Chapter 61: Forgotten Tunnels
He quickly took the initiative, advancing with a firm step in front of Bella.
He observed the darkness emanating from the cave carefully. A bad feeling arose within him, like a thorn stuck in him. It was an unnatural sensation.
"Where did you get information about this place? And how does it manage to go unnoticed?" he asked.
It was strange that a place difficult to find, but not impossible, had remained hidden for so long.
"I had to pay quite a bit to obtain the information," replied Bella. "And how has it not become public, you mean? Maybe the paths are too tricky."
Gabriel only gave her a look that lasted a brief second.
Finally, he sent her a party invitation. It had no name, only three ellipsis points.
Quickly a notification glowed in his interface. Bella had accepted joining.
"You look enthusiastic..." she murmured.
"You don’t need to look good before a battle."
With those words, they finally crossed the deep curtain of darkness. Their bodies disappeared into the darkness.
A brief announcement echoed in their minds, threatening:
________________
[Do you wish to challenge the Dungeon: Forgotten Tunnels]**
[Warning: High difficulty. Estimated survival rate: 22%]
________________
Ignoring the warning, they accepted the challenge. The statistics were only a precedent, not an absolute.
***
They were assaulted by a penetrating odor. It was a thick mixture of humidity and mold that attacked the throat directly.
"It really stinks."
"I thought it was you," he said sarcastically.
Bella simply glared at him, quickly covering her nose to avoid the smell.
The atmosphere enveloping them was oppressive. The darkness was dense, with corners that could not be seen.
The tunnels were divided by irregularly excavated paths and maintained ancient wooden beams eroded by time. They gave the impression that they would probably collapse on them soon.
Each step echoed with a sinister sound, as if every step was being watched from the darkness.
"What do you know about this dungeon?" asked Gabriel.
"It’s a bit late for that question!" replied Bella in a reproachful tone.
Gabriel pretended he felt no shame.
"As you can guess, they are tunnels. They were built in an unknown era and the stories about this place are constantly enriched... But they say the final boss is a terrifying monster."
"You haven’t said anything concrete," replied Gabriel.
"Do you think I know more than you?"
"You said you bought the information."
"I bought it!"
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a distant and resonant echo. They were slow and constant footsteps.
Something was approaching.
Gabriel quickly perceived the danger. His expression lost all trace of idleness and he blended into the shadows.
"Focus," he murmured briefly.
Bella, contrary to her previous appearance, unsheathed her sword and adopted a disciplined pose. Her posture was impeccable.
"Mutants..." she whispered.
It was a deformed and extremely ugly creature, of an incredible height of three meters. It had one shoulder lower than the other and advanced limping, wearing poor torn garments. Its thick skin full of protuberances shone under the little light.
"Go right. I’ll go left.," whispered Gabriel.
They immediately moved with perfect synchrony.
The mutant roared with untamed fury and charged at them. Its speed was surprising for its size.
Bella faced it head-on like a mountain, contradicting her fragile figure. Her sword blocked the first savage blow with a severe metallic clamor that reverberated throughout the tunnel.
The impact forced her to retreat, but her posture remained firm.
Gabriel suddenly attacked from the left flank.
His new daggers responded with incredible agility and precision. The blade crossed the air with a lethal whistle.
However, the mutant’s skin was harder than expected. The cut opened a deep wound, but not as much as Gabriel anticipated.
Viscous green blood spurted, splashing the ground.
The monster roared in pain and spun violently. Its deformed arm swept the space where Gabriel was.
He had to roll on the ground to dodge. The claw passed centimeters from his head, tearing pieces of wood from a nearby beam.
It won’t be easy.
He got up quickly and counterattacked. This time he served as a distraction for the creature.
His daggers defended and attacked in an unpredictable feint, sinking into the mutant’s lame leg with an unpleasant crack.
At the wound it fell to its knees, but its fury only increased. It struck the ground savagely, creating waves that made the space tremble.
Bella took advantage of the opening and stabbed her sword into the exposed shoulder. The blade penetrated deeply.
Gabriel wasted no time. He jumped onto the creature’s back and sank both daggers into its nape.
The monster resisted violently, its body trembling with inertia, almost throwing Gabriel off.
But finally, with a last muffled roar, the mutant’s head rolled onto the damp ground.
He immediately separated from the decapitated creature. He subtly activated Leviathan’s Gluttony, absorbing the monster’s essence.
It was his first kill with the new weapons. They felt comfortable, lethal and extremely agile in his hands. With a little more practice, they would finally belong to him.
"Did you get stained?" asked Gabriel, breathing deeply.
Bella replied with her face covered in viscous green blood:
"Almost nothing."
"I heard it’s poisonous," said Gabriel in a casual tone.
Bella deliberately ignored him. For a moment she had really believed he was a hero of commendable strength and elevated spirit...
She moved a few steps away with the echo of her boots. She was quickly followed to avoid any sudden attack.
"You impressed me back there. That was... incredible," admitted Bella.
Gabriel replied modestly:
"Thank you."
"Don’t let it go to your head! In this dungeon you can still die... Everyone can die."
"You could stab me directly, instead of wasting time," replied Gabriel sarcastically.
They were not under any immediate problem, so they allowed themselves to talk while advancing cautiously.
"Why do you think this dungeon is so important?" asked Gabriel.
It was the doubt that had been eating at him the whole time.
"For its archaeological value, I suppose. Have you ever thought that the game could be deeper?"
"Yes, I have," replied Gabriel seriously.
His thoughts flew to the notebook, the Alchemists of God and the lineages. This world hid much more than it seemed.
But his senses immediately alerted him.
More threatening presences were approaching his position.
Finally five more mutants appeared, which seemed much more dangerous than the previous one. Their deformed bodies were larger, their claws longer and their eyes shone with primitive intelligence.
Emitting a slight greenish glow from their deformed bodies.
No words were needed. They immediately understood each other through their eyes.
It would be a difficult but necessary fight.