《Beneath our History》


 PROLOGUE

    " Father..."


    "...."


    "It has been 3 decades; we tried again... and again..."


    "..."


    "But to no avail... there''s¡ªthere''s STILL no untattered thread."


    ".."


    "...Two more days, we will move on to the sixth, will I see you then?"


    "."


    "...It annoys me.You misplaced yourtrust."


    " "


    "...Father¡ª should our vessels triumph this time...I''m coming for you."


    <hr><hr>


    PROLOGUE


    || ''THUD!''''THUD!''


    The Gavel was hit.


    the Royal Judge walked down his podium¡ª a slim man adorned in all sorts of jewelry from head to toe. He wore a hat of exquisite cotton and wool, a silken cloak with the color of scarlet, and a uniform made from leather of the highest caliber.


    in his hands was a worn down scroll¡ª ''ancient'', as big his entire contour. It glowed as it was embedded with magic, or as it''s called;Lodia.With a thousand words listed on it, he began to speak with a voice so loud the entire colosseum-sized court could hear.


    "Under Oath, Abide thou ''Clutch Obznitelo'',the royal court will now recite-!"


    Humans, Elves, Aleles, Mages, and even the Beastens, all stood in tandem and silence. There were more than ten thousand witnesses to this event, includingthe Kingwho was sitting on the golden throne at the center of the Court.... All to witnessthe judgement of one.


    "We are now in accord with the conditions set by the spirit of Justice and Judgement. In their presence, and of the King''s, BRING THE CRIMINAL OUT¡ª!"


    the wind swept in suddenly... From the windows, the dark and eerie night peeked in, and it stole the warmth of the bright yellow lights. The Royal Court, a symbol for judgement and peace, made everyone feel completely vulnerable.


    oh how the wooden gatescreakedso loud.


    that sound was distressing...


    unpleasing and chilling...


    For it exposed everyone to the embodiment of fear itself.


    A dark fog released from within the gate below the audience, sounds of steel shackles clattered with the ground as a group of footsteps leered closer. The Judge''s voice became weary, he started to shake¡ª he could see theCriminalwalking in.


    "Everyone may now remain seated¡ª For Under our Oath, we are protected. We abide thou, ''Clutch Obznitelo'',"


    hereby witness¡ª


    "THE TRIAL OF GACHIZEN DAUZE!"


    || BANG!


    The gates closed in on them ever so loudly. And in their first sight, everyone gasped, paralyzed.


    standing affront the gate, was a dirty middle-aged man that could easily be mistaken for a beggar. The Criminal stood on the bloodied bronze podium, but still,nobody could see his face¡ªnot even the King on the throne or the Judge right in front of him. ThisCriminalwas wearing nothing but ripped pants and a ragged shirt, with not even shoes beneath his feet. But still, he had two heavily armored guards shackling and constraining him from both sides, and a line of knights and Lodiacswatching his every move.


    "Heh-heh-eh~"The criminal chuckled. His smile was so big, like that of a demon, consideringhe was also overflowed with bloodlust.


    "G-Gachizen Dauze...!" The Royal Judge spoke,


    "You were judged for your actions... Heinous crimes against both human and nature''s law:


    BRIBERY


    FRAUD


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    IDENTITY-THEFT,


    KIDNAPPING


    and PERJURY¡ª! "


    everyone turned to the criminal,who had clearly still no remorse.


    He looked up, and through his dark and prominent hair, glared at the King like an owl locking in on its prey. The King in return stared him down with that stern look of''pity''.


    the royal judge continued:


    "ASSAULT, GENOCIDE, AND TERRORISM¡ª All done without a sense of guilt?! You''re a MONSTER, you''re theVILLAIN...!"


    Nothing was said for an entire minute... until the Royal Judge broke the silence.


    "Do you have any last words, Gachizen?"


    "..."


    ¡­why... why are you all so ungrateful...?


    || SHATTER!


    suddenly, Gachizen''s shackles were broken with a mere pull. he shouldn''t have been able to cast anything- he was completely disabled¡ªBut now he''s free.


    I''ll take you all there soon¡ªTO WONDERLAND.


    The Royal Judge was quick to act, he rose his hands and positioned his feet outward. Suddenly, he unleashed a burst of his Mana to cast a barrier on the King and himself. It looked like a turtle''s hard shell, but as blue a deep ocean.


    But in the midst of doing so, a pair of heads swept past him, and splattering acrimsonred all over the pale white floor. The Royal Judge had broken a nerve, and his Lodia had been cast, now him and King are safe... for now. But what seems to have just been a barrier had another effect, he called it¡ª


    "RALLY, face the wraith of every Lodiac of Justice, amplified tenfold¡ª!"


    The knights and Lodiacs all jumped down from the upper balconies of the court, casting their own Lodiac spells:


    LODIAC TECHNIQUE OUT¡ª! NOTION RAKE. gurgled a man with black raven-like clothes, swerving his knife-like index finger in the air.


    TECHNIQUE OUT,SPIRIT WHIP¡ª! whispered a woman with glowing translucent hair, a pair of thunder formed from her hands.


    TECHNIQUE OUT,FRICTION BLAST!!! now a man with steel gears from head to toe, shooting a powerful blast of invisible force toward Gachizen.


    OUT,CRYSTALIS STARFIRE...! A lion beasten engulfed in flames releases a crystal-like burst of fire.


    The combination of these powerful forces shook the building, and now the grand chandelier started falling down above them. The royal court has lost its light and was on the path to destruction.


    Gachizen took notice and turned toward the group.


    LODIAC TECHNIQUE,IN¡ªINTENTLESS


    In just a moment, torrents of incomprehensible dark energy reflected the attacks at way more than the initial power, but not only back at those who casted at him, but in every direction. Their bodies shattered and turned to a pool of blood except for the beasten who managed to evade some of it and lost only an arm. In an instant, out of all ten thousand living beings¡ªonly four remain.


    "woahoh-!" Gaten smirked, approaching the Beasten


    "You''re different-! I couldn''t send you there right away! Perhaps... perhaps I shouldhealyou first...!"


    the beasten clenched his fist, his Mana flowed rapidly, clumping into a solid form of crystal and a blazing fire. And he swung his fiery hand at the murderer.


    "Now, now, I wont hurt yo¡ª"


    Gachizen dodged it. But the hot particles and fragments of the Beasten''s Lodia at least landed on the criminal''s eyes. "Argh-!" He tried to retaliate, but it was a weak swoop. The Beasten dodged it, and he immediately dashed outside through a broken framework of glass.


    Gachizen wiped his eyes, then slipping on the floor... "Urgh- What in the..."


    "...!" a hint of realization


    Thecriminallooked around all confused suddenly. It''s like he just noticed¡ª That there were blood and bodies everywhere.


    "Gaten, how was it?"


    a man with solemn old voice spoke out behind him. It came from within the barrier that the Royal Judge had created. "You felt the need to commit more than the crimes you already did before..."


    "n-no¡ª! I didn''t¡ª" Gachizen muttered


    "What is it...? Suddenly aware? You killed everyone, it doesn''t matter if this is all a dream... You still did it." TheKingwalked out of the barrier, his hands hidden within his cotton-tailored robes, and his crown glimmering a bright and painful yellow. The King looked extremely sad himself, and yet looked pitifully at Gachizen, who was in plain disbelief as to what he had done.


    "Gaten..." The King''s arms suddenly reverberated and spun like adrill,eventually forming a loud and buzzing spinning hand sharper than a serpent''s blade. "Reiterate, and Overcome. Wake up Gaten."


    suddenly, he dashed toward the stunned Gachizen, his arms extended forward in a fast and wild fashion. The sound of ticking time began to grow louder, but so did the King''s growling footsteps. Gachizen was still stuck in a daze, even after the drill had already pierced through his upper body.


    ****


    A sudden silence, the sound of pierced flesh, and adrenaline rushing in¡ª "HOFFSH!!"


    || ''BANG!''


    a young Gachizen sprung up, he hit his head against the concrete wall.


    "Argh..!" with his hands on his head, he rose up from his bed still covered by his blanket. It was cold weather, especially cold inside his small antique room as the windows were unintentionally left open. The breeze let in, along with it were a few stray leaves now scattered on the wooden floor. The sun was dawning, but so was the young boy''s energy.


    Gachizen whimpered under his blanket, tucking in his legs. He started to cry silently, entire body convulsing¡ª a response to trauma.


    ¡­.


    Within a few moments, Gachizen finally calmed down, laying down on the bed yet again for a few seconds before leaving its comfort; fixing it, and embracing nature''s cold morning breeze. He wiped his tears and runny nose with tissues on the desk next to his bed.


    of course, he also wouldn''t forget a proper stretch to prepare the body for a beautiful day.


    "The sun is pretty high already... What time is it?" Asked Gachizen.

 Chapter I... en Dauze

    In a small and secluded two-story house past a forest...


    there''s a sound of sizzling meat on hot oil. It was so early in the morning, the sun had just come up exuding a vibrant golden color to everything. It was a rather juicy, comforting aroma that makes for a refreshing morning environment.


    Inside the Kitchen was the the mother of the household, Sheila, who was wearing her usual simplistic style of shorts and an apron. Her hair was braided and long down her waist, it''s color was unique however, as some streaks of bright blue were mixed in with her prominent black hair. She is masterful in the arts of cooking¡ª especially when creating a delicious breakfast for her son.


    beef


    plenty of garlic


    delicious chicken stock complemented with mushrooms and ground peppers


    and the most important ingredient... Love.


    a quick sweep there, another there-! her cutting technique was so fast that a dozen of potatoes were cut to thin pieces in no time, which were then poured straight into a bowl of cold water. Sheila struck a pose, her left hand on her waist opposite side, her right hand''s holding the knife up until eye level. She spoke in an endearing tone and an eye looking sharp ahead¡ª"Only for you, it was I, Dauze, who made this specialty..."


    In just a few seconds of keeping that pose, and she couldn''t stop herself from giggling, swerving her body in embarrassment. The wooden floor behind lightly creeks, someone''s footsteps can be heard nearing closely behind. Reaching in closer to Sheila ¡ª she was struck with a quick kiss to her cheek! It was none other than her son, Gachizen.


    . "I''m off, Mom~" he was formally dressed, wearing his deep blue uniform contrasted with the color of gray. He also carried his leather shoulder bag.


    . "Mmhm... wait¡ª" Sheila was surprised


    . "You can''t leave yet, You haven''t eaten breakfast!" she uttered, her voice was soothing, very gentle but just as strong to hear.


    . "I would love to mother," Gachizen smiled wide before bringing up a big thumbs up, "but nobody woke me up!"


    . "ah¡ª" gasped Sheila


    . "Well your impression of dad was pretty good though!" Gachizen starts walking toward the front door, he had yet to wear his shoes.


    . "hmmm~! well thank you young man, but wait a minute¡ª!" Sheila tries to tone up her voice


    . "Anyway, Mom, did Nas and Kana leave already?" Gachizen interrupts, he was already 2 rooms far from the kitchen into the living room, he''s definitely in a rush. Sheila sighs, before turning to her ''sizzling'' steaks.


    . "They left already, Uncle Aren''s son picked them up, what a nice boy."


    . "geez... Not even Bino woke me up...?" Gachizen remarked


    Suddenly, a little boy shouted from the sofa in the living room,


    . "MONSIEUR GAT-TEN~!"


    he couldn''t be noticed the first time due to his small size. There were two little girls sitting on the couch with him, one was frail and very young whilst the other the size of the typical kindergartener and is the oldest. The kids are Sheila''s language students. "vethyagth peccano si zendrah thee~? " the smallest one, a girl, spoke in fluent Velian, meaning "Why are you late?"


    "Oh?! You guys are here!" peered Gachizen. He sat down on the 2-step stair parallel to the front door, laying his shoulder bag on the wooden floor. Gachizen thought to himself:


    Geez, the sun must be high up already if they''re here...!


    "So what are you guys doing now?" Gachizen said whilst wearing his shoes, as the older girl sarcastically replied "fido~ fido~!" a Velian term for food.


    "Hold on Zenny... " Sheila steps in front of him. "Here, eat this as you go." In her hands was something uniquely-wrapped in scarf cloth, it smelled like bread and ketchup. "Come back later ok? I''ll reheat the steak I made then~"


    "Alright... But what is this? It smells... nice." questioned Gachizen.


    "I believe it''s called a sandwich, Aren''s little boy¡ª Bino, wanted to give them to you three, and apparently the ingredients are very expensive too! But..." Sheila was enthusiastic. "I think I can replicate this, with cheaper ingredients too I''ll tell you that!"


    Gachizen observed this ''exotic'' bread dish on his lap... and his mother that stared at it too in curiosity, with a bit of drooling.


    Gachizen stood up, sandwich unwrapped, and handed the sandwich back to Sheila. "You can taste it Mom... Hurry- before I go~"


    Sheila seems as if she just saw an angel, with a bit of pride having raised said being. She becomes goofy and a lot more ''swervy''. "I-I''ll take the first bite then..."


    "...hmm-"


    "...m-m..."


    "Eat it, it''s good--" Sheila mumbled with her mouth full, bread crumbs scattered all over her mouth, the bread was a bit grainy.


    "I will" replied her son with a big smile on his face


    "I''ll walk you to the gate... As for you three~" Sheila turns to her three young students watching from the couch. "Could you perhaps tell me what the Velian term for the animal, -bear- is?"


    "Unnani?!" Replied the Sofii, the oldest of the group.


    Pretty close Soffi-! That''s a -bull-!


    "fuo... fuon irerah nei..." Spoken fluently by the smallest, Fenee.


    You... sure you dont know...? (You''re speaking fluently though?)


    Finally, Bullinard, the boy with a double chin, stands proud with a big grin


    "hmph," he smirks "you''re both DUMB. did you two not read the dictionary at all? It''s obviously -Phemmew-"


    ...no...


    (he said butterfly)


    also mind your language Bullinard! The term for bear is -iba-!


    Bullinard replies fast "N-no, you''re wro¡ª


    || BANG!


    Sheila closes the front door, holding her son''s hand. They walk toward the gate of their home through the Garden where she works. The aroma throughout the property was soul-soothing, a therapy in itself. A group of colorful butterflies followed close behind too, until they reached the exit of their property.


    . "Then... I''m off mom~!" peered Gachizen as he kissed her in the cheek yet again.


    . "Walk safe, Zenny~ I loooove you~!" Sheila waved her hand goodbye as her son departed, until the dark shades of the forest covered him to leave her sight.


    Sheila put her hands below her chin, thinking deeply to herself...


    "...Did he forget something?"


    <hr>


    <hr>


    CHAPTER 1


    The family had lived in a secluded area northward from the town for many generations. Middle class, but still known all around town. Today is an exciting day in the eyes of the oldest son of the family¡ª Gachizen Dauze, aka. Gaten, currently 16 years old, and his appearance, especially his jet black hair bears a striking resemblance to his mother. He is filled with ambition and passion for Achievement.


    In a world where everyone is unique, and meant for a great purpose under the influence of Lodia, Gaten Dauze was born with a distinct ability... or curse, let either be.


    "I can see the flow of Mana, and I''m the only one.


    It exists in the form of threads, particles, or even veins in the human body,


    and it glimmers, it sometimes hurts my eyes."


    Being the eldest son in the family with two younger sisters, a gentle mother, and a busy father working out of town, he never allowed himself to be late on any occasion¡ª especially ''school'' days...


    He might be running a few minutes late, but at least he got to finish a ''sandwich'' as he walked. Though, he already neared the city, passing by several landmarks along the way of the ''Path of Sunlight''...


    A few meters from his house, was the ''Glimmering Statue of Light''... which was obscured by shade, unable to glimmer for the longest time.


    A few more minutes came the ''Lake of the Sun''... which of course was hidden from sunlight because of the towering trees...! A bit Ironic isn''t it.


    Finally, the ''Zhayan Groves'', a linear path toward the main town, where the foliage caused by the towering ancient trees blocked close to no sunlight from penetrating at all. The entire path from Gaten''s house to the city was enveloped in a canopy of trees.


    But alas, he reached the front Gate of the city! Saved 23 minutes by running the usual 40 minute walk.


    . "They... breath*... should really... breath* rename those places." Gaten sat down on a bench affront the town''s gates, and he rests there for a minute or two. He looks up at the sky, his eyes wide open, seeming enlightened by something blocking the sun,


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    . "It... It still looks beautiful¡ª I can see the overflow of mana from here...! Asofus Atopuscele¡ª!" Gaten gasped.


    The Sky Dungeon, Asofus Atopuscele, in all its glory and prime, basking under the hot rays of the rising sun. It was gigantic, even bigger than the town almost as big a massive city below it. The dungeon extended way up in the sky through the clouds like a skyscraper, covered in an exterior of extremely thick diamond walls.


    "Phew..." Gaten stood up and continued on his way. He slows down his pace and enters the town¡ª the town of Zhaya of Azura, town of wind and shade. Known as the only city to receive close to no sunlight at all due to the gigantic dungeon floating right above it. It was crowded as usual, as the economy in this town was extremely active due to the vast phenomena occurring in the area. Though, there were unusually more Capital People and Foreigners present in town, the marketplace was extremely busy. Gaten navigates his way through shops and alleys.


    A few more minutes of walking past the traffic of a busy economy, he finally reaches the base of a small flower hill at the outer East edge of Zhaya; there were fewer people there. There was a clear difference from here and the busy section of the city¡ª extremely quiet, where only crickets and the minimal sound of footsteps could be heard. The outer walls of the city blocked the harsh winds from the vast ocean near it.


    Atop the hill was a long extending building of pure white, the study place of Gachizen Dauze¡ª CAPITAL ENTRANCE ACADEMY. It was lit up by lanterns and pulkk-powered chandeliers.


    . "Ho-Hofuu~~ finally here... hurghh" sighs of relief from the boy with overdue attendance. But as said, he just reached the base of the hill.


    Running here was a good idea¡ª but consequently, there was still a long flight of stairs to get past. Gaten''s bright smile ran swiftly, leaving his frowned face behind. Forcing every ounce of muscle in his legs to move up just one stair, grunting after every tiny step. It was a harsh perseverance, but he prevailed against it and dragged himself to enter the very large entrance to the Academy while drenched in sweat.


    Gaten looks at the clock near the entrance...


    ****


    ****


    Running in, the already quiet ambience transitions into complete silence, his loud footsteps were echoing throughout the long brightly-lit pale halls, with no other person in sight. The place is extremely spacious and extremely minimalistic in design. Gaten ran so fast though his legs seemingly wanted to give up, He was 14 minutes due time. From the first floor, he jumped up the stairs to the second, and ran a few more seconds until he was finally just a few steps away from his lecture room.


    Suddenly, Gachizen remembered¡ª he left his shoulder bag at home. What a terrible day.


    Sitting on a bench affront the door, was a masked individual, legs crossed... A tall muscular man in his 40s with formal brown hair, he was attired with black pants and a pure leather jacket ornamented with white feathers and adorned with gold. Though prominent in his features was the metal mask, covering his entire face with a white base and a black circular design where the eyes are meant to be. Gaten looked at the man, as the man turned to his head toward Gaten, they locked eyes even through the mask.


    As Gaten approached quick, the man suddenly stood up, his posture screamed elegance and formality, it made him appear a lot bigger than the boy. He walks in front of Gaten, in the same lane as he was too, and he blocks the way with his arms¡ª who then brings his other hand out from his pocket to grab Gaten.


    "-!!!-" Gaten was startled.


    On the man''s arms was a marking he recognized ¡ª the mark of Capital.


    Keen, and quick-witted, Gaten crouched down and dashed past the man''s arm. Although, the man didn''t follow.


    Gaten reaches for the door and slides it open. He enters the lecture room.


    The room looked magical, lit by sunlight through the windows, but really it''s just an illusion- a Lodiac device. The floors are tiled with wood, with stairs leading up to rows of desks assigned per student. Atop is a glass-pane roof that reveals the edge of the base of the Dungeon and a bit of blue sky. It was a solemn and antique environment.


    The professor was sitting down on his desk at the very back of the class, up a few steps past the long rounded tables of his students. Gaten quickly walks up the stairs toward him.


    ''Professor Rura Yoshi'' -in the nameplate displayed on his desk. The Professor, Rura, wore a black top hat and a pale yellow scarf above his formal black suit.


    He was quite surprised to see Gaten.


    . "Monsieur Dauze¡ª first time you''re late... A bit of a mess too...?" said in a particularly low volume. Gaten bows.


    Everyone else was silent, but still, some moved their glances from their textbooks over to the wet Gaten.


    . "Could I ask for a reason why?" asked Rura


    . "I dont have one." grinned the na?ve student


    . "..."


    . "...?"


    . "Take your seat and read through pages 317 of the textbook," Rura continues reading the lecture book, "we''ll finish discussing the components of Lodia by toda¡ª"


    . "Excuse me, Professor, " Gaten interrupts, approaching closer to whisper. The class returns to reading their textbooks. "Could I have a short while to address a matter? It seems a guest from the Capital is requesting for my... presence?" Gaten points toward the door he left open.


    . "Hm...? Gaten, it''s against the rules, " says the Professor in a stern manner, "you should talk to them la¡ª" Professor Rura freezes.


    From the door, the masked man stared at them both with menacing aura.


    . "HHHHHhhhHHH¡ª" The professor shouted like that of a suffocated man¡ª no air, just a creaking painful sound. He suddenly became sweaty and feeling cold, then jumping from his chair toward Gaten to push him down the stairs, not even giving the young student any time to process what is.


    . "I-Is it true HE wants to talk to you?!!" uttered Rura as he kept rushing his student forcefully.


    . "Y-yEh...?" lightly replied the boy currently being transported without free will.


    . "Then just do as he says, and ONLY talk when you should¡ª!" The professor successfully pushed his student out of the class, before whispering to him. "one more thing Monsieur Dauze..."


    . "H-huh?"


    . "Good luck."


    || ''BANG!''


    The sound of the loud banging of door spread throughout the empty halls.


    Waiting for the sound to reverberate into nothingness, the loudness of silence started fading in. The academy''s sacred rule of reticence, where not even outside sound is permitted came into play. The verge of tension stood up, Gaten''s knackering hair rose from the chilling atmosphere, and his face went blank. Until, the masked man approaches Gaten, and reaches out his arms.


    Gachizen puts his guard up.


    "..."


    "...¡­"


    . "...huh?"


    The masked man starts to walk away not having uttered a single word after taking a... leaf...?


    It was stuck on the pocket of Gaten''s uniform.


    What a chad.


    . "Hey...!?" Shouted Gaten, the masked man halts, the leaf still in his hand, it actually had multiple colors engrained on it.


    . "You''re... uh, from the Capital right? Monsieur, I apologize¡ª" Gaten straightens his posture, "but um... surely you didn''t block me just for that... Leaf?"


    The man turns to Gaten, though still silent. Gaten stares at his mask... which had no eye holes to begin with.


    Again, the man started to step away, before getting stopped by Gaten once more.


    . "Hey! uh," Gaten gulps, "may I ask who you are...?"


    A final time, the man turned around, his hand on his chest, stepping much closer toward Gaten, you could hear him breathe beneath the cover on his face.


    . "Kou" and finally, he spoke.


    He had a deep and condescending voice, very calm much like Gaten''s mother.


    . "...Kou?" Gachizen asked anxiously, sweat was dripping from every end on his skin.


    . "You are?" suddenly asked Kou


    . "Ah¡ª! I''m Gachizen Dauze... Monsieur."


    . "Gachizen... Gaten?" Kou replied


    Gaten felt a sudden chill, not of the man and who he was, but of how he knew his nickname.


    Kou held his chin with one hand, his other hand inside a pocket beneath his cloak.


    || ''Click-''


    Suddenly, the black design of his mask shaped on his eye started to revolve around its center point, it was like magic how it happened. He then said sarcastically,


    . "You seemed set to avoid me back there."


    . "Oh! I was... marking my attendance¡ª? I was running late then, Monsieur. I hope you understand"


    . "...You''re good at starting conversations." Kou''s words gradually became less void of emotion, slightly getting higher in tone.


    . "Ahaha~ surely you jest¡ª oh¡ª!"


    Kou quickly grabbed Gaten''s hand and opened it, placing the leaf on his palm.


    . "...This leaf, where were you when it stuck on you?" as he spoke, the atmosphere suddenly changed.


    Winds started to intrude the building down the hall, a bunch of other leaves were carried along with it. The sound of the winding breeze and the ticking of the clock was prevalent in sound.


    Gaten started to feel... different. Something changed.


    . "This leaf... it''s a Peuter Leaf isn''t it?" utters Gaten, "my mother is a gardener, she grows Peiten herbs in our yard... I''m sure this came from that."


    Kou grows silent for another few seconds, the sounds of the wind and clock were getting to Gaten''s head.


    . "...ah¡ª" Kou slowly raises his arm up from his pocket, hand open. The gesture is as if requesting for the Peuter leaf to be handed over.


    Gaten slowly hands it over, Kou swiftly snatching it into his grasp like that of an experienced thief.


    . "You know, that leaf alone is worth millions, not a Peuter leaf... The Blissful leaf, one with a million colors." explained Kou


    . "N-no, I''m sure this is¡ª" Gaten holds his balance on the door.


    Kou becomes exuberant as he continued to talk about the leaf¡ª evident in the faster pace of his speech and a slightly higher tone of voice. "It belongs to a tree with very few leaves¡ª native only to the crystalline depths of Asofus Atopuscele. A single leaf... sought by the rich solely for its beauty and grace. Some would even trade a life for it."


    Gaten tries to interrupt him, "wait, so you tried to¡ª"


    . "What if I didn''t?" Kou replied immediately.


    Gaten was taken aback, speechless, his mind started to ache. Even as he was visibly distressed, Kou didn''t seem to notice¡ª that or he knew full well.


    . "If one doesn''t know of it''s full value, is it right for another who does to take it for himself?" asked Kou, the eyes on his mask start to change and revolve rapidly, "I want to ask you something, I''ll give you two choices."


    Kou, with the leaf tightly held in his right hand, is raised up to eye level, it is being swayed by the breeze.


    "If this leaf, ends up with one of us, the other has to pay for it in full in Velian Gold. You''ll choose who keeps it."


    "But... right now, if just let go... the wind will take it, tear it apart into a thousand pieces, and there''d be none for both of us."


    . "...Monsieur Kou, isn''t the first option just... bad for you?" remarked Gaten, his hand now holding unto his head


    . "Gaten, whichever one you choose, there won''t be a ''bad guy'' with no witness. And besides, there seems to only be one option, don''t you think?"


    . "I don''t want any of¡ª why did you even give me any of these choices?!" mumbled Gaten, his vision is already starting to get blurry, he sees that Kou is flourishing in Mana. "Why do I even have that¡ª"


    " FATE " Kou voiced sternly,


    "but I fear how time will make a change"


    . "What?" Gachizen was starting to lose consciousness, but Kou still continued to press him.


    . "You know, if I wasn''t here, what do you think might''ve happened with that leaf?"


    . "I would''ve¡ª" Before Gaten could even say anything, Kou suddenly grinds the leaf against his other hand, crushing it into a wet and deformed piece of rainbow waste.


    Ultimately... throwing it to a nearby trash can¡ª the bitter end of a million colors...


    Gaten was evidently perplexed,


    . "Wa-wait why did you..."


    Kou started to walk away in the direction of the wind,


    . "I apologize for wasting your time with my nonsense, Monsieur Dauze. I just wanted to... test something. That leaf was... just a Peuter leaf indeed."


    Gaten stared all confused at Kou, but as his eyes followed him to the other side of the hallway, somehow a bright sunlight from the hall''s end blinds his vision.


    Kou, after a brief hesitation, turns around a final time "But can I¡ª


    ****


    ****


    Gaten was standing in front of the entrance of the Academy, he was lightheaded, staring up into the beautiful orange sky, then toward the floating dungeon. The sun arrived in the afternoon and shone on the Academy Building. Everything lit up in bright orange, as the lanterns and chandeliers automatically turned off to welcome natural lighting. The sun finally passed the cover of Asofus Atopuscele.


    The Capital Entrance Academy time system was unique, for the students rarely had to look at the clock as the sun''s arrival marked their dismissal. But even then, inside the Academy, no voice could be heard but footsteps. Only when outside did the students start to talk.


    . "Gaten!" shouted a familiar, broad and high toned voice.


    Gaten turned around, he lightens up as if all his spirits just came back to him.


    . "Bino! how are you-"


    || ''Squeeze-!''


    "nGHHH-!"


    Bino hugged Gaten reaaaal tight... but more precisely ''crushed'' his bones.


    . "u-URGH- ok- OK¡ª! you''re crushing me¡ª" exclaimed Gaten, shielding his shoulder bag from getting crushed as well. Bino shortly after lets him go.


    Bino was a lot bigger and taller despite being only a few months older. His hair was black with a dash of blue, and his eyes too were sky blue, it makes him look all the more intimidating. He wore accessories of the rich like the silver watch on his right wrist, and his hair was always brushed up, highlighting his splendid sharp eyes and nose. Genetics is something else.


    . "Bino, you know what happened earlier?"


    . "TELL me ALL ABOUT IT... later!" Bino is as LOUD as a truck.


    . "No, I meant¡ª" Gaten kept getting interrupted.


    . "Now we GOTTA start LOOKIN'' around for a place to eat while we WAIT!" Bino''s mannerism of speech ¡ª truly most eloquent.


    . "Wait...? For what?" asked Gaten


    . "...HAH?!" Bino steps back surprised, "Like... Kana and Lil'' Nastashia, DUDE."


    . "Ah... right, aha~" Gaten''s little sisters'' classes end 2 hours after his, or whenever the Sun arrives 2 hours after. Their dismissal was unfavorable, as it is a few minutes prior to dark.


    . "Well... we''re off to the Noon Plaza THEN!" uttered Bino.


    --The Noon Plaza, where the shops that work only when under the sun are located.


    Gaten wonders if their favorite shop was open.

 Chapter II. Untattered Thread

    CHAPTER 2


    <hr>


    **From the POV of GACHIZEN**


    <hr>


    It''s cold and calm, very satisfying, and oh so pleasant to eat- this delicious SUNDAE! The vanilla flavor is really nice, especially when topped with oozing hot fudge and things I really don''t dislike¡ª it makes me want to order more...


    yes, MORE!


    I take one bite... oh yes, angelic. It''s perfect! Nothing can beat this. It has the quality and quantity to fully please my DIFFICULT palate...!


    . "Alright man, I get it." said the complacent Bino. As if he wouldn''t agree with me if he just tasted it!


    We found a place to hang out after class. Rita''s Desserts was in a conspicuous area, in front of a crowded street in the Noon plaza. It was a newly branded caf¨¦- had a line of people waiting for entry. Bino, being as rich as I could ever hope to be, bought us our way in. He ordered for me, it was his treat as always. Waiting for the other orders to come in, I told Bino all about... Kou, but Bino was as I expected, completely oblivious. Our orders came in one after the other, the table was getting full of different varieties of desserts because Bino wanted to ''audit'' them one by one. I couldn''t keep track of how many there were!


    . "Considering the price," Bino''s demeanor completely changes, "It just doesn''t seem worth it." he started to examine the clearly angelic macarons, as per his habit.


    . "It''s ironic hearing that come from your mouth," I said as I took another bite. How blissful- this luxurious sundae gives me a feel for heavenly ascension. ''Rita''s Desserts''... I''ll come back here sometime.


    . "Hey now, even I also need to cut costs sometimes." he says with a straight face, like he didn''t just order the entire freakishly long menu of sweets.


    . "Hofuu~~" I sighed, completely dominated by the sundae''s sweet intricate flavors. Though I wouldn''t dare to deal with the other desserts, I''ll die of a heart attack!


    I focused on my one dessert- Bino, with his entire course.


    . "Mediocre at best, it seems..." he commented after finally taking a bite off of the last dessert, a chocolate cake, of like, 26 others. "But I did like the custard pudding, it''s refreshing and very creamy. It makes me think of chaos and peace both at the same time...! Yup- I''ll order four of those for take out~!"


    . "Aren''t you a bit too picky? The dessert here are probably the best around town!" I told him.


    . "Hmm? I don''t think so, Unless~ of course YOU can prove me wrong??" Bino''s tone shifts to sarcasm.


    That''s a bad sign.


    . "Then uh... why not this sundae? It''s very, VERY good!" I told him.


    . "Dude... It''s hard to believe that coming from your mouth- cuz like¡ª" he points at me. He looks and speaks like he''s about to burst, "You- you... You can''t even taste anything!!! AHHHHAA!!!" Bino explodes like a water balloon¡ª after just making a single ''joke''.


    It wasn''t funny, not even a joke- but the way he cackled made me crack a bit- it sounded like a squeaking racoon out of air! though a very loud one. Of course, people turned their heads to our table.


    Eventually... thankfully, he calmed down, making a few more bursts of laughter here and then when he repeated his ''joke''... However, I know my taste is fine! I take pride in my preferences in food, my father''s best chef in the world for goodness'' sake.


    I take another bite off my sundae, it''s about halfway done now.


    . "Yeah, nobody believes you *snort*, " Bino continues... "BECAUSE you think everything tastes good EVEN WHEN THEY''RE NOT! It''s like- like you don''t know what ''good'' tastes like."


    . "Yeah, yeah, whatever." I replied to him, this sundae is starting to hit the spot the more you eat it.


    . "Look-" Bino straightens out his tone, he called some waitresses to start packing the dishes of desserts unto boxes provided by the caf¨¦, "Back when we were younger we created a horrid combination of all sorts of random stuff, remember that time?"


    . "Of course... not." I replied, as Bino continued with a much more lax tone of voice.


    . "Right, well I''ll tell you anyway- back then we created something using the most random things we could find, think about fermented herbs and crushed up jellies. I remember one of them even mixing in a piece of liquid CRACK o''s! (A brand of chips) Marco was brave enough to taste it for us first... and HE FAINTED!"


    . "Alright that''s not true, Marco wouldn''t have agreed to that¡ª"


    . "Duh~ I paid him gold." Bino turns to me and smirks with both his hands up... stop looking at me like giving gold is a normal thing. Anyway, he continued... "But THEN, we gave it to you... and can you tell me what you did-?"


    I don''t remember drinking such a thing, so I told him "That sounds disgusting Bino, don''t make me puke¡ª"


    . "YOU DRANK THE WHOLE THING." replied Bino at top volume once again, "You even ENJOYED IT!"


    . "Wha¡ª no...? But I get it, don''t be so loud BIno." I can already feel the other people eyeing us down, even those at the line. The waitresses were just smiling- probably for a tip.


    . "Exactly~" Bino turned to the bill that was handed, the waitresses stood beside the table after having finished packing all the desserts, all of which had one bite each. He then turns to me with a big grin...


    . "Hey Zen-boy, WATCH THIS¡ª!" Bino stands up with his hands in his pocket, as if bringing something out, and he says with full confidence¡ª


    LODIAC TECHNIQUE OUT, "GOLD SHOWERRRR-!"


    Bino showers the empty table with gold Velian coins, the employees of the caf¨¦ started to clap for him... This is peak embarrassment, I want to get out of here so bad... But this is the Bino that I know.


    "Heh-!" He turns to his silver watch. "Oh¡ª It''s almost time."


    Bino hands me the two neatly-packaged bags filled with the sweets left mostly intact. "Gaten you can have these, you can put some in your bag if it''s too big, I''ll get GOING, DUDE!" He strikes a ''thumbs up'' along with a big smile, he''s still a good friend no matter how intimidating, or spoiled he seems. But something feels off right now...


    "My bag... Oh right, yeah I got it. Thanks for the treat Bino." I replied, also giving him a good long hug.


    "No PROBLEMO~" Bino leaves the caf¨¦, dark chocolate somehow stuck to his cheeks. I would tell him- but I''ll let him be. I''m satisfied with today, this afternoon was fun. But... My morning was... strange. I can''t help but think that the day''s too short...? It''s like time leapt forward... Something changed, I can feel it.


    Shortly after, I headed straight back to the base of CEA. I wasn''t as encumbered as I thought, the bags weren''t that heavy. But there, my favorite wooden benches were waiting for me. I sat... waiting, pondering...


    30-ish minutes, just staring into the endless sky... I don''t know, it soothes my soul.


    <hr><hr>


    || CLANG!  CLANG!


    the bell from the tower in the center plaza! Personally, I call it the ''past two-hours mark'' or the ''pick up Nas and Kana time''~!.


    I stood up, and stretched my arms before heading down the hill. Just 2 minutes away from the CEA is its miniature version, the Capital Rudimentary Academy, CRA. Unlike the main Academy however, this one is as noisy as can be! Children were bustling, filled to the brim with energy. I set aside the dessert bags, and started to look for my two little sisters.


    Some of the children were greeted by their own butlers in gold-clad carriages, others even had access to the newest Lodiac vehicles- wish I could ride one at least once. But of course, I prefer that the way to go home is by walking with your cute little siblings through a long and peaceful path, no kid wants to miss out on potential adventures!


    ¡­! There they are! Kana and Nastashia!


    They were walking out the school gates while laughing to each other like very cute and tiny gremlins.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Nastashia is three years younger than Kana, who is about 4 years younger than me. My birthday and Kana''s are just 2 days apart- and I''m turning 16 in a week! Kana is a responsible older sister, yes-! always making her baby sister more spoiled than she already was. This warms the heart of their big brother~ I''m excited to hear their stories as we go home.


    Though, seeing most of the children have no one pick them up, walking home alone... saddens me.


    . "Woah~ what''re those?" Kana''s first instinct attracted her to the brightly-colored bags beside me. Not to mention, the delightful aroma it emitted!


    . "Hehe," I patted her head, a big grin grew on my face, "These are to EAT for later~! So we better rush back home, no??"


    Kana comes close and gives me a kiss on my cheek, I return the gesture. As for Nastashia-


    . "YAH YAH YAH!!!!" Nastashia screeched, so so loudly! That volume''s probably her new record-! She latches unto me for a bit before letting go. Nastashia hands her bag over to me.


    . "Nas! You carry the bag yourself!" Kana, in a strong tone, interrupts her little sister


    . "WHY~?" sassily replied baby Nas


    . "Monsiouleur Gat-tenn is carrying a lot already!" Kana puts her hands on her waist, exuding confidence.


    --Monsiouleur = Big Brother--


    . "BUT-"


    . "It''s alright Minelette Kana," I told her, grabbing Nastashia''s bag, "The stuff isn''t too heavy"


    --Minelette = Small Sister--


    I take a deep breath, "But anyway... Are you both ready? Let''s GO, GO, GO!!"


    "AhhaEHAE-" the three of us accelerated down the hill, Nas and Kana were giggling too, but they''re so fast-! We passed the busy section of town, and now exiting through the gate, when I was called by an old and familiar lady.


    It was a friend of my family, who was with a group of three other older women I knew. After a short conversation with them, especially because the two girls were getting impatient, they spoiled us by filling the bags I had with a lot more products and gifts from their hometown. I was carrying so many that some of the products fell off and got taken by the busy street and the animals roaming it.


    We parted ways with them.


    The two girls were successfully picked up- us three were now walking home, with Kana in the lead. Aside from Nastashia, Kana knew the way home and through the main city, she''s a natural when it comes to directions.


    Sharing our stories with each other while walking in peace never gets old, especially whilst walking through the Zhayan Groves. But I am still a bit zoned out- that man, Kou... What a mystery. Throughout our adventure, my two sisters remained energetic, noisy with each other. Somehow, Kana even got hold of a stray frog that jumped down from high up the trees! She''s got a really good reaction time.


    We continued to walk, for about 20 minutes or so, the path was starting to get dark, especially since there were trees everywhere.


    Now past the Ironic Lake of the Sun, the Glimmering Statue is finally in sight. The whole path rarely had any people especially at this time, this makes the trip a lot more enjoyable personally speaking.


    Time passes so fast when you think deeply to yourself...


    Although...


    Right now, it''s a bit... too quiet. It''s been like this for a while, that''s probably why I''m deep in thought. Not even Kana is-


    . "I''ll go! I''ll go!" she shouted, stumped to run that 10 meter dash to home.


    Nevermind, she''s probably tired from school.


    . "Careful-" my knees dropped to the ground, it suddenly felt weak... but I didn''t know why. It''s like I''m just now remembering... My body remembered something-


    And it finally hit me.


    Dead in my tracks, I turned my head to every direction. Kana ran to our house gates, leaving behind deep footprints on the soil earth. Still as optimistic, so excited that she remained oblivious to the situation I stumbled upon.


    I turned back, to the right, and to the left - until my hands also weakened, dropping the bags and gifts on the floor. Eyes were wide, adrenaline rushing in, as the hairs on my skin stood from the reverberations of my heartbeat.


    "Monsiouleur...?" I could hear Kana''s voice from afar, "What''s the matter-- HEY!"


    I ran down the path deeper into the forest. There''s no time to waste- I have to backtrack our steps on the dirt. The sun was already low enough, for the crickets were already getting loud. In just a few moments this path would be covered in complete darkness.


    Where is a sign- any sign at all?!


    Nastashia is nowhere in sight


    I continued my frantic search, desperately revolving my head to every possible place. My neck started to pierce me after every turn.


    Until, for just a split second- the side of my eye caught a light from deep within the forest.


    A light that suddenly disappeared.


    Without hesitation, I ran to its direction. But as if the sun just fell down on me, the place became pitch black in an instant... I stumbled, tumbling over a deep drop down a hill to the inner depths of the forest. Not a single amount of sunlight penetrated the leaves of the towering trees that surrounded me.


    I have never gone past the markers on the edges of the path before, but it feels all too familiar.


    There-! It''s the light-


    It was a bright, ethereal thread floating through the dark moving like a snake. But it was going away, fast. I forced my limping legs up, covered in mud... or blood.


    I ran after it- it swerved through the shadow-like trees like needlework. With every step, every fiber of my being felt resonant with the crashing of my feet and the earth. Raindrops started to pour, and strong winds gusted against my horrid self. It felt as if time was decelerating, until I couldn''t even think anymore-


    "HURFGH-!!"


    I tripped again, sliding down another long and rocky drop, but at least now there was a bit of light- I was out of the dark covers of the forest. There were gray skies, and a sharp cliff where I almost continued to fall off of. I was quick enough to dodge a shrapnel rock that almost hit my head. Panting and almost out of energy, I raised my hands and the upper part of my body, only to meet a horrifying scene-


    I was electrified, and pushed back in horror, right beside me was a boy''s body¡ª breathless and pale, but most notably the back of his head was covered in dried blood and growing moss and fungi... The body had been there for some time.


    . "What are you?" a taint voice


    That- that''s Nastashia''s voice!


    I limped over past the bushes to my left, my fingers were encompassed by the grass. But this boy... I couldn''t see his face...


    Right now, Nastashia is my priority!


    <hr>


    <hr>


    Gaten brushed past the wet, sunken grass.


    it revealed the sight of Nastashia almost at the very end of the cliff. She was holding onto that... thread of light. It surrounded her like a coil, and it was the only thing keeping her balance.


    The drop off the cliff was easily over a few hundred meters from the sea, but most deadly were the torrents of wind and the turbulent from the brewing storm.


    It could push her down.


    . "NASTASHIA- urghh " Gaten coughed out blood


    The little girl notices him, conjuring a big smile, like a child wishing to show off to her parents.


    Seemingly reacting to her emotions, the thread swiftly extends itself toward Gaten. Brushing past, it was warm and incandescent.


    Gaten shortly hesitated.


    He grabbed the rear tail of the glowing thread, able to carry his weight off the ground. Though he was too exhausted to utter any more words, his heart and mind was set to get Nastashia home.


    Against the strong wind and rain, slowly, he limped toward her while being guided by the thread. He was so close, just a few steps apart.


    a step closer, she remained bright but aloof to the danger she put herself in, she was even approaching Gaten carelessly. Gaten was forced to rush his steps.


    one more step, they were just a few arm''s lengths apart, he could barely open his eyes due to the presence of wind and the setting sun over the horizon, just now peering past the clouds.


    until, for just one more step, their hands almost finally connected, Gaten is filled with relief. He forced his eyes open and raised his face up to look at her. Even with all the pain he felt, he tried to make the best smile he could ever make in that moment...


    But, for some reason...


    Nastashia''s expression screamed pure terror and fear. Her entire body violently shook as if electrified, as she tried to remove her hand from Gaten''s grasp.


    She saw something.


    Gaten however, already barely conscious, couldn''t keep his hold.


    And with both Nastashia''s hands not holding onto anything, she was just about to fall. She screeched for help.


    "NASTASHIA-!" Gaten let all his spirits out as he shouted, his sense of self shattered.


    He pushed himself with every ounce of his strength- grabbed her hand and threw her tiny little body away from the edge of the cliff toward the patch of grass beside it.


    However, that left him, and the pull of gravity, falling down toward the raging ocean below... barely unconscious... paralyzed, and fated to death.


    Gaten closed his eyes... To let the howling winds and storm take him.


    '' Hopefully... ''


    he thought to himself.


    '' Just hopefully... that thread continues to keep Nastashia safe from the storm. ''


    ''¡­I can''t feel anything...''


    ''and I can''t breathe anymore... I wonder if my life would flash before me...''


    ''But I feel something...''


    ''something deep within me.''


    ****************


    **************


    ***********


    ********


    The sea has caught its prey.


    Gachizen Dauze is descending down the waters... he opened his eyes... to first observe his body translucent. What was expected to be depths of darkness and chaos, was not at all what he observed. The corals on the seafloor was glimmering and glowing in a variety of colors, small fishes of all kinds were swimming in schools about, the dark blue hues of the ocean was complimented by a festival of magical lighting in this underwater city. Underneath the brutal storming waves of the ocean lied a calm and lifelike view.


    he knew he was about to die, but at the very least...


    he was blissful...


    all the more knowing his sister was safe.


    and suddenly, he hears a faint whisper


    "now, I hold you in me,"


    the voice mumbled, it sounded unfamiliar to him


    "but for this to happen is- new,"


    "what did you do- child? why are we both here...?" but somehow, he felt as if he couldn''t speak, even in his thoughts...


    "...we''ll find our answers, but until then, thy is our vessel, child." the voice fades, as the shouts of the enraged ocean gradually ripped through his ears...

 Chapter III. Signs of Life

    "OH FOR THE LOVE OF¡ª"


    "Please, reserve yourself, young Shiitake."


    There''s a conversation heard faintly outside, it seems to be Bino and an old man.


    "HRNG...! I ASKED for HOSIAH¡ª not this USELESS GADGET." wires and steel clanked and crashed with each other.


    "But ma?tre'', this is the latest advance¡ª"


    "It''s UNRELIABLE. I need that Lodian, only he can safely do it, NOT SOME ALTERNATIVE!"


    "...Alright ma?tre''."


    "sigh... It''s almost time, I have to walk *inaudible* to school. DON''T leave Aunt alone..."


    <hr>


    It all feels like a long dream, as if I fell asleep on a pool of water, and I''m just drifting endlessly... feeling the graces of comfort. I feel as if my head were laid on the lap of my mother, caressing my hair and talking me out of distress. I still have my eyes closed, not because I want to. I just... can''t wake up from this dream yet, it''s been so long since I''ve slept this well... I deserve this...


    ¡­but that scent... It''s urging me to get up.


    an aroma so good¡ª it''s pulling me out of languor.


    Dad''s cooking, isn''t it...?


    <hr>


    <hr>


    <figure>


    </figure>


    CHAPTER III


    In a small and secluded house past a forest, the Dauze estate...


    It was silent early in the morning. There was a solemn feeling plaguing it, with all the lights closed and only the natural golden hues of the sun lighting the halls and open rooms inside. It felt as if nobody was home, though a very appealing scent of pork meat was prevalent throughout.


    . "augh~" The eldest son of the family had just woken up, he was sitting on the side of his bed with both his arms covering his head. He glanced all around the room, observing the surroundings. It was his room, but it felt renovated and changed¡ª his desk was no longer by the window, the room became wider, the closet was removed entirely, and there were drawings on the wall done by what seems to be a child. It doesn''t quite feel like ''his'' room.


    He stood up, and followed the delicious scent that caused him to wake in the first place. Walking out the room, and through the wooden hall, every step made the oak floor creak loudly, as there were no other sound but the environment outside. He felt strange as he walked through the furniture, most especially the glass panes reflecting himself. At the edge of his eye he would see a completely different reflection with bright colors and an obscure face, all of which returns to normal just as he turns to it. Though, right now, he pays it no mind.


    He notices Nastashia''s room, and stops for a while.


    . "Nastashia...? Are you there?" he calls out facing the door.


    But there''s not a response. He tries to open it, but it was locked. ''Nastashia might be at school'', he thought.


    He continues his way, down the staircase and inside the kitchen. Still, the house was void of other people. But, on the table, there was steaming hot food¡ª a cooked dish with what could contain pork, with sides of beans and mashed potatoes. It seemed like it was prepared for him as he woke up. He opens the drawers to get his spoon, and the top cabinet for a plate.


    A slice of the pork, a spoonful of mashed potatoes, veggies for side, and some rice and a boiled egg cut to pieces¡ª he started to feast.


    Every bite was an extremely delicious burst of energy. Somehow, he felt nostalgic with how this tasted, but he was starting to get worried not knowing anything or what could''ve happened. After a drink of water, that had never tasted as good as now, he started to look around the house for clues. For his two little sisters to be gone at this time is reasonable, but his mother or even his father had no presence.


    Suddenly, the front door creaked open. It was visible from the windows of the kitchen wall. Gachizen was blinded by the intruding sunlight, letting down his plate on the glass tabletop. Strong winds blew in from outside, and Gachizen peeks through his fingers.


    A shaded figure walked in, a humanoid with an odd, whirling shape holding what seems to be a long stick in their hands. They stood there for seconds, seemingly staring back at Gachizen, whose eyes were still blurry and unclear.


    As the winds wound down, and the sun less bright, the figure slowly reshaped into that of a smaller, more recognizable build, and she gently spoke...


    . "Zenny...?" exclaimed a motherly voice.


    . "Ah... Good morning Mom, where have you¡ª" "...!"


    Sheila rushed toward him, dropping what seemed to be a towel, and hugged him tight. She was covered by dirt and even lumps of wet mud. She wore her gloves that were old and ragged, noised by sediments of the ground, but Gachizen didn''t even budge.


    He hugged her just as tight.


    . "The food is delicious" he said.


    . "Dad made that¡ª" Sheila was beaming, her voice was slightly shaky, but you could tell it''s filled with all relief and pure joy. "I knew it was gonna wake you up, heh~"


    She lets go of Gachizen, rubbing off a piece of dirt on his cheek, she wasn''t crying at all, but her eyes were slightly red. She showers him with a dozen of kisses, before letting him stand undisturbed.


    . "Zenny, I missed you" gently whispered Sheila.


    . "I miss you too..." Gaten also whispered "where''s Dad?"


    . "He''s not here anymore" she replied, "he should''ve stayed one more day..."


    . "Oh... It''s fine Mom, I''ll call him later using Bino''s phone..."


    . "Zenny, your father may have just left, but if he could he''d rush down here and stay for a month."


    . "Yup" Gachizen takes a seat, continuing to eat his platter. "Mom, your cooking has gotten SOOO good! What happened???" he said holding up the plate.


    . "No, no, Dad made that." Sheila replied


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    . "I...I knew it...!" remarked Gachizen, Sheila was giggling, now very enthusiastic. Both mother and son bonded, there hasn''t been a time like this where only they were together with the entire house to themselves.


    . "Y''know, a lot of things happened..." Sheila''s tone felt a little Bino-ish, but at least she''s a bit more cheerful now. "But I''ll tell you ALL about it later when Kana and Bino come home."


    . "Huh? Wait what about Nastashia...? " Gachizen halts for a second


    . "Don''t worry Zenny, she''s in her room."


    Gachizen stares confused, prompting Sheila to elaborate on her statement, "She''s sick right now but already being treated by a doctor, a Lodian visiting town." she walks to the front door, picking up the towel on the floor that she had dropped.


    . "It''s almost afternoon, Zenny." Sheila grins, turning her eyes slightly to Gachizen. She''s hinting at something.


    . "Wh-what''s happening?" Gachizen takes the last bite off the pork dish.


    . "You should surprise Bino, he really misses you too." uttered Sheila


    . "Come on Mom, surely I wasn''t asleep for too long though...? I wasn''t hurt that much¡ª! "


    Sheila was taken aback, she couldn''t respond as if she didn''t know what to say. Gachizen starts to worry more about himself having noticed this. "I-I''ll get dressed then¡ª!!"


    . "You can wear that," Sheila interrupts Gachizen, he turns to her confused, "Your auntie Juthia will pick you up, our car''s outside already, just tell her where to go."


    . "Our car..." Gachizen walks out the house with Sheila holding his hand. They tread through the now bigger Garden, it expanded after ''some time'', filled with expensive and exotic flowers that exuded a unique floral aroma. "Wow... oh wow, you''ve been busy¡ª!"


    . "Hm! The house looks better now, right?" mentioned Sheila


    . "Yah!"


    Now by the estate''s gates, and like Sheila said, one of the Shiitake family''s butlers was waiting in the car. The butler, Juthia, glanced at Gachizen through the window, evidently startled, though she had to regain her composure. As Gachizen walked closer and out of the gate of the estate, it revealed a line of expensive cars lined up affront, all filled with butlers wearing their expensive black suits.


    . "W-woah..." Gachizen is at a complete loss for words.


    Sheila kissed him on the cheek, as Gachizen did to her too. He goes in the car, greeting Juthia.


    . "Drive safely, auntie~!" Sheila said worryingly. After a nod of her head, Juthia rolls her window closed and started driving.


    Slowly through the path toward the town, Gachizen observed there to be much taller and smoother fences from both sides of the path throughout, all of which were see-through. There also were now lights imbued with high quality Pulkk energy installed every now and then.


    He noticed some people dressed as hunters clad in green and brown and yellow walking around in the deep parts of the forest past the glass walls¡ª they could be watch groups, but it was strange how as the car passed, not one of them didn''t turn and stare precisely at who seems to be Gachizen himself. At their distance from the car, their faces were blurry to him, but it was enough for him to observe their eyes locked with his.


    Though, Gachizen payed no mind seeing how his mother and the butler reacted to him beforehand. He engages Juthia in a casual conversation, where he learns he has been in a coma for 5 months. Gachizen felt nervous as they approached the CEA, especially now they''re affront the city gates. His hands were interlocked, but his sights swiftly snapped to Asofus Atopuscele, which for some reason felt so much more majestic to him.


    ****


    ****


    The sun had just hit the crown of the prestigious academy, dispersing its rays of light from the windows to every crevice of the pale white interiors of the architecture. As quiet and sacred this part of town is, the students strode gently and with order out their study place. It was only further down the hill where the groups of friends began to chatter and become loose in their footsteps.


    Bino walked out all prideful as usual, whispering to a couple of his other friends. As he walked down the long flight of stairs, his splendid vision immediately spotted the figure of a long-known friend sitting on his usual bench far up the path on the hill. Bino starts to sneak toward him, his face highlighting a very mischievous grin.


    Gachizen was dozed off.


    His mind wandered, held by an astonishing sight¡ª that of the base of the Sky Dungeon. Although, this feeling wasn''t just of admiration, it was abnormal for the beating of his heart suddenly starting to accelerate. His body was out of his control, he can''t take his eyes off of it, he was gradually becoming barren and pale.


    But in the midst of this¡ª


    . "GRAH-!!!"


    Gachizen flew up from his seat as his wits jumped back at him¡ª actually, Bino did.


    . "HAHAHAHAHA¡ª!" Bino laughed out loud, shortly before hugging his long-lost best friend as much as all his collective muscle strength could muster (extremely tight). This time, however, he will not let go for a while. "You dare go on a coma without telling ME¡ª?!" he said gleefully.


    . "That''s¡ª not my fault¡ª" Gachizen struggled to utter his words, as he was powerless to the forceful and mighty oppression of Bino''s Hug filled with love.


    . "So do you feel ANYTHING AT ALL!?" Bino was still smiling wide


    . "W-what¡ª?!" grunted Gachizen


    . "Do you feel AWAKENED?!" Bino finally lets him go. Gachizen takes a step back, gasping for air, and stretching his static limbs back to shape. Bino starts to speak excitingly, "Gaten-boy, ZEN-BOY! Do you feel any more different than before?!"


    . "Huff*- whadoyoumean...? HUFF*¡ª " wearingly replied Gaten, holding on to the arm stand of the wooden bench before laying back on his spot on the seat.


    . "Y-know, Y-KNOW ME¡ª I''ve been studying spirits for years, and there''s a high chance you''re keeping one right now!" Exclaimed Bino while helping Gaten tidy up his clothes. He sits next to Gaten.


    . "HAAH?!" Gaten turns to him with an expression of a puzzled man. "Bino¡ª huff* ¡ªI just got in an accident but I don''t feel any different, there''s NO WAY I underwent an awakening DURING A COMA." he uttered with annoyance.


    . "Hey¡ª Hey¡ª A NEAR-DEATH experience is NOT just any accident, BESIDES I''m just checkin'' you out, who knows maybe you HAVE¡ª"


    . "Bino. Let''s just say I did have a near-death experience," Gaten interrupts Bino, "but you know, that''s about it... Nothing else happened or should have happened, I''m telling you! I''m just the same old me before... that."


    Bino stares at Gaten with a blank expression, lumping down the wooden bench.


    . "But hey, Bino," Gaten speaks thrillingly, "I may or may not have heard the voice of the JIN herself."


    Bino''s eyes became rosy and bright, sitting straight back up from his abhorrently bad posture beforehand. "SO THERE WAS A SPIRIT¡ª!" he shouted


    . "No¡ª I just heard it, and it''s probably not a spirit."


    . "Oh, so the JIN is a girl now-?" Bino swiftly replied, his tone slightly intrigued.


    Gaten turns to him with a smile, acting out what he described the voice to be, "It was a gentle, and loving voice of a woman. Her voice was actually extremely soft¡ª mind you!"


    . "...Now I really wanna die." stated Bino, he looked extremely serious when he said that.


    . "hahaha- I''m just kidding, Bino... But... It was a feminine voice that I heard, though I''m not too sure if it would be the same for everyone." Gaten explained, he went silent for a few seconds, starting to recollect within his memories the exact feeling of that moment, "Though I was drowning, I didn''t really feel any pain, but... I did know I was gonna die."


    "...!"


    "..."


    Bino was quiet, lending his ears to his friend as he continued to tell his story. As the breeze past through them, carrying along an array of shattered leaves, Gaten kept going...


    . "...It felt very comforting, like I was laying on the surface of a large calm body of water or snow, and nothing disturbed my peace, but the tender lullaby of the sweetest voice I''ve heard all my life. I actually don''t recall what I saw, but it was definitely, DEFINITELY the calling of Death... It''s not that scary now that I saw it."


    They both stare at the clear skies above for a few moments, it calmed their nerves down¡ª especially Gaten''s.


    . "Anyway, wanna eat some dessert somewhere?" he voiced suddenly, he looked a lot better¡ª less pale and more alive, compared to a few moments ago.


    . "Bet. But why not just eat lunch at a restaurant?" ecstatically replied Bino, he too was getting his energy up.


    . "I ate at home." said Gaten


    Tthey both stand from their seat and start to walk down the sacred hill toward the Noon Plaza. Bino cozily puts his arm around Gaten''s shoulder.


    . "How did the thing even happen?" asked Bino


    . "It''s a long story."


    Juthia was watching them the whole time, now following far behind.


    On the way to their site, some students actually noticed Gachizen, some even approaching him and welcoming him back before going on their own separate ways. Though, it was evident they were scared of Bino. Amidst their walk, Gachizen glances at the shaded areas of the town of Zhaya, reminding himself to bathe his sights on the glorious floating dungeon above yet again.


    Gachizen stared at it as he walked, slowly but surely succumbing to his temptation and desire.


    <hr><hr>


    In a dark and eerie place... surrounded by darkness, moss stone, and cave fragments.


    A dissonance of horrifying screams and groaning of entities can be heard outside. There is only a small spot on the ground that was illuminated, the only spot roofed by a foliage of leaves letting through tiny rays of sunlight. But this spot revealed the many, many bloodthirsty creatures of wings and abnormal humanoid shapes bulldozing right above the small cave, running and flying past as they ''hunted''. The demonic screeches screamed of ''Riam'', chanting it as they swarmed.


    the entire cave shook, loosening some other rocks on its ceiling, it was an unstable space barely holding unto its structure. But, in the darkness, hid a humanoid in size of a child who were hugging their legs both tucked in close. Their appearance was shaded, all but a silhouette.


    "i¡ªit''s time to move~" suddenly, there was a deep and raspy voice that groaned, it felt weak and damaged like an old man, "they''ll find you here... go."


    The child rose up from their position, and started to go deeper into the cave. Their dim outline gradually faded into the cave''s deepest depths, enveloped in a void of black... and a haunting veil of misery.


    The eerie winds came howling.

 Chapter IV. A Glimpse into the Dungeon

    CHAPTER IV


    "Capital; the seed of Humanity."


    "It has existed for more than 20 centuries, with its humble beginnings set in the Obznitelo period, and still prominent up to the present Eritz era. When it was established, humanity snatched a stand against the monstrosities and creatures that hoarded the essence of Pulkk¡ª beings that ravaged and preyed on the humanoid species since Vel''s genesis. Clutch Obznitelo founded thy Capital¡ª he was the son of King Ghilus, and the first ever to wield Lodia. Of which, he coined in the name of his wife, Malellodia Obznitelo"


    "Before his death, as Clutch Obznitelo tightly held unto his wife''s worn and wrinkled hand, he prophesized the existence of 6 calamities and heroes including himself and the plague that time had faced..."


    . "Now after centuries, the Capital has arrived to the 6th¡ª oh I wonder when that could be." Bino thought out loud. He read from his history book.


    . "Well it''s not gonna be anytime soon, that''s for sure. " Gaten replied before turning to Kana, who was leaning out the moving car''s side window¡ª


    . "HEY¡ª!" He pulls her back to her seat.


    . "WhAaT~? It''s fine Monsiouleur, I do this all the time!!" Kana replied ever so loudly, and sassily.


    . "Wha¡ª don''t stick your entire upper body out then!" exclaimed her now overprotective Brother.


    Kana starts to jump and roll around Gaten''s side of the Limo, a bit of a ruckus she was. Juthia rolled the window down from the driver''s seat to their side, "Is everything all right back there?"


    . "W-we''ll keep it down...!" Gaten finally catches unto the rabid Kana who was cackling harder than a motor engine.


    . "Hey Gaten," Bino calls his attention.


    . "Ouh?" gestured Gachizen, who was still stuck restraining his sister down, "hey¡ª calm down...!"


    . "If you were to awaken, what do you think your Lodia would be?" Bino asked with a neutral expression and tone of voice, he''s focused when he''s like this.


    . "Probably¡ª"


    . "I CONTROL DA DARK!!!!" abruptly shouted Kana


    . "Oh would you?" Gaten turns to her for a second before looking at Bino straight in the eyes "For me¡ª hopefully something not... destructive¡ª healing flame perhaps!"


    . "Hmmmm~" Bino slouches on the car seat, with his head facing the car''s windowed ceiling into the forest leaves. Deep breaths and closed eyes made him think deeper to himself. The view from inside the moving car is beautiful, even if there isn''t much to see due to the foliage.


    As the car swiftly passed the towering canopies of trees, Asofus Atopuscele came unto sight. Bino stared at it, eyes fogged with imagination. "I can''t wait to go inside..." Bino whispered faintly.


    . "Man~" Gaten exclaimed ", I wish I could awaken anytime soon¡ª Mana''s gonna be so useful!"


    Bino mumbles with agreement.


    The back of the Limo slowly became quiet, serene with the ambience of the car moving through a rocky path. The minutes went by longer than it should have, for Gaten rests his head on the half-closed window, slowly drifting to sleep. Bino continued to read the book, whilst Kana started playing with her ribbons. This isn''t the usual path to home, but the longer route made them three tired, especially after a school day. Shorts bursts of sunlight continued to protrude through the trees and through the car''s window unto Gaten''s closed and tired eyes.


    Gradually, the light shone brighter... and somehow much longer on his face. Gaten''s senses were dulled, he fully succumbed to sleep.


    The car ambience transitions to a natural sound of birds and pending winds.


    This prompts Gaten to wake up.


    Slowly, his eyes widening, unveiling the sight of a peaceful and tranquil nature all around him. The gentle winds of east wafted through, as the grass bended to its direction. The sun''s light was extremely harsh, especially when the Limo''s roof suddenly wasn''t there, the car looked worn down and abandoned with Gaten still on his seat originally.


    There was no path, and no hope for direction.


    Gaten''s consciousness start to flood in, now aware of a dream for thought. Though, his mind went aloof.


    Out of the blue, as if the breeze pulled his face affront, Gaten''s head sharply turned straight ahead, someone was now sitting on the front chair where he faced. The entire upper part of their body was completely incomprehensible for the sun''s rays were hiding it, but the translucent billowing scarfs attached to almost every limb of their body was vibrant and much peculiar. Gaten struggled to keep his eyes fully opened, pushing himself to comprehend this phenomenon.


    Though, he felt comfortable, this all feels familiar to him.


    The ground shook aggressively, a torrent of wind from a manifested blast hit them from above. Asofus Atopuscele crumbled to the ground right in front of him, as its hard debris and rock fall reigned down like meteors from the sky. He noticed the other person had disappeared just as the suns light had too, continuing to watch with mixed thoughts but unable to get up from his seat¡ª


    A stray piece of sharpened stone from a crash down earlier blew straight to him, luckily dealing but a graze on one of his fingertips. Although, nothing could have surprised him more than the unsettling realistic sense and the sight of flowing blood from his hand¡ª in this dreamlike state, he felt pain.


    Before he could react-


    That moment, reality abruptly came whirling back in order. It was in an instant where everything returned to as it was¡ª Bino continued to read his book now with glasses on, Kana was sleeping on Gaten''s lap, while he sat there staring at his fingers with subsiding pain, now however there is no blood. He thought with a loss of senses, and just like that, his memory of what he just saw became lost, like a dream instantly forgotten. The Limo comes to a sudden halt, birds chirped to welcome their arrival to their home and the line of butlers bowed to greet them.


    Bino swayed his hand, and the butlers followed, dashing to their respective vehicles and driving off to the lantern lit groves. Kana ran ahead them both and through the gate into the house where her mother was waiting with open arms. Bino and Gaten took their time walking through the colorful garden reimagined with new patterns of pottery and species of aromatic flowers, the house looked much brighter than it was earlier this morning. They caught up on each other, each recounting bits of their experiences¡ª one at the academy, and the other near death''s door.


    While Gaten was in a comatose state, it was Bino who took up his role to care for the family. He stayed in the house''s old attic since, the entire floor had undergone a full renovation to accommodate his style. Nastashia was still yet to come out of her room, with the entire family and Bino gathered at the dinner table recollecting on the times and little things Gachizen missed. But like the prior days that passed like a burst of wind or of the rapid melting of golden butter, the night too abruptly came.


    Dressed in casual t-shirts and lamb fur coated shorts from Bino''s wardrobe, the two boys went up the attic, and as the door''s hatch closed¡ª Gachizen instantly got shivers. The old ''dusty'' attic looked better than his own room! The walls and floors were shined to glimmering perfection; the old dark and molded wood were transformed to red, blue, and gold mats; the once ''inconspicuous'' attic screamed of grand, it became scented with an accent of luxurious poppy.


    . "Come on, I''ve got a good view from here." said Bino.


    In the center of the room, Bino pushed the space-tailored curtains aside, and Gachizen was welcomed to a completely different realm awaiting from the other side of the attic space. It was the perfect space¡ª


    The slanted walls fully decorated with glow in the dark stars and patterns, it really looked like the wonder of space. One side had a collection of gadgets and ''toys'' that would put other teenage gadgets to shame. But most wonderful of all were the coziest looking bed mats on the two floors connected by one step of stairs. The attic was wonderful when the lights turned off, it was hospitable to the endless imagination of the two bright children.


    Gachizen, like a winter fox, immediately rolled over and pounced on the top bed mat,


    . "Dibs on this!" he smirked.


    . "Hey, hey~" Bino sits next to him, "this is MY spot but... whatever, just look at this¡ª " stretching his hands out, he pulls on a piece of rope wire hanging on the wall next to them, lifting a veil of curtains to reveal a huge glass window presenting the moonlit view from the side of the house and patches revealing paths toward the city. The moon was up high and tall, shining on both of them, but so was the dark silhouette of the gigantic Asofus Atopuscele.


    . "W-wow~ I didn''t know we had a window here-" Gachizen had bubbled up, mouth wide open.


    . "I installed it of course! Tooooo small a window is UNBEARABLE for me." Bino said with his hands crossed. "Asofus Atopuscele is clear from here, let me just..."


    || ''Click!''


    In a second, every light source in the room had turned dim and the curtains behind them closed in. A magical iridescent glow gradually set in from each side of the glass window pane, and to Gachizen, what seemed like Mana Veins spread like tree branches from each border.


    . "You see the mana, don''t you?" Bino asked.


    . "Yeah, it''s... Colorful." replied Gachizen


    . "Okay it works¡ª! Give it a moment... it takes a while to process and distinguish its target." Bino spoke in a softer tone


    . "...I just have to ask," Gachizen uttered with a thought, "where''s its mana coming from? I don''t see a supply anywhere."


    . "Huh?" Bino''s brows inched up, a huge smile waking from his face.


    . "It''s clearly Lodiac Technology, but I don''t see a mana input... anywhere..." Gachizen slowly glanced at Bino, jaws dropping floor level at the sight of Bino''s fingers emanating clots of raw mana.


    . "Am I seeing things¡ª"


    . "HAH! HehahehAH" giggled Bino, "You JUST noticed, your eyes are getting weak pal!"


    . "You awakened already¡ª since when?!" Gaten inched closer with much enthusiasm in his eyes.


    . "DECEMBER 18TH, baby!" said Bino in a very prideful voice. He turned to the window, and his eyes immediately shone with delight.


    . "The day that I¡ª"


    . "LOOK, GATEN. LOOK AT THAT...!" Bino interrupts Gachizen.


    The view of the floating dungeon, Asofus Atopuscele became astonishing. From the attic window, it turned extremely close and crystal clear, as if it were just a few meters from the estate. The crystal glass walls and fragments of lime blue gemstones reflected and dispersed the moonlight into an array of vivid colors. The shades of dark blue and mossy grey of every rock and cobble below it could easily be distinguishable. Gachizen could only put his hands over the glass pane in awe, as his eyes became wide open like an owl.


    . "A beauty, isn''t it?" said Bino "I got a good view of it every night, it kinda makes me wanna live in your house, Ha-Ha."


    "..."


    . For a moment, the both of them sat there in silence, reveling in Asofus Atopuscele''s presence.


    . "...WELP¡ª I''m pretty tired already, just pull the rope down if you''re done, OK?" said Bino.


    Gachizen nods, still unable to keep his eyes off of it.


    Even as he stared alone, for hours, and after the moon sunk slowly deeper into the horizon, Gachizen didn''t budge an inch. It''s... more than just admiration... something was keeping him from turning away, something that made him anticipate and wait for something to happen.


    And something odd did happen.


    From the bottom left side of the Dungeon, he saw a small opening the size fitting a giant or a cyclops. It was just a few degrees off the main entrance to the dungeon where all the lights and signs of life were, but somehow it seemed to not have been discovered yet. Not even Gachizen, who saw the dungeon every day, noticed that until now.


    The Capital should have patched an entrance that obvious by now... or at least have said anything about it... Just now, Gachizen saw something.


    . "...What in the¡ª"


    Gaten was promptly blinded as a sharp light directly reflected unto him. The glass window overflowed with mana, the view and images in front of him harshly glitched and turned mosaic, it hurt his eyes. But even after Gachizen pulled the rope which should have disabled it, nothing stopped. Akin to that of sleep paralysis, Gachizen still couldn''t physically look away, nor could he shout for Bino to stop this, only his eyes screamed of pain.


    But, the images gradually became clearer again, only this time, when it had focused, it was zoomed directly into the entrance Gachizen saw¡ª like the mirror presented it directly to him. He rubbed his teary eyes to observe clearly the new vague sight showed by the Lodiac technology...


    There was a person walking in to the entrance¡ª this person had the same clothes and scarves from the figure in his dream. A hunter with an unclear face.


    Gachizen could only get a good look of the mysterious person''s back as the glass window cracked horribly, until it shattered. No longer did it show anything, becoming non-transparent and no longer a window. But as there was neither light nor any way for light to come in the attic, Gachizen was covered by void and dark. Bino was snoring loudly beside him, and he could only hear this now after what he had just witnessed.


    The feeling of absolute tiredness set in.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    His arms tucked in by the warm comforts of the high-quality blanket, as his body begged him to lay down and rest. Even as his mind was off the charts, racing to every thought and idea, Gachizen just dropped on the cotton bed mat and slept.


    The lingering thought of wanting to see what''s inside grew on him. It calls to him.


    ****


    ****


    It''s Examination day for Kana and Bino


    their dismissal would come right after lunch. Seidas, another Shiitake family butler, drove to town with Gachizen sitting in the back seat, who brought an antique camera and a small bag with him. Gachizen was clicking his camera; taking pictures of the dungeon from the black Limo''s window. They were still amidst the forest of the Zhayan Groves on the same path before, it''s a calming and what would''ve been a completely silent trip if not for Gachizen to strike a brief exchange with the fine old butler.


    . "Have you been inside?" asked Gachizen, still taking his pictures.


    Seidas had a deep baritone voice, "Hmm?"


    . "Asofus Atopuscele, have you been there?" Gachizen clarified.


    Seidas glanced to the front view mirror with his stern and old wrinkled eyes. Even with a temperament look, his smile was very welcoming, he spoke calmly


    . "One has, young Gaten... One has- long ago..."


    Gaten set his camera down, "What did you do there?"


    . "...The same as one does now. I still serve your Family." Seidas''s calm tone remained indifferent.


    . "Ohh... that''s pretty cool..."


    "..."


    The trip returned to non-communication, with the only sound being the seldom clicks of Gaten''s camera. It stayed like this until they both reached the town, walking through the busy street to the serene and silent hills of the CEA''s property.


    . "Don''t you want anything, Monsiouleur Gaten?" Seidas spoke this time, pointing to the nearest donut shop.


    . "Uh... what time is it?" Gaten sat down on the bench- his usual bench.


    Seidas, being an old distinguished and well-postured man, clicks open his mini pocket watch in the most elegant way, "Thus, a little over 30 minutes to spare¡ª thirds to 11:30. What flavor of donuts does thy prefer?" He stared at Gaten straight in the eyes enthusiastically¡ª and professionally.


    Gaten worryingly smiled, seeing as Seidas more or less looked decided on buying him a donut or two. He squints his eyes on the shop''s exterior, "They... look like they have a bestseller, I''d like that if it''s alright!"


    Seidas nods and obeys.


    . "...Oh right-" Gaten calls back to him, "I think Kana would like Strawberry!"


    Seidas turns back, again with his innocent old smile, and bending his body to a half-bow before continuing on his track up the sunlit path. Birds are singing, winds are passing, the serene and peaceful hills kept Gaten''s heart and mind at ease.


    ...


    ...But even in calm, Gaten''s repetitive instability would come striking out of the blue¡ª a sort of third sense poked on him. His sight turned to the other direction, then back and forth from left to right, trying to find the source of this displacement. And just as he expected, that omnipresent figure of a hunter was visible, walking toward a dark alley below with their back turned.


    His verge stood up, and with adrenaline rushing in, Gaten sprinted toward them in pursuit.


    Seidas''s keen sense of hearing took attention and his body dashed with insane speeds toward the boy, Gaten was just about to drop off the steep edge of the hill. But just as Seidas could grab Gaten by the wrist, and after a sudden blinding ray of sunlight¡ª


    The young lad as he fell had mysteriously vanished... and without a single trace of mana to cause it.


    . "GATEN¡ª!"


    Seidas''s poise went frantic, spinning his head in circles to the clear and open hill with sweat secreted on his dried old face. A vibrating phone on one hand, and a lodiac glow emitting from the other, the butler called for help through the phone while using his own Lodiac techniques to locate the boy...


    ****


    ****


    Gaten kept running after the figure, squishing his way through the tight and crooked paths and alleys of the busy town.


    . "HEY- STOP!!" he shouted, but it continued to move away as fast as he could run, even though it looked like it was just walking. "I just wanna talk¡ª!" Gaten''s legs shook, and his breath grew ever weary, either way he was determined.


    He got to areas of the town he had never been to before even as he grew here all his life, other parts of the economy that wasn''t quite as lively or tranquil as the rest. And finally, after a seemingly random turn, revealed a flight of stairs up, but no more figure to be seen, like it had vanished. The entire path seemed out of place, but it''s too late to turn back now that he was lost. Halfway up the stairs were ominously empty with nothing but cracks and vines extending from the ground. Gaten stayed on this path, following through it to the end.


    . "Hello...?" He spoke softly, walking up and looking cautiously around, his heart beat rapidly.


    Still, no answer.


    At the top of this empty path still void of other people¡ª was a tree, a fallen log that looked like a workbench or a seat, and a resting dark boulder. There was just this small space hiding in a corner of town. Though it was definitely the highest point, it''s gone unnoticed having been under the dungeon''s shade.


    Gaten felt relieved, he sat down leaning on the tree, heavily breathing in, regaining all his energy after a long moment. It''s a surprise to him how the tree that never received any sunlight would grow to its size. But upon further observation of this small spot, on the bench were iron tools, all rusted and broken but one. Gaten stood up and inspected it, it''s a filled up Mana Store.


    He turned to the boulder, caressing its rough surface and its deep patterned cracks¡ª the splendid quality of its stone, the shape, and the patterns on its exterior were that of a Cobble Hound, an unmounted one at that. Gaten stepped back after this realization, these things were not of a common occurrence. The Cobble Hound could fly him directly toward the Dungeon when activated with the Mana store he held, this opportunity was basically shining itself to Gaten.


    Had he hit head or the figure led him here, either way it turned him much impatient, but Gaten''s already starting to regret this decision of his. The only thing he needed to do was insert the Mana Store into the resting Cobble Hound''s central pattern, and he''d bet on his own luck it follows through with his direction.


    || ''ZzzzZZ-!''


    He tapped on button switch of the Mana Store, and waving threads of mana started swerving on its tip. It seemed that the store needed to take a while before it could fully form clots of Mana. Gaten approached the Hound, and as he did¡ª


    <hr>


    <hr>


    . "GATEY BOY¡ª!" Bino''s loud voice reverberated fast from down the stairs.


    . "...!" Gaten jumped, shook for just a second, but his expression immediately relaxed as he knew of who it was. "Bino¡ª!? you scared me!"


    Bino, as he approached up to him, had a big grin, but sweat was pouring rapidly from his head down. He dropped his gadget¡ªa black tablet on the ground with little no regard of it, "What are you DOING, pal?! You made me run ALL OVER...!"


    . "Ah¡ª sorry..." Gaten scratched his head as he chuckled, "I thought your Exams would end after lunch?"


    . "I-I was DONE with the test SINCE EARLIER¡ª URGHHH" Bino exhaled, then inhaled a ton of air in before he spoke. "anyway... GATEN, don''t just go running off DUDE."


    . "Uh... I''m sorry Bino, I was just¡ª"


    || ''ZZZZZZZ-!!''


    The Mana store vibrated aloud and glowed a bright pink, this signaled it was a fourth of the way complete. The moment Bino noticed this, and the Dormant Cobble Hound beside Gaten, his protective instincts started to fluster him.


    . "What... are you planning to..."


    Gaten slid the Store into his bag, taking a few steps near to the Hound, he had a cautious smile. "I''m uh... I just wanted to see something here, that''s all."


    Bino stopped for a few seconds, breathing in and out to regain the energy he spent to get here. Then, with haste, he began closing into Gaten. "I know what you''re planning Gaten, and I recommend you stop¡ª!"


    . "...!"


    Bino sweeps his hand forward in an attempt to grab the Mana Store from Gaten''s bag¡ª


    and Gaten leapt out of his way and pushed him back a few steps. Gaten changed his stance¡ª one foot up front, an arm lifted high while the other covered the bag''s opening. He was slowly backing up toward the Hound.


    . "Agh¡ª" as Bino regained his balance, he stared at Gaten''s eyes with disbelief, his caring expression quickly turned into a bitter annoyance. "You know, you''ve been SUCH a weirdo ever since you woke up... You sure you didn''t hit your HEAD or anything¡ª?"


    Gaten was still smiling, though his legs were slightly shaking, "I''ve been thinking that myself, Bino. I really have." His back bumped into the rough cobble Hound, there was no footing left to distance himself from Bino.


    "So you''ll fly yourself there¡ª now what? You''ll get caught before your hound even REACHES the main gate." Bino spoke obnoxiously.


    . "...I know, but I found another entrance, one the Capital doesn''t know about... I''m gonna¡ª" said Gaten, before he was interrupted.


    . "It''s impossible, the Capital won''t turn a blind eye to an ''Entrance'' of all things, Gatey-Boy, besides you don''t even know how to FLY that thing, YOU''LL JUST HURT YOURSELF!"


    . "It''s different... Something''s calling me there. And I just have to see what''s there for a few minutes¡ª even for just 2 minutes and I promise I''ll return immediately!" Gaten replied anxiously. The Mana Store signaled again, glowing brighter and shining itself through the bag¡ªabout halfway processed.


    . "As I said¡ª YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO FLY THAT THING. And YOU KNOW how DANGEROUS THE DUNGEON IS! We''ve studied that our entire lives, BOY!" Bino takes a step forward.


    Gaten knew he only had less than a few things to say before Bino would charge at him, channeling a few breaths in as a last ditch effort to persuade, "There won''t be another opportunity like this¡ª"


    . "Oh there will be." Bino took another step forward, he spoke in a monotone manner. Gaten and Bino continued to exchange their own brief thoughts.


    . "Don''t you want to see what''s inside?"


    . "Don''t be childish, Gaten, I have since we were kids." Bino replied, stepping closer.


    . "Then why not just this one time, we''ll just take a few pictures and go¡ª"


    . "We can do that after a few years when we graduate. Did you not think of that?" Bino said calmly, forming a stance as if he''s about to dash forward.


    . "Tsk..." Gaten braced himself. He couldn''t reply to anymore of what Bino said, since he knew full-well that his best friend was in the right. Time seemed to slow down as their argument would reach its climax¡ª a physical fight determined by the outcome of the Mana Store. Bino was still holding unto his iron-clad stance, waiting for an opportunity. Gaten held firmly unto his bag, eyes focused on Bino''s every movement.


    Until, the Mana Store reacted.


    Bino and Gaten ran toward each other at the same time. Bino was startled by the offensive approach of the supposed defender, prematurely and instinctively moving his arm forward toward the bag. But just like earlier, Gaten evaded and pushed Bino from the side with his entire upper body.


    As he fell down however, Bino managed to grab Gaten by the collar and pulled it into himself to switch their balance, he was better off than his friend in terms of physical strength. But Gaten too had an advantage in flexible maneuvers, having saved himself from falling over by spinning with full precision with his arms on the floor, and with heavy force, kicked Bino in the jaw.


    Gaten rolled back to a safe position, while Bino balanced himself with his arms caressing his dented jaw.


    . "Bino I didn''t mean to¡ª! "


    . "HEHEHEH¡ª SO IT''S ROUGH PLAY THEN HUH?!!" Bino laughed like a madman, veins began to show on his head and arms. Out of nowhere, he brought out a few thin vials of brilliant blue liquid hues from his back pocket.


    . "Chemical Toothpaste~" Bino said with a mischievous grin.


    He threw all three vials on the floor next to Gaten, and suddenly a grenade of Mana shined and blinded him, the floor quickly catalyzed with the substance and formed a tower of soap-like foam and cloud that surrounded them both.


    Using this opportunity, Bino tackled Gaten unto the soft foam down to the ground, finally reaching his hand inside the bag. Just as he could hold the Mana Store, Gaten took a handful of the Manaform cloud and slapped it unto Bino''s face, managing to squeeze himself out of Bino''s tough hold and sliding past him from below. Gaten continued to slide down the hill due to the foam however, and as Bino wiped his face of the horrid-tasting paste, the Mana Store slipped out of Gaten''s bag. Gaten safely landed down the stairs, and Bino could almost see¡ª their target was between them both.


    || ''ZZZZNG~!'' The Mana Store had finally created a clot of Mana, vibrating and glowing ever so bright.


    Now there was not a second to waste, Gaten sped up as he climbed back up the stairs, even using his hand to move faster. While Bino followed the sound, sliding down toward the glowing Mana Store, even if he was barely able to see it. With their distance and hold closing in on their target¡ª


    Gaten got to grab it.


    Barely dodging Bino, Gaten ran to the Cobble Hound. Bino, however didn''t lose just yet. He grabbed unto Gaten''s foot, using both his hands to climb up to him as he neared the Hound. Gaten slipped down, now they were both on equal footing, Gaten extended his arms forward where Bino couldn''t reach it.


    Limping their way now just a few arms length away from the Hound, Bino and Gaten stood up at the same time and dashed with all their spirits. Until, Gaten was right in front of the Cobble Hound just about to insert it, Bino jumped at him and squeezed him into its hard surface¡ª the Mana Store was freed from his hold and it flew over the Cobble Hound.


    Their little fight was over.


    The Mana Store fell from up the hill down a steep drop on a concrete floor, shattering into a million refined... expensive pieces.


    Gaten watched with sorrow, eyes wide open. He exhaled a breath of defeat.


    . "Weeeeeelp¡ª?" Bino loomed over, now with a playful expression, "Hey, that was pretty fun!"


    "..."


    . "...You just have to be patient Gaten, when we graduate we''ll be able to go inside anyway, Cheer up!"


    . "...Yeah..." Gaten weakly replied.


    . "GREAT! Now let''s go home already, m''kay?"


    "..."


    . "Fine, I''ll ask Seidas to give you pictures of... What''s¡ª" suddenly, Gaten grabbed Bino''s hand... very tightly.


    . "OUCH, WHAT ARE YOU¡ª" "...!"


    Bino became still with a sudden chill down his spine. He was deeply confused and startled as he couldn''t even budge his arm away even with all his strength. The winds howled from the dungeon''s base, as Gaten turned to him like a predator with eyes of a snake.


    With a mere squeeze, Bino''s arm spread its mana throughout his body. He didn''t even release this himself. Gaten with extreme force, placed Bino''s hand into the Cobble Hound''s mark, and it glowed white in activation of his mana.


    The Cobble Hound roared and took off to the sky, pushing the two of them off with intense winds from the heavy flapping of its stone wings.


    Gaten came back to his senses and Bino''s jaw dropped, his entire body was cleaned off of the foam by the wind. "GATEN¡ª THIS IS NOT GOOD¡ª"


    Translucent energy shaped like hands extended down to the two of them and wrapped around them like a coil. Immediately, they were pulled into the Hound already high up in the sky as fast as a diving hawk, landing and sticking to its back like a magnet.


    The Magma Hound flied extremely fast¡ª too fast for its size...!


    . "GATEEEEEN" Bino cried his heart out through the wind current. His arms waved up his shoulders.


    Gaten tightly held unto an arm of the hound that stuck out, trying to pull it up. "I CANT¡ªDRIVE THIS THING...!!!!" he had one heck of a shaky shout.


    . "OH YOU BETTER¡ª" yelled back Bino.


    The Cobble Hound flied in circles around the dungeon, but slowly Gaten could control its direction... just not the speed. They dove up to the skies and cloud above.


    . "...W-wow¡ª" Gaten was astonished by the view.


    Bino all of a sudden laughed¡ª sounding like a mixed emotion of excitement and being scared for his life at the same time. Gaten continued to circle the Hound around the Dungeon until he could spot the Hole, and when he did¡ª


    . "BRAAAACE!!!!" shouted Gaten


    . "WHAT!! no-No-NO-NOOO¡ª" Bino hugged Gaten from behind as the Hound began to accelerate directly toward the entrance hole. It went so fast it almost looked like a meteor about to crash through, and that it did.


    || ''BANG!!''


    The Magma hound had crashed directly inside of it. Reverberating a loud bang throughout the hollow space, and producing much smoke from inside its stone body. Surprisingly, it didn''t cause much destruction, and the ground didn''t even shake, just that crystal fragments from the floor scattered and left a crater on its landing.


    Amidst the warm smoke, Gaten and Bino rose and immediately fumbled to the ground and lied their bodies flat, gasping for a breath of ''safe'' air. The Hound''s ''hands'' that coiled around their body dispersed into the air, it seems to have protected the two boys from the impact.


    . "We''re in..." uttered Gaten while still recovering his breath, much like Bino.


    . "Gaten you¡ª sigh... Just a few minutes... huh?" tiredly replied Bino.


    . "Yeap¡ª! I won''t go back on that... Just a few pictures and we''ll go." Gaten softly spoke.


    "..."


    The both of them relaxed for a short while, just flat on the ground staring into the crystal-like ceiling of the entrance while the cold wild wind seemed to welcome them in. There was a slight reflection from the ceiling, just not too clear though.


    . "Ok then¡ª!" Bino sprung up and sat in an Indian position. "So where''s the camera?"


    . "It''s in my ba¡ª"


    Gaten quickly opened his eyes, snapping up and opening the bag. Slowly and with pure disappointment in both their faces, Gaten miserably held out his extremely broken and torn apart camera... It was vintage too.


    . "uh..."


    . "Hey, don''t worry, I''ll buy you one." Bino stood up and pulled his friend up and away from the camera on the ground. "Now we got some exploring to do."


    . "Heh, thanks Bino." said Gaten.


    . "...Buuut¡ª" Bino points his finger to Gaten, voice all loud and high, "Up to 10 minutes, we see something that''s alive, there''s an entire jungle inside, and we think we''ll get lost¡ª we IMMEDIATELY get out of here, OK?!"


    Gaten, with full optimism, nodded with his giant glowing eyes and very wavy smirk, like a child that couldn''t wait to go on a ride in a park. Bino was just as excited, but it just wouldn''t show on his face¡ª because the deeper he stared into the long and seemingly endless dark hole, the less motivating it made him want to explore. It didn''t help that from deep inside, eerie winds approached them which sounded like faint whistling. After a deep breath, Gaten and Bino took their first steps into Asofus Atopuscele, with each step echoing louder than the last. It didn''t help that almost every surface in this entrance was seemingly made out of reflective glass or crystal.

 Chapter V. The Eerie Winds

    CHAPTER V


    <hr>


    **From the POV of BINO**


    <hr>


    . "HEY! DONT BE TOO CLINGY, COWARD...! Urgh¨C"


    Gaten was practically glued to my side, though nothing''s happening still¨C not yet, anyway. It''s a good thing I have my utility bag with me, just that three of my chemical toothpaste Vials are used up thanks to a certain SOMEONE here. What''s left would be my mini torch, knife, cloth, and a medicinal oil valve. I also have this small glass casing for the torch in cases like these¨C for the... wind... might get too strong and extinguish it.


    It''s such an unnatural wind man...!


    The air carried a faint breeze, drafting through us out of the dungeon, but there''s definitely something bizarre about it. It''s chilling¡ª the pattern of it.


    The path was just one straight corridor into the abyss, but the darkness ahead swallowed any sense of an ending. The floor and walls were still glassy¡ªcrisscrossed with veins of glowing crystal. Looking at them made my skin crawl and my sense of cleanliness dulled. The way they pulsed and twisted reminded me too much of fungi... That is hecka Gross...! I''d rather watch paint dry than stare at one of those for more than a minute.


    As for Gaten... A t-shirt and shorts? Yeah, not the best call. If we got stuck here, he''d probably freeze to death before anything else.


    That brings us to the main question¡­Does anything hear us from deep inside, I wonder? Our footsteps echoed through the entrance, bouncing back at us from the smooth, crystal-covered walls. It was eerily like the inside of a cave, except the reflections made everything feel... off.


    Hmm... It''s starting to get harder to see, I don''t want to be fully relying on my torch''s light. Besides, it''s been about a minute¡ª I think it''s time to head back.


    . "Gaten," I stopped walking forward "don''t you think we''ve seen enough? Let''s head back."


    He looked at me with dim eyes, and spoke with a soft tone as always, "...We haven''t really seen anything yet, why don''t we walk for a few more minutes?"


    I glanced around, down the path, then back at him. My face automatically resorted to a half-assed grin. ''This guy is gonna die'', I thought.


    . "Gatey-boy, I''m telling you, something''s not right about this path"


    It''s hard to speak loud when every surface of this place amplifies your volume about tenfold. I DO NOT want to break my ears.


    . "Well~ maybe~ You''re wrong?"


    His evidently sarcastic face is so very punchable.


    . "Besides¡ª! We''ll just walk for at least 30 minutes." he said.


    . "I SAID 10 MINUTES! 10. " my nerves are gonna break.


    . "ok ok¡ª relax, I was just joking."


    . "HnNGG...! "


    If we don''t find anything, would Gaten really turn back? The way he''s acting now, I don''t see no reason why he wouldn''t. But if it came to that, I''d just drag this CLOWN out myself. I''ll try to lighten the mood at least, check this out¡ª


    . "But, you know... What if there''s a Dragon~ right around the¡ª"


    . "HEY?!!" He shouted, that was too heckin'' loud. "Don''t bring us a bad omen, Bino, you''ll hate to see it if that actually happens."


    . "So when I joke around, I can''t do it?! I don''t see how that''s fair. " I snuffed at him.


    We kept walking, and the environment walked with us¡ª slowly dimming and straying from the outside source of light, and slowly becoming a darker hue.


    About two minutes in, we already passed by a few more formations unique to this dungeon¡ªred crystals, purple crystals, whatever caught our deteriorating interest... or at least just my interest. But as to how these crystals work do have me interested. I''ll just entertain Gaten for a little more before I cut a small chunk of it with my knife to bring home.


    ¡­That''s strange.


    Blue Lilacs were growing along the veins around the crystal. Normally this specific type of lilac shouldn''t be exposed to anything, especially against prominent winds... How did it even grow in said condition? What more, I never noticed but the floor, the walls, and the ceiling weren''t made of crystals and mirrors anymore. Now it''s only that bland and common cave interior¡ª clay, gravel, dirt, moss, cobble, and limestone.


    Hmm... This surely is becoming interesting indeed.


    We kept going farther, a slow and steady walk was best. The mossy smell is beginning to puncture my nerves, I feel like inhaling a jar of perfume.


    . "Looo-laaaa-liiii-looooo~" this couldn''t get any worse than Gaten humming loud, his deeper vibrations echoing all around.


    . "Shut up boy...! The monsters inside you''re so eager to see might hear." I told him.


    . "Relax Bino, there''s nothing else here beside us... Lalalee~~" he was lax, continuing on with his displeasing humming.


    This Careless little Goober¡ª


    . "I know there''s nothing there, Bino." His eyes were fixed ahead, fully wide open, even as the cold wind were drafting by. "If there was, I would''ve seen them even from the entrance..."


    . "Huh?" I went blank faced


    He continued, "Only humans can suppress their Mana, every other living being continuously emits for me to see. It''s actually pretty easy to differentiate non-object from object mana... Life forms it like veins¡ª while objects emit a gaseous spreading form."


    . "Oh Keep BLABBING on, that''s not gonna stop you from falling off a SUDDEN PIT."


    "...Actually" He turns to me


    "You''re right! Aha!" and he grinned every so mischievously. Seriously, where''s this guy''s survival instinct?!


    This tunnel shouldn''t have any pits at least, that I''m sure of. The way this wind has been to us helps me predict it will stay a single path until it''s end.


    I just have to keep my ears open.


    || ''Swoosh~!''


    . "...Woah¡ª" Gaten and I covered our eyes, it''s that wind again. It always blew from farther in the void, as if the darkness was whistling to us. We may have a problem treading forward if it got any stronger.


    The wind quickly calmed down just after a few seconds.


    . "Hey, Bino. It''s getting pretty dark."


    . "I know."


    Though the crystals emitted a faint glow, it wasn''t enough to rely on, but it sure outlined a straight path for us to follow.


    || ''Click!''       Flickered my torch, I covered it with the glass case right after.


    For a small torch¡ª this little guy is really potent. (Well of course, I made it by hand.) At least this way, we could see a few meters ahead. How I wonder what floor this path connects to.


    It''s been 3 more minutes since we went in, and the wind was already getting wild. It didn''t make sense. It wasn''t a steady breeze¡ªit came in bursts, rested for a while, then rushed in again. Like a quick gust turning into a fading lull, then nothing. This repeated so many times already, the stone ground and ceiling were getting carved off like sculptures.


    I fear that if we kept going, it might be strong enough to push us back... But I guess that''s a good way to stop this Reckless guy from going deeper in.


    . "Take a break?" Gaten asked me


    . "Yeah..."


    We sat in cover behind a large crystal deposit, its structure trapping some warmth and spreading to its proximity. Dead lilacs surrounded it as well. I set down the torch, now it made us look like we''re camping at night.


    . "So, what do YOU think?" I asked him, arms crossed.


    . "This wind''s kinda weird... Must be coming from a dungeon floor?"


    . "HOW observant¡ª tell me things other than the OBVIOUS please¡ª!" I replied to his ''common-sensical'' remarks.


    . "I mean I could guess which floor we''re supposedly heading to..." He leaned back on the crystal, sighing out a breath of comfort to its warmth.


    . "Oh...?" I slouched on the opposite side. Gaten pointed to targeted directions.


    . "A mirror-like exterior, crystal formations, and a refreshing, clean breeze!" He said optimistically.


    But that wind is DEFINITELY not a refreshing one.


    . "Then that means~ we''re probably heading toward the middle 20s."


    . "...And the camera you BROUGHT broke. We could have filmed everything. REALLY NICE."


    Gaten scratched his head, chuckling. I do not understand what is happening inside this guy''s head... But the reason for that might be because it''s actually empty.


    . "Oh-"


    The wind stopped, and so the dark tunnel became silent once again. This must be our cue to start heading deeper... I''m getting much too impatient seeing just crystals and lilacs over and over, they''re a disgusting sight. What if we just ran all the way...?


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I slowly glanced to Gaten and grinned. And so did he. Looks like he knows what''s up! We stood from the comfort of the ground, patting particles of dirt off our clothes and dirty skin. When I picked up the torch, we braced ourselves¡ª


    "Gaten, It''s just a straight path, but I''m not exactly sure. Is it right?"


    "No there''s not. I suppose you''re right."


    "And there''s NO anything in front of us, correct?"


    "I suppose so!"


    Then... On 3...


    2¡ª


    Oh screw the countdown¡ª


    . "AHAHAHA!! CATCH YOU LATER GATEY-BOY¡ª!" I dashed way ahead, giving me a few meters jumpstart ahead of poor old Gaten. My loud stomping loudly ricocheted all around the silent cavern path. This was necessary to win our mini race for he''s MUCH faster than me.


    . "Hey¨C! You might trip¨C!" he shouted far behind me. His slippers made that funny stomping noise.


    The torch''s fire wavered wildly. And gradually, I could hear the burst of wind fast approaching.


    . "BRAAAACEEE!!!!" I shouted, as the ''burst'' hit us hard. Gaten was already right by my side though I ran first, but we had to stop in our tracks to keep our balance. The wind was pushing us back, we couldn''t keep our eyes open. But we slowly carried our steps one by one, giggling hard, approaching deeper into the windy unknown.


    This is probably the most fun I''ve had in a while.


    But as we grew closer to the uncertain end, the wind picked up in force, pushing stronger, sharper, deadlier¡ª


    Then, when the wind suddenly calmed after a few seconds¡ª


    || ''THUD!''


    Gaten lunged forward with his head low, that didn''t quite work out for him though, "NGGGHH!"


    I immediately chortled at the sound of him bumping into something.


    It seems his head collided into a rock solid wall, recoiling from the impact and dropping on his feet, hands covering his newly found Injury caused by recklessness. I could see a mountainous bump forming, it looked hilarious. Good thing he did so before I did, I''m too handsome and clever to appear with a bump like that.


    Rock fragments fell from what he hit, shattering as it impacted unto the floor. I could hear cracks forming right in front of us.


    I brought the torch closer to take a better look.


    . "Oh... no..." I stepped closer, peeking in between the cracks.


    . "W-what is it?" Gatey-boy stood up and inspected with me.


    It was a very mysterious and... nothing that I expected. What we stared at was a dead end¡ª the other side of this single-path ''entrance''. It was a cobblestone wall covered in green moss, tiny holes, and cracks. A wall that looked like it''s about to crumble and fall right on us at any moment.


    ¡­However, for these cracks to let through THAT much wind is... unthinkable¡ª at least, in the logical sense. There must be another entryway somewhere... Or we could break this wall down ourselves...?


    I think the capital has this one. Heck¡ª the wind itself might just break it.


    . "...this is good enough, Heh." Gaten suddenly tapped me on my shoulder.


    I looked at him dead in the eyes for a short while, and I patted him back with full force on the back. A little twig, he was, but he sure is durable for one.


    . "It''s definitely already been past 10 minutes Gatey-boy, wanna walk back?"


    . "I don''t think it''s a good idea to be near this wall when the wind passes." he said acting all cautious and all, walking slowly away.


    . "Why not?? Best the wind could do is PUSH us away¡ª"


    . "Bino-where-we''re-standing-now-I-think-it-would-rip-us-to-shreds"


    . "Ok, ok¡ª!" I started jogging beside him.


    It was easier to move back, as the light at the beginning of the tunnel provided us a straight direction. It was also easier to notice the crystals'' glow from this perspective.


    . "So, you RECKLESS little STICK, are you satisfied?" we both smiled to each other, we were definitely more than satisfied... But the moment we''re out of here I''m gonna squeeze this little troublemaker to death...!


    . "Ehe, definitely could''ve been better but¡ª I think I''ve made everyone worry too much...." he spoke solemnly, like a guilty sack of gargled nuts¡ª is that an appropriate simile? I don''t know, I heard it somewhere. But I didn''t want him to feel down all the way back home. I want him to remember and treasure this ''little adventure'' we had¡ª because for me this really was a fun one. I just had to say something.


    . "Well at least we got to¡ª"


    || ''swoosh~''        All of a sudden, I heard the loud gathering of the wind behind the wall.


    It sounded nothing like the bursts of wind before...! An orchestra of wind instruments, a loud and high-pitched whistle that of a giant, a thundering howl that would break the sound barrier.


    We were still just a few arm''s lengths from the wall¡ª


    With almost a fraction of a second, I grabbed Gaten by his shirt, almost ripping the cloth off his skin as I threw him with full force.


    . "What¡ª"


    BEHIND A CRYSTAL FORMATION...!


    . "Bino what''s¡ª"


    . "BRACE." I tucked deep in the crystal''s hollow curvature, pulling Gaten down right by me.


    (I wonder what would''ve happened if we hadn''t taken cover at the last second.)


    Gaten looked panicked and confused, but he still followed me. He didn''t hear what I heard.


    (¡­How we would have ended up...)


    withstanding the explosion of more than a hundred tons of pressure.


    || ''BOOM!!!!''


    Our bodies immediately reacted by covering our ears, as the torrent''s breath charged at us like a dragon and its prey. What came at us¡ª imagine a herculean tornado passing by through a small and compact space, with all its energy focused in one point.


    || ''PHOOOOSH-!''


    My ears already felt like bleeding, even as my hands covered it. The torch got blown away from my grasp, and my clothes felt as if it were trying to pull me away from my position.


    My entire body hurt like hell.


    . "AAAAHHH¨C" The ground was shaking like a Magnitude 10 earthquake. The shattering of rocks, the walls, crystals, and floor were mixed in, flying it''s fragments through us in a scene of pure destruction.


    I turned to Gaten.


    ¡­He was fully tucked in, in a fetal position¡ª


    We were both like sitting ducks, our lives dependent on the crystal''s durability. We''re a mere head''s length away from death...!


    || ''CRACK-''


    A shattering vibration...? OH THAT BETTER NOT BE THE HECKIN'' CRYSTAL.


    I looked up at our cover''s state, it still looked intact... If it wasn''t from the crystal¡ª


    That would be the dead end.


    . "BINO... T-THE DEAD END...!" I could slightly hear Gaten''s mumbled voice.


    . "HNNNG¡ª! JUST DON''T GET PUSHED AWAY!!" I shouted with all my might.


    My body was beginning to tremble, struggling to keep my back positioned on the crystal''s rough and brittle surface. I positioned my feet next to Gaten''s in a tight lock, keeping ourselves from being blown away ourselves.


    ¡­BUT THIS IS JUST ABSURD¡ª IT''S DEFINITELY BEEN MORE THAN 20 SECONDS. None of the bursts before was this long...! WHY HASN''T IT STOPPED AND WHY IS IT THIS STRONG?!


    At this rate¨C


    the wall¡ª


    WILL BREAK¡ª!


    || ''CRACKLE!''


    Beams of light rushed in, little by little, scrambled by the wind¨C


    || ''CRASH!''


    The large fragments of the cobblestone wall started falling apart, colliding with the surrounding crystal formations.


    || ''CRACK!''


    I turned to see.


    . "...GAATEEEN THIS ISN''T GOOD...!"


    The other crystal formations were getting demolished by the rocky debris'' collision. If any of those rocks hit our crystal¡ª


    The wall''s debris still hasn''t completely cleared out.


    || ''BANG-!''


    A-Another Crystal was obliterated...


    The sudden vibrations of the impact caused both of us to flinch every time it happened, all we could do was hope we chose the right one to take cover in.


    || ''CRACK-''


    But even by just the wind, our crystal was starting to crumble apart... I feel fear... But this has been the most alive I''ve ever been.


    I gasped at that terrifying shake, and as for the dead end¡ª


    It fell apart.


    || ''CRASH!''


    . "HNNGGG¡ª!!" The rocky debris crashed into the top of the crystal, breaking large chunks of it off little by little. We could hear every single chunk that flew away as if it were our own life that was fleeting from us. We shook, we cried, and we braced for the inevitable ending¡ª


    || ''WHOOooshh...''          At the moment, it stopped, gradually fading into a weak push.


    We got lucky.


    The crystal was a third of it''s original towering size, standing just as tall as we were sitting. But, the catastrophe is finally over. Let this be the ONLY time I let my ARSE welded unto a dirty floor.


    From what was once a dead end, a natural breeze of nature rushed in. This one... felt natural... refreshing¡ª full of life! Instead of a burst of melancholic and sickening winds, now it''s a constant breeze of delight. What was uncovered¡ª a bright sunlight, painting the once void area with a morning tone....The faint howling residue of wind finally left us alone, escaping through the hole that we came in through.


    I''m craving some dessert SO BAD.


    . "Bino." Gaten let go of his ears, he looked at me with a... shocking expression. He was smiling up and wide, his eyes shining bright, breathing heavily as if filled with bliss.


    This fella is officially sick in the head, even having the audacity to say¡ª


    . "Th¨Cthat was fun."


    . "HUUUH?!! YOU¡ª YOU HIT YOUR HEAD AGAIN?!"


    . "Oh I''m better than ever¡ª!" said the exhausted Gaten, who then proceeded to flop down into the floor like jelly. Coughing out a bit of vomit as well...


    ''SO GROSS''¡ª I had to limp away from this disgusting man. I won''t unseen any of that anytime soon...!


    ."CLEAN YOURSELF UP NOW, BOY." I exclaimed, covering my eyes and nose from that ludicrous stench.


    . "Yyyeeeaaahhh¡ª! My legs are numb though~" he replied with close to zero energy.


    . "...Yeah, no. You can carry yourself. As for me¡ª"


    My legs were weak, but after a deep breath, I gathered what little strength I had to get my legs up and balanced. I want to see what the dead end uncovered¡ªwhat treat for the curious await...? With gleaming eyes, and endless possibilities as to what could be before us¡ª


    I peeked through the Crystal''s edge.


    ****


    ****


    . "ehe~ so... Bino, what''s in there¡ª" Gaten''s mouth was quickly covered by both of Bino''s hands. Bino looked dead ahead in silence with constricted pupils, his breathing grew weary. Out of nowhere, his expression was instantly overwhelmed with horror. Gaten, immediately lifted himself from the floor, straightening his position and clearing his mind.


    They both became quiet, as Bino let go of Gaten''s mouth. He grabbed some cloth from his utility bag and started wrapping his own hand with it.


    || ''step!''        The sound of bare footsteps walking in from the demolished dead end.


    They sounded as if panting from exhaustion. Dripping¡ª presumably sweat, or even blood, was audible.


    Gaten whispered


    . "What are you doing... what did you see...?"


    His panicked friend was completely silent, void of even a physical response. He just kept rolling some cloth around his hand, sweat gathering around every crevice on his skin.


    In silence, and in sound of the eerie winds.


    Suddenly, they both heard a blood-hurdling groan.


    ¡­a snake... that tried to sound human.


    Gaten''s hair knackered up, and from the very bottom of his spine to the top, every part of his body shivered. As the unknown being stepped closer, veins of mana were in Gaten''s view, it was already emitting from the being behind them even as it wasn''t even close... A giant aura of Gleaming Red Mana.


    || ''STEP¡ª!''


    Every step toward them that it took was the loudest thing they''ve heard¡ª it struck the soul itself. They were stuck where they were, knowing full well that if they''d move even a single inch...


    Now they see its shadow... honing in on theirs


    It had a devilish horn


    Out of anything to ever encounter, it was the presence of this creature one wished to see last. The presence...


    Of a Durmian standing right beside them.

 BCDT (BRIEF CHARACTER DESC AND TERMINOLOGIES) - 1

    I. TERMINOLOGIES


    DURMIAN


    - Humanoid creature of horns and hellborne origins, one thing to note about this specific species of hellborne is their aggressiveness and bloodthirst. Locking eyes with a Durmian guarantees a fight or flight for your life, though what''s recommended to do is run as fast as you can and hide your fears¡ª it can smell it.


    <hr>


    CAPITAL


    -  aka, the Seed of Humanity: The only governing body of the world of Vel, separated into different segments around the world. Some divisions may include: Magma Division, Ground Division, Hydro division, and the Sky Division.


    <hr>


    ASOFUS ATOPUSCELE


    - Of the 28 currently existing dungeons, Asofus Atopuscele towers way up in the sky, floating above the town of Zhaya. As the oldest, and possibly the most anomalous dungeon to have every existed, the biggest regimens of the Capital resides in it under the Sky Division.


    <hr>


    VEL


    - The world of which everything this story takes place in. It is about 4 times larger than Earth, but the gravity and any other aspect is quite similar due to the existence of Pulkk around it''s magnetic fields.


    <hr>


    PULKK


    - A bright pink element revolving around the magnetic fields of the earth and pulsating from within Vel''s core. It''s strange and somewhat ''magical'' properties enable beings influenced by it to tap into the spiritual realm of possibilities, which is the root of all Lodia and Mana.


    <hr>


    MANA


    - A byproduct of Pulkk energy processed by the body.


    AWAKENING


    - The evolutionary process of any living being, growing a storage of mana from within any organ specific to the living being. A few days after an awakening, the body will be able to harness Pulkk and transform it into Mana. When the living being trains the body to fully accommodating Pulkk, and has obtained a spiritual alignment with a specific element, they will be able to manifest Lodia.


    SPIRITS


    - Untouchable, and invisible beings to the naked eye. Spirits wander in the living realm only in appointed places in the only times where they should be¡ª guided by fate. There are a few spirits known to make contracts, such as a Fire Spirit, Strength Spirit, and even more specific ones such as the Music Spirit and Winning Spirit.


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


    <hr>


    VELIAN


    - Belonging to Vel; or to the original family ancestors of Humanity. Velian people are the closest to the roots of Pulkk, and therefore are most specialized in the fields of Lodia.


    <hr>


    LODIA


    - Velian term for ''magic'', and is the worldwide term used. It could exist in multiple forms that bases off of the caster''s spirit and fate.  Lodiacs are anyone who has the capability to manipulate Mana around their body.


    <hr><hr>


    II. CHARACTER DESCRIPTION


    Gachizen Dauze


    Born with the gift to see Mana, Gachizen Dauze, commonly called Gaten by friends and family, is an adventurous spirit.


    PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: A charming boy with grayish black hair that has two large stray strands swaying up; eyes are pretty big and a deep shade of black, you can''t even see the pupils; brows natural; average tall height for his age; heart-shaped lips; small curved nose; He prefers to wear formal clothes depending on the occasion, especially his academy uniform.


    Bino Shiitake


    The middle child of a ludicrously rich family in Zhaya, Bino Shiitake, is an intimidating but bright innovator when he feels like it.


    PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: A brawny-muscular type body with bluish black hair; dark blue eyes are very sharp, like an eagle; brows have a thin arch; above average tall height for his age; long face and sharp big nose. Prefers to wear expensive things adorned on custom-tailored clothes.


    Sheila Dauze


    Gaten''s mother is a strong and independent woman, even if her tone of voice and actions speak otherwise. She''s seen to be humble and bright, though Gaten knows she''s very strict when it comes to crucial things regarding the household.


    PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: A beautiful woman with a deep black shade of hair, having streaks of purple all around; purplish eyes are very big and energetic; a fit role model body type; small and average in height for her age; Heart shaped lips; flat nose; chubby face; prefers to wear her lovely and home-knitted apron with shorts.


    Kana Dauze


    The middle child in the Dauze family, she''s also very enthusiastic like the rest of the family members. Though she doesn''t seem to understand the role of responsibility, she lives her life without a single care in the world.


    PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: Very young in age, but sharp nose and sharp eyes are obvious, taken from her father; Long Pure black hair; Heart-shaped lips.


    Nastashia Dauze


    comatose state.


    Rura Yoshi


    Gaten''s esteemed professor in the Capital Entrance Academy, he''s a kind person to his students, but strict enough to take disciplinary actions.


    PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: A man wearing a top hat almost every time; One of his eyes are scarred and abnormal, the other was in an normal condition¡ª small and dark grey color ; dad-bod body type; pretty average for his old age; dark beard and luxurious mustache; thick lips; flat nose; wide face; prefers to wear his dark academic coat and a thick scarf, bringing along a cane.


    Kou (Capital Man)


    A very enigmatic  and masked individual from the Capital. His mask is accursed, where even with the absence of holes for the eyes, nose, and lips¡ª  you can always make out an expression on his face.


    PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: A muscular-type body; very tall; hair is brushed up and clean in a dark-golden hue; Any other detail about his physical appearance is covered thanks to his mask and gold-coated cape; Many gold medallions and accessories adorn every part of his body; talk about elegant and fashionable!

 CHAPTER VI. Durmian

    Born from the deepest pits of hell, destined to stay there for all eternity¡ª but why are they here? It''s simple, they escaped their prison... So now they haunt us mortals, scouring for destruction and ripping themselves into worlds they never should''ve been in. They are the holes in life''s creation.


    You know that very well, don''t you, Miss?


    "...Of course."


    You know where I''m going with this¡ª


    "No¡ª no I don''t. I want you to share it with me... What happened then?"


    ¡­The entire place was a mess. The floor was faulted like a crack on the earth; glass and rocks... leaves everywhere on the ground. The image of that scene never left my mind. Forgive me for saying too much, but I feel the need to describe everything I''ve seen.


    "Go on."


    Imagine a morning, during the evening¡ª


    cold, in an autumn spring weather


    What was sunlight, existed in the presence of a rising moon.


    When it dawned outside, In there was a sunrise. It was beautiful actually, I remember thinking that at the moment. It was almost enough to keep me convinced.


    Troubles and hardships come in all sorts of forms.


    In this, it had a short mane of gleaming white that reflected the sun like lamb''s wool, a weathered coat inked with blood over a pale and silken smooth skin, a distinguishable and terrible horn that stuck out on one side of its child-like head¡ª a deep phosphorescent red hue in its eyes that glared like a snake.


    With a fraudulent and young body and face, it was made to deceive, but in an impulse it could kill.


    They say you should never stare into a Durmian''s eyes...


    I didn''t know any better.


    <figure>


    </figure>


    CHAPTER VI


    <hr>


    **From the POV of GACHIZEN**


    <hr>


    || DASH¡ª!


    Bino lunged at it. Holding a fragment of a shattered glass piece he took from the ground in his cloth-covered hand¡ª


    || SLASH


    And bludgeoned it deep into the humanoid''s neck, its crimson blood splattered on our faces. With that strike, a normal person would''ve died.


    But it wasn''t normal at all. As it still retaliated, a whistling sound inclined.


    || Swoosh-- BANG-!


    Bino went flying extremely fast, my eyes couldn''t even follow him. His rigged body full-force collided with the cobble wall behind us and he fell flat onto the floor with not a sound released. The impact created a large crack on the wall''s surface. Small pixels and remains of mana were left in place like a trail.


    I was petrified, remaining there with my legs stuck to the floor.


    It was all within a fraction of a second¡ª the Durmian didn''t even incant, yet it was able to focus enough mana into its hand to release an extremely powerful burst of wind on Bino. My eyes felt as if it got stabbed the moment it happened, my mouth wide as I gazed at the Durmian whose entire body brimmed with a tremendous overflow of mana.


    It was like none I''ve ever seen before.


    The atmosphere became overwhelming, as if we were beginning to get devoured into an invisible domain. Is this what they call an ''Aural Field''...?!


    The Durmian limped back, both its hands now covering its neck that continuously leaked out red. Then it stumbled onto the floor in its own puddle of blood.


    This was an opportunity for us to run, but I was too scared to even stand...!


    || SLAP!


    I slapped myself hard enough to force my senses back into me, that I jumped up from my place and bolted to Bino.


    The back of his head was full of blood, continuing to leak down the side of his static face. He was unresponsive, but thankfully still alive¡ª I noticed a gathering of his mana on the body parts that directly hit the wall, he saved himself. As I carried his ragdolled body up from the ground, and started to walk toward where we came¡ª


    . "n-not there¡ª!" Bino weakly murmured.


    He slipped himself out of my hold and stood on his own two feet. He wiggled and struggled to balance his body as he scurried into the dungeon.


    . "We¡ª have to HIDE...!" Blood was still dripping from his head down. "GATEN¡ª! CARRY ME THERE YOU IDIOT."


    The Durmian groaned like the creaking of an old wooden door, we had to flee as soon as possible. And with no other choice, I followed through with Bino''s plan, sprinting to him and assisting his balance toward his path...


    We were now going inside the treacherous dungeon.


    Not too far from us was a forest of dead trees, it had sharp stems and branches like a black rose. The distance between the trees didn''t even leave enough space for two people to squeeze through¡ª but it was the only route we had. As I supported Bino with a shoulder hold, I took a last glance at the Durmian now already a bit far from us. I came to regret that almost immediately.


    Even as it was slouched down and knelt on the floor, still covering the fountain of blood on its neck with its clawed hands¡ª its haunting eyes were already widely glaring into mine. Its bloodlust struck me like a thundering bolt, striking my sight away and breaking eye contact.


    I have to focus on getting us to safety...!


    We were never supposed to be here, and I didn''t even want to be this deep.


    Yet here we are, treading deeper into its bottomless hole.


    || rip¡ª!


    Our clothes were getting torn by the crooked trees. My skin was so vulnerable to its sharp talons that I was getting impaled and tattooed in blood. As much as we endured however, Bino and I were sustaining too much injury, but most worryingly leaving a trail of blood for the Durmian to follow.


    The dead forest was brutal, extending about a hundred meters before we finally escaped its barricade of black knives. We were finally in a deciduous forest full of green, so much roof that could cover us until we found a place to hide.


    We can''t get much farther if we just keep running, however, I have to find someplace to fit us both... Or just Bino at least.


    . "Bino." I tapped on his head, "Hey, Bino?"


    Bino isn''t fully conscious... But it''s fine, he''s still moving his feet with me. His plan to run deeper in the dungeon to hide was the best option. Now that I think about it, if we ran back to the entrance, we may not have been able to outrun it... More so, the Magma Hound may have taken some time to activate.


    ¡­Bino, you smart aleck.


    The ''sun'' inside the dungeon floor was rising up in an artificial blue sky. It almost felt like a completely different world, but even so, in the yellowish-green and gray hues of the forest, we moved for a few minutes at full speed.


    Looking ahead, it was still a gallery of never-ending flourishing trees. A humid forest. I was already getting tired holding unto Bino, who was bigger than I am.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    But I found a great hiding spot.


    I struggled a little, pulling Bino into a pretty spacious burrow under a large tree, which perfectly hid it with its tough roots and thick leaves. 3 people probably fit here, but the smell was horrid. We''ll stay for a bit until we''re sure the Durmian isn''t following. I made sure our blood trail stopped before we hid, covered with leaves and any other obstruction that I found, hopefully that works out.


    Crawling in myself, the idle nature sounds and breeze were getting filtered through the tree''s roots. The vibrations on the ground and the faint chirping of the birds outside were pretty much all we could make out of a sound.


    Only now did I hear my heartbeat, it was frantic and loud. The longer we stayed, the heat from our bodies were getting trapped in the small space, such that it was slowly turning into a hot sauna here.


    Bino''s breathing was stable, but too quiet for someone as injured as he was. The back of his head has a bloody open wound, his hair looked withered, falling off his head little by little. The once smooth skin looked rough and bristle, as the liquid crimson tainted on it had already become dry¡ª he reeked of Iron... I have to find something to patch him up...!


    || COUGH* COUGH* || "my pocket bag¡ª" Bino groaned, "get the green vial a-and PUT¡ª put some on m-my head."


    I nodded, moving him aside to gain access to his leather inventory.


    . "But put some on your cuts¡ª too¡­" || COUGH* || uttered Bino.


    "I''ll disinfect yours first." I said softly. We couldn''t risk being heard.


    I untied the cloth on his hand, it too was tainted a deep red¡ª he seems to have gripped extremely tight on the sharp edges of the crystal he used and now his palms had an open cut.


    I poured the ointment into the cloth... the liquid I assume was made of herbs. Gently tapping the cloth onto his hand, the moment it touched the bruise, Bino grunted angrily and he twitched upward in response to pain.


    . "Bino¡ª don''t move too much, you might scratch the back of your head." I continued to tap the ointment a few more times.


    . "I KNOW¡ª URGH...!" his body shook, and was flicking every other second.


    It was just a short while where I applied his treatment, quickly rubbing off the blood and sharp crumbs of glass off his bloodied palms. Bino already wrapped the cloth on his hand beforehand, I just wrapped it back the way it was. Tightening it to stop bleeding, thankfully, Bino didn''t hurt as much then. Using the small blunt knife I took from his bag, excess cloth was cut. Reapplied with the ointment, I did the same procedure to the back of his head. It painted me how much Bino was enduring an evidently grueling and unbearable pain, where he wasn''t even allowed to make any louder noises.


    I cut the few remaining inches of cloth to treat my own cuts and bruises. Bino seemed to have relaxed, eyes closed and resting, taking deep and heavy breaths with the dirt-scented air in our inconspicuous space. He stretched his legs forward, there was enough room in the burrow for some leg space. I too found myself in a position where I was comfortable enough to still relax my body and thoughts. I closed my eyes, as I gently rubbed the oil-wet cloth on my dirty skin.


    Remaining like this, all my senses focused on my hearing.


    Though the sound is faint from down here, the breeze calmed me a little...


    ...But I have to think of a way to get us out of here. I still remember the direction back where we came from.


    Right now, Bino is too injured to run... If he rests for a while however, he may return to his senses.


    ¡­


    ¡­That Durmian''s Lodia is definitely in the form of wind...


    But it sounds different from the natural breeze I hear now.


    || Swoosh~


    Even back in the entrance, we both already heard it casting its Lodia. The abnormal pattern of wind all had that preemptive sound... a faint whistling beforehand. What it did to Bino pretty much confirms that. It was the one who tore down that dead-end, it might''ve also been the one that carved the tunnel out in the first place.


    ...Though I was sweating profusely from the heat, my body was shivering.


    <figure>


    </figure>


    "Gaten."


    "...what."


    "To be honest with you... I can''t feel my head AT ALL..."


    "...You''re probably fine."


    "No, seriously, I don''t even wanna imagine how much BACTERIA is in my body right now."


    "Bino, think optimistically. We can easily get treated once we''re out."


    "Tsk¡ª we don''t even know where we are."


    "..."


    "Phew~ although I THINK I can move just fine now... Do you know the way we came?"


    "I... I forgot..."


    "what...?"


    "I forgot, Bino... I forgot."


    "...So then what do we do?!"


    || Brush¨C!


    I arose from underneath the tree''s burrow, helping Bino regain his footing. A small gathering of roots and weed that stuck on us were pulled out of the burrow as well. I estimate it''s been around a full hour since we hid, yet nothing happened in the environment outside. The only problem was that I don''t remember the way we came from at all... Not even a sense of familiarity with the surroundings that I carefully observed earlier... I shouldn''t have relaxed...


    . "There''s only the other option then..." I said. Our voices were still a little quiet. "We''re just gonna have to trust our guts."


    . "Oh I''m stuck in a hellhole with an idiot¡ª" he spoke in monotone. Lowering his almost fully bandaged head down on his hand.


    . "Hey?! I''m serious here."


    . "TRUST YOUR¡ª Do you even hear yourself?! You want us to go on a RANDOM direction?!" He was getting angry in tone, but he still spoke quietly.


    . "By ''trust our guts'', that''s not exactly what I''m saying." I said.


    I''ve read so many books about Asofus Atopuscele before.


    <blockquote>


    '' Each floor has a unique property. But each ¨C is limited to the capabilities of Vel as a planet. The manipulation of atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere are the more common anomalies in each floor. ''


    '' One, you might find yourself in a desolate landscape, with seemingly endless space¡ª but the area still has edges... These edges manifest as an invisible magnetic force field preventing us from leaving... Some believe it a direct portal to hell. But the walls have two particular sides opposite to each other that contain a giant staircase to the next floor. There are cases of a dungeon opening an entrance in a random location, but such entrances get closed off by the rejuvenating property of the dungeon walls, usually within an hour. ''


    </blockquote>


    The hole we came in through wasn''t an ''entrance'' the dungeon created... So it must still be open, but we don''t know where it is. I have to resort to something else.


    <blockquote>


    '' Two, you might stumble upon an endless sea, or a giant creature''s den¡ª there''s a variety of creatures in Asofus Atopuscele that are specific to their own floors. But, there''s one creature that is prevalent all throughout, and the creature all must avoid at all costs ¡ª the Durmian, a two-horned species of hellborne, and the most aggressive of the kind, even worse than the snake. ''


    </blockquote>


    The one we''ve just encountered... But it only had 1 full horn. The other... was partially gone¡ª what does this mean?


    <blockquote>


    '' Three, Floors can have its own ''solar system'' ¨C whether a day or night cycle, a constant presence of a star like the sun, or a permanent weather. But there is a pattern that was observed, and the Capital makes use of this pattern as advice for lost capital members, civilians, travelers, and others in a unique circumstance. ''


    </blockquote>


    Outside Asofus Atopuscele, it''s currently evening and slowly turning to dark, but here... The lower floors that have a sun makes identifying a direction easy. The location of a capital base is easy to predict just as long as the 2-4 pattern is applied.


    Assuming it''s an 8 hour-difference, which this floor definitely is compared to outside, then sun here moves Northeast to Southwest... As weird as it may be, I''ve read that compared to an ordinary planet, the ground here doesn''t move, only the artificial sun, so that means that the opposite direction from the sun is... South east.


    . "Yeah, let''s just WALK a RANDOM direction and find ourselves in a SAFE location, Hm?!!" Bino was roaming around close, I could see his nerves about to pop from here.


    . "You''re currently heading south, Bino." .


    . "...! You know which directions we''re going...? " Bino''s eyes widen,


    Even as I knew which direction was which, there was still a conundrum at hand.


    . "By trusting our guts, I mean it in a fifty-fifty fashion... either north or south. The Capital has a base in one of those directions... And I''m very sure of that¡ª trust me... "


    . "..."


    The main entrance of the first floor faces north;


    The second floor¡ª south;


    The third¡ª north again... and so on.


    But I don''t know which exact floor this is¡ª a forest floor is too common...! What if we went the wrong way?


    My heart started beating so fast as I continued to think of the worst that could happen.


    If the Capital base is too far, would we even get there?! How would we even¡ª


    . "Gatey-boy¡ª" Bino laid his wounded hand on my shoulder, his other hand''s finger pointed straight to my gloomy face.


    . "Don''t get all anxious now, it seems you''re all we''ve got... We don''t really have a lot of options... I don''t even know a PENNY''s worth of information about this ONE BIG HECKIN'' PLACE."


    I replied to him, "But if we choose wrong¡ª"


    . "EVEN SO, North or South¡ª we walk miles and miles ahead and HIT our heads on a heckin'' DEAD END¡ª that just means the OTHER direction IS the right one."


    ''But Bino, you''re too injured to even run...'' I thought.


    "But IF YOU DARE make your legs give UP on me... I''m gonna carry you all the way if that''s the last thing I do, you barely weigh MORE than A STICK."


    He''s trying to encourage me...


    But I can''t say it didn''t work. Mother told me once¡ª "a constant state of panic will get you nowhere... so keep calm at all times..."


    Bino... you really are a true leader... and you''ve always been.


    . "Then... shall we head north?" I smiled at him.


    . "Yes...! That''s the way to go about it! But you lead, you know what''s up, Dungeon nerd."


    . "He, he, he"


    We were back in higher spirits... But the looming threat of Durmians, or even any other potential life here should never be overlooked.


    What should we do If we encounter another Durmian, would we survive it...?


    Bino slit the Durmian''s throat, it''s not that tough, but it''s wind is violent. It looks like a child actually, that must be why it''s still weak. Though if it sees us from afar, I don''t think another escape is an option.


    ...Do we actually have a good chance?


    My adrenaline ran out... consequently I''m getting tired... But I''ve never felt this excited...!


    . "Sniff~" There was suddenly much snot in my nose.


    . "Gaten... you good?"


    ''Huh...? Don''t worry, I''m still all green.''


    . "...Hey, you''re shivering¡ª" Bino used his one hand to balance me up for some reason... And somehow my vision was getting blurry too.


    ''I''m... just starting to feel a little cold... somehow''.


    We''ve been walking for a few minutes after all, I just need some sun...''


    . "Gaten...? GATEN¡ª YOU ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW." Bino''s voice was somehow so mumbled, I could barely make it out.


    ''... aren''t you cold as well...?''


    || THUD!


    ******


    ******


    Gaten fell flat, his body had extremely high temperatures. And as much as Bino tried to wake him up and push him around, he was completely unconscious... This happened all too fast.


    . "Oh, what in the world¡ª bake a ham and cheese and THROW IT IN MY FACE...!" Bino started grinding his teeth, the nerves on his head and arms completely exposed all around. His skin started to turn red as he turned into a completely ''pissed-off state''.


    ''Worst case scenario...'' He thought to himself, ''THIS DWEEB HAS GOT TO BE KIDDING ME¡ª!''