Chapter 35: The Lady’s Prologue [1]
35 - The Lady’s Prologue [1]
The sole objective of this Gate was to acquire the crystal key that marked the end of the raid and the closing of the Gate.
The task looked like it would be arduous at some point but we were able to scale through, and all without any one of us getting injured.
I grabbed the crimson gemstone, feeling a hot sensation streaming through my palms and into my forearm in a second.
I didn’t expect that. Nevertheless, I steadied my grip so the gem did not fall from my hands.
"That’s hot," I muttered with a grimace.
"Are you okay, Link?" Wendy asked from where she stood.
I raised my head, shifting my attention to her briefly and nodded.
In that short time, I caught a glimpse of their faces and they seem to have noticed me wince from the heat I felt off the gem’s surface.
There was this mild glint of worry in their eyes.
"I’m fine."
—Ding!
The familiar ring chimed in our ears, announcing the presence of the system that governed the Gate.
[Crystal stone has been acquired]
[Congratulations! You have completed the objective]
[Gate status: Cleared]
Seeing this, we were all elated, especially Wendy and, as much as she tried to keep it in, Eris.
It was not unexpected that they would be the most excited given the credit deduction they suffered at Dean Ambrose’s hand.
"We did it," Jeremy stated the obvious, expressing a sigh of relief.
All that was left now was to return to the exit, hand over the gemstone to our professor and allow the awakeners come and salvage as much Essence-rich materials as they can find.
They had the tools for that, we didn’t.
"Professor Kenivale will be waiting for us. Let’s go," Wendy urged, rubbing her arms and looking around. This place gave her the creeps, and she was clearly getting more and more uncomfortable with every second she had to stay.
I walked over to them with the crystal in my hand.
The heat emitted from the gemstone had remarkably reduced and was completely bearable.
"Let’s go," I said.
Just as we turned to leave, something hit internally.
I couldn’t describe it.
For a second, it felt as if my breath ceased and my heart stopped beating.
For a second, I felt dead.
—Bzzt!
A glitch.
I was frozen static but I could still see. My vision worked perfectly.
The atmosphere shook like a digital screen suffering a network mishap.
Another glitch.
[Oh no, you don’t]
A strange voice streamed into my ears.
It was soft spoken and calm, yet there was this unexplainable weight behind it that made you not want to disobey.
Left. Right. Left again.
My eyes darted around, seeking out the source of the voice.
...Nothing.
I couldn’t find any.
There was absolutely nothing.
[How about we have a little more fun...]
Fun? What fun?
Who the hell was even talking?
[...Link Remington]
I felt cold sweat trickle down my spine at that moment.
My name. Whoever it was, they knew who I was.
My body jittered against my will, sweat gathering on my face.
It felt like minutes had passed but it was only a second.
—Ding!
[You have received a quest]
A quest? For me?
This was tailored specifically to me unlike the one granted by the Gate.
[Quest: Complete the major scenario]
[Title: The Lady’s Prologue]
’What’s going on?’
My mind was warped.
I couldn’t understand anything.
The Lady’s Prologue? A major scenario?
My mind tracked back to the main tasking given to me after I’d been strangely reborn in this world.
...To clear all scenarios and reach the end goal.
—Bzzt!
While I was still in thought, the world inside of this Gate glitched again.
Time regained motion again.
It was as if I’d been brought back to my reality.
I turned sharply to my sides, looking at the other.
They were uneasy. The type that makes you feel something ominous was about to happen and yet you can’t place it.
The atmosphere in the Gate suddenly changed.
The air glitched again.
—Bzzt!
[Gate status: Cleared]
[Gate status: Cle... red]
[Gate status: ..le...ed]
The glitches were tampering with the system announcements from earlier.
"Something is wrong," Cecilia alerted us.
Even without her saying it, it was obvious.
We could feel it.
The glitches went on for several seconds and suddenly halted.
"What the fuck!" Jeremy blurted out.
At the same time, I noticed Cecilia waver and step back. So did Wendy.
There was one reason for that.
It was the system message that was displayed afterwards.
[Gate status:...]
"How is this possible?" Bran drawled with unusual curiosity, forming fists with his hands.
[...Active]
The Gate we thought we had cleared suddenly became active again.
—Crack!
The gemstone in my hand started to split with crack lines, shattering into many pieces.
"Stay alert!" I warned the rest.
The Gate was changing.
Its air was becoming hotter and hotter by the second.
I could feel it.
I couldn’t explain how, but I could feel something coming.
—Growl!
The sound was beastly, low and threatening as if warning that we would be devoured the very second we saw what it was.
Another growl followed immediately after.
Then...
It appeared.
The beast responsible.
Instinctively, we all took a few steps back.
"W-What... is... th-that thing... doing... here?"
Jeremy could barely speak but he was right.
Such a beast did not reside in a level 0 Gate.
This only meant one thing.
This Gate was no longer level 0. It had matured.
The beast in front of us was fierce and fiery.
Its steps were stalking.
Its burning eyes bore no other intentions but to tear all of us to shreds.
It was a large, muscular, dog-like beast with mouth wide open, baring long and sharp fangs with saliva dripping down its jaw.
I recalled this beast.
The cracks all over its body that glowed like molten lava made it more obvious.
Such a thing definitely did not belong here.
There was one question in my mind, and I’m sure the rest thought the same.
’How are we supposed to defeat this Hell Hound?’
