Chương 9: [LD-1] 8. Shadow Realm

VIII Shadow Realm The reveal clattered between my temples. Kil bobbed.

"Master said she was in school before this, and that multiple people were transported, right? Natural dungeons don't spawn like that. They avoid highly populated areas. Even if they do, entry is always consensual." My gaze narrowed.

'He's right.' Humans had not figured out much about shadow realms. However, that dungeons almost never spawned in highly populated areas was well known. The leading theory was that a higher population led to a higher mana density, which resisted the spawn of natural dungeons. That said, when a dungeon did spawn in such an area, the dungeon would be a high rank since it must have enough energy to overcome the mana barrier. But this was a dungeon with low-level enemies.

"Why would anyone spawn a dungeon in a school?" I asked. There was no gain in it.

"I don't know, Master. Unfortunately, the great Kilrog isn't aware of human societal customs." Right. I cupped my chin. The only thing I could imagine was that we were being tested. However, for a test to lead to the death of students…I shook my head. That's not possible.

'Whatever the case, my priority is getting out of here.' The system had said there were two ways of leaving the dungeon: breaking the Realm Core, or annihilating the 'Red Skull tribe'. Both would destabilise the space and warp us outside. Breaking an inanimate core sounded more pleasant than killing a bunch of monsters. The problem was that the core could be anywhere. My focus returned to the hallway.

A quiet had wormed its way to the surface like a snake, yet the echoes of the roars reverberated through my skull as if I were hearing them again. The environment had dimmed, casting the halls in a grim tone. It was as if the heavens were watching, waiting in anticipation for a trap about to spring. I checked on my miasma floating near my navel.

"Kil, how many more times do you think we can fire a deathbolt?"

"Twice, Master. Since we're just mimicking the effect and not using the skill, it's a lot more inefficient."

"What do I need to do to gain the skill? Anything I need to focus on?"

"Practise. Deathbolt appears simple but is quite difficult. Compression, rotation, density—if any of these things are off, the system won't recognise the skill activation and the attack will be weakened." That… was a lot. If a beginner skill was so difficult to learn, it was no wonder magic was so heavily guarded. The familiar quickly continued after seeing me brood.

"Though I'm certain a neophyte of Master's calibre will learn it in no time with the great Kilrog's instruction!" I shook my head at his self-address.

'At least he's confident.' Not intent on walking these halls a moment longer without a skill to defend me, I searched for a classroom that was mostly untouched. Cull made short work of some vines blocking the entrance to one. What awaited my efforts was a dark room strewn with vines and moss, but with enough space for me to sit down without worrying about touching something I shouldn't be. Before entering, I turned to Kilrog.

"There are no enemies inside, right?"

"Let me see." I could hear him grinning.

'Idiot,' I thought, swallowing a chuckle. He floated around, then shouted: "It's clear, Master!" I went in.

"Well done—" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. A speeding shadow consumed Kilrog's own and crashed to a stop. The darkness whirled on itself, and a face slowly entered the light. Emerald scales shimmered and blended in perfectly with the area. Only now did I realise that some vines weren't vines but the coiled lower body of the serpentine creature. I stepped back through the entrance but came up short after hearing a muffled yell.

"Master…! I'm still…" The snake swallowed, sending the bulge down its throat. [Vine Ambusher - lvl. 4] My throat locked up.

'What to do?' Kilrog was a familiar. I could summon him again after he died. However, his essence would need time to reconstruct. That could take anywhere from one to three hours. And that was without including the time it'd take for him to die in the snake's stomach. Was I going to spend all that time in this dungeon without his aid? Even now, his spherical form slammed against the walls of the snake's belly. Not that it was doing much. I breathed in, then stepped forward.

"I'm not fond of losing pets." I shut the entrance, then lightly tossed Cull to test its weight.

'This is crazy. You don't even know how to use this thing.' Which wasn't the worst part. The ambusher was three levels higher than me. But a god-weapon had to be worth something, right? So I kept stalking forward. Stray study desks and chairs were strewn around the room. I moved around a few vines to an area that was more open. All the while, the snake's head followed me, its tongue flicking in and out repeatedly as it tasted the air. Its gaze settled on my weapon.

"Off-putting, isn't it?" I whispered. Cull had a physical presence. One that emanated from the blade like an aura. The weapon trembled. It couldn't wait a moment longer for the oncoming feast.

"Tell you what: you let my familiar go, and I'll forget all about this." The snake's flicking tongue paused. My posture relaxed— Tension rocketed back into my spine. The green blur hurled at my neck, and it was only a timely jump that saved me. Desks and chairs crashed to the ground. An acidic smell wafted past my nostrils.

'Fuck. Is it venomous?' Gritting my teeth, I swiped cull around in an arc. The snake may be fast, but that was only true for its upper body. Green blood painted the air. The snake cried out but snapped its lower half out of the way of another blow.

'Holy shit, I actually hit it!' My swing hadn't gone anywhere near where I'd directed it, and the power behind it was minimal, but I struck true! What's more, a strange, warm feeling crept down Cull's handle into my hands. It had taken something from the serpent that it was now feeding back to me, though I couldn't tell what. Sweaty hands gripped the shaft with renewed vigour.

'I can do this.'

"Master!" the cry came more clearly this time.

"Your dutiful servant is still alive! Please help—" The serpent lurched, its jaw opened so wide it could swallow my face whole. This time, I didn't jump. Cull's gleaming tip raked the atmosphere with vengeance. The snake veered off-course, so I merely clipped the side of its mouth and forced a smile onto its face. Another burst of energy seeped into my arms.

"God…damn…" I heaved. Cull's blade sagged to the floor. My arms were on fire. I'd only swung it twice! Red rage poured through the vine ambusher's emerald eyes as it whirled around, half of its mouth now hanging lower than the other. A gurgled hiss exited its throat.

'Fuck.' I wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve.

'My muscles will give out before I can kill it.' So I slowed down my breathing and let go of Cull's handle. Miasma bubbled out of my palm.

'Compression. Rotation. Mana density.' With a flex of the mind, I pushed the energy inside me into a ball. The shape solidified the more mana I poured. I didn't have a feeling for how much mana was required, so it was a complete guess. Completely not-gentleman-like, the ambusher to charge me while I was casting.

'I have to fire!' This time, I was more prepared for the knock back. I kept my head up high and watched the bolt carve a path towards its target. Find its target it did, but the sphere cracked like glass against concrete on impact. Though it broke, the force pushed the beast to the side. It crashed into the floor. I grimaced.

'Too much…' Too much what? Mana? Did I condense it too aggressively? Taking another deep breath, I held out my hand again. The snake rose out of the tumble of chairs and desks. A black spot reminiscent of a burn mark adorned the top of its head.

'Think back,' I thought, shaping the energy once more. Kil had shown me what the attack should look like.

'Compression.' I closed my eyes, keeping the memory as close to the forefront of my mind as I could. The sphere should fit snuggly in my palm. Somewhere outside, school equipment clattered. A beast screamed.

'Rotation…' A modicum amount. Not enough for me to notice on a first attempt. The only question that remained was the amount of mana. It was still a guess. But so were most things in life. My eyes snapped open and locked onto the lunging serpent. Somehow, the knock back was heavier this time despite pouring less mana into the spell. It ripped through the exact path of the serpent, blasting through its lower jaw. That part of the organ vanished. Nay, disintegrated.

Ceased to exist like someone had taken an eraser to it. But the upper half of the jaw remained, and the beast barrelled forth. I quickly called Cull into my hands— A scream ruptured out of my throat. The storage closet buried into my back and smacked the air out of my lungs. Heat bled out of my shoulder. I dug my nails into the beast's skull, which tried to drag me across the closet. My grip on Cull readjusted and the tip lined up. With a yell, I buried the blade deep into its neck.

Had Cull been less sharp, this would've never worked. As it stood, the beast's skull detached from the rest of its body with an offhand swipe. [Vine Ambusher - lvl. 4] x 1 slain. Bonus EXP awarded for killing a creature above your level. New ability unlocked… The system continued to ding. I collapsed before I could even think of reading the words. The pain… wasn't there, strangely. But my vision was spinning. My veins were burning.

'Fuck.' I was poisoned.