Chapter 1229 A Body For Nightmare
As Jin hastily channeled his celestial energy into the parchment mid air while free falling, the intricate runes inscribed upon it began to glow. Moments later, a blinding illumination enveloped everyone who wasn't already claimed by the ancient spider's wrath. In an instant, those fortunate—or unfortunate—enough to have survived found themselves whisked away to an entirely different location.
The new environment was starkly desolate, a vast expanse of flat land punctuated only by several imposing golden pillars. Each pillar bore the inscription "Traps or Treasure?" in bold, mocking letters.
Among the disoriented adventurers, a dwarf with a bloodstained beard and tattered robes surveyed the surroundings with a mix of awe and apprehension. "Where the fuck are we now?" he grumbled, his voice echoing slightly in the open space.
A group of elves, their elegant armor now dulled and scratched from their previous encounters, exchanged wary glances. "This must be another one of Silvaris's sick fucking games," one of them cursed, her green eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of danger or deceit.
Regret was palpable among some, including a young human with the blood of his companion staining his once pristine robes. "Coming to this damned dungeon was a mistake," he muttered, his voice heavy with sorrow and the weight of his lost comrades.
As Michael and Gaya materialized in the desolate area, Gaya immediately expressed her frustration.
"I'm gonna find that Jin fuck and kill him for this," her determination clear despite the uncertain surroundings.
Meanwhile, Michael scanned the crowd and quickly spotted Lysandra and Elrion at a distance, a brief nod of acknowledgment shared between them. Then, his attention shifted, catching the fleeting, shadow-like movements of Jin among the pillars. Michael's memory of the map flashed in his mind; he knew that most of the treasure chests hidden beneath these glistening pillars were nothing but traps, and he observed Jin skillfully avoiding them, which showed he had read the map to know which was treasure and which was a trap.
Around them, some adventurers began to cautiously approach the pillars, their movements hesitant but driven by the lure of potential riches. "Silvaris said we need that damn map, or we're just gambling with our lives here," one adventurer muttered to his companion, his voice laced with both hope and fear. "Let's just hope we pick right," he added, eyeing the inscriptions on the pillars with a mix of greed and apprehension.
As the elf cautiously reached out and touched the pillar, it began to move upward with a grinding sound, revealing a glistening treasure chest beneath. The surrounding adventurers held their breath, stepping back to maintain a safe distance, their eyes fixed on the unfolding scene.
A group of dwarves, watching from a short distance, began to make light of the tense situation. "I bet ten gold he's gonna die horribly," one dwarf joked, eliciting nervous chuckles from his companions.
The elf, ignoring the comments, whispered under his breath as he gently lifted the lid of the chest.
"Please don't be a trap." His hands trembled slightly, a mix of anticipation and fear evident in his cautious movements.
But the hope for treasure turned to horror in an instant. Suddenly, a dark claw, swift and merciless, shot out of the chest. Before the elf could react, it grabbed him, pulling him inside. The sounds of bones breaking echoed briefly before the chest snapped shut, silencing the elf's cries and returning to its inanimate state as if nothing had happened.
The dwarves, who had been making bets just moments before, were suddenly silenced by the grim turn of events. "Fuck, did you see that?" one dwarf exclaimed, his earlier bravado evaporating into the air. Another simply shook his head, muttering curses under his breath about the treacherous dungeon.
Amidst the shock, some young adventurers, overwhelmed by fear and despair, broke into tears. "Mom, Dad, please come save me," a young woman cried out, her voice breaking as the reality of their situation sunk in.
Observing the scene with a grim expression, Elrion couldn't help shaking his head. "This dungeon has completely broken their spirits,"
After the adventures' saw what happened, the crowd was divided, with many proclaiming they wouldn't dare touch another chest while others still wanted to get their hands on some treasures.
"I'm not opening anything. It's not worth it," one adventurer declared. "If we don't open them, what was the point of all this shit we've been through?"
Amid the turmoil, someone spotted Jin in the distance, touching a pillar to reveal another treasure chest. "Is that Jin over there?" someone asked, squinting through the crowd. The group's attention shifted, some wondering aloud if he would meet the same fate as the elf or if he'd actually find treasure.
Standing relatively apart from the main group of adventurers, Michael and Gaya remained unnoticed for the moment. Their distance allowed them to observe without drawing attention to themselves, especially from those still bearing the mark of Morbus due to their actions.
"Where are those skateboarding assholes who got us this Morbus mark?" a dwarf grumbled, scanning the crowd for Michael and Gaya. His companions nodded in agreement, their frustration palpable.
Unbeknownst to them, some of the other adventurers heard the dwarves' complaints and shuddered, realizing the gravity of whom they were cursing. "They have no idea they're calling a god an asshole," one whispered to another, their voice trembling with a mixture of fear and awe.
Ignoring their curses and complaints, Michael kept his eyes on Jin and noticed Jin cautiously opening the treasure chest. A hushed silence fell over the nearby adventurers as they watched, expecting the worst. But to their surprise, Jin didn't meet a gruesome fate. "He didn't die!" someone exclaimed, a mix of surprise and relief in their voice.
To everyone's astonishment, Jin didn't seem interested in the contents of the chest. Instead, he quickly rummaged through it, then ran towards another pillar, leaving the treasure chest untouched and taking nothing with him.
The onlookers were baffled to see Jin leaving the treasure untouched. "What the hell? Why isn't he taking anything?" one of the adventurers muttered, unable to comprehend Jin's actions. Another adventurer speculated.
"Maybe he's looking for something specific? Or maybe it's another trick?"
Watching Jin's odd behavior closely, Gaya turned to Michael, her intuition kicking in. "I've got a feeling he's desperate... but for what?"
Meanwhile, the sight of an opened treasure chest without any immediate danger triggered a frenzy among the other adventurers. Their caution was quickly overtaken by greed, sparking chaos across the desolate landscape.
"Fuck it, I'm going in!" one of the adventurers yelled, throwing caution to the wind as he sprinted towards the chest, his declaration acting as a catalyst for the others.
"Move your ass, or I'll move it for you!" another shouted, pushing through the crowd in a mad dash towards the treasure, their eyes glinting with the prospect of riches.
The scene quickly devolved into a free-for-all, with adventurers clashing against each other, their alliances forgotten in the face of potential wealth. "That gold's mine, you greedy fucks!" someone screamed, swinging their weapon to fend off competitors.
"Out of my way, you piece of shit!" another adventurer retorted, shoving others aside with brute force, determined to reach the chest first.
Gaya and Michael watched from a distance as the adventurers descended into chaos, their previous caution abandoned in favor of greed and the lure of treasure.
But suddenly, Gaya's eyes sparkled with mischief as she turned to Michael with a grin. "Let's loot that ourselves," she suggested, the excitement clear in her voice.
"You read my mind," hMichael responded with a matching grin and with a swift motion, he grabbed Gaya. Activating his spell, he cast Lightning Dash, propelling them forward with trails of black lightning zipping behind them. His spell's power far surpassed that of the other adventurers', allowing them to reach the opened chest in just a few blinks of an eye.
Without even pausing to inspect the contents, Michael waved his hand over the chest, and in an instant, its contents vanished, securely stored within his system storage.
The sudden act didn't go unnoticed. The adventurers who had been rushing towards the chest halted as they witnessed the swift looting. "Those fucking skateboarding assholes did it again!" one of them roared, his voice echoing with anger and disbelief.
"Damn it, we should've known they'd pull something like this," another cursed, kicking at the ground in frustration, recalling how Michael and Gaya had outplayed them earlier.
However, a murmur went through the crowd as some adventurers, who had come to recognize Michael as the God of Darkness, stopped in their tracks. "Wait... that's him, the God of Darkness," one whispered to another, a mix of awe and fear in their voice.
"Are we really going to mess with a god? Especially him?" another questioned, the aggression fading from his tone as he reconsidered the wisdom of confronting someone of Michael's stature.
While the tension simmered among the crowd of adventurers, Jin carried on with his peculiar quest, methodically opening treasure chests and leaving them behind without taking a single item. His actions remained a mystery, further adding to the chaotic atmosphere of the final level.
Looking at the adventures, Gaya couldn't resist the opportunity to further irk the already agitated adventurers. "You must really like looking at our backs," she taunted with a laugh that carried through the air, echoing off the desolate landscape. With a smirk, she and Michael vanished in a blur, darting towards another treasure chest amidst the murmurs and curses of the crowd.
As they approached the next chest, Michael prepared to swiftly loot its contents as before. But this time, his movements came to an abrupt halt. There, amidst the treasure, lay an intriguing globe, and within its transparent confines was a miniature dragon. Its black skales were intricately detailed, glistening under the dim light, perfectly still as if frozen in time.
Peering over Michael's shoulder, Gaya caught sight of the curious artifact. "Is that a dragon inside?" she asked with a mix of wonder and curiosity. As Michael stared at the miniature dragon encased within the globe, his thoughts inevitably drifted to Nightmare, his pet dragon whose soul was still trapped in the realm of hell. The absence of a physical body for Nightmare had been a lingering concern. Thus, the sight of the dragon's body sparked a flicker of hope in Michael's heart; perhaps this could be the solution he had been searching for.
He couldn't shake the thought that this miniature dragon, so delicately preserved and displayed, might hold the key to providing Nightmare with a new form. The prospect of reuniting with his companion, of bringing him back fully to the realm of the living, was tantalizing.
"Could this be what we need for Nightmare?" Gaya asked softly, understanding the weight of the moment.
Michael nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "It might be," he replied. "If we can find a way to transfer Nightmare's soul into this body, it could give him the second chance he deserves,"
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