Confrontation

] SFX::- BOOM!!! [

And just like that, we were locked in.

"Thinking of it, we were led in here like foolish children, Daughter? Sister? Let's just break it down, I have to sleep," Michael said to the group. "But who was that man?" Dorothy added.

"I don't know, but it seems like he wanted to get us out of the village. My guess is to attack the village. If that's the case, then he must have found a way to lead other village guardians or adventurers out of the picture too, to not serve as a headache for him. Or, worst-case scenario, it's us or one of us he's after," Michael clarified.

"I haven't seen that man before. I'm not even from here," Callista said. "Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever seen him here in the village before. An intruder indeed," Dorothy remarked.

"I'm sorry I got you guys into this mess, guys," though I wasn't blamed, I had to say it. "You better fix it, Anon," Dorothy and Callista said in unison. "Wait, I will try this," Michael said as he started moving towards the blocked path.

Angel is still lost in her thoughts and hasn't said anything since. I was so worried, but that was the least of our problems currently.

Running towards it as he tried moving the large stones and rocks to the sides, but that all became futile as it didn't work. "Stand back," Dorothy declared as we moved back. She brought out her grimoire and then cast a spell that caused water to manifest and burst out on the blocked path, trying to blow it into pieces, but that didn't work either. Were we truly locked in here?

"Okay, you guys should stay further away. I will clear the path," Callista said while she was still in her waitress's dress.

- "ZEPHYR DEVOUR" It was quiet for a while before it came in, the wind gathered into a spear formation, (SWOOSH!!) as it tried digging and drilling into it. It made a sound that echoed through the entire cave, sounding like a rumbling. The stones and rocks began to break down as we saw freedom at our grasp.

It crushed the first successfully and went to the second and third, which crushed with little to no difficulty. But as it got to the third, that's when the issue came: no matter how intense the wind tried to do it, it wouldn't budge. At this point, it was obvious that the entrance had been sealed with some kind of magic or means, definitely not an ordinary blockage, and it's my fault.

"Ughh... What do we do now?" From the tone of Dorothy's voice, it was easy to tell that she was already pissed. I looked to the rest, who were disturbingly quiet. I mean, we are trapped here. "Ermmm... So???" My voice echoed through the little cave as I said that.

"Anon quiet first, I'm thinking," Michael said as his voice also echoed. [ECHO]"I'm Thinking" [ECHO]"Thinking" [ECHO]"nking"

Something felt and sounded off about the echo, but I couldn't really say. I guess thinking is all we have to do now, only if he has teleportation magic or wait, should I use ESCAPE? I should better try that out.

I brought out my word grimoire as it flipped rapidly and stopped at the spell ESCAPE. It truly read my mind. I wasted no time as I signaled to everyone to move back. If Laura doesn't open up the path, it will be troublesome being trapped here.

"Mamă creație, dă-mi drumul" **__

SPELL NAME:

Freedom

SPELL:

"Mamă creație, dă-mi drumul"

SPELL ATTRIBUTE:

Frees trapped mage or creates an escape route, be it as clear as day or even abstract.

BREAKTHROUGH UNLOCKED:

Unlocked at 50% perfection, as this will heal/clear any impurities made on the mage or any target, freeing them from the likes of affecting spells, status effects, mental control, or even diseases.

LEVEL:

A-class spell

TYPE:

Escape

PERFECTION:

70 percent complete

DURATION:

Freedom lasts for the period of escape. Breakthrough is permanent. **

__

As you may have noticed, the word grimoire no longer casts with ancient kind of English. As I got closer with it, the more its true language began to unfold. Laura had already informed me that the Creation grimoire doesn't use current Languages present in the world but the language that was birthed side by side with the creation of the beginning.

At first, nothing was happening. We stood and stood for seconds until the whole cave began to shake up, the ground vibrating as if something was digging its way up.

] SFX::- THUD!! [

It suddenly came to a stop. We wondered, what was that? The Path didn't even clear up, even Laura couldn't? Then the sound began again, but this time from behind us towards the end of the cave as Angel then pointed the flashlight towards it.

"What's Happening, Anon???" Callista finally spoke out. "Sigh... This weakling just had to bury us in here," Dorothy let out. "Wasn't that your Freeing spell, Anon?" Michael added. "You finally had to be the end of us, Bravo Anon," Dorothy added to what she said. Angel, who was lost in her thoughts, just finally snapped out of it as she carried a more worried look on her face, "Anon... What is happening?" Too many words and questions I couldn't even answer them because even I didn't know what was happening.

- "Zephyr Defend" Callista commanded as she unsheathed her blade. Wind gathered up as it formed a shield over and around us. Hmmm... Zephyr. Hmmm... She has no grimoire, all she does is say that word with either Devour or now Defend, and the wind obeys... The wind obeys, I know what this is, it isn't grimoire magic, what is... Oh!!! So much has been going on in this life I was given that I have even forgotten I wanted to get my old life back.

A spirit wielder, that's it. Callista is both a swordsman and a spirit wielder, I was able to discern that. Now back to the end of the cave. As the creaking and rumbling echoed from the depths of the cave, a subtle tremor coursed through the walls, gradually intensifying until, with suddenness, it parted before us like a door. A brilliant light that spilled forth nearly blinded us, revealing a pathway—unexpected, yet unmistakable: A DUNGEON PASSAGEWAY.

Surprised by this unforeseen turn of events, we turned to each other as we exchanged surprised looks, converging upon the newly revealed passage. It seemed Laura had indeed carved a path, though not quite in the manner we had anticipated.

So many questions to ask;

Was this dungeon always here?

Did the dungeon just spawn out of nowhere?

Did Laura somehow connect us to a dungeon?

Do we go in?

I can't summon Laura here and question her because of Dorothy, Michael, and Callista. There is only one visible and clear thing to do: GO IN. A way out would have to exist one way or the other, even if we have to conquer this Uncanny Dungeon that just appeared.

[Unison] "A Dungeon?!!" "What is a dungeon doing here?" Dorothy said. "Anon? Did... Did you do this?" It was clear that she was referring to Laura, the creation grimoire, clear to me well, but not the rest.

"I don't know, but it seems like it's the only path we can take now. Should we proceed?" I replied.

"Sigh... This is my first mission too far away from the kingdom. I've failed... Forgive me, Your Highness," Callista knelt to the ground as she faced the top of the cave. Looking at her, I found myself pitying her, even if I was not in acceptance of her taking Angel, I mean Angela, away. I wasn't in acceptance of her taking Angela away, well, with the method she used.

"Staying here wouldn't do us any good. We have to proceed into the cave whether we like it or not. We have been tricked by someone, and we got ourselves here. I'm glad none of you blamed Anon. It's all of us to blame as we left the talking and everything to him, so it..."

Before Michael could finish his statement, we began to hear cracking sounds coming from the cave. We looked at the walls of the cave; a large line from the crack appeared. We saw this as Angel pointed the flashlight at it. It started getting wider; she raced the cracks with the light as it then started rushing towards the top of the cave. More appeared all over the cave.

(CRACKS!!!)

"THE CAVE IS COLLAPSING!!!" Angel shouted. She sounded, SHE SHOUTED!!! That was a very bad idea; the sound from her voice bounced off the walls of the cave, which even caused it to rumble more and more intensely.

"Run!!!" Before I could even finish up, the speedster within us had already grabbed Angel and moved into the dungeon passage. Callista is very fast; behind her was Dorothy, and behind Dorothy was I and Michael racing seriously towards the pathway like our lives depended on it.

If a little second was wasted from us, I didn't know what would have become of us. I can't die... The pain would have been excruciating.

We made it on time into the dungeon passway as the whole cave collapsed on itself, concealing the way into the dungeon.

The once-sturdy cave gave way with a deafening roar, collapsing upon itself in a chaotic cascade of rock and debris. Deep rumbling vibrations filled the air, sending clouds of dust swirling as gusts of wind rushed through the passage.

] SFX::- DEEP RUMBLING THUNDEROUS ROAR [