"Huh? why can't I absorb anymore?" While the blood which has begun slowly draining onto the crystal floor has a minor reaction to my command it doesn't respond as it usually does. The amount of blood I managed to absorb was the same amount I used to produce the needles. It would appear that I have hit the limit to storing blood. There may be a way to increase it, but I don't currently have any knowledge on this contract and most of my thoughts are purely conjecture.

Rather than wasting time chasing after the strange shape shifting demons I head towards the end of the tunnel. If it is not the exit of the cavern then it will surely lead me to the exit. After further travel I reach the fifth pedestal in front of the back tunnel wall.

After grabbing the crystal I bring it to where the five tunnels split off from the main one. Somehow, the demons who had previously ran away were no where to be found. This was not that big of a deal and is probably linked to how the crystal allows one to move through space differently while having it in their position, so I exit through the membrane into the forked room. However the sight I had become familiar with is now different. The crystal walls are nonexistent and have been replaced by an endless night sky. Stars dot the void like surroundings. The previously empty room now has five crystal pedestals sitting in the center of the room at the five corners of a circumscribed pentagram. Each pedestals gem like appearance corresponds with the colors from each room.

The pentagram is probably a magical circle of some form which is further supported by the fact that each line is made of hundreds of symbols not unlike those I found written on the walls. I place each crystal on the pedestal of the same color causing each pedestal to glow extremely brightly. I shield my eyes from the piercing light until it eventually fades. As the brilliant light disappears a familiar man stands in the center of the pentagram.

"Tarin?" Yes the figure is that of Tarin, the green magic user who teleported Maddy and I from the danger. This man is slightly different from the Tarin I previously met in the forest and the tundra. This Tarin appears to be much younger. If the previous Tarin was said to be around fifty then this one must be around his thirties.

"Hello. Congratulations on surviving these crystal caverns of spiritual challenge. Yes the name is a bit much, but it was developed by my master to train her disciples. As the successor to her will I swore to give this challenge to anyone who I deemed talented enough to become a powerful figure in the future. This current form is but a memory fragment, so I cannot interact with the world, nor can I tell you what to do from here. After I disappear this circle will become a gateway to hopefully return to where I am." After his rather long talk the pale and translucent Tarin vanishes opening up a strange vortex in the center of the magic circle.

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Without much hesitation I walk through into the vortex which swallows me up. While the vortex surrounds me fast winds some cold and some hot spin around my body making me rather uncomfortable. This strange sensation only lasts a moment as the vortex vanishes and I arrive in a completely different location.

I can hardly see my hands in front of my face. This place is extremely dark, but not only is it dark it's also filled with a thick fog. The place is humid and smells of wet wood. I try to grasp my surroundings a bit. My feet are currently supported by a sturdy grey rock. Luckily it's not pitch black out thanks to the two moons hovering in the sky. One moon is a pale yellow color while the other is a pale blue. The area is not silent either, a number of sounds can be heard echoing through the area. The buzzing of bugs and the sound of something splashing in water can be heard.

I think to use spiritual sense and send out spiritual essence to gain some sort of grasp, but it fails as the fog seems to trap spiritual essence within it.

"Ughh where is this?" I release a sigh. From one unknown situation to another. I dig through my bag and pull out my lightbringer staff hoping the lantern will cast away the darkness.

Sadly the light makes it even harder to see as the fog reflects it rather strongly causing the light to hurt my eyes.

"Tarin's umm fragment? said that the portal would bring me to him, so I should think that Tarin is somewhere in the surrounding area." I speak out loud in attempt to give myself some sort of hope. Maddy could be here as well I secretly think to myself.

I put away the staff which hasn't seem to helped me much at all. Taking a cautious step forward my foot sinks into wet earth, the rather surprising and disgusting feeling of ones foot sinking where it wasn't planned.. Mud squishes up between my toes through my shoes. Though I still don't linger and trudge along through the mud.

Before long I stumble over a root and find a sturdy tree. The tree's thick roots stick slightly above the muddy ground proving to be a good spot for me to rest. I stand up onto the sturdiest looking root rest my back on the tree. The mossy bark stains the back of my robe, but I don't particularly care at this point.

I'm completely lost in this shitty swamp.