The Chair in the Moonlit Chamber

The path eventually smoothed out. Rough, uneven gravel surrounded by jagged, broken walls were patted flat, as if it were a man-made tunnel, making it much easier to walk along. The tunnels had to be actively maintained. The party raised their guards.

The tunnel began to descend slowly, looping around in a giant circle. The mana in the air became denser, leaving behind a foreboding feeling as we progressed onwards. After ten loops, the path continued straight towards a large opening. A bright light shone through, lighting the passageway. A single vine slithered through. Rufus, Aster, and Ai readied their weapons, inching against the wall. Ai had already determined that there was no one here, but they were being careful anyway.

Ai peaked her head out first to survey the surroundings. We waited for her to tell us whether it was safe, but she remained silent, staring wide-eyed. Eventually, Rufus took a look himself, ending up in the same state as Ai. Aster did the same, then Emma, then me.

As always, the view was stunning. The opening led to a massive chamber. We stood along a cliff face that dropped into a giant hole spanning its entire length. A path that could comfortably fit three people side by side zigzagged around the cliff face all the way to the bottom. On the other side of the room was a giant, rock-like object jutting out of the wall. Cracks ran across its surface, as if it had broken many times before. To the left of the rock-like object, barely visible, were a few crates lying on top of each other.

Meanwhile, the party focused on the light reflecting within the room. The entire chamber was softly lit, filtering in through a giant hole in the ceiling about half the size of the chamber – more than large enough for a dragon beast to fit through. The lunar field rotated around just outside.

Along the ceiling and ground were numerous crystals refracting the light. They came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some looked like they grew naturally, while others were obviously dug up and placed in a specific location. The crystals seemed to absorb a bit of the light, making sure the chamber never darkened.

Everyone stared at the entrance to the chamber for a long while. It didn’t seem like they were going to move anytime soon, but they had a test to complete. So, I took some executive action.

“Shall we get going?” I said, walking down the worn path to the bottom. The party quickly snapped out of their stupor followed behind me. Aster and Rufus ran slightly ahead to counter any threats that might show. The lantern was useless now, so Emma put out the fire and handed it back to Ai, where she untangled and absorbed the vines back into her fingertips.

As we descended the cliff face, the mana density increased quickly. It wasn’t a problem for me, but the others were already having some issues. They started to fidget, taking deeper breaths more often. The mana pushed on their bodies from all sides, making it feel like there was a weight hanging over them.

Halfway down, the physical signs became more pronounced. They panted through their mouths as sweat dripped down from their bodies. Ai had to walk with her feet since she could no longer use mana to control her vines. The density in the surrounding environment was interfering with any and all spells. It wasn’t hard to tell Ai didn’t walk often; she was already in rough shape before we made it down another layer.

By the time we reached the bottom, everyone was wheezing and coughing as if they had run a marathon. The exhaustion and dense mana was beginning to chip away at their sanity. Aster glared at me, seeing me standing, but she didn’t have the strength to keep her harsh gaze up. The party needed a bit to recover, so they decided to take a break, laying down on the floor.

The floor was, of course, cold, but it was surprisingly comfortable, like sleeping on a bed of sand. The crystals glistened above like stars under the light of the lunar field. It was a truly beautiful sight. Emma and Ai had completely fallen asleep. Emma, I could understand, since she hadn’t dozed off earlier. However, Ai should’ve had enough sleep. The physical exercise must’ve really taken all her stamina.

The crates were quite close, only a ten-minute walk to the other side of the room. They looked miniscule compared to the behemoth, rock-like object. I wanted to sigh aloud just looking at it. However, the mana density was at its greatest over there. If the party was already struggling to breathe, I couldn’t imagine them staying conscious in such a deadly environment. If they lost their focus for a moment, they could very well die. I would’ve been impressed if bandits had managed to pull the crates all the way there in these conditions.

Now, let’s see what this party was made of.