Chapter 19 - The Scientific Mind

“Shia, display map again,” I whispered in a grim tone.

Without a word, a glowing 3-D map of the surrounding ruins came into life in the air in front of me. After a brief moment, I closed my eyes and snarled wordlessly as I gritted my teeth.

The map was an exquisitely detailed model of the site we had been exploring all night long now. The areas we had already explored were clearly displayed and labeled. However, in spite of the desperate speed with which we had traversed the crumbling ruins, there was still a dismayingly large expanse of lines which were obscured by a grey fog, upon which the words “UNEXPLORED AREA” constantly flashed. According to Shia’s earlier explanation, these areas were the ones she could draw up based upon the available data thus far, yet she had been forced to admit that these were merely conjecture and could only be relied upon for a general sense of direction rather than accuracy.

Indeed, as we moved further into the map, the lines constantly changed as the seemingly endless passages stretched on and on. The ruins that had seemed to encompass the size of a respectable fortress had instead turned out to span an area that beggared the imagination, as constant twists and turns led deeper still, down into passages carved into the very bedrock of the mountain itself.

At the very least, I knew we were not running in circles. Our small party kept moving deeper and deeper, as brick and mortar slowly turned into moss covered granite, then led into passages that had been carved seamlessly into the rock with astounding smoothness. Our steps had echoed hollowly in the mysterious tunnels, which were big enough to easily accommodate a couple carriages running side by side. The walls were filled with intricate carvings depicting various gruesome scenes of battle and murder, each more disturbing than the other. I briefly glanced to one side, where Shia’s flickering illumination lit upon a nearby wall depicting the scene of a four-armed behemoth wielding a sword, an axe, a spear and a whip against the cowering figure of a man kneeling at its feet. The monster’s features were humanlike, although the expression was oddly detached, the look in its eyes icy cold. Behind it lay a trail of countless ravaged corpses, a scene of appalling carnage that stretched into the horizon.

Shaking my head, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d blundered into this affair too recklessly. Initially, I’d intended to explore some deserted ruins while training Sol and Reaver so we could begin to gain some experience while fighting as a unit. The hunter who had told me about these ruins had said that the only game we could expect were red-spotted hyenas, which would pose little danger to our party, and indeed, would provide valuable experience while we explored the ruins. What little of the ruins he had explored, he said, had been empty and devoid of any valuables, which is why he hadn’t bothered to explore any further.

However, upon our arrival there had been no signs of any life, not even the hyenas. Not only that, the pressure building up on my chest wasn’t something I was merely imagining. Glancing over my shoulder, I furrowed my brow as I saw my companions as they sat on the cold, smooth stone floor, catching their breath with an aura of grim determination. Upon closer examination, Sol’s skin looked clammier than before, and even Reaver’s ears seemed to be drooping slightly.  Part of it would be the fatigue of being on the run for the past eight hours, during which we had only dared to stop briefly to catch our breath. However, this repressive aura wasn’t only in my imagination.

We were getting close. However, I was no longer certain of our ability to deal with whatever lay at our destination. What had begun as a simple exploration run to unearth a few minor secrets of the Arioch Wastelands had turned to be far more than I’d bargained for.

A barely detectable rumble shook the floor, and my lips twitched upward slightly. That was probably a particularly nasty trap I’d set during our last break. Then my expression darkened once again as I had to acknowledge the fact that our pursuers were gaining on us, though they were paying for their haste with precious blood.

“Shia?” I murmured.

“Based on the distance and direction, as well as the interval, that was trap number 8. Conservative damage estimates: one or two casualties, and two to three heavily wounded. Judging by their pace, they will likely leave the wounded behind and resume their pursuit.”

“Time?”

“.. Before that last trap, I’d estimate that they have closed the gap to within 35 minutes,” whispered Shia, somewhat reluctantly.

I closed my eyes, then nodded to myself. That was far, far too close. We were running out of time. While I was able to slowly whittle down their numbers, even given Shia’s most optimistic projections, they would still vastly outnumber us. Worse yet, trap 8 had been the last location suitable for a large scale trap. These smooth passages did not allow much room for surprises. At least, with trap 8 we should be able to gain an hour or so, given that most of the passage would be obstructed with rubble which they would have to clear out of their way.

“Time to go,” I called out behind me, and immediately, Sol and Reaver stood back up.

“Another fake trap?” Sol asked while glancing at the crudely assembled structure I’d laid next to me.

I nodded. “No time for anything else. Hopefully it will slow them down somewhat. I’m surprised they’re catching up so quickly. It’s almost as though they want to stop us no matter the cost. It’s a near suicidal pace, the way they are blindly charging into my traps.”

“Mommy, your observations are correct. If they slowed their pace by 40% to properly deal with your traps, they could likely reduce their casualties by 80% and vastly improve their chances of successful interception,” Shia commented in a puzzled tone.

“What possible connection could they have with the Arakian ruins though?” I wondered, half to myself.

That the connection existed, however faint, couldn’t be denied. After all, the men I had killed at the entrance of these ruins had an almost identical copy of the strange hexagonal ring I had received from the hunter who had told me about these ruins.

Shaking my head, we continued deeper into the gloom.

Two hours later, I frowned as I held up my hand, motioning my companions to stop. They complied instantly and without a sound. I cocked my head to one side and closed my eyes, listening.

Suddenly, a deep rumble started to echo from Reaver’s chest, and I knew we were out of time.

“Shia,” I mouthed, not daring to make a sound. “Enhance the image of..”

“Down!” Shia cried out, and I instantly complied, pulling Sol down to the floor with me.

I felt a breeze streak by my shoulder and a moment later, sparks flew from the wall next to me as a loud clang echoed throughout the tunnel. Glancing down, I saw could see a misshaped crossbow bolt, its tip no doubt twisted by the violent collision against the wall behind me.

Instantly, the light from Shia died down. Smart girl, she had realized we were sitting ducks with that light.

“Shia,” I whispered urgently as I pulled Sol with me towards a nearby wall and away from the center of the tunnel. “Can you see how many?”

“There are three of them. I’m sorry mommy, I was distracted trying to calculate an optimal path to find..”

I shook my head slightly. “It’s not your fault. We’ve all become too complacent. I can’t believe they’ve caught up with us so quickly! If there’s only three.. Shia, can you amplify and show me their appearance?”

“I think so,” came my daughter’s reply. A moment later, a tiny square of light, much dimmer and smaller than the usual images Shia conjured up, was reflected against the opposite wall. There, I could see the figures of three men who cautiously approached our position. They were hunched over and one of them seemed to be limping, Two held crossbows in their hands, and another had a sword drawn in his hand.

“They’re wounded. One of them has been crippled, and the other two also have light injuries. Damn,” I snarled, as I smacked my fist against the wall next to me.

“Mister?”

“They all have unusually small frames. They probably dug a gap as soon as they could and sent these three through. They paid for such haste though. The hole probably collapsed and that last one, the one that is limping, he probably barely made it through. That means these three will likely try to stall us until the rest of them reach us.”

As I finished speaking, another couple cracks exploded in the tunnel and sparks flew in a nearby wall as our pursuers kept shooting blindly.

“How can they see us? There’s no light anymore,” complained Sol.

“They can’t. They’re just trying to delay us. However, we need to get rid of them. We’re completely blind here and Shia can’t show us the way without lining us up like a target at a shooting gall.. bah, archery range. Besides, inside this tunnel there’s still a fair chance of being struck by a random shot.”

Reaver growled deep in his throat, and he scratched at the floor in front of him with a deadly looking claw.

“Yes, we have to eliminate them. Sol, stay here while..”

“No, this time I’m coming!” Sol instantly protested.

“This isn’t the time for this,” I snarled.

“I can do this. I can help!” Sol’s voice carried deep conviction.

Letting out a long breath, I grasped Sol’s shoulder with my hand. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? When you cut, you must cut without mercy, without hesitation. You have to cut to kill.”

Under my hand, a slight tremor ran through Sol’s skin. Still, I felt him nod as he said, “I’m ready.”

“Fine. This is the plan..”

Moments later, immediately after another two sparks flew off the wall behind us, I shouted, “Now, go go go!”

Instantly, a bright light came into life and rapid footsteps echoed down the tunnel as the outlines of an adult, a child and a huge dog sped down the sides of the passage.

“Damn, they’re running!” snarled one of the men, struggling to load another bolt into his crossbow.

“Don’t let them go!” another man called out, furiously cranking a second crossbow. “Get a move on!”

At this, the third man reluctantly removed the cover from a hooded lantern he held in his hand. The gap in the lantern’s cover released a thin strip of light directly onto the ground under his feet, providing just enough light to guide his steps as he started running after the retreating shapes in the distance.

Finally finished with the loading and cranking of the device on his crossbow, one of the marksmen lifted the weapon to his shoulder and after a slight pause, a soft click was followed by a loud thannng as he shot at the retreating figures.

Whether it was through luck or skill, his aim proved true and the bolt seemed to fly right through one of the figures and struck sparks on the wall just past him. That person’s outline seemed to sway slightly before resuming its motion, and the shooter squinted in obvious puzzlement.

“Wait, something is not right..” he called out to his partners, going so far as to lay a hand on the arm of the man next to him, who had been about to release another bolt into the retreating figures.

The man with the sword stopped and looked back over his shoulder, then back towards the silhouettes of their prey running up ahead. He squinted as though he suspected a trick of some kind - which of course, it absolutely was.

“The light! Quick!” suddenly cried out one of the crossbowmen behind him, but it was too late.

The man holding the lantern cried out in surprise as he felt a glancing impact on his shoulder and pain exploded from his arm. At the same instant, a loud, metallic clang resonated from the wall next to him. Crying out in shock, his trembling hand reached up to feel a gash that had been opened high up his arm from a glancing hit by a sharp object.

“They.. they have arrows too!” he cried out in panic as he killed the lantern.

The men instantly flattened themselves on the floor, and one of the men frantically worked the cranking device on his crossbow while the other aimed down his own loaded weapon, desperately seeking a target yet unable to distinguish anything from the darkness in the tunnel.

In the silence that followed, faint clicking sounds could be dimly heard up ahead. For a moment, the man with the sword tilted his head to one side, then his eyes widened in alarm as he realized the sounds were rapidly approaching, like claws swiftly striking a hard surface.

“Now!” I cried out, and at the same time I covered my eyes.

Blinding light instantly filled the tunnel, and I heard screams of pain from the direction of the men as their eyes were overwhelmed by the sudden flood of light. Instantly drawing my sword, I rushed towards the men only to have two bolts simultaneously scream through the air towards me. One of them flew harmlessly wide, but the other bit viciously into my side.

The air seemed to shimmer slightly, then the whole image fragmented and vanished as Shia let the image collapse. In its place, the terrifying visage of Reaver came into view as he swiftly rushed past the man in front, dodging a clumsy swing at his side from the reeling swordsman as he still struggled to regain his sight. Then Reaver launched himself in a storm of claws and fangs at one of the helpless crossbowmen, who dropped his useless weapon and reached for the sword hanging at his side a moment too late to do him any good. The poor devil didn’t even have time to stand back up.

As he was struggling to get up into a more defensive position, the impact of Reaver’s charge drove both of them to the ground and the gurgling screams of the man mingled with the fierce snarls of an enraged beast with 4 inch claws and even deadlier fangs putting them to good use.

I got up from my crouch, barely 20 feet away from the men. The silent crawl in absolute darkness had been excruciatingly slow, but it had definitely paid off. The man with the sword cried out in shock as I dashed towards him, sword poised to strike.

“Reaver, switch targets now!” I cried out, and damn if the beast didn’t instantly lift its bloody snout at my command, then sprang off the wailing man on the floor, and stalked towards the other marksman, who immediately dropped his useless crossbow and fumbled with his sword, backing away from Reaver.

“Sol, finish off the man on the floor. I’ll handle this guy,” I called out, as I struck a darting blow towards his injured side. The man barely managed to lift his sword in time to block the blow, still reeling from the sudden light that had flooded the tunnel.

I immediately followed up with another blow, then another, each more vicious than the last. The resounding clang as the weapons met was music to my ears. I could feel the man’s guard weakening, obviously favoring his wounded arm. My dagger throw had been rather pathetic, just barely grazing his arm, but that was to be expected. After receiving the Soulbound’s powers and having my soul stabilized, all my physical capabilities had risen sharply from being completely useless to at least being boringly average. This, however, did not mean I had suddenly become a master swordsman or infallible knife thrower.

Instead, I had discovered that my swordsmanship was rudimentary, almost non-existent, and my lucky throw of the dagger into the eye of my opponent back in the alley had been just that, sheer luck. This was frustrating to the extreme. Back in my real body, I had possessed a master swordsman’s supreme confidence in his craft, the art of severing a mortal coil from its fragile shell with a finely honed instrument of death. I still had all that knowledge and experience inside my head, but it remained just that. I was simply unable to condense said knowledge into action. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t find a swordsmanship skill under my menu at all.

That did not mean I couldn’t swing a heavy lump of steel at a lump of flesh. Of course, that was far, far from being anything remotely resembling swordsmanship. No, this could not even be called a brawl. I was reduced to fulfilling the role of a brute whacking away with a hard object at a slightly softer object. In fact, I could only thank my lucky stars I was able to use skills like “Overkill” at all. The system probably recognized the action as a simple task, such as digging a hole or chopping firewood.

Case in point, I could instantly identify numerous gaps in my opponent’s crumbling guard, yet my body was utterly incapable of exploiting said vulnerabilities. A vast divide lay between the knowledge rumbling within the towering thunderstorms inside my head, and the appallingly pathetic movements of my body as it refused to act the way I commanded it to. It was like witnessing a terrible car accident while being firmly stuck on the passenger’s seat. I had a front row view of the apocalypse to come, yet could do nothing about it.

I desperately needed to acquire a combat skill. I had inquired in town but our hasty departure, however necessary, had made it impossible for me to procure such. Thus, our current expedition into the depths of the Arakian Monastery. Surely within the depths of this ancient temple of unrivaled martial prowess I would be able to eke out a tiny drop - a tome, a scroll, hell even a damn flier - of combat competency? In the meantime, at least I could swing a lump of steel.

That would have to do for now.

BANG!

That last blow had nearly broken my opponent’s guard, the edge of my sword drawing a thin line of blood on his wounded arm. The man desperately backed away from me as his eyes slowly regained their focus. Time was running out for me.

I stepped forward while lifting my sword overhead with a sharp cry, and the idiot fell for it, instantly raising his sword to protect his vulnerable side. Of course, I obliged by taking one more step forward, drawing even closer to him, and locking his sword with mine while my leg swept his own with a vicious kick, then immediately followed up by firmly shoving my entire weight against the swords we held locked in front of our chests.

The man cried out in surprise as his foot slipped and he lost his balance. Of course, had I been able to competently execute the maneuver, I would have neatly swept the poor bastard off his feet and sent him sprawling to the floor, completely defenseless and primed for an instant finishing blow. Then again, if I could have had enough control of my own body to execute such a maneuver, I would have saved myself the trouble and simply twisted my wrists to roll my blade around his own, swiftly disarming him in the blink of an eye. Better yet, I would have feinted to his vulnerable side and instead sent a vicious overhand chop that would have cleaved his shoulder before he had time to shift his quavering sword to defend the obvious weak spot.

Alas, instead I had to content myself with more mundane tasks. Yeah, just like digging holes and chopping firewood. Thus, my simple kick sent him reeling back, and in the instant his arms lost the necessary firmness to hold my blade back, I sent an efficient cut against his wrist, a mere shift that was over in the blink of an eye.

Just like chopping firewood, really.

Blood sprayed from the wound, and though sadly enough I was unable to slice cleanly through the limb, the cut did open his flesh to the bone. His grip immediately slackened, and the sword tumbled out of his grasp. I lifted my sword for the finishing blow as my opponent let out a howl of agony, likely unaware that those would be the last sounds from his mouth.

What drew me back was a yelp of pain from my behind me.

I turned my head slightly, then cursed as I kicked my opponent away and swiftly ran toward the source of the sound.

Reaver stepped back gingerly as a thick stream of blood flowed from a wound in his flank. The man who had inflicted the wound had been the same man Reaver had initially pushed to the ground. With just a glance, I could clearly see what had happened, the sequence of events.

Reaver had obediently charged at the other crossbowman, leaving the man on the ground for Sol to finish, as per my instructions. I had been confident that Reaver could either eliminate or at least hold off the third man while Sol and I finished off our respective enemies.

However, Sol stood frozen in a corner, Malky trembling in his grasp. His lips were shaking uncontrollably as he stared blankly ahead, his eyes unfocused, tears streaming down his cheeks. In front of him stood both men, grimly approaching Reaver with their weapons drawn, who in turn stood his ground in front of Sol while baring his fangs. Reaver had likely been wounded because he had been forced to jump in front of Sol in order to take a blow that would have otherwise killed or seriously injured the kid, who at the moment stood completely defenseless.

“Sol!” I roared, rushing towards the man. “Snap out of it!”

My angry shout seemed to jolt him further into a panic, and Sol suddenly dropped Malky while his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor.

Cursing loudly, I rushed towards one of the men, who had turned around at the sound my of voice. The other glanced briefly towards me as well, but turned back around to finish off the wounded Reaver.

As I stormed towards the man standing between my companions and myself, I could see countless gaps in his defense. A guard held too low, feet overbalanced, skewed center of gravity.. they were legion, yet I could do nothing but whack away with my sword toward his shoulder, the most obvious move which even a child would be able to see and block, but a move which required no finesse and held the least danger of a riposte or counter-attack.

Simultaneously, I used my momentum to push his arms to the side while I charged with my shoulder against his chest. That move, he hadn’t seen coming. I lost nearly all the air in my lungs in the violent crash, but I could tell my gamble had paid off. My opponent had lost all of his breath and the tumbled back in a defensive crouch.

I used the impact to reposition my feet and directly rush towards the unguarded back of the man facing Reaver, who had already begun an attack of his own. I could tell the damn mutt was still half-dazed from the wound he had suffered, but would not move away because that meant leaving Sol vulnerable. Damn, I wasn’t going to make it in time.

“Overkill!” I cried out, as I jumped forward with my sword held high in a two-handed grip.

Hearing my shout from behind me, the man flinched and instinctively turned his head toward me, then tried to back away. However, by then it was far too late.

*TTIRING*

Special Attack: Overkill Success!By harnessing all your power and explosively focusing it in a single blow, you are able to deal tremendous damage at the sacrifice of greatly increased stamina expenditure and leaving yourself vulnerable to a counter-attack!Damage Dealt:75

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It had not been a critical blow, but since he had already been wounded by Reaver, the deep gash my sword sliced into his chest had been enough to finish him off.

*TTIRING*

You have gained 120 xp!

Panting from the exertion, I desperately tried to gather myself up from my attack, but it felt as though the air had thickened around me. I could only grunt with the effort as I slowly straightened my knees and stood back up. Far too slow. Turning my head, I could see the man I had initially pushed aside rushing toward me in a lunge, the point of his sword headed straight for my gut. I snarled wordlessly as I tried to force my arms to respond, but I knew it would be too late.

“Mommy!” Shia cried out at the last moment. The light illuminating the tunnel suddenly went dark as Shia made a last ditch attempt to help me avoid my enemy. However, it was too late.

All breath exploded from my lungs as I felt a sharp impact right in my chest. Then I was sent tumbling to the ground along with my attacker as he flailed in the sudden darkness. Refusing to give up, I set my teeth as my arms finally began to obey my orders again. While my opponent had obviously panicked at the last moment and thus lost his balance at the moment of impact, his aim had been true. Still, I was determined to drag him with me to hell. Otherwise, it would be too lonely a road.

Matching thoughts to actions, I summoned the last of my strength and reached out blindly. Of course, I had not panicked and my eyes had tracked his movement to the very end. For someone with as much fighting experience as I had, there were very few things that could truly shake me. Thus, I had maintained my focus and I could vaguely tell where my target was. After a moment of blind groping, there! I willed my left hand to form a fist with all the willpower I had left, gripping his hair and pulling back savagely. Immediately, I sent my other hand in a vicious jerking motion, dragging the edge of my blade against his neck. Sensing some struggle, I pulled my sword back, then ruthlessly drove the tip into soft tissue. Warm liquid immediately surged forth, and the struggles ceased.

*TTIRING*

You have gained 120 xp!

Exhausted, I let go of my left hand as my lungs reflexively tried to gather precious air. I knew it would be useless. Bastard had aimed for my guts but he had probably nailed my lung instead. All breath had left me and I knew I would not be able to draw in another. Arterial red would be filling the gap instead, and I would slowly drown in my own blood.

My lungs convulsed again, stupidly refusing to give up even though it was a lost cause. Then sweet air rushed into them and I tasted what seemed the most precious breath of air in my entire life. How?

Light once again came into flickering life, and I found myself sprawled on the floor with the corpse of the man whose throat I’d slit still pumping warm blood onto my hands. Perplexed, I followed the line of his arms, down to his sword, which was still held against my chest. Then I understood.

“Shia..” I mouthed.

The tip of the dead man’s sword lay against Shia, who had somehow managed to jump out of my pocket at the last instant and interposed herself between the deadly steel and my fragile heart.

“Mommy, that was too scary.. wuuu..” came Shia’s voice, filled with tears.

“Shia..” I whispered, my voice filled with an indescribably warm feeling towards this mysterious being who had long ago ceased to be a simple object of magic, and rather felt like an indispensable part of my life now. In fact, what thickened my voice and stung my eyes wasn’t the fact that she had saved my life, the end result of her action, but rather that gesture itself. She had unhesitatingly placed  herself in danger for my sake. There had been no time to think, to reason, but rather it had been pure reaction. Instinct.

“Mommy, don’t ever do that again..” came Shia’s tearful words.

“Shh, it’s alright now..” I mumbled, then gathered myself as I looked to the last remaining enemy, who was still cradling his useless hand while staring at me and my talking, moving book.

“It’s complicated,” I explained, as I lifted my sword.

It was over in a moment. Immediately after, I turned towards Reaver to inspect his wound. To my relief, it was less serious than I’d feared, and I applied some of our healing salve while Sol lay huddled in a miserable heap, with Malky lying discarded at his feet.

“Sol..” I called to him, but the kid didn’t answer. In his tear-filled eyes, I could see a maelstrom of emotions shaking his very soul. Disappointment. Shame. Terror. Self-loathing.

As soon as I finished patching Reaver up, he silently padded up to Sol and lay his head on top of his shoulder, whining plaintively. When Sol didn’t react, Reaver lowered his head to grip the pommel of Malky with his teeth, then painfully dragged the heavy sword towards Sol.

I felt a pang as Reaver held the sword towards Sol, still whining plaintively. Sol’s eyes started to stream with tears again, and he mumbled, “I can’t.. I’m not.. I don’t deserve..”

Sol futilely tried to push Reaver away, unable to meet his gaze. However, the damn mutt wouldn’t relent, and fresh blood began to pour from the wound I’d just bandaged up as it struggled to lift the giant sword into Sol’s hands. Abruptly, Reaver swayed on his feet and faltered, slumping toward the ground.

“Reaver!” Sol cried out in alarm as he saw the blood, and he reflexively took hold of the sword with one arm while propping Reaver up with the other.

As soon as Sol moved, however, a twinkle returned to Reaver’s eyes and his mouth hung wide open while his tongue hung lolling lopsidedly from one side.

Damn mutt, he was laughing his ass off.

“Reaver!” Sol cried out once more, and was at once bowled over by Reaver, who mercilessly inundated him with dog drool. Ugh.

Stepping forward, I gently pushed Reaver aside with my boot. I grunted with the effort, but Reaver looked up at me and after a smart bark at me, he retreated to let me approach Sol. I nodded to Reaver, then reached down to offer my hand to the kid.

Sol still didn’t meet my eyes.

“Someone once said the only thing one ought to fear is fear itself,” I told him gently, still holding my hand out to him. “Don’t let it win, boy.”

Sol’s grip on Malky tightened, then he looked up at me with unreadable eyes. “Mister.. I’m sorry.” He said simply.

I calmly gazed back at him, my eyes unwavering. I stood motionless, waiting.

After a long moment that felt like a lifetime, Sol slowly reached up with his hand, and took my hand. I swiftly pulled him up, then looked into his eyes and nodded to him.

“Good, that’s the first step. I knew you had it in you,” I told him simply, then pushed him forward  gently. “It’s not about whether you fall or not, it’s about how soon you get back up. Inch forward, it’s all we can do. Got it?”

Sol nodded without a word. I put a hand on his head and ruffled his head.

“Well done, kid.”

Sol’s eyes welled up with tears, but I pretended not to notice, and turned around to inspect the bodies of the men we’d killed.

“Mommy, there are three swords, four daggers, two crossbows, 28 bolts, three bags likely to hold some valuables..” Shia continued to list off various items.

After collecting various loot, none of which was particularly noteworthy, and setting a nasty little surprise involving an invisible tripwire and a loaded crossbow, we moved off once more.

An hour later, still determinedly trudging our way forward, I murmured, “Shia, display map. How close are we to that strange fault line you..?”

I cut off my sentence as I began to feel a slight breeze blowing towards us, though making out the way ahead became increasingly difficult as a strange mist started to swirl around us. As the breeze became more noticeable, so did the strange mist, to the point where strong gusts of wind pushed eddies of fog around us as we determinedly pushed forward. Hastening my steps while keeping my eyes on the map Shia was displaying for my benefit, I motioned my companions to watch their step. Almost immediately after, I heard Shia’s voice call out a warning.

“Mommy! Watch your step!” came the shrill cry.

“Huh?” For just a moment I hung suspended in the air as a strong gust of wind buffeted me and blew away all the mist in front of me, revealing a yawning abyss under my feet. I immediately backpedaled, twisting in mid-air and desperately reaching behind me as my body suddenly plunged down towards the darkness below. Frantically, my fingers clawed at the air just short of the cliff face where Sol desperately lunged towards me, reaching out with his hands. It was too late, and my stomach lurched as I felt myself being pulled down into the pit.

Just then, my descent was stopped as I heard the sound of ripping cloth and a beastial snarl. I glanced up to see that Reaver had managed to grasp one of my sleeves in between his teeth. With a deep growl, Reaver scrabbled at the edge of the cliff as he tried to pull me up, but the sleeve was being torn from my weight. Just then, a lifetime of reflexively violent behavior saved my life once more, as my first instinctive reaction in most critical situations had me reaching towards my knife. With hardly a thought, I drew the knife and stabbed it deep into the rockface. With a resounding clang, it found a slight fissure where it became tightly wedged in. With a sigh of relief, I was able to slowly pull myself up with Sol and Reaver’s assistance.

Slowly letting the hammering of my heart calm down, I awkwardly patted Reaver’s head in appreciation. The mutt lolled its tongue and wagged its tail, and I put on a long-suffering look as it licked my face a couple times. Fine, it had earned that right a hundred times over just now. I couldn’t believe I had become so careless. I had now been up for over 32 hours without respite, and the consequences of pushing this weak body of mine were starting to show themselves in poor judgment compounded by a lethargic mind.

“That was close mister,” murmured Sol, shaking his head while looking out over the edge of the cliff we stood on.

I nodded silently while studying the vista before us with disbelieving eyes. The mist-filled tunnel we had been traversing suddenly opened into this cliff face. Under it stretched a wide chasm which stretched out into the distance both to my left and my right. However, that was not what held my gaze. The object that made me question my sanity was the gigantic face staring down at us from the other side of the abyss. It was carved from the same granite of the walls, and must have stretched well over a hundred feet tall. Its features seemed oddly familiar, and I suddenly realized it shared similar features to the strange four-armed demon we had seen carved on many of the walls on our way here. They must belong to the same race.

The face was carved with exquisite detail, and although the features conveyed no particular expression, that same lack of emotion seemed to fill the void with an ominous feeling. In spite of the icy expression, most would call it beautiful, the way some felt attracted towards a lone mountain or a monumental glacier. To me, they just seemed alien. Though the features were close to those of a human, the feeling they evoked most definitely were not.

“Shia, haven’t we seen this face on..?” I call out absently.

“3,422 distinct figures of this same race have been portrayed upon the walls of the structures we have passed. Though the differences are minor, they are enough that I can safely say that they are not the same individual.”

I nodded silently while considering our situation. If this was a simple dead end, it would likely mean the end for us. Furrowing my brow, I began to rack my brain in order to find a solution. This was it. One of the main reasons I had chosen the scholarly profession. Yes, I loved reading books and becoming engrossed in them, particularly when they contained practical information I could use to better arm myself in my one man war against the world around me. However, my reasons for choosing the Scholar class also had to do with my quest to seek out ancient powers and reclaim legendary relics from the mists of time. That was also the reason I had chosen the Arioch Wastelands as my beginning location, in spite of the fact that there were hardly any damn books to be read at all!

It was the moment of truth. I stood at these ancient ruins, and it was time for my Scholar class to deploy its full might in order to unlock the deepest mysteries that lay carefully tucked within its folds.

What I got, of course, was a whole lot of nothing.

No flash of inspiration, no moment of sudden clarity, no transcendent vision of the profound truths of existence.

"Damn useless piece of.." I cut off my snarl imprecation as I let out a deep sigh, then decided to focus on more practical matters. Surely, there had been plenty of clues on my way here. I began to dig through my mind as I recalled the previous few days and all the things I'd beheld. My stubborn investment into intelligence had expanded what had originally been a modestly gifted memory into a truly prodigious talent for retaining information and procuring knowledge. As I stood there delving into the deepest recesses of my mind, I felt a rushing sound fill my ears, then a sudden, sharp crack echoed within my head, as though some invisible, intangible barrier had been breached.

It was then when I saw a blinking light at the corner of my vision.

"Hmm?" Frowning, I glanced toward it and it expanded into a new window.

*TIRRING!*

Congratulations! You have earned the exclusive class trait, "The Scientific Mind"!

Trait Name:Trait Rank:Trait Level:Trait Experience:The Scientific MindD11%Some call it a stroke of fortune, others divine inspiration. You might just recognize it for what it truly is: plain pigheaded stubborness, a refusal to yield to the common, thus opening the way to the uncommon, and from time to time, to the truly divine.

This is a unique skill.

Further bonuses unknown.

"The Scientific Mind? What kind of half-assed.." I grumbled, but trailed off as a spark of inspiration hit me. Yes, inspiration. I don't know what else to call it.

“We need to get across. Otherwise, this is a dead end and a deathtrap for us," I mumbled, half to myself.

Standing hunched over next to me, Sol shuddered as he pulled his eyes away from the statue. “Go across to where?”

“That mouth lines up with this opening. Doesn’t it look like an entrance of sorts?”

“But that mouth is firmly shut mister.”

“Then we’ll have to find a way to open it.”

“Are you saying the statue is alive?” came Sol’s alarmed reply.

“It just seems too coincidental to have this cave lead all the way down here to a complete dead end while we have this intricately carved statue simply stand there. Besides, I can feel..” I trailed off as I saw Sol’s horrified gaze on me.

“Mister, I don’t think this is a good place. I think we should leave,” Sol whispered hoarsely, and I could see his complexion had grown pasty white. I tilted my head to one side as I studied Sol for a moment.

“Sol, are you alright?” I asked, concerned. I hadn’t had the time to monitor Sol’s situation, but I could now see that his eye sockets were sunken and deep shadows had gathered under them. Furthermore, his usual healthy pink complexion had turned a ghastly grey.

“I.. I’m alright. I can take it.” Sol said fiercely, but the fire in his eyes was swiftly dimmed by the constant howl of the wind around us.

Having no other choice, I turned around to find a way to cross. We could not afford to stop now.

“Shia, scan the area around us for any openings or grooves,” I ordered as I used the hilt of my dagger to test the walls and floor around us for any hollow surfaces.

“Already have, Mommy. There’s nothing. Other than more of the horrible carvings, the walls show no irregularities.”

“Wait, the carvings. The carvings. That’s gotta be it!” I growled.

“Shia, go over the carvings and cross reference with this object,” I said while fishing out the hexagonal ring.

After a few moments, Shia’s excited voice hummed in my ears. “Mommy, I got it! Although the object is not directly represented in any of the carvings, the six sides are a polymorphic representation of..”

I winced, recalling Zephyr’s usual incomprehensible ramblings, and firmly interrupted. “Get to the point, Shia. We need to cross now.”

“The ring is likely a magical item that remains dormant and appears to be an innocuous item until it is bound with by blood. It should be able to trigger some failsafe mechanism.”

Without a word, I pricked my finger using my dagger, then let a drop of my blood drip on to the ring in the palm of my hand. Although it seemed to shimmer for an instant, nothing else happened while everyone stood there barely daring to breathe.

“Mommy, really? Rings are meant to be worn, you know..” came Shia’s exasperated voice.

With a mutter, I fitted the ring into my finger. We all stood there, waiting for something, anything to happen. It didn’t. I scowled at Shia.

“That’s strange..” came my daughter’s puzzled voice.

“Bah, useless piece of..” I took the ring off and was about to shove it back into my pocket when a hand fell on my wrist. I frowned slightly as I looked to Sol, whose blank stare seemed to bore into the ring I held in my hand.

“An oath made in blood..” Sol murmured in a strange voice I’d never heard from him before. Honestly, it freaked the hell out of me. For a moment, it had almost sounded like a woman’s voice, high and clear though it was just a soft whisper.

Alarmed, I tried to tug my hand free of Sol’s grip, but he held me with irresistible strength, as though his fingers were carved from marble. I could only gape as he calmly stretched a hand out and plucking the ring from the palm of my hand, slid it onto his finger.

“Bound by blood..” Sol finished in that same unfamiliar voice, then suddenly the light of full consciousness seemed to return to his eyes as he peered questioningly at the ring on his finger, then glanced up to meet my eyes. Just as Sol parted his lips to speak, the crackling sound of magical energies shook the air around him.

The ring on Sol’s finger burst into incandescent light as it seemed to twist itself into place. Fiery runes that had previously been invisible on its surface pulsated and danced with a golden light. Suddenly, small clicks could be heard as tiny invisible hooks protruded from the ring and bit deeply into Sol’s flesh. Blood immediately spurted from the wound but most of it was instantly absorbed by the ring as it steamed and hissed as soon as the precious lifeblood came into contact with its glowing surface. I gaped in astonishment as the light grew stronger for a couple seconds, then suddenly a beam of crimson light streaked from the ring into the gigantic statue’s forehead.

Immediately, the whole statue’s surface seemed to ripple as its lips parted and a torrent of mist was thrust from its mouth in our direction. The mist quickly solidified until a tunnel of a semi-opaque material was formed connecting the edge of the cliff where we stood to the mouth of the statue, which now stood wide open.

*TIRRING!*

Congratulations! You have discovered an unknown dungeon!

Information unavailable

“Sol!” I screamed, with the wind suddenly howling in my ears as it buffeted me and Reaver, but strangely didn’t seem to affect Sol at all. Sol turned his head to look at me, confusion and panic warring on his face. I tried in vain to reach towards him, but before I could move even an inch, the mist seemed to collapse around Sol as it effortlessly lifted him off his feet, then slowly, inexorably sucked him towards the gaping maw of the living statue.

I could do nothing as I met Sol’s wide-eyed gaze, desperately stretching my hand towards him. Then the mist was abruptly sucked into the statue, and I could only watch as once more Sol was taken from my side and into the darkness beyond.

“SOOOOL!” I screamed, and I could hear Reaver snarling ferociously as his claws dug against the rock next to me, but it was in vain as we watched Sol vanish inside the statue’s lips. Then the light seemed to go out in its eyes and its mouth closed with a resounding boom. Finally, a deep silence filled the abyss in front of us once more.

Only then did the wind die down, and I was able to move once again.

I knelt at the edge of the edge of the precipice as I glared at the statue in front of me, which had gone dormant once more. Smashing my fist viciously against the floor in front of me, I snarled wordlessly as sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps reached my ears from behind me, back the way we had come.

My pursuers had finally caught up with me.