Written while listening to: "Bottom of the Pit(feat. Sam Haft)" by The Living Tombstone on YouTube)
<<<>>>
Laito was drifting in a coffin.
He was curled up, covered with Disciple's Robe, while shivering from the unnatural cold that permeated the area over the underground river.
He was also shaking from sheer dread.
It all started back in the tunnel he escaped into from an impending battle between Midras, the Silver Sovereign and Obbadoth, the Infernal Dragon.
The conversation he had with Midras didn't last long, but each second was valuable. At that point the Laito's veins were unnaturally swollen, enough that it started to look quite grotesque.
The blue light was also quite strong now, it also completely replaced any tinges of red blood as if mana were the only thing circulating his oxygen. It also started to seep into his muscles. It felt very uncomfortable. So much that Laito had no doubts that it would soon start to hurt.
He decided to disregard safety and just rushed down the tunnel as fast as his [Stamina Recovery] allowed him to. Ignoring creepy vents and the shadows that could hide within.
As the road was pretty straightforward, he could safely inspect his new Memory…- that's named "Memory...
… of Abundance", yes, but naming Memory a "Memory" could become confusing at some point… points to the Spell for being insufferable as always. I would blame Weaver for that.
Anyways. He checked out his Memories he got from the beginning of the Nightmare.
Memories: [Gatekeeper's Key - Full Access], [S-WORD], [Rusted Spear], [Boner], [Disciple's Robe], [Misericorde], [Cold Grave Coffin], [Memory of Abundance]
Laito didn't kill much within the past few months as he delegated himself mostly to supporting while Incandescent were the ones fighting off the besieging forces during that time.
But it didn't mean he didn't kill anything. Though his "killing" was far from glorious, as he found himself quite often in position to grant…- mercy… to those who would have turned into monsters under the powers of Blatherer of Desires.
That's how he got both Misericorde and the coffin.
The coffin was mostly just a coffin, but Misericorde was an Awakened weapon. A sleek cross-shaped stiletto dagger… Ironically, a common part of Knight's equipment, used to end the suffering of those who were far too wounded to survive.
He got it from granting mercy to a dying fellow Knight.
It didn't matter at the moment, he was already familiar with them. What he was curious about was his newest gain.
Memory: [Memory of Abundance].
Memory Rank: Supreme.
Memory Type: Tool.
Memory Description: [Long, long time ago there was a shrewd merchant. He travelled all across the world earning himself an abundance of Wealth through trade, banking and then rulership. The wealth was all his life purpose and so his life ended as the last bit of glittering gold was claimed by a lake of flames. All that remained was a fading echo of his realm of gold.
—
—
—
'Buahahaha! A supreme Memory gifted from a Supreme! What a joke! I am dying here! Don't give me something that I won't even be able to use! C'mon!' The time bomb that was Laito's body made him slightly exasperated at gaining very valuable treasure…- that he wouldn't be able even to use at the moment because of his insufficient rank.
He tried. He summoned the golden ring he just received in hopes that it would have passive effects, but no.
Nothing.
In the end, it ended up only being an useless shiny trinket. At least for now, until Laito leveled up and became strong enough to activate its effects, whatever they might be. He also regretted the lack of deeper insight into workings of Memories which, for example, Sunny would get from Weaver's bloodline. Not being able to figure out Memory Tier, or read out its Enchantment's description proved to be quite frustrating.
It didn't matter though for now, as wealth is worthless, if there's nothing you can use it for, like in his situation. He tried to comfort himself with something along these lines.
'Bruh.' He dismissed the runes and checked the floor for the source of the sound… and the weird wetness at his shoes.
Thankfully, it was just water.
Although the presence of underground water was usually a bad sign. Potential flooding? In such a restricted area it's an absolute death sentence.
The presence of water made Laito realize that what he thought earlier was a perfectly straight, horizontal passage, was in fact slightly sloped downwards. Very softly, but still, it compounded after a while.
But no matter what he couldn't stop as turning back was not an option.
He stepped into the water moving further down the tunnel.
At first it was just a few millimeters deep.
Then it reached his ankles.
Then knees.
Laito started to sweat from worry that soon the path forward would be fully cut off and he didn't have any memory, nor ability that would allow him to breathe underwater. It also slowed him down as having to mow through the water gave more resistance than just running on dry footing. And every second counted.
When the water reached his hips, Laito gave up. It was not only getting inefficient, but the water was terribly cold.
He summoned the casket he gained from granting mercy to some unnamed carpenter, back during the siege.
It was just a dormant memory, with no visible effect, but its craftsmanship was exquisite. What's more important, it was fairly lightweight… and buoyant.
Laito used it as an impromptu kayak, also using Rusted Spear to propel himself by pushing at the ground.
Some time later Laito couldn't reach the ground anymore, so he summoned Bona outside the casket, and ordered her to swim after he tied an unusually long shoelace he always carried on himself… for reasons.
The time flowed. The casket moved forward. The ceiling was getting closer…- and so were the vents. The cold also was becoming stronger, so Laito's breath became visible as vapour.
The light coming from Laito's body was also getting stronger. It started to itch.
At some point Laito had to curl up, because the ceiling just got too close.
And it was in that moment when…-
The tunnel has ended.
The lonely casket carrying a glowing boy, dragged by a swimming skeleton(skeletons are bad swimmers) suddenly exited the tunnel into an enormous chamber.
But unlike before this chamber wasn't, man-made stone-carved vault, or halls.
It looked natural, like a cave. A huge flooded cave, with uneven walls, stalagmites and stalactites. Completely filled with dense darkness.
There was no land in sight.
Only depthless flowing waters…- and both deep within them and also high above them under the unseen cavern's roof…
Shadows stirred at the newfound presence of light.
<<<>>>
[3,5 years left until MHA plot beginning]
[Chapter End] The story is not over yet
My tipping jar: [email protected]/marasis (change "@" into "a")