In the corridor, Javier huddled, a bit disgruntled. He pulled out the small piece of paper he had snatched earlier.
To think the door would only open when the book meets the lantern. He sighs, glaring daggers at the annoying piece of paper he had nearly risked his life to get.
"And to think the next clue would be a coded message". Frustration creeped between his brows. How am I even supposed to decode this? He sighs,
"This is quite impossible, I might need a light source." He says out loud
Silence…
Clang!
Javier looked up, and a lantern came tumbling down right where he had just been sitting. Had he not moved away in time, he would have definitely been hit by the falling, surprisingly heavy metal. "That was close" he muttered
He brings out a blue pen from his pocket. "Glad i brought this with me".
All the items he needed were set, so he begins deciphering the message. It was a bit tricky at first if one didn't pay attention, but as Javier began to analyze it with utmost attention, he started to find the similarities.
On the paper sheet were six crossed lines similar to that used in playing Tik Tak Toe. A 3x3 grid, or 9-cell grid as known.
Three of those grids were at the top left, and three of them at the bottom right. The three boxes at the top left, each contained letters of the English alphabet, while the three grids at the bottom right, the first grid was all empty, the second was each filled with one dot, while the third was occupied with two dots.
Javier realized that the six grids were all in sync. The first grid at the top left had cells containing letter A to I, was something he matched with the first grid at the bottom right which were empty, and he did the same for the second top left grid with letters J to R with the bottom right grid containing one dot, and the third with letters S to Z with the bottom right containing two dots.
On the cross section were the actual messages for the clue to the next door. The grids at the edges of the paper were hints to figure out what they meant.
The actual messages were also cells. Some were empty, some contained one dot while others had two dots. Those cells were parts of the three grids on the bottom right.
And each cell in the message, when compared with the grid on the bottom right, and then the grid on the top left, meant a letter.
Javier starts to decipher the message and write them down.
"Lastly, a closed cell with no dots. That's E"
Now that that's done,
"The door with the first clue" was what the message read.
"You have got to be kidding me". Javier couldn't have been more bewildered. "I came all the way here only to go back to the start? What's the guarantee that I won't end up reliving all that's happened!?"
Clunk!
Chains collided together as they brought down a small board carrying a message.
{Time has no beginning nor end, only cycles}
"Fuck you". Javier frowns as he traces his way back to his first door, The Artisan's Workshop
Hidden gears were set in motion.
"Not to mention that Morim guy I have to find". And I'm starting to think this won't lead to the exit
Javier turns his head and side steps a blaring hot laser. It barely grazed his hair and had snipped off a few strands. "Damn"
He could still feel the burn by his cheek. But that was not all, more saws and scissors came zooming in at lightening speed.
He dodges the weapons casually at first but then with great effort as they continue to multiply in numbers plus the narrow hallway. Finally, he reaches the door from which he got the first clue.
Meanwhile, from the opposite direction was once again the punching glove which came at him with full speed but he blocked with one hand. "Don't get me more pissed than I already am"
The glove drew back and stayed still.
Javier sighs, opening the door with caution. "No traps huh"
He steps in, and on the entryway wasn't
{The Artisan's Workshop} as he had seen before, but now,
{The Door to Salvation}
"Bullshit," Javier says.
The room was practically empty, except by the edge where there was one lone desk with two daggers on it.
From Javier's experience inside these doors, a part of him didn't want to pick them up but-
"Fuck it" he picks up the daggers,
It's not called stealing.
Surprisingly, they didn't react otherwise, so he slips them into his Pockets? Boots?
"I'm used to taking weapons from portals, in my boots then". He keeps them and turns around. "Do I have to go back outside"
Javier walks back to the door which at some point had closed on its own and opens it.
As he had expected…not…, a radiant light engulfed his body and he was met with dark matter surrounding him when he opened his eyes. Right in front of him was a single door with only a yellow bulb hanging above it. On the entryway were a group of words written on a sign board,
{Level 2}
{Welcome to Hall Of The:
Silent Guards, where motionless, silent sentries only spring to life when you get too close}
"There's even a level two". At this point, nothing is surprising me anymore. I even had a hunch it won't lead to the exit
Javier unlocks the door and walks in. "And I haven't even seen anybody yet"
The corridor was even more narrow and packed with the silent guards on both sides with little to no space between them. "How am I supposed get through with this" he sighs in exasperation
There were no doors like before, and the guards were as numerous as his eyes could see. Most of the windows were blocked by the guards, but he could still see the outside. The sky was midnight blue, and the silvery moonlight spilled in from the glass. Beyond the window was a low garden with very few flowers and numerous shrubs.
"All the guards are holding weapons. Plus, the corridor is so narrow it's impossible to 'not get close' to them."
Perhaps because he had been talking, the long line of guards all snapped their armored helmets towards him.
Let's keep quiet for now. I suppose my only escape is to walk down the corridor.
Javier didn't mean it, he seriously didn't, when he quietly took a step forward only for the light thud of his boot to resound in the hallway. Two of the guards from both sides rushed at him with their sword and slammed down with brute force.
'I haven't even gotten near them yet!'
Swiftly, he pulls out his daggers and parries it only to be forced down. Their strength was soul crushing.
If they are just as strong as Sebas, I might have a little problem on my hands.
Javier ducks and escapes just in time before they could raise their swords again. A second after his escape, the guards froze in place, their swords hanging mid-air as if their short battle was paused and ended.
He contemplates taking his boots off but they would only get in the way if he tries to carry them with him. Plus, he's so inclined on not walking barefoot.
Javier moves again quietly, keeping his daggers on set.
This whole instance is rigged. I have a feeling they don't want me alive-
Plack!! A button had rolled to his side out of nowhere. "Shii-"
Two more guards, each from both sides of their lane moved in on Javier, slashing their swords at him. Javier barely avoids their attacks and retreats but they chase him down even through the narrow hallway. Javier used the tight space to his advantage, running along ceilings and the walls and landing more attacks.
This time, one of the guards had made contact with one of the previous guards who had frozen and it also, as if played in time, springs into motion, rushing for Javier.
…
Javier gasps for air. He had knocked down one guard, while the other two were frozen in place, motionless. The second round, the second round of guards had more time in action than the first two.
"This is getting tricky". He thinks, Their time spent 'alive' just might be increasing with each more that awakens.
Plus, currently, it's the noise that's waking them up and not close contact! Isn't this something that should have been disclosed with the rest of the info!? He could only ramble to himself
The more he walks between the guards on both sides, the more he thinks they're getting closer. "It's probably my imagination" he breaks a sweat. If they were to attack now that I've gone through nearly half the corridor, I don't think I will be able to hold them off.
"I don't want to be reduced to crawling on the floor". Javier whispered in discomfort as he crouched. All guards present turned their helmets towards him. Their expressionless helmets with gaping sides for eyes were terrifying and Javier gulped
Javier inwardly sighed the moment they stopped moving any further. He crawled all the way when he saw he couldn't continue walking without brushing his shoulders against the guards. He didn't crawl too long before taking sight of another section. But he knew better than to make haste in such a situation like this. After cautiously crawling his way through, he was about to enter the next section when the door slammed in his face.
I can never understand what's going on here. Javier stands up and dusts his clothes before opening the door. Sure, there was nothing wrong or off beyond it.
But it was always when he *attempts to walk in. The floor started to slope dangerously, causing Javier to tilt towards the guards at the left, while the guards at the right rammed into him.
I'll get crushed if I don't do something! He thought to himself,
Oh no, what a surprise, he fell on the guard behind him, and then the guard touched the other guard next to it, and then the other, and then the other. "Oh man"
Javier props himself steadily and weaves the ten plus swords that aim to claim his head. He immediately pushes the door open and runs inside, the other guards following after him but because of their number, a lot were stuck before they could even pass through.
"This section is pretty free" Javier relaxes. The second section's hallway wasn't narrow at all, although there were still a lot of guards on both sides. Not to mention the ones that were now following behind him.
But what was that? He couldn't have been more disturbed. The guards, even though he wasn't speaking, nor was he any closer to them, they picked up the pace on their slow movement. All twenty plus of them raise their swords, waiting for Javier to pass by.
If he doesn't move forward, the guards behind him will get him first, but if he does, the ones both in front and behind will attack him at the same time.
Javier turns around to face the guards behind him.
"Nothing has ever been so impossible in my life". He cheezed, "Emotionless guards with incredible strength and durability, fair enough. Not using my abilities, alright. Not enough space to maneuver, okay. Two small daggers…, no problem"
He takes up his weapons and positions them right in front of him, heaving a deep breath. "Bring it on"
The first guard came, Javier dodged its sword and slammed his dagger beneath its helmet. With great effort, he manages to knock the helmet over and the guard collapses right after.
He was now surrounded. Javier steps on the wall, launches himself into the middle of the enemies and slammed down his daggers once again, severing the helmet of another.
Javier expertly severs the helmets of the guards one after the other, but they weren't ending. The ones from the previous section, and the few that were now leaving their posts to join the fight. Their power and numbers were overwhelming so he had no choice but to leave the battle, and run for the entrance.
Avoiding any sort of contact was impossible, so where he could weave or dodge, he would, and where he would have to attack, shove aside, or climb or jump over, he would.
Finally, there was another door at the end of the hallway and hopefully it wasn't leading to another section.
Yeah, that hope was crushed.
The last guard stood right next to the door, a distance away from the rest of the guards, and at a glance he could tell it was very different from the rest.
The silent guard gently raises its two swords. The sword in its right hand, it gripped it tightly, leaned its body forward, held the sword back, and with full force lunged it straight at Javier.
Javier didn't have time to think and only acted reflexively. He slides his head to the side and the sword whooshed past him, cutting through the air, a few centimeters from his face.
The sword snipped small strands of his hair and left a slight cut on his ear that was barely noticeable. Strangely enough, the top part of his ear that was grazed previously had a light scar of the same size. Very little, it was almost like the small wound reopened.
Javier sighs in relief, having dodged that. He wasn't really feeling the pain from such a small cut so the thought of healing it later didn't occur to him. He draws out his daggers and prepares to attack.
The guard didn't move. It instead raises its arm with its palm spread wide.
Just as Javier was wondering what it was doing, he heard clanging noise zooming in from behind. The sword that was thrown earlier, so fast it went through the hordes of guards behind and slammed into the door to the previous section. Now, that same sword, as if being pulled by some unknown force, pulled back from the door, and once again went through the hoard of guards before zooming right at Javier where he weaves it by a hair's breadth and then landing in the hands of its master.
The guard, befitting of its silent name, made all actions without the slightest bit of noise. It spread its arms wide, its swords nearly meeting the opposite ends. Standing in front of the last door, as if indicating… You won't get past me
Javier had no intention to get down into a fight. The door was just past him so dealing any damage was futile, plus receiving any damage was even worse.
"Humm." Javier attempts luring the guard away, but it wouldn't budge a bit. With no other choice, he prepared to fight it. Meanwhile, the other guards were standing down, probably distancing themselves from their boss's fight, perhaps it's a default action, or just waiting for a command.
Let's not drag this too long. He dashes for the guard, or rather the door but the silent knight merely moves with inches, not taking any step too far from the door. It looked too heavy, and its armor was also too hard, Javier's attacks were having little to no effect on it.
It was unlike any other knight specter he had fought before. The ones from the previous underground instance were nowhere in strength near this, plus they were a little dumb.
Javier's original plan to lure the guard away was not working too well, so he changed tactics, and instead of luring it, he was going to break through.
Fortunately, the other guards were on standby and they didn't look like they were going to be joining the battle anytime soon.
Javier landed a series of attacks on the guard, but to be too careful, he refrained from using his leg in the combat. Any full force used would shatter his bones.
The fight was getting nowhere, and most importantly, he wondered, how much time is going in the real world? If it's like the previous instance, then that would be good. Only a few hours would have passed
I want to ask how to pass his level, but if I do, won't the guards behind launch for an attack due to the noise? He thought,
"It won't hurt to try." He muttered, "How can I pass this level" Javier asks out loud
The frozen guards made small movements and Javier flinched, but they didn't move any further and it was a very calming relief.
Javier looked about but there were no message boards. An idea suddenly comes to him and Javier reaches into his pockets and pulls out the board and piece of paper he had gotten as a clue from the previous level. He looks about for a sort of keyhole? Or something of the like to put the small board in-
"I'm really not good with daggers, but I'm getting there". Javier sighs, throwing away the board and paper piece. "It's kinda embarrassing to look for an alternative to get past. As an emperor, this is stepping on my pride"
Javier single-handedly cracked his knuckles, with his daggers in hand, he worked his shoulders and flexed his joints. "Let's get serious"
With his fastest speed, he dashed for the guard, maneuvered around the walls and ceilings and slammed his daggers down by the side of its helmet. That was the most reasonable point for an attack that would cause an effect, but the guard blocked it with a single sword, before swinging the other right at him.
In this battle, Javier's role was that of a pest. Constantly attacking his opponent and looking for an opening when they let their guard down. No one knows how long had passed when Javier made one last attempt-
As he came down from the ceiling, he spread his palms and placed it in front of the unaware guard-
Even if it was for a second- like it had always been before since entering here–
"Freeze". Javier said,
For just that one second, he released as much ice power as he could right at the guards helmet- freezing the whole thing and beyond expectations, all the way to its torso.
The guard was flustered, it didn't know how to react with its upper body stiff. 'Now's the time!' Javier made a run for it
After detecting the main guard had lost- or rather has been rendered immobile or unable to perform its work, the other guards sprang into motion the instant.
Despite their numbers, they wouldn't have been able to get to Javier given his own distance to the door. So they threw their swords one after the other.
Javier, who was by the door merely opened it and stepped inside before closing it slowly-
"Heh" He cackled, "Desperate bastards. Hehehe"
As he turns around, his laugh immediately turns into a sigh.
Beyond him was the familiar defending silence and a blanketing darkness, swallowing up… everything and nothing. All that stood in front of him was a wooden door, with a yellow bulb hanging on it.
Looks like something you would see in a deserted alleyway.
Just below the flickering bulb is an oval wooden board, carved carefully with the most beautiful of skill. On it, were the words;
{Level three}
{Welcome to Hall Of The:
Shadow puppets, where dark silhouettes who seem to move on their own accord, distract guests from real threats}
Seeing that everywhere led to nowhere, Javier wasn't so stupid as to roam about in the unknown. Nor wasn't he so sure that opening the door was the best choice. Afterall, was there a chance that he would eventually escape once he reaches the end of these levels? Would he have to result in using Hell's gate again? The fact that Hell had promised him a taste of death was what scares him, plus, what exactly is the 'real threat' in this door!?
There's too much that's not known, and too much to gamble on. But who was he, not to take on either?
Javier takes a step forward, and pushes open the door.
The first thing that caught his eye was the ultra fast blade that was just about to blind him.
Zoom!! The blade was so fast it cut through the air and split his eye horizontally in half!
It wasn't the blade that did it, but the wave left behind by it.
Someone was behind the blade, and had made an attempt to split his head in half. Seeing as it hadn't succeeded the first attempt, it fell back with its blade
Javier moved away, and was supposed to be met with the lonely darkness he had just stood in a few seconds ago but La!
His stepping backwards had no value, as he merely saw himself inside his next hallway, the Hall Of The Shadow Puppets.