บท 31: Eleventh Night - Part 3 - Renir Meets the Pentafive
Renir only had his eyes darkened and closed even though he was overwhelmed by the energy he drank...
While the pure water energy dragged him out of the Water Sentinal's mouth, he coveted the torturous water.
The water energy that enveloped his body dissolved his skin as blood escapes from it but from the water energy he consumed, it was instantly healing.
However, his mind became hazy and felt like his insides will explode from that massive energy. Even if all his limbs were mutilated, it would regenerate in just an hour using the monstrous energy.
And that was the last moment he remembered before his eyes fell into darkness.
'If I drink more, maybe I'll gain resistance? Or will I die instead?', he thought with fear lingering in his head, trying to fight over his will, 'But what does it change even if a die the third time? The fourth time? As long as I don't die the eleventh time, I get to go home...'
For a while, he was unconscious but when light approached his closed eyes, his consciousness fell back to him and made him open his eyes.
What Renir saw was light from the fire. But it doesn't change anything.
Because in his mind, even under the water, the torches from the cave still lives.
So...
Was he brought back into the cave somehow when he was spat out from the Water Sentinel's stomach?
But no.... he could feel he was lying on a hard surface and... it doesn't feel like he was floating in the water.
Slowly, he breathed, and his nose felt the touch of air then pass through to his lungs...
'I'm out of water?!', he thought as he rolled his eyes towards the fire but at the same time, shrieks were heard all around him!
Startled, Renir jolted from the ground and hit a sturdy wall on his back.
Everything was in shade except for those that reflected the fire's light.
The contrast between the light and shadow was sharp and the space was cramped.
Where was he? Was not the thought that first entered in Renir's head.
But... who are they?
His eyes shone with joy.
At first, it was the usual awkward silence between the four.
Sceke, Hanzee, and Veronia were silent either because they were baffled, scared, or amazed.
But, Renir couldn't take it, and asked, "Umm... who are you?"
That was the first question he thought but his impartial expression was different from what his feelings were.
He wanted to jump and celebrate for meeting other people other than him in Gantlet.
Even though Renir asked a question, Sceke ignored that and asked back, "Are you feeling well?"
Indeed, the reason for their shock was the body that was covered in blood which they thought was a corpse suddenly stood up.
Even though he was alive, they all saw how he was spat out from the insides of the Water Sentinal, bloodied and unconscious.
Their common sense did not allow them to think that he regenerated his energy back to heal himself while unconscious. Because for them, only the people who ascended to the third stage of Gantlet could do that.
Renir looked at himself and learned the reason for the three's expression.
He was still covered in blood. But there was no presence of pain or discomfort he could feel from his body.
Renir wiped the blood using his hands and saw the pale skin he originally has.
"I think I'm okay...", he felt a little embarrassed since he was only wearing his only partner, but even his underwear was torn here and there.
Which made him question how it survived in the Water Sentinal's stomach.
"But I think you should rest first...", Sceke said with a complex emotion swirling with him.
'This kid, he's calm while wiping his own blood.'
"Oh... sure...", Renir sat down since the others were sitting down as well.
"Ehem,", Sceke had a serious look on his face but then introduced himself before anything else, "Sorry for the way we acted but we thought you were dead but before the questions, I am Sceke, the little one is Hanzee-"
"Little?!", Hanzee was shocked that Sceke would still be annoying with a serious expression.
"And the sexy one is Veronia."
"That's sexual harassment...", instead of a blush, Veronia was expressionless.
Renir's lips slightly lifted up awkwardly and then introduced himself, "I'm Renir.", he simply said.
"Okay, Renir", Sceke remembered his name, "Do you remember what happened to you?"
In Renir's head, these people in front of him were much more experienced and stronger than he is. So he thought, everything he'd experienced, they did too.
So ashamedly, he answered, "I was swallowed by the Water Sentinel...", Renir shivered by just remembering what happened.
'He knew he was swallowed?!', the three thought in bafflement. The strange thing was, this man, Renir was calmer than normal.
"... ohhh...", after he recovered from the shock, Hanzee asked, "How did you get eaten? Did you get separated from your group?"
Renir raised his eyebrows, "I don't have any group or any of that... I was brought here alone."
"So you are new here?", Veronia exclaimed.
"Ah... yes.", Renir continued after his response, "While I was trying to complete the second rune's trial, the Water Sentinal was faster than I thought so I got swallowed."
Sceke felt something was amiss about what Renir said but couldn't pinpoint what it was, but there was something he was curious about, "Second rune's trial?"
Renir thought Sceke was just asking for verification so he just nodded.
"Hm?", Sceke was confused about what was the nod about.
He thought his answer was lacking so Renir continued, "Yes, I just captured the first rune, here", he pointed at the tattoo below his right collarbone.
The three stared, "Ohhh..", and saw the tattoo which their heads tilted, "Eh?", they have no idea what was Renir was talking about.
"Ummm...", Renir scratched his head. He didn't know why they reacted in such a way. But he still continued;
"While I complete the trial which is to use elemental energy to defeat a foe, the Water Sentinel spotted me. I couldn't outmatch its speed so I was swallowed."
'Outmatch? Who would think they could outmatch the Water Sentinel in the water?', Sceke was really confused now from what Renir was trying to explain.
While the misunderstanding still confused the four, Old Ze and Ye came down to see what happened. The two heard conversations so Old Ze thought they already finished burning the corpse.
But when he saw that there were four instead of three below the stairs, Old Ze couldn't help but exclaimed, "He's alive?"
Ye looked and she felt relieved, 'So there's no corpse!', she brightly thought.
For a young girl like her, thoughts like that should not exist in the first place.
Renir saw the old and the young and couldn't help but smile more, 'There's more of them up there?', he just noticed the stairs leading up somewhere.
Sceke paused, "Should we move up there? Hanzee's energy will just go to waste.", he pointed at Hanzee's flame. And he could feel he had enough energy to climb up the stairs so he said that.
"...sure...", Renir then followed the three while thinking why Sceke pointed at the torch while saying Hanzee's energy will just go to waste.
'Does that mean the fire was created from this man's energy?', Renir was more elated, 'So they could already comprehend the elemental energy?!'
Before they could ascend the stairs, Sceke felt the cold wind which made his body hair stood up.
He then looked at Renir and said, "But you will be cold without the Hanzee's fire with such clothing."
Before Renir could say that the cold wouldn't bother him, Hanzee responded, "If only I still had the jacket I brought, I could've given it to you."
By then, they reached the higher floor which is the cave.
Hearing what Hanzee said, Veronia's eyes rolled away in guilt.
"Eh? Where is it? Did you lost it?", but when Renir heard he could've gotten a jacket, his interest skyrocketed! So he asked while he looked around the cave with soil formed as furnishings, 'Where is this place?', he thought at the same time.
Sceke and Veronia sat there as soon as they can.
"Hm? I think I lost it when we arrived here,", Hanzee pointed out the window at the flood, "I was sure I lost it around there while we swam to the entrance."
"Eh? Just there?", Renir tilted his head, "Should I get it?"
"Hm? Sure if you can,", Hanzee shook his head, " If you have a pole or something but still, you have to find it first from he-"
"Thanks!", Renir jumped out of the window, without hearing Hanzee finish his sentence...
"Eh?", Old Ze had his eyes widened, "Did he just jumped out the window?"
Even with weakened legs, Sceke and Veronia stood up from the seats and ran to the window which they saw Renir dived into the water with a splash!
"What is he doing?!", Sceke shouted, "Hanzee, did you pushed him?!"
"Why the hell would I do that?!"
Veronia then shouted, "We have to save him... again!"
"How?!", the five panicked what to plan with their exhausted energy and couldn't hear the footsteps that climbed the soiled stairs.
"This is a nice jacket...", Renir commented while the five rambled.
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