Chapter 112.5: Opening the Tomb
***
"I am not sure if what I know is genuine information … However, from what I've been taught by my father when I was a child, the monster in the Tomb is a being akin to a puppet that has been protecting the Tomb for hundreds of years, generations of my family have been calling for that being's powers when we were in need…"
"That's something that happened to Linda's family?" inquired Vlad who didn't feel this Prince lying about anything with regard to the monster in the Tomb.
"... Indeed. That monster is really scary, a being who can destroy the whole kingdom if he gets displeased with the Briss House. There are Five Paragons fighting for that Monster."
Hearing additional information about this enemy that was clearly placed by Atlas so it would challenge the Key Holders wishing to open his Tomb and gain a treasure of their dreams and desires "The World".
However, most of it was overinflated information that didn't serve any purpose to him, filtering out the information, he understood two main things.
'This thing can control the "Paragons", and also is monstrously strong in itself. There's also the aspect of stone control. Old guy, does it confirm what you know about this Key Guardian?"
{I guess it wouldn't hurt my interest in confirming to you this information. What you will face isn't something like Nihiloor, instead is someone that holds a different personality trait of that man. There is another aspiration inside of him and a unique power only to him, allowing him to control Earth.}
'So, overall, what are his powers? Just controlling the Giants or there is more to it.'
{I am not fully aware what that man did with this creation…}
'Go on, I'll not go into the rabbit hole with you at this point in time. Try to give me some clues at least.'
{His name is Idril, which is something I am certain about since memories about him are still existing, and If I am not wrong … Yeah, indeed, he imbued him with control over the Aspect of Earth.}
'Aspect of Earth …'
{Arghh, for you, it should be the Devil Fruit powers, but they are far stronger than what your Era has to offer.}
'Continue … This starts getting interesting.'
{The talk about the Aspect is done here, I don't remember further information from my former life. However, I can tell you that this creation of his, isn't an evolutionary lifeform, instead breaks that bounds, being a Highly Advanced Automaton with Human Consciousness and Emotions.}
{One of his main weaknesses is empathy and consciousness which makes Idril more than a normal human.}
'... An automaton?? A human machine?' asked Vlad, left stunned when hearing the information concerning that small being he saw in the Darkness of the Temple's interior watching him back with his red eyes that had a star in his pupils.
{Don't overthink it, it is rather easier if you don't contemplate this information too much. Just think about Idril as an enhanced human … maybe like you, after experiencing Nihiloor's hormonal enhancement.}
'Okay, we'll see what's about this guy when we fight him.'
{Another point you should be aware of. What that waste of a human told you about the so-called "Paragons" I am sure it's just Idril's powers since he might not want to dirty his hands, and in his mind, all the killing those golems of his have done are unrelated to him.}
'That's quite the unique way of looking at bloodshed. However, I do remember Nihiloor mentioning that the rest of the Key Holders are dejected beings created by that man, while stroking his ego that he is indubitable. Why so?'
'Thinking that I would have it far easier to defeat the other Key Holders, before arriving at Yehimal.'
{...}
'Is there a point in hiding this to me? Look, right now there's no point in withholding information that is in my … to our detriment. I am not a backstabber in fact, I like to have my deals straight. Whatever dispute, discord you might have with that Atlas guy, I don't care and will not take anyone's side.'
{I can only give you small bits of information. When the Long Circle is nearly Complete, you'll understand everything. Who am I, who is Atlas, how those Guardians have been created?}
{Everything. All you need to do is fight to reclaim the Keys and open the Tomb.}
{I can't tell you the exact locations of each Key because it's been almost a millennium since my Era, however he left the clues about the Keys in that Story, and you've done an exceptional work at deciphering his manner of thinking leading you to a part of the truth.}
'Okay, tell me more about the other Guardians.'
{There's only one more Guardian that breaks Nature's conventions. Once you get closer to that Guardian, I will inform you.}
Gunos could see that Vlad fully ignored him and whatever he was saying, and only gave him a cold look, but it was a result of the conversation he had with Anathema, which returned back on the enemy at hand, but paused when Eleine, Bonney and Titania finally arrived after 15 minutes.
The girls didn't look exhausted as they watched the Fortress from a distance, yet noticed the cold look Vlad had on his face.
"I want you, Eleine and Bonney to stay watch in case some stupid guard gets any ideas of entering the Passage to the Tomb.
You can knock them out, and if they prove a challenge to you by resisting back, I will allow you to kill them. However, if you don't want to reach that point, you can withdraw and lure them out of the Fortress."
"What about the Tomb? Won't you need help inside?"
"No. Only Titania will come with me." responded Vlad with a resolute tone, unquestionable for the girls who wanted to test their new abilities against a stronger opponent.
He didn't give them any room of saying No from his body language and direct response, and with a 5-minute break for the girls to recover their breath, he shifted his attention on Prince Gunos who remained quiet since noticing the cold expression on Vlad's face.
"You'll also be with me. No cries from you, or I will knock you out."
"... Yes, sir." replied Gunos as his large layer of fat was shaking as Vlad grabbed him by the arm, feeling a chill run down his spine after hearing the man ask a simple question.
"Good. Ready girls?"
"Go for it, Captain." responded Eleine, taking out her slender longsword that was great for piercing attacks, while the pink-haired girl nodded with two long daggers in her hands, ready for combat.
'Wow, these hot girls can fight?' wondered Gunos sensing how gravity lost its effect on him, watching how seconds later he arrived in front of the Fortress Walls, and even climbing it with ease.
"Don't panic, Prince." added Vlad after placing the fat prince on the cold floor of the walls, vanishing from his initial position, being seen appearing behind four Royal Guards who were chilling in a covered area of the Wall.
'Ohh, shit! Don't tell me he will kill them?' thought the fat prince, watching the Magician at work, hitting each of the Royal Guards around their necks, and dropping them unconscious.
Eyes wide open, even if fat covered his face, he felt the presence of the women who reached the same stage of the Fortress Wall as himself.
"Fatass, you sure are lucky to get to see Vlad's fight against that monster. Just don't die so you can share the story with me."
Eleine knew her boundaries and respected Vlad's decision to let her watch his back, there was nothing to complain about here since it showed the young woman that there was explicit trust in her for being entrusted with the watch.
After Vlad, who moved like a silent owl, incapacitated most of the Royal Guards on top of the Walls, he appeared back in front of the fat prince, only looking at two girls, while the small Fairy was standing on top of his head.
"Eleine, Bonney … Watch the situation from the region closer to the Tomb, keep yourself in the shadows."
"How long before those guys wake up?"
"They are deep asleep. Maybe after a couple of hours. By that time, we will be done."
Both Eleine and Bonney nodded and started moving to get a closer look of the Tomb, while Vlad picked Gunos up, the prince once again noticed how he would appear from one spot to another in brief moments, that his brain couldn't quite process the transition.
It was akin to a snail trying to perceive the world from the eyes of a human, there was nothing in common between the two.
Passing by the Royal Guards who after receiving the warnings from Prince Alos, slacked totally on their watch, enjoying their time at this night filled with stars, not that they cared about that.
The sound of the dice rolling and the smell of alcohol was enough to tell Vlad he wouldn't have too much opposition from those Guards.
Titania too got relieved that no human got killed yet from this forceful entry inside the Fortress, but the atmosphere changed swiftly around her after Vlad descended back at the entrance of the Tomb of Kings.
She received involuntary goosebumps as she watched the ancient motifs filling the walls around the Entrance Door that was of a dark-brown color, also imbued with carvings of various motifs, but the main component on the door was the Sealing Mechanism.
*Tup*
The sound of a heavy object dropping to the ground resounded around this isolated location in the interior of the Duskfall Fortress, while the air this deep underground was in particular harsher to the fat prince.
He could see the moments of his childhood when he accompanied his father, the King of Briss, as he introduced him to the monster, who was in a statue form, only responding back when his red eyes shined back.
That vivid memory of his childhood, where he pissed himself in front of the monsters standing in this dark, sombre location of his Kingdom, conflicted with everything he learned until that day from his teachers with regard to the significance of the Tomb.
This place wasn't a place of burying the Great Kings of Briss, far from it, it was a place akin to a Place of Worship for Power. The Kings of the Briss Line who discovered the Ancient Being slumbering deep in this Cave with a unique shape, have signed a deal with the Devil itself for power.
Memories flashed past his eyes while he looked at the dark door, and he trembled right before Vlad, expecting him to open the door.
[I acknowledge your descendant, Alfons. If this is what you were looking for. When his time comes when he will become King, he will have to sacrifice something that is most dear to him for power.]
– [Yes, Lord of the Earth. We of the Briss House are humbled with your grace.]
[Cut with your nonsense, and LEAVE! This isn't the time to awaken from my sleep. Only at the high hour when the Long Circle is nearly Complete I will wake myself to fulfil my duties.]
– [Your wish is my command, Lord!]
For a particular reason, the large image of his father that he had at that time when he was only 10 years old, filled with respect, now shattered as he could rewatch his father lowering so down at the feet of the dark-brown statue in the shape of a young boy whose age couldn't be identified from his look.
Yet, his small body frame of 156 cm didn't tell much, but the 24 meters Giants who had a knightly armour around them made out of stone with various weapons in hand, was enough to scare most normal humans.
"... I-I need something sharp." added Gunos after awakening from his flashbacks.
Vlad tossed Anathema who was already in its battle form that fit Vlad's swordplay the most, the Turkish Curved Sword who was in a love-hate relationship with the infamous Dracula, and with the Prince noticing the menacing black sword, he instantly panicked letting the sword drop to the ground, inserting itself deep in the ground as if the ground was made out of butter.
"Something duller?" asked the fat man who started chickening out when he understood Anathema's sharpness.
"Open the door now." said Vlad while crimson-red sparks started flying around his abyssal eyes, an invisible shockwave being sent out that pushed against him.
Titania looked at Vlad and then at Gunos, who trembled as he picked Anathema from the ground, withdrawing it from the ground without any resistance as if he was helped out.
He extended his fatty hand and contemplating his life choices, he closed his eyes and did a small cut motion where the sword blade was for sure about to miss the skin, but Anathema shinned with a dark-crimson aura creating an aura blade that split up the flesh of the fat Prince.
"Ahhh!"
{QUIET, PATHETIC ANT! JUST OPEN THE DOOR ALREADY!}
Gunos stopped his attempt at crying out in pain as a loud man's voice rang in his ears warning him not to cry.
After assisting Gunos to cut himself open, Anathema flew from the man's hand returning to Vlad's as a large gush of wind spread around the entrance door, its blade beginning to tremble while the dark-red aura grew heavier.
Not having another choice but to place his bleeding hand on one of the seals that were spherical, he completed the same step for the other four seals that filled in in the center the line of the alchemical symbol for Earth.
'Please open.'
As the fat prince prayed for the door to be opened, his wish was fulfilled when the sound of movement happened with the door, opening up in a double doorway, but his relieved state was lingering especially after hearing that familiar, traumatizing, cold voice.
"I expected that you would return. But would you run from me again? Aren't you here for the Key? Oh you foolish dream seeker?"
Gunos felt a strong wind that blasted him in the walls of the cave entrance, bouncing back inside like a cannonball, and when he came back to his senses, he saw Vlad appear before a small humanoid being that crossed his arms, clearly not afraid of the incoming challenger.
From all sides, the weapons of the Stone Giants snapped into action, blocking the devastating blow Vlad unleashed on Idril.
.
.
— If you want to read ahead, up to +20 advanced chapters consider supporting me and also enjoy additional chapters. It will help me a lot.
— Patre0n: patre0n.com/Morpheus146 — Discord: https://discord.gg/CMsHqJVDVD