Chapter 39 - A Night of Terror in the Veil
Staring in fascination and horror at the view, Luke understood the true meaning of the name "Haunted City of Greed." Everywhere he looked, he saw various monsters that his mind couldn't fully process. The constant rain had already drenched him completely.
Anna remained silent, her eyes alert. The girls didn't say anything. Luke understood that making any noise here could attract dangerous things, and for a moment, a thought occurred to him:
"Did you spend days wandering here looking for people when you were teleported?" he whispered into Alice's ear.
Despite the loud noise of the rain and the thunder crashing in the sky, he didn't dare speak out loud.
"Yes. But I didn't find anyone besides Anna... at least not alive."
Anna continued to look down, her short red hair soaked, contrasting with the black curtain called the Veil. Luke looked at her and understood how difficult it must have been for the girl to walk for days alone in this place, trying to find someone.
Coming back here must have been a mix of emotions.
They started walking to avoid staying still for too long. According to Alice, it didn't matter if it was day or night outside the Veil because that place would remain in the same darkness and rain. The only difference was that when a major storm occurred, a thick fog would emerge, and walking in it was suicidal since visibility was nonexistent.
The trio moved while crouching and leaning against structures, heading towards the stone buildings. As they passed a house, Luke saw a sign saying "sewers" with an arrow. Alice ignored the sign, already knowing where the sewer entrance was and having a more accessible route.
The entire time, Luke remained alert, and the three didn't exchange any words, only whispering occasionally if they saw something passing by or when it was time to stop. Since Alice knew the way better, she led them, but even then, Luke could see her anxiety.
They moved further away from the edge of the Veil, heading towards the silo.
The rain didn't let up, its relentless rhythm soaking Lucan to the bone. He had to be careful not to step into puddles or knock over any broken parts of the houses or buildings they passed. According to Alice, the monsters living there were accustomed to the sound of the rain and could distinguish unusual noises. Even in the dark, he didn't dare light a torch. Luckily, his cloak slightly increased his range of visibility. They moved more easily thanks to the lightning illuminating the sky, occasionally lighting their path.
At one point, Alice froze and pointed to something standing near a corner. It was a hunched humanoid creature, hairless and entirely brown, with what appeared to be a beard but were actually bone-colored branches hanging from its cheeks. The Peculiar-ranked monster moved cautiously, looking up occasionally. Luke saw that they might be able to defeat it if they worked together, but the problem was that if the monster screamed... they would be dead.
Alice pointed to a nearby hole. She dove into it, followed by Anna. Faced with the choice of staying in front of the approaching monster or following them, Luke jumped into the hole. Alice quickly ran a little further and threw the wolf pelt over the hole like a blanket to cover it.
The hole was tight at the entrance and was located in a corner near a house amidst some debris, but inside it was a small cave that could easily fit about eight people.
The trio remained silent for a while. No one dared to speak in the darkness, knowing that a monster like that was roaming nearby.
After some time, Luke felt someone squeeze his shoulder. Alice leaned into his ear and said, "Fire..."
He nodded and summoned the torch.
He worried about the torchlight, but as the wolf pelt was thick and covered the hole well, he felt more at ease.
"I lived sleeping in these holes back then..." she commented. "Don't worry, the wolf pelt won't fly away. I stretched it well and tied some rocks to weigh it down and left them outside right on top of the hole. It covers it nicely," she whispered.
"O-okay," Anna stuttered, agreeing.
She's just a simple girl. Even I had to struggle not to break my mind in this world... imagine falling into this part of the city.
"We'll stay here for a while; we can't risk that monster roaming this area."
"What if it takes too long or more of them come?" Luke asked.
She pondered for a moment.
"At least we have plenty of water and food for about two weeks..."
"Alright..." Luke agreed, accepting the situation.
"Let's think positively," Anna said, still fearful but trying to be optimistic.
"Don't worry, I can simply phase part of my eye with intangibility and check the area. We won't even need to move the pelt covering the hole."
"True," Anna murmured, smiling a bit.
A silence settled over the place.
It's freezing and I'm completely soaked.
Luke stared into the darkness for a while. The torch's heat wasn't enough to keep warm. He took off his cloak and remained in his damp underwear.
Occasionally, he heard something moving nearby, sometimes grunting, then the sound would disappear, leaving only the rain's noise.
He wanted to offer to keep watch so they could rest, but he realized that if something happened, there wasn't much they could do... they were trapped in a hole with no way out. If a monster wanted to get in, they had nowhere to go.
At least I can just phase through the wall here and try to escape. I could jump and try to phase through the ceiling. I think we're under a house...
"Luke," breaking the deafening silence, Anna spoke while staring at the fire.
"It's your first time in the Oblique World, isn't it?"
For a few seconds, he marveled at the fact that they were having a normal conversation amidst the surrounding horror, even if the topic wasn't that ordinary.
"Yes... and it'll be the last, I'm never coming back," he laughed.
"I see..."
Luke could feel that the girl wanted to start a conversation to ease the tension.
"I don't understand you Deviants. Did you train at the academy to come here?" he tried to keep the conversation going, sensing that she needed the distraction more than he did.
"I never wanted this, but every Deviant has to go to the academy. After my powers awakened, I didn't have much choice, but I never thought I'd be in a situation like this. We learn to use our powers and about this world. There are many who aspire to the profession while studying there. You can also be a Deviant without having to come to the Oblique World, like my ability. I can be useful in human society on Earth or here by joining a House, for example."
"But by joining a House, wouldn't you be required to go on expeditions and such?"
"Yes. But it's different; our situation is unique. Most Deviants, even the independents, stay in mapped regions and cities controlled by each House. If you stay in those places, you won't suffer as much as we are now. You can simply take on some missions available at the House guild or do whatever you want... explore ruins, clear dungeons, hunt treasures, monsters, items, cards... join a group, and so on."
"It does have its charm," he joked.
"There are even people who save up money to buy a house in the kingdom. The process is complicated, and you need to be associated with a House, but there are people who live in this world full-time. They are full-time Deviants… there are all kinds of jobs. I want to visit the kingdom where humanity migrated and established itself," Anna explained.
"Seems like I was unlucky that my first time stepping into this place wasn't to behold the wonders of this world…" Luke remarked.
Anna laughed, while Alice remained silent, resting.
"I thought you were one of those independent Deviants when I first saw you," Anna commented.
"Me?" he was surprised. "But why?"
She laughed again. "You came out of the woods all bloody and beaten up. I got scared and tried to intimidate you a bit... and you just turned around and went to sleep," she recounted, laughing, then teased Luke about how he looked like a vagrant.
"Alright, alright, I'm tired of being teased here. Miss 'Identify yourself,'" he mimicked her serious tone.
"Hey, I had to try to sound confident... and that's the standard phrase taught at the academy…" she defended.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop," Luke laughed.
"But what about you? It must have been tough. Just thrown from your Inner Self to here with no knowledge at all," Anna sympathized.
"Yeah, tough is an understatement…"
"How old are you?"
"I'm 16, and you?"
"15."
Man, she's just a kid living through this... how harsh. I never asked her age, always preferred to steer the conversation away from personal life. I might be a year older than her, but I can take care of myself. For her, a regular girl living with her family, this must be so difficult.
"Maybe when we get back, we can be in the same class," she suggested.
"Really? But you're younger than me…"
"Don't worry, silly. Everyone starts in the first year of the academy when their powers awaken, regardless of age. They learn survival, archery, fencing, and other things. I even learned to swim."
"What about the nobles?"
"Well, if you're a noble, you already know most things. They come from Deviant families, but it's still tradition for them to attend the Academy on Earth. It's good for people like us to learn these things. Of course, we're not as good as they are. The academy also lets you meet new people, whether from Earth or the Kingdom of Ignisia. You can get recruited into a House, enlist in the kingdom's army, and other things. Maybe even get a spot in the Academy of the Oblique World."
"Hey, do you work in public relations for the kingdom? You're almost convincing me," Lucan joked.
She laughed.
"Speaking of which, how was your encounter with your Inner God?" Lucan asked.
"Shh!" Alice appeared, signaling for silence, and then whispered, "Someone's coming."