Our findings in this little area had us baffled, wondering why the writer of this book was so adamant about creating a Chimera. From what I know, a Chimera is an amalgamation of different animal parts. Usually, when a person is creating a Chimera, it is their goal to create the perfect being suited for whatever plan they have in mind. In Greek mythology, however, it's a mythical being that can breathe fire and has the body of a lion, the head of a goat, and a snake head for a tail. Whichever one this person was trying to create, the outcome wasn't pretty.
"Laila, this isn't good at all," Isaac said nervously. "Chimeras are strong as shit once they are completed. Hell, even an incomplete one is troubling."
"You're not wrong, but what I want to know is why would this psycho kidnap the blacksmith?"
Isaac snapped his fingers and said, "I think I know why. Remember what Solgen said earlier while we were walking through town?"
"What she said earlier…? Oh! When she said the blacksmith was also an inventor?"
Isaac gave me the thumbs up. "Bingo! The psycho probably wanted the blacksmith to build something related to its Chimera project. It makes the most sense, no?"
That's the most likely outcome. Reading the logs this individual created and how long this research has been going on, and the recent disappearance of the blacksmith…
I turned to Isaac. "Isaac, if my hunch is correct, then its experiment is almost comp-"
I heard the faint jangling of bones being twirled around, coming from a wooden door I hadn't noticed earlier.
"Isaac, follow me!" I hissed as I pointed at the door we had entered from. He nodded his head and placed the leather book back in its compartment on the bookshelf. We both hid behind the closed door, ears pressed against it. There was a loud creak and then a bang as a door was forcibly opened. We sucked in our breath, daring not to make a sound.
Whatever was inside stumbled around the room. I could make out the rustle of books and papers being handled. It only took a few minutes, but their footsteps retreated to wherever they came from. I motioned to Isaac to wait for a couple of minutes, just in case. After time was up, I slowly cracked open the door and sighed in relief as the coast was clear. We walked up toward the desk and shelves, quickly recognizing what was taken. Where a book once stood was a small gap filled with cobwebs and dust.
"They took the book. That could only mean one thing," said Isaac, scratching his hair. We both stared at the door where the skeletons had busted through, and both blurted out the same sentence.
"The Chimera may be near its completion…"
****
"I don't hear anything behind this door," I whispered while inspecting the new door. Since there was no peephole we can use to look through, we had to be extra careful not to trigger any traps or alarms. Isaac cracked open the door and peered inside, revealing a wide stone hallway.
"No undead here. I'll take the lead. Oh, by the way, I won't use my finger lighter. Don't want to alert the undead and whatnot," he said carefully. I stepped aside, letting my brother pass. We both pulled out our weapons from the Inventory and cautiously crept through the corridor. There were no sources of light here, but that didn't matter. While the [Night Vision] level is low, it somewhat helped. Isaac and I could make out a brittle skeleton that was slouched over a wall with many holes in its skull. Probably the work of a thick needle. The air was thick with the acrid smell of rotten eggs baking in the sun. Pieces of rock residue fell from the ceiling. From above, palm-sized spiders with fingers as legs scuttled across the ceiling.
I covered the bridge of my nose with my hand, gagging. "Ugh, this freak was experimenting on spiders, too?"
While I was thinking of what else this bastard was cooking down here, I bumped into Isaac once again.
"Ow… Why'd you stop?" I muttered. He put a finger to his lips and pointed at two heavily armed skeletons guarding a rusted iron door. Both were wearing iron helmets, and in their bony hands were a rusted sword and shield. When I laid my eyes on the undead, I instantly aimed for their heads with my magic. Two blades were lodged right in their cranium. The skeletons crumbled into a heap of bones.
"Nice. Just in case…"
Isaac hopped over to the fallen bones and bashed them with the hilt of his sword, turning them into a pile of white powder. "Don't want them stabbing us from behind, acting dead. Well, deader."
I gave him the thumbs up for his cleverness. "They were guarding this metal door here. Something important is behind here, right?"
"Dunno," he shrugged. Isaac stepped aside as I pressed my ear against the cold iron. I heard muffled noises behind the door.
"I think we finally found them. I hear two voices. One of them is probably the blacksmith. What do we do now?"
Isaac glanced around the dark corridor. "Hm… This is the only entrance, and we cannot sneak inside. The only option is to bust through!"
I pondered his idea for a moment. "True… We have no other choice. On the count of three."
Isaac agreed with my plan and got into position. I held up my fingers to start the countdown. Before I reached the count of three, the iron gate was unexpectedly flung open. I couldn't process what happened as a decayed hand suddenly grabbed my face and threw me across the room with the strength of a gorilla. The sudden drop sent my stomach lurching as I plummeted towards the hard ground. I winced in pain as I landed right on my back… Again.
"Laila!" I heard Isaac shout. His voice sounded distant, but not long after, he met the same fate as I and was hurled right next to me. Looking up, we were thrown into a circular underground pit. A tall figure stared down at us from above the pit. I couldn't see its face, as it was wearing a raggedy black robe.
"Why are you humans so far from home?"
Its voice sounded raspy- cold, but powerful. The dark mana I felt from the entrance is emanating from this figure.
"While it may be earlier than expected, luck has fallen from grace itself. They were supposed to procure the goods later, but this will do nicely… kekekeke…"
Its laugh didn't sound normal, almost like sandpaper scraping against chalk. I sprang up from the ground and attempted to strike the veiled person before they could gain the advantage.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the figure snarled. When I reached the peak of the pit, a mysterious force that I couldn't see stopped me. Just as my head made contact, a flash of electricity arched across my body and I painfully bounced off it, landing right next to Isaac.
"Ow! What the hell was that?" I yelped, rubbing my head.
The figure cackled wildly at my struggling. "It's a barrier I created using my mana. No matter how hard you try to break it, it will not budge. The reason for that is this!"
It muttered an incantation. What followed suit were groans coming from all directions of the pit. The sounds coming from behind the walls were distorted and muffled, like a distant echo.
"Good luck dealing with my failed experiments. I would kill you myself and harvest your organs, but there are more important matters at hand."
It was for a moment, but I heard some muffling on top of the pit. The creature then disappeared into a cloud of black smoke.
"Laila, here come the undead!" Isaac warned.
Four small sections of the walls descended. A mass of undead spilled out, a mixture of both monsters and humanoids, and each had small horns protruding from their skulls, reminiscent of those in Morgac's village. Their rotting corpses almost made me vomit. Just looking at their flaky skin and half-deformed faces…
"I-I think I'm going to be sick..."
"Stop paying attention to how they look and start hacking away!" My brother snapped.
Isaac was busy slicing the heads of many undead with a face full of concentration. I followed his lead and stabbed the head of a quadruped monster with a skeletal head bigger than its torso. A humanoid lurched forward and tried to grab me from behind, but I sidestepped and sliced its head off. When I scanned around the pit, the flow of undead wasn't slowing down in the slightest. It was as if we were in the middle of a mosh pit filled with walking corpses, and no exit was in sight. No matter how many we kill, they just keep on coming. Just how do we get out of here?
I glanced back at Isaac, who was now lighting his enemies on fire. Their pale skin melted off their skeletons like a candle wax figure tossed in a fireplace. Isaac's chest heaved every time he spent his mana. I rushed on over while cutting through the hoard.
"Hey, you good? Save your mana for later!"
"You got a better idea? If not, I'll keep on using it," Isaac responded weakly. He then stabbed a flying undead spritsie that was gunning for his neck. A sea of sweat had formed on Isaac's brow. His panting was comparable to a dog stranded in the middle of a scorching desert. If Isaac continued fighting while draining his mana on the undead, he'll collapse eventually.
I bit my lip in frustration as I rack my brain about what to do. We can't simply jump out of the pit because of the invisible barrier, and we can't escape through the four openings that just opened. We also don't know what lies beyond them, so that's a hard no. It's either fight until all the seemingly endless undead are killed, or we die as they rip and tear through our flesh…
I looked up at the barrier erected above us and back at Isaac. I then remembered a conversation we had earlier about his magic.
"Isaac! Can you somehow manipulate a small portion of the barrier so we could jump on through?" I shouted, cutting through the torso of a three-legged lava fish.
He paused for a moment, thinking, and then smiled. "If you cut a path for me and hold them off while I work, then maybe."
I hastily scanned the area, looking for a spot with the least amount of undead, and found what I was searching for. A section on the right of us had monsters noticeably smaller than the rest. That seems like the best spot!
"Follow me!"
With a deep breath, I materialized one katana, thinking it should be enough to deal with them, and started plowing through the mob with swift movements. The sound of bones breaking, flesh being sliced into pieces, and heads flying in different directions was all I could make out from my killing spree. In under thirty seconds, we reached the edge of the pit.
"Alright, do your thing, Isaac!"
He stood behind me, arms out, and went to work. One skeleton tried to bite his left leg, but I quickly kicked the head off its shoulders like a soccer ball. Another one bumbled toward me with its empty eye sockets. My katana soared through the air and penetrated its skull. I felt my mana slowly slipping away as I repeated this process over and over again.
"Laila, I finished!" Isaac exclaimed. Glancing upward, a hole big enough for an adult to squeeze through was there. With one last slash, we quickly scaled the wall and fit through the gap before it sealed shut. I peered down into the pit, the undead growling and snarling as they clawed at the walls, their hungry eyes fixed on us. Before I had a chance to take a breath, the sound of Isaac's labored breaths made me freeze. He was clutching at his chest, the fabric of his shirt creasing from the tightness of his grasp.
"Oh crap, Isaac! Here, eat this!"
I snatched a mana crystal out of my Inventory and jammed it into his mouth. He gulped loudly, and a wave of calm washed over him as his breathing evened out and his grip relaxed.
"Damn! That barrier was extremely well built. It took a lot of my mana just to create a small opening. I don't want to do that ever again…"
The undead moans and nails scratching against the stone grew louder. I peered at the hole once more and said, "We can't rest here. That… thing took someone with him. I'm guessing it's the blacksmith…"
Isaac stood up while patting himself down. "How about we call that thing a Lich instead? Makes it easier, ya know?"
"Whatever. Get ready to move out."
Isaac gave me a small salute and peeped through the System while I surveyed our surroundings. Other than the pit next to us, this seems to be some sort of chamber. Very cramped, might I add. The floor was tiled, fashioned out of polished stone. The wooden torches on the walls cast shadows on the nearby walls, filling the room with a soft, gentle glow. In the room's corner were three arched bookcases embedded in the walls. In front of them was a mahogany table very similar to the one in the previous room, though it was empty. How the hell did the Lich leave this room? There are no exits here except for the iron gate. Did it teleport out?
"Hey Isaac, we'll have to climb up the hole we fell thr-"
A sudden bellow shook the ground and walls, startling me and interrupting my thoughts. A section of the ceiling above us suddenly cracked, and we heard the sound of stone raining down.
"We gotta get out of here!" Isaac and I shouted in unison. We both ran with all our might through the dark hallway, past the study room, and into the cell with the pile of decomposing carcasses. I went up first and climbed the wall, scaling it like an experienced rock climber thanks to the small grooves embedded within the stone. Emerging from the trapdoor, I glanced around the mineshaft and did not spot the Lich. I helped Isaac up, and we finally left the mineshaft just as the entrance caved in. The crisp, clean air made me feel so relaxed I just wanted to lie down and take a nap, but I knew I had to keep going.
"Where's the source of the rumbling..." I panted as my body drooped from all the exertion. I heard no answer coming out of my brother's mouth.
"Isaac?" I said, tilting my head upward. Isaac was facing the opposite direction and pointed to the top of the mountain we hiked before. What stood there made my jaw. A creature was unfurling its massive leathery wings, its upper body brimming with jade-like scales and two protruding horns atop its head. The lower body was a jumbled mess.It had the same thick tail as the salamander we had faced, and its body was a mismatched conglomeration of various creatures sewn together haphazardly. It was a grotesque sight. The monster howled to the skies, the sound piercing our ears like a thunderclap. The Chimera surveyed the hot region it found itself in, and its reptilian eyes spotted us.
"Um, Isaac. That thing is looking at us… right?"
"Yep…"
"Are you glad that you get to finally look at a real-life wyvern?"
Isaac's nose wrinkled his nose indignantly. "Ok, this doesn't count. It's not even a pure one. Just look at it!"
As if it heard Isaac bad-mouthing it, the Chimera released its wings, preparing to fly. A familiar feeling flashed before my brother's eyes.
"Oh shit, it's about to chase us, isn't it?" He said eagerly.
"Why are you getting exci- you know what? Nevermind. I don't have the energy to argue."
The Chimera flew towards us, its wings beating like the roar of a bullet train. We dodged sideways in the nick of time just as the Chimera crashed into the destroyed mineshaft. While I was pulling out my sword from the Inventory, Isaac was in the midst of slashing it as it struggled to escape the rubble.
"Damn, these scales are tough! I can only scratch it!" Isaac grimaced after every swing.
"Look for any weak spots then!"
The Chimera finally escaped from the wreckage and hissed at Isaac. It lunged at him, jaws outstretched, hoping to devour him whole, but Isaac leaped on top of it. Summoning a set of blades, I threw them at the Chimeras salamander tail. It proved to be effective as a black liquid squirted from the wounds. It screeched in pain.
"Isaac, cut the tail off! It doesn't have scales on that side!"
Isaac nodded at my order and jumped off the thrashing Chimera. He tried running around the Chimera to attack its blind spot, but the creature stopped moving and spun its massive body toward Isaac. Its throat started to expand. I could almost hear the temperature rise as the surrounding air grew thick and humid.
"Watch out for its breath attack!" I cried out desperately. It opened its maw wide and spewed hot red flames targeting Isaac. I could no longer see the silhouette of Isaac as his whole body was engulfed in flames.
"Oh no! Isaac!"
Knowing that its attention was on my brother, I dashed at its tail. Holding my blade high, I cut downward and severed its large tail. The Chimera stopped its flaming breath attack and swiped one of its claws at my chest. Its enormous claws just barely grazed my skin, and I stumbled backward from the acid-like pain in my chest. The Chimera eyed its severe injury and whimpered. It took off for the skies, its wings beating the air, stirring up a storm of dust and leaves.
"Is it thinking of running away?" I heard someone say nearby. When I looked to the left, I saw Isaac standing there, his arms crossed and his skin exposed from where his shirt had been burned away. Some parts of his skin were charcoal black, but he seemed okay.
I ran up to him and shook him furiously. "How the hell are you still standing when you were just burned alive!?"
"[Heat Resistance] mastery," Isaac answered while his head was bobbing back and forth like a bobblehead toy. You can thank the heat here. Also, its breath wasn't that hot, to begin with."
I forgot about the [Heat Resistance] mastery! How lucky!
"Laila, it's fleeing." Isaac pointed out. The Chimera was in fact fleeing. The monster was heading in the direction of the Wyvern Zone. Black blood was still oozing out of where its tail used to be, leaving behind a trail of the tar-like substance.
"Why not just leave it? It doesn't have much time to live since it'll die of blood loss."
Isaac glanced at me skeptically. "Did you forget? In the log, it mentioned its regenerative properties. As long as it has mana to spare, it will keep on living."
Ah, right. It did mention that. Thinking about it deeply, it's heading further within the Wyvern Zone. What if it can regain its mana by eating the wyverns?
"I don't think we can catch up to it. And I don't feel like venturing through a den of wyverns," I shrugged.
"Don't worry. I already crafted a masterful plan!" Isaac smiled.
I looked at my brother dubiously. "What's the plan?"
****
"Isaac, I don't know if my [Marksmanship] skill is enough for this…"
"Don't worry. With my help, you'll hit it."
I was holding a long spear I crafted using my mana. Basically, Isaac's plan was to use this spear to skewer the Chimera. In order to kill it in one shot, he will supply me with whatever mana he has left over and infuse it into the spear.
I steadied my aim, the target blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. I took a deep breath, and with all my strength, launched it at the fleeing Chimera. The spear hummed as it flew through the air like a jet engine. The Chimera detected the flood of mana behind it and attempted to move away, only to find its efforts futile. It exploded from the Impact; hunks of its body scattered the area. Isaac's boisterous laugh echoed across the valley.
"Hahaha! How'd you like that, huh? Once the spear made contact with a fire-breathing wyvern, I would trigger an explosion that could level an entire house if I wanted to! Am I a genius or what?!"
I rolled my eyes at Isaac's boasting. "Dude, did you forget about the Lich? We also still haven't found this blacksmith, ya know?"
"No need to look any further."
A husky voice snapped Isaac out of his little enjoyment, and he twirled around. A bald, burly man with a large backpack was strolling toward us. The man had a wild beard that descended to his chest, and his face had black smudges of soot. He wore a tool belt cinched around his wide waist, completed with a leather apron and a pair of steampunk goggles. A skeleton head was wrapped in his large, muscular arms.
"Are you the missing blacksmith?" I asked cautiously. The man gazed suspiciously at me and Isaac.
"U-Um, we were sent by Morgac to find you," I added in quickly. "He said that you were missing for a while and thought you got into some trouble…"
The man scratched his scruffy beard as he looked up at the sky. "Morgac? I thought I told that fool I didn't need any help. That youngster will receive a stern talking to…"
The head in the blacksmith's arms began to vibrate violently. "Release me this instant! Eventually, the Chimera I have created will tear through your flesh and rend you to smithereens!"
Isaac appeared over my shoulder as he looked on with glee. "Holy shit! Is that the Lich's head in your arm?"
"This? A Lich?" the blacksmith snorted, revealing teeth. "This sad sap is far from it. It's just like the rest of its creations, utter garbage."
"How dare a mere mortal call my inventions garbage! Soon, you will be overcome with a paralyzing fear!"
My brother walked over to the talking head, smiling wickedly.
"This little thing is harmless. Do whatever you wish with it," the blacksmith grunted.
Isaac nodded at the blacksmith's word. "Thanks, ya geezer. Hey, shithead. That Chimera you mentioned before? It was no big deal, as it's right now a smoking heap of fertilizer for the plants."
The skeleton shifted its gaze to Isaac. "You killed it? Imposs-"
Before it could finish, Isaac dropped the head on the ground and merely stomped on it, crushing it to pieces. Black smoke rose from the crushed head and spoke:
"Foolish humans… The Pillars will know of this and enact revenge on my behalf. You are only delaying the inevitable. It is only a matter of time until this planet faces destruction..."
In a puff of smoke, it disappeared into the empty air.
That was ominous… This thing was working for the Pillars? What plans do they have in mind if they want to create a Chimera? So many questions are now popping up inside my head. I'll ask Morgac about this later.
The blacksmith grabbed a napkin off his tool belt, using it to wipe away the soot that had accumulated on his goggles.
"Now then… Shall we head home?"