NOVEL WEB 22. Blind Battle
"Don't move, directly behind us is a void of nothing. Five steps ahead of us is an edge." I say.
"Young master, are you able to see?" Radz asks.
"No. Listen carefully, what do you hear?"
*PzzzzztbsstttPZZZZTBEEEEEP*
An eerie, puzzling, static-like sound continuously echoes in the atmosphere.
"What's that...sound?" Lena mumbles, her body trembling.
I grab hold of their hands. "Trust me and we can get out of here. Move your feet softly, there's a...creature in the dark. Although it cannot hear or see, its sense of touch is greatly amplified."
I gulp in anxiety. "You do not want to anger that...thing."
"Wait, young master? H-How do you know where to go? W-We might fall into the void at any moment!" says Lena.
"Don't jinx it," I say. "The sound echoing is the map."
"What?" Both Radz and Lena blurt.
...
Even if I explain, they wouldn't understand. The weird noise playing in the background has zero decibels at several frequencies. Only by analysing the audio using modern technology, like a spectrogram, can one physically see a connection. It leads to several visible pathways and finally a map.
I see...this dungeon's purpose is to kill people without dirtying Elsa's hand, a lethal weapon indeed but not for me.
"Alright, let's move."
"W-Wait wait wait! How are you so sure of the path?" Lena exclaims.
"Do we have a choice? Do you want to stay in one spot and starve? The only way to avoid death is to move forward." I reply.
...
Lena continues to shiver in fear, gripping my hand tightly.
I do not blame her.
"Everyone, turn your body to the right, 90 degrees," I say.
They did as instructed.
"Afterwards, take 5 steps forward," I say. "Use me as a guideline, do not step past me."
I've done this dungeon so many times in the past 5 years, I naturally remember the layout by heart. The problem is what comes after.
The three of us slowly venture our way through the unforeseen. Several times, Lena almost fell to her death until I pull her back.
"A-Are we there yet?" Lena asks.
"You know how big a dungeon is," I reply.
It seems like we have been walking for an hour to Lena. In reality, it's only been 10 minutes.
"EEK?!" Lena suddenly screech.
"What?" I say.
"S-S-Something touched my thigh...Something rough...and...long," says Lena.
...
Wording, please.
"Don't move and ignore it. Stay still no matter what." I say.
However, that's easier than said when you don't know what monster is crawling around your body.
Lena starts to sweat profusely, her teeth clattering, and she continuously swallows.
The mysterious entity stretches and wraps itself around Lena's body.
*Hisssssss*
"AH?!" She jolts when the entity hiss at her ears.
!!
"Shit!"
The entity attempt to pull Lena away, I grab firmly her hand and tug away.
Radz uses his sword and manages to cut the entity in the dark and free Lena.
"RAWRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!" Something big roars from afar.
"Hah...Huff Huff...T-T-Thank you." Lena falls into my arms.
"We don't have the time to rest. That monster noticed us, we need to move!" I say.
Lena nods and stands up.
*THUMP* *THUMP*
Loud footsteps ring in my head.
"Is it just me? The footsteps are getting louder!" Radz says.
"I know! We will have to fight it! 5 steps to the left now!"
"Fight?! When we can't even see?!" Lena exclaims.
"Yes, I will give directions. 6 steps to our right!"
I let go of Radz and Lena.
?
"W-What? W-Why did you-" Lena says.
"I'm here. We are currently in the middle of the dungeon, a large circular ground. We will fight here. Radz, I need to be the vanguard, Lena what fire magic can you use?" I reply.
"F-Fireball, Inferno, Hell Fire."
"Young master...I-" Radz says.
"It's here." I blurt.
*BAM!* *THUMP!*
...
...
Radz grips his giant sword and prepares a defensive stance.
"Lena, how many times can you cast hellfire?"
"4 times. But I will need some time to cast the spell," she replies.
"I know, Radz and I will buy you time. 2 minutes at most."
*THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!*
"GRRRRR" the creature growls above Radz.
Radz raises his sword.
!
"TO YOUR RIGHT!" I shout.
?!
*BAM!*
Radz was able to react in time to block the bash, pushing him back across the floor
Lena starts chanting and a red thread of mana forms in the atmosphere, tuning itself into a circle.
*tsst*
"Jump!"
Radz leaps up to avoid a destructive sweep.
I take a deep breath and softly count to three.
"RAWR!"
The moment it roars, I shoot in its direction.
*BOOM!*
"Tch."
I missed its mouth. The creature is now aware of my existence but that's what I want.
Radz goes in for a swing and manages to slice one part of the monster off.
"Radz! Behind!"
He jumps aside to dodge but another attack comes from the right. Without me instructing him, he blocks the attack.
"Behind again!" I say.
"Huh-"
Preoccupied, the beast lands a hit on Radz's shoulder, piercing through.
"ACK!... DAMN IT!"
*BAM!*
My shot hits the monster and it releases Radz.
Radz pants in pain and tears his clothes to tie them around his shoulder.
Yet when Radz is the most vulnerable, the monster didn't attack.
!
"Ha...Fucking little shit...The monster is toying with us." I mumble.
...
I immediately turn around and shoot.
*BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM*
"RAWR?!"
Several branches of the monsters attempted to attack us from behind.
"Radz! Fall back!"
He jumps back to my voice.
"Can you hear its attack?" I ask Radz.
"I think so, it's clearer. Is the monster becoming aggressive?" Radz replies.
"Yes, it's underestimating us. Protect Lena, leave the front lines to me."
"What?!"
The monsters have many branches of "tentacle-like" limbs to utilize.
I leap forward and shoot one attacking me.
One limb attempts to dive from above, two limbs zoom in from my right, and the last one from my left.
I click my tongue.
*BAM BAM BAM BAM!*
With great accuracy, my musket blasted all four attacking limbs off.
"You are not the only one that can 'see' in the dark," I say to the monster.