My thoughts raced as I made my decision. Going back spelled a death sentence considering it was likely all dead ends. Then, my only option was going forward and hope its natural enemy shows up. Though both were awful. I just ran away from the cave entrance and headed towards the open field of rock. Glim's light was nowhere to be seen, but the mana crystal light was enough to tell me where I was going.
The ground rumbled, the air itself carried a rattle as an explosion of dust billowed right behind me. The worms in the distance took notice and began to slither towards the site of the explosion, the six legged monsters chased right after them. And I, I headed towards them, I hoped to reach the other side of the clearing where hopefully something awaited.
[Holy shit!] Glim spoke in my head. [It’s trying to eat me even though I am intangible! What is this heinous thing! I don’t like it, it feels weird!]
As its voice resounded, a chilly mist enveloped my surroundings. It glittered like tiny glass shards, but I didn’t look back. But there was a small amount of regret in my head. Should I have gone down the hole to seek danger? No. Did I expect a level 26 Guardian? Hell no. A huff left me, unsure if it was displeasure with my situation or myself, I couldn’t really blame myself this time around, it didn’t even feel wrong to assume the highest level around here was maybe 20, not a whole 6 levels above that.
My heart rushed as I exited the mist. And at that moment, a hellish squeal resounded from behind. In an instant, I felt everything behind my back go cold, an aura of frost reached me but did nothing. It had a Prophecy of ice? Ice related? Was it even a Prophecy? I didn’t understand it well enough. The monsters got closer and closer, as I readied my spear with a pale green light.
To pierce?
To cut?
I made a quick decision, pushing my mana onto the shaft of the spear to make it sharper. If I pierced something and I got stuck it would be the end of me. The worm in front of me squealed and small spots on its entire body lit up in a pale blue light.
[Rime Pupa. Lvl. 12]
So even the small worms were high level? I scoffed as the worm suddenly sped up, its mouth opened with serrated teeth that shone with the same blue light, its body twisted and lunged towards me. I snorted, swinging the spear upwards. Its front was cut in an instant, pierced and cut, the worm wiggled mid air and almost smacked me. I side-stepped out of the way, the spear shaft cleaving right through its insides and out its side. Blue blood spilled on me and the worm fell.
[You have killed: (E) Rime Pupa. Lvl. 12]
The cave shook once more from the Guardian’s rampage. Not wasting any more time I avoided any further confrontations with the worms. Their bodies were as big as me, and even if I cut, smacked, or pierced them, it didn’t matter. They were simply in the way.
I ran as the commotion got closer, weaving through the spread out worms and doing my best to ignore the six legged monsters, for their only goal seemed to be to attack the worms. Behind me I saw light pollution, leaking— it was bright. Glim?
[I kept it distracted, run!] Glim floated by my side as the commotion resounded right behind me. My heart paused. Wasn’t Glim the one being chased?
“Go lure it!”
[I cannot! That is too much assistance, it might get me killed forever!] it replied in a hurry.
I scoffed and looked around as I ran away. The rough rock was hurting my feet and the worms didn’t stop coming. As I got closer to the center of the cave, the uneven ground somewhat cleared and I managed to see the rest. It was a goddamned battlefield, hundreds of worms, much bigger than the ones I had been dealing with were fighting against hundreds of six legged monsters.
The Guardian behind me screeched and rattled in a weird way. In an instant the worms turned and began to try to form a barricade. The six legged monsters realized this and pushed harder, biting into the worms’ flesh, their antennae constantly twitching in the process. What was going on?! I nearly stumbled as I switched to my bow, nocking an arrow in the process.
[Rime Worm. Lvl. 18]
[Rime Worm. Lvl. 21]
[Rime Worm. Lvl. 19]
I clicked my tongue as they seemed to gather where I was heading; the outskirts of the clearing and the seemingly most clear place. I overcharged the arrow with Power Draw and Explosive Shot, and cursed myself as I fired. I knew the recoil would hit, my feet scraped through the ground as pain emerged. I recovered my pace in a fraction of a second as the arrow streaked through the air. Like a cannonball it struck the middle of the worms, all of them as thick as a carriage, but the one at the forefront got blasted, its head blown off and the shock spreading to the one behind. The six legged monsters took notice of this once more and bit into that part of the formation, random screeches and shrieks resounded as I headed in that direction.
My heart rushed. I was supposed to be leveling up quietly, not on a battlefield.
As I reached the barricade, I felt the ground behind me go cold, chill frost reached my neck as Penumbral Instinct manifested itself once more. A thick line of red engulfed the lane I was running through, I grasped for an arrow pushing mana through it and fired — I hopped, not having time to think where I was going land, I simply looked back to the red. The worm was looking in that direction, its mouth pointed the now shining crystal forward. I felt my hairs stand on end as the light reached its brightest point— like a flash, a beam was shot corroding through the air itself and freezing it, the beam ate everything on its path, worm and six-legged monsters alike.
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Rime Worm. Lvl 21.]
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Rime Worm. Lvl 18.]
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Suvia Ant. Lvl 17.]
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Suvia Ant. Lvl 22.]
I hit something hard dully, it gave way as I slid through the ground a couple meters along with it. It moved. Screeching and mad, it tried to bite me but its body gave no flexibility. Separating myself from it I stared at the monster. Its body loomed over me in spite of having six legs, divided into three sections. It clicked its mandibles as it slowly stood up, its body a sheen purple with crystals atop of it. It clicked its mandibles towards me and rushed.
[Suvia Ant. Lvl 23.]
Its level confirmed everything. This entire place was a hazard zone! My mind rushed on how to survive as I dodged the charge of the ant. It rushed past me, clicking its mandibles. And then— it didn’t turn. I looked behind only to see it rush to a nearby worm and begin attacking it, but that wasn’t everything I saw. Red once more came, and the Guardian King of Frost was looking at me with its shiny crystal ball!
Holy shit— I fiddled with my arrows again, grabbing one quickly and overwhelmed it once more. But before I could shoot or do anything, a shriek along with ominous clicking entered my ears. The Guardian paused and turned, only to be pounced on by a gigantic monster. Its body just as big as the worm, shiny mana rocks littered its body as if it were armor, and mandibles as big as my entire body shone in a purple light as they cleaved into the Guardian.
[Guardian Queen of Crystal. Lvl. 27]
My mind paused, as I stupidly stared. A beam of frost was shot onto the Guardian Queen’s face, turning her into an ice block. The worm — Guardian King — rose and turned to use once more, awakening me from my stupor. How fixated was it on me? The Queen shook trying to mash herself against the ground and nearby worms, but it didn’t matter to the King, no. It whipped towards me at explosive speeds.
I felt the arrow on my hand and realized what I had to do. I jumped back and fired once more, the momentum throwing me a couple meters forward, and then— I ran for my life. My eyes darted around the cave looking for somewhere to run, I saw passages in the back, but they were just as big as both of the Guardians. I looked elsewhere, running my gaze through the cave walls—everywhere anything.
More red came, and I was forced to fire yet another arrow to get out of the way. With another ice blast the rock wall became nothing but ice, mist poured down like water onto the ground. Beautiful but deadly. My feet screamed as I landed, once more just focusing on running away and finding shelter. The Guardian King produced a rattle as I heard its hulking body slither towards me. The cave rumbled, and over the horizon of rock, worms, and ants, I saw the Queen rise one more. It shrieked and rushed towards the Guardian worm.
This time however, the worm looked towards the Queen and engaged in battle, its body covered itself in ice and smacked her, but she pounced back, breaking it in an instant. The brief moment allowed me to see much more clearly, and not too far away from me there was a small opening. It led to darkness but it didn’t matter. The ground behind me shook as screeching, rattling and shrieks resounded.
I ran with my life on the line, I was pretty sure the soles of my feet were bleeding as I did so. The Guardian King shrieked and the worms began to rush towards me at their top speed, the antenna of a nearby ant twitched and soon they too rushed, but instead targeted the worms. They seemed to mostly be on my side.
A worm got in my way, but was rammed by two screeching ants. It didn’t take long before I reached the clearing, panting. Another rattle resounded with a shriek, and soon a shadow passed by my vision. The Queen smacked against the wall next to the entrance, the nearby rock wall trembled and rocks fell. Striking down worms and ants alike. My breathing ceased, caught, as I nearly got crushed by something as thick as the Osthus Tree.
I rushed towards the clearing in a final sprint, and realized it was much smaller than me, but it seemed to go into another room, a different chamber for I saw light at the very end. I dove towards it, narrowly avoiding a worm, my forearms scraped on the ground as I crawled on four limbs, I looked behind me inbetween my legs, part of my cloak was missing — and through a single hole, I saw the blue crystal inside the worm staring at me. I clawed through the ground faster and faster, my limbs aching as they scraped against the rock, and soon I reached the end. I moved-rolled myself away from the entrance as the red became frost, ice engulfed the ground and stopped as it was about to reach my feet.
I sighed as I heard more commotion outside.
Safe. And then I collected myself. What the fuck was this place?!
I collapsed on the cave wall, away from the frost. I didn’t even bother to take in my surroundings and simply looked at the ground. My hands trembled and my feet were bloody, I couldn’t calm myself down. Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone down the hole, but— Glim could’ve warned me, no?
[Well, you see…] Glim drew a blank. [In my er, database, these two are marked as two different nests, sooo… With that into account I figured you could survive.]
“Fuck you, Glim,” I spat with rage. I didn’t know if I was mad at it or at myself, or rather the simple dread of being down here now.
The fighting in the other chamber continued without an end to it, the walls constantly shook under the rage of the Guardians. I shuffled with my bag, its yellow fabric had been slightly frozen and the zipper barely worked. My cloak, gloves and pauldron seemed different, even the cloak had begun to regenerate itself.
The bag wasn’t an item after all.
I closed my eyes and grabbed the crystal, it was warm to the touch and brought reassurance to me.
[E ranked Prophecy: The Undying Wisp. 0d 16h 48m.]
Only 16 hours left on it. I fiddled with it on my hand, this time around Glim didn’t try to stop me. It knew it couldn’t. If I didn’t use it, I might die here in this cave…
I closed my eyes, and thought hard about it.
My thoughts raced as I made my decision. Going back spelled a death sentence considering it was likely all dead ends. Then, my only option was going forward and hope its natural enemy shows up. Though both were awful. I just ran away from the cave entrance and headed towards the open field of rock. Glim's light was nowhere to be seen, but the mana crystal light was enough to tell me where I was going.
The ground rumbled, the air itself carried a rattle as an explosion of dust billowed right behind me. The worms in the distance took notice and began to slither towards the site of the explosion, the six legged monsters chased right after them. And I, I headed towards them, I hoped to reach the other side of the clearing where hopefully something awaited.
[Holy shit!] Glim spoke in my head. [It’s trying to eat me even though I am intangible! What is this heinous thing! I don’t like it, it feels weird!]
As its voice resounded, a chilly mist enveloped my surroundings. It glittered like tiny glass shards, but I didn’t look back. But there was a small amount of regret in my head. Should I have gone down the hole to seek danger? No. Did I expect a level 26 Guardian? Hell no. A huff left me, unsure if it was displeasure with my situation or myself, I couldn’t really blame myself this time around, it didn’t even feel wrong to assume the highest level around here was maybe 20, not a whole 6 levels above that.
My heart rushed as I exited the mist. And at that moment, a hellish squeal resounded from behind. In an instant, I felt everything behind my back go cold, an aura of frost reached me but did nothing. It had a Prophecy of ice? Ice related? Was it even a Prophecy? I didn’t understand it well enough. The monsters got closer and closer, as I readied my spear with a pale green light.
To pierce?
To cut?
I made a quick decision, pushing my mana onto the shaft of the spear to make it sharper. If I pierced something and I got stuck it would be the end of me. The worm in front of me squealed and small spots on its entire body lit up in a pale blue light.
[Rime Pupa. Lvl. 12]
So even the small worms were high level? I scoffed as the worm suddenly sped up, its mouth opened with serrated teeth that shone with the same blue light, its body twisted and lunged towards me. I snorted, swinging the spear upwards. Its front was cut in an instant, pierced and cut, the worm wiggled mid air and almost smacked me. I side-stepped out of the way, the spear shaft cleaving right through its insides and out its side. Blue blood spilled on me and the worm fell.
[You have killed: (E) Rime Pupa. Lvl. 12]
The cave shook once more from the Guardian’s rampage. Not wasting any more time I avoided any further confrontations with the worms. Their bodies were as big as me, and even if I cut, smacked, or pierced them, it didn’t matter. They were simply in the way.
I ran as the commotion got closer, weaving through the spread out worms and doing my best to ignore the six legged monsters, for their only goal seemed to be to attack the worms. Behind me I saw light pollution, leaking— it was bright. Glim?
[I kept it distracted, run!] Glim floated by my side as the commotion resounded right behind me. My heart paused. Wasn’t Glim the one being chased?
“Go lure it!”
[I cannot! That is too much assistance, it might get me killed forever!] it replied in a hurry.
I scoffed and looked around as I ran away. The rough rock was hurting my feet and the worms didn’t stop coming. As I got closer to the center of the cave, the uneven ground somewhat cleared and I managed to see the rest. It was a goddamned battlefield, hundreds of worms, much bigger than the ones I had been dealing with were fighting against hundreds of six legged monsters.
The Guardian behind me screeched and rattled in a weird way. In an instant the worms turned and began to try to form a barricade. The six legged monsters realized this and pushed harder, biting into the worms’ flesh, their antennae constantly twitching in the process. What was going on?! I nearly stumbled as I switched to my bow, nocking an arrow in the process.
[Rime Worm. Lvl. 18]
[Rime Worm. Lvl. 21]
[Rime Worm. Lvl. 19]
I clicked my tongue as they seemed to gather where I was heading; the outskirts of the clearing and the seemingly most clear place. I overcharged the arrow with Power Draw and Explosive Shot, and cursed myself as I fired. I knew the recoil would hit, my feet scraped through the ground as pain emerged. I recovered my pace in a fraction of a second as the arrow streaked through the air. Like a cannonball it struck the middle of the worms, all of them as thick as a carriage, but the one at the forefront got blasted, its head blown off and the shock spreading to the one behind. The six legged monsters took notice of this once more and bit into that part of the formation, random screeches and shrieks resounded as I headed in that direction.
My heart rushed. I was supposed to be leveling up quietly, not on a battlefield.
As I reached the barricade, I felt the ground behind me go cold, chill frost reached my neck as Penumbral Instinct manifested itself once more. A thick line of red engulfed the lane I was running through, I grasped for an arrow pushing mana through it and fired — I hopped, not having time to think where I was going land, I simply looked back to the red. The worm was looking in that direction, its mouth pointed the now shining crystal forward. I felt my hairs stand on end as the light reached its brightest point— like a flash, a beam was shot corroding through the air itself and freezing it, the beam ate everything on its path, worm and six-legged monsters alike.
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Rime Worm. Lvl 21.]
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Rime Worm. Lvl 18.]
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Suvia Ant. Lvl 17.]
[You have assisted to kill: (E) Suvia Ant. Lvl 22.]
I hit something hard dully, it gave way as I slid through the ground a couple meters along with it. It moved. Screeching and mad, it tried to bite me but its body gave no flexibility. Separating myself from it I stared at the monster. Its body loomed over me in spite of having six legs, divided into three sections. It clicked its mandibles as it slowly stood up, its body a sheen purple with crystals atop of it. It clicked its mandibles towards me and rushed.
[Suvia Ant. Lvl 23.]
Its level confirmed everything. This entire place was a hazard zone! My mind rushed on how to survive as I dodged the charge of the ant. It rushed past me, clicking its mandibles. And then— it didn’t turn. I looked behind only to see it rush to a nearby worm and begin attacking it, but that wasn’t everything I saw. Red once more came, and the Guardian King of Frost was looking at me with its shiny crystal ball!
Holy shit— I fiddled with my arrows again, grabbing one quickly and overwhelmed it once more. But before I could shoot or do anything, a shriek along with ominous clicking entered my ears. The Guardian paused and turned, only to be pounced on by a gigantic monster. Its body just as big as the worm, shiny mana rocks littered its body as if it were armor, and mandibles as big as my entire body shone in a purple light as they cleaved into the Guardian.
[Guardian Queen of Crystal. Lvl. 27]
My mind paused, as I stupidly stared. A beam of frost was shot onto the Guardian Queen’s face, turning her into an ice block. The worm — Guardian King — rose and turned to use once more, awakening me from my stupor. How fixated was it on me? The Queen shook trying to mash herself against the ground and nearby worms, but it didn’t matter to the King, no. It whipped towards me at explosive speeds.
I felt the arrow on my hand and realized what I had to do. I jumped back and fired once more, the momentum throwing me a couple meters forward, and then— I ran for my life. My eyes darted around the cave looking for somewhere to run, I saw passages in the back, but they were just as big as both of the Guardians. I looked elsewhere, running my gaze through the cave walls—everywhere anything.
More red came, and I was forced to fire yet another arrow to get out of the way. With another ice blast the rock wall became nothing but ice, mist poured down like water onto the ground. Beautiful but deadly. My feet screamed as I landed, once more just focusing on running away and finding shelter. The Guardian King produced a rattle as I heard its hulking body slither towards me. The cave rumbled, and over the horizon of rock, worms, and ants, I saw the Queen rise one more. It shrieked and rushed towards the Guardian worm.
This time however, the worm looked towards the Queen and engaged in battle, its body covered itself in ice and smacked her, but she pounced back, breaking it in an instant. The brief moment allowed me to see much more clearly, and not too far away from me there was a small opening. It led to darkness but it didn’t matter. The ground behind me shook as screeching, rattling and shrieks resounded.
I ran with my life on the line, I was pretty sure the soles of my feet were bleeding as I did so. The Guardian King shrieked and the worms began to rush towards me at their top speed, the antenna of a nearby ant twitched and soon they too rushed, but instead targeted the worms. They seemed to mostly be on my side.
A worm got in my way, but was rammed by two screeching ants. It didn’t take long before I reached the clearing, panting. Another rattle resounded with a shriek, and soon a shadow passed by my vision. The Queen smacked against the wall next to the entrance, the nearby rock wall trembled and rocks fell. Striking down worms and ants alike. My breathing ceased, caught, as I nearly got crushed by something as thick as the Osthus Tree.
I rushed towards the clearing in a final sprint, and realized it was much smaller than me, but it seemed to go into another room, a different chamber for I saw light at the very end. I dove towards it, narrowly avoiding a worm, my forearms scraped on the ground as I crawled on four limbs, I looked behind me inbetween my legs, part of my cloak was missing — and through a single hole, I saw the blue crystal inside the worm staring at me. I clawed through the ground faster and faster, my limbs aching as they scraped against the rock, and soon I reached the end. I moved-rolled myself away from the entrance as the red became frost, ice engulfed the ground and stopped as it was about to reach my feet.
I sighed as I heard more commotion outside.
Safe. And then I collected myself. What the fuck was this place?!
I collapsed on the cave wall, away from the frost. I didn’t even bother to take in my surroundings and simply looked at the ground. My hands trembled and my feet were bloody, I couldn’t calm myself down. Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone down the hole, but— Glim could’ve warned me, no?
[Well, you see…] Glim drew a blank. [In my er, database, these two are marked as two different nests, sooo… With that into account I figured you could survive.]
“Fuck you, Glim,” I spat with rage. I didn’t know if I was mad at it or at myself, or rather the simple dread of being down here now.
The fighting in the other chamber continued without an end to it, the walls constantly shook under the rage of the Guardians. I shuffled with my bag, its yellow fabric had been slightly frozen and the zipper barely worked. My cloak, gloves and pauldron seemed different, even the cloak had begun to regenerate itself.
The bag wasn’t an item after all.
I closed my eyes and grabbed the crystal, it was warm to the touch and brought reassurance to me.
[E ranked Prophecy: The Undying Wisp. 0d 16h 48m.]
Only 16 hours left on it. I fiddled with it on my hand, this time around Glim didn’t try to stop me. It knew it couldn’t. If I didn’t use it, I might die here in this cave…
I closed my eyes, and thought hard about it.
