The hallway was ridiculously long; even after walking for 30 minutes without meeting a single monster, Senzo and the others still hadn't reached the end.
"This sucks..." he muttered.
He wanted to rush straight through it by flying, but with that black humanoid creature possibly lurking in the shadows, it was too dangerous to transport so many spectral warriors at once; he would have to spread his concentration too thin for that.
"Make haste, guys, but keep your guard up for the giant rats, spiders, and that weird shadow-like creature."
Just like that, the warriors shifted into another gear as they started speed walking; Senzo could only heave a sigh of relief.
We have only met deadly monsters, not a single human... well, I don't think it would be reasonable to ask others to survive here.
He gritted his teeth and balled his fist, but he had to keep pushing onward, and after what felt like an eternity in the basically pitch-black hallway, they finally saw some light at the end of it.
What's that? Senzo was very curious when he saw a new source of light appear out of nowhere, but better safe than sorry.
"Slow down and get ready for combat."
All the warriors immediately slowed down and grasped their weapons tightly; now with their new master behind them, they didn't need to care about weapon maintenance because he could create as many as he wanted.
And they all carefully approached the light, but as they got closer and closer, Senzo and the others were dumbfounded because they saw Famine and the rest of the warriors sitting in front of it.
"???"
But Senzo had no time to be confused; he had to figure out the situation as soon as possible. "Send scouts to the front and inquire what they've found out!" he relayed his orders, and two assassins next to him were launched forward with a flick of his wrist.
Please, good news! He clasped his hands together, praying to God.
He and the others also sped up; while they weren't sprinting at full speed, they were running now because if those guys were just resting there, that must mean either it's safe or they've wiped out all the monsters.
"Boss!"
Senzo turned his head to his left, where he saw the assassin reappear out of thin air. "And?"
But he had no time for pleasantries or any other nonsense.
"Apparently they faced a massive wave of those giant rats in the other tunnel, and due to that, the floor has vanished."
"!!!"
But Senzo stayed silent; that must not have been all of the report.
"And after that they came across that large double door, which they couldn't enter no matter what they tried. But there's something suspicious about it. When they started trying to pry it open, they heard muffled sobs coming from inside."
"What!? Are you sure?" Senzo asked, raising his eyebrow slightly.
"Yes, 100%. Even Famine said that. So either there are survivors or..."
"A new type of monster, huh... thanks. Let's first meet up with them and then devise a new plan."
"Understood!" After saying that, the assassin shut his mouth and got back into position, running next to Senzo while keeping his guard up. Even though the others said it was safe, in this type of place you can never be too careful.
And a moment later Senzo and the others arrived in front of the massive double door, with Famine and the other warriors standing in front of it in a neat formation so Senzo could easily pass through them and stand right in front of it.
"!!!"
What he saw left him both alarmed and ecstatic; it was for sure a massive double door, but it also looked like an apartment door. It even had the peephole in the middle of it.
"Famine, get over here!"
Just like that, Famine quickly made his way through the swarm of warriors and arrived behind Senzo. "What do you mean you can't enter?"
"Well, the moment we try to push the door open, it feels like something stops it, and if we try to attack it, nothing we do even so much as scratches it."
Famine tried to explain as clearly as he possibly could, so Senzo would be able to find a solution.
"And you heard sobs coming from the inside?" Senzo asked, both curious and on guard.
"That's right, master, but if I had to say, it sounds more like human sobs than a new type of monster to me."
"And how come?"
"Well... you know how I embody Famine, right?"
"Yes, so?"
"I have memories of many famines and people suffering during them, and the sobs in there sound like those from a human suffering from my experience."
"..."
Senzo took a good look at Famine, with a deep sigh. Looks like I'll have to slowly explore all four of the horsemen and their abilities...
"Thanks, take a small break together with the rest. I will now try to enter the door and confirm your suspicions."
"Understood, master."
And just like that, Famine and all the spectral warriors vanished; Famine was reabsorbed into Senzo, and the warriors went back into the spectral flag.
"Guh!?"
But right after Famine entered Senzo's soul, he felt a plethora of new memories enter his mind.
A narrow hallway just like the one he had been through, but what he saw left him speechless: Famine and the warriors had easily swept through all the giant rats, but the aftermath was the issue.
A whole river of bright yellow blood burning a massive hole through the floor. The only thing they could do was make a makeshift staircase with their weapons on the walls and quickly cross the river of blood before it melted away the whole floor.
Before it melted away the whole floor.
"Damn... looks like only the right entrance is safe to pass through, huh?"
After the memories were fully integrated with Senzo's, he checked his surroundings one last time and made sure everything was safe.
He formed two new greatswords in both hands and slashed at the massive double door in front of him.
"Shall we see if I can enter?" Senzo exclaimed with a smirk on his face.