Chilling Waters

Vecna took the first step toward the Abyss, not having any other solution in this chase but to find a way to get killed faster and respawn somewhere that would allow him to Log Off.

Simple in principle. Not practical at all.

With his jump into the sinkhole, he could still notice the crimson miasma in the air acting as a guide for him, making him wonder about his life choices in the game thus far.

'Hopefully getting crushed doesn't feel that horrendous. I've got killed by mobs, and the pain is barrable, but getting crushed on the ground makes you shiver.'

'As if I had one of those nightmares when I jump into nothing and wake up trembling in fear.'

The walls of the sinkhole could be spotted from the light the crimson miasma was generating. Still, this sudden descent wasn't for the kind-hearted, and in a flash of moments, Vecna felt the touch of coldness and wetness hit him in all directions.

*Splash*

The impact between Vecna and the underground lake sends water spraying in all directions, and for a brief moment, his vision was obscured as he sunk deeper into the body of water.

'Phew. Thank God there was something to take the shock.'

While inside this dark body of water, relieved thoughts floated in his mind as the "Breath" gauge appeared before his eyes signaling him the importance of getting to the surface as long, he didn't wish to drown like some pathetic sailor.

'I don't know how to swim... But this game makes it easier for sure.'

He acted on instincts, kicking his legs in a particular way, pushing himself to the surface of the soon-to-be-discovered lake, and with each small progress he makes, flashes of light started appearing into his green eyes.

As the ripples settle, Vecna who got to the surface of the lake realized he was surrounded by inky darkness, with the faint glow of phosphorescent algae illuminating the water's surface.

"If this wasn't a game, I would really want to wake up. This feels too much of a nasty dream." murmured Vecna as he scanned his surroundings.

The atmosphere in the cavern was chilling, there wasn't a need for the cold water for Vecna to feel pressured. The air grows colder and heavier, with a damp chill settling around him the longer he stood without moving forward.

'I need to move less I want to attract some monster lurking in this lake.'

'At least I got some light now.'

'Still, what's with that crimson miasma? It is as if it calls me to somewhere.'

Around him, the only source of light was coming from the small bioluminescent fungi scattered throughout the cavern walls, casting an eerie glow. Above his head, the jagged rock formations, and stalactites which hang precariously from the ceiling, woke him up from his trance.

Goosebumps sprung all around his body when he noticed on the ceiling the shadows of some large bats, and when their eyes shined with a red light he turned his head down, starting to swim in the direction the crimson miasma pointed.

[Blood Bat – Level 160 – (E)]

'Elite mobs. Damn. This is some Dungeon or a Raid Setup?'

'Calm, steady breathes of air...'

Navigating the underground lake becomes necessary to progress further. Yet, the main focus for Vecna was to go steady so he wouldn't alert the Blood Bats lurking on the top of the Cavern ceiling.

He moved constantly, only to stop when he arrived at the ending of the chamber of this lake, turning his head as if a ghost was behind him.

"What the fuck is this place!"

"Boss, are we inside a Dungeon?"

"The fuck? Are you asking me? Take out your touches and let's see what's this place all about."

"Got you, Boss."

"..."

"Wait, don't do it!"

Vecna could hear the insufferable voices of the Black Fang players, and the sudden warning coming from Viper.

It didn't take a genius to understand what might happen, and when the realization hit Vecna, a wicked smile propped on his decent-looking face.

'The Bats are sensitive to light. Those guys just signed their Death Certificates.'

Ironically doing a cross, as he expected the cries of the Elite monsters triggered a powerful reaction from the Black Fang guild members.

"This is a dungeon! Ready yourself, guys. They are our level range so is easy money."

"Mothe... I told you not to use your torches!"

"It's already been done Viper. Get your shit together and let's wipe those blood rats."

Their arguing, had Vecna unable to hold a sly laugh.

'Justice has been served for the poor. Thank you, whoever Bosses this Cavern.'

The danger the PK players had over him started dispersing, and now with their Aggro being taken by the Blood Bats, he noticed that his Status stopped being subjected to "Combat", giving him the chance of Logging Out.

'Log Out now? I still have 30 minutes of gametime before my Play Pass is over.'

Shaking his head, he turned again to look behind him, only darkness surrounded him and the dim lights of the algae and fungi. His eyes seemed resolute on what to do, and without further wastage of time, he dived in the water.

From there on he could see the tunnel continuing underwater, and with a steady pace in his swimming, he avoided the rocky obstacles.

The currents that threatened him were handled smartly by him using the obstacles and waiting for a weakening in the current to continue onward. The water itself was bone-chilling cold, numbing Vecna's limbs, thus making his journey even more daunting.

[You have been afflicted by "Chilling Waters" suffering a lowering in stats by 10%]

[Your Breathe meter is running low]

[Your Breathe meter has reached 60% of the intake]

...

..

.

[Your Breathe meter has reached 40% of the intake]

Vecna could feel his body weakened and the impending doom of drowning to death in this forsaken place.

His Stamina and Breathe were going haywire in this cold environment, but still he pressed forward with a will to succeed unshakable.

[Your Breathe meter has reached 20% of the intake]

'Just a little bit more. I can feel it. The end of this shitty tunnel.'

[Your Breathe meter has reached 15% of the intake]

The muscles on Vecna's arm and legs tightened hard with each swing, the weakening of his body made his resolve to get out with his life intact even stronger.

'No way I get myself done by some water! Push, you stupid body!'

After what felt like an eternity of swimming and struggling against the currents, Vecna started resurfacing on this endless body of water that could span an entire continent for all could know.

He was laying on his back, floating on the lake as he watched the new chamber. This place wasn't engulfed in darkness, far from it, Vecna had a perfect view of this mysterious Cavern.

The rocky formations lighted by a blue light, intrigued his imagination for what the source might be.

'Some of the crystals look like those Fake Healing Crystals, Silvia talks about that we should buy for mom's health.'

'Ahhh, stupid brain. Let's not make fun of her since she is still a little girl.'

'Maybe those crystals are Mana Crystals. I heard from the miners I worked with in the past that you can get your hands on Mana Stones when mining the crystals and rocks on rare occasions.'

Focusing his eyes on the Mana Crystals that looked as if they were in hand reach, he started rubbing his chin as if pondering.

'Open [Inventory]'

With a command of the system, in his face appeared his Avatar along with an interface that contained various spaces with different icons for specific items. His inventory was quite messy, with all sorts of crafting material from Ores to Stones, to various Wood Fragments.

In a corner of his bag, it was sorted out neatly, where Weapons, Armors and Vials of Red Mana and Blue Mana settled down.

'Quite lazy to search by hand where I put my Pickaxe in that junkyard.'

'Search Item: [Miner's Resolve]'

[Miner's Resolve]

Rating: Epic

Durability: 125/125

Attack Power: 25

* The chances of acquiring advanced minerals will increase by 5%.

* The skill 'Beginner Mining Technique' master level will be generated.

A pickaxe passed down from generation to generation by Craftsman of the Mining Craft, only to be found abandoned inside Mithril Halls of the Valorian Duchy.

If you deliver the Pickaxe in the hands of the Stonehammer Clan of the Dwarven Kingdom you'll be rewarded generously.

User Restriction: Level 50 or higher.

.

He smiled like a twisted person as he was reading again the information of the mining pick which was one of the rewards he got from his Explorations in dubious places.

'Buddy, you'll have to help me again. Hehe, if I get my hands on some Mana Stones and sell them in Titan or Valoria, I'll be set on with enough money to buy myself a Capsule.'

'My escape plan is within reach.'

Closing the window, and with eyes akin of a greedy being he was swimming in the direction of a Mana Crystal that acted similar to a Lighthouse in this damned Abyss.

Swimming his way out of the lake and reaching land, he was dumbfounded to discover that ahead of him was a small island with an elevated ledge, while in the air the constant reminder of the crimson miasma lurked in the shadow.

'I haven't heard those PK assholes or any commotion. Probably they got killed by the Elite mobs. Just a bit of Mana Stones and I'll continue advancing forward.'

Sizing up the Mana Crystal that was 3 meters in height and quite the chunky piece of mineral, he spit on his hands like some peasant and took out his Pickaxe which he swung masterfully, showing the skill of a person who wasn't on a job for the first time.

Swing after swing, he was gaining various Mana Crystal fragments that didn't seem to be worth much at the detriment of the Crystal which shrunk in size each time he was gaining fragments.

"Come to daddy." called Vecna as he was doing an overdramatic swing, delivering him nothing in exchange.

"NOOO!"

The chunky piece of mineral scattered into nothingness, leaving the blonde youngster all to himself in darkness.

With a miner's resolve, he moved to the next spot.

[A Mana Stone has been acquired.]

For the next 30 minutes inside the game, he only knew about the value of the Mana Stone and nothing else.

His possession for the valuable Mana Stones broke when he noticed that he destroyed his source of light. When he turned his back to where the exit of the lake was, he got a chill run down his spine.

'How do I get back? FUCK MEE. I don't even have a Return Scroll, to begin with.'

The thought that he might not be able to get back in one piece because of his little greed for money stabbed him in the back. Yet, there was still a lot to be discovered in this Chamber, not yet reaching the small island.

Taking his time, quite relaxed after counting how many Mana Stones he gained, along with the dispensable Mana Crystal Fragments, he stepped on the small island. From there on Vecna discovered a narrow passageway leading to God knew where, making him stop and consider it again.

*BOOM*

The sound of rocks collapsing along with a bright blue swordwave coming from a skill flashed the entire chamber with light.

"I SWEAR! I WILL SLAUGHTER THAT DAMNED RAT VECNA!"

"DO YOU HEAR ME, RAT! YOU AND ME WILL BE THE WORST ENEMIES IN THE ENTIRE SATISFY GAME!"

"Boss, calm down. Everyone is alive."

"THEN PAY ME FOR ALL THE CONSUMABLES I SPENT ON KILLING THAT PACK OF BLOOD BATS! I WASTED 50 GOLD just on that PACK!"

Vecna facepalmed himself gently when he heard the voice of this asshole hunting him down over nothing but a misunderstanding.

'What's this bastard malding all about? I only yonked your Treasure Chest as payback for fucking around with me. Luckily it contained quite the loot since it was guarded by the Field Boss.'

'Shit, I need to get inside the passageway before those crazy nutjobs find me.'

"Look at the ground, there are marks of some mining activity. It should be that bastard. Suncrest, use your Light Magic. I can't navigate around this place."

"What about the mobs?" asked a guy wearing a dark priestly attire with a bloody staff in his hand.

Bloodhound reconsidered his request, turning his head at the assassin who was throwing pebbles in the direction of the ceiling.

"Viper?"

"It's clear. Suncrest, use your skills. That Vecna guy shouldn't be far since he was stupid enough to mine around."

"Understood. Follow me."

From the priest's staff, a bright source of light appeared, illuminating the pathway for the Black Fang guild, and quickly started catching of the signs left by Vecna's mining activity.

Still, before they could catch on Vecna's shadow, the blonde man stepped inside the new chamber, a point where he was assaulted by a nauseating stench of iron and decay.

'The heck? This stench reminds me of dead cats left to rot.'

Waving his hand around his nose, it didn't change anything in the stench of rot and decay.

The sight greeting him made him back away with goosebumps all over his body. The entrance to the chamber was adorned with grotesque statues, twisted and contorted in agony. Rivers of blood gushed forth from an altar at the end of the chamber, cascading down into crimson pools on the chamber floor.

The chamber itself is dimly lit, flickering with an eerie red glow. The air feels heavy with malevolence and the distant echoes of sinister whispers reverberate through the chamber.

Vecna couldn't help but touch his chest, and later on slowly move his hand to his face as he pinched himself.

'Dude. This place is creepy. Let's check if the Quest reacted in any shape or form.'

'Open Quest Log.'

He didn't have to scroll much, not that he had many quests, a decent handful of them was enough for a low-level player.

[The Core of the Dark Father.]

'Still the same [???]. What kind of bullshit is this. Just look at how much crimson miasma is released by that Altar.'

'What about the Items?'

Immediately he searched in his inventory bag for the items highlighted when he received the quest, specifically for the [Book of Night] and [Thorn of Blood] which were pieces he randomly picked while questing in the region of Shadowwood County.

[Thorn of Blood]

Type: Ceremonial Material (Quest Item)

Its information has been sealed by Divine Authority.

.

[Book of Night]

Type: Manuscript (Quest Item)

A blank book of unknown origins. The Cover of the manuscript gives off a malicious atmosphere, and if you hold the book for too long, you'll suffer undescribed suffering and pain.

Mysteries are laid on each blank page.

.

[Ding!]

[With the proximity of the hidden piece required for the Quest, the Item <Book of Night> has reacted!]

.

Vecna wasn't used to the System crying in his ears too much, and without even noticing he saw the hand holding <Book of Night> being droughted, devoid of blood in his hand, while the book itself started shinning with a crimson black light with the creepy eye that was staring from the cover appearing corporeal as if it had life.

[You lost 10% of your Vitality!]

[You are restricted from taking down the item <Book of Night>]

"What do you mean I can't put the book down? Piss off, you, ass!"

Vecna tried to throw the book, but it felt as if it was stuck to his hand like leeches on steroids. He got alert when he heard the sound of his heart getting louder with each passing second.

[The Item <Book of Night> begins revealing its mysteries to the User.]

As if he was a priest holding the Bible, the leeching book opened up by itself, with the first page seeming blank at first glance only to magically fill itself.

[The Awakening]

'I'm screwed, right?'

All the letters on the page were inked with blood, it was something he felt subconsciously from the metallic taste in his mouth.

'I can't understand those letters. Doesn't seem human script at all. I'm in danger!'

"I CAN FEEL THE RAT INSIDE THIS CHAMBER! READY YOURSELF!"

Vecna snapped from his attempt at reading the contents of the page and instead looked around the Chamber, alerted of Bloodhound's arrival.

'No, no, I can't let those fucks get me now that I am in the Treasure Chamber. Think, think, where to hide.'

'Those statue gargoyles seem big enough to hide me.'

Quick-witted to reach a temporary solution, he sprinted toward the creepy statues, that were big enough to offer him a shadow.

'Please, have some traps.'

Trembling a bit behind the menacing gargoyle, Vecna couldn't help but pray to the Devil.

'Boss Mob comes and saves the day.'