The door opens with a long creak. The hinges have not been oiled for quite some time.
You'd expect some resistance from something that's been neglected for thousands of years. However, Yren doesn't seem to have much of a problem though—his movements seem just as smooth as ever.
After cracking it wide enough for everyone to pass through, including Rem and Melaina, he stops and goes inside. I follow right behind him, but I touch the door while showing a bit of concern for its hinges.
It won't last if no one will take care of it now.
I quickly rummage through my rucksack as I happen to have a small bottle of mechanical oil for emergencies. The doors are so enormous that there is no doubt that I'd need the entire bottle. Without a moment's hesitation, I hurriedly make even swifter work of letting the oil seep into the barrels and pivots.
To make sure it spreads more evenly, I swing the doors slightly to the left and then right a few times. It creaked at first, but now it moves as smooth as butter. A smile appears on my lips after feeling some sense of satisfaction over such a small thing.
"How kind of you, War Goddess. I'm amazed at how fast you did that, too! Do you think you can do this for all the door hinges all over Tartarus? They do need some TLC right about now," Yren jokes.
I chuckle lightly in response to his teasing, "Hah. I'm not so kind as to do that for all of you. It would be best if you organized something then, to get this sorted., I did manage to do all this within the time that Yren has only taken a few steps ahead of me, considering the large size of this entryway. Soon after, we grow quiet, and only the sound of Rem's hooves echo within the room.
The temperature starts to drop, and some involuntary shivers dance across my skin. It's tempting, but it's not so cold, yet so I'll try to conserve my powers for now instead of activating them immediately.
There's this odd energy that's coming from deep within. I can't tell if it's residual or if this is coming from that parasitic hellworm that I'm supposed to slay.
I've yet to fight a monster of this type before, so I need to be extra careful if it's got some nasty powers I'm not aware of.
While most of us beings are immortal, Rem isn't, so I need to be cautious about this—out of fear that I'll end up doing something I'll regret for a very, very, long time.
I begin to attempt to trace the source of this magic, hoping it'll lead me to what I'm tasked to hunt. Kneeling onto the ground, I place my palm against the dusty floor and concentrate on tracking it.
Through my mind's eye, it starts to map out the entire room—the walls, each crevice, the ground, and even the ceiling. Lines imbued with energies that are differentiated by their color begin to appear.
Unfortunately, it seems like my powers are making it more difficult for me. Instead of showing me clearer or distinct paths of lines so I can know where it's coming from, it's all entangled in a mess—like a ball of yarn that's been completely unraveled. Unkempt.
I start to get a headache as it's going to be a lot more complicated than I thought. I should have expected this as this creature has been here for a too long time. Millions? No. Thousands...? Perhaps. It's most likely been thousands upon thousands of years since then.
It'd have been great if I had experience with hellworms before. Or perhaps, even a cousin to its kind, but not only can these be found in Tartarus, but I'm guessing that it mostly keeps to itself, just like most parasites.
They work their way in secret, and this is true for most of them, though not all; they are also masters of being undetectable. It ensures their survival after all.
If I have to guess, basing it on what I know primarily about such critters, it's not the type that would go out of its way to attack anything openly—especially not one that's more powerful than them.
With that being said, I can't even guarantee that any of these residues belong to that thing I'm looking for.
Not knowing what to do, I bite my lip and give up on this method for now. I'll focus on what's on the surface, or, more specifically, what's visible to the naked eye.
Random mumblings spill out of Yren's mouth, "This area is where the Titan A—"
The entire time, I've not been listening to the poor old man. Yren's face is currently filled with excitement and is entirely animated. He'd have been devasted if he realizes that I hadn't heard a word he has said, ever since we have stepped inside.
Our tour guide continues to obliviously tell me about how much history this oversized prison room holds, "You wouldn't believe what some of them did to do the nasty. After being away from women for so long, they—"
What?! What the hell?!
Oof. On second thought, it is a blessing that I haven't been listening! YIKES, indeed.
Rudely interrupting him, I immediately spit out, "... YREN! You're hyping this place up so much that I am raring to go and explore this entire area on my own. Sorry! Keep watch on Rem and Melaina for me! See you in a bit!"
"Wait! But I haven—" not willing to hear another word out of that man's mouth, I quickly dash off and fly upwards after sprouting some wings behind my back.
This cell is vast, so the best way to cover most ground is to use my primary ability. I'm even able to control it, to the minutest of details.
However, as one may not expect, for as long as I could remember from the time of my awakening, my real strength lies in the powers of darkness. Yes, I'm a War Goddess who mainly controls the powers of the shadows.