Chapter 135 – Consequences

Just before we're about to enter the boarded off section of the mine, a hand approaches my shoulder, but both Jaxon and Aesa are in front of me...

"Wah! Jesus Christ Petra! Is it your life's goal to stop my heart or something?"

Us three should've been alone down here yet somehow Petra followed us all the way down here? I swear we're like a mile or a kilometre under the surface!

"Heh, you wondered off in the middle of training and didn't give me a heads up Ikarus. I'm going to have to start putting you on a leash if this happens again"

Her sense of humour can be so boring at times... that was a joke, right? We we're making those dog jokes earlier; I just really hope I haven't awakened anything in her or something like that...

"Funny... I'm guessing it was okay to leave? How in the hell did you even find us?"

"Heh, you're obviously forgetting I have a way of tracking phoenixes Ikarus, it's impossible for you to get away from me that easily"

She really does give off stalker vibes at times. It's just a good thing both of us see past those sorts of things and even seem to be attracted to it... Ah! Get your head out of the gutter Ikarus, you've already had enough of that sweet booty in the bushes for one day.

"Seriously though, was it okay to leave the soldiers like that?"

"If you randomly wander off like that, I can't really be expected to keep helping out, can I?"

She really is clingy as well... I want to kiss her again but probably not the best time for that right now. We are about to discover the mysteries of the secret part of the mine.

Anyways, Jaxon starts to remove the planks stopping our advance and Petra can't help but be curious on my 'twin'.

"How comes you're out and about today Aesa? Ikarus hasn't annoyed you too much or anything?"

I'll have you know Petra, me and Aesa have been on good terms recently! I'm sulking from what she just said now.

"To put it bluntly how -Ikarus- would say... Aesa is bored. Watching fighting after satisfying intercourse was uninteresting and target -Jaxon- presented different opportunity"

Heh, looks like we share the same attention span... damn it Aesa! It's a bloody good thing Jaxon is really trying to mind his business ignoring the fact she just admitted that we just had sex.

"Boards are now down... say, do you three fancy going in first?"

Jaxon seems pretty uncomfortable right now, is he afraid of what's further below? I've never seen the scrawny miner looking like this.

"Say kid, you're not worried that there might be ghosts down here or something?"

"Heh, I'll have to hold Ikarus's hand if that's the case then. Can't be having her get too scared"

"I hate you at times..."

Even when I'm trying to tease someone else, Petra just cannot help herself. Just because she may have the perfect ass: perfect breasts, perfect everything does not mean she has to do this shit, all the goddamn time!

"Nothing like that... it's just hearing voices coming from caves is a bad omen. It's more of a personal reminder of how my father perished, but I'll go first then... wish me luck"

Oh right, Jaxon did say he comes from a mine owner's family and that it ended up collapsing once upon a time. I'm guessing the voices would've been from trapped miners? Ah, I don't know, best not to ask such depressing stuff really.

Being led by him, we all make haste moving past the small opening and very quickly come across a huge cave intersection heading in multiple directions. It's pretty strange how there's a natural cave down here but it seems like something has Petra's attention.

"Can hear what you're hearing Jaxon, there's definitely voices down here"

"I knew Stumpy wasn't mad when he first mentioned this, pretty sure they're coming from the left side"

I seriously can't hear a thing so I'll just follow them along for now.

Anyways, the four of us head forward towards the left tunnel and it doesn't take long before I realize just what the fuss was about. It may be extremely quiet but the faint sound of muffled voices can definitely be heard. What's being spoken, I have no idea on though.

"Oh, I hear them now... is that any language we know?"

"Is Ikarus forgetting translate ability? If noise is not understandable, then it is not a language"

I mean, I already knew that Aesa but forget it. She can come across as being rude but that really wasn't meant that way.

The further we progress; the voices obviously start to get louder but still no source can be found just yet. An odd memory comes to mind of when we sacrificed that goat though...

"It sounds kinda like that tongue talk you and Penelope were speaking when we killed Mr Goat Petra, that's definitely no language I've heard off"

As soon as I say that, Petra's face drops and she instantly goes into serious mode.

"We all need to leave right now and prepare the island. Jaxon, you need to evacuate the mine and get everyone to the surface as well"

She seems really worried about this now. If that tongue thing is true, then it might just be a group of cultists or fanatics, right? We've already killed loads of them easily enough already.

"What's got you all startled Petra?"

"Ikarus, that speaking in tongue thing wasn't only for contacting Gods and enacting rituals. Originally, it had another purpose that got forgotten to the ages, something to do with the majin or demon race. I'm not sure what the purpose was but that definitely sounds similar"

If those voices are demons... oh! Priestess's warning about the invasion...

"Wait a fucking second... are the demons going to attack from underground? The invasion itself... is going to be coming from the caves under the islands?"

Even if we ignore the absurdity of how they snuck people down here under our noses, something like this just seems a little whacky. Imagine invading some islands using caves... it sounds absurd but is the perfect cover instead of using ships or wyverns for example.

We're just extremely lucky the miners have ears like hawks so something like this had been picked up. It's still not a guarantee this is even correct but the timing seems a little too coincidental for it to be something else.

"Potentially, although I can't say it's a fact Ikarus"

"Okay Petra... shouldn't we continue onwards than return though?"

That gets a reaction of shock from Jaxon, I should've assumed he's really not suitable for any combat. Aesa still hasn't figured out human emotion yet so she just looks stoic as hell right now.

"We can't take the risk Ikarus. If a literal God has warned us from the threat, they won't just have a few scouts residing down here. We need to return"

"But what if they're summoning something down here? You did just say that language was bad, so if we leave what's going on, couldn't that be even riskier?"

...

No answer... Petra knows I'm right here. We need to inform the settlement but we also need to check this out, both situations hold risks. It's a good thing there's four of us though...

"Jaxon and Aesa, can you two inform Marcus about what's going on while me and Petra stay here?"

"Of course! I'll also tell the gnome since he might know the areas where the demons might surface"

"Aesa also knows what to do"

Both of them agree and just like that, rush back to where we came from leaving me and Petra alone to continue deeper into the bowels of the earth. Very quickly after we continue on again, the voices are getting louder and louder now, any second and we'll see the cause.

Having turned a corner and now arriving at a ledge, what we can both see below us something astonishing...

__________

(Temporary Perspective Change)

"Heave... ho! Heave... ho!"

"Put your backs into it!"

"Don't let go!"

Watching my countless brothers training each other's strength tugging on a rope is truly something riveting to watch, it almost makes me want get involved myself but no true majin can be allowed to show such behaviour around the lower classes. There was a day where I was just a lowly servant as well but those days were a distant memory now.

As I'm wandering around inspecting the finer details of this forward base we now have up and running, things for the most part look to be going steadily along and very shortly, the plan will come to fruition. We have been waiting for this opportunity to impress the higher ups for so long now and finally the day is upon us to bring chaos into the world! I can already hear the human screams already... gosh, I'm going to get excited in a minute.

Getting down here was never of any concern, the transport obelisks have been set up across the world all hidden out of sight and ready to go. All it takes is the singular order and we can finally start the festivities! So much potential blood and fear... I've really got to stop fantasizing now.

"Ashraf cashem kemf"

"..."

Two of the brothers are currently tending to the obelisk presumably sending a message? I was never fully aware of how these sorts of things work other than actually using it to cross the doorway. I do remember being scolded from asking a question on the complexity of how they work but that was an answer I was not allowed to hear unfortunately. All the majin lords have knowledge and strength all of us can only dream on and will never comprehend.

"Are the messages being received or are they still cutting us off till the invasion starts?"

"Yes! The words are being sent, just we're still cut off elder"

It's a safety issue apparently, don't want any outsiders entering the realm despite all our areas being secure. Shouldn't complain too much, it's always been this way once battle is about to start, just slightly annoying really.

"After we take care of this island, we'll be able to help our brethren all around the world. This is the will of Asmodeus! He gave us the chance to prove ourselves and all those incredible potions after all..."

__________

"Petra... what the fuck is that thing?"

"Really not sure Ikarus, it looks like it belongs in a different world"

An army, we've literally stumbled across an army! The cavern must hold hundreds and hundreds of these red-looking horned creatures all working going about their business. Some are mining, others are sparring and it even looks like some are praying! This clearly must be a staging area for the attack on the settlement but how they even got all this down here is beyond me.

The demons themselves do look more human than you'd think, obviously if you exclude the red skin, horns and protruding muscles. It makes me a little jealous they can have a body like that but my body wouldn't work looking like that so oh well.

The really strange thing we've noticed is right in the centre of this cavern that looks to be some sort of hollow... obelisk? Imagine that tall American white monument that's pretty well known but just with a pretty hug gap in the middle. It looks completely out of this world and defintely doesn't belong in a cave this deep underground.

I can't nuke the demonic bastards, right? Even ignoring the danger close friendly fire that could happen to Petra, wouldn't nuking underground cause and earthquake or sinkhole up on the surface? Maybe I'm completely wrong but I really can't see this much firepower working well down here... actually, I might have something else...

"Petra... you think this is an opportunity to test out my new fire attack?"

One of my most recent unlocks is burning hellfire. It's apparently roughly the same size of a nuke but only uses fire so for something underground, that would cook all the red rats down here and leave Petra unharmed, right? There shouldn't be an explosion as well.

"Wouldn't bet your life on that Ikarus. If any resistance you could imagine a demon having, what would it be?"

"Wait... you're telling me they're resistant to fire?"

Well, that makes me completely useless. Not really but life without fire is kinda worthless...

"No Ikarus, it's just an assumption since demons are supposed to come from a realm full of fire and brimstone. Seriously doubt it's completely like that but save it as a last resort for now, I reckon we can handle them without any fire or magic"

I guess she's got a point. It doesn't hurt to try using a bit of fire during battle... is it weird me and Petra seem so calm about to fight what could be hundreds, maybe a thousand demons? I haven't tried a status check but there doesn't seem to be anyone too powerful down there, at least from first glance. If anything, all of them seem pretty weak despite the hulking bodies which is kinda odd. All of them are male and don't even look to be wearing armour, last time I checked muscles can't stop metal.

"So... you reckon we should use blades?"

"Sounds like a plan..."