It took hours of me being in a pained fulled haze before some semblance of normalcy returned to my body. With great effort, I managed to sit upright, leaning my back on the pillar. Fire burned in my chest from the disease acting up, causing a coughing fit that made me spit up black blood. Ever since my short stint as a slave, my disease has only gotten worse. Sometimes leaving me weakened for hours. Previously, it only happened when drawing on prana. Yet these days it could happen without rhyme or reason.
As I sat there struggling for breath, I began to curse this so-called life. When I first came to this world, I was elated to be given a second chance. But every step I have taken so far has been wrought with danger. Is it so much just to ask for peace? But deep down, I knew it was just a fantasy. My nature would not allow me to rest, and in my decades of life. One of the lessons I had learned in my long life was that peace is something only afforded to men who expect to grow old. And at my core, I was a soldier, and the life expectancy of a soldier was nonexistent.
I stilled my thoughts as I focused on my recovery. Hours passed in stilled silence; if I had to guess how long I sat in meditation. I would not know where to begin. Yet when I felt that I recovered enough to keep going. I got back on my feet and surveyed the room. What surprised me was the fact that there was no indication of the battle that happened just a few hours prior. The burnt stone and edited runes had reformed back to their prior state. Further observation showed something less surprising but far more important. There was only a single door leading out of the room. Before taking the next step, I opened my status to see my growth.
[ Name: Drakus El Drakkar
Race: Half Elf (Stage 1)
Bloodline: Will of Conquest - Purity 16%
Affinities: Greater Affinity of Space
Middling Affinity of Lightning
Middling Affinity of Blood
Stats:
Prana - 25
Mana - 19
Aura - 13
Skills: Blink lvl 3, Lightning bolt lvl 2, Blood Drinker lvl 2]
Just seeing my growth felt surreal. It was still difficult to fully accept the fact that this world could quantify your growth. The lightning bolt, having leveled, was a welcome surprise. Since the start, the skill has always felt lacking in its stopping power. I just hoped that it would be enough for the battles to come. Taking one more deep breath to calm my nerves, I opened the door, only to be met with a wide corridor. The corridor was completely barren, with nothing but more pillars inside.
I was met with the same dull grey light I had begun to associate with this tomb. With cautious steps, I walked further and further into the corridor. A sense of trepidation began to overwhelm me, as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Every step echoed across the room, creating an eerie atmosphere. For five minutes, I walked with a growing sense of unease before coming across another door. The door did nothing for my nerves. It was far more decorated than all the others. Skulls and detailed depictions of wars and mythical creatures. Above all of the carvings was the image of a skeleton with fire in its hands. The Words 'Migal haron yemet' or strength beyond death in glowing ancient elvish.
Speaking the words out loud caused the door to begin to open. The smell of sulfur was accompanied by a bluish mist that leaked out from the open door. Revealing an absolutely massive dome-like arena. In the center stood a lifelike statue of the same skeleton with fire in his hands. The fire burned black, giving it an eerie glow. Surrounding the statue were rows of plate armor with various weapons in hand, all facing the central statue. And at the center of the statue was a floating tome bound by chains that tied it to the statue.
With a feeling of trepidation, I took my first step inside the room. The door slammed shut behind. The fire flickered for a second when I entered, but other than that, there was no visible reaction. So with slow, measured steps, I walked ever closer to the central statue. When I was barely a few steps away, I heard the creaking of metal from all around me. On instinct, I got into a fighting stance as I observed the room. The once-innate statues adorned with armor and weapons had all turned to face me. Within their once empty eye-slits now glowed red eyes, following me every movement. Yet still they remained standing still. Closer and closer I walked to the statue until it was within arm's reach. When my eyes landed on the intricate tome floating in front of me. Greed threatened to consume me, and with sheer strength of will, I reigned in my desire.
Every bone in my body told me that something was wrong. But reason began to fade as my eyes trailed to the tome once again. If I had been of a sane mind, I would have recognized that something was influencing my thoughts. All thoughts bled from my mind as I reached out towards the ancient tome. My vision darkened until it was all that I could see. But the second I touched the book reason returned to me. And the greed that overwhelmed me gave way to confusion. But even that was short-lived as a spike shot out from the tome, piercing my hand. My blood leaked out onto the pages as a burning sensation spread through my arm towards my source. The feeling brought forth memories of the white fire that took my first life. A sense of acceptance of my fate washed over me when the tome vanished into my outstretched arm.
Although it was short, I was thankful for the second chance I had been given. As someone who had died before I knew of its inevitability and accepted my fate, a sad smile reached my lips right before the burning sensation reached my source. For a few long moments, I waited for death to come, yet it never did. Once more, I was confused until the room began to shake. A thousand years' worth of dust began to scatter across the room as the entire tomb began to shake. The red glow had vanished from the statue's eyes as they once more became inanimate. Only now did I notice the staircase ascending upwards behind the statues. With nowhere else to go, I ran in that direction. Large cracks began to split the basalt within the tomb. Seeing this, I picked up my pace, running for my life. The stairs continued going for so long that I lost track of time. But when I finally reached the top, the first thing that greeted me was the blinding sunlight, something I had not seen in days.
Only when my feet touched the grass did it finally register that I had made it. Behind my I heard a large crash as the tomb collapsed onto itself burrying any secrets held within. Looking down at where the tomb pierced my hand, more questions than answers greeted me, and I knew what to do with them. What was all of that? And what did it all mean?