The two went to went down the downstairs. And they were talking with each other. The plight downwards was more troublesome than they already think.
"The stairs! Man must we battle it first before battling the tyrant of the floor 2?" He asked Merlin. Merlin on the contrary was still up but panting. Doing a thumbs up on him then went slouching. Drained and exhausted.
Upon walking down this nearly never ending spiralling staircase, they concluded. This might become taxing as they delve in deeper.
His weakness as a mage that put his stats on Focus made him immediately panting on the process.
Tip tapping the echoing steps of each feet on the spiralling stairs, torches were brightly lit on the side of the walls. The two were silent for a moment then started talking to each other.
"Master, it has been a pleasure to meet with you. Ever since the day that you saved me from the monsters, you have my life in your debt." Merlin said in a serious manner.
"Hmm? Don't worry about it. It was good to save the life of another. For the fact that I was there too in that place that I was obliged to do it. Also, thanks for assisting me, I would not make it here this far without you." Kenji said to him.
"Happy to serve master." Merlin replied.
"Why are we talking sadly? Remember, cherish your life here. Ever since we are trapped in this game, death and life became real and not just a game feature. This is something that bugs me, what if this game is an alternate reality? Or a real world itself? Or are we still in our game capsule breathing and asleep?" Kenji asked.
"I don't know too. All I know is that we are here and we need to survive, that is....." Merlin thought. Maybe they should not think too much of these things and focus on the current objective.
They were perspiring much and the same with the walls or the stairs. The moist made the little droplets of water to glistened by their crystal like glow. They descended and the scent of rotten meat was permeating their noses. A striking odor that was inside the place for how many long years now.
The two looked at each other, panting and well exhausted. They were easily depleted in stamina as Kenji's Wisely condition. As for Merlin, he was a Mage. Hard to find a mage that focused on stamina as it was dumb in the first place. They focused on either damage amplification or cooldown reduction. Casting time and masteries of skills.
As for Merlin's clan, he was from Magus clan. A renowned clan of mages that has faster cooldown reduction of skills and faster casters. They also have inborn thousand mana points and faster mana regen. A perfect mage or dark mage.
Having been said, they both panted while battling the stairs. They were not an adept at it too. Must be inborn but Kenji hates its very nature. Sure thing, it helps but still not being appreciated by him.
"Hey, why not teleport me than enduring this spiralling stairs? Wait, you're a genius! Let's do that later!" Come to think of it, Kenji remembered one thing that he would like to try with a spatial mage. And that was to teleport! Such thing was grandiose and rivalling to the skill of Assassins Blink. It was a master level skill to boot. And a dreadful skill for Mages like Merlin. An anti for his Mage build that was soft and squishy. Perfect for surprise attacks and a damage that was lethal enough.
Teleportation was a good skill. With his freezing attacks combined the teleportation, then it would be a nearly assassin level of play! "Behold! The Teleporting Necromancer!" Kenji shouted.
"Hey! Quite! You sound like a kid! We're in here in the enemy territory." Merlin reprimanded. So much for a butler. Maybe just with how tense the place was, he forgot their chain of command.
Now appreciating the picturesque ambience of the strategic location of their target. It was a place of torture and tormented individuals were laid. Some were hanged either by their hands or their necks. Even the most coward person would become coward with what they were looking. Don't mention brave, no one has that trait here.
Now with what they saw, even women were laid there, not mentioning what happened and what looked from their eyes. It was unpleasant, and angering, to the point that you want to grip your teeth and clenched you fist.
"Look away!" Merlin shouted. As he knew that he was weak in such grotesque scenes. It was a norm for him to be that way.
Kenji was still not prepared to see it, again this time. But for someone who played this not the first time around, it was unusual for him to be in sentiments with the dead and still left his feelings wavering. Was it even a game for him? Or the game was too realistic? He prayed for them to rest their souls and then moved on.
"So much drama and we need more action!" Kenji shouted inside the gloomy torture room. Merlin just chuckled in response. It was also not his first time to be here or so to say, his first play was also a Mage. Kenji saved him when he was a still weak Mage from the monsters. But seeing things now, the table has been turned.
"Man, my knees are shaking again. I hate to see dead people and it is frightening me." Kenji muttered and wanted to complain. Monsters were a norm for him but humans were different. "Why must the game so realistic and frightening? From the title itself, it was Grim Dark afterall."
They immediately soon deep breathing from their backs. A warm air not from the wind but from a breath of another creature. Their spines went cold for a bit and then soon turned around to face it. It must be the caretaker of the place. The Minotaur–Tyrant!