Talax approached the door, his fingers barely grazing its surface as he gently pushed it open. The hinges let out a long, mournful creak, as if protesting against the intrusion after centuries of neglect. The twin doors swung apart reluctantly, filling the tunnel with their ominous sound. Qalo's breath caught in surprise as the doors revealed a small chamber.
Inside the chamber, an eerie and ethereal light suffused the surroundings, casting an otherworldly glow that seemed to defy explanation. The raised platform at the room's center drew their attention, its marbled floor shimmering with an otherworldly sheen. The rugged rock walls, adorned with faded murals depicting ancient rituals, intricate symbols, and scenes of powerful magic, evoked a sense of antiquity. Amidst this mystical ambiance, a solitary pedestal stood proudly, cradling an intricately carved figurine.
With a shared sense of hesitation, the trio crossed the threshold of the chamber, their footsteps soft and purposeful. Delicate wisps of blue light descended from the ceiling, guiding their way with a gentle luminescence. When they fully entered the chamber, an abrupt thud echoed through the air, prompting them to whirl around in alarm. The double doors had swung shut, imprisoning them within the small space.
Qalo hurried to the door, his attempts to pry it open betraying a mix of desperation and determination. Observing his companion's struggle, Talax noted the futility of his efforts. It was evident that the door would remain shut unless they discovered another way out.
Yet, Talax's attention was diverted by a detail that had initially escaped him. Positioned discreetly at the back of the chamber, a meticulously chiseled arch adorned the rocky wall. Intrigued, he circled around the marbled platform, his curiosity driving him to closely inspect the arch. Although no obvious signs of an opening were visible, an instinctual feeling urged him to explore further. Somehow, he sensed that this arch was the key to their escape.
Turning his gaze back to his companions, who were still grappling with the door, Talax spoke with a tone of finality. “Don’t bother trying, it won’t open.” Qalo met his eyes, his determination wavering before finally conceding. Franny, however, persisted, pushing against the door with unwavering resolve, resulting in an unsettling scraping noise as his armor scraped against the rough surface.
“How are we going to escape then?” Qalo's voice held a hint of helplessness. Talax's gaze shifted to the pedestal and the figurine resting upon it. “Probably there is a puzzle that has to do with that figurine.” Qalo's eyes followed Talax's hand, a mixture of surprise and curiosity in his expression.
"I hadn't even noticed it," Qalo admitted, a touch of chagrin in his voice. Talax couldn't help but smirk, his response playful as he called to Franny. “Would you give up already? It’s not gonna open.” With a sigh of resignation, Franny relinquished his futile efforts and joined them.
"So, any ideas on how we're meant to escape?" Franny's question hung in the air, seeking a solution. Qalo, however, spoke up with newfound assurance. “There is a puzzle.” Qalo informed him proudly as if he was the one to figure it out. Talax shook his head, a faint smile quirking his lips.
“We have to check out the figurine up close.” Talax proposed, his tone more focused and purposeful. Qalo without hesitation, stepped onto the marbled platform.
Talax moved to follow, but his vision suddenly flashed with a red light. Without a moment to spare, he heard a distinct click, followed by an eerie whistling sound. Panic surged through him as he witnessed a hail of small darts converging upon his unsuspecting companion, Qalo.
In a split second, the darts found their mark. Qalo's agonized cry echoed through the chamber as he teetered on the brink of collapse. Talax's reflexes kicked in, his hand shooting out to seize the staggering half-orc. Just ahead, a malevolent trap glowed with a feeble crimson hue, poised like a hungry predator waiting to ensnare its prey. With a strained effort, Talax gently lowered Qalo to the ground, whose face was etched with pain.
Talax's gaze then shifted to Franny, his eyes wide with alarm as he began extracting the darts that riddled Qalo's greenish skin. "What happened to him?" he asked urgently. Franny, his focus already on his satchel, responded with an exclamation of triumph as he produced a small, orange-tinted vial. Swiftly leveraging his tusks, he opened Qalo's mouth and poured the contents of the vial.
A relieved sigh escaped Franny's lips as he leaned back, his expression calming. "That man entered my life just to empty my bag out of its contents.” Franny quipped wryly. A chuckle escaped Talax as he posed another question. "Were the darts poisoned?" But before Franny could answer, Talax noticed something peculiar, bluish marks on Qalo's skin. It was like he had been punched by an angry mob, and right before his eyes the markings started fading back into healthy skin.
“That was some quick thinking.” Talax commended Franny genuinely. "Thank you. Qalo will need a few minutes to recover." Talax rose from his crouched position and retraced his steps to the marbled platform. His attention fixed on the intricate patterns on the floor, his vision once again flickered with a red light where Qalo had stepped.
"Franny, do you see that red light?" he called out, inviting the noble to inspect the peculiar phenomenon. As Franny joined him, a puzzled shake of the head was his response. "Do you possess any trap-detection skill?" Franny inquired, searching for a solution. A quick internal scan of his abilities yielded no new skill. He shook his head in response and focused his attention on the marbled floor around the pedestal.
Gradually, one by one, more red lights materialized, forming an intricate lattice of potential danger. "This is... interesting," Talax muttered, his tone a mixture of fascination and trepidation. Just as he was processing this revelation, a surge of mana pulsed through him, prompting him to instinctively check his core once more. This time, a new skill had appeared.
Traps, level 1
1% to detection, 1% to trap creation
"I just got the trap-detection skill," he informed Franny. The nobleman's brow furrowed in confusion as he questioned, "But how were you able to spot the traps before acquiring the skill?" Talax shrugged, genuinely puzzled. "I honestly don't know. All I can say is that there are a shit ton of traps between here and the pedestal."
Talax meticulously examined the floor, double-checking each step before cautiously moving toward the figurine. An agitated Franny demanded, "What in the world are you doing?" His voice carried an edge of anxiety. "I'm the only one who can see the traps." Talax replied.
Step by painstaking step, he advanced with deliberate care towards the pedestal. Red lights bloomed all around him like eerie flowers, some appearing almost immediately while others seemed to fight his newfound skill.
His breathing came in irregular huffs, each movement a tense exercise in precision. His muscles coiled like springs, ready to react to any potential misstep that might trigger one of the traps. Slowly but surely, he navigated the perilous platform, finally reaching the pedestal. For the first time, he could truly see the figurine up close.
Talax closely examined the figurine's intricate carvings. The figure depicted had arms outstretched, symbolizing the four elements he had encountered throughout the dungeon. Its eyes held a mysterious glint, an enigma within their depths.
"We must solve the puzzle hidden within this chamber to find the way out," Talax proclaimed, his voice resolute. "I'm sure the solution lies within the elements depicted on the figurine."
Talax's keen eyes caught sight of a series of symbols etched onto the chamber walls. These symbols seemed to correspond with the elemental depictions on the figurine. He swiftly beckoned Franny over to inspect them. After a brief moment, Franny was tracing the markings, and excitement colored his voice as he exclaimed, "There's a faint aura emanating from this symbol. I can feel it!"
Talax pondered for a moment, then called out, "Try touching it to see if it reacts." Without hesitation, Franny followed the instruction. Suddenly, four tiles illuminated with a radiant golden light. "That's it! We've found the first element," Talax declared with a mixture of satisfaction and urgency. "Now let's try to find the next one."
Qalo, having awoken after the potion had taken effect, joined Franny in the search for the correct symbols. Talax watched the illuminated tiles with a frown, the four symbols seemed to be scattered across the platform without any obvious pattern.
"I found another one!" Franny exclaimed with excitement, causing four more tiles to light up. The platform now resembled a dance floor with its array of colors. Despite the growing display, Talax remained perplexed, unable to discern the logic behind these scattered tiles. They should need only one... Yet another set of tiles lit up, adding to his already disorienting view. His traps skill still showed the dangerous traps, marked by the persistent red glow.
Eventually, Qalo discovered the missing symbol, hidden amidst a mural depicting a black river and wailing figures of despair. As the tiles around Talax continued to shine with varying degrees of brightness, he struggled to figure out the next step. Despite having identified all four symbols, he had expected some sort of cue for the next move. The absence of any such indication left him bewildered, grappling with the puzzle's next phase.
"Now what?" Qalo's voice held uncertainty as he surveyed the chamber. Talax refocused his attention on the figurine and realized that each of the four outstretched hands pointed to different parts of the room. A surge of barely contained excitement coursed through him. Following the gesture of the first hand, he discovered the same symbol faintly flickering at the platform's edge.
With swift yet cautious steps, he traversed the treacherous platform, avoiding tiles that were marked with the telltale red glow of traps. Upon reaching the tile bearing the symbol, he placed his foot upon it with bated breath. Uncertainty lingered, he still wasn’t sure whether it would unlock the door or a boulder would come crushing down on his head.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
As his weight pressed down on the tile, an almost imperceptible click resonated through the air, and the light faded away. Amidst the hushed ambiance, an exclamation of excitement reached his ears. Whirling around, Talax's gaze locked onto Qalo, who was cheering with unbridled enthusiasm. At that moment, the arch on the back wall sprung to life. The arch, once a simple carving on the rough stone, now seemed to possess a nearly intangible layer of mana. It shimmered faintly, so subtle that Talax almost doubted his senses. One moment, there was a delicate curtain of mana at the arch's center, and the next, it vanished, leaving only the bare rock behind.
Emboldened by his success, he retraced his steps to stand before the figurine once more. With practiced determination, he located the next symbol and repeated the process. As the sequence repeated, a new layer of mana manifested at the arch, casting a soft, almost ethereal glow throughout the chamber.
The arms of the figurine acted as unwavering guides, directing him unerringly to the correct tiles. With a growing sense of confidence, Talax reached each symbol with relative ease, his traps skill proving invaluable in avoiding any concealed hazards.
Upon stepping onto the fourth and final tile, a surge of mana coursed through him, resonating with the growing luminance of the arch. His traps skill had somehow leveled up. Maybe his continuous use of the skill helped him level it up.
Traps, level 2
2% to detection, 2% to trap creation
His momentary elation was abruptly interrupted as his attention was drawn towards the previously unassuming arch, now radiating a brilliance akin to a miniature sun, awash in an undulating sea of mana. He frowned, perplexed by the arch's newfound radiance, because it seemed more like a ticking time bomb than a doorway to safety.
"Are... are we supposed to go through there?" Franny's words were hesitant, his finger pointing hesitantly at the luminous arch.
"No way!" Qalo protested vehemently, his steps retreating from the arch as if it were a raging tempest.
"Fantastic! Just perfect! What's next? A rolling boulder? Poisonous gas?" Frustration tinted Talax's mutterings. Even before his words could fully dissipate, a thunderous groan echoed through the room. Startled shouts erupted from his companions, and it didn't take him long to realize the source of the noise, the walls were moving! The room itself was shrinking.
"Curse my luck and my big mouth!"
"Oh no!" Franny's exclamation was filled with a mixture of panic and disbelief. The nobleman flapped his arms frantically, struggling to maintain his balance amidst the shockwaves that jolted the chamber.
"Look! Something's changing!" Qalo's voice pierced through the chaos, and Talax's attention was directed towards the ornate arch before them.
Within the arch, hues began to form, merging and converging into a dark, churning sea. They watched as waves of mana, now tainted with shades of black and white, surged with a furious force, cascading energy into the shrinking chamber. The sheer intensity of it made their skin prickle with unease.
"What's happening?" Talax's voice held a mix of curiosity and alarm. "Could it be a portal?" he wondered aloud. Franny, his nerves clearly on edge, voiced his unease. "A portal to where?" His words were abruptly cut off as stones, as large as their heads, began to rain down from the ceiling.
The relentless grind of the walls closing in sent Talax's heart racing. The already confined chamber was dwindling further; within a matter of minutes, they'd be crushed. Desperation gripped him, they had to pass through the weird portal.
"We need to make it through!" Talax shouted above the cacophony, a shower of pebbles raining down upon them.
"Are you mad? The portal's unstable! We'll be torn apart!" As if to give credibility to Franny’s words, another miniature explosion echoed from within the portal, golden swirls clashing against the encroaching darkness in an undulating battle.
"Do you have a better idea?" Talax retorted, his frustration palpable. His sweeping gesture encompassed their shrinking surroundings. "We're trapped here with no other way out!"
"I won’t go in there! I don't trust magic!" Qalo's vehement declaration accompanied his vigorous head shake, denying the very notion.
Talax ground his teeth in exasperation and approached the portal.
"What in the abyss are you doing?" Franny demanded, trailing close behind, as if he feared that letting Talax out of his sight for a moment might result in a hasty, ill-advised decision sealing their fate.
Talax remained silent, his focus fixed on the pulsating field of mana before him. The arch seemed to have awoken with energies teeming with potential and danger. He soon realized that four distinct types of magic fought for dominance. Among them, the light magic stood out. It emitted a radiant energy akin to the effect of Franny's spells, a pleasant warmth reminiscent of basking under the afternoon sun.
The other three forms of magic were less clear, their nature elusive and difficult to pin down. He sensed boundless vitality one moment and depilating weakness the next.
"Step closer, Franny." Talax glanced back at the nobleman, who regarded the arch with a mixture of fear and trepidation. Meanwhile, Qalo darted around in a chaotic dance, avoiding falling debris and invoking help from some orcish Goddess.
Franny complied, inching nearer and scrutinizing the turbulent energies. "Can you identify these forms of mana? I sense light and life. What are the other two?" Talax inquired urgently.
"What's the point?" Franny yelled, his frustration evident. "We should get away from here!" He moved as if to retreat, but Talax grabbed his hand, locking him in place.
"Focus! The more we understand, the better our chances," Talax urged. Panic danced in Franny's eyes, his gaze darting around as the shrinking room emphasized the looming threat. The confined space was closing in on them at an alarming pace, the walls compressing like a vise, clouding Franny's mind.
"For fuck’s shake! Get a grip, damn it!" Talax roared into his face, spit landing on the noble’s aristocratic features. Oddly, it was the spittle, more than the words, that snapped Franny out of his daze. With a look of distaste, he produced an embroidered handkerchief seemingly out of thin air to wipe his face clean.
Intermittent bursts of mana erupted at the portal's surface, tugging at their hair like gusts from a tempest. The next moment an unrelenting searing heat scorched their skin, akin to wandering a desolate desert.
"I'm not certain... It might be dark magic?" Franny offered uncertainly, his attention still fixated on the swirling spectrum of mana. Meanwhile, Talax surveyed the room, which had rapidly transformed into a suffocating enclosure. His gaze shifted to Qalo, who, with a helpless glance toward Talax, seemed to finally grasp the dire necessity of using the portal, prompting him to sprint over.
The room had dwindled to half its original dimensions, now a mere four meters wide. The once sporadic pebbles that had grazed their heads had transformed into an incessant downpour of rocks, growing in size with every passing moment. The gleaming platform, too, was disintegrating piece by piece, accompanied by sporadic explosions as hidden traps were triggered. They had to move!
Overwhelmed by desperation, Talax's voice strained as he implored, "Quickly, infuse some light mana!" Franny pivoted to him, incredulity etched on his features.
"I don't know how to do that!" Franny protested vehemently.
"Cast a fucking spell into the portal!" Talax bellowed, his frustration and urgency boiling over.
"It could fucking explode right in our faces!" Franny's retorted with heat.
"We're dead either way! Just do it!" Talax's growl was brimming with frustration, his sense of urgency overpowering any hesitation. Franny ground his teeth audibly, shutting his eyes momentarily, as if gathering his resolve. Then, he began to cast.
"I don't want to die!" Qalo's wail held a mixture of fear and desperation.
After a few intense moments of casting, a transformation rippled through the undulating sea of mana. The different forms of mana coalesced, creating distinct patches of light. White, gold, black, and grey, interlaced with streaks of festering darkness.
These distinct mana segments surged with violent motion, colliding with their neighboring energies. Waves of power cascaded into the shrinking chamber, and to Talax, it felt as though he stood next to a ticking time bomb, ready to unleash its catastrophic force and obliterate them all in an instant. Responding to this precarious situation, he demanded the only logical course of action.
"Infuse more mana!" Franny regarded him as if he had lost his mind, but when he spotted the wall behind them surging with immutable certainty, he began casting again, this time without complaint.
Talax watched with baited breath, ready to die at any moment. Before Franny's incantation could reach its climax, a violent explosion rocked the chamber, sending all three companions through the air.
Coughing and blinking his eyes open amidst the swirling debris, Talax found himself amidst a scene of chaos. Dirt rained from the ceiling, descending like a suffocating curtain, while the walls seemed to inch closer with each breath. Qalo, dazed and disoriented, was sprawled nearby, looking around blankly as the ceiling groaned ominously.
Before Talax could communicate with Qalo, his attention was captured by the arch, standing before them. Its ornate carvings pulsed with a mysterious energy, and a sense of otherworldly presence emanated from it. Talax's gaze then shifted to the chamber walls, where murals and markings began to stir, awakening with a life of their own.
The depicted scenes transformed, as if leaping from their two-dimensional existence into a vivid three-dimensional realm. Talax's breath caught in his throat as he witnessed the scenes unfold before his eyes. Figures emerged from the murals, suspended in time yet animated by unseen forces. Some knelt in devout prayer, their voices carried by an ethereal breeze. Others plunged into rivers depicted on the walls, emerging revitalized and youthful. Skeletal forms engaged in a haunting dance, their movements graceful in their eerie elegance.
Amidst the enigmatic scenes, Talax's gaze fixated on the convergence of the four rivers. The currents, each marked by their distinct colors of white, gold, black, and grey, flowed with mesmerizing fluidity, weaving intricate patterns across the chamber floor. Unperturbed by the cascade of falling rocks or the encroaching walls, these currents united at the room's center, atop the timeworn pedestal that cradled the small, unassuming figurine.
As the rivers merged, a palpable tension infused the air. The chamber itself appeared to hold its breath, suspended in anticipation of the climactic moment this mystical convergence promised. Talax's gaze remained fixed on the figurine, a glint of both anticipation and apprehension reflected in his eyes.
Then, as if responding to the harmonious union of the rivers, the figurine erupted in blinding brilliance. Light surged forth, casting ethereal shadows upon the chamber's walls. The merging currents seemed to imbue the figurine with renewed vitality, its purpose finally revealed.
Awe and trepidation surged within Talax. The room itself seemed to pulse with an almost sentient energy, its true nature becoming clearer yet remaining elusive. It was a nexus of ancient powers, a convergence of forces far beyond the comprehension of mere mortals.
Talax's eyes widened in realization as he felt the peculiar energy resonate, recalling his previous encounter with the shattered statue. His attention darted toward the portal, its luminance shifting colors, blinding white to suffocating black, dazzling gold to muted grey.
With urgency taking over, Talax scrambled to his feet, narrowly avoiding a rock that crashed down precisely where he had been lying moments before. Panic gripped him as he realized the chamber was on the verge of collapse, if the encroaching walls didn't prove fatal, the plummeting ceiling surely would.
Grasping Franny, he helped the nobleman stand, his voice cutting through the chaos as he urged Qalo to move quickly. The dazed orc clumsily got to his feet, then followed his two companions, stumbling toward the portal.
Together, they stood before the flashing portal, the shifting lights causing Talax a throbbing headache. Yet, amidst the swirling energies, a glimmer of relief emerged. The opposing mana currents seemed to have settled, dispelling the earlier threat that the mass of mana would explode at any moment.
Casting a final, wistful look at the merging rivers and the luminous figurine that glowed in mystic radiance that seemed to beckon him with an unspoken promise, Talax's determination solidified. "Let's move!" He yelled, glancing back at his companions. The scene behind them was one of impending chaos, the ceiling ready to collapse, boulders cascading like a destructive tide toward their position.
In a frenzied panic, he bellowed, "Go! Go!" Without another thought, he jumped into the swirling vortex of mana.