Chapter 435 - Era Of Hell

I experienced it with them, but it's a whole different story with that group.

They had numbers, and not only that...I'd say each of them: Vale, Leonid, and Armen...they're at the very least equal to me, if not stronger. 

And with their regenerative capabilities and no need to sleep, they were perfectly built for Purgatory.

But now, it's just me. A human way in over his head, in his last seven days--what they call the "Era of Hell"--henceforth, Purgatory will throw everything it has at me to make sure I die. 

The hell if I'll roll over and take it, though. 

[Purgatory, Third Floor. Seven Days Until The End]

Shit. Shit. Shit, he thought. 

Moving with the spirit of stealthiness about him, he moved with his back hugging the damp, stone wall behind him, slowly sliding himself as to ensure he made zero noise. 

All he could do was sit still as he waited, listening to the rhythmic drops of stale water from the cracked ceiling of stone. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

Heavy footsteps rang through the gloomy, dark dungeon like an earthquake rumbling between brief pauses. 

It was a narrow corridor he resided in, sitting at the side of a barely lit, main hall that was occupied by countless skeletal remains, all inhabiting a deathly stench that added to the miasma of the dungeon. 

He found himself hiding against the wall, clinging to the shadows, in an attempt to hide his presence from the towering monster stomping its way down the main hall. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

By the brutal orchestra of bones snapping each time it took a step, it was clearly stomping out the bones beneath its feet without any care. Each of those steps, growing closer and closer as he could hear the heavy breathing of the monster, filled him with unease. 

He had yet to get a look at it, though its presence alone was enough to put him on the side of complete caution. 

This thing is trouble, he thought, I came to this dungeon to find mana potions...so I'm not exactly looking to expend any more mana. 

He breathed out quietly as his lightly damp, snowy locks hung near his eyes; his hand was kept by the hilt of Belus, stationed there in case his stealth failed him. 

Do I make a run for it? There's a staircase down the main hall, but that involves actually stepping into the main hall--right into its path. That staircase will lead to the main lobby, but I snuck past a couple undead to make it up in the first place. If they get in my way, the big guy here will get to me. 

Shit...is it really just my best bet to hope it doesn't notice me here? He thought, weighing his options. 

The heavy breaths that protruded from the mouth of the unseen, lumbering enemy filled him with an indecisive unease. 

Closer, and closer, it grew: by the sounds of the heavy, wall-vibrating steps it took, it would come into view in its new few strides. 

Fiddling with his pocket while trying to make the least amount of noise as possible, he retrieved one of the light-blue vials he came to the dungeon to retrieve. He silently popped the lid off, placing the end of the mana potion past his lips as he held it with his teeth, not drinking a single drop of it yet. 

Making sure to time it with the thundering footsteps, he took timed sips from the mana potion as the rejuvenating liquid traversed his exhausted body. 

Feeling it draw closer, he opted to stay put as he pressed his back as tightly to the wall as possible, keeping his gaze up as he didn't even register the existence of the cobweb he looked at. 

Just pass, he thought. 

Placing his hand over his mouth and nostrils, he muffled his own breaths as the exertions of his anxious chest grew too loud. His ears were filled with the rapid thumping off his own heart as he tried to quell it. 

Finally, a colossal thud resounded as the towering enemy in the midst finally revealed itself as it crossed by the intersection of corridors he hid in. 

Bare of any flesh, only tainted, ivory bones were on display of the giant's essence; a skeleton. 

As he thought, it was by all means a giant; having to hunch over as the ceiling that was twice the young man's height was too low for the undead entity. 

All it wore was a long, black cape that hung over its shoulders like the feathers of a dark crow, veiling most of its body. 

...An undead? A big one, at that. Must be the boss of this dungeon, he thought, no, that can't be it. It crashed through the roof of the dungeon while I was looting a chest...I guess the 'Era of Hell' has started, hasn't it? 

Dragging against the ground, the colossal skeleton wielded a massive greatsword that screeched as its sharp steel was drawn across the stone flooring. 

Seeing the size of the blood-stained, unkempt blade, he gulped instively. 

"---" 

A machine-like growl emitted from the skeletal giant's unmoving maw as it came to a complete stop, facing forward as the young man stayed silent in the darkness to its left. 

Come on, just keep walking! He thought. 

He was forced to perfectly balance the glass vial he held between his teeth as he remained hidden--dropping it would result in the worst case scenario; a route he'd prefer to avoid. 

Crack. 

With an uncanny, swift movement, the greatsword-carrying skeleton snapped its head to the left, bringing its gaze directly down the shadow-abundant corridor. 

Shit, shit, shit, he thought. 

There were no eyes in the abyssal sockets of the ivory-skulled skeleton, only a lifeless darkness that seemed to peer a thousand miles. 

Does it see me?...Can it even see? He thought. 

He completely halted his breathing, maintaining as little movement from his body as possible as he quelled even the smallest trembles that persisted. 

All he could do was watch with his singular, left eye as the cape-wearing undead began to shake as its bones jingled, clacking repeatedly for no apparent reason. 

--And it stopped. 

Silence, silence, and more silence as the skeletal sentinel stood there motionlessly.

Until it didn't. 

Suddenly, it's jaw unhinged before releasing a banshee-like scream that traveled with enough force to rumble the entire structure. He could feel it by the force of the deathly howl unleashed in his direction; it was a declaration of malice. 

And that's how I should have believed this would go...He thought. 

Just as the crow-caped skeleton turned to fully face him, he jumped back from his spot amongst the shadows, swiftly turning his head as he tossed the glass vial with his mouth. It crashed against the skeleton's ivory face, exploding into a mess of glass as it was cleaned of its blue liquid. 

"---?" The skeleton paused in confusion as the glass sprinkled over its hollow eyes. 

The momentary distraction gathered from the undead's confusion as the unorthodox action allowed him to bolt past the giant figure, sliding down the staircase swiftly as he made a mad dash for the entrance of the dungeon. 

"Try and catch me, you big bastard!" He yelled out. 

By the time he flipped over the railings of the windy staircase to find himself at the bottom floor, the wandering, lifeless skeletons guarding the first floor were waiting. 

Without wasting any time to stop and battle the frail, sword-wielding undead in his way, he sprinted past them as his eyes were set on the entrance that led back into the depths of the deathly forest. 

"Hyup!" He let out. 

Using the smooth skull of one of the skeletons as footing, he pushed himself outside with a powerful kick. 

He landed onto the grass waiting beyond the entrance to the grimy dungeon, rolling forward a bit before stopping on one knee. 

Made it--he thought. 

Just as he turned to look back at the stone building hidden by curved, white-leaved trees, the entirety of the front crumbled as an echoing roar accompanied the display of savagery. 

From the broken down exterior, the giant undead stepped out as stone crumbled around its form, allowing the gray material to slide off of its feathery, black cloak. 

"Well, you're persistent, aren't you?" He muttered, standing up. 

There was hardly any time to react as the skeletal giant roared out while stomping forward, continuing to drag the hunk of steel in its right hand as it carved up the soil in its wake. 

As he took a quick backstep, the towering sentinel was in his face without a moment to adjust. It was already mid-swing by the time it was before his vision. 

...It's fast! He thought. 

His ears popped as the tower of stained steel missed his head, feeling the breeze formed by its weight and power brush against his light locks. 

After missing its target, the slab of metal crashed into the soil beside him, landing with a tremor. 

It's strong too, but I could've figured that out just by looking at him, he thought. 

While its greatsword was momentarily lodged into the damp soil, he retaliated with a singular movement; unsheathing his blade and swinging it swiftly against the abdomen of the skeletal giant. 

"--Huh?" 

There was little resistance to his blade; slashing through the crow-like cape, he realized there was nothing to be hit beneath it--a vacant spot. 

That's right. How do I even go about cutting down a skeleton? Magic would be my first instinct, but I'm not exactly packing a surplus of mana right now, he thought. 

--Interrupting his thoughts, a stomp of the giant undead's foot came down, forcing him to flip backwards to avoid the thunderous downfall. 

It was only when landing back on his feet did he realize the second layer of dread that approached in this battle: marching out from the crumbled entrance of the dungeon, undead poured out. 

"Just great," he muttered. 

The only silver-lining he could find in the pressing situation was that the other skeletons joining the battle were nothing more than cannon fodder, at least in comparison to the giant amongst them. 

Little ones first, or the big guy? Well, that's an easy one to answer....no damn way I'm going to fight the big guy while avoiding his underlings, he thought.