After resting for a while, they decided to venture out.
Kyle was now in the front and Ray in the middle. Matt was also in the middle where he could protect.
The moment they stepped back into the fog, they were attacked by monsters which had sharp claws.
"Be careful everyone. Look out foe its claws."
Shouted Kyle as she engaged in combat.
Matt drew his shield up, Lily fought with her daggers as her bow was broken, Tidlen was shooting mana and I was fighting the creatures that came past Kyle while also aiding her when needed.
Everyone was desperate. We were tired and also our supplies were running low.
We slowly advanced withstanding the continuous barrage of attacks. But they suddenly stopped.
We found another larger room which seemed to be devoid of monsters.
We entered as cautiously as possible. This time walls seemed to be made from a different material.
Was it glass?
"Another place without monsters…I don't understand what's going on.''
Matt uttered the common question.
We slowly waked around the place still careful. And decided it as safe.
"Let's see if we can find any clues. Tidlen."
Tidlen used fire to light up the place.
Unlike the other room, this one had other objects and not completely empty.
There were remains of tables, big machine like things made of a different material, there were even chairs.
"This cannot be a ruin, can it? I mean all these instruments are not what you find in a ruin."
"Lily is right. This is not a ruin. It feels more like withering manmade structure."
"Guys, come look here. This may be a map."
They all headed towards Ray.
It was a complicated map filled with writings in languages they couldn't understand.
"Ha…this is Matt's area of expertise. What do you think Matt?"
Hearing that Matt who had been feeling useless till now regained his energy.
"Hmm…this looks the map of this whole area. And these small areas, seem to be evenly placed around this central area…and there is a path leading to somewhere from one of the rooms. We are currently in this bigger room. And from here we must go right."
They all decided going to that other passage way was the most promising act.
After they scoured the place once more, they headed towards the other room.
But this time, they were not attacked. What was more puzzling being that they could hear slashing sounds.
The fog confused their sense of hearing.
Yet they continued, swords ready.
After a while of walking, they reached the room. Yet the sound only grew.
They slowly entered the room, and Tidlen immediately light it up.
And there it was the pathway just as the map.
"Is this the right path?"
Lily asked unsure.
"Well, we don't have a better alternative now, do we?"
"Right…"
Everyone was fatigued.
They slowly ventured into the small passage. And the sound of slashing started to become more vivid.
The tiled path gave way to stairs. As they reached the end of the stairs, they could feel the walls and ground shake.
"Be alert everyone. Something's happening."
Everyone instantly drew their weapons as per their leader command.
The moment Kyle, stepped foot on the last stair, she immediately retreated. And with a sound the place with her foot was slashed.
Seeing that Matt immediately thrust his shield forward. Tidlen fired ice crystals at the figure piercing I through the heart and it fell.
They advanced in formation prepared for anything. They were continuously attacked by giant figures against whom they defended with all they had.
One by one they killed the giants. Yet only more came. It seemed never ending. They had no choice but to endure.
As the battle continued everyone were exhausted. Their weapons chipped. Battered and bruised they continued to advance.
***
Everyone was exhausted, injured and losing hope. Fighting for days without food since we were forcefully teleported.
I slashed continuously at the monsters, but I too was getting exhausted. Others were already at their limit.
The only way to survive was for me to get enough mana to use my presence
I have been saving it. But I need more innate mana. The one that we get after killing monsters.
'Just a bit more. Just a few'
I see Matt is losing.
'I need to go there'
I stabbed the creature in front of me and ran towards Matt. He was blocking its attacks with his everything avoiding injury to his vitals.
I decapacitated it with all my strength. But immediately after I was attacked by another one.
'just a couple more.'
I dodged its strike and stabbed its neck part. And then I saw Kyle was getting attacked from both sides.
I blocked one of the monster's strikes directed towards kyle, and Kyle killed it while I killed the other one.
Lily was kneeling with one leg breathless and Tidlen was out of mana.
Just as I killed another one, I felt that now I had enough of mana.
Immediately my eyes glowed bright blue, my horns became visible and everything came to a standstill. The monsters that were attacking all froze and started to quiver.
***
[To be continued]