Chương 11: Echidna, The Mother of All Monsters

"Holy... crap..." The words escaped Bar almost involuntarily as he stared upward. The Archer stood equally transfixed. Rali slowly approached the towering doors, his face giving way to admiration as his fingers traced the intricate reliefs carved into the pale stone.

"... Now that's beautiful." Rali let out a low whistle.

"You don't usually find craftsmanship like this in ruins. Hell, I've seen noble estates with less impressive entrances than these." His smile slowly widened.

"Whoever built this place must have had money, and probably an absurd amount of it. People with that kind of wealth rarely settle for practicality when they can afford such magnificence." He chuckled to himself.

"And if there's one thing I've learned after poking around enough ruins, it's this: people with egos that big almost always leave something valuable behind. Gold, relics, enchanted gear... doesn't really matter. If nobody's made it this far before us... I'd wager we're standing in front of the richest room this cave has to offer." He slowly tried to push the doors open.

"Hold." Gloria's voice remained perfectly calm, making Rali's fingers stop in place. Behind him, Bar instinctively halted as well, exchanging a puzzled glance with the Archer.

"You are correct in believing that unimaginable treasures exist within these caverns. Many relics of extraordinary value have rested here for centuries, beyond the reach of mortal hands, and should one possess sufficient strength, wisdom, and perhaps a measure of luck, they may yet leave these tunnels wealthier than kings." Her gaze drifted back toward the doorway.

"But those treasures do not lie beyond these doors…. What awaits inside is not a vault, nor a forgotten treasury, but a being whose existence has long since faded into myth. A being whom some would describe as an ancient monster. Others, particularly those fortunate enough to survive an encounter, might choose a far grander title." She herself rested one hand against the cold stone.

"To many... it would not be unreasonable to call such a creature a god." No one spoke for several seconds. Rali eventually broke the silence, though the smile he offered Gloria this time carried considerably more curiosity.

"Lady Gloria, I hope you will forgive my skepticism, for you have demonstrated strength none of us could doubt. Even so, when someone begins speaking of gods, even someone like you, I cannot help but wonder whether I am expected to believe such claims outright or simply admire the conviction with which they are delivered." He faced her without hostility.

"You have insisted more than once that treasure is not your objective, and I find that statement far more fascinating than any promise of gold. If riches hold no interest for you, then what compelled you to come here after all these years? More importantly..." He dropped his smile.

"Why would anyone willingly seek out a being they believe powerful enough to deserve worship, if not for gold?" Gloria found herself pleasantly surprised. She had expected another carefully disguised insult or one of Rali's usual attempts to steer the conversation toward a hidden insult, yet the questions themselves were entirely reasonable, asked without mockery and supported by genuine curiosity. The Archer, however, appeared far less willing to grant him that courtesy.

"And why should Lady Gloria answer any of those questions?" they asked, stepping forward before Gloria herself could speak.

"You have concealed your own intentions since the moment we entered these caves, offered half-truths whenever it suited you, and hidden your real motives. If honesty is suddenly so valuable to you, perhaps you should begin by offering some of your own."

'Another excellent point!' Gloria thought approvingly, though her attention had already begun drifting elsewhere. Truthfully, she was growing rather tired of all the conversations. Ever since she had started casting magic, a childish excitement inside of her had refused to leave, replaying the memory again and again until she found herself smiling for reasons that had very little to do with what was at hand.

'We've certainly done enough talk, talk, talking...' Her fingers twitched almost imperceptibly.

'Now I'd quite like to do a little more blast, blast, blasting!'

"Listen, and listen well, because everything beyond these doors concerns me and me alone." Gloria said, raising her voice.

"I came here entirely of my own volition." Her palm pressed more firmly against the doors.

"Had events unfolded as I intended, none of you would have ever learned this place existed. What lies beyond these doors concerns none of you." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Especially you, Rali. If wealth and rare materials are your objective, then you are wasting your time here. The Guild is mistaken in believing the deeper reaches of these caverns offer nothing beyond stronger monsters and more winding tunnels." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And she knew that far too well.

"Hidden chambers, forgotten sanctuaries, concealed pathways... countless secrets remain undiscovered, each guarded by creatures far stronger than any you have faced thus far. Those capable of overcoming them will find treasures far beyond anything the upper caverns could ever provide. Just make sure to bring with you someone who could easily remove those pesky illusions." She looked back at the doors.

"Go, then. Pursue your own ambitions, and allow me to pursue mine." The silence that followed lingered just long enough for everyone to understand that she had given them permission to leave. After a moment, Rali was the first to break it.

"I suppose gratitude would be the appropriate response." When he looked back up, the playful charm he so often hid behind had faded into something considerably more thoughtful.

"I daresay I've already gotten everything I came for, Lady Gloria. As far as I'm concerned, this has been one of the finest expeditions of my career." He inclined his head, already turning away from the doors as though the matter had been settled.

"We'll leave you to your business." Bar remained rooted where he stood, staring after him in complete disbelief before letting out an incredulous laugh.

"Hold on... you're actually serious? You're telling me we're leaving? Right now? But the fun is just getting started!" His finger shot toward the entrance as though the sheer size of it somehow strengthened his argument.

"There's some ancient cave god waiting on the other side, Gloria's about to beat the living daylight out of it, and your brilliant idea is to walk away?" He shook his head vigorously before adding.

"That's like buying front-row tickets to the tournament of Partizans and deciding you'd rather go home because it's getting late!" Rali simply watched the outburst finish in its entirety before answering.

"When a prison guard drops the keys to your cell, you do not stand there waiting for them to notice their mistake. You pick them up, unlock the door, and leave before they realize you're gone." Bar frowned.

"... What prison?" Rali blinked.

"... The metaphor, Bar."

"Oh." A long pause followed, allowing both of them to think about the conversation.

"... We are the prisoners."

"... Ooooh." Rali pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, already regretting the conversation.

"And for the love of every god that exists, could you please stop making decisions with your reproductive organ? You are not seriously thinking of challenging Gloria after this, are you?"

"My... what?"

"The thing convincing you to challenge every attractive woman capable of folding you into decorative furniture."

"I don't..."

"You do." Rali inclined his head, looking at Gloria one last time, before he began walking.

"Now we shall be on our way, Lady Gloria." Bar lingered a moment longer, reluctance written across every line of his face before he finally followed.

"It's been a pleasure, lizard. I'll make damn sure we meet again! HAHA!" The laugh echoed briefly, yet the moment he noticed how quickly Rali was already putting distance between them he broke into a jog.

"Wait up, stick man!" The entire exchange left Gloria fighting a private battle against the laughter rising in her chest.

"What an entertaining clown," she murmured, still watching their retreating figures.

"At least the journey to this place has proven eventful." Moments like these reminded her of the old days spent raiding with friends, even if the people walking away now were strangers rather than the companions she already missed. Her amusement faded slightly when her gaze shifted toward Rali. She had not forgotten the blade that had shattered against her, nor the pleasant lie he had offered immediately afterward. Keeping one hand concealed within her sleeve, Gloria traced a circle no larger than a coin.

[Tick] A colorless mote darted after Rali and vanished between his shoulders. The spell would neither harm nor hinder him, but it would allow Gloria to observe him whenever she wished and warn her should he direct genuine killing intent toward another. She was willing to let the former assassin leave, but she was not willing to forget what he had already attempted. One of the three, however, had not moved.

The Archer remained exactly where they had been standing, and Gloria found the decision curious enough to address directly.

"And what are you still doing here?" She asked, turning fully toward them.

"I was under the impression the three of you had been in some sort of prison." The Archer glanced down at their own wrists with deliberate theatrics.

"I see no chains on me." Gloria's snicker returned.

"It was a metaphor."

"Ohhh," the Archer replied, and for a brief second both of them shared a laugh. Gloria composed herself first.

"What I said remains true. You may go and do as you wish." The Archer's answer came without hesitation.

"My primary goal was to ensure you remained safe from those two throughout this quest. Yet I would be a fool to claim I have not grown interested in you as the hours passed. You have already declared that every soul may pursue their own desires… and so I shall remain at your side until this matter reaches its end." Gloria's shoulders rose in a shrug while her thoughts spun in the opposite direction.

'That is not exactly what I meant…' Still, the Archer had already witnessed enough of her magic that further secrecy felt largely pointless, and a quieter part of her found itself curious about what an archer of this world might actually be capable of. They would almost certainly not survive a true blow from Echidna, yet the chance to observe how incantationless magic combined with archery could look in practice was too tempting to dismiss. Would they vanish and reappear while loosing arrows from every angle?

Or perhaps release shafts of mist that dissolved upon contact with living skin? Raising one hand, she traced a small blue magical circle in the air so quickly that the Archer barely caught more than a fleeting glimpse of the intricate pattern before it was complete. [Forkreste] The circle dissolved into hundreds of tiny azure motes that drifted toward the Archer, settling across their cloak before disappearing beneath the fabric.

For the briefest of moments, a translucent barrier shimmered around their body before fading entirely from sight. It was an unusual spell. Forkreste demanded no mana whatsoever, yet in exchange it could only be cast once every twelve hours. A cumbersome restriction, but one Gloria had always considered well worth the price. Against an opponent like Echidna, it should, at the very least, allow the Archer to survive a single direct blow without taking any damage....

It also smelled faintly of mint, which was a small bonus. The Archer looked down at themselves before raising a questioning gaze toward her.

"... What was that?"

"A precaution," Gloria replied.

"Pay it no further mind. I did inform you that we were about to stand before a god, did I not?" With that, she placed both hands against the ancient doors. The grey stone began to shift almost immediately, color bleeding through the surface in slow, deepening waves of blood red as a dense current of mana flooded the carvings and spread outward. Steam hissed from the cracks between the slabs, rising in thin white plumes while the entire doorway trembled beneath the pressure.

A faint white seal that had been nearly invisible until now flared, then shattered beneath her touch, sending a short shockwave rolling through the chamber that made the Archer flinch and take a half-step back. The doors swung open with a long, resonant groan, and Gloria's heart leapt with pure, undiluted joy at the sight waiting beyond them. There, standing within the vast chamber as though she had been expecting visitors for centuries, waited Echidna. The Mother of All Monsters.