Saldeath's Trap

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Level 4 was akin to infernal heat; every step was very hard, for the relentless flames clawed at Kai's skin. It got so hot that it felt like every breath he took had molten metal flowing through every single vein. Frustratedly, he wiped some sweat from his forehead, only to have it replaced instantly by even more, further suffocating under the oppressive heat.

"I can't fucking believe this," Kai muttered, his voice just barely rising above the infernal roar of the flames. "Caelid is cute compared to this place."

Level 4 was a landscape of nightmare, nothing but endless torment. The ground was broken, scorched, the earth itself glowing red from the heat that belched from its massive pits of searing flame. The heat twisted the air; the fires were writhing and roaring in their monstrosity, casting flickering shadows across the floor. Lying within were prisoners, their faces etched with exhaustion and suffering.

Shackled and bound they were to the labor of endless agony; haggard, wraithlike, They trudged along carrying massive logs with their backs bent under the weight. These logs were tossed into a colossal cauldron that bubbled and roiled at the center of the level. The cauldron's contents were a ghastly, churning mass that looked disturbingly like boiling blood. The stench was overpowering, a nauseating mix of charred flesh and sulfur that clung to Kai's clothes and made his stomach churn.

All in all, it was a disgusting picture of pain, despair, and torture—a non-stop one. As if on cue, from the sides came the hissing and crackling of flames,—a grim background to the this eternal suffering of the prisoners.

"This is a twisted mix of slavery and torture," he muttered to himself as his voice rumbled low in grim resolve over the hellish scene laid before his very eyes, with stifling, relentless heat emanating from the grill floor.

"I'm not one to get all sentimental about prisoners," he continued, shaking his head with a grimace, "But this—this is too much. I can't change what's happening here, and there's no time to get bogged down by it."

He took a deep breath, hi*

s skin already bubbling from the intense heat. "G–gotta keep focused on reaching Level 5.5. the heat is bad, but it won't keep me down. Just gotta hang tight an' keep going, fuck!"

As he passed the cells, he saw the eyes of the prisoners looking at him from behind the bars. At least a couple of them seemed to gleam in resilience. The strength in their eyes was sharp and measured. Kai did not acknowledge them, though. His focus was in the walls that he scanned as he moved down the path watching ahead.

"I know they can see me but what's happening?" he mumbled, looking over his shoulder warily. "They should be on my ass by now. The fact that it's relatively quiet is scaring me."

The paranoia had begun to seep in, and he felt an uneasy knot in his stomach. "I should check my inventory on the system. Perhaps I can find something to wear that would help cover my face or make me less noticeable." Moving through his system, he came across the Prisoner Iron Helmet, remembring that it had a bit of fire damage negation. He donned it, hoping for some relief.

He had it on for about a minute or two, but, frustrated, he pulled it off. "FUCK! My face is all sweaty now. This shit doesn't work the same way in game I guess," he said, setting to wipe his drenched face with the back of his hand, murmuring under his breath.

Just as he finished his complaints, a strange melody reached his ears, a haunting flute tune that seemed oddly out of place in this infernal environment. Kai turned around, confusion etched on his face, only to be met with a jarring sight. Two enormous, rotund figures, three times his size, loomed menacingly. They were blue and grotesque, brandishing huge, wicked-looking axes. 

"What in hell now?" Kai's eyes widened in shock. He scarcely had the time to react as the creatures began to charge him. Without thinking, he rolled instinctively to the side, just evading the killing blow of their axes.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" he swore, sitting up and drawing his Estoc as his brain raced to recalibrate the danger of the new threat. The grotesque figures moved surprisingly fast, the eerie flute music and laughter making it a surreal and terrifying atmosphere in its entirety.

Kai's eyes searched desperately about, delving deep within his mind for any inkling about these abominable creatures, but nothing came up; his well of knowledge about this realm contained not a word of these creatures. He glanced behind, towards the sinister music playing there. To his surprise, he found a third one, and by his side, there was a short, figure of some sort, playing the flute. The flute was some sort of a pitchfork, and the midget figure was the one orchestrating the eerie music.

Kai's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, it is that guy," he muttered, finally placing the familiar source of the melody. 

The weird looking leader made his introduction. "I am Saldeath," he announced, "and for your crimes, Mr 'Bedroom Bandit,' you will be executed at once by none other than myself and my BluGoris."

His eyebrows shot up in shock and bewilderment. "Mister what?" he asked, trying to make sense of the bizarre proclamation. 

Without waiting for a reply and ignoring Kai's confused utterance, Saldeath played on his bizarre, pitchfork-shaped flute once again. Frightening, discordant tones rang out and the two hideous figures—now finally introduced as BluGoris—girded up to attack.

Kai's mind raced. "So that's how it is. This bastard controls them with that flute," he thought, a scowl forming on his face. "BluGoris? What a dumb fucking name. No wonder I didn't remember them!"

Kai almost faltered in his charge, managing only to jump out of the way from the assault of those gargantuan figures. A moment later, a massive dent formed at the ground after one of the BluGoris swung at him with an axe. Kai's heart raced, and he muttered quietly, "Shit! They're not a joke it seems!"

Decided to bring this fight to a swift end, Kai brought his Glintstone staff out in front. "Saldeath is the key," he thought. "If I kill him, maybe the others will lay off." He prepared to unleash a Magic Glintblade, focusing his energy on their midget leader.

As the spell shot towards Saldeath, the leader was sliding his fingers over the surface of the flute, and a BluGoris stepped forward, blocking the blow with its body as the blade came down hard on it. The poor beast screamed under its breath, hobbling out of the way from the strike, leaving Saldeath unscathed but his tactic exposed.

"I see you, bastard," Kai said, his voice dripping with anger. "You'd sacrifice them if it means I can't get to you."

Kai's teeth ground together as his mind sped up, trying to plan his next action. The twisted melody Saldeath was blowing on his flute echoed through the inferno, feeding the monstrous BluGoris with a terrible, relentless energy. To his chagrin, all three of the creatures—at the same time, quite literally—the one he'd injured included charged at him with terrifying speed as their massive axes glinted in the firelight.

"Shit!" Kai cursed under his breath, his instincts screaming at him to move. He managed to sidestep the first swing, feeling the wind from the massive axe as it sliced through the air inches from his face. He barely avoided the second BluGori's attack with a backward roll, his boots skidding across scorched ground. But the third—the one he'd thought was down—caught him off guard. The battle-axe bit deep into his left shoulder, striking with a sickening crunch.

Pain exploded through his frame—fiery agony that made stars dance in front of his vision. "Argh!" He screamed, his vision blurring as he felt the blood begin to pour from his wound. A fleeing instant, and the world had seemed to slow down—the infernal heat, the grotesque laughter of the BluGoris becoming almost an echo.

But Kai wasn't ready to go down quite so easily. Growling, he flicked his hand, and in an eye-blink moment, his Estoc was summoned. The blade flashed into his grip, and with fluid desperation, he lunged forward. Although the pain in his shoulder seared, he plunged the tip of the Estoc straight into the eye of the BluGori that struck him.

The creature let out a gurgling roar, its massive body convulsing as the blade pierced through its eye and into its brain. Kai twisted the sword viciously, the force of the blow sending a spray of dark, thick blood across the ground. 

"How's that for a fucking sacrifice?" Kai spat, his voice a mix of rage and pain. He yanked the Estoc free, the BluGori's body collapsing in a twitching heap at his feet. Blood dripped from his weapon, steaming as it hit the scorching ground.

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[Author's Note: Hey Everyone! Enjoy the chapter! and please more comments and reviews if you can! Help the story rise up! And donate some power stones if you can spare any! Thanks for reading!]

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If you wish to read up to 5 Chapters Ahead! or simply support me just because? then check out my patréon at

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Don't forget to change "é" to "e"