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Chapter 4 - Encounter
The air hung heavy with an enigmatic stillness as he stood at the crossroads of countless paths, each shrouded in gloom. It was as if this enclosed realm told secrets of its own, urging him to choose a direction. Uncertainty tugged at his thoughts, but amidst the daunting choices, one thing beckoned to him—the faint glow of the pulsating moss that decked the walls.
Kyrios took a deep breath, steeling himself for the unknown.
The glow intensified, casting a soft, violet hue on the moss-lined path before him. It seemed to pulse in sync with his heartbeat, leading him with an unseen rhythm. In this desolate realm, it was the only beacon of hope, the only light that defied the suffocating darkness. Yet, even so, it felt creepy. Was something watching him?
His footsteps echoed through the stillness and followed the trail of luminescence. His gaze fixed on the ever-illuminated path stretching out ahead. Deeper into the heart of the Rift, the routes multiplied, branching off in labyrinthine patterns. Countless forks in the road tried to divert him from his chosen course, but he remained steadfast, relying on the unwavering glow of the moss to guide him. It weaves through the twisting corridors, drawing him closer to the answers he desperately sought. What was deeper inside?
With each turn, he felt the air grow colder and the darkness becoming more oppressive. Echoes of his steps lingered in the shadows, singing haunting melodies, yet the glow persisted, resolute in its purpose. It instilled in him a sense of trust—a silent promise that it would lead him to where he needed to be. Of course, he couldn't be so sure about that; maybe it was a lure of a predator, but so be it. It wasn't like he had any better places to wander, especially in the dark. He could only hope for the best.
Time lost its meaning as Kyrios followed the trail. His senses attuned to the faint light of the moss's illumination. It directed him through treacherous terrain, evading pitfalls and concealed dangers. The turning paths revealed glimpses of this alien domain, but those tantalizing visions always seemed just out of reach.
Amid this ever-shifting maze, doubts crept into his mind. Was he merely chasing a mirage? Did this path lead him to enlightenment or simply to his demise?
But just when he thought he had reached the end of his endurance, the glow faded. Beyond that little path he walked, came a cavernous room into view. It was carved into what seemed like the depths of the Rift. The transition from the narrow passageway to this expansive chamber was dreamlike. As if stepping into a separate dimension entirely. The glossy ground beneath his feet shimmered like a midnight sky adorned with countless stars while the uneven walls soared upward like majestic mountain ranges bathed in hues of sapphire and purple.
[https://i.imgur.com/X196Zui.png]
Kyrios' breath caught in his throat as he took in the surreal beauty surrounding him. Luminescent crystals jutted out from the walls, casting a muted, ethereal glow that illuminated the chamber with a ghostly radiance. The air hummed with a delicate resonance like spirits, carrying whispers of forgotten tales through the cavern. But even as he marveled at the beauty of this sanctuary, a nagging realization tugged at his consciousness. He knew that this place held more than just respite.
"Sigh... I really wish dad had read some more books about the Rift. I have no idea what's going on in this place." Sitting down, Kyrios began collecting his thoughts. 'There was the Century Rift War that happened multiple millennia ago. That much I know,' he recalled, his hand on his chin. 'It was 3847 years, to be precise, as that was when people established the calendar—at the end of the war. Apparently, levels and skills originated from that time too, but since I was never interested in the system, I don't know much about it. There was no point in unlocking crazier stats if I was stuck in a wheelchair,' he thought, tapping his fingers against the ground. 'Dang, but I would've never expected there to be a cure for my disease here.' It seemed impossible before, but now that he was here, he wanted to take advantage of every opportunity.
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"A Whisperleaf, huh? And a human host... What does that even mean? Am I not myself anymore, or what? The system mentioned I had died, but somehow, even it seemed confused," he thought out loud. "Although I didn't mind, my level had completely reset to one; I must've died then, possibly been reborn after that. Guess I'll figure it out as I go."
He glanced around the chamber, but aside from the soft glow that emanated from the crystals, there was nothing of note. Not even a monster or two, really. That was great, of course, but it still made him uneasy. The walls weren't of the everyday stone you'd find on a mountain nor even in a cavern; the color alone was enough to distinguish it. The texture, however, was weird. Kind of like glass. But less glossy. It was smooth to the touch.
He stretched out his hand and stroked the wall, tracing its contours with his fingertips. As he moved along its surface, an eerie tingle spread through his hand, accompanied by a strange sensation of movement. "Strands?" There was definitely something here, although hardly visible to the naked eye. "It's amazing how durable they are despite their slenderness," he thought, nodding, as he ran his fingers through them.
"Huh? Wait, they're moving upward?" Kyrios mumbled, taking a step back. "No, they're being pulled by something."
He immediately lifted his gaze, and his eyes widened in dread. Hovering above him was a colossal mantis-like insect with a metallic exoskeleton that shimmered in the chamber. Its wings buzzed with a bizarre hum, which he must've mistaken for the natural ambiance of this place. The creature's elongated body and blade-like claws dripped with a prismatic substance, evidence of its voracious appetite for the ethereal strands that crisscrossed the chamber.
The creature's head snapped downward, sending chills down Kyrios' spine as crimson eyes locked upon him. It screeched, baring its teeth, and the vibrations sent shockwaves through the entire cavern. Kyrios' body quivered as the monster swooped downward, its claws glistening with a deadly edge.
Dashing toward Kyrios, it ran its blade-like arms through the air, aiming for his neck. Kyrios stumbled back, barely evading the incoming strike.
"Holy shit!"
His heart hammered against his chest as he dove into a roll. The monster's claws struck the ground, sending a tremor his way. Kyrios scrambled to his feet. Adrenaline coursed through his blood as he assessed the situation. The mantis' relentless assault showed no signs of ceasing. Its movements were swift and calculated as if it had honed its predatory skills over countless battles.
He had to find a way to defend himself and then a way to escape. His eyes, darting around the chamber, searching for anything that could help, finally landed on the crystal formations. They jutted out from the walls at random intervals, and he could make out the occasional glow emanating from them.
'Isn't there anything I can do?'
He glanced up at the mantis again. Its exoskeleton glistened like liquid silver, reflecting the faint glow from the crystals. He knew there was no way for him to defeat that thing with brute force alone. It wasn't massive, but he had heard insects were far stronger than humans if they were equal in size. He needed to devise a clever strategy to turn its own might against itself, somehow.
The mantis's blade-like appendages swept through the air with each swipe. Its movements were too speedy to follow, like facing a shadow or a ghost with no discernible weaknesses to exploit.
Managing to dodge another incoming blow, he rolled across the ground as its blades swept by his face. The distorted growls it produced indicated its growing impatience despite having all the stamina in the world.
"What do I do? What do I do!? What do I do!!?"
He had never fought before, but his instincts urged him to act. There was no time to ponder or hesitate; the mantis would surely end him in another strike if he faltered.
As he desperately dodged another lunge from the mantis creature, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. There was a discernible pattern to its attacks, a rhythm he could manipulate. The insect followed a distinct sequence with each strike, a choreography of lethal precision. His mind raced, analyzing its movements, searching for the pattern amidst the chaos. And then it hit him—there was a distinct motion. A subtle extension of its foot just before each attack. The creature would ready itself for a dash before swiftly striking with the opposite blade.
Kyrios began to anticipate the creature's movements, waiting for that telltale extension before evading its subsequent strike. It was a dangerous dance. A deadly game of timing and reflexes. But as he focused on its patterns, he began to grasp the underlying logic of its attacks.
If he could make it ram into the crystals he saw earlier, victory was sure in sight!