Chapter 2.2: (The pathway toward the unknown)
"I wouldn't have come here if I knew the door was going to get locked and the first two passageways were no good. The only choice left is to enter the last passage." I said with a exhausted voice
As I approach the entrance, I am met by an iron grille gate that resembles something straight out of a medieval castle. Upon entering, it becomes clear that this passageway is even more worse than the coliseum prison, and I hopped that my hunch is wrong.
"The Smell of decay in this passage is getting stronger" I whisper and gulped
As I walk, I stumbled upon a surprising and unexpected sight, a pile of bones and skulls scattered across the ground greeted me.
the view became a terrifying sight a mountain of bones skulls and artifacts in a single huge room
"What happened here...!?"
The walls were severely damaged, with deep slashes and weapon marks covering the once sturdy stone. Arrows were still seen sticking out of the cracked and crumbling walls,The pillars in the dungeon have been broken and are now laying on the ground.
As I walked inside of that room, all I can see were piles of skeletal remains - human skeletons in armor, a giant missing an arm, a horned demon-like figure, and monster skeletons. Surrounding them were ancient weapons and artifacts, with some other larger skeletons measuring 7-10 feet.
Then I saw the writing in the wall at first I just saw a single straight line but if I focus I can see a thousand of it written on the wall
"What is this lines supposed to mean?" I said curiously
At the back of the piles of the bones, I encountered a weathered stone staircase with staggeringly tall steps, each one is over three to four feet high. At the summit perched a massive door, adorned with a striking dark purple hue and intricate dragon-inspired patterns. The door's surface was reminiscent of rough obsidian, in the heart of the door glowed a magnificent orb resembling a celestial eclipse, emanating a captivating black and white light.
However, the door also bore deep cracks and visible signs of combat, as numerous weapons such as swords, spears, arrows, and axes were lodged into its surface.
And In front of the massive door was a man in black armor, sitting on the ground as if guarding it from anyone trying to get in. His presence made sure no one could pass through.
As I approached the man in black armor, questions filled my mind. "Was he real or just an another corpse? Why wasn't he moving? Did he notice me?" Each step up the tall staircase felt like a big jump. Eventually, I reached the top, wondering who is this man.
His battered armor bore countless holes, slash marks, and embedded arrows.
his cape looks like a tater rag
With a damaged helmet, revealing glimpses of the skull beneath. A thick and heavy black rusty chain coiling on his neck. Resting on his back is a colossal black weapon, resembling a shield at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it's a great sword. Made of dark, heavy iron, the weapon is stuck in the ground like the legendary sword*Excalibur*.
Out of curiosity my feet walk closer to that mysterious man wearing a black armor and saw that this man is huge maybe over 7-8 feet tall.
And then when I took another step forward the air started to vibrate around me.
in an instant I thought my body was cut in half.
I instinctively step backward, then the vibrant feeling in the air stop.
My hands can't stop shaking and I wonder why, cold sweat starting run down on my back, it's like the cells in my body starting to leave in my body.
I didn't know it was just an intent of this dead man.
"What is this? Is it coming from him but he didn't do anything or move" I said while terrified and covered in cold sweat
I went downstairs to calm myself. As I go down i saw something familiar and approached the wall, I noticed another straight line etched on it, this line continued throughout the entire room.
And then i realized it's not just a simple line it's a line of how many days he stay on this place
First feeling that I first felt when meeting him is fear now... Is pity.
"how hard is it to live in such a dark and cold place, are you protecting something important in that door is it treasure, someone important to you?, a promise or is it your duty?"
"Was it worth it? To endure eternal solitude, to surrender life itself for a cause that may never be known? The answer is, he believed, lay not in the outcome but in the act itself."
"In the face of oblivion, he might have found solace in the belief that his sacrifice had created a ripple in the fabric of existence. Perhaps it had prevented a cataclysmic event or ensured the preservation of something precious."
"A promise shouldn't be broken, I promise, I will keep my words, that's what they usually said it's funny to hear those words and painful"
"Is there anything more futile than trusting in someone's promise? For a promise is nothing more than a fragile hope dressed in words, spoken in a moment of certainty but bound to the uncertainty of life. People change, feelings shift, and time itself erodes even the strongest vows. To trust a promise is to hand your heart to the mercy of something that may never come to pass and when it breaks, you are left holding not the promise, but your own belief called nativity."
"To me"
"A promise is a fragile thread, easily broken by the whim of the promisor or the harsh winds of circumstance. It is a promise uttered that is often made with little thought, a mere utterance that is quickly forgotten."
"A promise is a commitment, a pledge to do or refrain from doing something, a solemn vow often made without the true intention or ability to fulfill it."
"A promise is often a lie, a hollow gesture that is meant to deceive or placate, a cruel illusion that offers false hope and a sense of security."
"A promise is a heavy burden, a weight that can crush the spirit and destroy the trust between individuals, a suffocating obligation that can drain the life from a relationship."
"A promise is a dangerous game, a gamble that can have devastating consequences, a potent weapon that can be used to manipulate and control others."
"A promise is a double-edged sword, a tool that can cut both ways, that can ultimately lead to pain and suffering."
"But still You chose to remain here, was it truly worth the sacrifice? Putting your own life in jeopardy, I fail to see the value in that decision."
As a sign of respect to the mysterious man, I bow until my forehead presses against the cold, dirty ground. My body trembles, every breath I take is unsteady, and it feels as if my head is no longer my ownβsevered, yet painfully aware. Still, with what little voice I can gather, I whisper softly, "Rest in peace."
With a cautious step, I approach the figure once more, sensing no unsettling vibrations or disturbances resonating around me. What kept me from progressing earlier, I wonder? Was it the temptation of my own curiosity that acted as an invisible barrier?
As I take more step forward, I hear the whisper of an adult man coming from the corpse, but I cannot understand itβit is spoken in an unknown language.
"ππα£β°ππβ°βΜx, ββ°βΜπ π ππβ‘β α»α£ πββ°β‘ βΜπ β α£α»α»β, βα£β°α‘α»π βα»πβα£α» βΜπ α»~βα£πα£α» πβ‘β πβ‘α‘α»β°α£ α»α‘α»α£x πxπβΜα»α£x, πα£β β°β‘β ππ βΜπ α£α»πα‘α» β‘π πβΜπβ‘α» πβ‘βΜπα£β‘α»β β°β‘ ππα£ π πα»πβΜ ππα£ ββ‘πβα£α»ββ α»."
??? - "Curiosity, with a hunger akin to greed, drives people explore and unveil every mystery, urging us to leave no stone unturned in our quest for knowledge."
"βΜπα» πβ‘α» βΜππβΜ α»~βα£πα£α»π βΜπα» πβ‘ββ‘πββ‘, α»πβ α»α£ βΜπ πβ‘ππα‘α»α£ πβ°ββα»β‘ βΜα£πβΜππ. β πβ°β‘β βΜππ ππα£ πππα£β βΈΈα£β°β‘β πβ‘α»~βα»πβΜα»β ππβ‘πα»π πα»β‘πα»π."
??? - "The one that explores the unknown, eager to uncover hidden truths. Going too far could bring unexpected consequences."
<β β Zβ D β Aβ Hβ β G>
Finally I able passed through by showing pure compassion, without any hint of greed in my words or actions.
"Having pity means wanting to help someone. having too much pity can make you seem foolish. Pitying someone you don't know is another level - is it about being kind or just being overly compassionate? We can't say for sure. maybe we can call those people a fool."
I walked past the man and then his helmet fell to the ground with a loud metal noise.
Clung!!!!
I touch the helmet and armor it is already corroded and had a sharp edges.
Then I attempted to pull the sword, but it didn't move at all. It was incredibly heavy, like lifting a sword made of tons of weight. Even lifting a 100-kilo object showed more movement than this sword did.
"It won't move. What am I pulling a tree?" It was so hard to pull it out, so I tried to push it but it also didn't work.
Then i slowly approached the big door,
I stood Infront of the door I push it with all my might but it didn't budge,
So I tried to find an air flow between cracks and holes but nothing then I saw a corrosion part of the door located where some of the sword stuck.
but when I touched a sword stuck in it, it fell down, Revealing a small hole in the door.
a strong wind goes out to the hole that have a rancid smell.
Disgusting smell but it has better smell than here where the corpses is.
"Still stinks"
I went downstairs and grabbed a small rusty dagger to make the hole bigger.
I quickly made the hole bigger by stubbing and scraping it, and i was in hurry because it feels like something staring me at behind and It was embarrassing because I'm not wearing any clothes, and my D is completely exposed XD.
But the door is so thick that even after an hour have passed my body still can't fit in it.
But after another 1 hour of breaking the door, Finally I created a hole that my body can fit, My arms were numb and can't stop shaking from making the hole.
I knelt down and fit my body in the hole I tightly hold the glowing stone in my right hand.
After carefully crawling I arrived in the other side
"It's so dark" I murmured then when I lift the glowing stone I saw a huge golem sitting behind the door.