-Asher Frostblade's perspective.
I entered the gigantic temple, once the doors opened I looked all inside, although it was only a hallway and a room at the end, because the whole place was decorated as if a high class nobleman lived in this place.
Then I looked at the guardian, just looking at him gave me chills. It is obvious that that guardian has enormous power, but I am unable to tell how strong he is.
Then I looked at Encrid, who was walking beside me. With a murmur I spoke to him.
"How strong is it?"
"..."
Then his dark eyes stared at me.
"Eighth circle."
Then my eyes instantly widened.
I simply couldn't digest those words. My thoughts invaded me, but it was normal; simply seeing a being who has incredible power gives me a sense of admiration, but also discomfort.
My mind longs to be someone very strong, but it just needs time. I cannot become such a strong magician simply because I am thinking about it.
Of course, my goal is to be a tenth circle mage, but I'm not sure I'll ever reach that power either. I don't even know that much about this world, even though I know that strength is essential if I want the life I've always wanted.
"We arrived," the guardian spoke and then huge doors were in front of my eyes.
"Here is the Oz of Darkness."
Since the guardian had mentioned an Oz, I already knew what it was and what form it took, but what does a mage need a weapon for.
"The Oz of Darkness... It's one of my creations, called the seven weapons of calamity. They're so strong you can't even imagine their power."
"What's that for?"
"Your face says it all, you have that thinking face when you don't know something."
"..."
It's simply amazing how Encrid can read people's faces that easily.
"The seven weapons that once almost destroyed the world. Fortunately, the creator stored them in seven dungeons of times," the guardian spoke.
So, these seven weapons of calamity once became so powerful, then why did Encrid create these seven weapons?
One could simply say that it was a stupid idea to create these weapons that can even destroy the world.
"The dark ages were not something as simple as you think. Not only did the first mages of the tenth circle exist, such powerful beings also appeared in that era."
"So, there were also more tenth circle mages?"
"That's right, successor. The creator also created us to be able to fight those beings."
"When they refer to 'beings' it means they are..."
"Gods, it was a very long fight but we managed to wipe them out, and since then the seven weapons of calamity were hidden, and it was because of that war against those gods that it was called 'The Age of Darkness'."
I get it, so that era is not simple at all, it was a time where death was everywhere, even beings called gods were there.
The fact that the word "gods" is in this world means that you won't be at all sure to have a good life, but none of that matters to me.
"So, how many gods were there?"
"..."
The place was silent, but the guardian was the one who answered.
"There were seven, that's why there are the seven weapons of calamity, for it was those weapons that killed the seven gods."
"So, one of those guns is here?"
"Of course."
"What... Then it's not a joke, it really is here the Oz of Darkness." Encrid then spoke, but this time his expression was different.
He seemed to be surprised by the guardian's words.
"It's strange, I don't remember this place, but I remember the other places where the other weapons are."
"What do you mean?" then I asked in surprise.
"I'm not sure, but... I didn't remember this place."
It was a strange thing, because Encrid doesn't remember this dungeon, but he does remember the dungeons where the other calamity weapons are. Was there something that even he himself doesn't know about? So why does the guardian know some things that the creator of these weapons and guardians himself does not know about this dungeon?
Something was strange.
"So, successor and creator," then the guardian started walking.
I looked briefly at Encrid; he looked a little strange, but his face was the same as always, cold and emotionless.
So we kept walking until we came to a completely different door. This one had a sign on it; to be precise, it was that of an Oz, so I quickly knew what it was about.
"Here is one of the seven weapons that once killed the gods."
Then the guardian spoke and quickly began to open the door. A whirlwind of dark mana came out the instant the guardian opened the door.
My whole body tensed and the atmosphere felt denser; even breathing was heavy, as was standing still. My body was about to fall to the ground, but I tried not to do that. Then I took a few steps; I wanted to see that weapon that spilled the blood of a god. Then the three of us entered the room where the weapon was.
"That's..." My words didn't come out instantly, but I could see the weapon.
A crescent shaped curve, two colors I always saw, dark and purple, while purple lightning bolts shot out. The Oz was held by a statue that, after staring at it, was Encrid. The Oz was about ten feet long and the crescent-shaped blade was quite large, with a design that I could not describe in simple words.
The mana given off by the weapon was simply extremely huge; he couldn't sense any end to the amount of mana. It was as if all the mana in the world was right there.
He could simply feel an infinite mana that did not even end; it was something extremely thick. The whole room was filled with the dark mana that was circulating everywhere, circling around the Oz.
"It looks like... He hasn't held on since he killed one of the gods."
"So... Each weapon was the one that killed a god?"
"That's right... That's why there are seven weapons."
As I looked at the Oz, my eyes simply wouldn't take off. Then I took off the white mask and took a much better look; my red eyes and silver hair were thrown back the moment I took off the mask.
"It's amazing..."
"Of course it is, after all this weapon killed such a powerful being," the guardian spoke.
"Then how about you hold it? It won't cause you anything if you hold it. After all, only those that the creator allowed to hold these weapons would not do anything to you."
So I quickly walked and then I was right in front of the towering Oz. That's when my hands moved and I grabbed the bottom of the Oz's long grip.
***
-Scene change.
-Clara's perspective.
The sky was in an orange color while Alice was on the ground with half of her body, she was close to closing her eyes.
"Shit..." Was all she could say as her eyes closed.
"Muffled sound."
"Whistling."
Then the air hissed and the yellow flowers moved. It was when Dik and Alice opened their eyes, sweat, breath and their hearts pounding so hard that they could even be heard from far away. They had not died after all; they were simply inside an illusion created by this place.
Then Alicia looked at her hands and spoke.
"Already... I can't go on anymore..." Then she looked at Dik who was the same way.
"Stop your damn fear. If it wasn't for you, the illusions wouldn't affect us."
Alicia was already tired, after all it had been hours since the illusions were tormenting them.
It was frustrating for Alicia in this situation. She could not go on like this; they could even really die from being in an illusion.
Dying inside an illusion is possible. You can suffer physical symptoms with each death you are accumulating inside the illusion. That is why Alice is starting to get more and more frustrated.
She could not be in this condition. If she keeps this up, her own body will determine that she really is dead and then there she would really die.
"Damn... Even though we're getting closer to the cave, it's still far away."
In fact, Alice and Dik have been running every time they open their eyes after dying inside the illusion. That's why they are getting closer and closer, but it's still a long way off.
Then Alice looked towards the cave; there were about a hundred meters to go before she could get there.
"If I die twice more.... My body will take it as a real death and then..." Alicia stopped.
She didn't want to go on like this anymore. If her body takes Alicia's mentality as a death, then she will die for real.
It's dangerous, they only have two chances to get to that cave, but how?
How can they get there? Every three minutes the illusions appear, and it takes them two minutes to recover after waking up from the illusion, which takes time for the body to recompose itself.
Two minutes passed, and then Alice and Dik stared at each other....
"We have one minute to run fifty meters."
"We're so close we can't..."
"Rumble."
"Come on..."
The moment the ground shook, it was the signal for the two to start running as fast as possible.
The only thought in such a situation is simply to reach the destination awaiting them and arrive safely.
It was what motivated Alicia to keep running, as Dik could not control his fear. This was the only option they had to reach that teleportation door that was inside the cave. There were only a hundred more meters to go and they could get out of this illusory place.
"Rumble."
Alice and Dik looked back for a few seconds and then the death worm, with its large size, was right behind them as it chased them. Its speed was very fast and that's why Alicia and Dik always die. There is no use fighting against an illusion, after all, it is only an illusion that can appear at any time, something that is considered unlimited.
As they gasped, the death worm was getting closer and closer. The footsteps began to slow and then, finally, the death worm reached Dik.
"Shit, just a little..."
Then also Alice was swallowed by the death worm without even finishing her words.
"Whistling."
As expected, again the two opened their eyes. As usual, they could not move their bodies instantly. It was like a symptom after coming out of the illusion every time they died, which was very unfavorable for Alice.
"Well... Thirty meters to go."
Alice looked at the cave, her eyes shining when there were only thirty meters left. Her goal, the exit from this place, was so close.
Two minutes passed and again, Alicia and Dik stood up.
"Rumble."
"Come on, run as fast as you can."
Despite being inside an illusion, their bodies moved slightly, so every time they died they woke up on the ground. Since their body after running to its limits would fall to the ground, that's when they wake up and can't move for two minutes.
That's why when they start running towards the cave they are so tired and run slower, which is very hard for Alice to keep up such a pace, but that didn't matter anymore; their exit was less than thirty meters away.
"Rumble."
The death worm came out of the ground and began to follow Alicia and Dik.
Twenty.
Only twenty meters to go. Alicia was reaching her limit, as was Dik, but they kept at it.
Fifteen.
Their feet were beginning to not respond to them; exhaustion was near.
Ten.
With ten meters to go, their bodies began to weaken. The death worm was so close, if they died this time, they would die for real.
Five.
Then they were mere meters away from the cave and that was when a large door emitting a blue color was so close.
"Come on... Damn..."
"Rumble."
Then the worm's teeth began to appear on Alice's back, coming close.
Then she jumped, as did Dik, and then the monster's teeth were only inches away from reaching Alice. Then its big mouth reached halfway down Alice's body, but....
"Starburst."
They made it into the portal, and then the gaze of both of them darkened.
"Gasp."
"W-what... Happened?"
Then Alicia spoke and looked up. She was in a different place, surrounded by a green forest. The ground was cobblestone and it was then that her eyes opened after looking at a gigantic temple.
"I made it out."
Then I looked around and Dik was also seeing the same thing. Alicia then looked at the temple, but quickly her gaze dropped to the ground and....
"It's... Clara."
Quickly Alicia stood up without even thinking about it. The thought of seeing Clara on the ground gave her an impulse and she quickly got up, then ran to where Clara was. Alicia then walked over to Clara and examined her.
"She's only unconscious... But what about Asher...?"
"Mmm..."
Alicia then looked at Clara again. She was opening her eyes and a smile came over Alicia's face.
"What... What happened, where am I...?" Then Clara woke up, but she didn't know where she was, as if some memories of the place had been erased....