Chapter 32: The Baumgarten Underground Empire II.

Chapter 32: The Baumgarten Underground Empire II.

Zeke looked at the figure in the center of the room. It was roughly proportioned like a human, but clearly it was not. Zeke was pretty sure the thing in front of them was not even a living being. To make sure his assumptions were correct, he asked the figure in front of them, "Who are you?" The figure didn't even move a millimeter and for a moment, it seemed like there would be no response at all. But then, it answered in the same language as before, "Lingua ignota detecta. Hoc unitate non possumus respondere ad quaesitum tuum."

"What did it say?" Viola asked, curious.

"Hmm," Zeke mused, "something like: 'Unknown language found. This device is unable to provide a result to your search.' I don't know all the words it used, but that seems to be the core message. But don't worry, my ability to translate will get better the longer I can keep it talking." And with that, he turned back to the figure and began speaking to it in the same language it had just used. At first, it was halting and broken, but as the minutes passed, his proficiency grew.

Zeke struggled to keep his improved version of the [language comprehension] spell going for as long as he could, as he asked the figure all kinds of questions, determined to learn as much of the language as possible. As a result, he grew increasingly fluent in the language, which was apparently called 'Bue,' and learned some information about the nature of this place. But eventually, he could not sustain the spell any longer and collapsed forward, only to be caught by Viola. She asked him if he was okay, to which he replied that it was just the effect of using his magic and that he was fine. He then proceeded to share with her the information he had learned during his inquiry.

The room they were in was apparently one of the entrances to the city at the center of the Baumgarten underground empire. However, in Zeke's opinion, the title of "empire" was misleading, as they only had the one giant city and miles upon miles of tunnels surrounding it, hardly what he would call an empire. But he was beginning to suspect that the people who built this place were a little strange. He further explained to Viola that in order to enter the city, every person needed to complete a test. Viola then asked him what happened if they didn't pass the test.

As Zeke and Viola stood before the imposing figure, known now as Guardian 543, Zeke couldn't shake the feeling of unease. He had a sneaking suspicion that the test they needed to pass in order to enter the city, at the center of the Baumgarten underground empire, may not be as simple as it seemed. But he hadn't bothered to ask the Guardian what would happen if they failed.

The Guardian, true to form, took its time before answering Zeke's question. When it finally spoke, its words were nothing but gibberish to Viola. "Si non possis experimentum transire, nemo supervivet" it said.

Zeke cursed under his breath, the weight of the Guardian's words hitting him hard. "Well, at least we know where all those missing adventurers ended up now," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Viola, however, who had no idea what the Guardian had said, wasn't following Zeke's logic. She asked, "Care to enlighten me?"

Zeke was a little embarrassed that he had forgotten to translate again, and he told her that the Guardian had said, "All that fail the test will be killed." The gravity of the situation was clear to them both, and they knew they needed to be thoroughly prepared if they wanted to pass the test and survive.

"What's going on here?" Viola asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

The man smirked, his gaze scanning the two youths. "Are you here for the first time?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"This place, little miss, is known as the outer district of the city. You cannot enter this place unless you pass what we call 'the first test'. You two should be aware of that fact already," he continued, his tone becoming serious. "And let me tell you, all those who have passed the first test have agreed to keep quiet about this place, to avoid the competition that would come with the knowledge of its existence. Especially for when we all pass 'the second test'," he added, a hint of mystery in his voice.

Zeke and Viola looked at each other, both taken aback by this revelation. Zeke knew that 'the first test' must refer to the test against mind magic that they had just passed, but what was the second test then? He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he thought about the potential dangers that lay ahead. They couldn't help but wonder what the test entailed and how they could possibly pass it.

The man, sensing their confusion, offered to explain more about the test and how to pass it. "The test is a combination of physical, mental, and magical combat. Only the strongest and most skilled adventurers shall pass. Mark my words, this test is extremely dangerous and many have lost their lives trying to pass it," he warned, his eyes scanning Zeke and Viola.

"And I must make a request of the both of you. Promise me, that you shall not speak of this place once you have left. Agreed?" The two of them nodded, promising to keep the secret of this place.

"You may search all the houses here, but be warned, most of them have been picked clean by years of adventurers searching for treasures," the man added.

Zeke and Viola thanked the man for the information and began to explore the outer district of the city. As they walked through the streets, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the ancient architecture and the intricate carvings that adorned the houses. They could see that the houses had once been grand and beautiful, but now they were nothing but ruins, their beauty long-lost to the ravages of time and human greed.

As they explored the houses, they found that the men had been right, most of the houses had already been picked clean. However, they did manage to find a few small trinkets and relics that had been overlooked by previous adventurers. They were excited by their finds, but they knew that they were insignificant compared to the treasures that they were sure lay hidden in the inner districts of the city.

As they explored the outer district, they couldn't help but think about the test that lay ahead of them. They knew that it would not be easy, but they were determined to pass it and uncover the secrets of the Baumgarten underground empire. They spent the rest of the day exploring the outer district and making preparations for the test, knowing that their journey to uncover the secrets of the city had only just begun.