Murai's words hit a nail in the coffin. Lorry knew the course of his own purpose more than anyone else, so his words definitely made him hesitate over something. But what it was, probably wasn't fine to tell or imagine.
There were undeniable rules around the way all Guides were working in the temple, and they made interesting power dynamics. They indeed created solutions for steady attempts by challengers to finish and follow the premises of all Gates. They also acted as an interest in the temple's politics, and challenges, and acted with Mindarch in mind. They were important proxies to greater powers.
Lorry knew what to expect, but the situation didn't play that well right now.
Murai's variables created factors in the rules of this place and it made some interesting results that Lorry had to work with. He seemed to not mind it, as he was a playful fella, but others wouldn't be that happy. Down below, chaos ensued at the gates for more than just a couple of millennia.
This whole aspect of Blessed Challengers was always prone to issues. They were desirable challengers from the point of loftiness and care, but not everything was fine in this temple. There were a whole lot of politics and rules hiding deep in the depths, stemming from the Levandis herself, and her Hell Haven.
Lorry knew a lot about it since he had centuries worth of living in this temple as a Guide. This was one-of-a-kind location in this world, so it led to many desires.
His face changed from sneer to hesitation and some mixture of brief laughter and hope. He heard Murai's words well enough and wished to speak of something, but he figured to express it differently at the end of his contemplation.
“Lo... Lorry is a Guide. T-that is how it should be, Murai. Of course, Lorry can explain the ways that work for any Challengers and this place. That's how Guide will act but the choice such as Murai's current one is not for Lorry to decide. That is the rule of this temple. Challengers are there to challenge the temple. The Guide is to guide the Challenger and provide enough incentives, information, and Will to make the journey bearable. Important choices are there for the Challenger to decide. Interactions are such a decision.”
Murai still glared at him from below but accepted his excuse. “Respectable choice, but then what can you tell me? You are like Lisa for my sake...” he sighed. “She constantly mentions things meant to be told while not telling things because she doesn't think of them as fine to tell. Does it make sense? I don't think so. It is as hilarious as absolutely ridiculous. I sound like a fool!” He scowled and stomped the ground once.
“Ha! That was a good one!” Lorry chuckled and turned to the intersection. “...but Lorry will provide things in greater benefits when it matters. Well outside of the bitchy Lisa, Lorry reckons.” Then he turned on the spot, shooing a glance at Lisa who was further behind Murai. “Of course, things should be how they should be. For this choice of Murai's stakes, the left one goes to the left wing of the suffering and the right to the right wing. They form paths of various stakes that depict Gate 1. A simple choice, but each has different stakes to offer with rewards and a challenging mood.”
“What offers?” Murai asked.
“The left one has an undead path, filled with old and tough tools that are following undead enemies. Past challengers, the filth of the remains of old are there to make up for the suffering. The right has devils and demons from layers of the temple and Hell Haven. Right is more straightforward with enemies to fight and seek certain things that Lorry won't rather tell.”
This brief and simple explanation was all it took for Murai to interpret the words to brand new meanings. Lorry did mention it little, but from the word that the Will of the Battleworld spoke of, it was obvious that choices mattered. This journey through the temple di, so let alone the Gate 1, he doubted sense in demons was fitting. He wouldn't be surprised to see nothing but mindless enemies.
Undead were a peculiar topic, and the subject of taking things out of the temple was quite specific. For example, Murai bet that one could find some treasures in the bodies of the undead since they weren't creatures of this temple, or they could be. From the way the Welcoming Party seemed, there were a lot of undead that served under Levandis.
He didn't know why, but he noticed a few demons and devils in Thar's army. It was mostly bones and old fools without any awareness but residual instincts and dull senses in their Soul Flames. He noticed nothing much else since his limits on Soul Read and Mana Detection were noticeable and weak.
Undead beings in Gate 1 won't be prone to the Welcoming Party, or they may have some stakes in that. It wasn't precise, or clear, so Murai didn't wonder too much about it. Undead were mindless tools anyway, unless the souls put into them were stable enough, or the former living was formidable enough to leave a shred of awareness behind.
He thought the undead in this place held an interesting premise because of this whole place. Not only because of Death Valley but everything combined together.
Undead can rise even without any touch of outside force. They can form from the uniqueness of the chaos and death, meeting the End in a strange way that wasn't always satisfactory according to some rules of the universe. It was kind of unnatural, and heaven-defining, and normally, it involved some forceful necromancy.
In this case, finding naturally occurring births of undead was prone to disaster and chaos. It meant a whole lot of sick issues, but unnaturally born undead were as irregular and prone to chaos as natural ones. Murai figured the issue was this place. Each undead should be a work of some necromancer or some sort of effect of the temple, or because of the Seventh Death Forest? He couldn't help but convince himself that a lot of things seemed to be dark and connected.
Thar was also questionable, while stronger undead were similarly interesting from his army.
For Gate 1, anticipating the undead enemies seemed well within some regards. They were unliving but with the bodies or potential treasures of their former selves. Murai was thinking about it in the long term, and at least twice or thrice before he made a decision. Undead can have tools and treasures he could get. But as for what devils and demons can have, it was another question altogether, which Lorry wasn't willing to share.
But someone could do so beside him.
“Lisa? What do you think of this intersection and choices? You should have words to tell rather than being this silent for the past minutes. You should have all right to cooperate with me, don't you? Especially since this was your idea, to begin with, and your past stakes in these Gates seem enough to jolt your head. It is already happening for the past hours, isn't it? Some sort of plot or memories that flood your head. They make you think, and recall the End and past life. I can tell that. Seen it enough. I can't read you, but I am not stupid.” Murai quacked in annoyance, thinking and considering her knowledge to be quite important.
She was someone who was here in the past, and she was no Guide with limited rules at the core. Lisa had no stoppage, apart from her own head and issues pertaining to her persona. That could mean trouble, but Murai hoped she would reconsider her stubbornness because he was being honest and speaking the truth.
“What do I think?” Lisa floated forward, glancing at the two paths. “Either path is fine, to be honest. Murai Hisagi, my time doesn't matter. Yours does. It is unique to each challenger, since this place is flexible enough, like dungeons are. I am simply worried about the other Gates. This is just Gate 1 and you are not a complete newbie, so why care about my opinion? I am fairly certain you've got a whole bunch of thoughts about it, but you should be able to get to the 2nd Gate without any issues. I am betting my secrets on that, got it?
“Secrets?”
“Yes. I think I am fine with you for now, but some things are there for better times.” Lisa said and floated right towards his face and pointed at him with her hand. Her face was calm, and her smile wide. “It is for your potential and hope that you need. Don't you find the concept of those Gates ideal for yourself and your core or head? Why do you think 4th Gate is something Thar talked about when he briefly went over the willingness to let you in here?”
“Because he was a chatty person? Wait... No. He told me I was too early for some reason. Power or time is the cause, but there must be more to this than you are letting out. Lorry, Thar, and you included. There must be a whole lot of reasons for some limits, but some Gates must have more to them than some difficulty, or path. Arent' they fixed in some difficulty or something?”
She continued an uncaring smile while giving a glance to Lorry who was behind her. He gave her a shrug, figuring that there weren't many words to this than a simple choice. She shouldn't talk in meaningful voices so soon and should let this go on naturally.
Murai was right in his words, yet the reasons in her head were still stronger. In the end, she shook her head and made it more than obvious to let Murai decide his own path because it was fitting.
Frankly, there was not much to think about. Either path would do the basic stakes for this Gate of Suffering, while it was a simple start. There wasn't anything intricate about this Gate, but it can become difficult if one went in unprepared. That was what Lisa thought and it was without any plot or other meanings.
“Fine, what did I even expect? I swear the world will end the moment you will become nice and meaningful to me. I swear...” Murai complained and walked through her, deciding to leave this topic alone for the future. He watched the intersection and stopped wondering about his choice and options.
At the end of his brief recollections before the two paths, he chose the left one. He was more or less curious about the treasures he may find, and the undead path should be quite nice for all his considerations and problems he adored.
So, he walked through the curved path that was the same size as the previous one. It was still large, continuing with the torches and devilish blue light. He wasn't sure if it was cold or hot, but something deep lingered through the air. It was something about the mana he felt and the fog that cluttered around the walls and the ground. It was making him serious and curious, and the aura around the place changed to a much sinister flow.
It didn't bother him when he walked in steady steps, but his Soul Read and Mana Detection did provide some insights. He wasn't hurrying or running like a mad duck, even though he should be in a hurry. Things that were happening beyond the surface were starting, and Razmund was coming.
But that went over Murai's head when he began focusing on the task at hand. The sandstone and dark stone slabs around the walls became cracked and older, the further he walked.
Minute, by minute, the corridor changed in appearance and aura. Thick fog filled the air to a brim, and the strange mana fluctuations were noticeably lingering in the air. It was turning out to be strange for his senses, and the eyesight too. A dreadful feeling was in the air like the Death Valley, yet Murai scowled upon seeing those curtains of death.
“What sort of joke is this?” He asked himself, oblivious to the lingering feeling, that posed no issue to him. “Mana is getting out of hand, with some affinity to chaos and.... strange quantity? It is getting richer too, but also forceful in some feelings. Is this temple doing something to that? What could cause it?”
He could think all he could about it, but there shouldn't be a problem with mana getting richer. It made his mana-centered abilities easier to manage, and there were fewer problems with his body when his Beast Core took this mana in.
it wasn't as if the mana was posing a threat. It never would on its own, unless some magic formation or dangerous natural aspects would be around.
However, the deadly feeling of the mana was dangerous.
Some elemental properties could change the mana in the surroundings, giving rise to dangers and damaging the body or corrupting the mind. For example, poison swamps filled with rare poison flowers would change the mana around to a dangerous degree. It would still be mana regardless of it, but it would change to a mana that would hold the elemental property of poison. Death and other chaotic elements were the same, yet Murai wasn't feeling disruptions coming to his Core. It was fine, mostly. For what it was.
It was a wonder what was up with that, but it didn't disturb his Beast Core when he absorbed some of it to his core. In fact, he didn't feel a difference.
So Murai tossed this issue behind his head and observed the fog itself. Mana Detection was turning out to be a bit harder to seek things through the fog, while his physical vision was useless as one would guess.
Then, another change occurred when he felt souls emerge out of nothing but some trembles and clutter.
A howl roared in the misty corridor, revealing a skeleton wolf whose eyes glowed in fierce flames. It was close, allowing Murai to watch it from about 10 meters away, but it wasn't charging. It was standing there and waiting.
It was unlike the skeletons on the surface. This one was much wilder, while the bones themselves were unlike those of an unordinary wolf. They were thick, and lingering blood was on their surface, or perhaps even their insides. It was a bloody sight and an impressive facade.
There were even sections of muscles around some bones and a few residual organs deteriorated in its chest cavity, but that was about it.
“Oh? A feast to my eyes!” Murai sneered, meeting the eyes of his first foe with his. In a mere moment, the roar halted, and a growl sounded. The wolf pounced forward, poising its mouth filled with sharp teeth against the tiny duck. Murai figured it was similar in size to Phantom Coyote and following Alpha evolution.
It was large, but it was undead, so it was hard to tell what sort of species it used to be. Murai didn't care even if he knew, so he clutched his beak close and smacked the wolf's mouth to the side. It stumbled aside with a smack, and even some bones creaked and blood dropped away from its head.
Murai wasn't on the losing end this time around and didn't back away more than a dozen steps. He didn't fly away, which he liked so much, he grinned in confidence. His neck and head went dizzy for a moment, and he figured the foe wasn't as strong in its physicality then his own. Its mana wasn't that strong either, as there was no Core inside its body.
It still had some remains of a strong physicality, and he could sense how the surrounding mana enveloped the undead wolf with some waves of empowerment. It affected the bones and muscles alike, giving it a neat addition and a threatening look.
The temple empowered this wolf, and the wolf took it well.
That wasn't a good, or bad thing, since the wolf attacked with an all-out attack even through this empowerment.
With the wolf stumbling away, Murai waited for nothing. He stabilized his steps and jumped forward like a bloody mad animal. His flat feet were fine to be used, and he turned on the spot to strike the wolf from the side. He pierced the neck with his beak and twisted the spine and a few other bones apart as he went deep.
Crackling sounds resounded in this eerie space. The wolf struggled and stumbled to the side with Murai still in its side. After Murai twisted his beak, he crunched the bones in his mouth and smacked the shit out of its head and the convulsing body. His beak was strong enough to crack the spine, while the few smacks left the wolf unmoving. Though, unlike the bones in the past, they weren't as tasty. They weren't that old, so that may be why.
“It seems my appetite and taste are not up to this simple thing any longer. It's dry as a land of the dead... Like crackers, or tough bread. No. I am not complaining... Iris fed me like a prince, I must say.” Murai complained, yet still crunched the remaining crumbled bones, and ignored the rest.
Food was important for growth. That was what Iris told him about the beast of magical properties. He supported that idea with all of his two wings. Yet he didn't get anything out of this then slightly filled stomach. No words from the Eater Status stirred his mind either. Again.
That made him a bit disappointed since he wanted to see what was up with this undead wolf and what secrets it had.
He was sure his Eater Status could give him some details about its species, or anything that defined it to this temple. Even the meat aside on it wasn't something for him to consider. It was rotten, and the blood was too foul to be drinkable. In fact, calling it blood was wrong. It was foolish and dense like the glue of crimson. It ceased to be water-based long ago. It was dead for years, so it was no wonder.
Well, he killed it again, so he laughed at its face.
Before having a chance to reconsider the wolf's species, yet another howl spread from the mist. This time, it was further away, followed by mumbling steps and clutter of bones. Appearing from the fog, Murai pushed his Mana Detection forward and noticed a group of skeletons, led by more vicious-looking wolves.
It seems his first kill was just the test, or it was a simple scout.
There were 10 human skeletons wielding swords and each had cracked old armor. They were bare of any meat or muscles, but their vision was also full of this aura in the air, similar to the wolf before. It wasn't only adding some protection, but it gave them some power, and speed, similar to the messiahs and their buffs.
Murai believed he could hit them with ease and kill them the same as the 1st Wave of the Welcoming Party.
At the front of this group were 2 wolves, who were considerable undead beasts, but like with the first wolf, they weren't all bones. They still had a decent shape to their species, and their meat was not too rotten, their fur was intact, and their muscles were clear.
Their eyes weren't within their sockets, however, as their body was their power. Undead Beasts were harder to lose their skin and muscles than the human race. At least in terms of becoming undead creatures.
They still radiated the aura of the undead. The bones were visible around the paws and limbs. Jaws were ferocious and fur haggard and loose at some portions. Flames of red color were in their eye sockets. Both of the wolves were a bit taller than a human, and their breath let out a subtle mist. They were High Wolves ~ A simple evolution of the 3rd step in the most common of wolf species.
Class D was their potential, while their threatening aura and vision were quite grand for their power. When turned undead, they were considered Undead High Wolves. Still Class D, but not living like the living versions of their species.
Their physicality added quite a strong aspect to their power, and it wasn't as powerful in the mana that much. Their muscles, speed, and weapons were clear. Jaws were full of sharp teeth, and paws irregular in their appearance. Undead High Wolves had almost cat-like claws in their front paws and were ready to tear someone apart.
One of them growled and a group of 5 skeletons went forward in a small and tight formation. Murai noticed them straight away and wondered what those 12 opponents would have up their sleeves.
“Tsch! You look like a complete waste of my taste buds! Drop dead, since you are already dead.” Murai Conjured a few waves of mana from within himself and Shaped it into a light sword no thicker than a finger, and no longer than an arm. It was a thin, straight-looking one, and was far from being like a real one. This was part of his many shaping exercises and involved not a large amount of care or mana.
The blade was thin and not that long, reaching half a meter in size at most, while its width was thin. Murai could put forth more mana into it and then, it would pose no problem to think of it as a real deal. But using this smaller blade was rather easy on his mind, and highly flexible since handling a mana was unlike a physical object.
The ones who could wield the mana in this way and their cores were known as Shapers. The ones wielding the worldly mana were Handlers, who took the rules of mana from an outside perspective. Murai was the Shaper all through and through. It was one of the core elements of many mana-based Pathways that Murai mastered long ago, but any New Beginning would restart his progress.
It was one of the reasons his Shaping was so good since it wasn't something one could forget that easily. It still gave him some edge, even though his Core wasn't up to his testes. It was part of the soul and instincts and Murai was familiar with both of those aspects. Well, the soul not so much, but mana was easy to see and even easier to feel.
Similarly to the mana, all sorts of things can be Shaped according to one's will. Even a soul, to a certain extent, but that was unique and rather impossible to even consider in most cases.
So, Murai used his favorite method of thinness and quickness, which was potent because of his Shaping efficiency. Skeletons charged at him, but before their eyes even flickered further into the fog, their skull disappeared from the rest of their body or became cracks.
A simple and quick process of slicing and guiding the thin mana blade through their necks and skulls was all it took to kill them.
5 undead skeletons crumbled to the ground, and it all happened in the blink of an eye. Alas, their End didn't even matter. Be it in the flames of the two wolves, or in Murai's eyes. The blade traveled from the moment of killing those 5, straight to the high wolves. They were yet to realize the deaths of their 5 little tools that weren't far from the first wave of the Welcoming Party. The blade was as quick as an arrow, arriving at the wolves' heads. Murai made a simple move of a stabbing, to see the strength of these high wolves.
“What a Welcoming party... I will butcher you all. Really.” Murai grinned, yet the blade only stabbed about halfway through the socket of one wolf. It growled in anger and defiantly stomped, and pushed the fog around it as if in flames. It calmed, yet the Soul Flames still remained even if one was dimmer.
5 remaining skeletons charged at Murai, but their demise was met by another blade that Murai Shaped in an instant.
Interesting. Mana is rather easier to wield here, but something wrong foes along my core. It is hungry like a beast. Is there some sort of mana source besides the world and the River of the Manaflow? Did Lorry say something along those lines? The secrets run deep... It seems. It's the same with those wolves. Are they something that a Gate 1 can produce? They look fresh.
As Murai kept thinking, the 2 wolves became alone. Their meaty bodies with residual fur meant they weren't undead for long. Perhaps weeks, or months, or their High Wolf species was special in their undead ways. That, or there was something strange with these wolves living in this temple. They could have an abundance of lifespan, bloodline, or life force to accommodate their current undead living.
All of these were important to any physicality, and any undead desired to come back to life. It was a basic principle of deep consciousness, and one's Will and desires.
Murai knew it and researched these aspects in some portions of his lives. These high wolves may be even older than they looked, but as for their power level, they shouldn't pose a ridiculous challenge like the messiahs.
“Lorry, am I supposed to rush through this Gate?” Murai voiced, glaring behind him to see him floating not far behind. Lorry observed Murai with thoughts kept in his mind, while Lisa was closer to him as well. Murai didn't ask her anything, even though she told him that this Gate should be an easy business, yet was it? Those Undead High Wolves looked strong, and 10 Undead Skeletons were the same as the 1st Wave of the Welcoming Party.
“Lorry is unsure what Murai wished or meant by that. Murai should do what Murai could do and Lorry is sure Gate 1 is yet to speak of its premise. Getting to Gate 2 is to find the portal. Power isn't everything that is up for this Gate. Murai isn't a beginner, and the temple will work around the flexibility to make it challenging enough, as Lisa said, right?” Lorry shot her a glance, but Lisa only shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head.
“So... There is some reason for me, being unable to go past 4th Gate?” Murai wondered.
“Lorry is unsure. Murai will have to try and see that. Gates are about difficulties. 4th is far into it.”
Lorry seemed mysterious but was more than aware of some reasons. He seemed more like a hesitant asshole who didn't want to destroy the fun for everyone.
Huh... What an unbiased attitude this temple has. These Gates aren't for the small fries, but so what? The temple can adjust against impudent challenges. Sounds like an excuse for the owner to get new toys. Seems like Lordis doesn't care about it either way, since it goes along with his vision of power that is this Battleworld. I wonder if it is that, or it's much more complicated than that.” Murai wondered and kept Lorry be.
Instead, he wondered where he stood in the power levels of his current prowess and these Undead High Wolves should make up a nice comparison.
What was his most powerful attack under his belt?
Beak's Peak was definitely among them since it was an amalgamation of his mana and his physicality. His beak was quite strong and never cracked, bent, or got hurt.
Other than that, Murai didn't think his repertoire of magic abilities was all that powerful. He had Bloodrush too, but since the time in the well, he never even thought of using it. Losing Vitality was too harmful. What about the hidden abilities or Robust Spirit identity?
His Robust Spirit Identity had an interesting premise, but using it was akin to shackling him with the limits of the Soul Force. He didn't like it, so he long figured them to be important trump cards.
As for the hidden ability that was Soul Lock and Soul Manifestation, they required specific circumstances. It wasn't up to him to activate them, as they require high mental pressure and incredible danger or circumstance. It wasn't something he should decide on a whim, in fact. And there was also the Robust Spirit itself, which seemed to be part of his soul.
He didn't find anything bad in all of this. He had the Beak's Fury too, and it was strong, but not as wild as the Peak. It was akin to the flexible use of his beak, unleashing fury in quick succession and power. It was significantly weaker than Beak's Peak, but it wasn't that bad either. It had some uses.
As for something else, Murai could create some spells but it required time and effort. Did he have time to come up with something special? That was easier said than done because Murai lacked a couple of things that any regular mage needed. That was the underlying stability and usability of the mana core, which, in his case was Beast Core. Time was the biggest issue. Training too.
The time spent in magic Shaping and training was important. 1 week was nothing by his standards. He spent lifetimes worth of training in some of his dominant lives of mastering simple moves or spells.
It went without question that time was an important factor in the road to power, let alone in a Path that he had yet to even choose.