Chapter 63 - Heaven's Gate

Only one health potion among all three of us remained and two—no, zero energy vials. I needed to get Arga and Alice back to walking condition and it was the only option we had.

We were back to our original dilemma but this time, with even fewer resources.

What little food and water we had left had all been used up and the same could be said about our potions and vials. We were hungry, thirsty and pretty much everything else that was bad for adventuring.

We couldn't debate it any further, if we moved back we would have died before we could reach the lower floors. If we kept going we would be at the mercy of the Tower, chances being that we wouldn't find much food or water. Between the two options, there was only one that offered a chance.

"Let's keep moving…" 

My suggestion didn't deem any responses, our morale had died out. None of us could have accounted for running into Ilinore, not in a million years.

The worse was what she left us with, those final words of hers. She planned to return and finish what she started.

None of us were convinced it was a bluff either, she should have won that fight. It may have looked like things were turned around near the end but she could have just as easily killed us with the right chance.

We crossed through the room and came out into the next open area, a platform which lead us into an open cavern. It had plenty of room to move around in and wasn't that much larger than the room we left. Its biggest plus was that it had plenty of escape routes, nearly three in every direction.

If anything were to happen, at least we would be able to escape easier than last time. Arga didn't seem settled on the room though, she continuously glanced around, almost like she was looking for something.

"No monsters here either, you think that crazy lady slaughtered all of 'em?"

"I doubt it, monsters could just respawn if they were killed. It could be that their just hiding though…I better make sure."

"How're you gonna do that?"

Oh, that's right! I suppose Arga hasn't seen all my smaller skills yet. She would probably drop her jaw if she saw the useless ones collecting in my skill tree. It's gotten so large that even I forget a few now and then.

"It's a skill of mine."

"It seems like you have a skill for everything...well not everything right? I mean, you wouldn't have let me join if you could craft your own armour."

She looked pleased with herself as if a spotlight had dropped its ray over her.

"I guess you're right about that. Although, I wonder if I could get a skill like that from devouring a monster with crafting abilities…"

"DON'T DO THAT!"

I let out a small snicker at Arga's mortified expression. Even Alice seemed to be enjoying the light banter by the bright expression on her face.

"If you did that, wouldn't Arga go out of business, Rei?"

"You're probably right, I should show mercy and just forget I ever had the idea~"

"…please do." Arga whimpered.

That kind of light-hearted chatting was all we could do to keep our spirits raised. Anyone else in that's situation would probably have looked at us like we were crazy but we continued this as often as we could.

Without any solid answers on where we were going, what we would be doing and even if we would be eating that night, we were left with keeping our morale up in those small moments. Those small giggles and slight smiles were only for surface appearance.

Deep down we all felt it, the crushing reality of our situation. Smiling and keeping things light was our way of surviving and I didn't plan to let that stop.

"I've never tried this behind walls before, I wonder if it will even work?"

I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds around us, taking in all the slightest sounds and sensations circling the room.

"Danger sense."

My eyes took in all the smallest nooks and crannies around us, everything seemed so bright and clear. Even with the room being quite dim with barely any Loomite in the cavern, it seemed as though I were looking at it through a different lens.

I focused on the slightest sounds, pulling the faint drops of water in the distance closer to me. I could hear it! Which meant…there it was! The sound of rushing water wasn't far off, I almost couldn't hear it over all those footsteps.

Wait…

"Footsteps?"

"Huh, did you just say footsteps? From where?"

A surprised Arga leaned in closer to confirm but was met with an equally stunned response.

"There's more than I can count, like a small army of them. Coming from…I—I don't know, everywhere?"

Alice's face turned pale from fear, she tried keeping a brave face but it was obvious how scared she was. Arga wasn't much better, she held her head upright and a defeated expression overtook her face.

"No way…"

I didn't want to believe it, I refused to. I grabbed my companion's hands and pulled them towards one of the cavern's many exits.

"This way, I hear less steps from this direction! If we run then maybe we can slip past them—!"

My danger sense picked up another wave coming toward us. The numbers were uncountable, it was impossible to focus any longer with the large amount of stomps and clanking that drowned it out.

I shook my head to disperse the skill and everything went dizzy. My head spun for a while as I tried to regain my senses. I had still not fully recovered from our fight with Ilinore and using skills again seemed to make it worse.

I wasn't entirely sure what happened before Ilinore vanished but I was using my skills so effortlessly that I felt slightly taxed afterward. Mental fatigue.

The sounds of metal grieves and heavy armour hadn't vanished, if anything it became clearer. They were close enough for the others to hear it.

From the right, no the left—in every, direction we were surrounded.

The tunnels were filled with the cacophony of armour and weapons clanking together. It was only a matter of seconds before the room was filled with whatever had surrounded us.

My main priority was Alice. I quickly took off my cloak and tossed it over her head, her horns were buried under the hood of the cloak and left her looking like a regular child.

"Alice, promise me you'll keep your tail hidden under the hood and don't say anything okay?"

"Will you be alright?"

"I promised, didn't I? I'm gonna get you home, so nothing's happening to me."

She gave an obedient nod and pulled down the hood further to cover her face. The last of her tail crept up the back of the cloak and just like that, Alice no longer resembled a monster. My only wish was that it was enough.

The silver armour and geared-up humans poured in from every route, filling the different tunnels around us with unified marching.

"It was just humans…this might be good then."

If they're in a large guild then we might be saved! I wonder if they could help us get to the outside world, or maybe even to the higher floor where Alice is from.

A lot of newbie adventurers got lost in the upper floors, it was something just bound to happen. Often if they didn't die, they would wait for help and return to the outside with some passing party or big guild.

We might have to offer them money but this works out perfectly, I might even get to see Liv again!

I waited to see something distinct about the group, maybe even the Titan emblem. Rows of grunts and helmeted men rushed in and finally at the end of their rows, the insignia on their shielders came into view. It was a symbol I didn't recognise but seemed oddly familiar.

Something about it seemed famous but I couldn't put a name to it. I was a little bummed that it wasn't Liv's guild but just being saved would do. They looked to be a pretty well-off group by the looks of their gear.

The shielders poured in at the dozen and circled us, they formed a tight formation that blocked us in. Spears and other lancing weapons fell over their shoulders and pointed directly at us.

"What the—hey what is this?!"

"Whaddya think you're doing, huh?!!"

Arga and I pressed back on each other with Alice tucked in between us. I could feel her shivering against my back. I balled up my fist and tried to contain myself as best I could but things weren't looking good.

"Hey what is all of this, aren't you guys from a guild?"

Behind the circle of spears was a tall man that approached us from behind the formation.

His voice echoed loudly through the room as he spoke. He threw out his hand toward us with a grand wave, as if he were commanding not only the men around him but us as well.

"We are the Third Pillar of Istoria, Heaven's Gate! We are on the pursuit of a humanoid monster that resembles a dragon, now tell us what you know!"

Shit.