The Gloom Beneath

Jaden stared into the gaping chasm, Kurori likewise curiously gazed into the pit, wrapped around the tamers neck like a scarf. He'd grown somewhat, but was still not heavy enough to actually be of any inconvenience to the man. At his sides were his now, four tamed monsters. One of those monsters were perched on his shoulders, being a bird and what not.

Otherwise, Berry had tiered up once, turning into the lesser version of their race instead of the minor one. Salas had tiered up once as well, and the reason he had such a high manipulation stat to begin with became clear. Manipulation allowed the free usage of multiple spells at a time, and Salas's capacity stat had massively increased in his class up. He was now effectively a spell slinging beast with the ability to take a hit, casting small attack spells in rapid succession. 

Then there was himself, Java, and Kurori, who had each tiered up twice. Currently, that put Berry and Salas on their second class advancements, Kurori and Java on their third, while Jaden himself was at his fourth. A portion of the experience his non mutual contracts got was sent to him, so he leveled faster than the others. 

Now, as for that final monster that he'd recruited, it was effectively the groups scout. It's physical stats were disproportionately high when compared to its size, which made it quite adept at doing its job. It was small, hard to see, even had Low Stealth, and was quite fast. It was actually incredibly lucky that he'd managed to catch the thing in the first place. Quite literally, it was pure coincidence. A lucky shot from Salas had managed to put a hole through the monsters wing after it's stealth had dropped for a moment, and from there they'd fought. Java could hold their own with it in close range, then the ranged support from the rest simply decimated it.

Before Java could deal a finishing blow, Jaden decided to stop them. This seemed like it would be an exceptionally useful monster to have contracted, so he offered it one. The bird was wounded, bloodied, and unable to fly, so after a short moments consideration, it accepted. As to what Jaden decided to call them?

They decided on Iago, as in like, Iago from Aladdin, they were the right size and color to fit the bill so it made sense to him. Regardless, getting back to the situation at hand. 

"Well, it's been a few days, think we're ready to head down?"

Jaden posed the question to his group, though he himself was leaning towards yes. He was holding an improv bundle of rope that he'd spent last night making while all of his monsters were asleep. It was after all, quite a steep drop down. 

"Yessss..." Came Kuroris slow rumbling response, the wyrm gazed curiously into the abyss, clearly just as eager to descend as Jaden himself was. Salas agreed in a similar fashion, resting at Jaden's feet they were just as enraptured with the entrance into the earth. 

"Whatever's down there, I want at it!" Came Java's ever energetic reply. Jaden had found their disposition somewhat refreshing over the past few weeks when compared to the much more slow natured attitudes of the rest of his monsters, barring Iago who he had only contracted about half a week ago. 

Berry was a monster of few words, so instead of saying anything they merely gazed down into the hole like all the others. Normally, Jaden would've been holding them, but ever since their class up about a week ago, Berry had quintupled in size, so that wasn't exactly feasible any more. They were at least self sufficient now, so Jaden didn't have to worry about them.

"It would seem I am... Outvoted." His most recent monster said with a healthy amount of hesitance.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, you'll be fine as long as the rest of us are here." 

"Not like I can do much about it otherwise." Iago lamented at their own lack of agency, but didn't raise much more of an issue over it. 

"Well, if four out of five of us are in agreement, I'll head down and activate a summoning recall. Salas, make absolutely certain that rope is properly bound. Kurori, stay up here for a bit just in case." After delivering his instructions, Jaden got to work unfurling the bundle of rope. He straightened out the end, handed it to Salas who gently grasped it in his claws, then tossed it down into the abyss.

"Well?" He looked at Salas eagerly, whom then casted an earth spell which bound the rope in place. "Make sure that doesn't break, counting on you!" 

And with that, he grabbed on and got moving. Slowly, Jaden descended the rope far into the caverns beneath him. He'd managed to make about forty feet of rope, which had taken him all night. He could only hope it lasted long enough, or at the least, got close to the bottom. 

With every movement, it got darker and darker. No light seeped into the deep besides the hole he had entered from, shining as if it were the pearly white gates themselves, dim at the light that came in from below the trees was already. Eventually, Jaden reached the end of the rope, touching down on solid ground that he could not even see. Light from far up above being the only thing that allowed him to see anything at all. 

"ALL CLEAR! ROPE TOUCHES THE BOTTOM!" 

He waited...

"Alrrrriiiight..." 

And Salas gave the okay, Jaden focused for a moment, then casted his summoning. Simultaneously every single one of his contracted monsters appeared at his side. Iago quickly took off into the air, landing on Jaden's shoulder once more, while Kurori scampered up his side and wrapped around his neck. That motion was kind of unnerving, but Jaden had gotten used to it at this point. 

Berry seemed... Out of their element here, they didn't like the crippling darkness. The somewhat dog like creature shivering in the absence of sunlight. Jaden felt for them, but hopefully light from a fire would substitute well enough. He patted them on the head before addressing his other two summons.

"Java, I'm going to tie a glow stick around you, Salas, there's not much for you to do so focus on using earth magic to mark our path. Java, I'd like you to go scout the area out before we do any major exploration. And Iago, if you wouldn't mind going with them?"

Salas nodded nonchalantly, Java did so as well, but much more energetically. It was Iago who had a bit of a problem with that.

"A glow stick for Java, but not me?" 

"That's a fair point, we have a limited amount of them but it'd probably be safer for you to have one as well. If you take one you and Java will be splitting up to explore faster though, is that alright with you?"

"That's fine by me!" Java chipped in before Iago could even think it over, but the bird visibly sagged and agreed. "Sure." 

"Alright, everybody, if you'll give me a moment?"

Jaden began to draw the inscriptions for a basic spacial magic in the air, creating a faint glow in the dark as he worked. A moment later, and a small distortion opened in the fabric of reality. He pulled two small wooden totems out from the portal, dubbed as "glow sticks" and pulled a bit of crude rope out of one of his bags. Rope made for the express purpose of wrapping something around one of his monsters. 

"Java, Iago, where do you want the glow stick?" 

"Neck!"

"Mmm... Leg." 

He got to work, pulling his knife out and making a few cuts to the rope. He'd done this a few times already so he had the gist of it. First he did as Java asked, and made what was basically a collar with the glow stick hanging off of it, then he tied it around their neck. He did the same for Iago, but obviously much smaller, then he tied it around his ankle. Or whatever the bird equivalent of that is called. 

"Alright, you're both good to go. It shouldn't be too hard to find us again, Kurori will have a light on. If you aren't back within twenty minutes I'll summon you. Look for any way further down or any lights, alright, go!" Jaden focused for a moment, then snapped, and the two totems began to glow with a bright green light. Activated by the "Enchanter" skill Jaden had picked up on his third class advancement. And the two were off, one sprinting and one flying. Jaden was sure they'd make good ground. Not so sure they'd find anything, but it was always worth an attempt. 

"Ssso... What wasss that about making a fire..." 

"Oh please I'm barely asking you to do anything Mr. Lazy buns, all you need to do is keep a small fire light active." 

There was an extended silence from Kurori.

"Kurori..."

"Fiiiiiine..." 

A pale fire blossomed into existence about a foot above Jaden's head, and he gave the lizard wrapped around his neck a few scratches as a reward. "Now, Salas, Berry, let's get going."

...

It was a rather uneventful trip to be honest, the cave they'd been so curious about for two weeks or so had very little to offer them. Jaden figured that since it was so massive, it could make a good place to stay or have some sort of exotic monster that he may want to add to his entourage... But nope, just about nothing. Salas had always seemed to have some kind of uncanny ability for sensing nearby danger, but nope, nothing so far. 

He was being diligent with the task that Jaden had given him, which was VERY important because Jaden could no longer see the light that they'd come from. The only source of light they had now was Kurori's shadow flame. Yes, shadow being a source of light, it did sound odd but it worked somehow. 

There had been little patches of plant life, but no actual living creatures besides that. Jaden sighed openly, then began to activate his summoning. It had been about twenty minutes after all. "Java, Iago." Cast. Iago appeared with nothing, Java had a small monster in his jaws.

"What the hell is that?" Jaden raised an eyebrow at the feline, who's head swiveled to face his master.

"Oh, I found a path down, like you asked me to!" 

Oh. Oh! That's wonderful-"Great! Where did you find it?"

"I-I'm not sure! We can go back to the start and I'll retrace my steps from there!" 

Jaden shrugged, figured he should've had a plan for that, and turned to Salas. "You've been keeping up with your task right?" 

"Offff couuuurse..."

"Then let's get going!"

With another uneventful trek, they'd walked back through the cave following a small trail of disturbed earth created by Salas. Eventually, they reached the entrance they'd initially come from. The light was dimming, Perhaps reaching a little bit after noon by now. But this wasn't their end destination. From here, they began to follow Java.

Everyone was relatively quiet now, because Java was usually the one who would make conversation. Iago was reserved, Kurori was lazy, Salas was... Also lazy, and Berry was quiet. He'd been quieter then normal, even a little tired... Jaden did hope there was another source of light somewhere down here. Surely that wasn't such a far fetched possibility in a world like this? 

But regardless, they followed after Java mostly wordlessly, walking through the dark cave with no interuptions. Eventually, Java began to sniff at the air a little bit more fervently, picking up the pace. 

"Almost there?" Jaden asked absentmindedly.

"Yes!" 

The group had to walk a little faster to keep up with Java, but eventually he stopped short, walking around a little bit... Until eventually, he came to a stop. Then he dipped into the ground? 

"What the-" 

"Right down here!" 

"Kurori, can you light that up a bit?"

Wordlessly, the Wyrm obliged. Hovering his shadow flame to the ground. It was a small hole, unnoticeable if you weren't looking for it. It was just big enough for most of the group to fit in, barring Jaden and Berry.

"Uh... Hey Java? Do you think I'd even fit in there?"

"Definitely!"

Jaden sighed again, then scratched at Kurori's head again. "Hey, buddy, think you can get in there and use a summoning spell?"

"Do I have..." the scratching stopped. "Sssure..." 

He stretched for a moment, then crawled down Jaden's body and stopped on the floor. Worming his way inside with minimal effort. 

"You are being summoned by, Level 29 Greater Blacklight Wyrm. Do you accept?"

Yes. 

Being summoned was definitely an odd feeling, one that Jaden couldn't really put into words. He was in one place, then suddenly, he was no longer in that place. It did always make him feel a bit queasy, but it was negligible.

His first thought was to summon the rest of his squad, Iago Berry and Salas. His second thought was.

"Whoa..."

Vast terrain stretched out as far as the eye could see in all directions. It would seem that he was at the very top of it all. On a pillar far far above the ground. It was an odd mishmash of terrain, plant life spreading across the place like you'd see in a minecraft cave. It was lush, but at the same time desolate, as other parts of the place were much more rocky, mountainous, like you'd see in badlands. But most notably, was that you could see it at all. Light streamed down from the ceiling of the cave (Which he happened to be just below) fro odd minerals. 

"That's... Wow, that's a lot."

The general sentiments from all of his monsters were agreements, even happniess from Iago and Berry, the first of which he wasn't quite sure why, but he figured the light made Berry happier. 

"Well, we should probably start looking for a way down, huh?"