Chapter 67 - Five Hours At Red Bear's (Part II)

Along a constricted hallway, Akira proceeded at a slow pace with Ai clinging to her arm, the path gloomily lit by chi-infused engraved tributaries in the walls, streaming forth from their sources in the "powered on" safe room. 

She was in the company of three [Nameless Acolytes], all of them below [Level 10]. Whereas Akira had attained [Level 14] from her time spent at the monastery. Made doable through a combination of taking her training mildly seriously, and countless hours of cultivating with Kiki every evening, while her classmates attended the group sessions.

She imagined there was some science—the likes of which Vash would be far more interested in—to explain how cultivating with a single partner could somehow outshine a group affair. However, her mind was stuck on other things right now.

She was dreading what the future might still hold, even more so than the present. Because of her current affliction with what Kiki had referred to as "NTR"

'Is it true Kiki will never turn on me too?'

Who was left that she could even truly trust anymore?

Although, it was a strangely arousing concept in itself: that of someone she'd played a huge part in building up suddenly calling another man "daddy," and treating her with contempt. 

'Though, can I still even call myself a proud CEO anymore?'

Just then, strange laughter: Deep and low. Haunting and drawn-out. Laughter like a weary final hurrah, of someone on their deathbed, could be heard coming from further on in the depths of the Hidden Dragon's belly.

One of the acolytes: a young, squeaky-voiced shrimpy [Level 6] guy, cowered against the wall in fright. "Are you kidding me? Those fuckers can laugh?"

"Get yourself together, man!" barked a tall, tougher-looking [Level 8] acolyte.

"But I don't understand! Is this really the only way for us to gain our chi powers?" the scrawny monk pleaded. "Couldn't one of the elders just train us? Why should we have to risk our lives instead?"

"Relax," the tough monk said, turning away as he scratched his head. "We'll be fine."

"Statistically speaking, that likely won't be the case," said the third acolyte: a [Level 6] woman in a plain white hood, librarian's glasses; an astute, bookish way about her. "I had researched the survival rates of previous trial-takers, and it paints a very grim picture for us indeed."

"Ahhh!" The scrawny monk yelled, shutting his eyes and covering his ears with his palms. "I don't need to hear this!"

Even the tough monk was sweating.

"Shit…" he muttered in a terrified breath.

The bookish monk then locked eyes with Akira."Even you should be wary. You're the strongest out of all of us, but strength isn't what is needed to overcome this trial."

Alira raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It is imperative that you follow my example when the time comes."

Akira sighe"Whatever you say, lady…"

Meanwhile, Ai squinted at the bookish monk. "Have we met before?

"Because you seem familiar."

The bookish monk merely bent her head, adjusting her glasses. "We have seen each other around the monastery, surely. Just as I have seen Akira-kun."

"No, no…"Ai shook her head, with a cute frown. "It was somewhere else."

Akira was beginning to grow suspicious too. When suddenly, a scream of pain echoed through the hallway that carried on for several seconds, before it abruptly ceased with a loud, sickening CRUNCH.

Everyone snapped their gazes toward the further, darkened depths of the hallway in alarm at the sound.

"It's them…!" the scrawny monk whined.

"They've already begun," added the bookish monk, in a startled whisper.

Then, she began walking. Stripping off her clothes, letting them fall to the ground as she did: throwing off her karate gi, sliding off her pants, tearing off her lacy white silk underwear; revealing a nicely formed, slender hourglass figure as she continued to take off in a steady stride, undaunted, in the direction of the source of the sound.

While the others remained, watching her go with confusion, Ai was still fidgeting as she tried to remember where she'd seen the bookish girl before.

"I swear, it's not that long ago, either…"

Elsewhere, Vash and Kanna were hiding from a foreboding presence that was skulking around in the dark, searching for its next victim, after it had just gotten through brutally murdering one of the acolytes.

They were in a room designed like an amphitheater, crouching for cover behind a large stone bench. One of several, arranged along the tiers of the structure.

At the center of the theater was the room's only light source: a chi-infused ring of pale light, largely obfuscated by the fallen corpse of the previously slain monk strewn across it, in a pool of blood. Vash had only caught a glimpse of the being that was hunting them, and it was enough to scare her into a near panic.

"We can't just keep hiding forever," Kanna urgently whispered to Vash, who was silent with the back of her head turned to them. "You're supposed to be the smartypants of the group, so what's the plan?"

"I, I, um, I…" Vash was an incoherent mess, prompting Kanna to give a frustrated growl.

"We have to take the initiative!"

Vash shook her head, sighing. Trying to keep it together. Because it was already difficult enough to come up with a plan when you have no idea what you're up against.

Kanna was right: they had to act fast.

"Okay. Okay." Vash said, turning to her slowly. "I'll run out and use my spells as a distraction, while you—"

She gasped, upon seeing that Kanna—"

Was gone!

Kanna had jumped out from behind cover.

"No, Kanna!" Vash yelled, sensing a movement from the corner of her eye.

However, it was too late.

There was no stopping the proud Warrior; and especially not when she was still steaming over her recent confrontation with Akira.

So Vash was only able to watch, as she released a fierce battle cry, charging down the theater steps with her new [Wodao] drawn, toward the hulking black silhouette at its center.

"Akira!" She yelled, imagining it was them.

Envisioning her sword, falling through the air, coming inches away from slicing through their thick, smarmy-faced skull.

Instead, the blade snapped uselessly against the being's thick hide.

Kanna's eyes widened, with realization.

She'd just made a terrible mistake.

The being's entire upper torso violently spun around, at a full 360 degrees, to meet her with its terrifying visage. It possessed a distinctly bestial appearance, with an eternally gawking lighter shaded muzzle lined in countless knife-edged teeth; large, round eyeballs featuring dark, soulless, and shiny pupils beholden to an unwavering, cryptic stare. A gleaming white, bamboo endoskeleton lay exposed through a partially eroded mask of hardened red clay, formed as part of a larger mask that was its exoskeleton. 

[Level D]* [Red Bear] was a being of such fearsome, otherworldly menace—an ungodly amalgam of a machine and a demon—such that the fanned flames of Kanna's rage were immediately doused by simply looking upon its malevolent presence.

"V-vash…?!" Both her arms were still raised, holding up her weapon, just shy of launching an attack when all of her spirit had evaporated. Then while listening as she stood there, frozen in terror, she heard sounds of multiple [Chi Blasts] firing, the lights they produced being cast upon the side of her face.

A chaotic chase was unfolding around her as

Vash was [Scurrying] around the circumference of the room, a flurry of [Chi Blasts] being hurled after her.

Her pursuer was the leaner and more agile of the two golems—[Level D] [Yellow Bunny]—with one of its long, clay-molded ears chipped off, and an uncanny smile spread across its narrow face. A lithe, almost friendly appearance, in stark contrast to the gruesome explosions of bone and gore resulting from its frenzied [Chi Blasts], being demonstrated upon every unlucky [Nameless Acolyte] caught in their path.

Scared for their lives, some of the acolytes made for a frantic run into the hallway. Only to find themselves directly in the path of an emerging [Level D] [Black Cock]: a wide, bulbous-bellied golem, wearing a white bib around its fat, smooth dark brown neck, which read "Let's Fuck!" in thick, dark impact letters.

An unending stream of qwuackqwuackqwuacks was produced from its wildly snapping pumpkin-orange beak; its thickly browed eyes having half-closed eyelids, as though it was constantly in a state of boredom.

Due to this golem's relatively dopey appearance, the initial fright felt by the acolytes in its presence died down fast.

"Wait!" one of them exclaimed to the others after a few seconds passed with none being harmed by it. "Black Cock is the one specialized in recovery chi manipulation, so we shouldn't have to worry!"

Gradually, few nods and words of approval were exchanged among the acolytes. 

[Black Cock] stood still, meanwhile.

Its yapping beak had quieted, in a subtle gesture roughly equating to a frown. Like it knew it was being talked about unfavorably.

Then, when its eyebrows became sharply furrowed, the monks knew they were in trouble; followed after by it issuing a shrill, high-pitched wail, with its hanging lower beak metallically vibrating as it did; shooting out a stream of chi that passed over the entire group of acolytes.

They frantically cowered and shielded their faces, but emerged unscathed after the beam was finished. With relieved smiles, and happy observations:

"Hey, that damn papercut I had is gone!"

"I think it cured my gonorrhea!"

"W-wait, something's happening to my—"

The high levels of chi they'd just been exposed to, even though it was intended to heal, evoked symptoms similar to those caused by large doses of radiation, but with a much faster progression rate.

Their skin turned red and began to peel.

Their eyeballs melted out of their sockets in gooey, taffy-like strands.

All crumpled to the floor, howling in agony.

None would survive.

Clucking contentedly, Black Cock then casually stepped over the pile of what was left of their liquidating corpses, to enter into the amphitheater with its fellow fiends of mayhem.

Akira was running with Ai and the two acolytes, after the trail of clothes left by the bookish monk.

"Can't you hear all of that?!" Akira yelled.

"You're gonna get yourself—"

The group froze, once they'd finally caught up to the girl, hearing and seeing the drops of blood falling from where she was suspended off the ground, close to the ceiling.

[Level D] [Purple Fox] was there, holding her up…

Its hook-ended arm impaling her chest.