Despite the protests, everyone eventually joins me in the sewer, becoming knee-deeps in sewage. The looks on their faces amuse me to no end, and while I navigate the dark tunnel with the flashlight from my phone, everyone stays relatively closely behind me.
Alice is the closest to me, using her phone to help me illuminate the path ahead. Alex and Jessica help support the unconsciousness Thomas while Debra and Teressa and Cindy used their phone to light up the surroundings.
Since I have transverse these dark tunnels plenty of times in the past, I know the exact path that leads directly towards the abandoned subway. Unfortunately, unlike the first time around with Zombies and Ghouls, the tunnel isn't exactly uninhabited.
There are roots embedded into the walls, floors, and ceilings of the tunnels, telling me that it is foolish to continue further. Doing so would likely stir something that I want to avoid at the moment.
"Shit… now what, Einstein?" Alex questions.
I sigh and shine my flashlight onto the roots, finding them to be squirming about, touching and feeling everything except the murky sewage water. They are actively avoiding the sewage water like it is some sort of poison. Perhaps, it is.
Monsters within the Life Zone are children of the Ruler of Life, and like their mother, they cannot stand Death, and the toxicity within the sewer water is close enough to death to them. At least, nothing can grow down here.
I test my theory by splashing some of the sewage water onto the roots, and within the next moment, the roots recede, opening the path enough for me to pass through.
"Really, Zan?" Alex questions skeptically as I take out a water bottle and use it to splash more nearby roots with sewage water.
"We have come too far to head back now," I response with a sigh. "Moreover, while we are wandering about down here, our school probably has become a breeding ground for more monsters. If you have better ideas, I am all ears."
I continue to inch through the dark tunnel with my water bottle. Alice helps me alongside with Debra, Teressa and Cindy, and the last three are not very happy. They really want to get out of here.
The roots eventually block the path once we managed to pass through, and it takes an awful long time to reach the entrance into the abandoned subway. The iron door is not locked, but it is still difficult to open due to the rust.
Once the iron door is opened, the foul smell beyond escapes into the sewer, causing everyone to cover their nose and mouth. I have done the same before entering the door and into a large chamber.
"Holy shit. How old is this place!?" Alex calls out as he enters the chamber. His voice echoes, and soon enough, rumbles responses. "Sorry…"
"It is pretty old," I response and find an empty barrel amongst the debris. I do not need to explore the station since I already have explored it the first time around. I place broken woods into the barrel and try to set them alight. It takes a moment to get a good flame. Good enough to start cooking.
Good enough to melt the Life Crystal into a more useful form.