Chapter 35: A Fateful Encounter

  I prepared for a fight, but Gaelith just stood there, seemingly watching the glaive in my hands.

  What he said next left me so confused, I didn’t even know how to react.

  “Thank you.” He said and then exhaled heavily, turning away from me. “You did something for him that I was too weak to do.” He paused for a moment, then added. “Unless…you simply looted it from the one who actually killed him?”

  Kaelstrife, our fight, and the Memory Fragment of his younger days with Gaelith came rushing back. Their brotherly bond.

  Still, some things didn't quite fit.

  “No. I killed him.” I replied, my voice firm. “He was an Undead, though.”

  “I know. All the better.” Gaelith exhaled again, sounding relieved. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did it happen?”

  What does he mean by this? Was I really standing here, having a conversation with my soon-to-be killer? But then again, Chronos did tell me in our first meeting that I needed to learn more about Gaelith and the tomb. And here he was, the necromancer, Erebus’ vessel, and he seemed…oddly talkative.

  After this encounter, I would undoubtedly be marked. If I’m going to die here, I might as well get answers first. I’ll forget them when I respawn, but perhaps something would remain.

  I sighed. Fine. Guess I’m doing this after all…It's not like I could fight him at my current level.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t recall our fight very well.” I admitted, trying to summon the memories of my battle with Kaelstrife, but they were blurry.

  “That’s fine.” Gaelith replied calmly. “As long as he met his end in a fair fight, that’s all that matters.” He stepped away toward his rocky seat, sounding deep in thought. “It didn’t happen this time, did it?”

  A chill ran down my spine. I stayed silent.

  “Yes…” he muttered, almost to himself as he lowered himself onto the rock. “It happened before…it definitely happened before.”

  He knows. His words confirmed it. He even knew I was a looper. I was going to get marked now. There’s no escaping it.

  “Will you kill me now?” I asked, bracing myself.

  “Not now.” he replied, his tone unexpectedly calm. “I’ve changed my mind.”

  “What?” I asked, completely in disbelief.

  “I can’t quite understand what’s happening.” Gaelith said, his tone contemplative. “But something…isn’t right here. It’s as though I’m reliving this day, again and again. Many things are different, yet many are the same. But I don't seem to recall them freely. I don’t understand it…”

  What is going on?

  My confusion only deepened. This wasn’t a behavior of someone under Erebus’ control. Gaelith, the supposed vessel of Darkness, sounded lost. Confused. Reluctant. And yet he seemed aware of the loop, as if he was a looper like me.

  I dared to voice the question burning in my mind, feeling stupid for it as he was the literal monster who had killed so many adventurers during the thousand years he had haunted this place. “Are you…not the vessel of Erebus?”

  Gaelith tilted his head slightly, his face still hidden, as though the name confused him. “Is that the name he goes by?” he asked. “The Axul simply referred to him as The Destroyer.”

  “The ancient god?” I asked, recalling the little I knew of the Axul’s beliefs.

  “Yes.” Gaelith said simply. “As for your question – I am not. The only reason I am still here is to slow him down.”

  My mind reeled. “I don’t understand…”

  “There is another.” Gaelith said, his voice becoming a strange mixture of regret and hatred. “A different version of me.”

  “A…different you?” I echoed, trying to grasp his meaning.

  “Yes.” He said solemnly. “Born of my darkest hatred and lowest emotions, given form by the one you call Erebus. It resides deep within the tomb, in the lowest level. It hunts anyone who steps inside the tomb. With every life it takes, it grows stronger. It cannot be killed – trust me, I tried. At some point, I believe it’ll grow strong enough to leave this place and destroy the outside world.” His voice suddenly darkened. “And so I stop it the only way I can – by killing anyone who enters before it does.”

  My thoughts raced. I had no reason to believe him, but if he wanted me dead, he could’ve already killed me. He spoke of something far more terrifying – a fragment of himself, twisted into an immortal force that grows stronger with each kill.

  And yet, the question remained: who was this person in front of me?

  “Gaelith of Tepan was a legendary knight, wrongly convicted and executed a thousand years ago.” I told him. “If you’re not Erebus' vessel, then how are you still here after all this time? You’re clearly not a wraith, and you’re far too…talkative to be undead.”

  “Quite the observation, adventurer.” He remarked. “Yet I don’t owe you any explanation.”

  Anger flared within me, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Why kill, then? Why not just help people escape? Or block the entrance entirely to prevent anyone from coming in?”

  “Was the tomb not sealed for hundreds of years before you entered today?” he mused, brushing the dust of his dark robe to make his point clear. “It was hundreds of years, wasn’t it?”

  “That doesn’t answer the question.”

  “Is there anything people can’t do with magic these days?” he asked rhetorically, not waiting for a response. “No matter what locks are placed, no matter the complexity of magic, someone eventually comes along who can break them.”

  “Then help people escape! No one need to die here – neither by your hand nor by...your other self!”

  “If it were possible, I would have done so long ago.” He said quietly, sounding sorrowful. “But it isn’t. No one who enters this tomb may leave. That is the sad truth, and I am unable to change this fact.”

  I sighed, my frustration growing. “What now?”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “I’m thinking. Eventually, I'd have to kill you all before he can, but for now...” He said thoughtfully. “You are different as well.”

  “Different?”

  “Different.” He nodded. “You killed Karl before, and yet you remember even now. You understand what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

  I hesitated, but eventually answered. “I do.”

  “Interesting.” Gaelith said. “Please, tell me more. Tell me what you know.”

  I wondered if I should tell him what I know. This could be a trap of some sort, but then, why would he even ask that to set a trap? What kind of trap was this even? If he was on Erebus' side, then he'd already know everything about the time loop and the war. Why would he even ask?

  On the other hand, Chronos already warned me of speaking about my mission to anyone. The one time I didn't abide by that rule, Yana got killed - one of the only memries I still carried from my previous lives.

  "I can't tell you." I replied. "I'm bound by an oath."

  “I see…” Gaelith murmured thoughtfully. “So this Chronos, a God of Time you say...he battles The Destroyer every thousand years?”

  Wait, what?

  "Forgive me. It was dishonorable of me." Gaelith said, sounding apologetical. "But I had to learn the truth, and your mind was...too loud."

  He could read minds? Surely, that doesn't count as me breaking Chronos' rule, right?

  “That’s what he told me.” I replied, seeing as there was no point in hiding it anymore.

  “But this can’t be.” Gaelith said. “If that’s the case, then why did he show his presence here a thousand years ago already?”

  The question caught me off guard. He wasn’t just eavesdropping on my thoughts; he was dissecting them. “What do you mean?”

  “You claim that every thousand years, The Destroyer attacks a different world.” Gaelith said, voicing my thoughts. “That would mean a thousand years ago, he should have been far away, locked in a battle with this God of Time of yours. And yet, he was already here. I know it as fact.”

  His words shook me as I understood what he meant. How could I have missed that? The memory fragment of the High Priestess of Axul showed her conversing with Erebus – supposedly more than a thousand years ago - when the Axul still existed. But if Erebus was fighting Chronos in another world at that time, or was already defeated, how could he have already established a presence here back then?

  The realization was unnerving. This was something I’d have to ask Chronos about the next time he calls me to his realm. It could be critical.

  “You know it as fact?” I asked, curious about how Gaelith could be so certain. I knew why I was – the Memory Fragment, but why was he?

  “Yes.” He said simply, offering no elaboration despite my growing curiosity.

  “Does he usually win?” Gaelith asked suddenly. “This God of Time…will you both be able to end it once and for all?”

  I was so confused by him. Either way, this was a good question. Would I be able to stop Erebus? I hoped so. I had so much to fight for, but it wasn’t that simple. I wasn’t even close to ending this at the moment. Even when I found the Darknessbound Core, it was missing a third shard – something Chronos had assured me had never happened before.

  “I hope so…” I replied, uncertain.

  “Hoping is good.” Gaelith said calmly. “When humanity loses hope, that is when we truly perish.” He paused for a moment, his next words shocking me. “Tell me what you need. I’ll help.”

  Wait, what? I wasn’t sure if I heard him correctly. He wanted to help me? I wasn’t even sure yet that I believed him not being Erebus’ vessel.

  Gaelith seemed to sense my doubt. “You have no reason to trust me, I know. A minute ago, you believed me to be his vessel. Maybe you still think this way. I assure you I'm not. And that we seem to share a common purpose. This blight must be destroyed once and for all, and I’m willing to pledge myself to that cause.”

  As I contemplated the truth of his words, I decided to test his intentions.

  “Where are my comrades?” I demanded. “If you truly want to help, prove it. Release them.”

  “Release them?” Gaelith repeated, sounding confused. “What comrades are you talking about?”

  Here it is. Now he was showing his true face.

  “Oh, don’t play dumb.” I snapped. “I entered this chamber with three other adventurers, and now I’m alone. Where are they?”

  “I assure you, I had nothing to do with the disappearance of your comrades.” Gaelith replied, his voice calm. “You’ve awoke me when you stepped inside. As for anyone who may have followed you, I sense no one.”

  “But that…that can’t be.” I replied, uncertain of what was going on. He has to be lying, doesn’t he?

  Before I could press further, a piercing sound filled the chamber – high-pitched, like something slicing through the air.

  “What is that?” I muttered, gripping Silverfang tightly, preparing for a fight.

  “Seems like they’re here for me. Again.” Gaelith said with a tired tone, rising slowly to his feet. He gestured for me to move. “Step aside. I’ll handle this.”

  For him? And who are they?

  I hesitated but did as he ordered, stepping back cautiously, yet still ready to fight if the need arose.

  The sound grew louder and clearer with each moment, and soon the source of noise appeared: monstrous flying creatures resembling enormous wasps, their translucent wings buzzing, their eyes bright red. They had long, metallic stingers that seemed as sharp as blades. Void Wasps, level 75.

  The first wave shot their sword-sized stingers toward us. Gaelith moved with incredible speed, intercepting their projectiles mid-air with his radiating sword. With a flash of movement, he blinked toward the creatures, cutting through them with a single precise strike each.

  More of them swarmed in, reinforcements pouring through the chamber. Their number grew overwhelming, and I was ready to join the fight, but Gaelith stopped me.

  “Close your eyes!” he called out to me, his voice booming around us.

  My body reacted on its own, following his command. I closed my eyes tightly and braced for an explosion or some kind of devastating impact. But no sound came.

  The buzzing suddenly stopped, though.

  When I opened my eyes, the Void Wasps were all dead, their burned bodies filling the floor. Gaelith stood in the center of the chamber, pulling his sword from the ground where he had likely driven it when I closed my eyes. The blade burned brightly as he rested it on his shoulder.

  “We’re in the clear for now.” He said, his tone calm.

  “You said they were here for you?” I asked as I approached him cautiously. Reading about what he was capable of in history books was different than witnessing it with my own eyes. It only deepened my wariness of him.

  “Yes.” He replied. “The Destroyer has never been fond of my presence here. I interfere with his plans too much.”

  He turned to me, and for a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of his pale face beneath the shadow of his hood. The moment was fleeting, but it was enough to unsettle me even further.

  "This predicament is worrying, however." He continued, sounding worried. "This whole time loop provides him more opportunities to grow stronger. Instead of killing the same people once, he does it repeatedly."

  I was about to refute his word, to tell him that every time I die, the loop resets completely, but then it hit me - Chronos' lecture. Chronos said that Erebus, similar to him, was out of time - not affected by the time loop. He might very well be growing stronger the same as I was.

  "I've likely killed the other adventurers that joined you many times already. I'd probably killed you as well...I just can't remember it vividly..." he added, sounding like he was blaming himself. But he was probably right. I couldn't know for sure, but I felt like he did kill me already. Maybe it was Deja vu reminding me...

  “We’ll find your comrades.” Gaelith suddenly said, his voice resolute. “I’ll help. Will you trust me after that?”

  I hesitated, still unsure what to make of it all. It all just sounded so bizarre. But so was everything else here. “I don’t know.” I admitted. “But that would be a start.”

  “Good.” Gaelith said simply, turning toward the entrance I had come through earlier. “Follow.”

  The sealed entrance was now open, likely reopened to allow the Void Wasps to enter. We stepped into the puzzle chamber where we had aligned the levers to reveal Gaelith’s hideout, and my heart sank.

  Lying on the stone floor were the bodies of Lena, Dina, and Kelltins, their lifeless figures marred by deep, jagged wounds. Each cut looked as though it had been inflicted by a massive blade, their blood pooling around them.

  “Is it them?” Gaelith asked, his tone somber.

  I nodded grimly, stepping toward them. But before I could get any closer, Gaelith raised a hand to stop me.

  “Stay put.” He warned. “I sense something here.”

  His words sent my mind racing. Not taking any chances, I immediately activated Checkpoint.

  [Checkpoint Set: Your progress has been saved at this point in time]

  [Checkpoint lvl. 2: Time left until Anchor expires – 59:59]

  With the safety net in place, I carefully stepped toward Lena’s body, the most battered of the three. I knelt beside her, my heart pounding. But the moment I touched her, an explosion erupted, ripping me to shreds. The pain instantaneous and absolute.

  [Health: 0% - You Have Died]

  [Checkpoint Level 2 activated: You will now reawaken at the anchor point]