9.0 - Dead end of the Catacombs

It was a long night last in Rynn, 14 hours in the forest and killing over 150 goblins, it was tiring. We arrived at school. We had to explain to Yuki our homeroom teacher, she was also summoned to Rynn at the same time. She wanted to know every little detail. In the end, she wasn't too thrilled listening to the gruesomeness of it all.

It was lunchtime and Kendra and I started eating our food inside the student council. Silica and I decided to head back into Rynn and ride our horses back toward moonlight to gather supplies for the second part of the raid. We couldn't bring Kendra, Tina, or Anna along as we only had twenty minutes 2x, so about 40 minutes in Rynn to get from our camp in the woods to moonlight. Since only I and Silica could transport our minds into the realm way faster, we departed with just the two of us.

It was nighttime when we arrived in the world. We departed into the dark forest; it was actually scary being in the middle of the woods pitched the black. The moon was covered by heavy looking clouds, the wind was blowing hard.

“We are so lost...” not even a map would help us find our way, it was too dark to figure out anything. Silica didn't bring a map; I didn't bring a map. Two peas in a pod, I guess. It was our second time going to the catacombs, it didn't occur to me that we needed one. We already spent over an hour traveling, we should have been there by now. We were on horses so it should have taken 30 minutes going at a good pace.

“How was Tina” I questioned to change the mood. In the raid, she fled outside during the final killings.

“She will be fine,” she told me a story about her first quest with Tina and her personality and beliefs on killing. In the jest of it, she swore to not kill anything unless it was the last resort. She wouldn't go on any killing quests. She did however go along with us to the catacombs as a healer to help support us. It might not have been a good idea after all. Tina's personality was much like Silica’s in the president like student council role, she shined in the spotlight being very popular among the students and faculty. In the end, the 90 or so minutes were up, and we didn't get back to town. We will have to do it after school.

I found myself back in the world of Rynn. I must of dosed off listening to Mr. Drew again talking about nouns in English. That class was a joke. I guess I will look around.

It was now after school, time to head back to the student council room. Just like every other day after school. In the end, we found our way back to moonlight grove our local adventure hall town. It was easier to find since there was now light outside compared to the night before. We made a report to Guild Master Toco and Nana. We also made food preparations. We only spent an hour or so in town as we departed back to our camp near the catacombs. It was much easier getting to the catacombs than finding our way back.

Impatient and eager, I arrived home from school early. Had dinner, and had a bath, I was surprisedly tired. It was only 7 PM, too early to go to bed, but I lay down and closed my eyes. Thinking about dreams, since I have come to this world, I have never had a single dream. Dreams to me were actually enjoyable and I liked them. Next thing I knew I was immersing myself in the magical world of Rynn. As I entered, I was greeted by heavy rain.

And to my surprise, I had no raincoat! Just a big wool gray robe, well now I am soaked and its pitch dark out! Regretting my early arrival, but determined to make the best of the situation, I ventured into the forest, gathering wood to start a fire. Thankfully, my knowledge of fire magic helped ignite the damp wood, providing much-needed warmth. Laying back inside the tent we set up three days ago, I finally closed my eyes “HUH! No dreams for me” as I signed and rolled back into the tent.

An hour later, Silica joined me in the realm of Rynn, seeking shelter from the pouring rain. We engaged in lively conversation, passing the time until Kendra and the others arrived. Each one of them grumbled and complained about getting wet upon entering. With five people crammed inside each tent, the fabric stretched to its limits, but we made do. Once we were all assembled, we ventured towards the labyrinth entrance.

***

The Labyrinth exuded an overwhelming stench of death, amplified by the rain-soaked atmosphere, as we made our way through the corridors. Around twenty goblins sought refuge in the cave, attempting to escape the downpour. With swift and precise movements, we dispatched them, eliminating the threat efficiently.

Finally, we reached the barricade. With a loud crash. Luke used his big 2 handed weapons and started smashing the barricade. Wood, stone and all, he broke it down, the sound echoing through the cavernous space. As we pushed through, decaying hands burst through the barrier, revealing grotesque faces and rotting flesh. The putrid smell assaulted our nostrils, momentarily overwhelming our senses. Yumi swiftly shot an arrow into the head of one of what looked like zombies, but it continued to move. Daiki severed its arm in an attempt to incapacitate it, but the undead creature persisted. Silica intervened, launching a powerful fireball that engulfed the corpse, reducing it to bones and intensifying the foul odor.

These zombies weren’t your typical zombies. They were much shorter. They were hairy in the face, with long beards.

“Dwarfs!”

“They are Dwarf Zombies!” As to everyone's surprise but the worst surprise was the smell. The rain and the two day old goblin's corpses were bad enough. Now we had Dwarfs, who knows how old 1000, 10,000 years?

“In books, dwarfs were known to be smelly, maybe it's a race thing” added Kendra

“Zombies in movies had one weakness cut the head or smash the head” Upon entering the fifth floor, we found the rooms covered in tombs, stretching as far as the eye could see. Slow-moving zombies emerged from them, their limbs still moving even after being severed. Even after cutting off their heads, they still moved.

“How do we kill them?” panicked Steef.

“Quiet Steef, you’re annoying!”

As Silica cast a fire spell engulfing the zombie, it soon fell never moving, stopping even the outer limbs that have been severed. Only fire had the power to fully destroy them or smashing there skulls. The number of zombies increased as we descended through the floors, reaching about 30 by the time we reached the eighth floor. With Silica and myself as the only ones capable of casting fire magic, our magical reserves were nearly depleted. I was both a fire magic wielder and a popular light source in this raid group.

Finally, we reached the last room, where only a single tomb stood. "We did it!" exclaimed Steef, his voice filled with shock and pride. Cheers erupted from all of us, celebrating our accomplishments.

However, Tina was the first to sense a strange aura. "Do you guys feel that?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Silica replied, "Feel what?"

"I have a strange feeling, like an evil presence," Tina explained.

"There's a strange wind coming from this wall," Zero added, pointing towards a specific section of the room.

Curiosity was piqued, and we all gathered around the wall. "Yes, I feel it too," several of us said in unison.

Luke used his mallet to hit the wall and was unable to make a dent. “Must be a hidden mechanism” Anna suggested. There were old runes all over the walls.

“What language is this!” with a deep breath, I reached out to touch the wall to get a better look at reading the figures, my hand trembling slightly. As my fingertips made contact, a surge of energy coursed through my body, and the wall's carvings began to glow. The ground beneath us shook, and a deafening rumble echoed throughout the room. Hidden I crutched as it took almost all my remaining mana to cast light magic. It was like I was underground during an earthquake! The wall lights soon dispersed, and the wall crumbled into dust. revealing a hidden room. Ryota entered first, and everyone followed suit. I lay on the ground as my mana was almost fully drained after the shaking of the room. Inside, we found another open tomb and what appeared to be one more room beyond it. As we cautiously approached, a cold draft swept through the chamber, sending shivers down our spines.

"What was that?!" Anna, Yumi, and Haruka exclaimed in fear as hiding was the key to survival. I used my light magic to scan further ahead, and my gaze fell upon a towering figure. It floated about seven feet tall, with a purple body.

Suspended about two feet above the ground, it exuded an aura of darkness. Standing before us with an aura of malevolence, its eyes glowed with an unholy light, and a wicked grin spread across his face.