Liam did not consider leaving for even a second. The writing betrayed intelligence, letting him know that whatever he was up against was not just a being acting purely on instincts. He didn't know why whatever it was didn't want to confront him, but he was going to take it as a sign that it wasn't monstrously powerful enough to erase him like it has disappeared the residents of this place otherwise it would've done so already.
He examined around the carving for any trace of the being's path, but he found no clues or traces besides the marks themselves. The burns, blood and jagged nature of the scar might've betrayed what the creature's powers were but if they did then he wasn't experienced enough in this new world yet to tell. Still, this being here was a sign that there was something interesting to fight in the area. He was done with undead and he reckoned he could dispatch most lower level creatures in a single blow like he had ended up doing to most of the Zombies and Skeletons around his Level in the catacombs. No, he craved a challenge, though he would still rather avoid getting quite as close to death as he had against the Lich.
If he was being honest with himself, he had loved the danger and enjoyed the risk of death but he knew that if he died he wouldn't find that entertaining and so he resigned himself in and tempered his attitude. He set off deeper into the crisscrossed streets of the borough, still not finding any signs of life. Just how far of a distance had humanity been vanished from? How wide was this creature's reach?
As he traveled further, more jaggedly carved words were left for him on his route.
LEAVE
DANGER
GO BACK
All filled with blood and surrounded by scorch marks. He ignored them all but took them as a sign that he was on the right path. Eventually, he started to make out a shape peaking out just over the houses a couple of streets down. It looked like sharp towers of metal that glinted and reflected the sunlight. He got closer and before he made the last turn he saw the final note left for him.
PLEASE
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He steps halted when he saw it. The monster showing intelligence was one thing, but this was another. The sense he got from the word was that it's author was scared and pleading with him not to go any further. But it also sparked his curiosity even more. What could be around this corner that would elicit such a reaction? And why was it so desperate to stop him despite being unwilling to confront him head on? He turned the corner and got his first look at what it had been warding him away from.
Judging from the greenery it must've been a park before it was transformed, with grass and trees still present at the edges of it. The centre, however, had been completely cleared and replaced with a metal monstrosity mimicking the form of a castle. The walls weren't high, but they were sharp and pointed all over and more than enough to deter all but the most determined from climbing it. Towers jutted up out the ground around it and the central building shone so hard it the sun it almost blinded him. But what was most surprising to him was what was on the walls. Humans.
People, dressed in modern clothes with leather cuirass over the top and carrying jagged metal weapons, patrolled and stood sentry on the castle walls. It took them only a couple seconds after he spotted them for them to see him.
"Hey there!"
One of them called, a short man that carried a spear and was at the front of one of the patrols. The others all turned to look at him but he didn't notice any hostility. This being the first time he had seen other living humans since the start of all this, he decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"Hey! What is this place?"
He asked, returning the greeting and fishing for information.
"It's a safe place. Come on in and I'll tell you all about it."
Was the reply. Liam was very suspicious of the place, but he couldn't pass on the chance to interact with others. It may have only been a couple of days since he last spoke to anyone but with everything that had happened it felt like an eternity ago.
He approached the portcullis, which raised as he drew closer. The man who had called out to him had left the wall and was now standing behind it, ready to welcome him. He hesitated a bit when he reached the entrance, before deciding that even if this was a trap whatever was in the area had been very obviously afraid of him and he would be able to at least survive whatever it threw at him. After all, after the Lich if there was one thing he trusted it was his ability to live even through horrific injuries or being torn to pieces.
As he stepped over the threshold, a notification popped up in front of his vision. The man waiting for him seemed to have expected this and didn't try to start a conversation, instead patiently waiting for him to read it.
[You have entered the Area Dungeon - Elemental Rift
The planet of [Revat] is dying. As most fled, the Elementals bound to its natural laws were trapped until they sacrificed what remained of the planet's energies in a ritual to send as many as they could put into the Multiverse. Now on [Earth] the surviving Elementals have established a Rift back to their home planet and are attempting to rescue as many of their brethren as possible and assimilate with [Earth] to become natives.
This is an Area Dungeon and as such you are able to leave and return whenever you wish. The Area Dungeon will be completed if one of the following criteria are met:
Native Elemental Energy Stored for Assimilation Ritual: 3528/100,000
Rifts Closed: 0/1]
When he finished reading, he turned to the man in front of him in confusion.
"What the heck is going on?"