With a final surge of strength, Ren propelled himself over the last rung of the bridge, landing firmly on the solid ground that led deeper into the Vault. Turning around, he bowed deeply to the swaying bridge and the treacherous chasm it defied.
"That was fun!” His bellow echoed on the walls of the cavernous hallway. “Nothing like a thrilling dance with danger to get my cold heart going. Just wait, I'll be back for more," he declared with a hearty chuckle.
[ Hmph! Don’t be stupid, you brat! Your incompetence almost cost me my chance at vengeance. ]
Rolling his eyes, Ren reached for the arrow stuck in his jaw, his fingers closing around the shaft in a firm grip. A sharp tug and push dislodged the arrowhead from his jawbone, allowing it to pierce out of his opposing cheek instead. Carefully grabbing onto the bloodied arrowhead, he yanked it out of his mouth in an eruption of blood and saliva.
With the irritant removed, he worked his jaw, massaging it until a dull pop signaled that the jaw hinge had been set back in place. Tossing the broken arrow into the chasm, he left the bridge behind and began making his way deeper into the hallway before responding to the crazed code fragment
“And that is my problem because…?”
[ Jupiter’s Balls. Fate, you cruel old hag! Why did you stick me with this moron? ]
The frenzied voice within Ren raged with growing fury, but he paid it no heed as he meticulously surveyed the hallway for traps. Though no traps had been triggered within the first hundred steps, Ren harbored no trust in the continuation of this fortunate trend. As he ventured deeper, he observed a notable shift in the hallway's walls—transmuting from the prevalent rough stone to an unfamiliar metallic material. The peculiar way the torchlight danced upon its surface was captivating in a strange way.
Observing the reflection on the metal, he pondered on the material’s durability and contemplated its potential for crafting formidable blades. He eyed the almost seamless walls and made a mental note to find a way to procure a piece or two of the material before leaving the building. As he mused, he noticed a sharp bend paces ahead in the hallway, and a surge of excitement coursed through him as he recalled the trials he had faced in a similar scenario mere hours ago.
Approximately fifty steps away from the bend, a thin, blue beam of light extended from wall to wall, rapidly advancing towards him at knee level. It was no wider than a finger width, but his honed sense of danger screamed in protest as it moved. In a split second, the beam was within striking distance of passing through his legs. Reacting swiftly, Ren propelled himself over the racing beam with a powerful shove. While uncertain of its purpose, he recognized the high probability of its lethality.
Based on all the data points he had collected from the traps so far, the deduction algorithm he was running warned that this was undoubtedly another trap that grew more dangerous with each passing moment. He figured the longer it took him to pass through this particular section of the hallway, the more dire it would become for him.
His hypothesis was proven correct when three beams materialized at the far end of the hallway: two horizontal and one vertical. The horizontal beams stretched from wall to wall, positioned at knee and shoulder height respectively, while the vertical beam spanned from floor to ceiling. All three surged towards him at a velocity even swifter than the initial attack.
Instinctively, Ren sprinted forward, carefully gauging the timing. When the beams were just a few steps away, he threw himself through the narrow space formed by their intersection, executing a seamless roll upon landing before springing back onto his feet and propelling himself forward. He had a mere ten steps remaining when he caught sight of the beams reassembling.
Curses echoed within his mind.
This time, four beams emerged, forming smaller rectangles. Time was of the essence. Ren's physique wasn't stocky, yet he possessed broad shoulders and had no desire to lose an arm. Resolutely, he dislocated his right shoulder, subjecting himself to an unexpected wave of pain. Despite the assault on his senses, Ren clutched his arm tightly against his body, aligning himself for the top-right square, which appeared to be the largest and offered his best chance of survival.
The beams hurtled toward him with unyielding speed. Ren channeled Radiated Essence to his foot, summoning immense force as he launched himself forward. Slowing his perception of time, he made critical adjustments to his trajectory while his left hand secured the wrist of his dislocated right arm. Assuming a diving posture he pierced through the narrow square between the converging beams.
His dive came to an abrupt halt as Ren collided with the curving wall at the bend. Disregarding the pain coursing through his body, he rolled with the impact and swiftly arrested his momentum, assuming a defensive crouch. His eyes darted around the vicinity, scanning for any lingering threats. In the distance, he spotted the end of this particular section of the hallway—a thick silver door left slightly ajar. Finding no immediate danger from that direction, Ren glanced backward, only to be met with a significantly darkened passage. Shattered remnants of torches littered the ground, their scorched edges still sizzling from the searing beams that had sliced through them.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Raising an incredulous eyebrow at the remnants of the dying flames, Ren shook his head in disapproval. "That's simply shoddy design."
[ On that, we both agree ]
“Oh?” Ren was surprised. This was the first time the crazy voice had ever made any sense. But what did that say about him?
[ That trap had no finesse. Notice how the ends of the cuts have been cauterized? Why cut something and then prevent it from bleeding? Madness I tell you! ]
Ah, that’s more like it. The voice was just as bloodthirsty as ever. With a grunt, he turned back around, making his way towards the door. This stretch of the hallway was the strangest one yet.
The floor was covered in a luxurious rug, meticulously woven with intricate designs. It cushioned his steps, as he cast his glance at the ceiling which had risen to impressive heights. Majestic chandeliers adorned the raised ceiling, bathing the hallway in a soft golden glow. Ren marveled at the drastic change in decor between the hallways. The previous stretches felt mundane by comparison, but this stretch felt like something he would find in the manors of a minor noble.
[ Oh, for the love of chaos, stop dawdling! We've wasted enough time already. That door is but an entryway to new possibilities, untapped power, or maybe even an opportunity for some satisfying carnage! ]
“First of all, no one asked you,” Ren snapped, as he moved forward. “Also, wisdom and caution are the only reasons we have made it this far.”
[ Bah! Caution? Wisdom? Those are just feeble mortal notions. No one reaches godhood by tiptoeing around like a scared dragon cub. If there is danger beyond that door, then face it head-on and revel in the chaos. ]
An irritated snort threatened to escape Ren’s lips as he got closer to the door. “I don’t remember you being quite so talkative. On Earth, you were barely sentient. Can I pay you to go back to that state?”
[ Do not Fret, child. Soon enough, you shall be freed from the burden of sharing your paltry consciousness with me. Even as we speak, I am amassing the strength required to seize control of this vessel, prying it away from your feeble grasp! ]
Ren paused mid-step. Was that possible? He immediately ordered a full scan of his core and the portion of code that represented the recurring personality. The scan returned showing no anomalies. He triggered another scan, but this time ordering a full body scan, giving permission for punitive purges of any hidden viruses. When that returned without finding any critical vulnerabilities, he had reached the door.
“Good one,” he chuckled without any mirth. “Let me give you some free advice. Never threaten me.” The air in the hallway chilled as a bloodthirsty aura spilled out of his pores. Ren held his gold Knife above his dantian, the tip resting on his skin right where his physical core was located. “I am good at many things. But one thing I am great at is killing. I usually don’t care about collateral damage to myself or others. Now think carefully, are you my enemy?”
[ You do not qualify to be my enemy, runt! Threaten me all you want, but you have no choice in the matter. The moment you began cultivation is the moment our fates became intertwined for eternity – ]
Ren was taken aback by this news. He had previously observed that a portion of the energy he gathered during cultivation failed to reach his Core, but he had attributed it to natural decay. However, this revelation indicated otherwise.
[ –The stronger you get, the stronger I get. Even if you choose to neglect your cultivation, I possess methods to siphon energy for my own gain. So you see, resistance is futile. Tick, Tock. I am the superior power here and the moment my power exceeds yours, SNAP. I will crush you beneath my heel and this vessel shall be mine! ]
Boisterous laughter filled the hallway. It had been a while since Ren had laughed this hard. His shoulders shuddered as he bent over, clutching his stomach. “T-Thank you,” he choked in laughter. “Ah, thanks for the laugh. Here I am arguing with myself, almost self mutilating, just because a persistent personality glitch in my code said some crazy things.”
“Look,” said Ren as he pulled up his countdown to nuclear meltdown.
Time Left till Meltdown = 6 days > “I – or rather, we – have a mere six days before we're reduced to a molten mess. Or we explode. Not quite sure which,” Ren smirked. “Regardless, you are right. We are stuck together. If I am going down, you are going down with me” An indignant scoff reverberated in the far recesses of Ren’s mind. The split personality projected a sense of displeasure, but like a petulant child, it remained silent. Ren took that as a win. Reaching out, he held the knob of the silver door and gently pulled it open. The space that greeted him, provided momentary distraction from the crazy voice. The room possessed a distinctive octagonal shape, its walls adorned with majestic bronze archways on seven of its eight sides. The door through which Ren had just passed was nestled within one of these arches, distinguished by its silver color that mirrored the door itself. A large stone table sat in the middle of the octagonal room but Ren's gaze naturally gravitated toward the spaces between the archways. Within these gaps, powerful energies coiled and twisted, forming exquisite blue wards through the intricate scripts etched upon the pillars of the arches. The wards emitted a radiant shimmer, their translucent nature granting a glimpse of the treasures they safeguarded. “Jackpot,” he whispered, licking his lips.