Rojo lets out a shrill, terrified scream, a feeling of fear overcoming him as he and the rookies plummet downward. "Ah, we're falling!"
"Everyone, free fall to the middle. I got something that can save us!" Denkei shuffles in his Mage robes, the fabric rustling, as he pulls out a small red cloth. Denkei taps the cloth with his Mage Stick. "Magic Spell Alchemy: Size Alteration!" Denkei's spell causes the red cloth to increase in size until it floats above everyone, the material swaying in the air. "Hurry guys! Grab on!"
Everyone holds onto the huge fabric, which creates enough resistance to slow their descent until they touch the ground. Rojo's chest expands as he releases a long, calming sigh. "Phew, I thought we were goners."
Juyon scans the area, his eyes darting around the terrain in search of a clue that they had changed levels. "Is it possible with this fall, we've gone to level 3?" asks Juyon.
Pikati uses Farsight to glance ahead. "No, nothing shows we have changed levels."
"Are there any incoming enemies?"
"No, we're clear for now."
"Good, I'm exhausted from that fall. Can we take a break?" asks Jax.
"Agreed. We could use some time to recuperate," says Miri.
"Alright, well, I say we take a thirty-minute break and continue."
Everyone takes a seat on the hard, beige-colored brick, feeling the tension from their near-death experience subside. Nozomi fiddles with her thumbs as she shifts the food bag around the circle, her eyes darting around the group. "D-do you guys want some more food?"
"Sure! Thank you, Nozomi!" says Navar. Nozomi distributes the plates of food to the group, and they each consume food.
Jax rises to his feet, the dust clouding around him as he checks his watch to see that thirty minutes have passed. "Alright, you guys, break time's over. Let's get going."
As they roam the halls, Nozomi feels a chill pass through her body, and her ears prick up as she senses something sinister approaching. Astran unsheathes her blade, the sound of steel ringing in the air. "What's the matter? Do you sense enemies?"
"N-no, I'm not reading any enemies, but it's something else…"
Navar looks up from his right shoulder to Pikati. "Pikati, look ahead to see what's wrong."
"Right on it!" Pikati uses Farsight, squinting his eyes to scan the area for any sign of danger. Pikati's eyes widen at the sight of thundering, foaming water barreling toward them. "Oh no, this isn't good!"
"What's going on!?"
"There's a ton of water coming toward us, and it's flooding!" Suddenly, they feel the water rising beneath their feet, the gentle lapping of the waves echoing in the silence.
"Let's book it!" says Jax. The rookies dash ahead and come to a halt at a four-way intersection, the surrounding air filled with heavy panting. "Maybe one of these hallways is a safe detour for us to get out of here!"
Suddenly, wild waters gush from the intersection in every direction. Miri's eyes widen as she sees the rush of water coming toward them. "Oh, shit..."
Seiju groans, and his body slumps in resignation. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! How are we going to get out of this?"
All Around them, the floodwaters continue to rise, the water level now reaching their shins and the atmosphere becoming more and more desperate. Astran unsheathes her blade, running to a wall and slashing at it, pieces of plaster and debris falling as small holes form. "Come on! Let's try hitting the walls!"
Despite their best efforts, their attacks aren't enough to penetrate the thick wall. Jax grumbles in discontent. "Dammit, that didn't work. What else can we do?"
Rojo unclips a C4 bomb from his utility belt, feeling the hard edges of the explosive device. "I got a C4 Bomb, Juyon. Take me to the ceiling!" Juyon lifts Rojo into the air and extends his arm to the ceiling. Rojo plants the bomb onto the ceiling and jumps down. "Ok, everyone, watch your eyes!" Rojo detonates the C4 bomb, a massive shockwave occurring from the explosion and leaving an opaque smokescreen.
Juyon squints through the thick, gray haze of smoke. "Did it do anything?"
Pikati squints at the ceiling, using Farsight, and a frustrated sigh escapes his lips. "No."
The water level now reaches their chest, and they feel the coolness of it on their skin. "Shit, we're running out of options!" says Denkei.
"Don't give up now, guys! We didn't come all the way just to drown! Keep hittin' the walls and give it all you got!" says Navar.
"You heard him, don't let up, guys!" says Juyon. Everyone attacks the walls with frenzied desperation, their weapons shaking with the force of the blows.
Miri's gaze lingers on Navar, her mouth set in a tense line. "Damn, it's still not working, Navar. I don't know what else we can do."
The water reaches their eye level now. "I got one spell, but I don't know if I have the life force to perform it without dying," Denkei thinks to himself. "Well, either I die with them, or they die with me. Either way, I'm the one in the dilemma here, so I have no choice. I call upon the forces of the universe to guide my comrades and I to a new location. Magic Spell Sorcery: Portal!" Denkei gives a fleeting look in Nozomi's direction, then gives her a perceptible nod.
Picking up on Denkei's cue, Nozomi opens up a Mental Link. "Guys, I summoned a portal. Let's go through there!" The rookies swim toward the portal and fall through the floor, dropping onto the cold, unforgiving surface of a hard black metal floor.
Navar soothes his tense muscles after the fall. "Ow, that hurts."
Denkei collapses onto the floor, the spell taking a toll on him, as the portal slams shuts. Nozomi runs over to Denkei and nudges him. "Denkei!"
"What happened to him?" asks Navar.
"Portal spells for a mage of his level can cause extreme strain," says Juyon.
Nozomi places her ear over his chest to listen for a heartbeat. "He's still alive. We just have to keep watch of him."
Juyon places Denkei on his back in a piggyback position. "Ok, I'll carry him around."
"It's a good thing he did that. Otherwise, we'd all be dead," says Miri.
"Let's just put that behind us. What we need to do is figure out where the hell we are," says Rojo.
"It's kinda hard to see in here. Anyone got a light source?" asks Miri.
Seiju's lips curl into a grin as he lights a fire on his bow, giving them a source of light. "I got a light for you, baby."
Miri rolls her eyes at Seiju's coy comment and crosses her arms in defiance. "Can you not?"
Rojo surveys the room and notices test tubes and panels littering every corner. "It seems we're in some sort of laboratory."
As the group roams around the room, Navar hears a dull thud when his head hits a hard object. "What was that?"
Seiju approaches Navar and casts his fire close to the object. They see a goblin inside a plexiglass test tube filled with a bubbling, mysterious liquid. Seiju leaps in fright, a sudden surge of fear coursing through him. "Woah, dude! Gosh!"
Navar lets out a light, airy giggle. "That thing scared you, it's not even alive!" Navar taunts the goblin within the glass, making a rude gesture with his tongue and a mocking expression on his face.
Miri gives a heavy sigh, her shoulders dropping as she shakes her head. "Must you always act so damn immature all the time?"
"Ha Ha, you can't catch me!" Navar spins to face his allies, his eyes full of humor. "See, guys, I told you there was nothing to worry about."
Then a sudden beep of an alarm pierces throughout the room. "Unknown movement detected! Freeing Plague Goblins!" says the P.A.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!"
Multiple zombie-like goblins stumble out of their capsules, their feet dragging along the ground with a squelching sound. Miri smacks the back of Navar's head. "This is the second time you've pulled something like this!"
Navar laughs, his shoulders shaking with tension. "Sorry," Everyone readies their weapons, their faces grim as they prepare themselves to fight the Goblins.