I continued to walk down every single path on the right side, memorizing which ones set off the beeps and which didn't. The very last path on the right side was the only was that didn't set off the alarm, however, it opened up to many, many more paths. "God...hahh, ok let's keep doing the same as before. I know which path is the right one, so it shouldn't be tha-"
I stepped through the first path and the beeping sound came as I expected, however, when I went back to the very last path on the right side, the beeping came once more, making me stop my mumbling as I was transported back to the beginning. "Ok, what the actual fuck is wrong with this place!?"
I began to pace down the long pathway while muttering to myself like a madman, and that's when I saw something I didn't notice before. I caught a glimpse of a very, very tiny mark on the left of the entrance of a pathway. I hurried back and scoured the floor and found what looked to be a tiny claw mark. When looking around the other pathways, the mark wasn't there.
Deciding to walk through and see what happens, I found myself worrying for nothing as the infamous beeping sounds didn't appear when I stepped through. Now I knew what to look for. I eventually reached a large metal door with two round rings next to the split, and I glanced back at the maze with a victorious grin.
I pulled on the two rings and the door creaked open as a torrent of heat blasted my body and made hair and clothes whip about wildly. A menacing pressure flowed through the air and just the pressure alone was enough to force me down to the ground, but I continued to stand with a large smile on my face.
The sound of a loud, deafening breath echoed around the walls before a deep, booming voice said "You may enter, Adventurer, if you are ready to fight for your life..." I chuckled slightly before saying "Piss off, I'll kill you and everything else in here to grow stronger. You're nothing but a rock that I have to climb."
The voice paused for a second before responding. "Very well. Enter, so that I may show you the folly of your actions." I swung the doors open and drew my daggers as hissing noises erupted from the darkness of the room. Howls and roars echoed around the walls as heavy footsteps charged toward me. A large, snake-like creature with three eyes and two short arms slithered toward me and snapped at me.
I ducked and slashed the monster's neck open before spinning and parrying a heavy blow from a large bipedal creature with the head of a bull, along with a whip-like tail with a spiked ball on the end. The monster pulled its hand back before pulling out a large axe strapped across its back and swinging it horizontally.
I stepped back and jumped over another snake monster before landing on it and using it as a shield. The bull-man slammed his axe into the snake's head and I leapt off before plunging my daggers into its eyes, piercing its brain and killing it immediately. I sheathed my daggers and grabbed the large axe before lifting it over my head and throwing it at another bull-man, cleaving its head in two.
I moved my head to the side and grabbed the wrist of a goblin as it tried to stab me. I kneed it in the stomach before throwing it at a large wolf-like creature with two heads. The wolf devoured the goblin before howling and summoning its companions from the darkness. I was surrounded by snakes, goblins, bull-men, and two headed wolves, and my body was telling me to run, but the only thing I could hear was my heart beating in excitement.
'Do you need my assistance?' Mor'Ulthan's voice oozed eagerness, however, these were my kills. 'No, I need to grow stronger on my own, not by relying on you.' I responded. Mor'Ulthan clicked his tongue in annoyance as he grumbled while I continued to fight for my life. One of the bull-men were the first to take action as it roared and punched out at me.
I jumped back and its fist slammed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust and shattering the floor I had just been standing on. I spun and sliced one of the snake monster's eyes before leaping back to the bull-man and unleashing a flurry of stabs and slashes toward its abdomen and legs. I left the monster to bleed out and leapt toward the pack of wolves.
I sidestepped their attempts and biting me before plunging my daggers into two of the wolves' heads and rolling out of the way of another one. I kicked the wolf in the stomach and slashed another's eye before turning and finishing the one I kicked to the ground. My eyes darted back and forth, gauging how many monsters were left, but I couldn't see shit in this dark room.
I ducked and stabbed out with my daggers, piercing a wolf's stomach and letting it fall to the ground with a wet thud. I clicked my tongue after seeing the remaining three wolves backing up before sheathing my daggers and drawing my bow. I nocked three arrows into the string and pulled it back before tilting the bow sideways and letting the arrows loose.
They shot out and pierced through the wolves' brains before lodging themselves into the ground. The wolves fell to the ground and I was left with a handful of snakes and bull-men, and near a hundred goblins skulking about in the darkness. 'This is a little too easy...' I thought as I sidestepped a bull-man's spear and sliced its throat.
'Even Arisu could kill one of these things...maybe even May, not that I'd test either one of those...' I sprinted toward a fleeing snake and grabbed its scaly tail before flinging it around and into a large group of goblins. The snake got up and decided to take its anger out on the poor goblins trying to run away, and it was actually kind of funny if you think about it in the right way.
'Nah, you're just fucked in the head my dear vessel...' I ignored Mor'Ulthan's comment and continued my one-sided slaughter. The rest of the monsters were just trying to run away, so I finished them with my bow, however, I realized that I only had a few arrows left and everyone of the that I fired broke after piercing their target.
I shouldered my bow and listened as the room became deathly quiet. I took a single step forward and immediately jumped back as the ground underneath me began to shake and splinter. A large, 9 foot tall man covered in dark blue plate armor, with spikes on his pauldrons, knees, elbows, feet, and hands, rose from the ground and began to laugh. "Ahahaha...ahahahahaha! Finally, I can spread my arms and swing my sword! You, tell me that you're a foe able to push me to my limits!"
The man pointed at me as his eyes began to glow a light blue from under his helm. I snorted and said "I'll kill you with ease. Don't underestimate me, bastard." The man laughed again and said "Good! I'm looking forward to it! My name is Allastir, the Infinite Warden. I shall use my full strength to defeat you so that I do not sully your honor."
Allastir drew his long greatsword from his back and its blue surface lit up in blue flames as I settled down into a stance. Allastir was in front of me in an instant and I was forced to cross my daggers and take his attack head on. I was able to hold his sword in place for a second, but I was soon over powered and sent flying into the wall a few hundred feet away.
I righted myself in the air and, as soon as my feet touched the wall, I sprang off and landed on Allastir's sword before stabbing down at the cracks in his helm, however, he was able to move one of his hands to block my attack. I leapt off of his sword as he tried to grab me and landed on the ground softly. Allastir stood there unmoving, like a statue, before asking "Why do you not use your full strength, warrior? Do you wish to insult my honor!?"
Allastir snarled and yelled "I know you have more than just that! Show me that power that you are hiding in that soul of yours, Half-Demon!" My heart began to beat faster as I said "I don't know what you mean...If you're referring to my abilities, then I'm sorry to tell you that I don't know how to use them..."
Allastir let out a short 'Hmm' as he lowered his sword and placed a hand under his chin in deep thought. Suddenly, he raised his head and said "Aha!" in a loud voice. I didn't lower my guard for a moment as Allastir said "I know! I'll just teach you how to activate your abilities myself! That way I can fight you at your full strength!"
I narrowed my eyes and asked "What are you planning?" in a threatening voice. Allastir laughed and responded. "Nothing. I simply want you to be as strong as possible when we fight." I shook my head and said "No. I don't want your help getting stronger. I'll do it on my own." before dashing forward and slashing out at the gap in the tall man's guard.
Allastir sighed and said "So be it." before erupting into a mass of blue fire. Allastir swiped his sword and a large line of blue fire followed. I jumped over the line of fire and stabbed my daggers down on Allastir's blade, which was aimed for my heart. I lifted myself above the strike and catapulted off of his blade and toward his head.
Allastir moved his head forward and blocked my daggers with his helm before delivering a powerful punch to my stomach, sending me sliding across the floor. I knew that a few ribs were broken, but I could feel them starting to heal already, so I decided that it wouldn't be much of a problem. I stood up with a decent amount of effort and controlled my breathing.
'Do you want me to help you now, foolish mortal?' I grit my teeth and said 'No! I said I'll do this on my own and I meant it! What kind of guy would I be if I continued to rely on others? I wouldn't be able to defend those I care about when I'm alone if I continue to rely on others...' Mor'Ulthan sighed and said 'Truly, and utterly foolish. I am always with you, whether we like it or not I am bound to your soul for all eternity.'
He presented a sound argument. 'Fine. Only if you can promise not to go berserk and hurt those I care for, or else I'll end your existence myself.' Allastir was walking toward me when he suddenly stopped as a dark, malevolent aura began to spread from my body. "By the Celestials...is that...is that...him? Is that, the Primordial...?"
Mor'Ulthan's evil laugh penetrated the air as two bone wings sprouted from my back along with my hands and feet growing sharp talons. "Sorry about that. I just realized that I made a mistake. Now I'm serious. Come, and taste my blades..."