Chapter 35

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[Floor 5 – Day 1]

[Total Days in Trial: 118]

Only the [Trial] would see fit to give hope, then snatch it away just as quickly. It had to make one final test out of this terror of a Floor.

Neck and neck, our horses had been rushing towards the goal. I could hear the sound of bells, ringing in the distance. I could see the towers along the walls where tiny figures stood with torches, bordering the town. And I could almost make out the words they were shouting down to those below. But it was all just barely out of reach.

Those roaring bonfires and torches holding back the night looked like candles between the trees. The gates of the town were just around the bend, but we could go no faster. Nothing we could do would get us there quicker.

So, it was fitting for disaster to strike in that moment.

The world slowed as I watched as bloody jaws sunk rotten teeth into horseflesh, tearing at the unfortunate animal as it screamed in pain and terror. Its riders shouted and screamed in equal measure, as the butler's sword flashed in the moonlight. His form was terrible. The weapon swung like a hammer, and cut just about as well, as he attempted to drive off the beast. And it was only a second until the horse began to falter. The Hellhound did not release, nor did it die quickly, even as the sword struck it, again and again. Blood was in the air, and the tension of the fading night had reached its peak.

In this moment, I could recognize the familiar feeling. The impression that was identical to the intro to the Floor: Like a scene.

An event that was doomed to happen, planned by the [Trial] long ago. Where each and every detail was to be imprinted on my mind, and I was to be forced to confront the question I'd been avoiding.

Was I going to run?

"Back! Back you vile thing!" The butler shouted in a fearful rage, as he struggled. His weapon cut into the Hellhound again and again, with rapid hacks to the monsters neck and back. By sheer luck, it seemed that one of those hits finally cleaved true, and the hound screamed in death. Yet, even as he struck the beast down, the damage was already done. "Young Mistress!" He shouted in panic as the horse began to fall.

The blood lost was too much for the animal, and it crumpled to the mud.

They landed badly.

"Sir Guipe!" The girl screamed in terror, as the butler threw his sword aside, rolling with the fall to protect his master. His leg almost caught beneath the horse, as he pried himself free. Stumbling to his feet, clear mortal struggle between the dying animal and the dying monster, he drew a small knife and swiped at a second Hellhound that leapt for him.

The pack was arriving. There would be more threats soon.

"The Young Mistress!" The maid riding with me shouted in fear, as she reached around me for the reins. She pushed me aside, violently, as our horse slowed. "We must go back!" She shouted at me. "We must go back! We must save them!"

Turning in my seat, I could see the butler struggling. From how he limped, his leg seemed to have been badly injured from the fall. As the next hound charged him, he too was thrown into the mud, wrestling with the beast. His knife was hardly a suitable weapon, but it continued to strike. The flash of metal stained with red was all I could see for certain. If he was soon to be left among the living, or the dead, was unclear.

"Sir Guipe!" Meanwhile, the noble girl was frozen. She looked pitiful, that child. Her hands were clenched into tiny fists, the likes of which would be useless here. Her puffy dress was covered in mud and dirt, and yet she was fixed to the spot: unwilling or unable to flee. Perhaps, considering trying to fight- as useless as that would be.

"Run, Young Mistress!" Sir Guipe shouted above the snarls, pushing the beast away for the briefest of instants. "Run!"

My mind was blank, as the scene continued, for I too, was frozen. Just like the child, I truly didn't know whether to run, or fight. But I could hear the little voice in the very back of my mind trying to urge me to pick quickly. Whispering in my ear, I heard the ancient set of instincts passed from times when my ancestors did not have walls, or weapons. The likes of which, told me to escape. To head for safety while there was still time.

Run, and survive.

And yet, at the same time, it seemed that I was already falling down to the ground below. My boots were scattering muck as I rushed back, and my voice shouted to the maid still atop the horse. Commanding her to go on ahead, and to keep the gate open.

I felt torn.

Split in two places.

This was not right, I realized. Even as I ran towards the girl and the butler. This was not the right choice, but I must have already known. Surely, I could have left and saved myself from the very beginning. I could have taken a horse and run when we stopped. I could have left them all to their fates. And yet, instead, I'd been trying to do things the hard way. I'd decided to stay and try to make sure we could all get to safety.

So how was this any different?

If anything, it was just one more terrible choice.

My boots splashed through puddles and muck as I headed back. My wounded arm flashed pain with every heartbeat. Fighting for any length of time would end badly, but over my shoulder, I knew the town was in sight. We were so close. Just through the next patch of trees the town gates waited. I could practically feel the warmth of the torch fires atop the walls. I could measure out the distance in my head. The memories were clear.

Barely a quarter a mile to go.

That was all.

"TELL THEM TO KEEP THE GATE OPEN!" I shouted again to the maid, as loudly as I could. I could not stop to be certain she heard or understood me, so I shouted until my throat hurt. "KEEP THAT GATE OPEN!"

The priest's old sword felt familiar in my hand. It had no miracle but the simple gift of steel and edge. Yet, the symbol branded upon it caught the fading moonlight all the same.

There wasn't much time.

Ahead of me, already more enemies were approaching. From the shadows, the eyes came in pairs: Floating dots of glowing red that came from either side of the forest, with even more rushing down the road. Hounds, Skeletons, perhaps other horrors as well. All those terrors of the night we'd been outrunning, were finally catching up.

Too many to fight. Perhaps, too many to escape.

I reached the two and their dying horse, just the butler stumbled back to his feet, barely victorious. Bloodied and wounded, he was hardly even able to stand over the fallen monster. As he turned to me, he nodded once.

"I would like to officially contract your services, Adventurer." He coughed out the words. "I offer you every coin I have ever saved. Every possession left to my name, to see this job to its end."

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"You're certain." I locked eyes with him. The man was a mess. His perfect suit was torn. I wasn't entirely sure how he was still standing. I'd thought him weak when the Floor had started, but there was a dignity to him now that could not be called anything except strength. The kind of strength that came in a person's final, desperate, moments.

The kind of strength that didn't last.

"Please bring the Young Mistress to safety." He continued, wiping the blood from his lips with the sleeve of his ruined jacket. "I shall do my best to slow them down."

"No!" The girl shouted in protest. "No, you can't! Adventurer, save him!"

Her order was interrupted as, from the darkness, and arrow flew. It sunk into the mud at our feet. Looking up, I saw the familiar skull I'd hoped to have already gotten rid of. The Skeleton Archer had returned, caught up to us at last. In the darkness, I could see it was already nocking another arrow.

"GO!" Sir Guipe shouted, spreading his arms wide as another arrow landed.

I sheathed my sword, and grabbed the girl with my good arm before she could think to stop me. She seemed to weight nothing, and easily throwing her over my shoulder, I turned and ran.

Her fists slammed into my back. She screamed and cursed. She said vile things, the kind of words and phrases a young child shouldn't know how to say. Insults that were far beyond a person of her age. She called me a coward. A cut-throat. A greedy bastard, who cared only for coin. She called me words that I simply didn't understand. She screamed at me until she had run out of air, and then she took a breath and screamed again.

But I didn't stop running.

Ahead, I could see the light of the torches. I could see the town gates. I could see the tiny figure of the maid, pushing to hold the gates open, even as men in armor fought to drag her away. I could see the cresting light of dawn on the horizon.

We could make it.

As long as my legs continued to move, I knew we could make it. I began to round the bend, heart racing as my legs were but a blur. Behind me, I heard a shout. I heard snarls. I heard noises that could only mean one thing. In the dark of night, I could only hope the girl hadn't seen.

I heard the howls of an entire pack rushing towards us, panting as they grew closer. I heard the clatter of bones, and the snap of a bow string. I heard the painful whistle of air, and the horrid thump of an arrow meeting its target.

All the nerves in my back screamed, as my ribs were violated. I almost fell as an arrow stabbed me in the back with a horrible, sickening, sound. The striking pain ran down my side, through my chest. My body shook in pain.

But I kept running.

I felt my Free Points begin to empty, just as they had once before. They were channeled by my single-minded goal, directing them where they needed to go.

Strength.

[Strength+ 1]

Strength, to keep running.

[Strength+ 1]

Another bolt of pain stabbed me in the back. Yet another shaft pierced clear through my leather armor. This one hit high, and I shifted my hold on the girl, blocking her as best I could from the coming arrows that were raining down around us.

[Strength+ 1]

I could hear the patter of paws closing in. The panting of hounds in sprint. They sounded as if they were right behind me, about to bite into my ankles, and drag me down.

There was nothing I could do about it. Running was everything.

I could see the horror on the faces of the guards at the gates. Two of them were still struggling with the maid, who was fighting tooth and nail to keep the gate open. She clawed at their faces, ripped at their armor and helms, even as she was dragged away. The others were shouting, fearful as they tried to get the gates closed. Yet, the men there had seen me, now. Their eyes were wide as they shouted. As arrows rained down from the walls, scattering behind me.

Yelps and yips came, howling in pain as they landed.

But I didn't care.

I couldn't care.

Forward.

That was all my mind could handle now. I just needed to go forward.

"LOOSE!" A man atop the wall shouted, as another wave of arrows, hundreds of them, rained down just behind me.

"LOOSE!" Another shout rang out, as more arrows let fly.

I passed the first row of torches as the gate grew closer. Then, then the second. My vision felt as though it were growing distant, as I stumbled past the third. My steps felt sluggish. My Strength barely seemed to be enough, as passed beneath the threshold of the gate, and the massive wooden door closed behind me.

The crash of wood and iron locking into place. The sound of massive logs being dropped into waiting rungs, fastening the doors shut.

Before I knew it, I was on my knees.

[Charisma + 1]

The Menu rewarded me for my efforts.

I didn't care.

I couldn't breathe, I realized. My Miracle would never come to me as I was. The Mana I wished to gather, I simply couldn't. There was no way for me to make it work. The pattern... I couldn't find the pattern.

Every inhale, came with a bubbling, wheezing, sound. I tasted blood. I reached out in my mind, blindly grasping for another way.

I couldn't die here. I refused to die here. Could I bring in the Mana another way? I fumbled again and again, as my breathing fell apart. Rasping gasps were all I could manage.

This was bad, I realized. I was really dying.

For what?

Had it been worth it?

No... No, probably not.

I lost that thought as, around me, the blur of motion continued. Soldiers rushing with weapons in the light of torches. People shouting, people screaming. The bells in the tower were ringing. Explosions of force rippled beyond the walls, as light flashed through the sky. I felt the Mana in the air, rising up in concentration all around us.

That was all I could do. I could feel Mana there, but I simply couldn't reach it. I didn't know how. I had never found a way to gather it without breathing, no matter how hard I'd tried. In all those hours I'd spent reaching for it, I'd never managed it.

In what felt like the passing of a single blink, I the maid and the girl were crouched in front of me. The girl had gotten up, at some point. Red eyes and angry expression. She seemed to be shaking me, but I could barely feel it. She was saying something, as the maid helped to hold me upright, but I felt so far away. The words couldn't reach me now, and my thoughts were growing dim.

Was this death? Was I really going to die?

After all that I'd survived... Was this it?

I could practically feel my Consitituion resisting the pull of death. I could feel as my natural body failed, but held to life at the same time. As I fell to the side, I realized that my eyes were no longer truly seeing. The sounds of battle all melting together, blurring into a horrible mix of noises that I could not make sense of, no matter how I tried. It was not long until I could only feel the chill of death. As if the cold mud of the soil had reached out to embrace me.

A chill, that was held back only by the pale warmth that came with the arriving light of dawn.

[Floor 5 - Minimum Clear Condition - Updated!]

[Survive the Night] - [Complete]

"Ping!"

[Floor 5 – Task Completed]

[Standard Bonus awarded] - [+1 Free Attribute Point]

"Ping!"

[Additional Bonuses awarded]

[Secondary Condition – [Reach The Town] - [+1 Free Attribute Point]

"Ping!"

[Additional Secondary Tasks – Reviewed] [Protect the Passengers] - 2/3 [FAILED] - No Bonus awarded

"Ping!"

[Title Awarded – Adventurer's Spirit]

[Title Already Awarded!] – [+1 Free Attribute Point]

[Floor 5 – End]

[Floor 6 – Beginning]