Darius took his time to regulate more energy and stablize himself. Then he took precise look on the locks. Even if he breaks the shield, he have to first find a way to open these locks. He can't drain all of his energy with magic. He sat on his knees to have the lock at eye level, and saw it closely. Until now Darius has been become an expert of unlocking different locks, because his school bullies would lock him in different places. After deep analysis, he understood the mechanisms of the locks. He strolled the dungeon cell, and collected few stones, sticks, and tiny metal rods. Sitting crossed leg beside the lock, he crafted a tool to open it. Not exactly looking like a key, but it will open this lock. Now he was ready to give it a chance.
When he was confident enough that he will be able to take the shield down, he started the process. His hand placed on the pillar by the side of grills, his eyes closed, and forehead wrinkled. His complete focus was to determine the exact power of the shield. Now he started generating the power within himself to break it. It was much heavier what he experienced last two times. His heart beat slowed down, he felt few of his beats missing. And then the burning sensation filled as his beats retrieved. Droplets of sweat appeared on his forehead, the on the back of his neck, then on his chest. And within few paces, droplets were flowing like, someone have thrown a bucket of water on him.
When he felt the load subsiding, he opened his eyes. Felt the shield, and it was gone. But his legs weren't helping him now. He dropped down, tried to compose himself. Reached for the tool he have created. His hands were shaking, his body still shivering. He aligned the tool with the lock, gave it a few twists and turns. Lock cracked. He waited hiding himself in the shade of pillar, if anyone comes for him hearing the crackling echo. But no one responded. As much as he found it weird, he focused on getting the hell out of here.
He grabbed the dairy in his hands. Eat his walnut looking fruit, to soothe his nerves. Took five to six breaths for regulating his energy. He don't have much time for cultivation now. His body had been so week, he thought he will be crawling out of here. He opened the grills slowly. They didn't make a sound. Darius thought he might be in luck. But his thoughts flew away soon.
"What the hell is this place?"
The moment he crawled out of cell, he was sitting on the edge of the open area, hardly five feet space in front of the cell to walk on. A blow of heavy pressure steam came out from the below and went up in the air. The heat was so strong, Darius took two steps back, and turned his face away. He turned back, and looked at the dungeons. He don't have any idea, how deep inside the ground he was. There was a hollow space in the centre, where black steam fumes and heavy pressure steam was coming time by time, from somewhere deep down. There was a staircase system along the five feet walking path, and some interconnecting in the air with the other side. The cells of dungeon were carved like caves in the mountains. At the entrance of every cell, there were carvings of snakes. And two fire torches. The only source of light. When the steam pressure blow stopped in front of him, he peaked a little to see what's down. There was nothing but black fumes, and he can't determine how much more deep it is.
"It seems like this is made under a volcano." He mummered to himself, withdrawing him from the edge.
If his hypothesis is right, the only way out will be climbing up. Going down will be no less then a suicide mission. His breath breaking, muscles aching, and his clothes still wet in sweat. He pushed himself to crawl towards the nearest stairs going upwards. Crawling, and dragging himself on the path, wishing that the cazador festival didn't ends any soon. Or he will be no better then dead.
He reached his first stairs, panting like a puppy. The smell of the fumes were making him want to puke. He finished first stairs, which feels like that he had been climbing for days. Now he can't control, and puked in the hollow space. The moment he puked, he heard a mix of growling and boiling sounds. And a heavier pressure of steam blow came up. He dodged it on time.
"Why I feel like there is something really important down there." His instincts called in. But going there doesn't seemed like any wise idea. So he started his journey of climbing up the stairs back. After what feels like a life time, he saw a ray of light from above.
"So here it is, come on Darius, just a few stairs more, then we will be able to find a way home, getting out of this hell." He talked to him like someone would motivate their buddy. Being motivated by the light, keeping his eyes fixed on it, he kept crawling up.
"AHH!!! I am here." He sighed when he reached the edge. Struggling himself to get out of the ground, like hanging on a cliff. He scratched the ground like a cat would do trying to get on the tree. Digging his fingers as much as he could to make his grip, he lift his body out of the edge.
His eyes opened wider, and his jaws dropped. The sight in front of him wasn't outside but was inside of a palace. The light was green glowing torches reflecting the green and blue stone and gems studded in the walls. The area looked like what would be the garden pathway of any normal palace, but it wasn't in the open sky. He can think about the construction of this palace later, first find a place to hide, if any serpent guard are on the patrol. His bones will be part of this castle. He walked around, and found a structure similar to gazebo. There was a pond of spring in between, and stoned edges around. One side of the gazebo was covered with a climbing plant. If he hides between that plant partition, and the pond, it will give him a good cover.
He went inside, sit placing his back on the stone wall of pond. He took some part of the climbing plant and covered himself in it. He will try to cultivate here before moving ahead. His body was so week at this moment, that instead of cultivating, he felt asleep inside the cover of leaves.