Chapter 290 Pierced And Bloodied

There was a lot he still didn't know about the afterlife he found himself in, other than it didn't resemble any sort of realm after death that he had imagined; it was lonely, dark, and full of mystery.

He had to be careful with each step he took around what looked to be a cafe, going off the empty, moldy mugs that were either sitting on the dusty tables or held in the skeletons' hands.

"Hold on...Isn't this not right?" He mumbled.

It struck him as odd as he looked at the inanimate pile of bones that occupied the building, finding their existence to be questionable.

If this is the afterlife, why're there skeletons here...? I guess I was already acting as if it was possible, but you can really die here...? He questioned.

Either way, he didn't plan on finding out. Instead, he continued scoping out the desolate building, though only finding shattered porcelain and dusty bones instead of the key he needed.

I knew it wouldn't be that easy, he thought with a sigh.

Leaving the half-built building, he was back in the chamber with four pathways, though one corridor would only result in backtracking.

Before he went down another passageway, he stopped for a moment when considering what he could be leading himself into.

...Hold on a second, he thought, if I just carelessly go through these halls, I'll get lost for sure. Even if I find the key, what does it matter if I can't even find my way back?

With that in mind, he didn't actually know how he would keep track of the corridors he traversed.

There was no material to work with, especially not the sort of "rope" he was used to seeing used in situations like this, but he chose to instead follow a different method before going west to a new hallway.

He drew his sword from its leather scabbard, scraping it against the corner of the black-stone hall, marking a spot in it.

There. That should do, he thought.

As he walked through the hall, he found it much shorter than the last as he reached the other end within just a minute of walking carefully.

Just as he stepped into the chamber that awaited, finding it to be pitch-black, a noise met his ears–

It was a visceral sound of metal, revving up with an intensity behind it that made him freeze in place.

What's that–? He questioned.

What sounded like an engine revving up met his ears; metal roared out like the grinding of machinery, thumping like a wild, erratic heartbeat that could be felt in his bones.

It was only for a moment did he then feel another presence nearby, one so suffocating in its grandiose evil that the air in his lungs was vacated in an instant, bringing him to a halt after taking a single step into the room.

BANG

–Is it here?! He questioned.

Glancing back as he entered one of the corridors, he failed to see anything through the veil of shadows behind him. Still, the rumbling couldn't be ignored; it pounded his eardrums, repeating with an aggressive chorus as the weight of whatever was occupying the halls was felt gravely.

There wasn't any part of him, no matter how deep down he looked, that actually wanted to confront the entity that inhabited the labyrinth. With that in mind, he continued racing down the corridor.

Move! Move! Move! He told himself.

Still, curiosity was impossible to resist as he looked back again, this time briefly seeing a flash from some sort of sparks flicking out of whatever was following him.

That's–he briefly thought.

A bang filled his ears, nearly making him trip over his own feet before something penetrated the dark air behind him. There was no time to react with any meaningful response besides trying to lift his measly shield up in response to whatever it was that quickly bore its way towards him.

It was a small projectile, though fearsome; piercing towards him, he watched whatever it was bounce off one of the narrow walls of the corridor, richoting repeatedly.

What's this–?! A bullet?! Here?! He questioned.

There was no way for him to perceive it without being able to reinforce his own reflexes, leaving him gazing at nothing but sparks for that second before–

The projectile ricocheted from the grimy wall to his right, piercing at a downward angle as it pierced straight through his calf.

"Ngh–!"

Past his flesh, it penetrated, leaving a clean hole through his leg before the projectile smashed into the leftmost wall.

What the...?! He thought.

As he winced in pain, feeling blood squirt from his pierced leg, he looked down at the steaming object that had shot through his calf, finding it to in fact be a grotesque iteration of a bullet of sorts: a black caliber, with vein-like protrusions running along its shell.

Though he felt a heat bubbling in his injured leg, he was quickly reminded that he was still being chased as he heard the drumming of machinery and heavy steel in the near distance, forcing him to continue moving.

"Nnh...!"

A limp was left in his attempt to run now, having to slightly drag his leg with each movement forward he took.

THUD-THUD. THUD-THUD. THUD-THUD.

Shit, shit, shit...! He thought.

Adrenaline flooded through his veins as he moved faster in response to the jarring, ear-thumping sounds of grating metal and slamming that quickly approached from behind.

Another bang released, causing a brief light to flash in the shadow-filled corridor of the labyrinth as once more, a projectile shot towards the young Dragonheart.

"Gah–"

As he ran with desperation, the supernatural bullet cleanly pierced through his shoulder, moving with such velocity that the force caused him to be flung forward several meters, flipping around uncontrollably.