The sky was of unnatural color.
It almost looked like those desserts sold in expensive bakery shop. It was too... fake. If Izik didn't know they were in some dungeon he would thought he was dreaming.
The grass that covered the ground looked so perfectly trimmed. The trees and bushes were all in perfect shapes even the fruits that hanged looked tempting with their full shapes and bright colors.
Yet no matter how tempting they were even the kids knew better.
He had heard numerous accounts about dungeons. Some of it he read from books. Maybe they were exaggerated tales but he never heard anyone say that a dungeon looked beautiful. Most of the stories he heard was that the dungeons were scary, dark, and it will make your skin crawl. They were supposed to be infested with monsters of different types and sizes.
The dungeon they were in, however, was none of those and it made Izik feel unsettled.
Why does this dungeon looked... beautiful. Like a paradise described in tales. Something that only existed in dreams.
"How long have we been walking?" Inna nervously asked.
Izik doesn't even know. How long had they been walking? How much have they been walking? Where were they even heading?
It's a bit frustrating that it felt like they were not getting anywhere near the entrance or exit. What's more suspicious was it seemed like they were alone in the dungeon. Not like he was hoping to bump into some monsters but it was somehow strange.
Dungeons were supposed to be filled with monster.
Something doesn't feel right that it turned his stomach upside down.
Izik heard some rustling as he quickly stopped on his tracks, holding his arm up to stop the kids and placed them behind him.
"What's the matter?" James whispered, nervous.
Izik simply placed a finger before his lips, gesturing for them to keep quiet. Gently, he placed Sara down who's still passed out. Izik feared she's concussed. It was one of the million reasons they had to get out of the dungeon as far as they could. Inigo and Rina quickly held unto Sara.
"I need you all to stay here and hide," he ushered them towards the bush. "I'll be back, I just need to check on something."
Inna was quick to grab his sleeves, "Can't you stay here with us? D-did you see something, Izik?"
"No," Izik shook his head. "I heard something." That brought horrors in the children's face. "I need to check the area." His first plan was to find somewhere safe, hide, and wait but he realized that the longer they stay in that dungeon the more dangerous it will be.
What if the Hunters arrived and defeated the boss and they closed the dungeon. They could get stuck there forever.
"We have to get out of here as soon as we can," Izik simply said. "I'll be quick, I need to make sure this path is safe."
"Be careful, Izik," He could see how much James was trying to act tough.
Izik smiled, ruffling his hair. "I'll leave them to you for a while." James nodded with determination reflected in his blue eyes. "Thanks." With that, Izik quickly continued the path they were walking on. He tried to not make as much sound as possible. At some point, he must have held his breath as well.
Not long after he found a perfectly laid white brick path. Izik debated if he should follow the path only to end up doing so. It lead him to a huge circular plaza made of white bricks, outlined by golden bricks. There was a small circle in the middle made of a golden bricks where he stood. Izik found himself surrounded by equally distanced gigantic podiums. The podium was of white color, decorated with intricate details of gold. It also has a number on each. Each podium hosted a huge white marble statue of a lion. The statue were big and larger than any human being. The design was so intricate and they almost felt real and if they weren't made of marble, Izik will think they were.
"Huh..." he frowned seeing that two podiums were missing its lions. His eyes darted on the podium that were missing its lions. "1 and 2," He muttered as his eyes began to survey the rest of the podium.
"It's a clock?" Izik blinked coming to a conclusion after seeing XII on the north of the plaza, III on the east, VI on the south and IX on the west.
However if it's a clock, then there should be a hand, right?
Was it really a clock or the podiums were just numbered as part of the decoration?
And why are there two lions missing?
He was thinking that maybe they were destroyed however he couldn't find debris that proved that theory. It was as if the lions were removed.
Izik observed the place for a while.
"I have to get back to the children," Izik determined after checking that there was no danger. Before he was about to leave, his eyes landed on his own shadow that was slowly moving to point the third podium and that's when he realized that because he was standing in the middle then he was the clock hand.
The whole place was a huge sundial with the person standing in the middle being the hand.
Something doesn't feel right, Izik thought. Just like that all his senses were heightened as goosebumps flared all over him.
Slowly, Izik backed away, eyes surveying his surroundings. Cold sweats broke from his forehead, he had been trying to ignore the pain in his ribs. It almost felt numb now as he had to carry Sara all through out their journey.
There was some rustling in the bush that made him turn around. Izik could hear the loud pounding of his heart.
He then heard a loud crank that made him whip his body, turning at the third podium. Izik was quick on his feet, running as the huge marble lion slowly came to life. It's roar then filled the surrounding.
"Shit, shit, shit," Izik muttered as he ran somewhere opposite the children. Not really wanting to drag the lion to where he left them. He then heard its loud footsteps as it ran for him.
If the third lion of the podium came to life then does this meant the first two also did?
And if it's the third lion it only meant that the other two also came to life and were now roaming all over the forest.
Does this mean they have been inside the dungeon for three hours?
Another defeaning roar came from the lion and Izik could feel his heart pounding loudly in his chest.
Admittedly, when Izik was young he got curious of dungeons. How could he not, the best paying jobs were being a Hunter. When he was trying to save money on his own, he saw job postings offering Hunters with big pay.
However that curiosity quickly ended when he saw a dungeon that a team failed to clear and they had to be brought back all dead by the backup team.
Izik realized then and there that being a Hunter was impossible for a Laic like him.
Taking a sharp turn, Izik tried his best to remember the route he had been taking hoping that he'll miraculously lost the marble lion and he could get back to the children as fast as he can.
Just as he thought, he swallowed hard. They need to quickly get out of there or else all those lions will come to life and take over the forest.
If only he could fight.
If only he stronger.
Izik by any means wasn't entirely weak. He knew he had to train his body. It was something he came to learn when he was younger.
It wasn't just monster you should be scared of because people will push you down as well. He had to get stronger, he had to get a bit faster. He needed to work on his reflex or else he'll be always thrown to the ground. People will push him down and he can't just stand there and not fight.
Yes, he's a Laic. Yes, he doesn't have a mana path but that doesn't mean that he had to be physically weak.
He trained enough to at least fight a group of Laics and get away with little to know scratch.
Taking a deep breath, preparing himself for the pain, Izik used the adrenaline rush to increase his speed and began taking sharp turns to lose the trailing lion behind him.
Each step of the lion take, the ground shook. It was ridiculously big after all and all that marble must weigh heavy.
As soon as he felt the ground shook less, Izik was quick to hide himself in the bush, trying to quiet down his breathing. Izik could feel the heavy footsteps on the ground as the lion was getting closer. Taking a deep breath, Izik stopped himself from breathing. His lungs felt like bursting.
What else can he do, really? He was just a normal person. He has no ability whatsoever.
The moment that marble lion saw him he's done.
Izik hated the entire situation. He hated being backed in the corner. He hated crouching down and being scared.
He never liked that he can't do anything but run away.
The heavy steps were getting closer.
Closer.
And closer.
He's going to die, Izik thought.
Just as he felt like his entire being was shutting down because of fear, he felt something warm on his neck. It quickly intensified and suddenly it felt like something is burning. Izik landed rather ungracefully on the ground as something on his neck began glowing so bright. The light was so strong. Almost blinding.
Confused and horrified, he immediately covered it up with his hand but the light seeped through the spaces between his fingers.
What is going on?
He wasn't able to think more when he heard the loud roar of the lion coming few feet from him and Izik was now covered by its huge shadow.