I lower myself down towards the abyss that is this cavern. With the Goddess providing lighting for me to see where I'm going down. From the looks of it we're really going down.
The deeper it goes the harder it is to see. But soon after I landed on the bottom with weapons ready in case of danger that rises from this path.
"This place is only one way you won't get lost." Lady Agata announces the situation for me to know ahead of time.
"Thanks for the heads up. I'll be going now." I lit up a torch for me to carry with a hatchet on my free hand in case something pops out and tries to kill me.
The air around this place feels very off. Eerie and something unusual for me to notice. The air isn't heavy enough that it chokes me but it's dense like it's saying something about this place.
The walls also got closer and closer until it became one hallway. I checked with my torch and it seems like we're in a place now of some sorts. And I have a feeling someone lives here.
"Careful, Alan I feel a powerful aura beyond that door at the end of the hall. It's magic that I cannot explain." Lady Agata warns me.
"We're in this too deep now and this is the only path here so our victim must be in this room." As I walked closer but carefully to the door.
I gently opened the door… And saw multiple corpses tied up and chained up on walls.
"Seems like some sick bastard used this place as a torture room." I looked at the table nearby with tools on it for torture.
"I can't deny it looks like it. But this room I can tell… Was used for rituals. I spotted a bookshelf full of spellbooks and magic circle guides. And from the condition of the corpses they died of Mana drain.
"So you're saying this room is more like..?" I asked.
"Like a big cauldron for a very powerful spell. From the magic circle here from the looks of it I can trace it being an offensive magic spell that might cause a catastrophe if used against a kingdom." Lady Agata replied.
I looked around while listening to Lady Agata's explanation when I heard a voice…
"H… Help… Me…" A soft spoken child voice I heard from one of the chained up victims.
"Lady Agata, I found the victim who's still alive!" I quickly rushed to the child chained up on the walls.
"Dear goodness! Let me help." Lady Agata immediately went to use healing magic on the poor child.
Who knows how long the kid was used to powering up this magic circle.
"What should we do to this child, Lady Agata?" I asked once again.
"First and foremost we need to bring this child back to normal. Then we'll proceed with planning." Lady Agata replied.
"Wait can't we just report this to the guild?" I asked once again.
"Don't not yet, I have a feeling something's off with that guild. For now Alan do your job first we've got company." Lady Agata pointed at the door.
"Got it, I'll protect both of you." I stood behind them to protect them.
To prevent any ricochet I'll be fighting with two hatchets.
"Come and get some, you rotten bastards." As undead monsters walked into the door.
Intercepting them will be my priority and preventing any of them from interfering with her healing. These undead monsters from the looks of it came from the entrance to try and catch us off guard while climbing but knowing we're still here they probably walked towards us.
For a normal trespasser might be game over now. But thankfully I learned a lot from my Father… Well indirectly that is.
"Alan give me a few minutes then we'll leave here." Instructed Lady Agata as she continues to heal the kid.
Swinging the hatchets left and right these undead beings are more resilient than normal. And a single crush on their head leaves them immobilized.
While I was fighting the horde of undead enemies I felt like I've seen this fight before or somewhere. Made me think about the memory I saw from one of the fragments that Father left behind.
Knocking out as many enemies as I could, crushing their skulls and slicing them up as much as possible. Going through tens or maybe a couple of dozens of them at a time.
"Lady Agata, you're finished there? I asked while busy fighting.
"Yes, we need to leave this place now!" Lady Agata replied as she carried the child.
"Alright let's go then." I opened my hand to place a spell on the room to Self-Destruct after we leave here.
It's best that no one returns here once and for all. After that I continued my assault forward towards the entrance where we needed to climb up. It's getting annoying that these undead beings are more powerful than those monsters up on the surface.
One-by-one these monsters dropped as soon as we near the wall where we dropped down.
"Lady Agata what now?" I asked while panting.
"Well we jump of course. Use your Physical Enhancing spell on yourself and jump!" Lady Agata uses her spell to jump high up from below.
"Ok, here goes nothing." I prepare myself to jump high.
As I leap up one of the undeads caught my left foot dragging me back down.
"Alan!" Shouted Lady Agata.
"Run now Lady Agata! I placed a Self-Destruct spell on this tunnel, leave now or you'll get hurt!" I shouted back.
"What about you?" Lady Agata retaliated.
"There's no time I'll find my way out, don't worry!" I replied.
"G-good luck then!" Lady Agata hesitated and ran with the child.
"Thinking I'm stuck here with you. Well, it's more like you're stuck here with ME!" As I say this the whole tunnel started to explode.
Quickly, I chanted barrier magic to push me up from the hole from the impact. Not the safest way to escape the cavern but it's sure of a blast.
With the force of the explosion pushing me outward I immediately saw Lady Agata and the kid looking up at me while I landed below the forest where we were supposed to meet later. Lady Agata immediately ran towards my position to know what happened.
"Alan what the heck did you just do!?" An angry Lady Agata started to scold me.
"I used the blast force of the explosion to push me out of the cavern while using Barrier magic to protect me from the blast." I gave her a smirk while patting myself out of the dust that accumulated from the explosion.
It was a calculated risk that it might fail but it was sure one helluva move. Though that plan wasn't actually made by me… It was from instinct that I did that probably from the influence of my Father's memory.
While Lady Agata gave me a deserved scolding I noticed that the child began to wake up. And I told Lady Agata about it. I distanced myself in case something horrible happens and I'm prepared to do anything.
That or the child gets overwhelmed and gets scared of me. Either way it's best for now that she handles this.
"Wh-who are you? Eek!" Soon as the girl wakes up she immediately drags herself back to the nearest tree seemingly showing signs of trauma.
"Oh, don't worry we won't hurt you." Lady Agata replied.
"Wait, that girl can see you, Lady Agata?" I asked.
"Seems like she's affiliated with Nature. Don't worry I'm your Goddess, I won't hurt you none of us will try to hurt you we saved you from that dungeon." Lady Agata convinces the little girl to relax a bit as I get close with an open stance trying not to convey aggressiveness.
"We wanna know what happened to you and what was that place." I asked the kid.
"Hngg…" The child hesitates.
"Alan, the child is cold, start a fire will you? I'll handle asking her questions." Lady Agata tries to comfort the child.
"Alright, sorry about asking. I'll go make our camp for tonight." I headed to collect some firewood.
I began collecting some rocks as well to make a simple makeshift fire pit. While I was making camp I can see the kid crying her heart out while being comforted by Lady Agata. Seems like the kid really went through tough times.
Not gonna like it's fucked up that these people used children to power their creation of some sorts or some spell from the looks of it. And knowing she's the only survivor among them will be a thorn in her mind.
I began preparing our dinner for tonight so I began cooking a simple porridge for the child. They saw me cooking and the kid from the looks of it is hungry.
"Come let's sit by my friend over there." Lady Agata brings the kid to the campsite.
"What's your name kid?" I asked.
"Connie…" Connie seems to be still shy around me.
I heard her stomach growl as I was pouring porridge on a bowl.
"You want some Connie?" I asked.
"Yes… Please?" Connie timidly replied.
"Here, but promise me you will eat it slowly. Or you won't get more if you eat it too quickly." I gave conditions about the food.
Lady Agata seems confused about it. But Connie nodded and ate her food slowly.
"Why did you give her a condition on how she eats her food?" Lady Agata asked.
"She's eating on a cold and empty stomach. If she eats too quickly she might get an upset stomach and vomit. It's best to eat it slowly and let the food warm her back to normal." I replied.
Lady Agata was intrigued by the knowledge I told her. And with that Connie relaxed for a while then headed to sleep soon after.
"So what's next, Lady Agata?" I asked as the sound of firewood crackled through the night.