Scott and his companions ignored the flashing blue screens, their gazes fixed on the tumultuous scene before them. As their eyes traced the massive silhouettes and monstrous creatures roiling in the blackened sea, their faces grew increasingly somber. The storm's fury echoed their inner turmoil, and every sense screamed at them, warning that this was a place no one should venture into. Rain lashed at them, but the champions remained motionless, staring at the chaos around them.
“100 years…” Oana's voice trembled, barely audible over the thunder's roar.
The vampire's hand reached out, trembling, toward the persistent notification, hoping against hope it was an illusion. It wasn’t.
Behind them, a forest of gigantic trees stretched endlessly, the wind's howl sending occasional clanking echoes through the dancing branches.
“We are in serious trouble,” Ember's voice whispered into their minds, still recovering from the initial shock.
“Do you recognize this place?” Zara's eyes, wide with fear, darted to Ember.
Ember took a deep breath, steadying herself. “The elders in my clan speak of an abominable prison designed for those who defy the natural order. A place where the most elusive champions are condemned. I never learned its name, but it was described as a realm of blackened waters, relentless storms, and incomprehensible monstrosities.” She pointed to the system panel displaying their sentence. “This confirms my worst fears.”
Lightning split the sky, illuminating their darkened surroundings. The champions wore grim expressions, absorbing Ember’s revelation. The vampires from Frăția Morții, linked telepathically to Orion, shared the dread. They loathed being caught in such a complex situation but remained silent, knowing complaints were futile.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not spending a hundred fucking years here,” Zara declared, breaking the heavy silence.
“Me neither,” Slim agreed, though his gaze remained on the ominous black sea. “But escaping won’t be easy.”
Lightning flashes revealed brief glimpses of behemoths lurking in the depths, sending shivers down their spines.
“Escape by air or sea is almost impossible,” Orion's voice cut through the tension, drawing everyone's attention. “I sent a clone into the sea. I lost connection instantly—”
“Wait,” Slim interrupted, “when you say lost connection, do you mean it was eaten, or it died, or what exactly?”
Orion wore a smile as he turned toward the necromancer. "My connection with it was severed as soon as it touched the water. Although unlikely, that could mean it’s still alive there, or it got eaten, or it got corrupted. I honestly don’t know which is more exciting," he chuckled, taking out his glasses from his inventory. Ignoring the sour expressions of his companions, he adjusted his glasses and continued, "Oh, that reminds me," his smile growing even brighter as he stared at the darkened clouds. "This rain isn’t good for us long-term."
"I thought I was the only one who felt it," Scott suddenly commented, drawing all eyes to him.
"Buddy, what are you talking about?" Slim asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
"It’s not potent now, but the rain seems to be ebbing away at our reserves. While we might not be rendered completely powerless, we won’t be able to exert our full might either," Scott declared to Orion’s amusement.
The mage clapped slowly. "As observant as ever," he teased, adjusting his glasses.
The other champions' expressions darkened further.
"What if we shield ourselves from the rain? That should stop it, right?" Illena asked, anxiety lacing her voice as she drew the attention of all the champions.
"In theory, that should work, but I have a sneaky feeling that it’s only a matter of time before the protective covering is rendered useless by the rain," Orion said with a smile. "The rain is actually the least of our worries. Although my data is still insufficient, I can tell it won’t render us useless. If there’s anything we need to be concerned with up there, it’s the lightning."
As if on cue, a massive lightning bolt streaked through the skies, crashing into the blackened sea with a thunderous explosion.
Orion burst out laughing. "We are as good as dead if we get struck by one of those bad boys. So, as I said, escaping by air or sea is out of the question."
Silence loomed over the group as they mulled over Orion’s words. The reality of their situation was bleaker than they had expected, and it felt like things would get worse before they got better.
"I really hate this place," Slim muttered after a long pause. "If they were going to lock us up, they could have at least done so in a normal place," he grumbled.
Orion chuckled softly. "Where would the fun be in that?"
Slim cast a glance toward the mage, ready to retort, but Scott suddenly interjected, "Someone is coming," he declared, his voice heavy.
The champions' expressions shifted, and they all turned toward the massive forest behind them, eyes fixed on the swaying tree branches. The rumbling thunder above and the turbulent seas behind made it hard to hear any footsteps. The partial darkness blighting the forest made it hard to see, but they remained vigilant, each ready for battle.
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Overwhelmed by the sudden arrival in the forsaken place, they had forgotten about other people being within the prison. Now that Scott had mentioned it, a dangerous sense of foreboding gripped their minds. There was no telling who or what approached, and how long they had been on the island. With death a looming possibility, they couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Seconds piled up, yet the champions continued staring at the forest unblinkingly. No being had presented itself, and there were no changes to the surroundings either. However, they maintained their focus. Scott's warning had confirmed that something or someone was indeed heading in their direction.
A moment later, a massive silhouette stirred within the forest. Another massive lightning bolt shook the heavens, illuminating the island once again. The champions' expressions soured even further.
A creature over twelve feet tall approached in lazy but measured steps. Of all the champions, Slim wore the most curious expression. The being approaching was a massive crimson skeleton covered in thick fur coats. Its boots were equally made of fur, as well as its ushanka hat. Three rings adorned three fingers on each hand; what’s more, the skeletal being held an ornate gourd as it approached.
Zara and Scott subconsciously turned toward Slim, with Ember and Orion mimicking their actions. Even the vampires couldn’t help but cast a glance at the necromancer.
Soon, out of the shadows, the giant skeleton revealed itself. Lilac embers swirled within its empty eye sockets while a blackened mark divided its skull across the middle.
The figure stopped, observing the guarded group. “So, they were here, huh?” he declared, his voice thick, intimidating, yet somewhat welcoming. The skeleton lazily observed the champions one after the other before freezing as soon as it noticed Slim.
Slim had the same reaction as the skeleton, and both stepped forward, stopping only when they were about ten feet apart. Then, they curiously began to observe each other in silence, their expressions stern.
“Slim, what the hell are you doing?” Zara asked mentally, but silence only greeted her inquiry. “Scott, do you think he has been hypnotized or something?” Zara asked.
Before Scott could utter a word, loud laughter suddenly echoed, and Slim and the fur-covered skeleton hugged each other. The mouths of the vampires opened slightly as they cast their curious eyes toward the hound extermination crew, but even Scott and Zara wore the same stunned expression.
“Guys, it’s okay. He’s a friendly,” Slim communicated via the party channel. “Come over, apparently, he has been looking for us.”
The champions exchanged quick glances. Zara, Scott, and Orion relaxed their expressions first. Ember followed, but the vampires still maintained a vigilant demeanor. Without warning, Slim and the undead approached in quick strides while exchanging words amidst smiles and chuckles. The two stopped a few paces away from the others, and Slim quickly introduced the towering skeleton.
“Guys, this is Arseni Crimson Bones, but you can call him Arseni.”
“Hello,” Arseni said with a grin, before wrapping his right hand around Slim’s shoulder. “Who would have thought I’d meet such a handsome comrade after all these years?” he added before laughing.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, buddy,” Slim said, grinning as he too, laughed.
Zara once again exchanged glances with Scott, and the brawler soon messaged her temples, feeling a headache coming. She sighed softly, her tense features relaxing even further. Although she didn’t know how Slim and Arseni bonded so quickly, she was relieved that their first encounter on the island wasn’t an adversary.
“I hate to disturb such a fun moment for you two, but what exactly is going on here?” Zara asked, her eyes narrowing. “You mentioned he was looking for us? What’s that about?”
Arseni stopped laughing first but kept a mischievous grin as he turned to face the champions. “That’s right,” he said, nodding. “I’m basically here as a welcome party of sorts. But you guys didn’t arrive in the usual place.” He paused to take several mouthfuls of liquid from his gourd. The skeleton’s bones sizzled, steam escaping from his thick fur covering. His smile widened. “It’s been a while since a party was sent here. You guys must have...” Suddenly, Arseni’s words trailed off, disbelief etched on his skeletal face. He stared at the group, bemused and surprised.
“What’s wrong, buddy?” Slim asked, breaking the silence.
Arseni turned to Slim, stammering, “Y-Your sentence is only a hundred years?”
Instantly, the champions’ expressions shifted. Their system notifications had long disappeared, yet this unknown skeleton had instantly figured out the duration of their sentence. The vampires had assumed Slim must have informed Arseni, but judging by his own shocked expression, that wasn’t the case.
“How did you know that?” Scott demanded, his voice stern.
Arseni coughed slightly, realizing he had said too much. “Ahem, there’s no need to be alarmed. Like you, I’m also a prisoner in this treacherous place,” he began. “But this is the first time in my two thousand years here that—”
“What?” Ivona, Illena, and Oana blurted out simultaneously.
Zara and Ember’s eyes widened while Orion stared excitedly at the skeleton. Surprisingly, neither Scott nor Slim reacted to the news.
“What?” Arseni asked, meeting their shocked expressions. Realization dawned on him, and he chuckled softly. “Two thousand years isn’t that much, especially compared to most of the people stuck here. Many have been here for thousands of years, and some since who knows when.” He laughed, taking another drink from his gourd.
“As I was saying, it’s easy to know how long each person is serving. You just need to check,” Arseni declared.
“Check?” Slim repeated, and Arseni nodded. “How?” the necromancer questioned.
Arseni smiled, starting to explain, “That’s—”
Orion’s laughter interrupted the skeleton. “I’ve figured it out,” the mage declared, his eyes fixed on the space above Arseni’s head. He couldn’t help but giggle.
Name: Arseni Crimson Bones. Sentence: 20,000 years. Sentence served: 2024 years.
“How did you do it?” Zara's curiosity flared; her voice tinged with urgency.
Arseni answered the question before Orion could respond. “You just need to mentally ask the system to show you. Typically, it displays the prisoner’s name, sentence length, and the years they’ve served.”
Following Arseni's guidance, translucent system windows appeared above their heads. The group’s eyes widened, taking in the staggering information. Muffled gasps rippled through the area as they registered the skeleton’s sentence: two thousand years already served of a twenty-millennia punishment. The weight of what the skeleton might have done to deserve such a fate hung heavily in the air.
All eyes suddenly turned to Scott. A palpable tension thickened as the vampires edged away from him. Noticing the sudden shift, Scott's brows furrowed in confusion.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, his gaze darting between Zara, Slim, Orion, and Ember. The shock in their eyes was unmistakable, a silent tremor that spoke volumes.
Arseni broke the silence. “While your companions have sentences of a hundred years, yours is… quite extraordinary. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen anything like this.”
Scott's eyes narrowed, suspicion darkening his expression. “How long is my sentence?”
Arseni's grin was almost predatory. “Infinity.”