บท 3: Chapter 3: Pyramid

Kael's breath hitched, his chest tightening as a sharp, sinister hiss cut through the eerie stillness around him. The sound reverberated the surroundings, a dreadful melody that sent shivers coursing down his spine. His hollow eyes darted to the blood-red sand beneath his feet, which trembled with a low rumble. He turned to the fog, unease gnawing at him.

A realization struck him, sudden and overwhelming... Fear clawed at the edges of his mind. 'No... It's impossible...' He staggered back, his legs trembling.

"This can't be real… It's impossible… but it feels so real…" Kael said under his breath. "I can't really be in the game... This must be my imagination... or maybe... not."

His gaze swept his surroundings, desperate for some semblance of familiarity. Yet, the red blood sand, the hissing sounds and the fog confirmed his growing suspicion. He wasn't in a dream or some hallucination.

It hit him with the weight of certainty: 'This is 'The 10 Scrolls Game.'

The game's name hung in his mind like an ominous omen. Infamous for its monstrous creatures, intricate world building and great story, the game had captivated and terrorized him in equal measure. And now, he seemed to be a part of it.

Kael hollow chest raced with phantom beats, as his mind pieced together his current location. If this was real, he was standing in the northern part of the Land of Dusk, atop the Blood Pyramid. He clenched his fists tightly, his bones creaking under the strain, as the implications of his realization set in.

The air around him felt heavy, almost suffocating, as if the very atmosphere was alive and aware of his presence. Dark clouds swirled above, their edges tinged with a faint, malevolent red glow that illuminated the pyramid's jagged surface. He walked two steps forward with each he took into the fog crunched against the blood-stained sand, the sound unnervingly loud in the oppressive silence.

Kael's knees threatened to buckle as his memories dredged up a chilling detail about this location. 'The boss.'

He clenched his jaw, The Blood Pyramid was infamous for one thing: the unbeatable boss guarding its summit. A massive, crimson-scaled serpent with glowing, malevolent eyes.

Kael's hand instinctively moved to his side, grasping at an invisible weapon he didn't possess. His body stiffened .

'curses, I don't have a weapon.'

Surprisingly the fog reduced due to the serpent movement and he could see a bit, his gaze darted downwards from the top edge of the pyramid, half-expecting the serpent's coiled form to slither into view at any moment.

His breathing grew ragged as he whispered, almost inaudibly, "The Northern Serpent..."

He tried to steady himself, his fingers brushing against the rough surface of a nearby stone. The tactile sensation grounded him, but only briefly. His mind raced with questions. 'Why am I here? How did this happen? And most importantly... how do I survive?'

Kael forced himself to move, his feet dragging slightly against the gritty sand as he began to survey around the top of the pyramid. The faint metallic tang of blood lingered in the air, mingling with the faint, acrid scent of decay.

'I need to think... I need to plan...'

But the hiss came again, louder this time, closer.

Kael froze, his muscles locking as if the very air had turned to ice. Slowly, he turned toward the source of the sound, his pulse hammering in his ears. Below the pyramid in the depths of the Blood Pyramid's labyrinthine paths, the Crimson Serpent was waiting.

*******

Centuries ago, the northern region of the Land of Dusk was a barren, lifeless expanse. Harsh winds carried red sand, staining everything in its path, giving the region its ominous moniker: the Crimson Wastes. The people of the Northern Kingdom, desperate for survival in this harsh environment, constructed a massive structure later named the Blood Pyramid.

The pyramid was built not as a tomb but as a fortress and repository. Its architects imbued it with powerful enchantments to resist both natural disasters and invaders. The Blood Pyramid became the heart of the Northern Kingdom's might, serving as a vault to store their most prized possessions: enchanted weapons, resilient armors, ancient relics, and mystical items that held immeasurable power.

Legends told tales that the pyramid's foundations were laid upon the remnants of an ancient leyline, a source of raw magical energy that fueled the land's defenses. It was said that the leyline's power not only preserved the treasures but also imbued them with stronger magical properties over time.

The peace brought by the Blood Pyramid was short-lived. Beneath the surface of the Crimson Wastes, deep within the leyline, slumbered a being of immense power: the Northern Serpent.

The Northern Serpent was no ordinary creature. According to ancient texts, it was a primordial guardian created by the gods to protect the leyline from misuse. Its body, a colossal length of shimmering crimson scales, was said to gleam like molten metal under the faintest light. Its eyes, golden and unyielding, glowed with an intelligence that made mortals shiver, it possess two heads.

For centuries, the serpent lay dormant, undisturbed by the kingdom's activities. However, as the Blood Pyramid grew in prominence, so too did the kingdom's greed. The leyline's power was siphoned for the kingdom's gain, awakening the ancient guardian.

The day the Northern Serpent emerged is still remembered in tales as the "Crimson Reckoning." Without warning, the ground quaked, and the sand of the Crimson Wastes shifted violently. From beneath the Blood Pyramid, the serpent burst forth, its massive form coiling around the structure in a terrifying display of dominance.

The kingdom's forces were powerless against it. Arrows shattered against its scales, swords failed to pierce its hide, and even the most powerful spells fizzled into nothingness under its gaze. The serpent's mere presence corrupted the air, rendering magical attacks useless.

The serpent's wrath was not random it was a message. The treasures stored within the Blood Pyramid, enriched by the leyline, were now cursed. The serpent claimed the pyramid as its own, coiling within its halls and killing all intruders. Its power seeped into the walls, transforming the Blood Pyramid into a perilous labyrinth.

In the centuries that followed, the Northern Kingdom attempted to reclaim the Blood Pyramid countless times. Each attempt ended in failure, with soldiers, mages, and mercenaries meeting their demise in the serpent's maw or succumbing to the deadly traps within the pyramid.

The Blood Pyramid was abandoned, left as a cursed monument to the kingdom's greed. Over time, it became known as the 'Crimson Grave', a symbol of the serpent's unyielding power and the ultimate test of courage and strength for any human.

The Northern Serpent now stands as the unbeatable guardian of the Blood Pyramid. It is said to be immortal, feeding on the leyline's endless energy. Its presence ensures that the treasures within the pyramid remain untouched, though whispers persist that the serpent guards something even greater perhaps a secret tied to the leyline itself or the ancient gods that created it.

Legends of the Blood Pyramid and the Northern Serpent have spread far beyond the Land of Dusk. Humans seeking glory often journey to the Crimson Wastes, hoping to challenge the serpent and claim its hoard. None have returned alive, their bones said to litter the blood-red sands surrounding the pyramid.

Scholars debate the true nature of the Northern Serpent. Some believe it is a divine creation, while others argue it is a magical construct born of the leyline's power. Whatever the truth, one fact remains: the Blood Pyramid and its guardian have become eternal fixtures in the annals of history, a cautionary tale of greed and the price of disturbing forces beyond human comprehension.

In recent years, rumors have surfaced of a lone figure who entered the pyramid and survived to tell the tale. According to their account, the Northern Serpent is not just a mindless guardian it is a sentient being capable of speech, bound to its duty by an unbreakable curse. Some people who escaped the blood pyramid, claims that the serpent offered them a deal: retrieve a long-lost artifact hidden deep within the pyramid, and it would consider releasing its grip on the structure.

Whether this story is true remains to be seen. For now, the Blood Pyramid stands as it always has shrouded in mystery, its crimson walls echoing with the whispers of the past, and its guardian, the Northern Serpent, forever vigilant.