Chapter 34: Stingy Situation

  “Aidan. Aidan! AIDAN!”

  Lena’s frantic cries snapped me back into my senses.

  [Health:18% - Reaching Critical Level - Please Consume a Healing Potion]

  Pain radiated through every part of my body. I felt like I was broken everywhere. What the hell was that? Why did the ground suddenly collapse?

  “Great, you’re alive!” Lena exclaimed, kneeling beside me and weaving her healing magic with trembling hands. A warm sensation began to soothe my pain and I could see my HP slowly rising to acceptable levels.

  As my vision came into focus, I saw Dina standing behind Lena, her staff raised up high above her head. A massive barrier shimmered in the air, holding back tons of debris threatening to crush us.

  “I can’t hold on this much longer…” she warned, her voice strained and shaking.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kelltins approach. He knelt beside me. “I’ve got him.”

  Before I could respond, he lifted me onto his shoulder, equipping his shield in one fluid motion. He charged through the edge of the barrier, bashing debris aside as he cleared a path to safety. Lena followed closely behind, still healing me. Dina stumbled out last, letting the barrier drop as she collapsed onto the floor, completely drained. The debris crashed down behind her, raising a cloud of dust.

  Seeing that my health had rose up back to 50%, Lena rushed over to Dina’s side. “I’m here, Dina!” She called out to her, quickly casting her magic on the injured Enchantress.

  Kelltins set me down gently. “You good?”

  I nodded, as I rummaged through my inventory and picked two potions. “Where’s Waylan, Henry, and Jax?”

  [Item Consumed: Lesser Healing Potion x2]

  [Health: 90%]

  Kelltins exhaled heavily, shaking his head. “I’m not sure. I didn’t see them here. We dropped through six floors. They could’ve gotten stuck on one of the upper ones.”

  “We have to check.” I said, forcing myself to my feet. I climbed the mound of debris, peering upward through the gaping holes in the floors above. Kelltins wasn’t exaggerating – there were openings all the way up to the first level. I could faintly make out the distant ceiling far above.

  “Waylan!” I shouted, my voice echoing around us. There was no response.

  Before I could call the rest, something bizarre happened. The debris beneath me began to shift, levitating slowly into the air. I scrambled back, nearly losing my footing as the rubble rose higher and higher, some of it to the floors above. Then, the holes started rebuilding themselves, the stone bricks locking together right in front of our eyes like nothing ever happened.

  If Diana didn't use an illumination spell to light the chamber, we would remain in complete darkness.

  “What the hell?” I muttered, staring in disbelief.

  But we didn’t have time to discuss what just happened, as sharp, chittering noises came from behind us.

  We turned to see a swarm of massive scorpions emerging from the shadows. At least ten of them. Their bodies dark, their claws and tails made of gleaming metal. Their red eyes locked on us as they began approaching us slowly. Void Scorpions, level 70.

  “Get ready!” Kelltins shouted, raising his shield. “Focus on the ones in front!”

  The first three scorpions surged forward, their claws snapping at Kelltins, who met them head-on. His shield absorbed their strikes with loud clangs as I jumped in to help him, parrying some of the blows aimed at him.

  Behind us, Lena’s voice was trembling. “Dina, stay still! You’re injured, and I can’t heal you properly if you move too much.”

  Dina groaned, her breathing labored. “I know, I know, but if I don’t keep their buffs up – and the lights – we’re all dead.”

  Suddenly, scorpions from the backline leapt over their frontline comrades, aiming directly for our backline.

  “Watch out!” I shouted, spinning around.

  One scorpion’s tail arced toward Dina, its stinger set for a strike. I used Dash Step, closing the distance quickly, and blocked the attack just in time. The Void Scorpion hissed, recoiling slightly, but another was already rushing toward us.

  My mind raced. If these stingers carried poison – and they probably did – this could turn tricky. I couldn’t afford to hold back anymore.

  I activated Wind Rush, moving faster now, and parried the second scorpion’s strike with ease, feeling like everything was in slow motion. As the first one lunged again, I sidestepped and drove the glaive into its carapace, the sharp blade splitting it cleanly into two.

  [+318 XP]

  Another scorpion’s tail whipped toward Lena, but I intercepted it mid-strike, severing it with a powerful swing. The creature recoiled, but their numbers kept growing.

  I glanced toward Kelltins, expecting him to help us, but he was locked in combat with three scorpions at the front, holding them off with his shield. He was managing, but just barely. Likely injured. He needed help, and I knew I had to work harder.

  I dodged another attack from one of the scorpions, and charged Silverfang at the same time. When the charge was over, I used Blade Rush to close the distance and used Silverfang’s Explosive Strike. The glaive struck the scorpion with immense force, and the impact unleashed a powerful explosion, rippling outward and throwing off the adjacent scorpions at the walls.

  Behind me, I heard Dina’s voice, shaky but determined. “Buffing you now…keep going!” a faint hum, followed by a surge of energy washed over me. My body glowed faintly as she amplified my stats.

  I didn’t waste a second. As one of the scorpions lunged, I sidestepped easily, without using any of my skills, and drove Silverfang through its head in a single motion.

  [+318 XP]

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  Another prepared its tail to strike, but with the enhanced speed from Wind Rush and Dina’s buff, I cleaved through it effortlessly.

  [+318 XP]

  The next scorpion fell to two precise strikes, its armored body splitting cleanly.

  [+318 XP]

  A fourth didn’t even have time to react before Silverfang pierced through its head.

  [+318 XP]

  Breathing heavily, I turned toward the struggling Kelltins, who was still locked in a stalemate with the three scorpions. His shield held firm, but his movements were slower and less precise than earlier.

  Was he really injured? I assumed he was and was just hiding it for our sake.

  I rushed to his side, intercepting a tail strike aimed at him. With a twist of Silverfang, I deflected the blow and swung in a wide arc, activating Horizon. A powerful rush of wind surged forward, slamming the remaining scorpions and throwing them backward.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, scanning him for visible injuries.

  “I’m fine.” He replied curtly, raising his axe to finish off one of the scorpions.

  As the rest of the scorpions regained their footing, I moved in quickly, combining Wind Rush and Blade Rush to close the gap. Silverfang's strikes were deadly, each cutting through their hardened carapaces.

  [+318 XP]

  [+318 XP]

  [+318 XP]

  [+318 XP]

  The final scorpion crumbled to the ground, and the golden aura around me flickered as Dina’s buff faded. I exhaled sharply, relieved that the immediate danger was gone.

  A new quest popped as well.

  [New Quest Available: Scorpion King #1]

  [Slay 100 Void Scorpions]

  [Current Status: 9 / 100]

  [Reward: 10,000 XP]

  I turned to Kelltins again. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  He nodded, though his heavy breathing suggested the opposite of his words. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just need a moment to rest.”

  “Aidan, that was amazing!” Lena called out, her eyes wide. “You were moving so fast it didn’t even seem like you were just level 50.”

  “Thanks.” I replied quickly, brushing off her praise. The last thing I needed was to draw unnecessary suspicion.

  “She’s right.” Kelltins added suddenly, and a chill ran down my spine. “I think you’re the strongest level 50 I’ve ever seen.” He gave a faint smile. “I’m glad we had you here.”

  I forced a small laugh, exhaling in relief. Hoping he didn’t suspect me of anything.

  ***

  [Déjà vu System: Level 25]

  [Loop Count: 37]

  [Experience Points (XP): 14,902 / 17,000]

  We moved cautiously through the corridors of the sixth level, hoping the coast was clear. Meanwhile, Lena continued healing me, Kelltins, and Dina.

  “No, but seriously, what was that, Aidan?” Dina asked, breaking the silence, while I silently wished she would drop the subject. “I’ve never seen a level 50 move that fast.”

  “I just spent a lot of points in Agility.” I said, scratching the back of my head awkwardly, hoping the explanation would satisfy her.

  “I didn’t realize the Agility stat was this busted.” Lena remarked thoughtfully.

  Will they drop this already?!

  Thankfully, Kelltins intervened, his commanding tone shifting the subject of the conversation. “Alright, let’s focus on what’s important. With only Aidan and me providing damage, it’ll be tough to climb back to the main antechamber. We need to stay sharp and stick together.”

  Both Lena and Dina nodded in unison. “Lead the way, Mr. Kelltins.”

  Kelltins nodded and proceeded forward, his shield raised. I couldn’t help but notice his persistent limp, further convincing me that he was hiding an injury. I hoped Lena's magic would completely heal him before we got attacked again.

  I tried to play an afterimage, but nothing appeared.

  [There is no afterimage to run in this area]

  Great...no afterimage means no Déjà Vu either.

  It was my first time here and It had to be Goren's doing. I'm not sure how yet, but it had to be him...

  “Do you think they’ll look for us?” Lena asked, her voice trembling.

  Kelltins sighed heavily, choosing the honest approach. “I don’t know. You all saw it...the holes we fell through sealed themselves. They might not even know we’re down here. We just need to keep making our way up.”

  Lena and Dina exchanged nervous glances, and he noticed it. Kelltins spoke up again, this time with a bit more optimism, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll get us out of here alive. I promise."

  "We should look for the others as well." I said, believing that they could at least improve our chances of survival. I knew that regardless of what we'd face here, I'd survive by respawning in the next loop, but still, every loop was important and shouldn't be wasted.

  Kelltins nodded. "You're right. We won't leave them behind. As I said, I'll protect us all."

  Despite not knowing what he truly signed up for, his confidence was inspiring in a way.

  After a while of silent walking, we arrived at a chamber with a massive, peculiar mural etched into the wall. The image was difficult to decipher at first, but it seemed to resemble a tree.

  Four distinct levers rose from the ground, crafted from some dark stone.

  “Do you think…we need to move them?” Lena asked hesitantly, her voice rising barely above a whisper. “Like, to adjust the image or something?”

  Kelltins, seemingly intrigued by the puzzle, nodded after a moment of thought. “Seems likely.” He replied, stepping closer to inspect the levers. “Let’s see if we can align the image.”

  “Why, though?” Dina asked, exasperated. “Let’s just get the hell out of here.”

  “We don’t know which dangers we’ll face ahead.” Kelltins replied calmly. “Maybe we can acquire something helpful from this.”

  Under his direction, we each took a lever and carefully adjusted the position. Slowly, the mural began to make sense, until the full picture emerged: a large, aged tree, its roots rotting.

  “Hmm…I wonder what it means.” Kelltins mused aloud, his brow furrowed in thought.

  But I knew exactly what it meant. Erebus.

  The completion of the puzzle caused a section of the wall to slide open. Without thinking twice, we proceeded inside.

  The darkness that greeted us was something out of a nightmare. Almost like the air itself was alive and wanted to kill me.

  “Hey, Dina, can you light the place up?” I called out, my voice echoing everywhere around me.

  No answer.

  A shiver ran down my spine.

  I quickly consumed a Lumindew.

  [Item Consumed: Lumindew x1]

  [Night Vision activated. Duration: 30 minutes. Visual range enhanced in low-light areas]

  As my vision adjusted, I looked around, realizing I was alone.

  We had all entered together – I was certain of it – yet now I stood by myself. The wall through which we had entered was sealed tight, as if it had never opened.

  Sighing heavily, I forced myself to focus, wondering where I was and what happened to everyone else. I pressed forward into the corridor ahead.

  “Guys?” I called, but again, no one answered.

  Thoughts of Goren resurfaced. Was this his doing? Or was I just paranoid?

  “Goren!” I shouted, expecting to hear an answer, but none came.

  With frustration building inside me, I activated Distance Gauge, hoping to detect any nearby presence. But no presence was revealed. I was completely alone.

  “What is going on?” I muttered under my breath, continuing cautiously down the corridor.

  Then I saw it – a radiating light ahead. With no other path, I made my way toward it, the glow growing stronger with each step I took.

  As I approached, the source of the light became clearer. At first, it seemed like a massive artifact of some sort. Then it looked like a weapon. Finally, its shape resolved completely: a sword, radiating blinding light.

  But that wasn’t all.

  A hooded figure held the sword with both arms – leaning forward, almost hugging it. The figure was seated motionless on a large rock, draped in a dark robe, covered in layers of dust and encrustations, making me think it was a statue.

  As I wondered who it was, the figure suddenly stirred. The layers of encrustations cracked and splintered as it rose to its full height, dust billowing off it.

  The System reacted, recognizing him: Gaelith of Tepan, level 100.

  A shiver ran down my spine. Here he was.

  “I am Gaelith of Tepan.” The figure said, its voice deep, inducing fear within me. “Why have you come here?”

  Before I could react, his voice took a resolute tone, announcing my end.

  “Now, I must kill you.”