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It was only when the silence had stretched on for too long that I realized it had stretched on for too long. At that point it was too late to hide my expression and initial reaction; nothing had been filtered. I knew from Dibo’s pensive look that he wasn’t going to listen to my excuses or denials, his mind was already made up about who I was and what I was.
Rather than try and fix this –was there anything to fix?– I immediately deemed that it was more advantageous to roll with it.
Right now, Dibo was dangling two pieces of information in front of me as bait.
One. He was the son of a player… which implied that his father was a [Player] and that Dibo had known about it. But it also meant that Dibo wasn’t a [Player], simply an offspring of someone who remained in this world. I had often played with the notion of what would happen to those people who failed to go home. I never thought of that as a possibility for me… but the result of someone else’s failure was staring at me right in the face.
“Your father, is he-”
“Ah, no more questions.” The man wagged his finger in front of me. “Not until you can show me that you are indeed the one I have been looking for.”
“Or would you prefer to use the stone again?”
He knew I didn’t. He was just dangling that information in front of me after confirming that he was indeed somehow related to [Players].
“I don’t even know what you want from me.” I said at last.
“You will… in due time. But how about a bet then?” The way that he spoke reminded me a bit of Arione, who had also been an elven mage. Maybe it was an elf thing.
“Of what?”
“You do know what tomorrow will be like?”
I gulped. Tomorrow would be the real start of Phase 2.
A pure survivalist phase where the maze was filled with swarms of monsters. An opportunity for some, but deadly for others.
“I know that there will be three special monsters hidden inside the maze. Shall we make a bet on whoever hunts more than the other will win?”
“If you win?”
“If I win… you will obey me for the duration of one year. No questions.” His beard curved up into a smile.
“Why would I take that bet?”
“Because if you win… I’ll let you have the Fracture Splinter.”
Mother fucker. He had me.
“Fine. Do it. Whoever hunts more than the other wins the bet. But if I win, on top of the Fracture Splinter you tell me all the information you have about [Players] and the [Players Guild].”
Dibo didn’t miss a beat, he waved his hand and a strand of mana connected our hearts. I felt the mana strand settle around my mind, or my soul as Kyrian would say. It felt like a slight headache that nestled around the back of my head, writhing whenever I thought about breaking the Mana Vow. It was the first time that I had been caught in one, barring Kyrian’s one-sided vow.
“I’m surprised that you didn’t include silence into the Vow.” Dibo muttered, lowering the wind barrier that had been locking the sound out.
Just on time, a mournful cry went up somewhere in the maze; somewhere deep and away from us. The cry was half bestial and half human, sending chills up my spine. It wasn’t a hunting call but almost like a man crying; that scared me more than any animal cry.
“I don’t need to.” I promised Dibo. When I spoke, my voice rang with the clarity of truth; of decisive fact that couldn’t be denied. “You wouldn’t be the first Magus I cut for having a long tongue.”
He stared at me a moment longer, flashing me a wolfish grin. “Careful, young man.”
“Good hunting, old man.”
There was something I didn’t tell Dibo though.
The monsters he mentioned… there weren’t three of them. It was five.
<>
The wind was quiet when my party mates woke up. But I knew that just outside of the gates, wind still screeched and monsters lurked. It wouldn’t be just Namahages this time around. Lesser Ice Drakes, Grade 8. Ice Dokkaebi, Grade 7. Frozen Agwi, Grade 8. Frozen Skeleton, Grade 9. The list went on and on.
The rest of the night had been uneventful. I had woken up Aurora for her watch and forced myself to sleep. I knew that this would be a grueling phase, one that would push the whole party’s ability to the limit. We needed all the rest we could get. Currently, my eyes were on the gates.
“Lock, you’ve been staring at that Gate for hours.”
“Well there’s no other way to progress the dungeon isn’t there? Mark my words Kyrian, those gates are going to open up.” I made up a likely excuse for why I was looking at the gates.
The Truth and Dare stone no longer responded to anyone’s touch, mana or vocal commands.
That reminded me to look at Dibo’s party. They had successfully recruited Track. Now it was Dibo, Krag and Track. Dibo must be pretty confident in himself if he thought he could win in a hunting bet against a five man party with a team of three. Then again, Track was pretty skilled and I was sure that Krag hadn’t shown all his hand either. If they played their cards right, they should be able to hunt at least two. Three if they were lucky.
Pyret stayed nearby Baran, Furgrin and Sarai. Pyret’s social status had dropped noticeably compared to the night before; he was the one cooking and cleaning everyone’s campsites. Folding the sleeping bags and stowing them away in his own Dimension Ring. I couldn’t imagine Baran and Furgrin had done anything on purpsoe to make Pyret like this.
My guess? Snide remarks that pushed the line just enough to make Pyret think that it’s ok. If Pyret overreacted, they’d just say they were joking. Then Pyret would be forced to laugh along… because he was part of the group. Pyret would think that if he just laughed it off… everything would be ok. It didn’t take much to make a man pathetic.
Just the threat of death, whether physical or social. Combine that with the safety provided in numbers and they’d do anything. It was only in the face of death that I truly saw Pyret for what he was.
A coward.
It was easy to recognize. I’d been in Pyret’s shoes often enough.
But now wasn’t the time for that. I had to keep my eyes peeled on the Gates.
“Mr. Lock.” Aurora walked up to us, followed by Skaris and Eltis. “I’d like to go over the formation one more time. Yesterday, we only discussed the possibility of Mr. Skaris and I staying in the backline; protecting Ms. Eltis and Mr. Kyrian. However, that was only on the off-chance that we were fighting a boss. What about this occasion?”
“Skaris will protect Kyrian and Eltis. You and I will open the way.” I said absently.
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“I see. That is acceptable.” Aurora hefted her shield and it slammed against the ground with a thud.
“I thank you for the worry, dear. But I can take care of myself.” Eltis commented.
“So can I. It might be better if Skaris is near the front.” Kyrian added on.
I thought about it for a second, weighing it against what I already knew was about to happen. “No. Too dangerous. If it seems like you guys can handle it, then we can open it up for discussion again.”
With the note of finality in my voice, there was a brief moment of silence. My whole body was on edge and I desperately wished that I still had two functioning eyes instead of one. My heart beat with a familiar rhythm but instead of blood, it felt like the organ was pumping my blood vessels with jolts of electricity. Every howl of wind set my teeth on edge, my heels ready to dash towards the door. The tension I felt was infectious, my party members began to make small talk hoping to rid themselves of it. To them, I probably looked crazy.
It had started snowing.
“I cannot believe it’s the second day already.” Kyrian broke the silence, trying to lighten the mood. “I hope that no one gets hurt.”
“...As long as we stay away from that Baran fellow, I imagine we will.” There was a slight note of disdain in Eltis’ voice. The priestess hardly showed any negative emotions.
Kyrian said as much. “It’s rare to see you speak ill of someone. Though we’ve only known each other for one day. I had though the Priestesses of the Nine were accepting of all Sinners.”
“You are correct, dear.” Eltis replied. “But even we have standards. Do you know what the Faces of the Nine stand for?”
“Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath, Despair, Apathy, Envy, Hubris and Arrogance.” I answered.
“A well learnt man is always attractive. But yes, we follow the Nine who are accepting of all people. But amidst all those things, there is one thing that we do not condone. That is the Desecration of Love.”
“Please, do explain.” Aurora asked. She didn’t seem the type to be interested in such things but I was wrong. “Is Lust not one of your main teachings?”
“Dear, all things come from Love. Greed is love of what you have, so much so that you want more of it. Lust is love of bodily pleasures. Gluttony is love of appetite. Wrath is love of retribution, justice and vengeance. Envy is love of what you cannot have. Hubris and Arrogance, love of one’s self.”
“What about Apathy?” I found myself asking; the Priestess was a good preacher.
“Love of Stillness, of the Void and Nothingness. Many people believe our goddess to be a vengeful one, but that is not the case. She is, much more than others, the goddess of Love.”
Strangely… that made sense.
But still, I hoped that I would never meet the Goddess in question.
“That is interesting.” Kyrian commented. “Though back in the Turina Empire, all churches aside from the Church of Light, Flame and Shield have been proclaimed as blasphemy.”
“And that’s why you humans can never know true love.” Eltis shook her head, mocking sadness. “And Baran has committed the unforgiveable; three fold. By killing Norma, he killed both a comrade and the wife of his comrade. I imagine our Goddess has a special place in mind for him.”
“But why now?” Kyrian muttered. “Why do it inside a Fracture?”
“Sssssimple.” Skaris joined in. “None ssshall be the wisssser insssside a Fracture.”
“Precisely.” Eltis brushed off some of the snow piling on her velvety robe. “All he has to do is-”
“Quiet.” I hissed, abruptly interrupting their conversation. “Focus.”
All the brevity in the air disappeared, killed by the urgency in my voice.
I felt myself lean forward. My ears had picked up something.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Track hold up a hand to Dibo and Krag. Everyone in the clearing froze and subconsciously slid into their formations. I saw more than one adventurer take out their weapons. All of us who had exceptionally high [Hearing] or [Smell] stats were beginning to pick up signs that something was about to happen.
Awooooooooooooooooooooooo
Crack Crack Crack
Thump
Thump
Footsteps. Howling. Snarls. The sound of ice splitting from each other, pitched so low that I felt the ground shake beneath me. A cacophony of various
Then the stone burst into light.
“Lock?” Kyrian took out his staff, holding it in front of him. There was a trace of fear in his voice. He was the yougnest out of all of us.
“Monsters.” I answered, holding my own katana out. Gods, I wish I still had my shield. I gave more specific instructions. “Eltis, conserve your mana as much as possible. Kyrian, only use your spells where it would hit more than one monster.”
I didn’t wait for them to answer. “Skaris, keep your Core ability to a minimum; only when it’s necessary to keep Kyrian and Eltis safe. Aurora, be ready to take the front with me.”
A tank. Two DPS. Healer. Mage. Almost a complete Party.
As soon as I finished giving my order, the maze became silent.
Then everything exploded into a frenzy of color, noise; followed by a tornado of whirling fangs, claws and fur.
All twelve gates broke apart into splinters as monsters swarmed through the door.
Ramhof, whom no party had accepted throughout the entire night and had camped near one of the gates, was ripped to shreds instantly.
The poor Holy Knight didn’t even have a chance to do anything; such was the speed with which the gates broke apart, parting like a defenseless island in the onslaught of tsunami-like monsters. I saw two Ice Dokkaebis, cruel fangs jutting out from their lower jaw and blue-skin covered in rime, pick up the remains and start pulling on an arm and a leg, fighting over who got the bigger piece. Ramhof was still screaming.
Now wasn’t the time to worry about others.
The monsters rushed in, stampeding towards the center and broke off into several groups; heading for Dibo’s party and the other for Baran’s party.
And another stream heading straight for us.
This was why I hadn’t bothered forming an alliance with Dibo; it wouldn’t have increased our chances of survival. A single unified group during Phase 2 would only attract all the monsters towards that group. Instead, it was better to split up into small agile parties, able to navigate through the miniscule cracks in the swarm.
If we didn’t get ripped apart in the process.
“STICK CLOSE BEHIND ME!”
I took the lead and saw two [Frozen Agwi] –Grade 8– lumbering towards me. The middle of their heads were balding and like their Dokkaebi Counterparts, had light blue skin covered in frost to reflect their elemental nature. The 8 feet tall monsters grinned, showing only gums, and swung their ice clubs.
Ducking underneath the first one, I activated [Coin Toss] immediately, seeing a flash of yellow near my forehead.
｢ [Arcane Masochism] cancels [Coin Toss] ｣
｢ [Arcane Masochism] raises [Attack] ｣
Using my sword like an ice pick, I ran up the side of the Agwi’s body, dodging its swings. It’s partner tried to bite me but missed and ended up biting into the stomach of the one I was riding; it’s eyes immediately rolled up as visible shivers of pleasure began to pulse through its face.
Sickening, but it’d do.
I reached the Agwi’s head and slashed it across the eyes, the only part of its body not covered by frost. It shrieked out, too dumb throw me off, and brought its arms to its eyes. I leaped off, using the second Agwi’s head as a foothold, and landed on the ground. Looking behind me, I saw that some of the monsters had already reached my party mates.
“DON’T HOLD YOUR GROUND! GET TO ME!”
My voice could barely be heard under the raucous screeching of the different monsters, but Aurora saw me motioning and started to take one painstaking step after another. Behind her huge shield were Kyrian and Eltis, in the center where they were protected. Right behind them, Skaris was waving his spear in huge arcs; leaving trails of flame wherever it made contact.
I saw another monster approach me, low to the ground –I didn’t have time to make out what it was. My reflex took over as I grabbed the top of its head and slammed it to the floor. The creature let out a shrill cry, its numerous legs twitching and clicking against my greaves and gauntlets uselessly; a [Winter Centipede], Grade 10 monster.
“LOCK! THEY’RE BREAKING THROUGH!” Kyrian warned.
The temporary wall I had created the Agwi’s weren’t enough. The monsters were streaming in through the side.
An Ice-Dokkaebi walked around and saw us. Its eyes glistened with pure malice as it raised its club and slammed it on the ground in our direction.
“AURORA! THE FLOOR!” I barely had time to dodge out of the way as a wave of icicles spurted out of the ground towards my party.
｢ [Ice Dokkaebi] casts [Impaling Rime] ｣
Aurora grunted and slammed her shield into the floor; the rows of icicles threatening to lift her off of her feet. But with a loud cry Aurora forced it back down and stopped the shockwave right in its tracks; her armor covered in rime and a stray shard leaving a long cut across her cheek.
“Kyrian! Open the way! The gate in front of us!”
｢ [Kyrian Tricilan casts [Chain Lightning] ｣
Kyrian waved his staff and his eyes glowed an eerie yellow, leaving trails of mana. With a short incantation; his staff crackled with bluish-white lightning; charging up then releasing it in a flash. I closed my eyes from the sudden brightness, the spell leaving white streaks burnt into my optic nerves like a tree trunk with dozens of branches arcing out of it. When I opened my eyes –I had closed them for a second at most– the lesser monsters of Grade 9 and 10 had been fried to the crisp.
Anything grade 8 and above were crippled, limping towards us with hatred evident in their eyes.
“Now! Towards the gate!”
I slammed my foot through the[Winter Centipede’s head, hearing and feeling a satisfying brunch. As our party made a run for the gates, I looked back to see how the other parties were doing.
Sarai had cast one of the biggest examples of [Dark Tendrils] I had ever seen, blocking off a gate and a half. She had caused literal traffic in the endless tide of monsters, stemming their flow. But it wasn’t without cost, even as I watched her cheeks become sunken and eye hollow. Pyret stood at the front, his sword and shield streaked with blood; teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. Baran and Furgrin followed behind, guarding Sarai in the middle.
I caught the last edges of Dibo’s party disappearing through the gates.
“Ssslaveborn! Look!”
There was a small orb, seemingly made of ice floating next to us.
A Core.
I debated for maybe half a second.
“Leave it! Just go!”
I knew Skaris would want to absorb it, he was ready for a 3rd Core and was having difficulty keeping up with monsters of grade 8 and higher. I could imagine him staring longingly at it even without turning around. But no, I had Skaris’ build planned out in my mind; down to the Core and what path his Racial Trait would take. So we would have to skip this one, and we certainly didn’t have time to take out an Incubator and store it.
“But Ssssslaveborn-”
“Move!”
Bad lizard tribe beastman. Bad!
We passed through the gates I had passed by with Aurora, Krag and Sarai just yesterday. As quick as the monsters had been to slam through the gates, they weren’t good at turning around. They were getting tangled in each other’s limbs and were starting to tear into each other.
For a split second, I saw the walls of the maze again, free of monsters and had a blissful moment where I met the eyes of one of the most horrendous creatures I had ever seen.
Our eyes met.
[Neung-uh (능어)]. Grade 7.
Or the name I was more familiar with: Mermaid. It was the monster that Dibo and I had bet over.
The gods were smiling upon me.
“KRUUAHHHHHH” It screeched and turned to run.
“GET THAT MONSTER! DON’T LET IT GET AWAY!”
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