As usual, Atlas followed his Stony Spirit's steps and, incredibly, found another room beyond the wall.
It was round and empty, with white walls made of reflective material. They looked like mirrors, yet not like them.
Atlas found it difficult to even look at them directly. Just one gaze toward them made his head spin.
"Bloody hell... what is this place?"
Ouuur... Ouuur...
Atlas was feeling incredibly strange. Even the energy inside his body was turbulent.
The most ridiculous thing was that the entrance was gone.
Connecting the dots, his suspicions about this room finally formed.
"Man, we ended up inside a formation. If you know a way out of this place, let's move."
With no choice left, Atlas jumped on the Stony Spirit's shoulder and patted his head.
He didn't know why, but somehow, his companion was connected with this place, so he decided to follow his lead.
Sure enough, the creature moved his feet in one direction, reaching the wall in a few seconds.
The creature proceeded relentlessly, and surprisingly, beyond what appeared to be a wall was another white room.
"This is definitely an Illusion Formation... and one of high level. The effects on my mind here are even stronger than before."
Room after room, the duo changed direction multiple times, following a logical pattern, but the question on Atlas's mind was, why his summoned creature knew this place so well?
The mysteries behind this place and his Stony Spirit were growing incredibly interesting, making Atlas look expectant about the future.
|||
"Shit... It's been hours, yet there is no end to this annoying passage."
Unlike Atlas's group, the creature didn't find the hidden passage and kept running straight. Unknowingly, he had just left behind the safest passage.
"The smell is more fragrant than before... I can't wait anymore..."
Stimulated by his desire, the creature's movements became flashier. Each step was so quick that it left behind an afterimage.
|||
"There is still no end?"
Who knows how many rooms they crossed?
Even Atlas lost count.
However, he was sure of one thing, the area around him was so dangerous that even a tiny glimpse would have led him to a gruesome death.
Atlas was keeping his eyes closed, leaving only his companion to watch the disturbing sight in front.
He could have used his Obsidian Eyes, yet he didn't dare now.
More than a day passed, and finally, the dangerous aura all around vanished.
Atlas felt more relieved now, but he was still a bit worried.
"Damn..."
His eyes opened only a tiny bit, yet what he could see was beyond his imagination.
"This place..."
Finally, Atlas stood up, looking around with wide eyes.
"Hey... old fellow, why did that thing look so similar to you?"
Atlas was clearly talking to his Stony Spirit, yet no answer came from his mouth besides some strange noises.
At the end of that long tunnel was a vast cave with walls made of the same material as the tunnel. It was such a well-lit place that there wasn't even a speck of darkness.
The room wasn't plain, but its ground gradually rose toward the center, where an immense plain of mud stood.
Right at the center of the cave lay something similar to a massive creature covered in dark-red rocks, minerals, and gems. It was bigger than his Stony spirit, yet the basic form was practically identical.
The creature was undoubtedly dead, looking at his pose and the aura of death all around.
"Old fellow... is that one of your Ancestors?"
Atlas spoke out his thoughts, trying to catch a minimal reaction from his companion, and sure enough, something happened.
As soon as the word 'Ancestors' came out, the Stony spirit started approaching the carcass slowly.
It didn't take long to reach the center, and when he stood just a few steps away, his massive body bowed toward the creature.
Atlas was standing by his side, watching this gesture with full respect.
"I was right..."
Since he was his master, there was no reason for him not to pay his respect. So, he bowed deeply, following his companion's example.
They stood there for a long minute and only moved when his Stony Spirit did.
Ouuur... Ouuur...
"Mmm... I don't know what you want, but I will not bother you. Do what you feel necessary..."
Atlas was greedy for treasures, yet he stepped back since it was somehow related to his companion.
Ouuur... Ouuur...
It seemed as if he wanted to tell him something, but there was no way Atlas could understand.
"Man... Little fellow... I don't know what you are telling me..."
Oooouuuuurrr...
This time, the noise was even louder and louder. It kept resonating around the cave and increasing in level.
The walls started vibrating, and the source of light hidden behind the layers began flashing.
Oooouuuuurrr... Oooouuuuurrr...
The sound kept getting stronger until even Atlas suffered from it.
"Damn..."
His ears started bleeding, and his mind started spinning.
Oooouuuuurrr... Oooouuuuurrr...
Another sound followed, but a bit more acute this time...
Ting...
Suddenly, the lights from the walls dimmed until they shut down completely.
A world of darkness and silence replaced the light and noise.
Atlas felt better, yet the situation was growing precarious.
"What now?"
A golden light appeared as he started looking around from the cave's center. It was right above the creature's body, a few steps from them.
Ting...
Another acute sound followed, and then a wave of golden light mixed with energy flared up from the light.
Atlas was forced back, yet his companion stood there like a mountain.
Ouurr...
The creature's voice came out again, and this time, someone or something answered his plead...
"Finally... someone has come..."
|||
The strange event occurred inside the cave, but the long tunnel was also affected.
Indeed, when the light from the wall disappeared, the illusionary formation in the tunnel became even more complex, especially for the poor creature who was still running like a madman inside.
Boom! Crack! Boom!
"Bloody Hell! Who is the bastard who turned off the lights... Damn, his lousy mother..."
The tunnel looked straight before, yet when filled with pure darkness, the creature kept bashing his head frequently, losing his direction very easily.
"Argh... Damn... Damn... It should be easy. I must follow the smell, and that's it. Then why do I keep hitting the walls?"
The creature was furious, alas he couldn't do anything about that...
|||
"Finally... someone has come..."
Atlas was shocked and kept looking stupidly in front because something in his heart was burning fiercely...
"Child... stand up... what lay in front of you is just an old remnant... there is no need to pay further consideration..."
Following his words, the Stony spirit stood up and fixed his gaze on the golden figure floating in the sky...
Ouuur...
As if shocked by that feeble sound, the golden light flickered and responded: "Young child… My name is Falerra, and I'm an Earth Spirit just like you!"