Capítulo 16: Chapter 16
On the 5th day of exploration, we found the boss chamber.
-
Today was as far as I could go.
I had that thought as I stumbled to the corner of a coffin. Unceremoniously, I spilled my breakfast all over the unfortunate remains buried inside.
My symptoms were still worsening, but they were manageable. I just hadn't been able to keep food down since I woke up and ruined my bedroll that morning.
Dazed, I wiped my mouth with a piece of cloth ripped from Hallia's garb. She had been kind enough to help me out this morning, and I was becoming more thankful with each hiccup.
I looked towards the rest of Panacea, they were already gathering towards the front of the room.
Right... It was time to keep going.
"Hah... Maybe a trap would be an easier way to go." I mumbled to myself as I reached the front of the room.
I bent forward to open the metal door and lead onward, but someone stopped me.
Bern had a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back.
He had a sad smile on his face, "Congratulations Hale, you did it."
"Huh?"
I looked around the rest of the team, each of them was patting each other on the back, smiles on their faces.
Bern pointed back towards the door, "Right in there, that should be the core."
I had been so out of it that I hadn't even noticed. The door in front of me was far bigger than any of the chambers we had been in. It was built of black steel, engraved with hieroglyphic-like golden patterns.
I chuckled softly, I had almost embarrassed myself. My arms felt like wet noodles, devoid of energy from the Tal poisoning. Any power they did have left was crushed out of them in our nightly training sessions regardless. There is not a chance in the world I could have moved that behemoth an inch.
Bern seemed to realize that I didn't quite get it.
"Hale, did you get that? Your job is over. We made it. We couldn't have done it without your help."
Tarkas chimed in from behind him, "He's right! Without you guiding us, we would've been lost in this labyrinth for weeks."
That earned a murmur of agreement from the rest of the team.
I just stared on, dumbfounded.
Haaaa, I lived through it.
I may not make it much longer, but I completed a dungeon expedition.
Wherever you are, Aliyah are you watching? Are you proud? Your older brother achieved one of his dreams.
The stress that had been building for the last week seeped out of me. I collapsed onto my back and stared up at the grand ornate ceiling. Maybe that tension was the only thing holding me upright these last few days.
Bern chortled loudly. The chamber that had just been the site of a tense battle became a site of celebration. All around me, my team members talked and congratulated one another. They would occasionally squat down to pat me on the shoulder or trade praise with me.
It felt good.
My eyes were tired, no, my whole body was tired. All of this, the illness, the stress, the travel, it was a lot. I felt exhausted from head to toe.
I just wanted to drift off to sleep.
If everything ended right here, would that be so bad?
No, I don't think it would...
Urmf.
My eyes shot open.
Bern had picked me up and hefted me over his shoulder.
He winked at me, "Don't think you're getting off that easy, Hale. We haven't given up on you just yet."
I signed and smiled, I had really come to like these guys over the past few days. I already knew they wouldn't let me off just like that.
Bern clapped his wide hand, the sound echoed through the room.
"Alright everyone, once we confirm the contents of the core, we're good to go home and collect that sweet reward. Just remember, we don't actually need to fight, we simply need to make sure that this room is in fact the core. No engagements, period."
Dulmir spoke up next, "I think everyone's ready, Bern, would you do us the honor?"
"Of course," Bern had a wide smile.
He spun on his heel to open the door. From my position over Bern's shoulder, I had a perfect view of the rest of the party.
Each and every one of them was looking towards the door with excitement and anticipation.
Except one.
Hallia was mid-sprint towards the two of us, her eyes were stricken with fear.
I didn't have to know the language to understand the words on her lips.
"WAIT-"
I heard the creaking of the large metal door.
Three large white magic circles appeared on the floor, blinding the entire room with light.
My vision went white, then black.
-
My head spun.
This was different, it wasn't the familiar nausea of my organs breaking down, it was vertigo. I felt as if I had just been sent through a dry cycle in the wash.
Not just that, I could feel something warm trailing down my forehead. Blood.
Something was wrong.
BOOM.
The ground below me shook, heavily.
My eyes shot open. I was face down on the familiar sandstone brick. I pushed myself up onto my knees, spitting out the sand stuck in my mouth.
The room I was in was far larger than any we had been in, easily 400 meters across. It was mostly empty, save for the grid of columns holding up the ceiling and a large raised black pedestal in the center of the room.
Ahead of me stood Bern and Hallia, weapons poised and at the ready. The two of them stared directly ahead at the pedestal.
BOOM.
The ground shook again, yet I couldn't tell where it was coming from. It seemed like the shaking was originating from the pedestal, but-
BOOM.
The lid of the pedestal was blown cleanly off, and the 25-meter saucer flew towards the back of the chamber as if it was nothing more than a frisbee.
The plate crashed into the floor, sending debris and dust scattering through the room.
Even for a moment after, I could hear the crash echoing around in my head.
Unease filled the air. Over half of Panacea was missing and we couldn't even see what type of behemoth we were up against. I was confident in my comrade's strength, but knowing the brute strength required to do that kind of damage, uncertainty filled my heart.
Out from the top of the opened pedestal reached a hand caked in dust.
A hand nearly as large as Bern.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder