Chapter 24: The Central Authority
When i was finished, i looked over to see both Helmetmen getting rid of the rest of the mudskippers. As one Helmetman took one mudskipper each, i took the remaining one. Finally, the last of the mudskippers in this cave had died. "Ey, Freshie. You did pretty well. I didn't really expect you to do anything, but the Central Authority gives you thanks."
"Central Authority? Is that what you guys are?"
"Precisely. We originally came from the Central Luminant, hence the 'Central' Authority. We came here to bring peace, but we're running into issues with negotiating with Etrea. They're childish, and their entire kingdom is fucked."
"Ey, Freshie. Tell me your name, I'll make sure we'll tell our mates about you."
"Xavier Yuset"
"Nice to meet you, Yuset. I'm Brick Sahet. The other guy here is Kronk Kalashor."
"Who tf names their child Brick and Kronk? Their captains are probably having a laugh, having two of the goofy names in the entire army to be paired with each other. Yea, nice to meet you too, Brick and Kronk" I reply, trying to use everything in my power to hold back from laughing at their names.
"Farewell, Yuset! The Central Authority is pleased with your actions!" They say to me as they're making their leave. I stay behind, to look around. It's an odd cave. It stretches upwards and I can see sunlight from up top. There looks to be another opening up there but I can't seem to reach it. Further down the cave, there is a foul odour coming from the back. As i walk closer, holding my breath, i see a pool of what seems to be acid. This must be what it smells like in the average "Deepwoken Moderator's" lair.
I really want to explore more of this cave, but I don't have the capabilities to make it across without burning myself. Maybe I'll be able to find another way around later. Right now I've got to get used to this place. What's a bit unsettling is that i can feel a gaze. Somewhere, somehow. I can feel like something is observing me. It's not a hostile gaze, it's just someone watching me. Someone with the presence of nothing. Like a 'void'
Chapter 25: Opened Eyes and Ears
Upon powering up for the first time, you gain the ability to 'Hear'. I'm not sure how it works, but ever since I hit Power 1, I began to hear things I couldn't hear before. Like the breeze has a tune at which it blows, the campfire has a low pitch at which it crackles. It's almost as if it's a Song altogether. Although, there is a slight problem. Along with this ability to Hear, I can sense the presence of other people slightly better. The presence I'm feeling right now is like a Rested note in a Song. A faint tune where no sounds are omitted and no note is played, like a Void. I don't sense danger from this, this presence is only watching and observing me. I mustn't acknowledge it, and pretend I don't know.
I was distracted by the presence, i completely forgot what i should've asked to Brick and Kronk, how i need help finding that lost brother. But i'm not sure if they'll help me. They said that they were at war against the Kingdom of Etrea, and if they realise I'm looking for an Etrean then they might turn against me, they don't seem that strong, but i don't think I'll be able to handle two of em. It might be better for me to train myself and get stronger than rely on others. All the world's legends were said to train by themselves and go solo. Wouldn't wanna join a guild and suck em off just for some gear, only for me to lose it cuz I can't fight.
Chapter 26: Vipers Jaw
Erisia is a very calming place. It makes me forget the horrors which lie within, Bandits, Mudskippers and the "Freshie-Gripper" I've only heard stories from Mattheus back at Vigils. They travel in packs and are most commonly seen with black puppet-like strings attached to their bodies.
After walking around a bit, i find a ramp that resembles that of a staircase, but each stair is too large to take with on step and would look like you would have to climb it rather step on it. It wasn't too hard to climb and i got over it with slight difficulty. At the top, over to my left is two bandits guarding a passage that was blocked off by wooden planks to barricade it. I didn't feel like fighting any more bandits so I turned in the other direction. Over to my right, there stood a tree with another path over to its right. Walking over to the other path, hoping not to be seen by the bandits behind me, i see another path leading to a cave. It's right next to a cliff, so if i make one mistake it's all over. But i'm him so i hop over the small gaps and make it to the cave. Inside this cave, there are large clumps of sea barnacles or massive gobelettos. It's an odd sight, something you'd see right out of a roguelite game. I really want to poke my head in for a minute to get a closer look at these barnacle-looking things, i guess maybe a second wouldn't be too bad.
I take very quiet steps, being very cautious in case there are any more bandits or mudskippers in here. Up close, these massive gobelettos don't seem to be edible as regular-sized ones are. And sea barnacles don't look like this. My only other guess is coral, but coral doesn't look anywhere like this either. There's more around the corner so I'll probably check that out. Being cautious, i stick my head around the corner to see-
My eyes widened and my skin turns pale, colourless of life. There, standing just around the corner is a humanoid..." thing". I don't even know where this would fit into, whether it be a really big mudskipper that turned white or a shark that grew arms and legs. And it's got the gobelettos on its back. Shock comes over my whole body and i stumble to the ground, making a thud. The creature turns it's head and the eyes darkness darker than dark stare into my very soul. It lets out a cry, so deafening, i start to lose my mind. It's like its scratching into my consciousness and eating away at it. As i sit there petrified, i learn that it is too early for me to be here. My heart it pumping at atleast 90 bpm, there's nothing i can do...
Chapter 27: A Dance with Death
I need to run. There is no way I can win against this. I have to run. But I can't. My legs have given in to fear and my body is too heavy. This is the first time I've felt "True Fear". Fear of losing my life, all other times, I was somewhat prepared and I had an equal standing with my opponent. Now I feel absolutely none of that. It's over, maybe I wasn't the Deepwoken after all...
Nay, I refuse to be some whining little bitch. I'll show you how great I am. The lump of pure nightmare fuel is running towards me. But I can't move my legs, but I have to. I bite my lip and it kickstarts my heart back into action. I can feel it again, my legs, I can finally move it. Just as the thing was about to turn me into mush, I spring out of the way. Dodging the thing entirely and having it crash face-first into a wall making a loud rumble that shook throughout the whole cave. However, it wasn't stuck. It got up again and was gonna swing at me. But I ain't no bitch anymore and I can think straight. It looks like too big of an attack for me to parry it, so the next best thing is to dodge it which I've done successfully. I land in for a slash towards it's knees but i didn't see the leg come up at which I'd already realised in what danger i am. I didn't watch my tone properly and got kicked to the other side of the cave. I've never been kicked like this, this is very bad. I'm winded and i can't get enough air into my lungs for me to think rationally. All i can see is a dazy image of this thing coming closer and closer, grabbing my entire body ready to be eaten. All that motivation is lost in an instant. Perhaps, this is actually the end.
An opportunity had fallen into my lap. Currently, its grip is strengthening by the second, however, i see wounds on its hands done previously by another person who had lost their lives to this thing. Another thing is that it looks like it's missing a few teeth. This thing could be British. My brain is calculating several thousands of ways this could play out, and most of it is wrong. But i've figured out a way. One may call me crazy, but I've already lost my mind.
As this big white shark-looking idiot opens its mouth, treating me like some noodle to slurp, I execute my plan. The first action is to cut open its hand, or at least make it lose its grip. An easy slice to its wound left by a dead Pathfinder is easy enough and makes it drop me directly into its mouth. The next action is to slip right into its throat. With my luck and its poor teeth, I'm able to slip through the whole mouth without being chomped on. The deeper I go, the better. I'm nudged in quite firmly and I can start to feel its gag reflex coming in, trying to cough me out, but I've already got my sword stabbed directly into the throat. I can feel a hot aroma coming from inside. It must be the stomach acid that helps even more. Now everything is in place I can bring it out, my new signature move. 'Burning Servants!' I've had a lot of time to think of a name and this by far fits its action rather than the others I had thought of 'Fire Force', 'Five Guys', and 'Gay Gang'. The heat of this move burns so hot, I can start to smell the shark roasting which smells foul. But i have to keep going otherwise i don't know any other way to defeat it. I can feel it running around and trying to put out the fire within it as I bump up the heat, hotter and hotter until i can't even feel the temperature anymore. Not that i could ever feel my own heat i make. But i increase the intensity when suddenly- The stomach acid that had been boiling underneath me exploded all at once and flushed me out of it's mouth as its vomit.
I look back to see this thing roasted and vomit coming out. It looks like the whole inside has been cooked, i can see a bit of burnt meat coming out it was that hot. I really hope this thing doesn't somehow come back alive. I need to get out in case it does. I should probably go back to using the training equipment i left on the Schooner. And I'm not sensing that presence anymore, lucky me.
Chapter 27: Pathfinders Beginning
I ran so much, I couldn't even feel my legs anymore. They only exist to weigh me down instead to carry me. I could feel the difference between me and that bandit captain. I don't possess the current strength or combat knowledge to emerge victorious, which brings me ever so close to the fact that this is no longer a dream and that it's the physical reality. I was able to sense danger and determine the outcomes if I were to engage. This is a big problem, I had unfinished work back at Etris, and what's happened to my previous body that should be sleeping at the inn? Did it vanish when I spoke with the Voidmother? I have so many questions which are the least of my worries. I had come to this place unprepared but there's no point in pondering what already happened. I should ready myself in case of an emergency.
I regain my balance and begin to look around. I remember Innkeeper Mark talking to me about a place full of riches and forgotten mysteries. The Driftland Erisia. I'm not entirely sure if this is Erisia or just some other island that is similar, but there's a high chance it is Erisia. This island is known for striking a beginning for many Pathfinders. It was said to have drifted all the way from the Voidsea and had been stationed here in the Etrean Luminant for a long time. Many old artefacts lie all around this place waiting for people to discover them. I'm not interested in the artefacts, I don't even know my purpose here. But i probably need the training if i want to take down Goldency, after many years i can finally take matters into my own hands.
Hobbling around, i realised how dire the situation is right now. I'm most likely going to be stuck here for days upon days until I'm able to leave without being put into an even worse position. My first goal should be to find shelter or someplace where i can sleep without risk. There's a flight of stairs surrounded by pillars and stones that have aged through time. After the staircase, there looks to be a wall, but there are shorter more reachable walls that i could easily climb. As i climb up unto the ledge, there's an old ruin that looks like it had experienced the Great Drowning and had come back, barely still intact. Inside it, however, housed a squad of bandits that are identical to those earlier. Two brown-clothed bandits and one stronger-looking white-clothed one. This looks like a decent spot to camp out for now, just need to get rid of some insects.