Scorch Sanctuary [2]

Inside a cave, surrounded by dead monkey-like creatures was a boy, sitting in a crawling position.

*Huff*

*Huff*

He him sitting on his knees, with his hands supporting his body from falling.

Arya was breathing heavily after the fight, not just because he got injured or exaggerated himself during the fight.

But because in his mind, the scene of that young chimscorch jumping in front of his spear to save the adult one.

Even though they were just mere Beasts, and this was not even the first time he killed a beast.

He killed zombies, goblins, kobolds, trolls, and a young chimscorch before he met this group.

He couldn't understand his thought process as to why is this affecting him so much.

They were just beasts if he hadn't killed them. They would have gladly killed him.

And he soon found the reason, it's just he can't come to terms with it.

It was the looks, the young one had during his last moments.

That 'Sorrow full' gaze.

Or the old beast, who after seeing the young one sacrificing himself lost the will to fight.

That 'Defeated' look.

That sign of intelligence.

What makes humans different than any other beast?

It's intelligence and emotions.

Human follows their intelligence and emotions, whereas beasts focus on their instincts.

That was true here to as it was their instincts when they attacked him after seeing him.

But that doesn't explain the look these beasts had.

He didn't know if what he did was right or not.

But this is not the main problem, as what if it was a human in place of that monster?

Will he be able to kill them?!

"In the depths of despair, amidst the storm of emotions, remember: strength is not found in the absence of pain but in the will to rise above it. Let your turmoil be the forge that shapes you into the strongest version of yourself."

Suddenly he recalled this quote that was written on the last page of the book, which he received as a reward.

He then started remembering the promise, he made to his mother.

Training he did alone when others were playing.

The tears he spilled during the nights, remembering his mother.

The goal he made to himself of become the strongest in the world.

His goal of find all the secrets related to his father.

Then in a few minutes, Arya got up from his position.

He was different from when he entered the cave, even though not even a day had passed.

He matured.

He then looked at the dead bodies lying around him.

He joined his hands and prayed, that these beasts have a good life in their next life.

He then decided to rest a little before heading inside, as he not only got injured he also went through this mental turmoil.

So he then started heading towards the exit. And reached the place where he made that plan before the fight.

After a while, he got up and started heading inside, on his way when he reached the place where he killed those beasts.

He saw that the body and blood strain were not there.

He knew this was a mysterious thing here, that after someone dies in the Trial world.

If someone doesn't touch their corpse for a while, it vanishes.

Arya doesn't know the reason, why this happens.

As he had very little knowledge about anything from the outside world, even in his book, the story was the adventures of 'Ishana' in the trial world.

Nothing about the outside world.

It only mentioned that they disappeared, nothing about where they went or how this happened.

He decided to find it after he completes his trial and decided to focuse on his path in front and to get that treasure inside.

The further he went, he found many teams of Chimscorch patrolling the area.

But this time he didn't use the same plan, he used to kill the group from before.

When he first entered inside the cave, he noticed that the walls were not that smooth and symmetrical and have many small tunnels that leads many places inside the cave.

So he decided to use it to his advantage, as he would pour his Jiva into his spear and wait for the beasts to cross him when they moved near his hiding spot.

He would strike the strongest one.

He already noticed that these beasts are intelligent enough, to feel emotions.

when their kin dies, they will surely feel some confusion and fear, as their group's strongest just died.

And this theory of Arya turns out to be true.  Just as the he kills the strongest, due to the element of surprise.

The others get confused and become scared, as their strongest member just died.

Talking the benefit of this situation where the beasts are not that vigilant, Arya kills as many of the beasts as possible.

Using this simple but effective strategy, Arya headed inside the cave while killing these beasts.

As he was moving, he had a thought of heading in these tunnels, but then decided against it for many reasons.

Like they were small and are a lot Darker in comparison to the main path, which he was currently on.

On this big path, there were some kind of red rocks present in the wall, and they weren't looking as if were arranged by someone.

They were more likely naturally formed.

Nor did he thought that these beasts would do anything like this.

And the other reason was, in the book only the main path was described properly, as it will lead to the treasure.

The cave was distributed all over the mountain down to many floors.

Arya stayed in the cave for many days and killed all the beasts, that come in his way.

As he moved further inside, he noticed that the monsters were more cautious than before as if they were finding someone.

But he understood it pretty fast, that some of chimscorchs who must have noticed that many Chimscorch are missing, and some must have came to the main path from those side paths.

Would have seen the dead body of the Chimscorch before it can vanish.

And told their chief about someone invading their home and kill their kins.

Who must have ordered his subjects to be vigilant and bring them to him?

He deduced this in a very short time. And decided to change his strategy a little.

Though the main part is still stealth and killing, but rather than attacking as soon as they get past him.

He waited till the monster pass him and he could see their back.

And the rest was the same as he just killed the strongest Chimscorch, which will cause the same scenario about the rest of monster getting scared.

And then he can easily kill them.

On his way inside he already lost count of the beast he killed, and doesn't matter be they old or young.

If he doesn't kill them, they will kill him. Which can't let that happen.

So he chooses his life over some random monster.

According to Arya's estimate, he already is now in the lowest and final floor and the chief's room is just 800m away.

As he can see a small red light at the end of the path he was on.

And that place is also the center of the mountain as that's the best place for the chief to live.

He then decided to rest before the fighting the boss as he needed himself to be in his top condition.

After resting for some hours he decide to head towards the chief's chamber.

'let's do this!'

After giving him a self cheerup Arya moved.

In the last 50 meters of the tunnel the path shrunk back to the same dimensions as that of the entrance, and from where Arya was seeing he saw a very bright light coming from it.

Though he had a guess, he decided to see it for himself.