*Creak* *Creak* *Crash*
"Whoo... That was nerve wrecking."
(Especially now that I can't use qi to see in darkness. And my sensitive hearing keep picking up movements all around).
Heon docks his ship and hooks a rusted broken wheel at the gaps on his raft before jumping off.
"Hup!"
*Whoosh* *Click*
With his light stick, he turns it on with a click and hover it around to acess the situation. This... Place he brings,
*Whooom*
The whistling wind echo loudly into the massive shaft leading into a great chasm. This small ring feels like it opens a portal into another world as it feels like it's swallowing everything into its endless pit.
(Wow, it was so bright before and just a few distance away is this dark ruined city...)
"W-What is this place?"
"Hmm... From what I've seen it seems to be an mine outpost. But after this whole city drowned, it has been abandonned."
He shines light towards the darkness yet it doesn't seem pierce through. He then tie his raft towards a broken fence and shine the light at some crude sign with blurred letters written in Hwansea saying,
[STOP!]
[Your life is more precious than the riches beneath this hell. Prevent your death, your future will get better]
"Even though it has been abandonned, the veins are still very abundant with minerals so many try to venture deep... But nobody ever return."
*Gulp*
I swallowed my dry mouth before then I realize asking:
"Wait, so why are we here?"
Heon proudly pump his chest out with a smile saying:
"Heh, of course this is the only way to the mountains and my secret base. Follow me!"
From one of the few paths in this ring of dry land, he descend some dilapidated stairs which creates a creaking sound with each steps. Fearing my own weight, I try to reduce my weight by making my steps lighter but,
*Rumble* *Crash*
"Woah!"
"Gwishin nim- ayo!"
He reach his hand and catch me but my heavy weight seem to drag him along as I quickly summon my sword and stab the walls, preventing our fall. Now holding and preventing him from falling, I pull him up easily asking:
"Sorry, seems I'm a bit too heavy. So where should we actually go?"
"Huh? Woah, where did that expensive sword come from? I never seen that stuck here before?"
He shines his light towards me and see the gleam of my sword giving a purple glow. But I shake him a bit as I see the area surrounding my sword starts to turn to ash saying:
"Heon, quickly, before the wall crumble with my sword."
"Huh? Oh, right! Um..."
He shines his light near the wall until he saw a rusted gate shouting:
"Over there, on that broken door."
"Got it."
I pull him up to hug him before raising both of us above the seord and planting my feet to the wall.
"Hol on tight."
"Huh- woaaah!"
I say to him as I put some strength on my legs, as he wraps his arms around my neck, I leap across this dark chasm.
*Boom* *Clang* *Creak*
"Pull up! Pull up!"
"Huup!"
*Smash* *Bang*
I manage to hold onto the small steel platform and hearing it creak, I quickly pull up and smash the door with a wheel kick to enter.
*Creak* *Creak* *Snap*
The bolts holding the steel platform snaps and the few places we can walk dissapears into the darkness...
"How deep does this thing go?"
"Who knows, I'm not stupid enough to go so far. Weird, that walkway is suppose to be able to hold around your weight when I brought you out... But eitherway, Gwishin nim!"
"H-huh?"
(Grom the way he said it, did I get heavier? I suppose if all the things will keep breaking if I use it maybe getting too heavy is bad).
"That moves you did before, you have to teach me that!"
"Huh? Well, I guess I could. But that is actually simple maneuvers, its the strength of your body that is making those decisions. It's kinda like your body would know how to move when you know it."
"Huh? What are you talking about? I mean those parkour moves! Like how do you bend like that and what is that sword!? Where does it come from!?"
" "From From From" "
His exited voice echo across the dark tunnels as he ask me for help and I can't help but wonder which question to answer first before I notice,
*Screak* *Screak* *Pitter* *Patter* *Scurry*
From the echo, I pick up some extra sounds and I can pinpoint multiple moving things deeper into the place...
"Um, before that, is there living creatures here?"
"Usually no... Wait? Did you hear something? From all my times here nothing lives in this place. Not even monsters, this place is like a restricted zone. I mean, it was only yesterday I travel here."
"I see, then stay close to me, I hear something moving deeper inside."
"W-What!? Then, keep me safe Gwishin nim! I'll tell you the way and hopefully we won't encounter whatever's inside."
He hugs me on my waist, sticking close like a baby sloth to his mother. I hold him by the shoulder and raise my sword in preperation as we head deeper. With each, my echolocation keeps track of all the surroundings and those pitter patter only seem to get further away the closer we get...
(Hm? Maybe its trying to stay away from us? I wonder if its those Dudeji? We are going inside a cave of sort... Nothing to fear I guess, but this darkness is truly unnerving).
*Splash* *Splash*
With only Heon's light stick giving a small window of light to shine the way, travelling this dark tunnel filled witg mold, cracks, broken pipes, and running water, this is even worse than walking into a forest at night. My footsteps that usually silent becomes so loud thanks to the small space, water puddles and streams, and alongside Heon's heavy breathing shows his nervousness as it echo around this narrow passage.
(Even the small vent I travel during the Promotion exam is not this bad and that was quite the claustrophobia).
*Grip*
Heon hugs me tighter as we head deeper and the entrance behind that provides the tiniest source of light vanish. I try to break the silence saying:
"So, Heon, do you ever thought of teaming with somebody else to help you out like this?"
"Huh?"
He stops us at our tracks and looks up at me, aiming the stick at the veiling to give an even brightness. Looking at me with wide eyes, he seem to wish for me to elaborate and I continue saying:
"You seem to be quite afraid even with me around. Don't you ever thought of asking anybody for help?"
Heon hugs me tighter in response as he seem to stop moving. I ask him for an answer and we stand here in silence as I await his next response. That's until he hugs me even tighter saying:
"Never, not in a million years."
He points the light further deeper into the tunnel as he lowers his gaze, pressing his lips in regret as he says that. I pat his head admiring his courage to travel alone like this for probably a long time alone. Ruffling his head I then say:
"Well, I don't know what happened but I guess you must have your own circumstances. You're a brave boy, Heon."
I smile trying to cheer him up after lowering the mood and he looks at me surprised with reddened cheeks. He bury his face on my side replying:
"(T-The only reason I trust a Gwishin like you is only because you're always bound to your goals)."
He answers with muffled voice before he then urge us to resume our trek and continue saying:
"(I thought you Gwishin are suppose to be an evil spirit with how you trash those 3 traitors. But I guess you're not bad...)"
He then peels his head out shouting:
"B-But don't think, this as a sign of trust, this is simply mutual cooperation!"
Seeing his spirit brought up, I consider my goals acomplish as I then pat his back saying:
"Yea, so which way to go?"
I ask as the path ahead of us strats to branch left and he points the light towards the right where the moss is thicker saying:
"There, we should reach the caves soon... That cave is also where I found you."
"Oh?"
I could hear wind coming from where he's pointing. And before long I notice him bringing his hand closer to the sword and I push his hand away saying:
"Don't touch it, or your hand might turn to dust."
"Eek!"
He quickly pulls it back and continue embracing me as I then decide to unsummon my sword for safety.
(Seeing how it destroyed Jacky from the inside when it got lodge inside her, it definitely not safe for someone else to touch).
As we continue our long walk, he begins asking:
"So, Gwishin nim, what is that sword?"
"Now that you asked, I never give it too much thought. I think its called a soul weapon."
"Soul weapon?"
He looks at my hand that holded the sword and I start to ponder on how to answer as I never really been explained indepth about it.
"Woah!"
I then simply summon halberd saying:
"It is kinda like a weapon bound to your soul if what I think Uncle Soba and Sis told me..."
"Y-You have to teach me Gwishin nim! Can you imagine how many people here would kill to have that kind of weapon!? Not only can you hide it but also summon it at will? Not even the most expensive subspace storage can do that! That would render thieves useless too."
I unsummon my halberd and pat his head to calm his down replying:
"H-Hey calm down now, honestly speaking I don't even know what to do to acquire this. And when I did acquire it, let's hust say its not a pleasant experience."
"Hmph! I couldn't care less! I wouldn't mind losing an arm or leg if I could receive such a gift."
(Gift... Talking about gifts and then Ji-Hyun before, I wonder what did that orange people gave me before? I never actually pick it up... Is it even still there? Or did Yoo-Ah have it when she washes the clothes?)
"Alright, but I still can't teach you anything."
"That's fine by me, I'll just have to follow you and I'll become stronger."
"I don't think that's how it works."
(Then again, seeing how he was able to withstand my hug without breaking a bone despite my strength, he might have quite the sturdy body already).
*Drip* *Drip*
With the sound of droplets at the end of the tunnel, a small glimmer of light shines at the distance like a crack upon such a long rainy sky. After quite a upon a land without a clear morning sky, the appearance of a bright morning sun is always a welcome one.
"Is this the place?"
Reaching quite a spacious opening with abandonned carts, boxes, and tracks. I see rusted tools, snapped ropes, broken helmets, and tunnels leading into the darkness lay before this expanse.
"Of course not. Else it wouldn't be a secret hideout. It's somehwere else."
"Where?"
Heon grabs one of the ropes and throw it down the endless depths saying:
"Down there. At the deepest part of this tunnels."
"That doesn't sound so secret."
"Well if nobody involved found it its still a secret. Now, follow me!"
" "Me Me Me" "
His voice echo again across this secluded space, devoid of life...
(Hmm, I hear nothing here compared to before).
"So... Will this path really lead me to the whole city?"
"Those who control the mountains control the country, and not even the flower capital can extend their reach this far."
"Really? That sounds far fetched..."
(And a bit sketchy considering that they did build a port in the mountains from the report I read. And they're even sending all they have to defend it from Geom... Plus, since he said its a abandoned mine, doesn't that mean they build this place?)
"Mm! Those stuck up nobles wouldn't leave their pampered ways. So don't worry."
*Creak*
Heon answer confidently as if trying to dispel my doubts as he then hold the rope tightly and continue saying:
"This is why I never gave up. I may not do it in my teen years like my Hyung but one day I will surely do it... And now I have no need to wait anymore. With you Gwishin nim, we can claim my legacy."
(Oh? So the ropes still have strength? But more importantly...)
"Um, just saying but I actually have a name."
"You won't fool me, Gwishin nim! Now descend!"
" "Descend Descend..." "
His voice echo once more as he denies and misunderstood me. As I see him slowly dissapear into the darkness I begin to wonder if I'll get to even say my name...
(And what the hell is this Gwishin?)
I follow after him but not by taking his rope but clinging from wall to wall. Grasping upon the cold walls, my fingers scrape against the walls as I follow Heon descending. With only his light stick as the source of light, this bright expanse litten by the glorious morning dew slowly dampens into darkness once again.
(Why is the Republic so dark?)
I wonder as I compared to the pictures of their capital I read about. I leap across wall from wall until I see the stagnanti water beneath. I look up at Heon who's still dexending asking:
"Heon, all I see is stagnant water-"
"Over there."
He shines his stick of light upon a small opening before saying:
"Crawl in there."
Heon points at a small crevice, wide in space but small in height. Where the only way to enter is but to crawl your way inside...
(I just realize this but I once heard Sis Rubeca tell me about her cave diving experiences and it is never a good thing... I mean, even compared to the bigger cave system at my first dungeon dive this is...)
"Huup! Don't wait, let's go. It's cold out here!"
"Huh? Really? I though the winters over?"
Heon reaches the crevice and immediately starts crawling inside, before I follow him, I snap the rope he's using and decided to bring two arms length of it with me.
"Winter ended early- Gwishin nim? You there?"
" "There? There?" "
"Yea, right behind you."
As I follow him from the back he shines his light in this tight space saying:
"As I was saying, winter ended early and I can't be more greatful. But it doesn't change its still cold, also this cave goes deep, and the deeper you go the colder it becomes."
"I see... Is that how caves work?"
(Then again, I never actually felt that much different whenever it change season now that I think about it).
Thanks to his small size, he could simply duck while I had to crawl on all four and for the first time I felt...
(I wish I was shorter... I hate that I thought that).
*Pitter* *Patter*
"Hm?"
As I hasten my steps,
*Click* *Click*
"Woah!"
Sensing an murderous intent, I grab Heon by his shirt and throw him back.
*Crash* *Drop*
As Heon'd magical torch fell, the sight of a massive something pierce the ground at the exit. Its sharp black carapice reflects my relieved face as I saved Heon's life. I summon my sword and immediately swing,
*Slash* *Sever*
"Kyriccck! (Aaah! Damn dark spawn!)"
(Hm? Am I hearing things?)
Severing its limb I grab Heon's light source that still shine, draging myself out as I hear it jump away I finally come out of that short path.
*Click* *Click* *Click*
Compared to the dull stone texture of the walls before, this place is a marvel of marble and pearl... If it wasn't for the monsters nested in. Crawling on all side, black scaled carapaced creatures crawl upon the walls in droves turning this pristine white halls black. The biggest of them all with a severed limb, a creature with 12 or now 11 limbs sends its smaller critters to surround me.
(Oh no... I'm not even fully recovered yet).
*Crack* *Crack* *Smack*
The leader now that I look closely with the light stick is a gargantuan beetle-creature with 4 horns when something lands on its head. A small white rabbit-kin who's age isn't that much different than Heon. Seeing him reminds me of that High rank Hunter back at the Turtle Hunter's guild... But compared to them, this kid has scales growing on his body as if he grew a scale carapace of his own under his expensive red patterned robe.
(Hmm... What's that rabbit-kin hunter name again?)
But I'm not given the luxury of remembering as the kid raises his arm and swing it down. With the common tongue shouting:
"Murder it!"