Chapter 33 - Rooted Towards the Unbelievable

Finally stepping foot in something other than a hot mess…

I left the layer of magma. Without knowing what lay in wait I entered headstrongly.

The roots which had been scorched at the entrance were strong enough to withstand going up in flames, better yet… The further in I went the thicker they got. The other thing that I noticed was that the pathway was descending into the depths ever so slightly.

Could I believe what I saw? The short answer is no, but what I saw implied something I had longed for ever since I escaped my siblings… What I saw on the other side of the pathway was a rich world full of nature. For the first time in my life, I felt the wet and ticklish surface of morning dew grass underneath my feet. But wasn't the pathway going down?

The roots like I noticed before had been coating the entire pathway, other than the floor which over time had become green of the moss and grass, the roots had covered the walls and even the ceiling of the pathway. I admired what I could see so far, although it didn't make all that much sense to me.

As I looked around the corridor luminescence and my night vision allowed me to continue through and eventually notice the light at the other side of the pathway. As I carefully exited the tunnel confusion struck harder than ever before.

"A rich forest?! Underneath a floor coated with magma?! No… This can't be, can it?!"

As I looked around it was something I haven't felt before that hit my face.

I had to close my eyes being as blinding as it was, but the warmth that came over me was really pleasant…

"The Sun?! No way… This is not possible?! Is it?! Holy Shit! I have to say that I still fail to see how this could be the outside, but I'll take it as I go I guess?"

As the warmth filled my body I tried getting used to the brightness, till now I only had walked dark corridors and caves, so this… This was a first for me… The brightness stung a bit… Even creating pots onto my vision… I knew I had to get used to this if I was to continue my journey. And just as I exited the tunnel I tried looking back. The scenery truly made me think it was the exit of a cave, but it couldn't truly be could it?

I mean… The moment I exited this "cave" a window popped up congratulating me…

[Congratulations "Mira" for clearing the path towards the core. You're not there yet,

but you're getting closer as we speak. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but this isn't the outside which you have been longing for so long… No… This is the Hidden forest of Eternity.

A forest hid within the dungeon of old known as the core of Yggdrasil.

This is where your capabilities of survival will truly be tested. As like the magma field, you have visited previously, the flora has learned to fully adapt to the ecosystem around them.]

"Wait… Who is this? Not sure if "The System" might be talking or it may be you E.V.E.?"

[Rest assured Mira, it is I Eve, the system registered me for assistance with your system which is why we will continue traveling together from now on.]

"Hmm… I must say that is a relief. Never really understood why "The System" had chosen me to be honest, but let's just roll with it for now. I mean… There's not much I can do against it, can I?"

[That is correct, haha. But, now that we're together why not take the time to explore a bit?

Maybe you'll encounter some of the wildlife too?]

"Should I? I mean… It's inevitable of course, but honestly, I'd rather take my time catching my breath and all… It looks like there isn't much activity at the moment which should allow me to catch my breath."

I tried not jinxing my peaceful atmosphere, as in anime usually someone would find a way to jinx positive situations into a negative outcome, and truthfully I had quite enough of that at the moment. It seemed like nothing much was going to happen. Slacking a sigh of relief I

took a careful approach towards the grassy new open area. My eyes slowly began getting used to the bright sunlight, but something didn't feel right…

Why? I asked myself… "Well, basically since it has never been this carefree within the dungeon before…" The moment I finished my sentence I seemed to have been cheering too early as the ground began to shake and rumble. The rumbling steadily began more intense when suddenly a stone wall began rising from the ground.

As I had slowly entered the new area it did not come to mind where the rumbling came from, until I turned around and saw the stone wall rise from the ground. Knowing I shouldn't head back to the hellish heat of the middle layer, I stood my ground as I saw the only way back I knew of disappear in front of me.

"Shit… Now I reached the point of no return…"

Seeing as I had to come to terms with the fact that I couldn't return anymore,

I had to think about my priorities. Knowing my survival came first, it dawned on me that what Eve had suggested was the best course of action, but not before securing a safe place to rest.

"Now that there is no way around it, I think it's best to do as you suggested Eve…

Exploring what we can, finding a safe place to stay for my survival is the thing with the most priority for now. Before really heading out I listed the priorities once more in my head.

Things I need to do include; exploring the newly found area, securing a safe place to stay, and not entirely important securing a food and water source as this too is part of my survival."

Being certain about my goals I stood there at the edge of the cave with my head held up high.

I was ready to proceed. Although unprepared for what lay in the way, I went ahead with the plan to scout out the area.