"Ssshit, at least we sssaved something."
I commented more to myself than to others, seeing the destruction around me. Toppled shelves and pillars, rubble and destroyed furniture scattered across the floor, valuable scrolls and books reduced to ashes or frozen in an effort to save those that were still intact, and floors and walls burned and charred by the fire.
In short, the place was a mess, but thankfully, it wasn't a total loss. My avid reader's heart rejoiced at that.
"It's a shame the cookbook section is still intact."
I read the words of the talking book in my hand, wondering internally why on earth it was disappointed.
"What do you have against cookbooksss?"
"They're arrogant! They think they're more important than everyone else! Always saying, 'Look at us! See how we can teach you to prepare all kinds of food.' But they're no worse than self-help books, those I'd burn if I had the chance! Dark romances, on the other hand, fall somewhere in between…"
Then I watched Kitab start a long dissertation on why books of different genres hate each other, making me realize that the work wasn't so separate from the author after all.
Okay, there's racism among books. Good to know. I have no idea what to think about it.
I closed Kitab, ignoring its words and turning to the rest of the group stacking the tomes they managed to save.
"Well, we're alive and the building didn't collapssse on our headsss, so we can consider this a successs."
"Success?! Do you know how long it took me to write the books I added to the Great Library?! All my work turned to ashes!"
Nas'hrah exclaimed in his usual fury, with what I believed to be a hint of sadness in his eyes, which was surprising to see.
"I only hope that my journey in this cursed place hasn't become meaningless after this."
Enki sighed, sitting down in what remained of a chair before leafing through a charred book.
"Leaving that aside, what was that thing that attacked us?"
Rag took a step forward, his weapon resting on his shoulder as he glanced at the burned corpse in the center of the library.
"That was the Black Witch, what was once a human woman hasss become a being corrupted by the darknesss of the dungeon. A worshipper of Gro-gorrroth and the God of the Depthsss, and a practitioner of blood magic, whose soul grants its user the ability to always poissson their enemies with physical attacksss. So D'arce, be careful with your weapons, pleassse."
The outlander and the knight nodded at my words, the latter casting an intense gaze at the spear she held and the morning star hanging from her waist.
"The Witch demonstrated an interesting power. A pity we turned her into barbecue. I would have loved to conduct some experiments."
The floating head commented, with the Dark Priest beside him murmuring in approval, something I preferred not to respond to, focusing on more important things. The large wooden chest that the Armored Skeleton and a Greater Blood Golem had brought.
It was on the ground, with Cahara kneeling before it, trying to pick the lock while Madeleine and Moonless watched curiously. Then, with a snap, the lock opened and the mercenary stood up, opening the treasure chest, letting out a sigh of admiration.
I circled around him, approaching from the sides, feeling the corners of my mouth curl up at the sight of the mountain of gleaming silver coins, each one shining like a star, a true treasure unlike any you could find in the game.
The summons, the child, and the she-wolf didn't seem to care, probably because they didn't understand the concept of money. Nas'hrah glanced at it and muttered something about having possessed greater treasures, but the rest, like me, gathered around the chest, marveling at the sight of the fortune.
"HAHAHA! That… That's all I needed!"
Cahara laughed like a madman, his voice full of joy, raising handfuls of silver and watching it slip through his fingers, clinking against the treasure below.
"I don't mind if you keep mossst of it, but we should use some to buy a few thingsss from the merchants of the passst if we can reach them, like Purification Talismansss, Soul Stonesss, and Sorcerer's Stonesss. The latter being the most important, as they are rings that constantly restore the userrr's mind."
The man turned towards me, his helmet hiding his face, but his head alternated between the silver and me before he stammered a reply.
"Y-yes, of course. Y-you can keep a portion as payment for the help you're providing."
He clearly didn't want to share, not when his objective was practically accomplished, so I said something to calm his nerves.
"Don't worrry, there's still one more treasurrre to be found, the most valuable of all, the crrrown of the king of Ma'habre."
"R-really?!"
I nodded and he was silent for a moment, closing the chest with a heavy thud, speaking in a tired but hopeful voice.
"Thank you for that."
"No prrroblem, now, I believe it's time for us to move on. Massster Nas'hrah's laboratory is nearby, soon he will recover his body and we will have easier accesss to the Temple of Torment, but there's a prrroblem, Le'garde was watching us throughout our explorrration of the city. I have no doubt that the monsterrrs we faced were brought to usss by him. As everyone knows, the Cube of the Depthsss is in his hands, but seeing that he can't defeat usss, I suppose his plan now consists of waiting for us to kill the New Godsss until the path to the Golden Thrrrone is clear, where he will sit to become something above the New Godsss. He may be listening to us rrright now…"
For a moment I stopped, searching the area with my rats without finding the man, but I had no doubt that he was here somewhere.
"...Waiting for ourrr next move. I suppose he didn't activate the beacons and put usss in the Ma'habre of the past because he's aware of the power of the current rulersss of this place, so he's waiting for us to become strongerrr, but he won't wait forever. The moonlight is ssstill scorching everything it touchesss, and we're also becoming a problem beyond his contrrrol. The giant rat I faced is proof of that. Isayah, a veteran of the dungeonsss and treasure hunterrr, had his hidden side transformed into a monster and revealed to the worrrld; it's only a matter of time before we become next."
A tense silence filled the room, and I could see a variety of expressions on the faces of those who weren't wearing masks or helmets: seriousness, worry, hesitation, anger, fear, but no one protested against my proposal to move forward.
With that done, we left the Great Library, crossing the square where the figurines would once stand, and then following a path to the left, near the shortcut with the dead dragon, but instead of going straight, we descended a narrow staircase turning right.
We didn't do this immediately, letting my rats, those summoned earlier and some recently conjured ones, go ahead, carrying the treasure chest on their backs, resembling a moving carpet. You can call me paranoid, but after what happened, I won't leave all this silver alone.
Eventually we reached the end of the staircase, walking through narrow streets that forced us to advance in a line. The proximity between the buildings created a shadow that protected us from the moon, but I couldn't shake the itch on my skin, the desire to tear everything off so that something inside me could escape.
I looked over my shoulder, trying to analyze the reaction of the others; it was subtle, but everyone with exposed skin scratched their faces or limbs in a quick movement. I don't doubt they don't even realize what they're doing, but those in full armor, like D'arce and Cahara, had a slight tremor in their hands, almost imperceptible.
A weak breeze swayed the worn clothes hanging on the clotheslines above us, making the shadows dance, and the sound of the wind rushing between the walls made it seem like voices whispering in our ears.
Occasionally, a shadow would drift through the alleys, causing us to turn with weapons at the ready and hearts racing, but nothing came. At that moment, I began to wonder if there really was something there or if it was just the moon's scorching light affecting us.
We descended another set of stairs, approaching a pair of chains attached to a wall. I clicked my tongue in anger and frustration, muttering an insult, for the White Angel, like the other monsters, was not where it should be.
"There ssshould be a monsterrr here that would only come to life after Ronn Chambara's death."
No further explanation was needed; what I felt was shared by all, with the floating head shouting insults in greater numbers. At this point, I no longer cared about the child hearing and learning all this.
Our walk led us towards a deep, dark abyss. I stopped at its edge and dropped a stone inside, hearing it hit something a few seconds later.
"The entrrrance to the laboratory is jussst below, but I recommend using a rope inssstead of jumping."
Doing as I suggested, we tied all our ropes together, wrapping one end around a pillar and throwing the other into the abyss. For a moment I wondered who should go down first, but Nas'hrah grew tired of waiting.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
Passing past me like a bullet, he floated into the abyss below, disappearing into the darkness. But the evil laughter echoing in the distance served as a sign that he had found what he wanted.
I sighed, shrugging, and crouched down, asking Madeleine to climb onto my back. I felt the weight of her small form on top of me and her arms closing around my neck. I couldn't help but notice that she weighed more than usual, not only because of her equipment, and that her arms seemed larger.
I believe this is the result of finally eating properly during our exploration, however, this led me to the uncomfortable line of thought that, either, we've been in the dungeon long enough for Madeleine to start gaining weight, or two, she was so malnourished that any weight gain made me realize she was heavier than the last time I carried her, or three, a combination of both options.
I felt a pang in my hearts upon imagining this, but I swallowed my feelings and carried on.
"Hold on tiggght."
Madeleine murmured in confirmation and her grip around me intensified. I put Kitab and the axe in my coat and began to descend the rope. Despite the short trip, it felt like my chest would explode, as the rope swayed and cracked as I descended into a dark, bottomless pit.
Looking up for a moment, I saw the rest of the group descending, so I continued my efforts so as not to delay them. My feet soon touched a small stone platform with a hole in the rock wall, the entrance to the cave where the laboratory was located.
I wasted no time entering the passage, as there wasn't room for everyone here. The ceiling was low, forcing me to leave Madeleine on the ground and walk with my head down. Moments later, we stepped into a spacious chamber whose rock had been excavated and carved, forming several murals, and in front of us, an altar with four grooves in the shape of arms.
I admit, I was so excited that I almost forgot to call the rats. They passed through the wall beside me, carrying the chest and leaving it on the ground before disappearing, going to retrieve the Ghoul arms I had severed off long ago.
Then I waited, leaning against the nearby wall with Madeleine beside me. It wasn't long before the rest of the group arrived, with Rag carrying Moonless under his arm like a sack of potatoes.
The she-wolf barked as she was placed on the ground, sitting down and wagging her tail as she stared at the man, who hesitated for a moment, looking away before smiling and stroking the monstrous animal's head.
I chuckled softly, and when everyone gathered, we advanced through the cave. There were two paths, the one on the right, a ladder that created a shortcut to the back alleys, and the one on the left, to the laboratory.
Upon entering the room further on, we found the floating head flying from side to side like a blur, emitting a mixture of laughter, grumbles, and insults, using its magic to operate a large, rounded tank made of dark metal and green glass.
"Nooow, we wait."
Honestly, there wasn't much to do; we spread out across the area and waited. Enki was interested in the machinery, Rag and Cahara looked around, exchanging a few words. Moonless, Madeleine, D'arce, and the Armored Skeleton stayed close to me, with the child playing with her doll.
Meanwhile, I was talking to Kitab.
"We're getting closerrr to the end."
"Certainly, but which one?"
"An S ending for everrryone, I hope. Honessstly, I don't know how to feel, I'm anxiousss, I don't know if I'll live to the end, and then what? What will I do if I essscape?"
"Hm… Don't you think there's still a lot to do?"
"Are you hoping for a completionssst run? That I get eveeery weapon, armorrr, accessory, item, and ssspell the dungeon has to offer? I won't lie, I'm tempted to do it, but the risssk of dying stopsss me."
"Something similar. It's a shame Fear and Hunger doesn't have achievements on Steam."
"Do you have a Sssteam account?!"
"Of course I do!"
"But how do you play?! You don't have any armsss!"
"Hey, no need to rub it!"
"How do you use the computerrr?! What money do you ussse to buy games?! Do you just sit there watching your librarrry?!"
"First, I'm full of tricks, so that's not a problem! Second, I have more money than you, so don't give me that talk! And third, I won't be watching when I finally get a body!"
"And how exxxactly do you intend to do that?"
I asked about the last part, preferring to ignore the fact that he had more money than me and probably an even better PC.
"With the floating head tank, you create an Husk and I transfer my powers and consciousness into it, gaining a body."
"And you intend to live as a copy of me or sssome other member of the grrroup? And my spellsss? I can conjure the onesss I got with Scrollsss and the Hexing Table, but what about the othersss?"
"Maybe I can modify it a little to suit my tastes, as for the spells, we can work together, even make a pact so you don't lose what you've gained. Who knows? Maybe you'd like to deepen our bond~"
"Hm… An interesssting proposal."
A series of squeaks interrupted our conversation, capturing my attention. The rats had returned, bringing four severed arms tied together with rope.
"Can we continue our conversssation later?"
"Of course, don't keep me waiting~"
I closed the book, putting it in my pocket, and picked up the pile of arms, asking D'arce, Madeleine, and Moonless to follow me to the altar.
"So, what do you need?"
The armored woman asked, lifting the front of her helmet and giving me a confused look, probably because of what I was doing.
"Not much, I jussst want to give you sssomething."
When the last arm was placed in its socket, the entire cave trembled, breaking our balance and almost knocking us to the ground. Madeleine hugged my legs while I leaned on the altar, Moonless barked, and D'arce used her spear for support to stay upright.
The wall ahead slid upwards, creating a narrow entrance to a small room. Approaching when the tremors ceased, I found a second altar inside, and upon it, a great spear, too large for a normal human to wield, made of a dark silver metal with a twisted tip covered in golden inscriptions.
I extended both hands, pausing for a moment before lifting the weapon, grunting at its weight. I doubt I would have been able to lift it before becoming what I'm, but now, the weapon was usable, but by someone else.
I returned the way I came, grumbling as I struck the chamber walls with the spear, not realizing it wouldn't fit through the door. I spun on my feet, walking sideways and slew through the exit with the weapon pointed like an arrow.
On the other side, Madeleine and D'arce watched me with open mouths and wide eyes, even more so when I stopped before the woman, striking the butt of the weapon on the ground, cracking the stone and creating a slight tremor.
"This is the Ssspear of Serrrgal, a heavy throwing spearrr used by the Sergal tribesss in the northern regions of the western worrrld. It's for you, for you are the only one who doesn't have a legendarrry weapon."
The knight set aside her Ritual Spear and accepted the massive weapon with trembling hands. Her expression was one of admiration, watching the unfamiliar metal gleam in the dim light. Then, with a quick grimace of effort, she spun the spear in the air with frightening ease, delivering a few thrusts before nodding in approval.
"Thank you!"
My heart raced at the beautiful smile she sent, even more so when a pair of strong arms closed around me in a crushing embrace. If things continue like this, I'll end up falling in love.
"Y-you'rrre welcome!"
With a swift command, I ordered the rats to take the discarded weapon to the hiding place and then return to the chest. With that done, we returned to the lab, with D'arce strangely happy now that the giant weapon was in her hands.
Upon arriving, we spotted Nas'hrah standing before one of the tanks, which now glowed, with a dark shape pulsing and growing inside. I couldn't see his face, but he laughed like a mad scientist while the others watched from a safe distance, weapons and spells at the ready.
Then the glow ceased and the front of the tank opened, spilling dark liquid and a naked man onto the floor. His skin was tanned and his build muscular, his head and face exactly like the one floating around him, analyzing every detail with a stern expression.
"DAMN IT!"
As expected, it was a failure.
"Is there a prrroblem, Masterrr Nas'hrah?"
I approached with my hands clasped, head bowed, and cautious steps and voice, continuing my act of loyal servant.
"This damned shell isn't strong enough to withstand all my power! I wasted all this time in a useless effort! To hell with it, I'll kill the New Gods as I am!"
Now was the moment he would burn the failed experiment, but I suggested something different.
"If I may say ssso, Master Nas'hrah, we can sacrifice the failed husssk to summon The Tormented One in the temple above. At leassst it will be useful to us in the end."
His face contorted into a grimace of deep thought, but in the end, he agreed.
"Right, at least it will serve some purpose. Better than filling my laboratory with the stench of burnt flesh."
Perfect!
"Thank you, Massster, then…"
I didn't finish speaking; it happened as quickly as it ended. There was a sharp buzzing, a blinding green light, and then we found ourselves in the same place as if nothing had happened, but I had seen it countless times to know what it was.
A beacon was activated. Right now, we are in the Ma'habre of the past.
END OF CHAPTER