A grey screen flickered into existence before their eyes, accompanied by a voice that defied gender, neither male nor female, thin and theatrical, as if spoken through a mask. The sound echoed from nowhere and everywhere, reverberating across the soldiers.
ㄴWelcome, Dear Actors, to your second Stage! Good luck on your survival!ㄱ The words were sharp and mocking, before fading into the stillness.
Beneath the summit, deep within the heart of the mountain, a squad of soldiers moved in disciplined formation. The path before them twisted and curved, a labyrinth carved by hands long forgotten. Bioluminescent plants clung to the walls, their faint green and blue glow casting eerie shadows. Veins of crystal pulsed with cold inner light, illuminating the way. Each step the soldiers took resonated with the faint heartbeat of the earth itself.
Shun led the group, his silver Jian resting lightly in his hand. The blade caught the ambient light, its surface glinting coldly at his side. Behind him marched two dozen trained hunters, their boots echoing against the smooth, cavernous floor. Among them were Lira and Toren, trusted companions whose tension was palpable in their measured steps.
The hallways stretched vast and imposing. Sweeping arches and towering columns supported ceilings that rose far above, sculpted for beings far larger than any human. The air carried a weight, as if the soldiers trespassed in the ruins of forgotten titans. Their path narrowed briefly, then widened again, branching into several directions. Each side route loomed like a gaping mouth, swallowing the light. Yet the central path remained clear, lined with crystalline growths that shimmered along the walls. They pressed forward, ignoring the diverging routes, not from confidence but from necessity. Hesitation served no purpose in a place like this.
A faint sound broke the silence. A wet, rhythmic clicking, like the snapping of carapace against stone.
Shun raised his hand.
The soldiers halted, their breaths held in unison.
Ahead, in the faint glow of a jagged crystal cluster, a group of black insectoid creatures crowded around a fallen corpse. Each creature measured nearly a meter long, their iridescent shells reflecting the dim light with sharp, jagged edges. Their mandibles twitched, and one raised its head, its red compound eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
Shun stepped forward, his voice steady. "Vanguard, prepare to intercept. Strategists, hold range. Duelists, with me."
Toren moved to his side, dragging his serrated Swords across the stone with deliberate slowness. His expression remained unreadable, his eyes fixed on the creatures. Behind them, Habari and Bahari took their positions among the vanguard, raising their thick tower shields and planting their feet firmly. Lira positioned herself behind the frontline, her eyes narrowing as she drew back the string of her composite bow.
The creatures hissed, their mandibles clattering in unison.
The first wave surged forward.
The vanguard met the onslaught with a clash of steel and chitin. Blades shattered mandibles, and shields held the line against the creatures' relentless charge. The duelists moved with precision, slipping around the formation to strike at exposed joints. Shun glided through the chaos, his jian carving precise arcs through the air. One insect lunged at him, its jaws gaping wide, but his blade met it mid-leap, severing its head with a single, clean stroke.
Toren's swords swung with devastating force, crashing into another creature and sending shards of its shell scattering across the floor. The impact echoed through the cavern.
Lira released her arrow, the projectile driving deep into a creature's eye. The beast thrashed once before collapsing, its legs curling inward.
The creatures kept coming. Dozens more emerged from cracks and tunnels in the rock, crawling along the walls with unnerving speed. The vanguard line wavered under the pressure but held firm, inching forward with each coordinated push. Strategists fired from behind, their bolts and arrows finding gaps between the creatures' armored plates.
The insects proved resilient. Their shells deflected glancing blows, and their sharp legs slashed at the soldiers' ankles and calves. Bahari grunted as a claw grazed his shoulder, but he remained upright, his shield unmoving. Habari speared one creature, dragging it back and pinning it to the ground before driving his boot through its skull with a sickening crunch.
The battle stretched on, hours compressed into minutes by the intensity of the fight. At last, silence returned, heavy and oppressive.
The floor glistened with viscous fluid, the air thick with the faint buzz of lingering tension. Shun surveyed the scene. No soldiers had fallen, though several bore gashes and bruises. The corpse the insects had been feeding on lay in ruins, too disfigured to identify, yet unmistakably human.
Toren wiped his blade against the hem of his coat, his movements slow and deliberate. "There'll be more."
Shun nodded, his expression unyielding. Words were unnecessary.
They pressed deeper into the mountain, the labyrinth stretching endlessly before them. The air grew colder, the bioluminescent glow dimming as they descended. The walls seemed to close in, though the path remained wide enough for the group to move in formation. The faint pulse of the earth grew stronger, a rhythm that seemed to guide their steps.
Lira walked closer to Shun, her bow still in hand. "This place feels off," she said, her voice low. "Like it's watching us."
Shun's grip tightened on his Jian, but he kept his eyes forward.
The path curved sharply, leading to a vast chamber. Unlike the narrow corridors, this space opened into a cavernous expanse, its ceiling lost in shadow. Pillars of crystal rose from the floor, their surfaces refracting light in dizzying patterns. At the center of the chamber stood a raised platform, its surface smooth and reflective, like polished obsidian.
Shun signaled for the group to spread out, their footsteps echoing in the vast space. The air here felt heavier, charged with an unseen energy. The soldiers moved cautiously, their weapons ready.
A low hum filled the chamber, growing louder with each passing second. The sound seemed to emanate from the platform, its surface now pulsing with faint light. Shun approached, his blade held low but ready. The others followed, their formation tight.
The hum intensified, and the platform began to glow brighter, its light casting stark shadows across the chamber. Shapes moved within the light, indistinct at first but growing clearer. Figures, humanoid but wrong, their limbs too long, their movements jerky and unnatural.
"Form up!" Shun called, his voice cutting through the hum.
The soldiers snapped into position, shields raised, weapons drawn. The figures emerged from the platform, their forms solidifying. They were not human, not entirely. Their skin gleamed like the creatures' shells, and their eyes burned with the same red glow. Each carried a weapon, crude but menacing, forged from the same crystalline material that lined the walls.
The first figure lunged, its blade swinging in a wide arc. Shun parried, his Jian meeting the crystal with a sharp clang. The impact sent a jolt through his arm, but he held his ground. Toren charged another, his Swords sweeping low to catch the figure's legs. The creature staggered but did not fall, its movements unnaturally fast.
Lira fired, her arrow striking one figure in the chest. The creature paused, then continued forward, the arrow protruding from its gleaming skin. Habari and Bahari braced their shields, absorbing blows that would have shattered lesser defenses.
The battle raged, the chamber filled with the sounds of clashing steel and cracking crystal. The figures fought with relentless precision, their movements synchronized in a way that unnerved the soldiers. Yet the hunters held their own, their training and discipline anchoring them against the tide.
Shun moved through the fray, his jian a blur of silver. He struck at joints and weak points, each blow calculated to disable. Toren fought with raw power, his Swords cleaving through the figures' defenses. Lira's arrows found their marks, slowing the creatures enough for the vanguard to push forward.
The platform's glow began to fade, and with it, the figures weakened. One by one, they fell, their bodies dissolving into motes of light that drifted upward and vanished. The hum ceased, leaving only silence.
The soldiers stood panting, their weapons slick with residue. The platform lay dormant, its surface dull once more. Shun scanned the chamber, his senses sharp for any sign of further threats.
"We move on," he said, his voice steady.