Before walking across this narrow floating rock bridge, I checked my equipment. I saw that I had exactly 50 bullets left.
I'd have to be more careful if I saw another monster. It was almost impossible for this many bullets to keep me alive here much longer. I had to find a way to use other items from hell to support my survival without relying solely on a pistol.
I also just remembered that I had a tactical military knife on my belt, so I had two knives.
Suddenly, I remembered the kitchen knife I'd used to end my life just before the catastrophe struck. I noticed my interface still held my first knife. Should I keep it? What if I found other useful items that no longer fit because my kitchen knife was here, and I didn't know if it would be useful or not? I thought for a moment. I decided to keep it in my interface slot for now.
I walked across the narrow stone bridge. I looked to my right and left bridge which only was pitch-black abyss below. If I had a fear of heights, I likely wouldn't have taken any path and resigned myself to the situation.
I kept my eyes forward as much as possible and avoided glancing down the chasm, as that would make my legs tremble.
The wind around this chasm was also quite strong, felt strongerly from below. Sometimes I had to stop and crouch if the wind was blowing hard. I didn't want to lose my balance on this narrow path and fall into it. If I estimated its length at 3 km, the fastest it would take me would probably be a whole day on earth.
As I was walking across this bridge, I suddenly heard a screech in the distance. It sounded like a bird. Wait... what could it be...
I immediately looked behind me and saw a hellish pterosaur flying lower and lower, hurtling toward me. I immediately fell to my stomach. I turned my body around and saw the bird maneuvering back toward me. I quickly got up to run.
But suddenly, the monster landed hard, about 2 meters in front of me. I saw the rock the bird was standing on begin to crack. It was about to catch me with its large, long, pointed beak and small sharp teeth on it. I quickly crawled reversely onto my back. I grabbed my gun again.
After I got some distance, I immediately got up and ready into a shooting position. I tried to shoot it in the eye, but managed to make the monster struggle violently, causing it to accidentally slip and fall into the abyss.
But just like on the hillside trail before, that cracked stone bridge started to collapse toward me. I immediately ran as fast as I could to reach another stone bridge intersection.
After reaching the bridge intersection and running for a while, I looked back and saw that the collapse seemed to have stopped at the end of the intersection.
I continued walking slowly, catching my breath.
As if my adrenaline felt needed to be constantly pumped, I suddenly heard the screeches of another bird monster from behind. But this time, the sounds were intertwined. This was a bad sign.
I glanced back again, and there were not just three or four, but dozens of bird monsters flying toward me. I was shocked. Why were so many of them appearing so quickly?
There was no way I could shoot them one by one. My instincts immediately told me to run as fast as I could. I then accelerated, even though I had just realized it was all a waste of time trying to escape the horde of monsters.
As I ran, I suddenly felt a strong grip on both of my shoulders, and I was sent flying off the stone bridge. I immediately looked up. Oh nooo... I've been captured by one of those hellish pterosaurs!!!
I instinctively grabbed the knife from my belt and began stabbing the monster's leg repeatedly, hoping to free myself.
But then I remembered something. I was hovering above a chasm. If this monster released my grip, I would fall into it. I immediately stopped stabbing the monster's leg.
I was carried flying erratically above the cliff. I saw another bird monster flying after me as well. Could they be fighting over me as their prey?
In front of me, as another bird monster flew across, trying to ambush and snatch me from the bird carrying me, I, still holding my knife, swung it at the monster. I did so with my eyes closed, and I felt my slashes hit it's body because that monster immediately screeched.
The bird monster then flew down the cliff, perhaps to avoid the rest of the pack from snatching it's prey. The surrounding me immediately turned completely dark.
I glanced down and saw a fiery orange-red light in the shape of a seemingly endless fault line. The bottom of this chasm was likely a magma flow, but it could also be the entrance to the core of the hell itself where Turgash resided.
Then, slightly to the northeast, I saw a small, greenish light. It seemed the bird monster was flying toward it, as it grew larger and larger, and it became clear that it was a cave.
As I floated into the cave, the bird monster released my shoulder, and I fell, rolling inside. Upon waking, I saw bones scattered everywhere, with a green glow coming from the rocks on the ceiling. I wasn't in a cave, but in one of the bird-monster's nests.
I looked to the side and saw the hellish pterosaur had also landed. It then looked at me. I immediately stood up and started fighting stance while holding my knife.
Suddenly, the bird aimed its large, long beak at me. I immediately threw myself to the side to avoid its sharp beak. The monster seemed frustrated that it couldn't catch me with its beak and kept trying.
I could only dodge by jumping and rolling, while scanning my surroundings for any gaps to hide in. The bird monster's beak was quite powerful, capable of crushing the rock I was standing on.
Suddenly, across from me, I saw a deep depression in the rock, barely wide enough to fit a human body. I had to hide there by getting past the monster once again. As the bird tried to grab me with its beak again, I reflexively climbed onto the base of its large beak.
The hellish pterosaur immediately struggled, swinging its beak violently. I saw an opportunity when its beak aimed at the depression, and when the moment was right, I quickly broke free, got up, and dove into the crevice. I felt really dizzy after that.
I walked through the narrow crevice a few meters. It appeared to be no ordinary depression, but a path. I looked across from me, and the bird monster seemed furious, reaching for me with its beak through the narrow crevice.
I immediately ignored it and walked along the crevice. After a while, I found a cave passage that was getting larger, this time with a light blue glow. I continued walking, careful not to directly encounter the monster ahead.
After walking for a while, I saw what appeared to be a cave exit. I approached it, only to discover I hadn't left the cave at all. There was a large room with high rock walls and a wide opening above it, directly leading to the outer hell realm.
I couldn't just enter because dozens of hellish pterosaurs were perched on the rocks inside the area. I noticed another cave entrance to the front left. It seemed like the only way in. Luckily, the entrance wasn't too far from where I was standing.
I slowly walked around the side of the room. The bird monsters seemed to have their backs to me, allowing me to sneak around without drawing attention. Almost at the next cave entrance, I accidentally stepped on a fragile rock, making a crack noise.
One of the bird monsters spotted me and immediately screeched, followed by all the other monsters who saw me and screeched as well. Without thinking, I ran straight into the cave.
The monster birds all immediately chased after me. The difference was that they weren't flying, but jumping. But their jumps were far enough that they could easily catch up.
I ran through the cave, thinking of a way to fend them off. Suddenly, I remembered the remaining grenades in my belt. Maybe I could fend them off by blowing up the cave's roof and blocking it with rocks.
I immediately took my grenade and activated the detonator. After counting for about three seconds, I threw it toward the cave ceiling, and the grenade exploded with enough force to cause the rocky ceiling to collapse.
I ran for a while, then stopped and looked back. The grenade blast had blocked almost the entire path with large rocks. I could hear the monster birds screeched in anger, unable to get past the collapsed rock wall. I took a breath and smiled, having escaped their pursuit.
I started walking and again, I entered a room. This time, I saw the area filled with colorful sparkles from the many rocks on the walls. At the end of the area I saw a stone table and on it was a kind of a bright green crystal sphere. I immediately approached and examined the sphere.
Wait a minute… I remember what this is… it's the crystal ball used in the modern version of The Mayhem when players choose the easiest difficulty level, called "You know, I'm an infant". To me, the name sounds like a subtle insinuation.
The sphere's effect is that lower-level monsters won't attack the player, and the Hellraider will be left alone, as if it were just another monster roaming around. Players usually choose this level simply to experience the brutality of the Hellraider without any resistance from their enemies. However, elite-level monsters will still attack the Hellraider, but they won't be aggressive. I've never played on this level myself because it feels embarrassing.
But now, this crystal ball has become a powerful survival tool, even though I lack the ability to fight close to the Hellraider. I then picked up the sphere. Suddenly, the crystal ball glowed brightly, and a green light illuminated my entire body.
The stone door in front of the table then shook and opened. I assumed this was the way out of the cave.
I noticed another empty slot on my interface. I aimed the crystal ball and successfully filled it. Finally, I could explore the underworld without a constant adrenaline rush.
I immediately went through the door and walked upward. Soon, I reached the surface and exited, greeted by the vast plains of hell. Monsters were milling about.
Suddenly, from my left, I heard a growl. I glanced up, and there was a humanoid monster 2 meters in front of me. I gasped in surprise and took a step back. However, the monster simply walked toward me, looked me up and down. Seeing on it made me instantly remember how the monster brutally killed the police officers when i was still in apartment. But not long after that, the monster walked away.
I immediately breathed a sigh of relief. The green crystal ball's effect had truly worked. I became even more confident that I could explore hell more safely and follow in the Hellraider's footsteps.
I could see the Zigurath palace clearly in the distance.