-This stupid idiots.
Still calm with the horrors just now, the captain signaled to a few people to return to their starting positions. As expected, the door closed after the trap activated.
-So the only way now is to move forward. All remember to notice the unusual protruding rocks on the wall and floor.
-Of course!
-Go.
-Bam!
Only a few steps away, a loud noise came from behind, startling us.
-Flash! Creak!
Repeatedly strange noises echoed throughout this vast place.
-Mau shoot fireball on both sides to check.
As soon as the captain finished speaking, the two soldiers immediately chanted their spells and fired fireballs in two different directions. Looking at the empty front made us a bit more secure, but the back was different. Just before the fireball went out, it seemed to have pierced them, causing the sparks to spread, to make sure the soldier fired another shot.
-Boom!
The fireball touched something that made it float and illuminate this large place. The sight in front of me made goosebumps, hundreds of skeletons nearly 1m tall, armed with shields, shields and swords were scurrying towards us. No need to think much can guess this is a trap of this monster cave.
-They are too crowded, must get out of here quickly! Quickly create a spell shield and run straight ahead, never mind the quarrels!
At the command of the captain, about ten soldiers lined up along the sides and chanted the magic of the Quang system, creating a magic shield that enveloped us all. Without hesitation, all of them ran at the same time, except for me, because of the slow response, I was almost stepped on the foot by the soldier behind me.
Out of bows and arrows, and sharp objects launched from traps to mutant slime, exploding as soon as touching the shield also made it difficult for us to try to keep the movement speed to the flood. " bone people "can't keep up.
-The door ... there's a door ahead!
A little more, just a little bit more.
-What...
Suddenly the entire floor that we were standing on and the entire aisle turned into sand, but only it was not just ordinary sand. It was as if it was sucking me down, making it impossible for me to lift my foot and continue walking and the more I struggled, the faster I would sink.
Perhaps if I didn't have these elite soldiers around, I wouldn't have been this calm, but instead I would definitely panic and then try to swing my arms and swing my legs and get engulfed.
-Dammit! Quicksand!
My calm, like that, vanished the moment someone shouted the name of this sand.
"Quicksand" I only read about it in a book about nature last month. It was a sand with a texture that looked like ordinary sand, but it was actually magic resistant and very difficult to be affected by the vast majority of common spells and physical effects.
With colors that can easily make people mistaken for soil, it is difficult to avoid their "trapping" scene. And very few people, including professional adventurers, can escape or return without cutting their legs. That is why they are one of the tangible nightmares of both humans and monsters.
-Well ...!
While I and the soldiers gradually became panicked because of the "death" situation, Gaido-sensei, who was standing next to me, remained calm and chanted magic to create winds.
-Hey Kazuto ...
Gaido-sensei smiled at me with a gentle gaze, this is the first time I saw him do something different from his character. Perhaps because he wanted me to calm down.
-... do you believe me?
-...Yes!
The moment I replied to Gaido, the swirling wind that was just enough to cool the person he created initially gradually became stronger and made us all sink faster.
I knew he did it for the benefit of everyone, so I just closed my mouth tightly, held my breath and waited.
-The bastard teacher's name! What the hell ... Ugh!
All the noise of the frenetic skeletons or the panicked soldiers, all, soon returned to nothingness, and instead came the rustling sound of the thing that engulfed us. I could feel the burning sensation of rubbing the sand with my face at a rapid pace. And of course, I didn't dare to open my eyes or take a breath, because if I did, I would definitely be "full of sand". All I can do now is just pray that this annoyance will pass.
-You can open your eyes now.
Gaido's voice?
Gathering my courage, I widened my eyes to see what happened.
The massive door we were aiming for now, right in front of us in the amazement of all the soldiers and me.
Curious at what had happened, I turned around and saw a scene that left me gasping. At the center of the "quick" part of the quicksand was a tornado column made of sand, no, rather Gaido-sensei. Then I realized, he took advantage of the gravitational pull of the sand and then created a whirlpool, pulled us towards the center and then abruptly reversed the direction that made it from the force of gravity into repulsion and brought us to. here. Perhaps that is why I feel "scratched" in opposite directions.
The skeleton people who saw us on the other end also got bored and retreated to the darkness.
As at first, we all pushed hard to open the next giant door and into the next "room". This original large corridor has now been divided into two smaller and rounded paths at the top showing the ingenious hands of the builder.
-Sorry for suspecting you.
Holding out his arm with the intention of shaking hands, the captain's face showed a bit of embarrassment and discomfort but still could not deny that, if it weren't for Gaido-sensei, we might have died there.
-Nothing, just a little chore.
After a "break" we decided to split into two groups and go to two different "tunnels". And if either party is in danger or the holy-sword is found, then they will ask the Spirit to spread the word to the other group.
That "spirit" is a creature that looks like a human but is very small and grows wings on its back, they live in parallel with humans but we cannot see them with the naked eye, and the only way getting lost in that world is through linking magic. That's right, it is impossible for humans to "enter" the world, and Spirits are different, they can easily enter and exit between the two worlds.
But even in their own world, they could still be intimidated by an opposing force, the "Evil Spirits", who were fallen spirits, absorbed by the darkness and turned into evil entities. kill the Spirits and absorb their vitality as a food source to them. And that was the main reason why contracting with people became so important. If connected with humans, they could use the abundant human magic power to freely use their power without worrying about reaching their limits.
Naturally, humans also benefit from associating with spirits. Firstly, the fact that they could go to places that humans could not, was very helpful for adventurers who like to explore. Secondly, it was the communication between the Spirits and the linker that was one of the most used things, since the two of them were able to communicate with each other using the Spirits to transmit information. And in the end, not only spirits, if the contract with a Spirit of the same generation could be made stronger, the stronger the Spirits are, the stronger the bonds will be.
However, contracting rarely happens in a "mass" way, because if the contracting process goes wrong, it could injure both that person and the Spirit, or even leading to death. That was why it was very rare for people to contract with Spirits, except for the large clans and armies under the royal family as well as themselves. And above all, the great families also had a Great Spirit as an embodiment symbolizing the power of the clan.
-Aaaaaa!
We were only a few steps into this tunnel when we heard the loud scream of the other party. Immediately turning around, eyeing us was a terrifying sight. The pale green plastic that flowed down from the stones at the top of the tunnel was eating away the armor and flesh of the ill-fated soldiers.
-Save us! Help me!
But all efforts to break the barrier that held them were in vain, all of us could do nothing to help them and could only stand still, witnessing them leaving in pain.
-It's normal to close your eyes or turn away, and I won't force you, but ... you better learn to face reality.
Although I did not understand what Mr. Gaido meant, somehow I had the courage to open my eyes and stare at the soldiers writhing in pain.
But in the end, what was happening in front of me was really "too much" for me, and this was the second time my stomach was boiling like I wanted to flush it out. The more I looked at it, the more terrified I was, their bodies were now corroded and turned into deformities. Even blood flowing from corroded flesh was quickly swallowed up by the plastic. And only when they became a shrunken dry skeleton did the plastic stop and drag them into a secret passage.
-That's why these skeletons exist. Are they all dominated by the Evil Spirit ...
Perhaps because I was so scared I couldn't hear Gaido-sensei's words clearly. But one thing I'm sure is, he went through more horrible things in the past so he can stay calm.
-Let's go.
Leaving the others behind, we continued on our way to get closer to Excalibur. Although not showing on his face, clenching his fist was enough to show that the captain was now very angry.
Also because I should have this trip.
We continued to walk on this vast and dusty corridor. Different from the beginning, there were no strange carved figures on the wall, but just a normal brick wall. And after taking a long walk on this seemingly endless walkway, we arrived at a large hall.
This place was originally no different from the previous path, except that it was much bigger and on the large door in front of it was a circle with strange characters.
The moment I asked myself what that meant, it opened, and slowly flew out from there a shiny black orb. While everyone was still bewildered about what was going on, it suddenly struck a few of us and knocked them to the floor shortly after, and it returned to its original place. . It was assumed that they were all unconscious, but no, they immediately got up right after that, before we had a chance to react and understand what just happened.
-Are you all right?
-...
-Hey! Rep.
Their silence made me think that they were still stunned after the previous blow, but wishing that everything was as simple as that.
-Aaaaaa! Die monsters!
Finally, they took out their weapons and rushed to attack us indiscriminately.
-I order you guys to stop! This is no time for jokes!
But they still paid no heed to the captain's words. All of them, as if they were no longer themselves. Their white irises were now completely dyed with blood, and blood "tears" were constantly flowing.
-Dammit!
We tried everything, from using optical magic to neutralizing them to trying to knock them out, only to make them even angrier. All we can do is evade their attacks.
Perhaps there is no way to help them.
-Clush!
Waving his sword, Gaido-sensei ended the life of that crazy soldier.
- Teacher name, what are you doing to my people?
-Stop putting emotions on tasks. You also realize there's no way to save them, right?
-That's right, but ...
-So pick up the weapon and free them from the pain.
In the words of Gaido-sensei, the remaining soldiers also began to point weapons at their former teammates and attack them.
This battle only lasted for a few minutes, but it seemed to us to be endless. And although I know what Gaido-sensei said was true, some part of me still felt that this was wrong.
That door slowly opened in astonishment for all of us. The darkness of the next room was gradually replaced by the fanciful light of the strange purple sparks, which continuously appeared in two straight lines from the strange iron pillars.
Like that time.
At the end of the room, a large animal with a glossy white skin was slowly opening its eyes, staring straight at us.