บท 64: The Three Great Guilds (III)
Snow couldn't help but wonder what was going on, why the sudden change of, but then the only thing she could think of was that Levian was forcing the dungeon to grow through the sacrifices that he was installing into the dungeon itself.
Why was the power of the dungeon coming from human sacrifices? She didn't understand. All she knew was that she needed to get out of here. Every day, she felt like Levian could waltz in on her and slice her throat to become a sacrifice for the dungeon. This thought didn't sit well with her.
"What the hell is this?" Mike spoke out, amazed at what he had seen. "A new terrain change inside the dungeon? Since when can it do this?"
"Since now," Dairen spoke, gazing out into the field, squinting to see what creature was swimming in the waters that divided the land between the fort and the other side.
"This is crazy."
"Tell me about it." Pointing his fingers towards the distance, Dairen asked, "Is that a squid in the waters?"
Mike took a good look, even getting a bit closer to the point where Snow thought he would fall off if someone pushed him. "Kind of? I can't tell. This whole fog is blocking the way."
"Either way, we will need to scout out the new terrain changes and watch out for the monster in the fog," Rodney stated in a calm tone, he was gazing off into the distance with a fierce gaze. "My men can go check it out, but this could be a roaming boss."
"But, there were no sacrifices at the gates." Gilbert had said, "Every time some maniac would throw themselves into the pits of fire and start the boss fight. We had to make sure to watch out for those fools from doing something stupid like that."
"I agree, but it could also mean that someone did find the gate and threw themselves in without telling us," Rodney replied in concern. "I am not a fan of throwing human sacrifices into the fire, but as sick as it sounds, I am happy that it is not one of our guys doing it but more out of free will."
"I don't know. It sounds more unlikely." Dairen had commented.
Snow wanted to tell them that it was because of a sacrifice, but it wasn't a willing one. She wasn't sure how to explain it to them without sounding crazy. Already, she was feeling phantom pain, and she felt like she was there when the sacrifice happened as she watched it take place.
The guild leaders started to talk amongst themselves. Dividing the task of what needs to be done.
Snow eyes were glued to the fog. A whisper caught her attention. Barely, singing its lullaby.
It felt like it was calling her, drawing her to the lake. It was sung to her. She closed her eyes, trying to figure out what that sound was.
It wasn't exactly the creature inside the fog, or was it? She couldn't tell. Taking a step forward, she tried to listen to it even more.
The wind blows,
The cherry blossom sings.
Sweet cries of the angel's songs sings its lullaby to her people
For who here but the night but hears its very voice
Let it be heard that the devil waits for no one.
For I am here. For I am here. For I. Am. Here.
"Snow?" Dairen placed his arm on Snow's shoulder, startling her awake. "Did you see something?"
"Huh?" Startled by his sudden voice, she looked at him. "Did you hear that?" She asked, hoping that she wasn't going crazy.
"Hear what, Snow?" Dairen asked, concern for her health and mind. He reached up to her head to feel her forehead.
"The lullaby." Snow brushed his hand aside. She knew she wasn't crazy, Snow was sure she heard it.
"I didn't hear anything." Dairen brought his head to her forehead, locking eyes.
For a moment, they stared. Startled by Dairen's proximity, she pulled back. "I'm fine." She waved him off. "I just thought I heard someone singing."
"Well, I think you should go rest."
"No," Snow was adamant on staying awake. There were too many things that were happening that she needed to know what was going on. This was not the time to fall asleep.
"Look, I'll wake you up. I promise." Dairen said with a gentle voice, trying to coax her to go to sleep.
She thought about his offer, knowing full well that she was tired. Maybe this was the reason why she heard voices as she felt that could be the cause.
"I'm sure that something crazy won't happen in the next five minutes." Dairen chuckled, trying to lessen the mood. "what else could happen?"
Snow shrugged, hoping that what he said wasn't a jinx for future calamities. Things were rough as it was, now a new mystery arrived from the ground like a phoenix, bringing trouble.
"Fine." Snow gave in. She wasn't too thrilled, but she knew what needed to do. Take a quick nap to recover so she can be of some use.
Without any other words, she got up and left.
#####
It was high noon when the fog seemed to thunder with electricity. The Players and Hunters looked off into the distance, wondering what was going on. They have never seen such weird circumstances surrounding the clouds, bringing with a large silhouette of a monster that seemed to lounge in the water.
A group of scouts went out to explore the fog, but no one could get close by without being unable to see and getting lost. Already, a few were swept away by the unknown fog that created on the fortress floor, licking the very wall.
In total, a group of five was brought back from the group of eight that disappeared into the fog and never came out. The only thing that told them that they were still alive was the trackers that they kept on themselves, but even then, it wasn't enough to know if they were.
"Where are the rest?" Audrey looked at his group of five scouts, they were battered, a few looked as if they were enthralled by something. Their eyes were glazed, their mind was lost in some kind of replay.
"I don't know. We lost the others inside the fog." His group member spoke, propping up his friend. "We couldn't see anything."
Audrey thought it over, trying to understand what was going on.
"We heard a voice." One of them shivered. "It was the sound of a diabolical being!"
"What do you mean?"
"Captain, I don't think that it's possible to find whatever is in there. You don't understand! It's the devil!"
Audrey didn't believe in the devil, nor did he think such a world would give them something that they couldn't conquer.
"What do you think, Mike?" He asked.
Mike as well wasn't too convinced with what they saw, but he knew that there was something out there inside the fog.
"Possibly, some kind of mind control for the fear factor. I don't know if a devil is in here, honestly. I have never seen a high ranking demon except those demon dogs."
"But do you think it's a demon?"
Mike shrugged, "It doesn't matter what it is. Just gotta kill it."
"True," Audrey thought over for a moment that brought a heavy silence. He waved his alliance members to go get healed, leaving only two of them on top of the wall. "I've been thinking."
"Yes?"
"Haven't you noticed that every time something strange happens, it's somehow related to Snow?"
"That's quite something to say without any proof."
Mike wasn't sure how Snow had to do with everything that was happening around the dungeon. He did feel like the events seemed to center around her. Most of the time, the events were triggered by the Players themselves with the dungeon bosses, but there have been some strange occurrences that happened quite unusual.
"I think she knows more than she let out," Audrey commented. "From the contracts that she wanted us to go through, becoming a field manager of Dragon Express and even moving here to start a second location is a bit odd."
"Maybe the story is just progressing?" Mike jokingly stated.
Audrey rolled his eyes, "The story will progress either way, but the point is that there is more to this than we know.
"If she knows, she knows. All we can do is trust her."
"Yes, for now." Audrey sternly replied, "but remember this, we can not put all our eggs in the basket. Things could get out of hand, and even then, we should be careful."
"I understand, but the contract stands. We need to get out of this hell hole as quickly as possible. This place just gives me the creeps at times." Mike rubs his arm up and down. "I don't know about you, but I feel like I am being watched twenty-four seven."
Audrey agreed, "I have been feeling the same as well. It feels like these walls are alive."
It wasn't often that the two agreed, but they both felt it. The walls were alive.
Suddenly, out from the fogs. A field of blue electrical orbs drifted from the waters, then leaving the Players and hunters curious.
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