Chapter 45: First Floor Completed!
KRABUM!
A large crimson bolt of lightning struck one of the Junction buildings, where the first ritual was held. The roof was destroyed, and debris flew all over the place. A large chunk fell and completely blocked the initial room, preventing entry.
But that was not the last; multiple lightning bolts began to strike and hit different parts of the city. Heavy rain began to fall along with strong winds that bathed the city, and the canal that passed through it filled up quickly with the water that fell.
It only took a few seconds for everyone to be completely drenched as they tried to avoid the debris of falling buildings.
Chaos and disaster was falling, the end was near.
Looking at all that was happening, Adryan quickly ordered, "Buy more bullets and go to the station!"
...
Huff! Huff!
Feeling the negative effects of Tauk Millenium hitting him already, the red-haired man could only lean against the wall to catch his breath.
Adryan knew this was bad. Not only did he feel weak, but it would take him half an hour to recover.
Time he didn't have!
Knowing that carrying his artifacts with him would only be a problem in his current state. The solution to that was obvious.
Tauk Millenium was given to Flora, while the Burnt Band and Vecchio Pomodoro—along with some paper figurines—were given to Maric and Sharron, respectively, along with a quick explanation of their abilities and negative effects.
Of everything he had brought to the Tower, Adryan kept only the charms. These were almost null consumed spiritually, and these beyonder objects drew their power more from the language of incantation and materials used in them.
"I recommend you keep the glove," Flora said, glaring at him. The sun medal was placed on her waist like a bug. "It can save your life."
"A paper figurine exchange is going to leave me without spirituality; adding that to the fact that I'll have to use the sword, it's certain that as soon as I make an exchange, I'll lose control or won't be able to move well through the ravings." With more air in his lungs, Adryan said rosily as he straightened up.
"Don't worry about me. Let's focus on finishing the floor."
Flora looked at him, squinting slightly before nodding. Glancing at the duo, she shook her head and turned away.
Adryan inhaled about three more times before lifting his head and looking up.
The words were still there if they looked up. Forming back up.
Main Floor Mission Found: Defeat the Chef Who Lost Control [Suppressed] before time runs out.
13:20
Secondary Mission [Hidden]: ???
"This isn't like what you told us we should do." Maric looked down from the mission to the redhead. It wasn't an accusation. He was pointing out something in the way it was marked.
"If the floor is complete just by defeating him, then all the better for us since we already know the side mission," Adryan replied with a sigh, fixing some of his hair that had blown out of place from the rain and wind.
"Are you sure we can finish in time?" Maric looked at him after seeing the time left.
Letting out a long, exhausted sigh, Adryan straightened up. "We can always escape if the situation gets out of control. Isn't that right, Miss Worm?"
"Just shout 'Exit' in Ancient Hermes, and you'll be off the floor quickly." The Jacob replied calmly, looking at the man for the fifth time.
While wet and somewhat exhausted, she could also see the bright side of the rain. After all, she didn't know she needed to see the white shirt and harnesses.
She wasn't worried. So far, her partner had proven with excellence that he knew the floor they were on better than many knew their own homes.
'At this rate, the record for the fastest completed apartment will be broken. Even she didn't manage that...' Her lips lifted slightly, a discreetly proud sideways smile on her face.
Her gray eyes then focused on the other side.
A purple glow was coming out on the opposite side where they were, in the hole that overlooked the ancient ruined hall.
The group was ready, with the maximum capacity of ammunition they could bring and the artifacts already in better hands.
Walking towards the huge hole that served as the entrance, the group stood before it but did not enter. They stayed several steps behind and observed well how the interior had changed.
The basin stones still bore the glowing worms, but above them now floated the guardians who, unlike the previous rituals that were only energy, were in their physical forms.
The numerous cracks that covered the murals now gave off a soft crimson glow, while the huge fissure in the ground gave off a bright fiery orange, intense heat, and smoke, all accompanied by small but distinct bubbling sounds.
'Of course, it would be lava.' Rolling his eyes at that, Adryan raised his shotgun and advanced, his team following close behind.
No sooner had the last of them fully entered the room than a nearly transparent portal wall of yellowish-orange fire cut off the exit.
The group took a second to examine it; the meaning was evident.
There was no turning back now... Of course, it's not like they were going to turn back.
Pumpum
With the run of Sharron's Dragon's Glare slide, the group advanced to the Stone basin on the right. Reaching the floating guardian, Adryan raised his hand.
Everything had already been discussed; his group knew what they had to do and their roles.
With nothing to say, his hand touched the worm under the floating guardian just as the time in the air reached 12:00.
Foosh! Gong!
A mighty wind whipped the whole place, moving the clothes and hair of those present who had to cover their faces before this sudden movement.
All the guardians glowed momentarily in crimson-orange flames and then raised their arms. Four rays of blood-red energy flowed from them and concentrated on a specific point, generating a white glow at the point of origin.
Forcing the space open and accompanied by a turbulent purple flash, the 'Chef Who Lost Control' appeared!
The shield around him was now clearly visible, and the sword in his free hand burned with turquoise flames. But unlike before, the hood was down, allowing them to see his face!
It was split in two, not perfect, as the human part - the left - was being consumed by the right part - a monster.
One of those halves showed the face of a man with an ascended Bayam. His face was extremely relaxed, and with his eyes closed, he seemed to be sleeping.
The other half was that of a monster, much more like the heads of the margwas and guardians, with greenish scaly skin full of yellowish glands that released a thick yellowish-white liquid. It had no eyes, and where the 'face' should have been, there was only a huge toothy mouth, sharp yellowish teeth stretched across the mutated flesh without any pattern, a mess of flesh and pus.
If it weren't for his other monstrous half, one could say the man was once a good-looking man.
Seeing that appearance, the Provoker's mouth immediately attacked. "Heh, you're more Two-Face than me."
Their group paid no attention but discreetly stepped aside, moving away from the man.
What little was left of the eyebrow on the human face quivered; in annoyance, the 'Chef Who Lost Control' raised the sword and brought it down with some intent as his team accelerated towards the other guards.
Fion!
Watching as the energy sickle approached him, his eyes lit up.
That attack could easily cut him in half, killing him, but he was not alarmed or frightened. He got excited!
Unlike the previous times, he had reacted to his provocation this time!
It seems he has a conscience now!'
Instead of drawing his sword to block, Adryan just laughed and jumped onto the mural, running across it with a smile. " I didn't take you for the insecure guy because of looks!"
Fion!
Reaching the other side, the redhead immediately had to roll again to avoid another energy blade that left a deep gash in the ground and caused the platform to shake a bit.
"Huff huff..."
'The only time I suffered the negative effect of Tauk Millennium was that day, but I was Sequence 6, so the effect wasn't powerful. Now I can barely be considered a Beyonder...'
Breathing a bit shakily, Adryan could only swallow a bit of saliva and straightened up, his hand moving quickly to his waist.
The thing was a few steps out of place, and like the good ex-architect he was, he couldn't afford a base that was less than perfect.
"Cursed... bastard... Cursed... bastard..."
The ravings, once rasping and annoying, were now so loud that Adryan could almost see what was making them. Crimson streams were falling from his eyes and ears, and they gained a slightly crimson glow.
Ignoring the ravings through half-cogitation, the red-haired man made a sharp slash with his sword. A great sickle of crimson fire manifested and accelerated against the figure!
Seeing the slash, the figure disappeared in a flash of purple and reappeared in the middle of the half-destroyed bridge.
The 'Chef Who Lost Control' also had his sword, its flames blazing, ready to kill the bastard that had been bothering him so much. Yet, as he brought his sword down to strike, it wobbled, his movements becoming slow and clumsy.
Turning around, he looked stunned as all the guardians fired bolts of light blue energy at his shield, which had turned green to blue!
Flora and Maric, standing in front of the basin stones where the guardians were floating, had activated them the second the 'Chef Who Lost Control' was in position.
Quickly, the creature tried to use its teleportation, but all that came out was a slight, harmless discharge of electricity.
His teleportation was no longer working!
Crick...
To the side of the figure, a lone paper figurine was floating innocently, slowly burning.
Suddenly, those flames rose up in a quick explosion, and Sharron stepped out, sword blazing in crimson flames; she tried to slash at the creature, but it barely managed to block it with his own.
Then, Maric shot out from the shadows in front of the figure with his sword held high.
Fion! Slash!
With the sword engaged it was impossible for him to defend himself, a deep gash appeared on the chest of the 'Chef Who Lost Control', spurting black and yellow blood that released a sweet smell.
The creature shrieked from the pain, saliva, and more of its strange blood spurting from its strange mouth that soon began to emit a strange white light.
Shriek!!!
The 'Chef Who Lost Control' let out a horrible, high-pitched, sharp, attacking shriek that struck directly at the spirit bodies of those present.
Tentacles burst out of the sleeves of his robe and tried to grab the stunned Maric and Sharron.
The No-Zombie disappeared into the shadows before being grabbed and reappearing a few feet behind. The tentacles managed to grab Sharron, wrapping themselves around her neck.
Straining the woman's neck bent unnaturally, but contrary to the sonorous crack of a broken neck, instead, there was the sound of paper being torn.
The trapped Sharron quickly thinned and shrank to a paper figurine.
A few feet away from Maric, the gothic-dressed Sharron reappeared. Her brow furrowed deeply.
Frowning and with a vein throbbing in her neck, Flora focused on her target and poured spirituality into the medal at her waist.
Balls of golden fire manifested at her side, lunging towards the creature still blocked by Maric and Sharron, who, despite being at the forefront of the attack, never backed off.
Small purple discharges came out of the figure's body, but its teleportation still could not be used. The golden fire hit its back, sending it flying towards the gothic duo.
Despite being stunned, Maric and Sharron did their part and kicked the creature towards the altar, but a few meters away, it hovered in the air.
Suddenly, and leaping from the side. With bleeding eyes and ears, Adryan jumped up and gave the figure a roundhouse kick with all his might, causing the last few meters to be cut short, and the 'Chef Who Lost Control' was left on top of the altar.
The symbols on the golden sphere floating at the creature's side glowed and opened.
With a shriek, all the creature's limbs froze, all movement impossible.
Everything seemed to stop. With the roar of thunder, the creature was frozen in mid-air. The sword in its hand fragmented and turned to ash, spinning around it.
The same happened with the rest of the swords. They were all fragmented and broke, turning to ash that joined the altar.
KRABUM!
With the thunder signaling the end, the 'Chef Who Lost Control' exploded into a glowing black and yellow mist. This mist concentrated on one point, and with a resounding explosion, the golden sphere reformed.
It then disappeared in a flash of crimson.
Huff! Huff!
Dropping to one knee, Adryan coughed a little, "How...huff! Are you guys...huff."
"Better than you look," Flora commented, shaking her head and standing beside him. "Can you walk?"
Practically savoring the joy of his situation, Adryan laughed ungraciously and then looked at her in exasperation. "Just help me, will you?"
Main Floor Mission: Defeat the Chef Who Lost Control [Suppressed] before time runs out. Completed!
Secondary Mission [Hidden]: ???
The Main Floor Mission has been completed; is possible to leave the floor.
The next time you visit the Tower, the doors of the Second Floor will be open to be challenged.
As soon as those words were formed, a sudden wind swept over them, and as soon as it was gone, it was gone.
Adryan blinked twice before smiling, all weariness leaving his face. He raised his right arm and clenched his fist; the whole arm was covered in orange flames.
They burned with excitement and illuminated his face.
Now, he was a Pyromaniac!
"A how I missed that." With a thought, the flames went out, and he looked at his group with a smile.
Maric had finished removing the bandage he had put on his head. The cut that was once there was now completely healed, and there was no scar.
"Shall we go out now?" He asked.
The redhead shook his head. "We're still missing one thing."
"You know what the hidden mission is?" Flora raised an eyebrow as she tossed the medallion back to the man.
Being a Cryptologist now, her earlier weariness and the ravings that assailed her mind were gone. One advantage of this sequence was the augmentation against things that would naturally come from deciphering hidden knowledge.
"I have a few ideas, " Adryan said.
"Then let's hurry." Flora looked up, "We're running out of time."
Even after defeating the 'Chef Who Lost Control' and supposedly completing the floor. Time had continued to run out.
7:40
7:39
7:38...
...
KRABUM!
The last step had been completed. The group was now under the road links that connected the various districts of this city.
The lightning strikes were now relentlessly lashing the city, and the rain had stopped. That did not mean it was all over.
Only that they were now in the eye of the hurricane; above it all, the behemoth, with its gigantic size, was still descending.
It could easily devour the city in one bite.
A lone figure hovered in front of it all—a guardian in the middle of the Junction.
In his hand floated the golden sphere, but unlike before, the symbols glowed crimson.
The guardian descended and extended his hand to the front, the intention clear.
"The secret mission is just to take back the orb?" Flora murmured, watching everything, her brow furrowed in doubt at the red-haired man.
There was no way it was that easy.
Sharron and Maric looked around, their weapons held high at anything that might come out. It had been a while since more zombies or Margwas appeared, so they were on high alert.
"..."
Adryan, without much thought, extended his hand to the right, and a stream of fire was shot out.
The next second, a fissure formed in the air next to the guardian, which proceeded to open, creating the same star portal.
From it, a man emerged. This man wore a white shirt with some blood stains and a brown vest. He carried a stylish mustache and looked elegant.
This same man was already a few steps away from grabbing the sphere when the stream of fire hit him directly in the chest, sending him flying.
"Aurghh!!!"
"Don't let him move," Adryan said calmly as he grabbed the Golden Sphere from the guardian.
He had greatly diminished the power of his attack only to incapacitate.
His group just nodded and raised their weapons.
The man held a hand to his burned chest with an expression of pain and disbelief, "What the..."
"Doctor Richtofen. If it were any other situation, I would ask for an autograph, but this is a somewhat special situation, don't you think?"
The man, now identified as Richtofen, looked up. His clear eyes looked at the young man before him, and his eyebrows raised.
"You... You're not the one who should be here- No, that doesn't matter now!" The Doctor shook his head energetically as he raised a hand toward him.
"You know who I am, and since you haven't killed me, you must know the importance of what I'm doing!"
"I do." Adryan nodded.
The man's eyes lit up in relief. "Then hand me the Summoning Key! We don't have time to waste, the universe-"
"I'm sorry, Doctor, but I can't do that. At least, not yet."
"You insolent brat! Do you have any idea what's at stake- Urgh!" Richtofen tried to get up, but the significant burns on his chest forced him to the ground.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Doc. You know better than I do. You'll only make your condition worse." Giving him one last look, Adryan walked past the wounded man.
"I don't have time for this! You know what's at stake!" Richtofen howled in fury, his tidy hair now a mess.
The red-haired man didn't respond immediately; he just looked up. A small smile graced his lips.
"Nah, I reckon I do have time."
5:50
"What are you talking about?!"
The group looked uncertainly at the conversation between the 'leader' and the man with the strange accent. They did not understand what they were talking about but did not intervene other than to make sure the latter didn't move.
Reaching the middle of the junction, Adryan looked up towards the colossal behemoth, which was falling faster and faster.
"This world can still be saved. I can't let you take that one chance before you accomplish that." In a calm voice, the red-haired man raised his hand with the Summoning Key to the sky.
The crimson symbols glowed, and the sphere left his hand, beginning to float and spin with great speed.
"It's a futile attempt!" Richtofen shouted, trying to grab the pistol at his side, but before he could do anything, Maric's foot forced him to the ground.
His attempt to reason could not be suppressed or contained despite being restrained.
"You'll risk the universe's survival for just one agonizing world?! Even if you stop the connection, that won't sever it! Other deadbeats will appear to reopen it!
"This world is doomed. No matter what you do, its end will eventually come!
"Yet you're still going to save it!? Fool!"
Adryan looked at the man on the ground, his face empty of emotion, before he broke into a mischievous grin. "Of course."
The symbols covering the Summoning Key's body glowed, and a vast pillar of crimson energy shot into the sky.
This pillar collided head-on with the Behemoth in the sky, passing through it effortlessly and continuing beyond.
Beyond what they could see but not what they could feel, they all felt something 'shatter', the sensation not unlike a broken mirror.
A huge white flash mowed everything down, and the creature that was about to fall on them was 'pulled' by an invisible force. It disappeared into the horizon beyond the sky.
The sensation of 'breaking' returned, and the whole world became a spiral. Up was down, and right was up.
It was only an instant, and before anyone could process what was happening, everything was back to normal...
The destruction in the Junction was gone. The buildings had returned to normal before they were destroyed, and the sky was no longer covered by storm clouds, showing a big blue sky.
The blood was gone, along with the feeling of death. The Junction no longer felt so empty.....
"Fruits at 10 cents! Take your fruits!"
"Attention, attention! Detective arrested for corruption! Buy a newspaper to find out more!"
"Famous magician murders his wife! Buy one..."
Carriages passed and crossed, and the sublime, lively activity of the Junction was seen from the initial alleyway by the group hiding in the darkness.
"This is a futile attempt, you know that, don't you?" Richtofen complained, looking up from sitting against the wall at the red-headed man.
"It will only be a futile attempt if you fail at what you want to do," Adryan replied in amusement.
"..." The man tensed momentarily before looking away, with complicated emotions on his face.
Extending his hand, Adryan dropped the Summoning Key to the ground and rolled it to the Doctor's feet.
"It's all yours."
Staring into the dull scarlet eyes, Richtofen snorted and took the Summoning Key, slowly rising to his feet. Grunting a little from the pain coming from his bandaged chest.
"Was it necessary to burn me? You look strong enough to subdue me." The Doctor groaned.
"And partake in your weird fetishes? No thanks. I like women." Adryan replied flatly, his face stony.
Richtofen laughed in a strange tone." That's what everyone says at first. Don't worry. The day will come when someone will change your mind~"
"You already wish that someone was you." Wanting to get out of this strange conversation, he grunted a little. "What don't you have some Boytoys to go back to? Shu shu, go."
"Fu fu~ Men, they tear your body apart and kick you out when they don't need you." Richtofen snorted ungraciously yet backed up a step as the man's hand burst into flames.
Knowing he had already overstayed his welcome, the Summoning Key glowed, and another portal formed.
"That's my call! Bye!!!" With that said, the Doctor sped off with a few groans of pain accompanied by a limp and disappeared into the portal, which soon closed.
Ping!
Following the notification sound, a floating screen appeared in front of everyone present's faces.
Main Floor Mission: Defeat the Chef Who Lost Control [Suppressed] before time runs out. Completed!
Secondary Mission [Found!] Prevent Doctor Edward Richtofen from stealing the Summoning Key and save this dimension. Completed!
All missions have been completed!
You will be transported to the room to collect your rewards in a few moments.
Thank you very much for participating!
As soon as the message was read in its entirety, the entire group disappeared in a blur.
Voices from the Junction echoed in a cacophony through the empty alley. None knowing how close they came to being devoured.