Chương 22: Mission possible

"That class evolution for sure made you a little more insane. You alright?" Vex said.

"I heard the raven talk. It said its name," Eric pointed at Ash.

"Come on, say it again." The bird stood silently and tilted its head to the side before turning around and hopping over to the beach. It left small steps in the sand which were erased by the ocean waves.

"Hey, where are you…" Eric ran over to his companion, but a grey warning screen spawned in front of him. /———————————\ Warning: You have 2 minutes left before this Special Challenge ends! \—————————-——/ Vex reached over and grabbed Eric by the arm.

"We don't have time for this. After choosing the reward, you have a limited amount left in this room. I want to give you something." The warrior had a shining gold ring on his right hand. Eric didn't pay attention to it until now. Vex took it off and handed it over.

"You'll need this to open the horizontal gates. Don't ask me how I know," the warrior smiled.

"Thank you!" Eric clutched the ring in his hand as the timer in the warning came close to zero. The cave collapsed into a white vortex just before Vex answered.

"Find another challenge. I'll be waiting!" Reality around Eric and Ash tore into gigantic pieces. They floated around until the whirlpool sucked them in like a black hole. Uhh.. my head hurts. Where are we? Eric returned before the rose altar. The flowers were lively and blooming, as opposed to the stony versions earlier. Ash ruffled its wings to remove the water. Some waves on the beach surprised it as the realm collapsed.

"Why didn't you say anything when I told you? Vex probably thinks I'm crazy." The raven didn't answer. It hopped onto Eric's shoulders after cleaning itself.

"Ash!"

"Yeah, right…" Still holding onto the ring, Eric inspected it closely before putting it on. Scriptures were engraved on both the inside and outside of the band. As he examined it, a tooltip appeared, displaying more information about the ring. /——————————————\ Ring of the Fallen One Description: The first owner of the ring, once a great warrior, now inhabits another realm. Passing on this item, he lends the determination and power he once had. In your possession, this item gives little benefit to your actual stats.

When in doubt, the ring would reveal small threads of essence, showing you the path forward. Passives: Wayfinder - You will find your way even in an unfamiliar place. \—————————————/ This will really help. I've got to give something back to Vex. He doesn't need this, but he could've easily kept it to himself. I'll find another altar. Eric looked at the ring for a couple more seconds and saw small lines of essence form in the air. They were thin and almost invisible, but pulsated enough to show where to go.

Following them, the young reaper walked over the marble door. The threads swirled in the air and passed through the gate, disappearing from his sight. The raven on his shoulder jumped to the ground.

"Ash!" It pecked the door in front of them and looked at Eric. He placed his hands on the gate, and the riddle appeared again. /—————————————\ The last that failed must knock once more. \—————————————/ Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Figuring out what he needed to do, Eric knocked on the door twice and then waited a few seconds. Ash fluttered upward and bit him on the ring.

"It's not the time for…. wait a minute," he said. Realizing his mistake, he knocked at the entryway with his ring, producing a clear metallic tap. The marble gates split horizontally and opened a path before them. Some threads were still visible in the distance, but most of them had vanished.

"I'll pay more attention next time," Eric said and looked at the raven. It walked forward with a confident step, ignoring him completely. With nothing blocking the way forward, the reaper disciple felt a strange tingle in the air. The water room was well lit and well kept, but the sharp contrast of the chamber ahead threw his senses off. Entering the new room, he saw faint beams of light protruding from the ceiling. They touched the ground at the other end of the room. No other lights existed.

The reflected rays revealed only a fragment of the chamber, leaving the rest buried in darkness. He could barely see anything that wasn't near the glow.

"Let's keep a low profile here until we figure this place out," Eric whispered over to Ash. The bird nodded back in agreement. Behind them, the marble gate closed shut. Escape was impossible. They couldn't backtrack anymore. Eric ran over and tried knocking on the door, but it didn't answer. Around him, the absence of light only made the atmosphere more tense. He found it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead of him. Loud steps echoed in the chamber. Something big and heavy was moving around.

It dragged a metallic object as the screeches bounced off the walls. Ash flew up in the air and left Eric alone. After a brief delay, the screeching stopped. Eric didn't know what made it, but he could guess it was going away. He was out of danger for the time being. Near him was a big, broken piano he used for cover. I'll stay here and listen. Whatever was visible of the walls curved upwards toward the light. That shape guided the sound towards the ceiling, helping it spread through the hall.

Eric was struck by the chamber's resemblance to a concert hall. A balcony ran along the upper walls, partially hidden in the shadows. Dragging a huge chain, an eight-legged dog moved toward the illuminated spot. Its mouth still stained with fresh blood. The beast was like nothing he had seen. Its four hind legs were muscular, each one thicker than Eric's torso, while its front legs were slender in comparison. Black claws jutted from its forelegs, running from the shoulders to the paws.

Lying on the floor, the hideous monster chewed on a human leg. It splintered the bones with a single bite. Is that… a keyhole? Eric focused his vision on the resting place of the behemoth. He noticed a small spot to insert a key into the floor. It was oddly shaped, but he remembered the key from the warden had the same design. He summoned it in his hands and turned it around. That's where it goes. I have to figure out a way to put it in place. This was going to be harder than he had imagined.

Not enough vision, a room as quiet as a graveyard, and finally, an awful monstrosity complicated his task. Fortunately, time was on his side because the creature was fast asleep. Eric tried to devise a plan. He wanted to go closer unnoticed, and from there he had two options. Either lure the beast away somehow, or risk going into melee range and putting in the key. Starting a battle was out of question, but the experience might be worth it, or so he thought. A creature this powerful had to give a ridiculous amount.

Ash was nowhere to be found, and Eric had no idea why it decided to fly away. The same threads from the ring disappeared several meters ahead into the air. Following them closely, the reaper disciple tried to move as quietly as he could. He activated his camouflage spell, hoping it would help mask his presence. Step after step, the concert hall was dead quiet. Not for long. Eric's feet crunched over shattered glass. The beast's eyes opened, and its head snapped upwards.

Streaks of foamy saliva dripped onto the ground. Its body jerked upwards in an unnatural motion, and the monster barked at the empty space right next to it. Eight-legged, bloodthirsty dog with rabies. Exactly what I needed. The dome-shaped concert hall had many worn-out elements. On the balconies on both sides was a long piece of fabric, draping to the ground. Right above the illuminated spot were more curtains that hung over the sleeping monster.

Eric thought about using the environment more, instead of risking it and going closer. He teleported to a railing on a nearby balcony. Let's try something else. A typical spy movie plan. I'll drop from the ceiling without touching the floor. Growing up, Eric remembered the stacks of DVDs at home. Back when people still considered that cutting-edge. Almost every household had piles of old films, and his was no exception. Most were rentals, but a few discs only had handwritten titles scrawled across them in marker.

His father had always been fond of spy films and the latest releases in the genre. One of those movies had left a lasting impression on Eric. Now, it was shaping the next step of his plan. He cast a Phantom Hand and grabbed the curtains right over the beast. Pulling himself in, he stayed at the top and observed the concert hall. With the help of the light from above, he located two more pianos and a podium with leftover instruments. The piano he used for cover was near the right wall. Slowly… gently…

this is how a mission is carried out. Eric summoned a phantom hand and grabbed the key with it. He centered it as much as he could and lowered his ghostly extensions to the ground. The goal was to put the key into the designated place while hanging from the curtains above the sleeping monster. Maintaining camouflage and two summoned hands required all of his concentration. Essence expenditure was at an all-time high, as he felt the need to context-switch constantly and control each individual spell.

Unaware of his surroundings, Eric missed how Ash had returned and was circling right above him. It lowered down with the young reaper until finally landing on his back. Startled, Eric lost control for a second, enough to toss the key away to the podium and grab the curtains with his hands. The eight-legged dog woke up once again and lifted its giant torso. It scouted an area while Eric was hanging for his life above. Not finding any more food, it returned to its usual place near the key slot and lay down.

From this angle, Eric couldn't tell if it had fallen asleep again or if it was waiting. Why did you scare me like that?" Eric looked at the raven disapprovingly. It sensed its mistake and tried to show some affection in return. Ash flew into the darkness and landed on the podium. It picked up the key that Eric had dropped in his panic. Both the raven and the young reaper stood above the monster and gripped the curtains. Take two. Eric concentrated again. He cast a new phantom hand and firmly grasped the curtains.

After securing his position, he summoned another ghostly extension of his other arm. Ash gently placed the key in his hand. Trying his best not to make a sound, Eric slowly descended until reaching a distance he was comfortable with. Now, the most critical part of the mission was about to unfold. The reaper disciple extended his hand into the floor and lowered the key. He tried to place it into the lock, but missed and hit the ground. The key dragged onto the floor as Eric was trying his best to hit the lock.

He clenched his teeth and sweat dripped down from him. Come on… one last try. The beast was watching the movements of the ghostly appendage with the key. Its eyes glowed red at the thought of more food. Its nose twitched. Instinctively, it jumped over and bit Eric's phantom hand. He stopped channeling essence at the last possible moment and didn't hurt himself. My arm… I… It's here. Thank God it's here. What the… Underneath, the rabid monster went into a violent coughing fit. It returned some of its previous meals.

The key was lying in the spew, as the creature slurped everything back up.