Chapter 4

Exploring the murky halls with caution, Kai and Ryu sought an escape route and perhaps more. It didn't take long before they stumbled upon a slightly ajar door, revealing a cloaked figure within.

Kai observed through the partially opened door, studying the frantic movements of a cloaked man. Runes adorned his muscled frame, one resembling the Titan symbol, the god of the undead, flooding Kai's mind with memories from a recent game event. The room's interior confirmed the grim atmosphere, a new stone symbol of Lothar etched into the wall, surrounded by simple beds and blood-red curtains.

The priest's hushed mutterings reached Kai's ears, speaking of a sacrifice to appease the malevolent Titan god. Mentions of a 'mistress' and impending 'danger' raised a chilling fear. The priest's dialogue with shadows and ghosts added to the haunting atmosphere.

As the priest approached the cracked doorway, Kai swiftly retreated, waiting in the shadows alongside Ryu. With a nod, they burst into the room, catching the priest off guard. Ryu’s sword slashed the man's shoulder, and Kai channeled a bolt of searing flame that engulfed the priest's cloak. Chaos erupted, ending abruptly as Ryu delivered a decisive strike, severing the priest's head.

[System Notification]

[Ding! Mana Consumption: -15 MP]

[Ding! Battle Success: +20 XP]

As the flames of Finnegan's magic subsided, the system reflected the toll it took on Kai's magical reserves.

"It’s all right if we take down NPCs, huh?" Ryu added.

Reflecting on their actions, Kai pondered, "Perhaps we should have kept him alive. We remain in the dark about the condition of this new world and the fate of the rest of the caravan."

"In battle, there's no room for regrets," Ryu reassured. "No harm has happened to us. I tht thats a victory!"

Taking a few steps into the dark hallway, they saw flickering light up ahead and heard the scuffling of feet.

"Hide!" Kai whispered to Ryu as they ran back into the room, diving behind the curtain. Meanwhile, Ryu pressed himself against the wall behind the open door. It seemed like they'd been in their hiding place for only a few seconds when they heard hurried footsteps in the room.

"Veldac! He is slain," they heard a tweedy voice say. "Butchered."

"And his chest is pillaged," they heard another voice say, this one close by.

They imagined whoever it was glaring down at the empty corpse. They knew there were at least two men out there. They decided there was no choice but to fight.

Kai leaped up from behind the curtain with his dagger drawn. The nearest Titan priest gasped in surprise.

The priest's dark magic struck Kai, he dodged, but not fast enough.

Ding! Damage Taken: -15 HP]

Painful cold radiated out from where he was struck by the dark magic.

[Ding! Mana Consumption: -10 MP]

Summoning his magical prowess, Kai retaliated with a barrage of fire flames each movement draining his mana reserves, lighting the priest up in flames]

[Ding! Damage Taken: -8 HP]

Despite Kai’s agility, the Titan priest's attack found its mark. The pain surged through Kai as the arcane magic inflicted their toll.

[Ding! Damage Dealt: +25 XP]

While Kai relentlessly stabbed the priest, Ryu swiftly dispatched the other adversary with his long sword, their teamwork proving effective.

They took the time to search the bodies and found golden Titanium-symbol medallions on each of them, as well as one fine silver dagger. Not bad for twenty seconds of work.

"I tire of looting corpses. Let us be off to find the merchants and Elena's Father, and by them, a better understanding of this world," Kai exclaimed.

Venturing deeper into the castle, they found themselves in a library; however, all the books had been removed from the tall wooden shelves, leaving it a disappointing sight for the wizard.

"All castle libraries in the game always had secret doors," Kai declared. After a bit of searching, he spotted a small statue of a winged boy reading a book worked into the stone wall. He pressed on the statue's arm, and it shifted down, causing a grinding sound. A nearby bookshelf cracked open from the wall, revealing a hidden passage.

They descended a few steps, greeted by a chilly silence and a faint, eerie green light. Ryu took the lead, holding his sword at the ready.

"Where is this green light coming from?" Ryu asked, clearly afraid.

"It's as though..." Kai hesitated. "As though it shines out of the walls."

"Highly unusual, I will admit," Kai said. "It's some form of magic."

"I don't need a wizard to tell me that it's some form of magic pal," Ryu muttered. "Unlike you, I am not comfortable with the unnatural. I trust your magic, and only barely at that."

Kai reassured him, "Well, I'm fairly certain that down those stairs is where the treasure—or at least an insight on this world—is."

"Where the evil is," Ryu countered as he descended further, still leading the way.

Inside the passage, Kai noticed a small metal lever meant for opening the door from the inside, but he decided to leave it open to avoid any potential entrapment.

After a while, they reached a small, empty chamber with a mysterious mist near the floor. On the far wall stood a large iron door, covered in elaborate symbols scrawled in a rusty red dye, possibly dried blood. Ryu pointed his sword at the door, clearly uneasy.

"It's writing in the Titan language used in the game," Kai explained. "A language used by devils, demons, and other creatures from the nightmare realms of Titans MMORPG."

"At times, I do not envy your odd knowledge," Ryu admitted with a shudder.

"What does it say?" Ryu asked, lacking enthusiasm.

[Ding! Analytical Insight Activated]

Kai focused intently on the crude symbols, activating his Analytical Insight skill. The world around him shifted as hidden details emerged, unveiling the true nature of the Titan language ward.

[System Analysis]

Symbols Deciphered

Ward Type: Protective Spell

Language Origin: Titans MMORPG

Purpose: Defense against dark summoning and curses

“I believe it's a ward of some sort, a protection spell."

"A protective spell using such an odd language?" Ryu sniffed. "I would expect a curse or a fiendish summoning."

"It is protection against such a summoning, a barrier," Kai explained. "Evil knows evil best, and a spell caster of dark magic understands the need to protect themselves from the terrors they bring into this world."

Ryu grimaced and pointed his sword at the warded door. "Only a fool would go down there... Although... I am more a man of curiosity than wisdom."

Kai playfully slapped his shoulder, the sound dull against his breastplate. "As you have proven time and again."

Kai opened the door and stepped in, trying to lighten the eerie atmosphere. "Hmm, maybe there's a treasure room beyond?" he joked.

"Fortune and glory, my friend," Ryu said with a broad smile.

The large iron door shuddered and screeched as Ryu slowly pried it open. Once open, their faces dropped in unison. A powerful stench wafted up from the dark stairs below. Taking a deep breath, Ryu plunged down the stairway, with Kai following closely.

They descended for what felt like an eternity before entering a large room eerily illuminated by green-flaming torches mounted on the walls. Near the far wall stood a stairway leading up to an altar adorned with skulls—some human, others belonging to animals or monsters. The lower altar was bloodstained and covered with candles in golden holders surrounding a peculiar book. The book itself was bound in what might very well be mummified human skin, with hand and finger bones embedded into the cover, as though it were clasped by the deceased. The title was inscribed in Titan language. Beyond the book lay a raised portion of the altar, white stone and seemingly free of bloodstains. On this surface, more candles, a golden cup, and a large bowl filled with a dark liquid, perhaps blood, were arranged.

Just before the altar, a deep pit caught their attention. Shining the lantern into it, they made out something gleaming white—a skeletal arm and hand.

"Sacrifices, the source of the stench," Kai muttered. "I would bet my last copper that Elena's father and the rest of the caravan are among them."

Ryu grimaced in disgust. "I think we swiftly get what we can from this unholy place and leave."

As Ryu spoke, the bowl on the upper altar began to tremble, and the candlelight around it rippled.

"Something is spawning!" Kai whispered.

"It is already here!" Ryu declared.

Smoke billowed up from the bowl, creating the form of a horned fiend. Its glowing, pitiless eyes scanned the chamber, taking in every detail. "Demon!" Kai shouted.

The stage was set for a confrontation with this malevolent entity, the air thick with tension and impending danger.