The Hall of Shadows. (53)

This time, the skeleton refrained from employing the portals and instead advanced toward me, unfurling its bone wings. Our weapons clashed, but I was forced to retreat, black viscous liquid dripping from the tip of my blade without making contact with the enemy.

He possessed a slight advantage, and the portal amplified his speed. I exerted myself to parry as many blows as possible, but then the scythe's tip pierced my left arm. My vision blurred, as if an invisible leech was draining every ounce of strength from my body. Once again, I crumpled, and the whistle of the portal's reopening echoed behind me. Summoning threads, I steadied myself on the support and exhaled heavily.

The skeleton loomed mere meters away, its fleshless visage still radiating an otherworldly glow. Pointing the scythe directly at my throat, it made a chilling gesture, hinting at my imminent demise.

Clicking my tongue disapprovingly, I swiftly retaliated with a Shadow Strike, aiming to disrupt the skeleton's hold on the scythe. In a sudden jerk, the blade came dangerously close to severing the tip of my tail. Tug on the thread disrupted our balance momentarily, causing both of us to glance at the empty space.

Perplexed, I furrowed my brow. What was that?

The skeleton seized the opportunity, opening a portal and disappearing from sight.

I strained my senses, hoping to detect any trace of the skeleton's presence. After three minutes of fruitless searching, I reluctantly conceded that continuing the fight seemed futile. The skeleton remained elusive. Once again, the thread twitched behind me, prompting me to scan my surroundings, but no one was there.

Scratching my head, I shrugged in bewilderment. I couldn't detect any vital signs from the skeleton, but it seemed unlikely that it wanted to engage in a game of hide-and-seek with me.

With a deep sigh, I decided to ascend. The direction of the passage eluded my memory, as if our journey with Serena had reached its premature end.

Choosing the first available passageway, I settled down to rest, pondering my next move.

Perhaps I should try applying the stone to the runes?

As I reached for the stone, I noticed a distinct dimming of light nearby.

A mischievous grin formed on my face as I leaned back and sat down. Opening the Inventory interface, I pinched my chin with my fingers, struggling to contain my giggles. The invisibility cloak enveloped my entire body, rendering me ghost-like and capable of passing unnoticed.

I didn't have to wait long.

In front of me, the portal materialized once again. Without hesitation, I lit the fuse of the dynamite and attached it to the ethereal silhouette before me. A burgundy foot materialized out of thin air, delivering a swift kick to the unsuspecting skeleton's stomach.

"THIS IS ARENA," I exclaimed with glee.

Explosion.

My laughter was abruptly cut short as I witnessed dozens of portals opening right in front of me. I swiftly retracted my foot, crouching down and retreating in a hunched posture.

The horde of skeletons flooded into the corridor, and I pressed myself against the wall, desperately concealing my presence. Amidst the crowd, I spotted a familiar muzzle with a charred nape. The bone wings remained intact, but the skeleton now clutched the hardcover book of runes with both hands.

The scythe's blade crashed into the opposite wall at waist level, emitting a spine-chilling screech as it dragged forward.

The skeletons followed their leader, and with bated breath, I began making my way toward the cliff.

As fate would have it, someone stumbled over me, causing the skeleton to topple forward, its gaze filled with incredulity as it stared in my direction. Seizing the opportunity, I remained pressed against the wall. Distracted by the commotion, the swarm of skeletons advanced toward me, their yellow talismans unmistakably pointing in my direction.

With a sudden burst of determination, I swiftly stood up, summoning the Dark Threads to wall up the entrance behind me. Without hesitation, I pressed forward into another passage, seeking refuge. The telltale signs of portals began materializing in the air, but I hurriedly climbed into the first one I came across.

Instantly, the talismans reappeared, the skeletons presence looming ominously. Setting fire to a piece of paper, I bought myself a precious few moments to distance myself from the encroaching horde armed with a myriad of deadly weapons. A spiked ball narrowly missed my shoulder as I summoned the threads, creating a sound diversion in an entirely different location. Like blind creatures, the skeletons instinctively moved toward the noise, their attention diverted.

Cornered, I promptly walled myself up within the confines of the solid stone wall.

It had become a grueling battle of endurance.

They summoned talismans, and I swiftly burned them. They scoured the area in search of their target, while I cleverly obscured my tracks.

But soon, an overwhelming fatigue began to weigh upon me. Closing my eyes for a moment's respite, I inadvertently missed the critical moment to activate a talisman. The scythe came perilously close to cleaving me in two.

Gritting my teeth, I rose to my full height, leaving only my legs visible, and sprinted towards the weakest skeleton with unwavering determination.

Harnessing the momentum of my sprint, I used the threads to tear off the skull from its bony frame.

An arrow with a luminous tip pierced the air nearby, causing my pupils to narrow instinctively.

Despite being headless, the skeleton continued its relentless advance, reaching out with its hands to sense the environment. Above my head, portals flickered with a haunting purple hue, but I sat securely on a thread and began ascending.

A sudden blow struck me from behind, propelling me several meters forward without mercy.

The tunnel seemed to have no bottom or ceiling—it was an enigmatic void.

"Kacha-kacha."

A noise reverberated nearby, and only then did I realize that I had been carrying the severed skull with me all this time. Without hesitation, I turned around and kicked the bone, sending it hurtling into the newly opened portal.

A resounding crunch echoed through the air. As I turned back, I was met with the sight of a scythe's blade aimed directly at me.

Swiftly evading, I narrowly dodged the lethal strike, but it still grazed my collarbone, piercing the flesh. The cold metal gnawed at my body, gradually tearing it apart.

My hands refused to rise, and the hood slipped off my head, leaving me exposed. With a final exhalation, I gazed downward at the darkening abyss beneath me, only to be confronted with a chilling sight.

A colossal creature, even larger than the tunnel walls themselves, loomed ominously, inching closer and closer. Its viscid form exuded an unsettling presence, causing shivers to race down my spine.

Something sticky slapped against the thread from which I had propelled myself moments ago when I was running. The 605th being, without hesitation, began its assessment:

[The new substance is being tested. Download in progress. Verification completed:

99% filth.

1% - flesh.]

That was the last thing I heard before I was forcibly pulled into the portal, vanishing into the unknown depths alongside the relentless horde of skeletons.

The words of the system had firmly imprinted themselves in my mind, but the sight of the portal opening before me only intensified my unease.

For a brief moment, I felt a void enveloping me, a sensation entirely different from any teleportation experience on the Battlefield. It was as if my mortal body was forcibly ripped away from the fabric of space itself.

The blinding light seared my retinas, causing a sharp pain. It took me more than 10 seconds to orient myself and comprehend my current location. Silence enveloped the surroundings as skeletal figures closed in on me. The wound on my neck from the previous scythe strike throbbed, draining my strength. Unable to withstand the weakness in my legs, I collapsed to my knees.

Blood dripping like starry constellations against the night sky.

Without delay, the frigid fingers of one skeleton clasped my shoulder, lifting me from one side. The coldness spread through my insides, intensifying the pain. I shut my eyes tightly, clenching my fingers as the slow process of regeneration began. I activated the semi-Revitalization, aware that this situation seemed utterly hopeless.

Exhaling heavily, I surveyed the surroundings. It was a blindingly bright room, with the metal surfaces gleaming under the intense rays emanating from unfamiliar structures adorning the ceiling.

An acrid scent, more pungent than the strongest alcohol I had ever imbibed in my short life, assaulted my senses. The white floor beneath us was stained with thick blood, a testament to the wounded who had been here before.

The skeletal figure with wings opened a book and flipped through its pages, the sound of rustling paper unable to drown out the rapid beating of my heart.

Damn.

Where were they taking me?

Suddenly, another portal materialized, and a skeleton emerged, gripping Serena by the collar.

Raising an eyebrow, I observed the emaciated woman, realizing that her battle had not been as grand as mine.

She caught my gaze and offered a lopsided smile.

"You better not put up a fight," she cautioned.

Her smile was superfluous. I had no choice. The injuries I had sustained and the subsequent slow process of recovery rendered me incapable of fighting back.

I fixated my gaze on the open portal, which resembled more of a simple door. The wall parted, revealing a corridor beyond. A metallic clang resounded through the air, accompanied by the mingling scent of alcohol infused with various flavors, overwhelming my sensitive senses and causing me to sneeze involuntarily.

The long hallway was dimly illuminated by pale gray rays, and the path ahead was strewn with elongated glass vessels. These vessels fractured the light into large particles, casting dancing shadows upon the floor. It seemed they did not rely solely on electricity for their function but harnessed an additional natural energy source. Then I noticed them, small creatures swarmed, moving in synchronized patterns. I could barely discern their forms before my retinas burned, forcing me to avert my gaze.