Zal had lost track of time as he and Ellen traversed the endless maze of the lower stratum. With Ellen now fully synchronized with his senses, she methodically mapped the environment, storing the details directly into Zal's memory. It felt strange to him—each new area they ventured into somehow seemed familiar, like he'd been there before. He couldn't shake the feeling.
"Is this what it's like to have someone else think for you?" Zal muttered under his breath.
"Only temporarily," Ellen replied, her voice ever monotone. "I am simply using your sensory data to generate a map. It is the most efficient way to navigate the lower stratum."
Zal shook his head. "Efficient or not, it's creepy."
As they moved through the abandoned halls and cavernous pathways, Ellen gave Zal a warning: "Be ready for combat at any moment. The creatures here are formidable and highly territorial."
Zal smirked, the memory of his encounter with the Mantidoxes still fresh in his mind. "Oh, believe me, I know. Those Mantidoxes sure didn't want me sticking around."
"Correct," Ellen said. "Mantidoxes are the most common species found in this region of the lower stratum."
Zal's amusement faded. "Wait, that thing was common?" His thoughts began to drift, wondering what kind of apex predator might be lurking deeper in the dungeon, if Mantidoxes were considered standard fare.
Despite the potential danger, Ellen expertly guided Zal through areas with minimal creatures, avoiding unnecessary fights whenever possible. But when conflict was inevitable, Zal was ready. His newfound strength and battle instincts were put to the test, cutting down giant insects, legged piranhas, and even draconic creatures that prowled the darker corners of the dungeon.
Each battle was intense but brief, with Zal quickly adapting to the monsters' attacks. Still, there was an undercurrent of unease in his mind, the constant question: What else is down here?
Finally, after what felt like days of wandering, they reached a spiraling staircase ascending to the upper layers.
Zal stared up at the seemingly endless flight of stairs. "Looks like a long climb."
"Indeed," Ellen agreed. "Proceed when ready."
With a sigh, Zal started the arduous ascent, step by step. As they neared the top, Zal broke the silence with a question. "Hey, Ellen. Any idea who made this dungeon?"
"There is no data available," Ellen replied. "The dungeon has existed since ancient times. Its origins remain unknown."
"Of course," Zal muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Probably just popped up out of nowhere like everything else in this world."
When they finally reached the top of the staircase, Ellen's voice piped up again, "Tada!"—though her tone was as flat as ever.
Zal let out a small chuckle. "You really know how to celebrate, huh?"
"We have reached a new area of the lower stratum," Ellen continued. Zal scanned his surroundings, recognizing the familiar architecture. It resembled the places he'd wandered before being thrown into the dungeon's depths. The stone walls and ancient, weathered design carried the same eerie atmosphere.
"This place... looks like the upper layers," Zal noted. "Where exactly are we?"
"This is the middle section of the lower stratum," Ellen explained. "The only area completely untouched is the bottommost layer. It is believed to exist, though no safe route has ever been discovered."
Zal raised an eyebrow. "Bottommost layer? And let me guess, there are legends about a demon sleeping there, right?"
"Correct," Ellen confirmed. "According to local myths, a demon resides at the very heart of the dungeon."
Zal let out a long sigh. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm not planning on heading any deeper. The bottom layer can stay a mystery as far as I'm concerned."
Ellen, sensing his discomfort, remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "We shall continue our journey toward the surface."
Zal tightened his grip on the straps of his makeshift backpack, feeling the weight of Ellen's body pressing against his back. "Good. Let's get out of here."
With that, Zal and Ellen pressed onward, leaving the dangers of the lower stratum behind as they ventured further into the dungeon's upper levels.
…
..
.
Not so far from Zal's location, a young girl named Tia faced a deathly situation. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she darted through the narrow, decaying corridors of the lower stratum. Her red hair, matted with sweat, clung to her face as she tightly gripped her spear, her only lifeline in this hellish place. Behind her, the relentless chittering of Mantidoxes echoed, the swarm of juvenile insects hot on her trail.
She had already taken down five of them—each kill harder than the last. Despite her agility and strength, the sheer number of the creatures had begun to overwhelm her. She backed off, heart racing, trying to shake them, but they were relentless. The hallways twisted and turned like a maze, and the further she went, the less sure she was of where she was headed.
Suddenly, she skidded to a halt. A dead end. She spun around, spear raised, but the Mantidoxes had already caught up. Their dark, segmented bodies crawled over one another, filling the hallway with their writhing mass. The swarm surrounded her on all sides, their sharp mandibles clacking in anticipation of the kill.
Tia's shoulders slumped, and she fell to her knees, exhausted. Her vision blurred as her body gave in to fatigue. This is it, she thought. I'm done for.
She could already feel the sharp pincers closing in, the sound of her impending demise growing louder. I'm sorry, Mom… I really, really screwed up big time.
Just as she closed her eyes, resigned to her fate, a deafening explosion ripped through the air. The wall beside her blew apart, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. The shockwave crushed the Mantidoxes closest to her, their bodies torn apart by the sheer force of the blast.
Tia's eyes shot open, coughing as the dust began to settle. Through the haze, she saw the figure of a young man clad in a tattered brown robe, a large, bulky pack strapped to his back. He stood nonchalantly in the rubble, observing the destruction he had just caused.
"I should've done this from the start," the man muttered to himself, sounding almost annoyed.
Before Tia could comprehend what had just happened, the man's eyes widened as he noticed the remaining Mantidoxes. "What the— Ellen! You've led me into another group of these things!" he yelled, seemingly to no one in particular.
Tia blinked, trying to piece together what was happening. Who is this guy? And who's Ellen?
The man finally noticed her, his expression shifting from frustration to surprise. "A person? Wait, there are humans down here?"
Before she could respond, the Mantidoxes swarmed again, though their numbers had been significantly reduced. The man's focus snapped back to the threat at hand, and without another word, he charged at the insects.
His strength was unbelievable. With swift, precise movements, he tore through the disorganized swarm as though they were nothing. Tia watched in awe as his fists and feet struck with the force of a seasoned fighter, his every motion fluid and lethal. The Mantidoxes stood no chance.
It wasn't long before the last of the creatures lay dead at his feet.
Tia remained frozen, her mind racing. Who is this guy? His strength... it's like an A-rank Rover.
The man approached her, his expression softening as he knelt beside her. "You alright?" he asked, a bit of uncertainty in his voice. He paused for a moment, then mumbled to himself, "Wait, does she even speak English?"
Tia snapped out of her daze, still catching her breath. "I, I can understand you perfectly."
The man let out a sigh of relief, offering her a hand. "Glad to know. That could've been weird. My name's Zal, by the way. You?"
She hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. "I'm… I'm Tia. A Rover."
"Figures," Zal said, looking her over with mild curiosity. "What're you doing down here?"
Tia frowned. "I could ask you the same thing."
Zal chuckled softly as he stood up, helping her to her feet. "Yeaaah, that's going to be a long story. But right now, I think it's in our best interests to get out of this place before more of those bugs show up."
Tia glanced around at the carnage, the remains of the Mantidoxes scattered around them. She had to agree with that. "Yeah... let's get moving."