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“And then we ended up running into you. I’m not sure how Alice knew where you were, but she came straight to me.”
As I finished my story, Sally remained silent for a bit before remarking “Your story is similar to mine. I woke up in an alleyway and was wandering around before I got hungry. For some reason I didn’t thirst for blood but just usual food, but with nowhere to go I just ended up sitting near the blacksmiths since it was warm. Simon found me and I insisted on paying him back when he gave me somewhere to sleep and eat. He even had food for Pup, so he taught me how to hit the metal in a certain pattern.”
Stopping to think for a moment, Sally then continues. “I also got the message from the System about this being a scenario with no rewards. It’s strange though, we’re here to witness yet we can interact with this world. Not to mention we only see their classes and names, we don’t see their race on the System information.”
Taking a moment to digest what Sally said, it was indeed strange. We have no idea how the System, dungeons or this world itself really work, or if things like this are normal or not. After all the years at the heel of humans we barely knew anything, nevermind the System we didn’t even know what a dungeon entails.
“Well, we’ll find out soon enough, Sally. I plan to relax for a bit and explore this city. I’ve never seen humans living so peacefully, I want to know if Crater is like this…we only ever were mistreated by our handlers afterall.” Feeling Sally rests her head on mine, so doesn’t respond for a bit.
“I want to find Chloe.” Hearing Sally speak, I didn’t know who she was talking about, but I knew she was from Crater. Thinking about everything we needed to do when we got out wouldn’t help right now, instead I practised my Moon Glow while we sat in silence for a little longer.
***
“You guys seem comfortable. Let’s head back, if we get back too late we won’t get any food.” Seeing Ash walking to us and talking, I nod as Sally and I stand up. “You’re welcome to join us, Sally. I can’t make you a student, but all students can have a plus one in the dorms.”
“Plus one?” Tilting my head, I wonder out loud. Ash explains “Since you’ve been granted the title of student, you can stay in the dorms, and if you want you can have someone living with you.”
Nodding, Sally speaks up “I need to go fetch Pup, I’ll be right back.” Quickly walking back to the blacksmiths, Ash and I keep practising my Star Dust Fist. I was slowly understanding what type of energy this was, I found it was easy to gather and manipulate. Explaining this to Ash, she told me that it’s due to my mutated Mana Pool and Veins and that she was the same with fire magic. Seeing Sally return after about ten minutes, we walked back to the academy building.
Arriving back, we entered the building I had left previously, and we headed to a hall that had a lot of delicious smells coming from it. There were a lot of tables and people sitting at them, it was crowded. Grabbing our hands, Ash led the way, drawing some attention but most ignored us. There were people with bonded monsters of their own around here as well. We found an empty table and sat down as Ash tapped the table.
Soon, someone arrived with plates of food hovering in front of them, and with a wave of their hand the food neatly landed on our table. “Dig in guys, we can get more if you’re still hungry.” Without waiting, Ash started eating as we followed suit, giving some to Pup and Alice. However, just as we got halfway through eating when a sound silenced everyone.
*Ding*
It wasn’t loud, but I could hear it clearly, the sound of a bell ringing once. The entire hall went silent, like they were waiting for something…”One ding, potential threat approaching.” Whispering this to us, I realised we must’ve looked confused. Then a second sound went out.
*Ding*
“Two bell chimes…monster tide. We’ll be called as reinforcements if anything bad happens.” Saying this, the hall picks up in noise again as Ash reaches for more food…
*Ding*
Ash freezes…the entire hall does. Including the silence, everyone had stopped moving. Looking at Ash, she was wide eyed, not saying a word this time. In that silence where you could hear a pin drop came the final sound.
*Ding*
Standing at such a speed that it was like she was standing the entire time, Ash looks at both of us and grabs our hands. “Four chimes..The Order is here.” Without another word, Ash drags us out of our seats as we pick up Pup and Alice with our free hands and move quickly through the now panicked hall of people.
“I need to get you two underground where it's safe. The Order of the Crimson God will likely raze this city to the ground…I’m sorry, I can’t protect you two. The least I can do is get you somewhere that they hopefully won’t find…”
Hearing the panic instead of the cheerful voice I’ve gotten used to over the last few hours, I knew that this threat frightened her deeply. Is this what the System brought us here to witness? We hadn’t found the other three yet, they could still be out there.
“Believe in them for now Alisha, let's focus on getting to safety.” As if she could read my mind, Sally whispered in my ear. Looking into her eyes, I nod as I see her determination. As we made our way outside, it was chaos. People were fleeing in all directions, some were trying to direct the chaos, others pushing each other over in an attempt to run.
Suddenly, the sky turned a bright crimson. Ash who was guiding us started muttering, more to herself rather than me. “Too quick, they got here too quick. We’re not prepared.” As she was talking, it started raining. I smelled blood, looking at the droplets falling, they were red. Was it raining blood? “Blood rain already, this isn’t a random attack…”
Not knowing what was happening, we arrived in a cramped street, overflowing with people trying to escape. Ash’s face paled even further as she turned to us. Giving us a cramped smile, she started crying. “I’m so sorry, even if we reached the underground they would find you two. I can’t save you.” My mind was still in chaos, a moment ago we were eating, now we were being told we were facing death.
“Ash, what’s going on?” Sally speaks up as she keeps a tight hold on Pup. Biting her lip, she explained quickly. “The Order has been destroying towns and cities, slaughtering everything in their path, all in the name of their God, the Blood God. They are trying to summon Him, believing He requires a large amount of sacrifices and fresh blood. But this is too quick, the last time they attacked a city was nowhere near Zalus.”
Not knowing what to say, I heard loud sounds, explosions and the sounds of fighting approaching us. It hasn’t even been twenty minutes yet the sounds were within ear shot already. Looking around, I see citizens who have never levelled once, children clinging to their parents crying, frightened out of their minds, people who’ve collapsed and have expressions like they had already given up.
The scene in front of me showed how these humans…these people were so weak, they couldn’t change their fates now, it was too late. I couldn’t fault them, not everyone wanted to fight or put their lives at risk. Feeling an incredible sadness at this scene I wondered why I was feeling like this. Was it because my monster side was locked by the System…or did I see myself and other hybrids in these people who may die to something they can not fight against.
“I have…I have to leave, I have to try and fight.” Looking unwilling, like she would rather do anything but leave, Ash said this to us. While I’ve only known her for a few hours, I had already started liking her, she was rather kind to me. I knew what this moment was, however. This was what the System brought us here to witness.
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“Let me join you.” Saying this to Ash, I look at her in the face and step forward, Sally doing the same thing besides me. I don’t know what would happen if we were to die here, but looking at the levels of people around us being unknown, I knew we would have no chance of survival. Might as well fight instead of waiting for our deaths.
“No, you guys focus on surviving. It’s not that I don’t understand the feeling of wanting to fight, but I can’t fight with others around me, I’d incinerate you both to nothing. No, the two of you have something more important. When you return to these city ruins in the futur-” Flicking her head up, she stares at something behind us and pushes the two of us behind her as she stops talking. Looking where she was staring, there was a hooded figure wielding a large scythe.
[Level ??? Master of the Blood Scythe, ???]
Before I could speak, I felt a sudden pain around my abdomen, Ash looked back at Sally and I in horror…and looked past us. Trying to turn my head I found I couldn’t. I fall forward, but my legs don’t go with me. What…what just happened? Blinking, my vision went dark as I heard Ash scream.
Blinking again, I was standing near where I was, behind Ash, I saw Sally standing next to me who was looking behind her. Turning, I saw a sight that I could never forget. All the people that were crammed into the street trying to escape were dead, cut in half at the waist. Women, children, men, it didn’t matter who or what, no one was moving. None of them had a chance, I couldn’t even tell what killed us.
Looking down I saw my own body, with Alice’s corpse in my hands. Was I dead? I felt Alice in my hands as I lifted them. She looked real, “Kraa!” she saw me, I’m not sure if she understood what was happening.
“Ash?” Hearing Sally call out to Ash, I turn to look at Ash, but she doesn’t seem to hear us. Watching her, she was fighting the unnamed hooded figure, a hand to her stomach that was bleeding heavily. Even though she hadn’t escaped the attack, she survived it. Watching in horror, it seemed like neither of them could see us, both Sally and I witnessed Ash fighting and losing, on the backfoot constantly. Even with her level as another ???, she couldn’t stand a chance.
No, she was holding herself back. I see, her magic would burn everything around her, she didn’t want to possibly kill those around her…if any survived. Slowly, she was injured over and over, I could see the tears in her eyes, fear showing itself, she knew she would die here. We could do nothing but watch.
Was this how the world outside of Crater was? One moment it was peaceful, I was learning magic and just found Sally, and in the next moment this…complete chaos. Could one die at the flick of one's wrist, just like we had.
As we watch Ash fire off another flame orb at the scythe, who simply knocked it away with one hand, he disappears in the next second, reappearing behind Ash. Brandishing his weapon and putting on his back, I looked at Ash…a cut appeared across her abdomen and I watched, unable to look away even though I wanted to, as the top half of her slowly fell back while the bottom fell forward.
“M-master, I-I’m sorry, I f-failed them.”
Still unable to look away from her, I wanted to move to her side but before I could do it my vision changed again, I was watching over the old man I had met earlier. Jin, Ash’s Master, was surrounded by enemies, he was missing an arm, spikes surrounded him as did demolished buildings. There were humans, dead all around the scene. Not far from him was the wall around the city, a massive gap was there, the edges still smoking. Standing here, he is attempting to prevent them from entering the city but he was unable to. From that gap in the wall, thousands of other humans were charging through.
I watch once again in terror as Jin lets out a mighty shout, slamming his hand to the ground as the earth around him cracked and shook, spikes thicker than me shooting out the ground in a massive circle around him, impaling enemies, while some dodged or just outright ignored the spikes. They moved in and kept attacking Jin, slowly reaching him and attacking, over and over, wounds of all kinds from swords to claw marks appearing all over him. From behind him, someone jumped from his shadow and swung a sword at his neck, and just as I saw the blade start cutting through, my vision jumped once more.
Janet, the sweet old lady who had taken care of me and Anita, the one who at first frightened me but in the end did treat me right were on their last legs, trying to protect the academy and the people inside. Anita pushes a hand from upwards to downwards as bursts of wind and thunder slam into the enemies surrounding them, cutting them apart with the force of the wind or paralysing them with the lightning. Janet placed a hand on Anita’s shoulder, a white pulsing light surrounding the palm and then surrounding Anita.
Just as Anita started to heal, a sword pierced her heart from behind. I can’t make out what attacked her, trying to stare at the figure caused it to blur. Janet didn’t notice until it was too late, the same happening to her. Feeling my heart being torn apart from these scenes, my vision changed again.
This time, I was standing in the middle of a city, it was nighttime and there were no clouds. Looking around, all I could see were ruins of buildings. Spotting Elizabeth, Gray, Olivia and Sally, they were standing nearby, all of them had pale faces, tears running down everyone's faces, including mine. Looking around, I can see my sack near me, along with the clothing and Elven armour I had worn and taken off before bathing in that...world. I don’t comprehend where I am until the System informs me.
[Dungeon Scenario Completed.
You experienced the last moments of those you came in contact with, those you left an imprint on. The City of Zalus, and by extension the Country, were destroyed by The Order of the Crimson God. Following the attack, The Order failed to accomplish their mission and were finally stopped by what the people of the world refer to as the Hero Party.
You now stand on the ruins of that ancient city of an era long past. One final challenge awaits you.]
Looking up, I see a figure in the distance, unmoving. Too far for me to see, I couldn’t fetch any System information either. Turning my eyes back to the rest of the group, they were just as shaken. Olivia looks at me with some fear in her eyes.
“Alisha…what just happened?”
Shaking my head, I was unable to answer her. Everything had happened so quickly, was that what the world was like? Speaking again, Olivia comments “I’ve never heard of such a thing happening in a dungeon…i-it was so real, the people I spoke to, Henry and the others…” Olivia starts crying into her hands.
No one spoke, no one could. Sitting down I held my knees, trying to distract myself from the images we had just seen. The more I cried, the more anger in my heart started growing. I was angry at myself for being too weak to help, for not doing more. I don’t know why but I couldn’t tell anyone why I was there, I couldn’t warn them! Why did the System show us such a thing…I knew we were there to witness, I knew they could be killed, but to witness them falling one by one.
Even if it was for a short time, those humans treated me so well. Perhaps it was because they saw me as a human as well thanks to the System, but perhaps it’s a sign that not all humans are like the humans from Crater. They even taught me about true mana and magic, even if it was basic knowledge to them, it was something that I’d remember. Looking into my mana realm, it was still the one they helped me awaken.
Standing back up, feeling an anger surge in me, I noticed quickly that I wasn’t clothed. Was it because I was wearing the blue shirt and pants from that ladies house? I wonder what ever happened to her, was I meant to be her child? Was she trying to find me in those final moments, wanting to see her child one last time? Stopping myself from thinking too deeply about it, I quickly dressed myself and equip my Elven Armor. I had noticed Sally and Elizabeth had some items of clothing missing as they too redressed themselves, while Olivia and Gray still wore what they had before we went wherever we went.
Elizabeth looks around at us and sits down, gesturing for us to do the same. Sitting down as the others slowly did so, no one spoke until Gray broke the silence.
“Th-that was all real, wasn’t it? That wasn’t just a vision…I helped those children, fed them…I watched them all die.” Seeing that Gray had his own experience, I again didn’t know how to respond. No one did.
“It-it really shows how deadly this world is. People could be killed just like that…cities can fall so quickly. I had thought of warning someone, but something deep within me told me that if I did something terrible would happen.” Hugging her knees, Elizabeth spoke up. “I knew from the start it was likely the city would fall, but for it to happen that quickly and without warning…”
I know the hidden meaning that was left in her words. If it can happen to people that powerful, then it could happen to us. Using my anger as a stepping stone, I swore that I would become strong enough to protect those that I cared about. To protect the hybrids, my brethren, from their current and future suffering. Standing, I look towards the figure in the distance.
“Let’s finish this dungeon and get stronger. We have a lot to do.” Saying this I start walking forward as everyone else does. Looking at my Status, my Class was still missing. Even if I was Classless right now, I could always get it back. Ash said that it was likely due to my new mana pool and veins that I was not completely used to yet…or it was as she hinted to me, it was the monster within myself.
Approaching the figure, I start preparing my Star Dust Fist as I start to whirl the wind around me. Not taking interest at how smoothly my magic was being invoked all around me, we arrived near the figure.
[Level 19 True Guardian of the Temple of the Blood God, The Crimson King]
Standing at three metres tall, draped in red and gold armour, a black cape on its back, a crown with gems inserted. A sword at least the same size as it, nearly three metres in length, black hair and red beady eyes that were watching us. Without a word, the Crimson King drew his sword as we all moved to start fighting.