Chapter 148 - Times Of Mercy

Gritting his teeth, his body felt like an oven; the prolonged, continuous usage of Particle Shade to traverse the pitch-black side of the cliff had pushed him more than he thought. The constant, subtle vibration he could feel glide across his fingertips put him in a constant state of anxiety as he waited for the burrowers that laid dormant.

It was hard to tell just how far he had climbed by now; not trusting his own sense of time as all of his other senses at the moment were lacking. All he knew was that he was high enough now to illicit that ticklish filling from within his abdomen--as if a million little butterflies were dancing about from within his stomach.

--Still nothing from that damn cat...I don't want to admit it, but I miss his stupid "nya"--anything is better than the ambiance of this creepy cavern.

Every little noise felt as if they were trying to pry his fingertips from the rigid, cold stone: the periodic, distant flapping of wings, the rumbling from within the tower of stone, distant but heavy footsteps--he had to act fast to resolve his mind for this, overriding his own instincts as he clung to the wall. Each inch surmounted, moving his hand up as he desperately slapped his hand against the sharp stone, pricking his fingers as he grabbed hold of his next step--he prayed and waited for his sensory spell to recognize the summit of this enigmatic obstacle.

His own rugged, anxious breathing filled his hearing, only slightly obscuring the distant yet looming groans of whatever creatures inhabited this forsaken realm.

"I'm strong,"--he repeated this to himself over and over as the dreadful, clammy atmosphere seeped into his pores, propelling his heartbeat. Telling himself this so fervently, so frequently--it began to feel like a lie.

One more reach up with his fingertips, he had realized something: his spell was unable to recognize a difference in substances. It was a minuscule shortcoming of the ability, but at this moment--it was everything. He assumed his digits would meet with firm, albeit slightly damp rock. Instead, some sort of gooey, sludge-like substance made his fingers slip right off of the hold, completely throwing him off balance as he blindly put his faith in that hold.

He could feel the weight of his entire body being pulled down by gravity, the ever-present force tugging on the hood of his cloak as he swiped his hand forward with desperation--finding his prayers answered at that moment. A miracle; he took hold of the same hold, this time tightening his grip and overcoming the slippery nature of the substance coating the narrow groove.

Taking a moment to himself, thanking fate herself for him not being red paste on the ground below, Ren kept himself close to the wall as he inhaled and exhaled with his jaw hung open.

--"Magic"--you would think learning something hailed as mystical and powerful would rise you above situations like these. Maybe; maybe not. I'm sure someone like Sora could scale this thing in a single jump...Just thinking about that makes me want to puke, but also makes me want to try harder.

Ren took in a huff that reinvigorated his worn-out body, beginning once again his arduous climb up the pitch-black tower of rock.

He allowed himself to fall into a lull of mindless momentum, focusing the entirety of himself to climbing the unwelcoming stone before at last, his fingers met the summit. It was a feeling of complete elation, his eyes widening at half-disbelief and half-shock before he pulled his body up, falling onto the stone as he let his body go limp while catching his breath.

Expelling and welcoming air into and out of his lungs, Ren pulled himself up after a minute--meeting face to face with the familiar, fur-covered face of a certain cat.

"I'm surprised-nya."

"...Huh?"

"I thought for sure that initial fall would be the death of you-nya."

Pausing for a moment, Ren watched with a droop of his eyebrows as the familiar cat looked back at him with its swaying tail.

"Where the hell were you?"

Ren sat down against the uncomfortable stone, brushing the collective dust from his calloused hands before placing them down against his knees, looking for an answer from the feline.

"I was summoned by my masters-nya."

"How convenient that you showed right back up the moment I reached the summit…Anyway, I've got a question for you."

Asking the eloquent feline, Ren reached behind his cloak as Bifrons twitched his ears out of curiosity, watching as the adventurer retrieved a peculiar dagger from a makeshift sheath. Even in the realm that lacked radiance, the beauty of the obsidian blade was clear as day; an entrancing site that even caught Bifrons' sharp eye for a moment.

"What's the deal with this thing?"

Ren asked, holding the dagger between him and the cat as he presented it to him, rotating his wrist side to side as if displaying the serene nature of the enigmatic weapon.

"It's a dagger-nya."

"I knew that already, smartass. I mean what is it really? It's enchanted, right? No way it isn't."

Ren asked, scanning his hazel eyes across the length of the unknown blade as he flipped it from one side to the other.

"This was given to you from the fountain beyond the first floor's gate, yes?"

Licking his own paw without a care in the world, Bifrons asked with one eye open, getting a node in response from Ren, who found himself reluctantly thinking the devilish cat actually looked kind of cute at that moment.

"It's a gift from the overseers-nya. I can't say whether or not it is enchanted, but it will be of use to you--that much is certain-nya."

"Certain, huh? You really don't know what it can do or are you just being tight-lipped?"

All he got in response was an innocent, "meow", from the familiar of his. Ren clicked his tongue before retreating his dagger back into the shoddily-made sheath. Looking around, if it wasn't a place filled with a plethora of man-eating, murderous monsters, it would actually be quite beautiful. The way the vibrant, opalescent veins of crystals atop the cavern glowed in unison with the countless fireflies, it reminded him of the northern lights--thought he had only seen it in pictures, this far surpassed what his eyes had expected from such a sight.

--I wonder if she's looking at this right now as well.

"So, should I be watching out for the guardian? That big guy got to me right away on the first floor…"

Ren asked as he stood up, adjusting his belt to make sure all of his resources were intact. Holding his arm out, he gave access for Bifrons to leap onto his shoulder like catching a landing falcon.

"I wouldn't worry about that; the nature of the second floor is vastly different from that of the first-nya."

"Yeah, how so?"

"There are conditions that must be met to encounter the second guardian-nya. To put it in a way you would understand: think of this as a scavenger hunt-nya. Eight keys in total are needed to unlock the gate that seals the second guardian-nya."

Bifrons explained as his tail swatted Ren's cheek, causing the young man to have to retrieve a loose strand of hair from his lip with a disgusted expression.

"--Eight? That doesn't sound too bad...I'm guessing there are certain challenges to get these items, right? Just like a damn RPG…"

"Indeed; though the real trouble is holding onto those keys-nya."

"Huh?"

"I told you; there are many more challengers within the second floor-nya. Having a key makes you quite the scrumptious target, no-nya?"

Ren had already begun walking along the surface of the high-standing stone ground, making his way towards the ruinous castle that sat ahead of his sights. Hearing this, he went silent for a moment as he remembered his encounter on the first floor that ended in blood.

--I don't want to repeat that. It's sounding like there isn't much of a choice, though. If this floor really is a place full of murderers...I have to find Iris that much faster now.

"Do you know where any of these keys are?"

"I don't--but I can find out. However; I'd recommend thinking greatly before using my senses-nya."

"...Why?"

Ren had noticed something ever since Bifrons reappeared after he climbed the cliff; the taut-mouthed demon-cat previously was reluctant to pass on any information that weighed more than lint, but now he was parting with knowledge freely.

--Something changed...For now, it's a good thing--but I'll keep my guard up.

"If I were to use my scouting ability, the other familiars would sense my position and likely alert their designated adventurer."

"So we'd basically be yelling out our position to the world?"

"Precisely-nya."

Knowing that these keys may already be in the hands of other adventurers, he was hesitant to search them out, at least for the time being.

"I've got one more question."

"You have quite a few, I doubt this is the last one-nya."

Ren could feel his blood pressure rise every so slightly with every jab of the feline's words but continued to press on with his question and destination with a sigh.

"...Where do I use these things?"

Retrieving a crimson coin from one of his belt pouches, he held it in front of the cat's eyes as it was perched atop his shoulder.

"I ran into a guy named Galaggher on the first floor, but he isn't the only vendor, right?"

"That's correct-nya. There are a few Galagghers, one for each floor in fact. The location of his shop changes frequently though so it's mostly based on chance-nya."

"Wait, multiple Galagghers, hold up--"

Ren's confusion was quickly and passively sidelined as Bifrons continued speaking without any intention of being interrupted.

"There is another usage of those coins; pay them to the fountain as a direct offering to the gods. You may find yourself lucky enough to find a sponsorship from one of the overseers."

"...Huh."

It was definitely a more readily available option than waiting for the off-chance to encounter Galaggher's shop.

Ending the brief conversation with Bifrons, Ren realized he had become momentarily distracted, not realizing that once again--he was walking across a bridge suspended far above the abyss. Though this one looked to be man-made; moss-covered, withered cobblestone that still bore its intricate, artistic designs that ran across the railings. It was impossible to make out what all of the symbols made as most had been eroded, but what caught his eye was the etching of a four-headed dragon.

Seeing some form of history, he found himself somewhat anxious yet excited to enter the bowels of the awaiting castle that sat within this abyssal cavern.

The main section of the castle towered high, ending in four prongs that each were carved into statues of differing warriors. Poles jutted out from each side of these moss-covered walls, bearing decrepit flags that no longer showed any allegiances. The size of the kingly abode likely rivaled Atlaus' manor from his somewhat educated guess.

"Any clue what this castle is? Should I be preparing myself for a fight?"

Stepping in front of the rusted gates that separated him from the courtyard of the abandoned estate, Ren shook his arms to warm them up.

"You should always be prepared for a fight within these walls, Ren-nya. However, I'd be doubly on-guard with this place-nya."

"I gotcha; I bet a field boss is waiting for me there."

Using game lingo that the cat quite obviously didn't catch, Ren held a slight smile, slipping Belus out from its leathery home.

"--No. I'm not talking about beasts-nya."

"Huh?"

Turning his face towards the entity sitting on his shoulder, Ren awaited a further explanation--coming to his own conclusion but wanting to hear it out loud.

"What awaits you within that domain is an enemy of a human variety-nya."

"...Do you have to talk so mysteriously, man? So, there's a person in there...How do you even know they're an "enemy", anyway?"

"I don't, but it's best to assume that everything within Purgatory is your enemy-nya."

It was a mindset he definitely could understand, but the prospect of another person like him being there only gave hope to him--Ren knew it might be naive, but he was willing to take the chance. The only question he could ask himself in this scenario was one he didn't quite know the answer to.

--"Am I strong enough to take chances like these?", I have to consider maybe I'm stepping a bit over my boundaries here...Bifrons is likely right. Still...I can't do it. I can't. I won't.

Hesitantly, Ren came to his decision--hiding Belus within its sheath as he could clearly feel Bifron's eyes lock onto him just from that single action.

"I know what you're going to say; don't. I've made up my mind."

"I wasn't going to say anything-nya."

Taking in a breath of the musky air, Ren pressed his hand against the cold, peeling bars as they opened with a less than subtle whistle of old steel, wincing as he prayed the noise didn't attract any malicious entities.

Filling the courtyard were long since abandoned hedges that were nothing more than blackened, jagged branches that displayed no green. The sight of crimson silhouettes plastered against the cracked stone that made up the pathway to the front doors allowed caution to guide his step.

--There's half a dozen...Someone must've found some trouble around here.

Ren kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, scanning his surroundings before taking each step.

"Ren."

It was completely out of the blue to hear the shapeshifting cat call out to him first, dropping his usual "nya"--Ren didn't know which of those two aspects freaked him out the most.

"...Yeah?"

"Before you step through that door, I must ask if you know the rule of Purgatory pertaining to challenger-on-challenger combat?"

The words lacked any playfulness; coming out with urgency as he looked over at Bifrons, who had his eyes completely locked on the large, wooden doors reinforced by jet-black steel. Stopping for a moment, Ren gave a nod after remembering some vivid images he had hoped stayed buried within his headspace.

"You mean that if you die by the hands of another challenger--you die, right?"

Bifrons nodded his head, his tail stopped swaying side to side as Ren then continued his way to the door, traversing the small flight of eroded stairs. Standing between two ivory pillars that held the stone-slab above his head in place, Ren slowly placed his hand on the gilded handle of the door, taking a few breaths to himself.

--No blood will be spilled when I open this door.