Chapter 19: The Cathedral of Fairies

I came out of the guild hall with depression etched on my face. 

" Yup… The skill I was searching for wasn't even in the guild."

Even the workers in the guild were speechless listening to my request. According to them, rules related to life skills were even rarer than skills belonging to warriors. This was because monsters didn't have life skills to drop when killed, and the professionals who could create skills and store them in 'skill parchments' didn't bother due to the lack of market for those skills and the abyssal cost-to-profit ratio. 

"Why don't I create a rune For it?"

My depression was short-lived as I had the legacy that let me do anything I wanted to do. I decided to create a new rune with the ability to let me scribble the outlines for my other runes with 100% accuracy.

I was going to inscribe it in my right hand since it was my dominant hand. As for its effects, I needed some time to decide what I wanted this rune to do.

" Another mission in the mix, baby." I definitely was excited as this was going to be the first rune I would create from scratch. If the rune creation was a success, it would mean I was one step closer to mastering the legacy at my hand.

And if I wasn't able to create a new rune, "I didn't want to believe in the failure."

With newfound determination, I returned to my house and ate something to fill myself up. I relaxed while reading some books that I had purchased from vendors to enjoy my time. They were mostly about myths and legends that have graced this world, awing anybody with their strength and charisma. Some were humans and some were from other races like dwarves, elves and even fairies were in the mix. There were even some monsters that had threatened this world in the legends.

Reading such books was my method to escape from reality before I awakened the legacy, they were my mental support if you will. The myths about powerful people that graced this world always made my blood boil but I was stopped by my inability to sense the mana trapping me inside the mortal body, never daring to live such a life.

Now that I've awakened, these books hold a different meaning for me; they represent the future I can actively pursue, rather than distant illusions that fade away with time.

It was already late at night by the time I was done with my household chores. I stood by the window thinking about the rune that could help me with creating a perfect drawing of anything I wanted to. I had some ideas on the effect but not total confidence in myself. 

After standing at the window for almost an hour, I slept, still thinking about the rune I wanted to create.

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New Day New Determination...

I woke up with renewed vigor, my body pulsating with power but no place to release it. So I made a plan for today.

"What could be better than raiding the Dungeons filled with monsters??"

Yup, I was planning to raid yet another dungeon today. It would be a solo raid, that would truly let me know my limits, testing everything I've got on me.

So, I had a light breakfast, put on my equipment, and covered my face with the mask before once again going to raid the Dungeon. I had already stored the dry ration that could feed me for more than a week on my ring while at the guild as I was itching for some more battles after killing the 'Zorat King' yesterday.

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The Cathedral of Fairies...

It was the dungeon I aimed to raid next.

As the name implies, this dungeon was home to fairies, but not the kind one would expect. These fairies, known as Bloodied Fairies, were masters of the dungeon. They were small, winged creatures with a traditional fairy appearance, except for one striking difference - their wings and bodies were stained with blood.

These fairies had a haunting and eerie presence, marked by their blood-stained wings and pale, translucent skin. Their delicate features twisted into expressions of agony or malice, revealing their true nature. Their eyes, once enchanting, now glowed with a sinister light or were clouded, indicating their corrupted state. The intensity of blood on their wings denoted their strength and authority; those with fresh crimson blood held higher authority, while those with dried stains were essentially slaves.

Some of these fairies had jagged or broken wings, adding to their twisted appearance. Despite their small size, their presence emitted danger and malevolence, especially since they were protected by a powerful monster who served as the dungeon's boss.

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With great determination etched on my face, I entered the Dungeon.

The Dungeon was a huge forest with a huge cathedral standing at its center. The lush green first filled with vitality was in dark contrast with the bloodied and desolate cathedral that was in its center. Its dark, blood-stained walls stand in stark contrast to the vibrant greenery around it.

The grass under my feet was lush and soft, but there were patches where the green was marred by dark stains giving me a sense of foreboding. 

As I approached the cathedral in the center, I was awed by its grandeur and yet unnerving presence. Its massive spires pierced the sky, casting long shadows that stretched across the grassy expanse. The once lush greenery around the cathedral had taken on a crimson shade of blood as if the whole land around it was bathed in blood, changing the composition of the area around the cathedral in the process. 

The broken walls that were reminiscent of the glory this cathedral once held were pulsating with a faint crimson hue. They were beating like hearts, sending tremors in their surroundings once in a while.

As I ventured closer, the signs of the fairies became evident. I could see them flying mindlessly in the hall, gnawing their own bodies leaving a trail of blood wherever they went. The powerful fairies with crimson bodies were ripping apart the ones with dried stains, gnawing on them. Blood was spilling everywhere, It was a cruel yet artistic scene that was painting itself inside the cathedral.

Plitter.. Platter...

I slowly entered the cathedral, a stench of blood pouring into my nose. 

The atmosphere shifted from the open lush plain filled with greenery to that of an eerie beauty and haunting echoes. The interior was a labyrinth of corridors and chambers, each adorned with grotesque decorations and artifacts that speak of the fairies' tumultuous history. Flickering torches cast dancing shadows on the stone walls, adding to the sense of foreboding that permeates the air.

The bloodied fairies themselves were a sight to behold, their once ethereal forms now tinged with the scars of battle. They move with a quiet determination, their eyes gleaming with a fierce bloodthirst showing their thirst for blood.

Despite its low-level classification, this dungeon was the deadliest of all because of the fairies that were mindless creatures that lived for blood. Anyone who entered this without ample preparation and strong will would become the feast of these creatures never to see the sunlight of the otherworld again. They would be turned into mere husks devoid of any blood and used to fertilize the soil outside the cathedral, waiting for another group of unfortunate adventurers to enter the cathedral.

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Tik.... tok...

The hallway I was traversing through echoed with each step, devoid of any living creatures. Instead, scattered around me were the lifeless bodies of fairies, drained of their vitality. There was an eerie absence of blood, which would have typically stained their bodies as per their strength and authority in the Cathedral.

The bodies strewn across the corridor along with extreme silence, it was the recipe for nightmarish thoughts to bloom in anybody's mind. Even though I was having a hard time controlling my emotions, they were fluctuating severely, from calm to slight sadness, from sadness to slight nervousness, and eventually, I was ready to have my mind go crazy. 

" Why does every dungeon I step in have such an environment that attacks on one's mind, their emotions??" It was somewhat frightening to think of.

"Was I supposed to face such extreme emotions, the ones I was trying to forget about??"

I didn't have any answer but the determination and willpower I had didn't allow me to succumb to these emotions. I moved ahead with steady steps, calm heart, and a somewhat messy mind.

After walking straight for almost five minutes, I was greeted by a large wooden door, flanked by pillars on both sides. The door was emanating such a strong smell of bloodlust, that it was nearly solid. The ethereal bloodlust created a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth ready to munch on anyone who wanted to trespass the territory belonging to The bloodied fairies.

As I neared the bloodied maw, my mind started to become even more chaotic giving me a hard time. I moved ahead With somewhat faltering steps but my eyes were determined, and this determination was the reason I was able to enter the door reaching the chamber belonging to The fairies.

The crimson-red eyes flashed towards me as soon as I entered the door.