sudden appearance and the imposing figure of this fishman, steadied himself.
With a flicker of his intent, he activated his inspection skill, keen to gauge the true measure of his adversary.
The details that materialized before him confirmed his growing realization – this was no ordinary foe.
https://i.imgur.com/fmbNfEB.png [https://i.imgur.com/fmbNfEB.png]
With the data from the inspection flowing before his eyes, Asher pieced together the chilling truth of the scenario. This was no fishman from this world, as he had first assumed, but something far more sinister. The creature before him was an abyssal fishman, summoned from the darkest depths through a blood sacrifice made by the fishmen in the pool. Its presence here was the result of a dark and desperate ritual.
"An abyssal minion, then." Asher concluded, the pieces of the puzzle snapping into place. "Brought here through the lives of its own kind... a creature of the abyss."
The dwindling numbers of his fishmen foes, and the absence of Whiskertus, had driven the fishmen king to a point of desperation.
In a last-ditch effort to protect his territory and his subjects, the king had resorted to a dark ritual—a blood sacrifice potent enough to call forth an ally from the abyss.
The king, lying dead at the edge of the pool, bore witness to a plan gone terribly wrong.
In seeking aid against the relentless enemy decimating his people—the enemy that was Asher and the sea elves—he had unwittingly summoned a being with no allegiance but to its own hunger.
The Drowned, had emerged not as a savior, but as a new predator. Its appetite for blood, had led to the king's demise and the slaughter of his subjects. The abyssal fishman, it seemed, was indiscriminate in its feeding, recognizing only the call of blood from the surface dwellers.
The gruesome turn of events added a chilling and unpredictable situation. Something unexpected was unfolding.
Objective updated! Side-Quest Objective 'The Sea Elves' Stand' has updated! Diminish the fishmen's numbers on the shore (54/100) -> Defeat The Drowned, Abyss Fishmen Sentry.
The twist of fate in the cavern transformed Asher's side quest into a grimmer and more dangerous task than he could have anticipated. A new objective crystallized on his interface, reflecting the dire turn of events.
Asher glanced at his guardian. "This changes our course, but not our objective."
The creature's gills flared, and suddenly, it let loose an ear-piercing screech that reverberated off the cavern walls.
"SCREEEEEEECHHHHHH!!!"