"Damn, it's pitch-black in here!"
SonicEcho was spot on. The tunnel was enveloped in darkness, only slightly diminished by the occasional pale blue flower glowing faintly along the edges, scattered here and there. It was a straight path, with no branches, and a stench of decay and rot stretched endlessly down the way. Marshmallow didn't flinch; he was well-trained for such uncomfortable situations. SonicEcho, not so much, obviously, as he pinched his nose with a grimace of disgust on his face.
“What did you expect in an underground tunnel? A red carpet and neon lights?” Marshall retorted, annoyed as he took an electric torch from his backpack and lit up the dark areas of the tunnel. Fortunately, Marshmallow and SonicEcho had electric torches at their disposal. SonicEcho didn't hesitate to pull out his torch and double the light emitted. Marshmallow, meanwhile, had placed the extinguished flaming torch he had created in his backpack. It might come in handy later.
“He totally bought it! Thank God!” Marshmallow said softly, sighing in relief with his heart racing. “He doesn't remember me!”
During the extraction for The Survivor Game, Marshmallow had been drawn first. He didn't know if it was by chance or necessity, but everyone had seen his name projected on the big screen, with "Jolly Rank" written in huge letters. True, he had worn a mask, but the fact that SonicEcho had asked about his Rank meant he didn’t remember his name. Why hadn't SonicEcho noticed? Was he sleeping? Marshmallow knew he had to watch his back, both from enemies and friends. He couldn’t predict how his teammates would react to him being the Jolly Rank.
They began to advance cautiously. Their steps echoed like lead in such a confined space. The ground under their feet was rocky and slippery, and the further they walked, the denser, colder, and more putrid the air became. The programmers had perfectly recreated the sensation of entering an underground tunnel, where the dampness of the earth intensified until it could be felt in the bones, the walls were covered in moss, and roots dangled like skeletal fingers of an undead. Marshmallow and SonicEcho truly felt as if they were inside an alternate reality.
Scrr-Scrr!
A sinister sound, like nails scraping along the slippery rock of the tunnel, echoed from afar. It was as if something was slithering in the darkness. Marshmallow tried to shine his electric torch into every corner of the tunnel, attempting to identify the source of the unnerving noise. No matter how much he searched, he couldn’t see anything that justified the gut-wrenchingly disturbing sound.
“Sonic!” Marshmallow called out as he walked, on high alert. His survival backpack was slung over his shoulder. In his right hand, he clutched the nailed board, and in his left, the torch lit the way through the tunnel's twists and turns.
“Do you hear those strange noises too? Like something moving?”
“No,” SonicEcho replied curtly, shaking his head. “What do you hear?”
“How can you not hear it?” Marshmallow retorted, frowning. “Listen closely, something is slithering.”
Scrr-Scrr!
The strange noise was heard again, this time louder and more distinct. SonicEcho’s demeanor changed as he vigorously swung his torch, searching for the threat.
“Damn, it's true! What the hell is that?”
The duo proceeded cautiously, paying attention to every single detail. Now, the noise was becoming increasingly insistent, and SonicEcho was on high alert.
Suddenly, SonicEcho looked down, aiming his torch at the ground. His eyes widened in shock, and his pupils constricted in horror. What he saw made his stomach churn: a cockroach as big as a chicken’s butt, with its shiny chitinous shell, disgusting little legs, and quivering antennae. His body reacted as if electrocuted. He lifted his metal bat and slammed it down with all the weight of his body and revulsion.
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THUMP!
The bat struck the cockroach squarely with a squishy sound, bursting it into a wave of slimy, nauseating splatters. It died instantly, expelling a cloud of innards and bodily fluids, its exoskeleton shattered into uneven pieces that flew in all directions. The force of the blow sent small droplets splashing onto the tunnel walls, as well as SonicEcho’s and Marshmallow’s pants.
“What the hell was that thing?! A giant cockroach, gross!” SonicEcho stood momentarily, staring at the disgusting remains, his bat still clenched in his right hand.
“Cockroaches?!” Marshmallow exclaimed, bewildered. Now he began to pay closer attention, and he started to see those little pieces of crap. In the darkness of the underground tunnel, small creatures moved, their shiny chitinous backs, filthy legs, and horrendous antennae revealed by the torchlight. They weren't normal cockroaches, but giants! What kind of disgusting thing was this?
Just as SonicEcho finished observing the grotesque insect remains, a green screen suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. Marshmallow, standing behind him, could also see the screen that had materialized.
Lesser Evolveroach killed!
+ 0.2 Exp
The two adventurers watched as the Evolveroaches disappeared into the dark recesses of the tunnel, almost as if they had evaporated into thin air. Marshmallow scraped his shoe on the ground, while SonicEcho shook his metal bat, freeing it from the disgusting remnants.
“Looks like they got the message,” SonicEcho said with a satisfied smile on his face.
“Let's hope the lesson sticks,” Marshmallow replied. “But I must admit, a bit of easy Exp wouldn’t have been bad.”
They resumed their march, the sound of their steps breaking the silence.
“So, are you really sure you don't remember who I am?” SonicEcho asked, almost provocatively.
“Shoot,” Marshmallow replied, intrigued.
“When I got on stage, I put on a show, buddy!” SonicEcho exclaimed, visibly excited. “I spent more than 2000 Wyodollars, all my savings. And guess what I got? A damn D Rank! I was hoping for at least a C, not to mention a B Rank. So, I lost it and started punching that stick-thin host! I’ll tell you, seeing him bleed was hugely satisfying!”
"I remember the first rebellion. Was there a second?" Marshmallow asked, piqued with interest.
"Absolutely!" SonicEcho replied, his eyes sparkling. "Practically all the E and D Ranks caused a ruckus. But I really put on quite a show!"
“Like?" Marshmallow pressed on.
"Well, no one else got to beating up the guy with the bull mask. They had to call those pseudo-SWAT guys who clubbed me, then they threw me into one of those capsules by force. But at least I made a statement!"
At that moment, the beam of SonicEcho’s electric torch illuminated a strange carving on the tunnel wall, a kind of symbol that neither of them could interpret. Marshmallow squinted, trying to make sense of it. Then, he realized it was the perfect opportunity to change the subject.
"Speaking of indecipherable and mysterious things." Marshmallow began. "Do you know what Unique Skills are? They weren’t explained to me."
"They're unique abilities, but I don't know exactly what they entail. Didn’t Ada mention them to you? She only hinted at them to me. Anyway, they'll be crucial, I can tell you that." SonicEcho explained.
“So you don’t know what they are either,” Marshmallow concluded. "We should find a B or A Rank ally to learn more."
And Marshmallow had a huge interest in knowing. He could potentially steal it from someone. He had to!
As they progressed, the light from Marshmallow’s electric torch danced along the tunnel walls until it fell upon an extraordinary detail: a massive, menacing door set into the heart of the rock. It seemed to have been carved by ancient hands, covered in indecipherable runes that almost pulsed under the touch of the light. "Shall we go through?" SonicEcho asked with a hint of trepidation in his voice.
Marshmallow nodded, and with a deep breath, they both pushed the heavy door with their shoulders as their hands were occupied. The door opened with a dull groan that echoed through the tunnel like a ghost's lament.
They entered a spacious chamber, its contours difficult to discern in the darkness. Their torch beams crossed, revealing a massive figure trapped in the center of the room. Thick roots, like steel cables, sprouted from the floor, encasing the creature in a state of dormant captivity.
It was a goat man, but of monstrous proportions, at least three times the size of a normal man. His presence seemed shrouded in a dark aura, and his eyes, though closed, glowed with an eerie light that the torch seemed unable to touch.
Marshmallow stopped dead, struck by a feeling of déjà vu. It was as if a light bulb had gone on in his head. Then he exclaimed: "Wait! That... is the goat man from the tablet!"