The darkness was unmoving. Plunged into the abyss of oppression, reality itself seemed to hiccup.
Immersed in deep obsidian, the darkness was not in the slightest bit empty. In fact, it was filled up, not that it was. Only, sometimes even the tiniest things fit into the biggest hole. And this time, those two ruby eyes were just enough to fill the whole tunnel.
Haruto hitched, staring back at the ruby eyes poring holes in the depths of his soul.
He couldn't tell how far it was but somehow, he was sure all it would take was just one swift lunge and he would be snuffed out of existence.
A horror…
…that…that was a real horror!!!
His breath was already shaky and forced, it suddenly felt as though air had finished in the tunnel.
What was a horror doing in the Sentinels quarters? Uncaged? I'm done for!.
'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!!'
'Curses!'
Haruto gritted his teeth, as if trying to withdraw blood.
He dared not move as much as a finger, his collars were drenched in sweat as he stared at the ruby eyes ahead of him, frozen stiff.
Running into the darkness behind him was basically suicide. The fact that the horror had chosen to put out the lights first meant that it was even more confident at hunting it's prey in the dark. What's more? He wasn't even sure he could outrun that thing in the day, let alone now that it was dark.
A low, menacing growl entered his ears. His heart skipped a beat as it thudded, his sweat production rate increased a manifold, his breath quickly turned extremely shaky.
'Damn it all!'
'Of all things to die from in my second attempt at life, it's by getting eaten by a horror? What a Terrible way of dying'
Merely thinking about getting mangled by whatever was staring at him from the darkness made him shiver.
'No, it's not meant to end like this! There has to be a way! Where where where where?! What would save me in this cursed tunnel?!'
Haruto desperately ran through his thoughts, hoping he could find a solution. What's more? He couldn't even see. His bad sight wasn't helping his situation at all, still he darted his eyes left and right, each time desperately trying not to let the corner of his eyes skip the monstrosity.
Then, suddenly, he heard something.
'Footsteps!'
Suddenly, he wanted to shout out to whoever was passing about a situation, but he feared the thing in front of him immensely.
'Damn it! I can't move'
He gritted his teeth even more and desperately prayed that the person would come to his aid.
And then, his prayers were answered. The ruby eyes shifted ever so lightly, the footsteps seemed to come from behind it. Then a voice called out,
"Mark!"
Haruto, frozen already, instantly stiffened.
'Mark?'
Immediately as the name echoed—"Mark!"—the torches lining the tunnel flared back to life, like terrified eyes forced open. Light bled slowly across the stone walls, and the thing was revealed.
It was not a beast. Not entirely. It was something else.
Twice Haruto's height, it hunched low with thick limbs ending in long, sinuous claws that curved like crescent moons. Its fur wasn't fur at all—it was darkness given texture, moving and rippling even though the creature stood still. The glow from the torches didn't cling to its body. Instead, the light bent away, devoured by the void wrapped around it.
Its face was round, almost grotesquely so, with a chubby snout and short, twitching ears—almost bear-like if not for the jagged rows of glinting teeth. But what struck Haruto hardest were its eyes. The same ruby ones. Burning. Watching. Patient.
He shivered. His knees weakened.
And then, beside the thing was…an old man? Mr…Mr Grey? Wait a minute!.
Suddenly, he heard a hearty laugh.
Haruto's expression darkened.
"Hey there lad!" the old man called out.
"Sorry for the tension, mark here doesn't know how to act properly"
'Act? Was it acting?' Haruto thought, his breath still shaky. Apparently, he still couldn't process what had just happened.
"Say, lad, why don't you come along?"
Saying that, Mr Grey turned around and started to exit the tunnel. The horror followed on its four limbs. And after a while, Haruto followed too, still In trauma.
He gritted his teeth as he did.
'That damned old man!!'
He wasn't following him because he wanted to, he was because he was already scared of the tunnel itself.
He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He had almost died back there…what if he had? Where would he go?
'Damn it all!'
He made sure to keep a distance from the terrific creature as much as he could. As the damn thing walked, darkness revolved around it, devouring light like a lightless void.
'...Scary'
When they reached the exit of the tunnel, however, Mr Grey bid Mark farewell as it made its way into the second tunnel.
Soon, he was left alone with the man, back where he had left earlier, his divination workshop.
Then, Mr Grey's expression turned serious again. He said:
"That's a horror, hunted down by one of the Sentinels at Branch V during last year's expedition, horrific as it was"
His expression grew dim.
"However, it's a tamed one, which is why it follows my instructions"
Haruto didn't reply.
Nonetheless, Mr Grey continued.
"That's a grade 3 horror. Seeing that, do you still wish to become a sentinel?"
Haruto opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it.
Mr Grey chuckled.
Haruto gritted his teeth and faced the ground.
'You can still chuckle?!!!'
Disgusted, Mr Grey looked away.
"Is this how you'll behave when you see a real horror? Is this it?! You're not fit to be a sentinel"
Snorting, the old man went back to his potions and started to do something.
He can still talk?!! Damn you old man!
But, that was right wasn't it. He wasn't fit. He wasn't fit to be a sentinel. Grade 3, it was just grade 3, and he was scared shitless. He could've died back there, but so what?.
He had to save Lily, right? That was the only thing that mattered. And he had to grow stronger. Without horrors to slay, how was that possible?.
Gritting his teeth, clenching his feet and closing his eyes, he nodded ever so lightly.
Then, he said in a hoarse voice:
"Yes, I still want to be a sentinel"
Mr Grey hesitated for a moment too, before he finally nodded and passed the glass cup to him. Then he muttered rather evenly:
"Drink it"
Haruto froze.
"I have to drink this thing?"
Mr Grey chuckled.
"But of course, yes!"
Haruto hesitated before asking:
"Do I need to perform an oral ritual?"
Mr Grey smiled.
"Yes of course! You have to raise the drink to both your shoulders and then your forehead saying, Oh goddess of high places, allow me to drink this elixir, erase all bitterness and restrain all who want to restrain me from drinking it"
Haruto stared at the man in annoyance. Of course he was messing with him. He just had to drink it, and whatever was supposed to happen after that would happen. But, right now, that was helpful. He was terrified.
Grim, he brought the liquid to his nose. The scent made him shiver unknowingly. It had this disgusting fishy smell that made him want to throw up. But Mr Grey's desperate voice restrained him:
"Now!"
Adhering, Haruto instantly gulped down the content of the glass cup. Contrary to his expectations, it tasted rather sweet. But, after a while, nothing happened. He turned to Me Grey.
"Is anything supposed to happen?"
The man froze.
"You…you can still talk?"
Haruto frowned.
"Yes, why not?"
Mr Grey didn't reply, he performed a weird action instead. He snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, the depths of his eyes, his cornea particular became lined slowly with bright gold light.
After a while, he was already sweating. Then finally he said in hoarse and definite voice:
"You have no core"
Haruto felt like he had been hit by brittle brick.
What did he mean he had no core? I can't collect my salary without a core!!! His salary meant the world to him right now. This isn't good!
But Mr Grey wasn't done yet. He squinted his eyes ever so lightly, as if begging something supernatural to shew him something divine and inexplicable.
"This is strange, as I know, every ability is from the enchantment. But, they're tied to it in a tiniest string connected to our soul which then relates with whatever supernatural thing gave us our powers. But, you seem…to be made out of it instead"
Puzzled, Haruto asked.
"How did you know all that just now?"
Mr Grey smiled and handed him three, very thin and long books.
"I did it by being a Spectator"
"A Spectator?" Haruto repeated, taking a look at the books.
Mr Grey, picked up the empty glasses, they tinkered, as if vexed.
"It's a generational skill left behind by former sentinels. They created it with the help of the enchantments. Those three books are very helpful ones especially. As for being a spectator, once mastered, it allows you to perceive the inexplicable, something normally out of viewing range for the ordinary man's eyes. However, with a sign"
Haruto listened attentively.
"A sign?"
"Yes" Mr Grey nodded.
"The sign could be anything, tapping your glabella, speaking, which is least used as it already reveals you and so much more"
After that, Mr Grey smiled.
"We've had a long day lad, why don't y'er go have some rest. Be careful when choosing your sign, the most basic things can be very dangerous and tiring to use. Choose wisely"
Hesitating a little Mr Grey added:
"Oh and, lad, y'er be careful not to read what is above the title. Whatever y'er do, do not try to read the blur"
Haruto nodded and started to leave the cave.
As he moved however, Mr Grey stopped him with a question.
"Lad! Why do you battle?"
Thinking for a moment, Haruto replied.
"To survive?"
That had to be it, right? He who survived a day would live to fight another day.
Strangely, the man just nodded and didn't say anything else.
Ting!
[Level up! ]
[Level up! ]
[Level up! ]
[Level up! ]