《SEALED DUNGEONS ANOMALY》 Chapter 000: Prologue Chapter 000: Prologue = = = = = = = = = = Ruins of cities and villages lay in oblivion. Mountains had been moved out of their places, while ragged rocks swelled from among the plains. Large cravens left by dried ocean terrored the horrible scene. Large trees had been uprooted and were strewn over the land. The world looked like a barren wasteland. In a rugged rock atop a slanted hill, a human figure could be seen. White chains which emits intense power were fashioned on all its four limbs. It is unquestioned that the figure is immensely powerful; a flap from the six silver wings protuding on its back could shred mountains to pieces. But it could not free itself from the chains binding him into this desolate plain.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Deep emptiness could be seen on its face. Anger could be seen on its silver eyes. All the hairs on its head had long since fall off. Limited to the world, it will not have access to other worlds, to tempt and annoy those who have been subjected. There was no one in the world upon whom it can exercise its power. It is wholly cut off from the work of deception and ruin which for so many centuries has been its sole delight. "It has been so long..." The human figure stood as it recounted the time from when it was first banished here. "666 years..." A delicate smile is plastered on its visage. 6-6-6, an ominous number to some but to the one known for its dark and treacherous energy, no other number could give such excelling delight. "This year will be interesting. Ha ha ha... Ha ha ha..." Laughter echoes throughout the land as peals of thunder and lightning roared in chorus with him who has authority over all the world. - end of prologue - Sealed Dungeons Anomaly - Chapter 001 Chapter 001: Golden Temple = = = = = = = = = = "January 1, 2017. A huge meteor two-thirds the size of the earth materialized out of thin space. It traverse a course so that it will hit the Earth in 24 hours. On that day, The United Nations summoned all of the people who are the greatest in their fields to convene on what can be done amidst the imminent disaster. Under no less than 15 hours to spare, a group consisting of specialize teams was formed. Thereafter, thousands of elite personnel could be seen boarding more than a hundred huge spaceships. Equipped with the latest scientific technologies and futuristic military weaponry, the fleet of spaceships flew into the space to execute their mission. The fleet was called and its mission, to use humanities strongest weapons to hopefully divert the meteor off of its track. The people in the Earth was in uproar, many are afraid, some confused, some recalled old prohecies stating the end of the world. Approximately five hours before impact, the UN made a public announcement that the attacks from the spaceships will be enough for the task. But only few believed in the impossible quest. I know I did, I believed." - Capt. Julius Wolfhan, Jan 1, 2017. - - - - - - - - - - - Nimrod woke up inside a dark and empty room. The only light shining around him, similar to that of an interrogation room. "I, am alive?" It was 10 o''clock in the morning. Nimrod remembered being inside the classroom while being beaten by six of his classmates, when a thundering explosions caused all the glass windows and light bulb to explode. Soon, fire occured throughout the building. Out of reflex, and fear of getting caught in the fire, the bullies nimbly went out of the classroom leaving the weakened Nimrod behind. Nimrod felt the heat coming from the fire, with both his hands grabbing a table, he pushed himself to stand. That''s when he realized the horror he is currently in. Through the window, he saw the sky painted in blazing dark red. Ripples of cloud can be seen as the silhouette of fiery meteor, spanning hundreds of miles in circumference entered the atmosphere. Thousands of meteorites accompanied the horrific scene. Alas, one of these made its way towards the school and then¡­ "I was brought here. Could these mean, I''m not a dropout? It seemed like I also retained my physical form." Nimrod remained calm. In fact he is delighted. Other than this being the proof that there is truth behind the stories from the Novels and Mangas he read; he also thought that is a better to be here than to be beaten to death by his classmates or be torched by a falling meteor. "Based on the holy manuscripts I have read in the internet, it is highly probable that someone will appear to give information about my current situation. That means, I should wait here." Nimrod sat on the floor. He decided to wait. About two hours later¡­ "Mmm, it seemed my assumption is incorrect. Does that mean, I need to explore this place?" Nimrod looked at his surroundings, "It is really dark. Who knows what danger lurks within these areas." Nimrod stood up from where he sat. That is when he noticed something. "Mmmm?" Currently, the spot that Nimrod is staying at has a light shining on it. The light covers approximately 2.5 meters in circumference. On closer inspections on the light source, Nimrod could see that there seemed to be a green image on the floor that reads <60%>. "Mmm. Does this mean, the light will disappear when it reaches 0%? Then I can''t wait here forever!" Nimrod decided that it would be best to try and explore since he thought he would still lose the light if he were to wait in this place.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Here goes nothing." He step outside the light for the first time¡­ - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nimrod is now looking at a brightly lit room. The room has four corners. Each corner has a large pillar of light. Nimrod discovered the pillars when he walked to explore the place. He spent two and a half hours walking all over the area, until he had finished exploring. "I did not expect that the light would follow wherever I go. Although it was not easy to move because of the huge statues that blocked my way, I finally did it after walking around them." Nimrod went over one of the huge statues. It has an unusual form. It has two large arms. Its large belly almost reaching its knees. Its head is a bit small for its huge body. If he were to name this creature depicted in the statues he would call it¡­ "Ogres. These statues diffinitely looks like an Ogre. And they are strategically built so that I can''t move more than 2 steps without bumping into one of these." The area is not that large, he believed he can probably reached the edge of the room within 20 minutes if he were to sprint straight ahead. Nimrod looked at the green image on the floor. "Only eight percent remaining. I won''t dare try and wait to see what happens if these numbers reached to zero." Of course, currently there are no immediate danger for him. However, ticking percentages and Ogre statues does not bode well for comfort and confidence. It is wise to leave before that happens. "It is fortunate that I manage to lit all four pillars. Now I can see that there are five possible ways to get out of this place." There are four ladders going upward, located at the walls between each pillars. When Nimrod manage to lit all four pillars, an elevator appeared at the center of the room. Immediately, Nimrod entered the elevator. Ladders has its own sense of adventure, but its no brainer to conclude that the elevator is a special gift. Nimrod went inside the elevator. "Mmm¡­ There are only two floors. The 13th Floor, and the B101th floor." Feeling a scense of brave adventure and for no other reason, Nimrod pressed B101th floor. *clank The elevator started to move downward. *Tick Finally, the green image on the floor has reached to zero. Following that, changes started to occur on the Ogre statues. The former grey colored stone began changing into pale green skin as life dawned to all the statues. Then¡­ *Graar Graar Graar Thundering roars could be heard as hundreds of Ogres statues came to life. They walked to and fro the entire room, up and down the ladders in search for their prey. Of course, Nimrod only heard the deafeaning roar and is still oblivious to everything that has happened above him as the elevator steadily moved downward. - - - - - - - - - - - B101th Floor "Wow!" Nimrod could not help but exclaimed as the door of the elevator opened revealing a magnificent golden temple. Nimrod rushed outside the elevator, because of his amazement. He did not even notice that a huge boulder came out of no where and covered the entrance to the elevator. "I''ve never seen anything like this before. Such granduer, such brilliance. With this dimensions, it should at least require 3,000 tons of gold to be built. This definitely is a 100 billion dollar temple!" Nimrod unconsciously moved towards the temple. The temple has the size of a large dome. Its form is similar to the ancient Hebrew temple. The building is about 27 meters long, nine meters wide, and about 14 meters high. It has three huge doors, each having different symbol. From the farthest left, the symbols are sword and shield, bow and dagger, rod and book. "Hmm, these symbols. If I am not mistaken this temple could be some kind of trial, with each door representing different attributes. Sword and shield could mean trial related to brute force, bow and dagger for precision related trial, while rod and book for trials that tests the intellect. But given the enormous amouny of funds required to build this temple, there must be serious reasons why they built this." Thanks to his vast knowledge after reading tons of manga series and light novels, Nimrod could easily deduce the approximate meaning behind what he saw. But still, his human experience dictates that he should be very, very cautious. The probability of him being wrong is high but who would give him advice when he is the only one present in here. "Now how should I go with this. The immediate plan should be to leave this place." Only now did Nimrod noticed that his path has been cutoff so that he has no other choice but to move forward. "After looking around, there seemed to be no other passage for getting out of this place. That means, I need to enter the temple to get out of this place. How ironic it is really. Nimrod turned his head to the right side of the temple, "My parents said that the only qualities I have is my average intelligence. If my assumptions are correct, this should be the door which has the highest chance of me winning, if ever there is a test." Nimrod tried remember all the mathematical formulas and scientific knowledge he learned from school. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. *Hooooo¡­ He is ready. His eyes is beeming with resolve similar to the kids waiting to take their final exams. "Rod and book it is." Nimrod went in front of the door that has the symbol, immediately white light enveloped him and he vanished. - end of chapter - Sealed Dungeons Anomaly - Chapter 002 Chapter 002: Path of the Kings - Part 1 = = = = = = = = = = Inside the golden temple. - You have chosen to take the path of the wise king. The immortal ruler shall pour its powers to test your ability. Prove your worth by leading your men to victory. - Objective: Lead your men to victory. Thunderous sound roared as the area shifted and turned transforming the shallow temple into an enormous battlefield. Nimrod was baffled at the sudden change. His mind could not register all the information he received. Right now he is standing in front of a table. He is wearing a golden robe, a rod laid upon his back. Infront of him floats a seemingly sacred golden book. Surrounding the tables are men wearing different robes and armour. Their eyes are looking at him, full of expectations. "My Prince." The man nearest to Nimrod spoke, his black heavy armour clanking as he bowed with great respect. "In front of us is the great city of Barranca. As reported, their warehouses are full and their walls are thick. Their men opted to lurk inside than to face us. They are cowards, and our men is eager to spill their blood. The strength of a single soldier in our army could rival hundreds of their men! Give us your blessings and we shall give you swift victory!" "My Prince. To launch a full attack on the first day, is not wise. Let us maintain our siege and let them die in hunger." A robed man quickly said, all the while his head bowing in respect. "Nonsense! We don''t have the time to do that! It would take us hundred years before the first of their warehouses becomes empty. Not to mention that our food supplies are limited. We have to be aggressive if we want to take this city!" "This¡­" Nimrod is hesitant to make a choice. "My prince. Our men are strong, we will take this city by storm!" The heavy armoured man declared. Nimrod did not know what to do. But seeing the decisive image of the heavy armoured man, he quickly made the decision to launch a full attacked. "We shall launch a full attack. I give you my blessings, give me a swift victory." "As the Prince requires. We shall obey!" All the men stood in attention and saluted. Thereafter they all left. Later that day, sounds of death echoed throughout the battlefield. Nimrod saw the effects of the terrifying hell that is called war. The unfortunate thing is that Nimrod''s men are experiencing defeat one after another. Nimrod saw how thousands upon thousands of his men were killed at his command. His men lost all their morale, there are some who deserted the main army. The formerly balanced platoons became sluggish in the blink of an eye. At that moment, everyone saw as hundreds of men on horseback came out from the city, rampaging throughout the remainders of his armies. Nimrod looked in horror at the fortified great city of Barranca. Its walls unshaken by their all out attacks.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. And then, Nimrod saw a lady standing on top the center wall facing their camp. With a wisk of her staff magical circles were created. Then with a single word coming from her, all hell broke lose. "Hellstorm!" Nimrod saw as hundred of fiery meteors descended from heaven aiming towards their camp, and his vision brigtened. Intense heat melted his skin even as his voice failed to make noise. Then his vision darkened. Nimrod appeared in front of the Golden temple. His body is shaking uncontrollably. His eyes dimmed, as if losing all signs of life. Then all of a sudden, he stood on the spot unmoving. _ _ _ _ _ In front of the golden temple. A silhouette is covered in bright light. This bright light is constantly being emitted from the golden temple. It seemed to have positive effects on whatever it lands on. As such the flowers and trees surrounding the golden temple has great vitality, the effects of constant exposure for such a long period of time. Of course the silhouette is Nimrod who stood unmoving for hours, so that the light of the temple have attached to him. Such an event does not normally happens, and can only be regarded as a miracle. Finally after more than a day of not moving, the light of life finally returned to him. "People died because of me!" Clearly Nimrod was affected by the massacre he had caused. Thousands upon thousands of men have died because of his command. Not to mention, the attacked were not able to make a dent against the enormous wall. Although one can argue that all were just an illusion. However, Nimrod felt what he had witnessed was real. The stench of blood spewing out of the decapitated generals. The wailing of the soldiers as they died horribly in pain. All these cannot be easily forgotten. "I died." What shook him to the core is the fact that he had died! And on top of that he died because of a meteor! He could not forget the immense pain caused by his body melting. Nimrod look at the three doors of the golden temple. All of the symbols are shining as if it is calling him to take their trials. "My knowledge regarding warfare is very limited. If I must engage in war, I have to to win without so much casualties. I need strength and experience to win battles." Nimrod looked into the temple, determination is present in his eyes. _ _ _ _ _ - You have chosen to take the path of the brave king. The immortal ruler shall pour its powers to test your ability. Prove your worth by annihilating the Titans. - Objective: Annihilate the Titans. Thunderous sound roared as the temple shifted and turned transforming the shallow temple into a great ruin. Nimrod tried to remain calm as much as possible. Then, he noticed an injured middle aged person in front of him. The man is missing his right arm, while half of its body is stuck under a rubble. He is losing too much blood. The man coughed up blood. Nimrod reaches out, and hold his left hand. Nimrod could not find the words to say for he knew the man will soon die. The man looked up to him. "My prince, my son. Be strong and courages. Be brave for our people. You shall lead them out of this misery. You will give them hope and future. Promise me, your father. Your king!" Nimrod now know what had happen. This man is the current king of this kingdom, and Nimrod is his son, the prince. Nimrod tightened his grip and said, "I promise to be strong and courages. To be brave for our people. I shall lead them out of this misery. I will give them hope and future. I promise father. My king." The king smiled. He took his last deep breathed and said, "I have killed Dobanmir, king of the Titans. But our battle is far from over. The queen and her twelve princes are still alive." The king looked at him gently. "My child, you will kill them all!" Finally, the king died. Nimrod looked at the lifeless person in front of him. He knew he is not related to the king, however, the sadness and pain he felt betrayed his thoughts. Nimrod took its body out of the rubble. He even tried to locate his right arm but unfortunately, he could not find it. He took all of what the king was wearing, keeping in mind that it is what the person would have wanted. Then he made sure to offer the best burial for the king. He also offered a short prayer. Only after he did all that did Nimrod began to analyse the items he tooked from the king. - end of chapter - Sealed Dungeons Anomaly - Chapter 003 Chapter 003: Path of the Kings - Part 2 = = = = = = = = = = Nimrod made a list of what he had retrieved from the king. He has a corroded golden ring, with an emblem of a dragon and a spear. A broken golden spear, tattered golden heavy armor set and a scaly-black armlets. Nimrod is sure that before the fight these items may have looked so cool you would think they are legendary items. But now, he has doubts if he could even properly use them in battle. "Still, I would gladly receive this than go empty handed. Specially when I am about to go on war against the Titans of this world." Nimrod is not sure how big this place is or how monstrous the Titans would be. However, he needs to fulfill the test otherwise he will be stuck on this place for eternity. It would be bothersome to wear the broken items, even so Nimrod looked over them. Then he first took what remains of the ring. He looked at the crest embedded on the ring. "Dragon and spear." Nimrod saw that he also has a similar item on his right arm. "This is the symbol of our family. Dragon and spear. If the broken golden spear the king was using signifies the spear in our emblem as our weapon of choice, then what would the scaly-black armlets represents?" Nimrod took and wore the armlets on both his upperhand. - Item: Devouring Titan Armlet - Ability: Mutation - Item is extracting blood from the user. - Item compatibility: 100% - Fusion: Item will be consumed¡­ - Fusion started. - Fusion complete. Nothing from his previous life could have made him prepare for that. Nimrod saw, how the scaly-black armlets yank buckets of blood from him, devouring the blood instantly and with flashes of blinding light disappeared without leaving a trace. Abrassions and lacerations filled his hole body. He suffered from an immediate blood explosion so that his skin and muscles are swollen and tender to touch, any form of movement gives unbearable pain. Luckily for him, no one is watching, otherwise, his disfigured and pained facial expresions might suggest he is not human. "Seriously! That thing is a leech! It drank my blood! I took a vampire armlet!" Nimrod wanted to complain when he suddenly staggered and fell, his vision darkened, his whole body is in tremendous pain.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ''Don''t tell me, I will have to die again!'' It was at this moment when Nimrod felt the essence of a huge savory smell just a few blocks away from him. ''That definitely is a Titan''s essence. If I could just crawl towards that direction, my gut tells me that I will surely live!'' Nimrod use all his might, he crawled ever so slowly towards the direction of the essence. He did this purely out of conviction, and determination. ''I will live! I can do this!'' For several hours, he endured the pain, until such a time where his mettle is to be truly tested. - - - - - Nimrod is facing a wall of soil. It appears that all this time, he had been inside a huge cylindrical hole. He can sense that the blood essence is just directly above him. "Such.. a... thing¡­" Such a thing shouldn''t be happening! That is what Nimrod is currently thinking. He had used all the remaining strength he could muster, and now, he couldn''t even open his mouth. He felt very tired, a calm feeling overcame him and he¡­ _ _ _ _ _ Beside the golden temple. A figure could be seen trampling around, leaving dents and marks on trees and flowers nearby. A wallop broked the branch of the tree as it made crackling sound. "What the hell is wrong with those tests!? I died twice already! And I died painfully!" Nimrod is currently very angry. He had already died twice since arriving in here. With no other possible way to leave this place, he has to try and beat at least one of the three tests. "Now, the path of the brave King won''t even let me enter!" That is right, after just failing once, the path of the brave King lost its light. It has now become impossible to use it again. "It is still highly difficult for me to beat the path of the wise King. It would be better for me to try the second path, and gain as much experience I can." Nimrod regained his composure and made his way towards the temple. _ _ _ _ _ - You have chosen to take the path of the cryptic King. The immortal ruler shall pour its powers to test your ability. Prove your worth by uncovering the secrets of the enigmatic Mystic Orb. - Objective: Unlock Mystic Orb A black and suffocating atmosphere enveloped the area as Nimrod was transported into a dark tunnel. He is now wearing a black leather armour, covered by black hooded robe. Two daggers hangs by his sides. On his back two short katanas were fashioned comfortably. All in all, he looked like a newly initiated theif or assassin. It did not take long for Nimrod to notice that there are a dozen hooded individuals inside the pathway. They all are in a crouch position, and are strategically posted so that no man is behind the other and all have unrestricted line of sight towards entrance. Nimrod''s position is at the farthest from the entrance. All of them are silent so that even the few droplets of water could be clearly heard. Suddenly¡­ "Protect the Shrine Maiden at all cost! This is the last tunnel, if we can pass through here this battle will still be our victory!" A group of about a dozen armoured men are running towards the entrance of the tunnel. It seems they are protecting a beautiful lady from someone or something. "Commander, the ghouls are almost upon us! Please go ahead, we will hold them for you!" Right away, six individuals broke of from the group, and formed a defensive straight line as they place both their sword and shield in guard position. The rest of the group spared no energy as they bolted towards the dark tunnel. "James, Reid, move past us and scout the path ahead. We cannot slow down our speed so you have to clear everthing that will hinder us. However, you have to return to us at the first sign of danger!" "Yes sir!" "Everyone else, maintain close formation, stay focus!" "Yes sir!" The group rushed their way into the tunnel. - end chapter - Sealed Dungeons Anomaly - Chapter 004 Chapter 004: Path of the Kings - Part 3 = = = = = = = = = = "You don''t know who you are dealing with! You are doing a grave mistake!" A fully armored man has his back against the wall. Behind him, a beautiful lady is hiding and shivering from fear. Five dead bodies littered the floor beside her. All the heads were cut off from the bodies. The gore of battle painted the rough walls and a blooded atmosphere permits the air. "Let us go and I will consider pardoning your foolishness, just this once!" Once again the man shouted, all the while maintaining his defensive stance. *ching The sound of a sharp sword cut through the air, followed by a thud as the lifeless body of the fully armored man fell on the floor, its head rolling farther away from it. The now, six dead men were the ones who run hastily towards the tunnel and are responsible for protecting the shrine maiden. They bolster impressive defensive and countering capabilities, however, they could not effectively use their skills after they fell into a perfect ambush by fast moving enemies who outnumbered them, two to one. Nimrod looked at the decapitated head of the commanding officer. Anger can still be clearly seen on its eyes while the blood continues to drip from its decapitated neckline. Surprisingly, this view made Nimrod unusally calm. Infact, he somewhat felt energized. He could feel his senses getting sharper, specially near the dead bodies. "Lucian, take the Shrine Maiden with you and bring her to the Ch?shek Temple. I will give you command over the initiates." "Yes sir!" A man sounded out as the command was given. "The rest of us will go and and make sure no request for reinforcement to the ?ry?m Temple will be sent from the battlefield. Now, proceed as planned." "Yes Sir!" Nine men left the area, leaving only Nimrod and two other guys. In front of them, is the Shrine Maiden. Although she is afraid, she made every effort not to show any sign of weakness. She knew these men will not kill her. But considering how far she had travelled already, dieing by exhaustion may very well be the first that will happen to her. Nimrod seemed to be the only one to to notice how tired the maiden is. "Are you okey?" Nimrod asked. He kneeled beside the Maiden when¡­ *swoosh, swoosh, swoosh Three kicks flew right at him, he barely evaded the fist two by rolling and jumping backwards when the third kick came right at him. Nimrod tucked both his hands in defense as he flew, meters away from where he jumped. He manage to stopped the momentum by tumbling backwards multiple times, rather awkardly, his face hiting the ground several times. "Uuugggghhh¡­" His whole body, is in pain! He felt as if a massive truck had hit him, throwing him off the road. Fortunately though, the armour and robe protected him from receiving fatal injury. Though his head hurts and his visions blurry, it appears he did not receive severe concussion or a broken limb.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Nimrod looked in front and he saw Lucian''s intimidating gaze. Lucian''s left hand revealed a blooded dagger. Nimrod saw the other hooded person is now lying on the floor. "Why?" Nimrod, once again could not comprehend what happened. He wanted to ask, why these test is so unfair. Isn''t it natural for NPC''s or AI''s abilities to be weak on the early parts? Naturally, Lucian could not read what Nimrod is thinking. "You ask why as if you are not aware of her value. You who tried to get a sniff of the maidens purity, dare to ask why! Insolence! You will not have a taste of her." Lucian smirked. "Had it not for your agreesive and proactive gestures, me and this guy would not have opted to act. Your greed gave us chance and we are not one to miss such opportunity. Luckily, I killed him first!" Lucian kicked the dead body away. Lucian looked at Nimrod and said, "The royals won''t miss a bastard prince like you. Now I''ll kill you!" He darted straight towards Nimrod. _ _ _ _ _ "You fight like a child! Ha, I can''t believe you passed as an initiate! You are just a bastard who know nothing but to hide behind your father''s name!" Lucian is angry. He was pointing a bloodied dagger to Nimrod. "Where is your basic, get back to basic! I can''t believe the Old Trainer let you out on a mission!" In a blink of an eye, Lucian have slashed the dagger ten times. Nimrod could only cry out loud as he could not see when his arms and legs were slashed, often he would roll on the ground to try and evade the attacks. He should have died a hundered times already had it not for Lucian purposely missing fatal areas. However, the effects of his attacks could not be denied as Nimrod can be seen to be missing chunks of flesh. Apparently, Lucian''s attacks maximize pain receptors than lethal damage. Nimrod''s body is covered in holes and lacerations. Blood is oozing from his body while purple cuts can be seen to be scattering through out his body. "You already sluggish moves has now become completely still! What a waste of time and resources, you are a disgrace to our kingdom! A disgrace to our profession!" Lucian looked at Nimrod, his eyes losing interests. "I can''t believed the paralysis poison worked on you! Ha, I don''t have to waste my time with you! You''ll die anyways." Lucian slowly went away from him. Nimrod remained tense. He did not dare trust Lucian to leave him alive. He slowly moved backwards until he touched the cold wall. He was very tired. He was so tired that his eyes are falling even as his whole body is in pain. A few minutes later, Nimrod fell asleep to the sounds of smutty moans. _ _ _ _ _ *crunch, crunch *slurp, slurp Cruching sound echoed followed by a tingling scream. The scream gets louder during and every after crunching sound. A woman''s crying voice could also be heard. The cries carried the unbearable anguish the woman is experiencing. "As expected, the energy is intact if the source is alive." Lucian spoke while raising what remains of the shrine maiden''s right leg. He kept it near his mouth. Then¡­ *Crunch *Kyaaaaa!!!! Another crunching sound echoes followed by a tingling scream. Lucian has been tearing and eating the shrine maiden bit by bit. He would also pour red liquid to the wounds which would fry the surface tissues, forcefully healing it. The shrine maiden would always lose consciousness during this process and everytime, Lucian would put a foul oinment on her nose to wake her up. He did that a few more times, and now all four of the shrine maiden''s limbs were consumed. Lucian looked at the limbless figure in front of him. "To think you''d still looked stunningly beautiful even when you are completely amputated. It is unfortunate, I''ll still have to eat you even after you give your all to me. I won''t forget the pleasure I felt when I pound myself in you." Lucian grabbed on the sphere located on shrine maiden''s chest. He then twisted it clockwise. *clank As if on cue, the sphere detaches from the robe that the maiden is wearing then¡­ *swish The cloth retracted into four direction where small orbs are located, leaving the shrine maiden naked. The small orbs then flew towards the sphere that is now in Lucian''s hands. The shrine maiden''s body glinted in shiny silver showing how delicate and smooth she is. Her figure is perfect, the lumps in her chest sculpted a perfect mold, ordinary human would die happily by simply looking at it. "It would have been better if you took off your clothes earlier." Of course, Lucian is not an ordinary human and cannot be tempted by such images. He threw away the sphere in his hands and feasted on the shrine maiden. - end chapter - Sealed Dungeons Anomaly - Chapter 005 Chapter 005: Path of the Kings - Part 4 = = = = = = = = = = Nimrod is currently standing inside a room. In front of him, pictures portraying his whole life is being shown. Looking at how short and meaningless his life had been, Nimrod began to question his worth. ''Why am I here? What purpose is there that I should be born?'' Nimrod once again looked at his life summary and said, ''Nothing has a purpose. None of the things that happen has a purpose. People work for their whole lives. But they get nothing for the work that they do here on the earth. People are born and they live on the earth. At the end of their lives, they die. But the earth continues as it has always continued.'' What then is life''s meaning? What does it give us? Nimrod thought of these questions. Again, he looked at how his life had been and concluded, ''Life makes us tired. It makes us so tired that we could not tell anyone about it. Nothing that we see can ever make us happy. Nothing that we hear will ever cause true pleasure for us.'' Nimrod''s negative thinking got better of him. His melodramatic attitude went beyond his control. His situation is hopeless, nothing can get him out of his cowardice shell. Nothing can help him, or so it seems... *whistle The sound of a perfect lob resonates in the air. Its destination has been locked, and will sure make impact in T-minus three seconds, two, one... *Arguuu¡­ *Clank *Squaash A painful groan, followed by an imaginary sound as if a glass is breaking and as if an object has been squash flat can be heard. Of course it only lasted for a short time since¡­ "Oooooowwww! Wut di heck!" The groan transformed into a very low but comprehensible squick as Nimrod can be seen grasping between his legs. The adrenaline rush jolted him so much energy that he woke up, albeit he is in pain. *Kyaaaaa! Nimrod was still sitting with his back on the wall when a terribble scream sounded. That''s when he saw a figure feasting on human flesh. "Abomination!" Nimrod muttered unconsciously. Never did he think that a day will come where he would witness a person being eaten alive. Of course, that was Lucian eating the life out of the Shrine Maiden. Had Nimrod knew that it was Lucian who he had been fighting with moments ago, he would either feel angrier or more terrified. But one thing is certain, Nimrod is now very afraid. Nimrod subconsciously slid away. *Tick "Heek!" Nimrod bumped on the sphere that Lucian threw earlier. He wished that the monster won''t notice it. Unfortunately, Lucian heard it. He look towards Nimrod and smiled. He is happy that his prey has finally gained its strength. He grinned widely and said to the terrified Nimrod, "I''ll play with you later. After I finish my meal." Blood dripping from his mouth as he speak.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nimrod realized that it was Lucian who was eating the Shrine Maiden alive. But the realization did not help him calm down but rather heightened his fear. Subconsciously, he reached out for his weapons only to find out that they are all missing. By this time, his wounds opened up and blood began to flow out of his body as he made every effort to go away. His arms skimmed backstroke, then his hand touched the sphere he bumped earlier. Without taking his eyes off of Lucian, Nimrod grabbed the sphere tightly as if his whole life depended on it. Then¡­ - Item: Mystic Orb - Ability: ?????? - Item is extracting blood from the user. - Item compatibility: 100% - Fusion: Item will be consumed¡­ - Fusion started. - Fusion complete. "Thank goodness!" Nimrod muttered as he saw his blood flew out his body and into the orb. _ _ _ _ _ Death is always the worst experience. Normally, that statement is always true, unless you live a life out of the concept of normal. "If I''d be allowed to choose, I''d rather die quickly not knowing what happened to me than to suffer by being eaten slowly while fully conscious. That guy, Lucian, he is, not human." Right now, the second door of the golden temple had already lost its color. That means, Nimrod won''t be able to use it again. Altough it is also doubtful whether he would use it again given another chance. Nimrod finally being free from immediate danger, let out his complaints as if he really means it. "How unfortunate! Had I been allowed to do it again, I would surely beat him a hundred times!" Nimrod tried to shake off his fear by acting disappointed and angry. Nonetheless, it could be said that what he just experience made him unbelievably mentally tired and weary. Nimrod search for a place where he could sit on to take his much needed rest. "But what just happened to me?" Nimrod clearly remembers the feeling when his blood left his body and is consumed by the item he is holding. "And the messages, why is it I don''t hear it anymore? Does that mean, so long as I am inside the temple, I''ll receive prompts as an aide to finish the trials?" "What about the abilities? How do I use them? How do I check my skills? It would be good if there are gamelike interface I could interact with. I don''t care how simple or complicated it looks, so long as it has the right functions." Nimrod is starting to lose himself over fancy dreams and he fall asleep. _ _ _ _ _ Beside the golden temple. Under a huge tree, a silhouette is covered in bright light. Apparently, this bright light that is constantly being emitted by the golden temple would land on anything that is not moving and has positive effects on whatever it lands on. As such the flowers and trees surrounding the golden temple has great vitality, the effects of constant exposure for such a long period of time. What is not normal however is that the bright light is quickly being absorbed so that a whirlpool of bright light has already been created. Inside the whirlpool, the silhouette remained immobile, seemingly uncaring about what is happening around him. For several days, this phenomenon persisted. Finally, 2 days after, a huge ball of pure bright light went out of from the golden temple. It hovered over the temple seven times, and then¡­ *whiiing The ball produced a really sharp sound so that cracks and marks can be seen on the golden temple. Afterwards, the huge ball of pure light drove straight to the whirlpool and into the immobile figure at the center. There was no sound what so ever. All the bright light is gone even as the huge ball of pure light vanished without a trace. - end chapter - Sealed Dungeons Anomaly - Chapter 006 Chapter 006: Path of the Kings - Part 5 = = = = = = = = = = Nimrod woke up feeling refreshed and energized. In fact he felt stronger, which is kind of awkward even for him. "What happened?" Nimrod was not asking what happened to him or why he suddenly felt invigorated, he was asking what happened to the golden temple. With the entrance to the elevator blocked off, Nimrod believed that finishing a test would open the way for his escape. Now, however, the Golden temple has been visibly destroyed. His only way to get out of this place, has been literally destroyed. Unless he have God''s power to restore a broken temple within three days, he could only dig himself a grave for the remainder of his young life. "I thought I will have another chance to capture the great city of Barranca. To scale its fortified walls, eliminates its defenders, open its towering gates and lead my men to victory." Nimrod dreamt of becoming the hero who will lead his own men to victory. But of course, those things are nigh impossible with his current capabilities. "Just what on earth did that?" Nimord looked towards the broken temple. The golden walls are marred by cracks and holes. Even the golden beams have suffered terrible damage. Cracks and holes formed unintentional web lines, all converging to a single point, a huge hole at the approximate center wall of the temple. "Wow! Seems like something big and dangerous went out through here." Nimrod went closer towards the hole which is about three times bigger than him. He touched the sides of the hole. It was then when he realized that the temple wall is about five meters thick, its beams even thicker. "The walls are this thick but something or someone managed to break through. These cracks, I am pretty sure this would not appeared silently, so how come I didn''t hear anything?" Although the temple had already losts its former brilliance, still it exudes radiance. The gold platings emits beauty that any normal human would crave to see and touch even just once. As Nimrod marvel at the magnificent structure, he caught glimpse of the the bluish gleam sparkling inside the temple. Nimrod entered the temple through the hole, he then drew closer towards the bluish light. _ _ _ _ _ Inside the temple. Nimrod walked inside the temple. He felt his feet walking on golden floor, such experience made him elated. Never did he think that dying three times would give him such an experience. "If only I knew earlier!" Of course, this happened because of a very peculiar circumstance. "Na, I may just have been lucky I landed in this place." "Seventy steps." That is the number of steps he took moving forward before stopping. In front of him, a red imprint could be seen on the floor. At the middle of the imprent is a wooden altar. The altar looks so ordinary there are no decorations whatsoever. However, on top of it floats a bluish seed. Blue light would often flew out of it, encircling it before going back. Traces of sparkling light would also dance around it, mesmerizing those who see it. This seed looks like it was taken out of an elven territory.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Its so beautiful." Nimrod was filled with desire to own the seed. However, the altar towers like a pole at approximately 16 feet. Unless he climbs straight to the top he would never reach the bluish seed. "How troublesome!" Nimrod sighed while staring intently on the altar. He then remembered an event where he was asked to climb a twelve foot coconut palm. He had all the avenue one needed to harvest coconuts, however¡­ "I couldn''t get a single coconut." To be clear, Nimrod could not climb till the top that is why he was not able to grab a single fruit. "It was full of ants and bees." Huge red ants and bees made a home on the coconut palm. "There were legions of them. I had to go down quickly before they made a run at me." Nimrod smiled bitterly as he remembered his experienced. "Fortunately, the current situation is way different." His eyes shone in determination. "I can do this!" Nimrod decided that he would get to the top of the no matter what it takes. Or so he thought however¡­ *crack Cracks appeared on the floor were the red imprints are. Then¡­ *Swiish Black smoke floated up from outside the temple, dissolving everything it touches. The grass, flowers, and trees all crumbles in ash as they lose their green vigor. Apparently, the smoke is moving towards the center of the golden temple. Seeing the scene, Nimrod knew that unless he finds a place to hide, he''d be deas in a second. It was then that he noticed¡­ "The Altar!" Nimrod could only exclaim at the sight of a tall altar made of stone transforming itself . Bricks are turning about on the sides of the altar, constantly stretching its former width so that after a few seconds later a miniature pyramid has been built. Where in before, only a tall altar could be seen, now one could look and say a ziggurat has been masterfully built. Nimrod didn''t have the time to linger anymore as his instict told him that his survival depends on whether he could climb to the top faster than the moving mass of black smoke. And so, he ran. He ran going up the stairs like a determined olympian even as the smoke travel like a hungry leopard. Finally, Nimrod have reached the top of the altar. It appears that that the black smoke could not go on top of the altar as a transparent shield blocks its entry. Nimrod can finally see where the bluish light is coming from. The light is being radiated from a silver orb, about the size of the human fist. At first glance, the orb appeared to be in perfect state. However, Nimrod sensed that something is wrong with the orb. "It feels empty." He could feel that the orb is lacking on the inside. In fact, he felt the orbs gravity as it tries to pull him a bit more closer to it. As if the orb wants him to touch it, the tiny pull became strong bit by bit. However, it appears that the orbs pull have affected not only Nimrod but also the black mass behind the invisible barrier. It would be nice if he could observe the orb a bit longer. But as it appears, Nimrod could no longer do that since... *crack, crack, crack The black mass all gathered on a single spot above the silver orb. Then, it started spinning while converging, constantly increasing its speed so that cracks, similar to that of a broken glass, started to appear on the barrier. Nimrod took haste as he saw what had transpired. He ran and finally, Nimrod arrived in front of the silver orb. He immediately grab the silver orb. At first, he felt at ease as the bluish light covered his entire body. At that time, he knew he is safe. But then, the obvious did happen. "Aaaarghh!" Nimrod skin burst open, in seconds ruptures and lacerations filled his entire body even as his blood flew towards the silver orb. "Aaaarghh!" *Thud Nimrod uttered the last of his strength. Then as if time slowed down, his buttered body fell ever so slowly right at the center of the ziggurat. Another blinding light occured as the silver orb disappeared without a trace. Then, the transparent shield also disappeared so that the cyclone mass of the black smoke drove towards the center of the ziggurat where Nimrod is lying helplessly. *Bang Loud noise sounded as dust and gravel flew covering the upwper portion of the ziggurat. Slowly, the dust cleared up, revealing ruined but peaceful pyramid, devoid of all sign of life. What has been a beautiful and lively golden temple now became a silent and empty ruin. - end chapter -