Chương 33: 1-32 Once more into the dungeon

As Sanctum's group reached the dungeon entrance, the gleaming wall of armor that was formed by their troops parted to reveal three figures that immediately stood out from the rest of them. One was Onyx, the cantankerous black reptile that was often found standing guard at the entrance of the temple run by Sanctum to provide healing, at least on the surface, and more to the people of Highsend.

His one functioning eye, the other covered by an eyepatch, swept across the assembled adventurers, apparently looking for threats to his elven employers. Why the healers hadn't healed the eyesight of their admittedly most imposing guard, Josef didn't know, but it certainly didn't hurt the impressiveness of his appearance. Covered from head to toe in jagged black plate mail armor, its shiny and dark metal almost seamlessly blended with his own scales, creating the impression of one massive unit of violence.

While he, like so many others on the plaza, wasn't carrying a weapon, the length of his claws and the ferociousness of his teeth made it more than clear that he didn't rely on something so puny as metal for his attacks. Josef pondered if he should try for a move more daring than his usual approach, and attempt to pry into that reptile's information. He had rarely used this ability outside of the dungeon, ever since Dizzy had scolded him for doing so.

However, he had since acquired an upgrade to his eyes that should make it harder to detect his intrusion, and on top of that there was a massive crowd of people around, both adventurers that were joining the expedition, as well as civilians that were looking on from afar. He might have restrained himself around his friends and respected his patients' privacy, but that guy was a different matter altogether. Onyx was a potential threat to his own mission and a likely enemy he had to face in the future.

Knowing that, he decided to make the play and gazed at the black reptile.

'Onyx': Komodo Earth-Wyrm - Level 34 So he's like a Komodo dragon? I can see the similarities. He immediately let his eyes drop and looked off to the side, as if the gleaming armor of a nearby elf had caught his eye. Whether he needed to commit to this little play, he didn't know for sure, but it was better to be safe than sorry. As several seconds passed, he recognized no further reaction from Onyx, who continued to sweep the crowd with his gaze.

Either he didn't notice the intrusion into his privacy, or he remained calm enough not to give away any reaction. His move had been risky, but at least he had gained a little something out of it. The most eye-catching part was the level, something he had not expected to see, but either his own level was sufficiently high to allow for it, or his Nightprowler's Eyes overcame the difference. Now if only he knew why it was red.

What he did know, however, was that the big brute was probably going to use earth related abilities, if his class was an indicator, though the 'wyrm' part of it made him ponder if it had some kind of relation to dragons. He had read that the scalefolk empire insisted on being descended from dragons long ago, so it made some sense if their classes could relate to that. Then again, was that an actual proof of their ancestry, or rather one of intense delusion?

He didn't know enough about how the system worked to know for sure, but it was an interesting question to ponder. Whatever the truth was, it ultimately didn't matter much to Josef, who was busy calming his racing heart after his daring nerves had left him. Not that he hadn't planned to continue with the other two figures of note, but the stinging sensation in his eyeballs convinced him otherwise. Doing this had taken something out of him, like a drain he couldn't exactly measure.

Whatever power helped his current eye-skill to gather information unseen, it had been strained like a muscle right now. He knew better than to continue and risk tearing something, or worse, giving himself away. Surely he would find more opportunities to check the other two while inside the dungeon, after his eyes had time to cool off. For now, he would have to settle on judging them the traditional, non-magical way.

One of them looked crooked and lanky, with a chalky complexion and white-gold robes that did nothing to hide the bony protrusion of his elbows, making an unimpressive first impression, though he knew better than to judge a book by its cover in a world of magic. Going by the massive golden staff he was leaning on as a crutch, he wagered that the elf was probably some powerful spellcaster. All he lacked was a long white beard, and he could have passed as an old wizard of questionable morals.

Unfortunately, elves in general appeared to be lacking in the beard department, rarely showing more than a stubble. It was either a trait of their race, or beards were not socially acceptable. At least his long golden locks somewhat made up for that, by adding a different source of hair to the wizardly aesthetics. The other one looked more put together, as if someone had married the image of a wizard with that of a lawyer, lacking only a tie to complete the image.

Aurum didn't yet have a piece of clothing like that, but Josef was sure that if they existed, then this man would wear one immediately. His clothing was practically a two-piece suit, mostly in white but with golden buttons and accents. He even wore a little hat on top of his shortly trimmed golden hair, though it more closely resembled a small fedora rather than a cylinder. Once more Josef lamented the lack of facial hair, preventing the completed look of a distinguished, mustached gentleman.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Not that any of those people were gentlemen, he reminded himself. Those were the faces of the butchers who took apart people who came seeking solace, and would kill Cana if they ever discovered her on this expedition. If push came to shove, Josef wondered, would he be able to stop them?

What he was thinking about wasn't a matter of levels and strength, but whether he could commit the deed to the very end. He had already refused Vasaj's implicit suggestion of helping him outright murder the people of Sanctum. No matter what horrors that place has committed, he wouldn't kill numerous people in cold blood just to beat down an organization. How many of them even knew what exactly was going on behind the golden facade of their temple?

No, he wouldn't join such an act, but that didn't mean he would always have a choice. If Sanctum stood between him and Cana, if they threatened the lives of his friends, he might have to kill for the sake of saving someone else. Would he be able to do so without hesitation when the time came? Why did he suddenly feel like he was back in that cold, blood-soaked alley? Zippa, having apparently picked up on his distress, laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, Jo. I know it looks scary, but together we'll pull through, no matter how tough things get." He probably thought that his human friend was intimidated by the forces that stood between them and their rescue operation, which wasn't entirely false, but even if it was a little off the mark, Josef appreciated it nonetheless.

Before he could thank his friend, a loud voice rang across the plaza, interrupting all thoughts and action, as everyone present turned to look at the source of it, the gangly elf with the big golden staff, had apparently raised his voice with the help of magic.

"Citizens of Highsend, I, Bishop Thaladur of Sanctum, have come before you today to declare the end to an evil that has taken root in our fair city. The dungeon, which has been a center of wealth and power for decades past, has become corrupted by an act most vile. A dark force has intruded into the heart of our home, corrupting the very lifeblood that sustains us. It threatens to consume our city when it is at its most vulnerable, when we all face the outward threats that come with every winter.

"An act this evil and cowardly cannot stand, so we have gathered the bravest souls around, both the adventurous and the faithful within our city, to eliminate this threat with swift and decisive measures. Rejoice, people of Highsend, because today the light shall shine upon all that is good and just, and return the sanctity of your home to you. Today, we will march against the unknown, so that your lives may continue as before.

"Today we fight to restore order!" The cheers were deafening, as Sanctum's own people made sure of that, when metal boots stomped in celebration and weapons were banged against shields. Outside of those fervent supporters, there were plenty of elven adventuring groups that fell into line, hollering their support. The beastkin and scalefolk present were much colder in their reception, the recent altercations between their people and those of Sanctum having reached most of their ears at this point.

The citizens around mostly followed the cheerful tune of the gleaming silver warriors, even if they didn't show quite as much fervor. However, it was prudent to note that most people in sight all shared the same, pointy nosed countenance, making a certain bias unsurprising. Josef himself settled for a slow clap, hoping that would satisfy any random onlooker, as he couldn't bring himself to show greater support for such a speech. Wasn't this expedition supposed to be led by the Guild, with Sanctum only joining in?

So much for that. As the noise died down, everything was set in motion for the excursion to begin. Bishop Thaladur was the first to approach the dungeon with a slow and steady gait, with Onyx and the unnamed elf joining him only a few paces behind, and the rest of the troops falling in line after them. All the remaining adventurer groups loosely followed them, walking inwards towards the dungeon and knights like moths to a flame.

Holding up his golden staff, crooked like a shepherd's cane, Thaladur cast an incandescent spell, sending out an intense golden glow that spread from his staff and entered into the darkness of the dungeon. It didn't overtake the blackness of the entrance, but interlaced with it, creating glowing golden lines in the dark.

"Follow the light, and none shall stray from the right path. Together, we march, so order may prevail!" The bishop spoke his final verdict as the spell stabilized, before marching in first, the glow of his staff acting like a lighthouse for those who followed after him. Josef suspected that this must be the spell that would ensure that they didn't get separated by the dungeon's layers, allowing everyone to move together.

He wondered how much resistance they would even encounter with almost a hundred people tackling the dungeon all at once, but he wouldn't complain if he at least didn't have to worry about dying to monsters while looking for Cana. Still, as he finally reached the entrance and the three of them followed the light ahead, why couldn't he shake this uneasy feeling, as if he was walking straight into hell? Moments later, he realized what the feeling was.

It was a deep, searing pain, right inside his chest, like what he had felt when he first entered the dungeon, and every floor after. Only this time, it was a hundred times worse, causing him to collapse to his knees.

"What's going on, Jo?" The worry in Zippa's voice was palpable, but before Josef could muster a reply, the feeling suddenly stopped. However, as it did, his awareness faded into an inky darkness. A darkness that wasn't caused by a loss of consciousness, though, but something far more concerning. The light of the shepherd had faded, causing panicked shouts among those nearby. Josef felt the claws of Zippa dig into his shoulder before the world around them faded away.

Then there was silence, as the dungeon had claimed everyone.