The pond was dark filled from algae. Alex could hardly see anything. But cautious that he is, he throws a stone from a far.
The Snake was just below the surface waiting for Alex like a predator.
Alex takes out his dagger as his heart started beating fast. Why do I feel so uneasy. The possibility of a monster inside is highly likely. I have to be careful.
Alex imagines a crocodile jumping from the pond and charges at him, and thinking how he would handle the situation.
Soon he hears a noise, the snake immediately jumps at Alex, just like he imagined, he dodges the snake while slashing his dagger at the snake.
The snake's skin was extremely hard, the dagger did no damage.
The snake pounds at him once again but with much more force and speed. Quick Dash! Alex barely dodges it.
The impact was so great that the snake creates a huge hole from that attack.
The snake spits it's poison at Alex, like a wave of green water, it slashes all on Alex.
But unfortunately the poison was more or less useless against Alex and he keeps running like nothing happened, fully covered in poison.
The snake wips it's tails towards Alex, he somehow dodges the first wave but the second wave came instantly sending him 30 feet far unto a tree. Alex was sprouting blood from his mouth. Barely able to stand up, Alex stares at the snake. "I should get out of here as soon as possible"
The snake retracts it's tail and swings it from the top, aiming to crush Alex's body onto the ground. Quick Dash! Alex uses his every bit of speed to jump from the area.
Boom!
The entire place turned dust, barely able to stand up Alex starts running.
But Alex soon falls down, his body stopped moving by it's own and he looses consciousness.
[Warning! The poison is too high for the Poison Resistance to handle]
It was point blank dark. Alex couldn't see anything or move his body.
Far away, he could hear screams coming from above. It was Ethan full of tears falling down from the top of the cliff. Behind Ethan was a huge 15 foot dark monster holding a mace full of spikes. With sudden swing, Ethan dies instantly. His blood was falling down to Alex's face.
"Noooooooo" Alex shouts in pure agony till his voice cracked.
Alex wakes up immediately.
[Poison Resistance has leveled up]
[Poison Resistance: Level 3]
A man was looking at Alex with an irked face. "Man you're so annoying"
"Who are you" Alex raises his dagger and straightens his body.
"Relax, I'm not your enemy"
"What happened to the snake I fought earlier" Alex didn't lowered his guard at all.
"Oh that! It was me"
"I see." Alex immediately believes him and lowers his sword.
'That unsettling feeling I got earlier, he is definitely the snake'
"Why didn't you finish me off"
"Cause you are wierd"
"How so?"
"Not only did you resisted against my poison, you survived this place with such weak body."
"I have never met a human like you. Just who are you" Alex just cluelessly stares at the man who was pointing his fingers on Alex's forehead.
"I see, is that the only reason you let me live" Alex annoyed, pushes away the pointed fingers.
"That's right"
"You might regret letting me live you know?"
"I can kill you anytime if I want to" The man grins with confidence.
"I see, you do look very strong"
"You do have good eyes, you're a smart man. Hahaha" The man pats on Alex's back forgetting Alex's back was still injured.
Alex quietly shrugs the pain. 'It doesn't hurt at all'
Anyway, Alex's mind was now completely out of touch, he was thinking about Ethan and Joshua. After seeing Ethan die right in front of him, this was his first wake up call.
'I need to find them as soon as possible'
"Btw, Why can't I see any humans here, where are we?"
After a brief silence, the man smiles. "This is the land of the most fearsome beings to ever exist"
"No human ever dare come close in here, if they do, they meet their untimely dead here."
The man spoke with more and more enthusiasm the longer he continued.
"This is known as The Heart Of The Abyss where rulers from all beings gathers."
"Sounds so splendid and majestic"
"Yes, you are right. You're a smart man I'm starting to like you haha." The man pats on Alex's back again.
"I've been in this place for more than a week, I did met some dangerous beings but I even met extremely weak creatures too. Is there a reason for it?"
"Oh that...." The man smiles sinisterly.
"It's because this is the surface level" Alex immediately knew what he was trying to say. His eyes widened in both fear and awe.
All this time he saw underground cave with steam of water, goblins hiding inside a large cave that he didn't had the chance to explore, or the aura he sensed from the almost unseen monsters. Other than them being in underground, Alex couldn't find a better conclusion.
But still he had to confirm his doubts.
"What do you mean by surface level?"
"Are you stupid?" The man looks at Alex with blank white eyes. "I'm just kidding, haha"
"See the truth with your own eyes" The man taps his fingers and soon another snake comes out of the pond. He wasn't has large as this man, but was still quite large.
"How long can you hold your breath?" The man asks Alex with a stern face, he wasn't smiling anymore.
"2 minute maybe"
"Double it and hold on for 5 minute. Now get on the guard snake's back"
"What?? Nooo I'll di-" The man pushes Alex towards the snake.
"Hold my back tightly" The guard speaks with a serious face.
They went inside the water instantly, the snake was swimming under fast extremely fast. Forget about 2 minutes, Alex might not even last 1 minute.
The man just waves a goodbye staring at Alex.
The pond was extremely deep, on the edge of the water, there was a small hole. The snake immediately goes inside it. Alex was barely holding his breath, his entire face was getting red.
Finally after long 6 minutes of journey they reach deep into a cave.
Huff Huff
For almost a minute Alex just lies on the ground helplessly drenched in water.
The snake gives Alex something wrapped in a leaf. "Sir Kai gave you a farewell gift. The snake with irritated expression throws it on the ground. As if saying to pick it up yourself.
The guard goes back to the pond.
When Alex checks the gift, it was a shirt made up of a snake's skin, a pant and a pair of shoes. It was hard and sturdy. But since Alex's clothes were in extremely bad condition this was the only best thing he could wear.
Alex was having a hard time adjusting to the clothes, it wasn't comfortable at all and all it's spikes were hurting Alex's fragile skin, he was just a mere human after all. But surprising he could move both his arms and stretch his body flexibly with no issue.
After the long adjustments, finally his attention focus towards the cave.
Before the guard left earlier when Alex was sleeping from drowning, the guard said some words that Alex realises just now.
"There are more than 100 floors, I heard one of the 20th floors leads to the human world. Good luck human. Not that you're gonna last the first floor itself."
Alex was also given a small piece of bread just besides the shoes.
The shoes were also made up of snake's skin. Surprisingly it was extremely comfortable. Alex felt he could run even faster now. Rather the old shoes were being a burden, it had lost a chunk of it's grips.
Soon he hears a noise deep into the cave. After walking for a little while, he comes towards the end of the entrance.
It was a huge place deep inside the cave. Almost about 30 meters huge.
'Just where am I?'
Is this a dungeon?
Soon a weird skeleton attacks Alex from behind. The damage was too weak, and it didn't even scratch Alex especially considering he was wearing a hard cloth.
Alex just stands there watching the skeleton struggling to deal any damage.
Soon a group of three skeleton arrives, Alex just dodges the ones aimed at his vitals and takes all other damage.
"This is just the first layer" Is what Alex remembers as he was almost letting his guard down.
Out of nowhere, a skeleton from far away shots an arrow. Alex smoothly catches it with his hands. Right then another arrow comes flying from the opposite side. "I have to stay focused"
Soon a group of skeleton army was approaching towards Alex.
And behind them was a mysterious being leading them.
It was a Lich.
So this is only the first layer of the most dangerous place in this world. "I'm thrilled"