"Do you think that I could try that sometime?" Lexi asked as we left the village and continued to travel across the second layer of the Underworld.
"Hmm? The cube?" I asked, and she nodded as she slithered along beside me.
"Yes! I have never seen anything like that before, so I am interested in learning about it," she said, and I nodded.
"Yeah, but let's get through this layer and then next first. After these two, then we should reach the Dueling Layer, and we will be forced to stay there for at least a day. That is, if things haven't changed that much since the last time I was there," I said, and Lexi linked her arm with mine, a bright smile on her face.
"You know? I am very thankful that you brought me along with you! The first time that I was here, I was scared and confused about where I should go, and I almost got myself into some situations that I couldn't get out of. I am the type that loves to learn new things, and I use my vast knowledge to push the limits on what I can accomplish, but this place is different. Now that you have explained it to me more, I can understand some of the things that I saw before," She said, and I nodded.
"The first time that I was born into the Underworld, this place was much different. There was no chance of seeing a village or even a pair of Demons together that weren't trying to hurt each other. I ended up killing a lot of people before I understood what was really going on here. The worst part is that I would think I was saving some, only to have them turn on me because I had killed their master. All of it took time to process, and it wasn't really until I fought with Diablo and talked to him that I really started to get a sense of what Demons are, at least compared to humans and other upper realm races like you and then rest," I explained as we passed a massive Demon that was almost completely overgrown with massive tree roots.
"Wow, that sounds like a trial by fire if I ever heard of one," Lexi said, and I nodded.
"It was, but it was also how I learned to survive and understand the Underworld in all its forms. Now, let's just get through this layer so we can talk some more after we reach the Dueling Layer," I said as we rounded a corner and reached the edge of the second layer and another gate.
The gate was closed, but I could feel the power of two Demons beyond it. They were waiting for us on the other side, and I knew that we would need to fight them to get past the gate. Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand as I began to cast a spell. With a massive electrical strike sent out from my fingertips, I hit the gate with enough force to open up the gate, just enough for us to slip through.
The two Demons beyond the gate were surprised by my sudden entrance and didn't have time to prepare themselves before Lexi, and I had already taken them down with our combined strength. Once they lay there unconscious, I nodded toward Lexi, and we stepped over their bodies and into the next layer.
"Was that really necessary?" Lexi asked as we moved down the stone corridor.
"Yes, the longer those two are knocked out, the longer we have without obnoxious traps and Demons bothering us. This is The Third Layer Of The Lethal Labyrinth, and it does not fall short of its name. Most Demons sneak through this floor if they can or run at high speeds, but none really hang around, except for one group," I said as we moved along. I knew that we only had a few more minutes, but rushing through this place could get you in big trouble.
"You mean the Raging Bull Demon Clan?" Lexi asked, and I nodded with a sigh. Some Things don't seem to change, but the clan was really the only one that could put up with this place.
"Yeah, they are runner Demons that chase others or just run the labyrinth in races. They are more annoying than trouble, but they are all lunatics," I explained as we reached the first fork in the path.
"Yes, I never really had much trouble from them, but they are very pushy if you don't want to run with them," Lexi said as I stopped us.
Three paths lie in front of us, but only one of them is right.
"Give me a second here," I said and walked forward till I was in line with all three of the paths. I squatted down, placing my hand on the ground and summoning a small fountain of water.
"What is that for?" Lexi asked as she came over to me as I watched to see which way the water would go. One path led up slightly, another led down, and the last seemed to be flat, but that was part of the trick of this place.
"We are trying to go down, but this place is meant to confuse us, so what is up is not always what it seems, and the same can be said for the other directions," I explained, and point to where the water was starting to run up the center path that seems like it was going up.
"Wow! No wonder it took me so long to get out of this place! That is a nifty little trick!" Lexi said in a praising voice, but I shook my head and pointed to the left path where the water was heading as well, but a bit faster.
"This is not a foolproof plan, but it does tell us that only two go down," I said, and then dismissed the water fountain as I stood up.
"So, then, which way do we go?" Lexi asked, and I pointed to the path that led flat, making Lexi frown. "I thought you said we were going down?" She asked, and I nodded.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺