“Moving around this floor shouldn't be an issue for it and it still should be able to squeeze itself through the normal corridors on the other levels,” Silvia answered. “I’m curious how it’s that tall and massive too.”

  “While I haven’t personally seen something like this in my life, Atra mentioned other races in other realms. If the Scourge overtook the men in all of them, it wouldn’t be that surprising to find some giants amongst them. These monsters leaked into our realm from the other worlds, in the end,” Bryn tried to explain its appearance with logic.

  “We can figure that out later. As Master said, we need to get out of this maze before it arrives. The shelves are slowing it down but it has slightly smaller friends. I think at least three of us know how annoying fighting in a warehouse can be.” Selene smirked.

  Miria shuddered. “I’m starting to dislike this place more and more.”

  Therefore, without wasting any more time, they rushed towards the wide exit while the crashing and screeching noise chased after them. They managed to reach the hallway without any major issues, thanks to their normal size and Selene clearing up their path with her spiritual abilities. Right after running into the spacious corridor, they put some more distance between themselves and the charging monster before taking proper positions and preparing themselves for a fight.

  First, a wave of normal-sized monsters sprinted from between the last crates and shelves. Silvia had been ready and finished her dance a moment later. Hitting the golden floor with the butt of her black battle staff, she raised a tall wall of liquid fire and launched it toward the Scourge. The ferocious flames rolled forward with intense heat as she’d used some of Ast’s energy to enhance her spell, turning it crimson-amber.

  All the small monsters were burnt to cinders and the wave reached the big one just as it stepped into the hallway. But, it swung its fist at it and blasted the middle of the fire tsunami away, with its gray skin barely singed by the spell. It then continued on its path alongside more of its companions.

  “That one is special. Maybe each race gained different properties when the curse took them over. Maybe it doesn’t regenerate like the small ones but is much tougher due to it being a giant in the past or something,” Grea mused.

  “If they still had minds like ours, we could ask about a thing or two, but Umbra already tried with the other ones,” Asterios replied. “We have to take it down the old-fashioned way.”

  ~While my mind arts might not be effective on these beings, they aren’t everything that I can do. Especially with your current strength, Master,~ Umbra said.

  A deep shadow pooled underneath Asterios and they all glanced at his feet. The ominous darkness suddenly expanded to the sides and crawled up the gold-silver walls, not stopping until it swallowed even the ceiling, meeting up in its middle above their heads.

  That menacing black shade then shot ahead and to the back, consuming the rest of the corridor in both directions. In a flash, everyone was standing in total darkness, unable to pinpoint where the floor, walls, and ceiling were anymore. The only things they could see were the monsters still rushing at them, including the giant one.

  A bone-chilling laughter echoed through the unending abyss. ~Huhuhuhu. Welcome to my domain, mortals. I always wondered if I would be able to manifest it outside of my cursed realm so I’m extremely pleased to see it working so splendidly. Now, I guess you poor things shall suffice for passable test subjects.~

  The darkness seemed to rumble and quiver as Asterios and the girls subconsciously moved closer to each other, huddling up together in the face of the overwhelming nothingness. They looked around anxiously, unable to guess what would happen next in this unfamiliar space.

  Then, weird shadows with a slightly purplish haze surrounding them manifested from all angles. They resembled many animals and monsters Asterios and the girls had seen in their life, but also a high number of pure horrors that they prayed to never have a chance to stumble on in the future. Each concurrent shadow seemed even more evil and malevolent than the previous one.

  Even the Scourge wavered a little in front of the abyssal army but Umbra’s creations jumped straight to the action. His dark beasts merged with the surroundings and reformed or jumped out of nowhere right next to the faceless monsters. The poor humanoids had no chance to react and multiple individuals were shredded into pieces as even the more animal-like shadows used less animalistic appendages coming out of their bodies to slice up their enemies.

  Umbra’s forces quickly obliterated the common grunts, thinning their numbers considerably while their commander laughed murderously, letting his voice echo through the consumed hallway. Though, Asterios wasn’t sure if it still was the same hallway. They might have been locked in some weird, remote pocket dimension belonging to the Lord of Shadows or something. It wasn’t like he knew everything Umbra was able to do. His powerful familiar’s strength was growing alongside him too as the limits on Umbra’s existence receded the stronger Asterios got.

  Even the Scourge giant struggled to move through the deep darkness. Multiple thick tendrils latched onto all its limbs, and though it managed to rip some of them off with its impressive strength, they regenerated endlessly. Still, step by step, the giant was moving closer, not losing its will to reach its targets.

  The shadowy predators that attacked it from all sides had some issues penetrating its tough skin. It was durable enough to withstand the pulling force of all the black tentacles tugging on all its limbs, fighting against being dismembered like the lesser versions of its kin. Still, it wasn’t able to escape Umbra’s domain’s grasp and restraints.

  ~You are a tough one, I must admit, but if you think that a mere mortal even if cursed can oppose me, then you are gravely mistaken.~ Umbra’s voice echoed through the darkness again.

  Right in front of the tall monster, the shadows swirled and began rising from the ground. Asterios and the girls shivered at the sight of a creepy, sinister pillar of animated darkness forming between them and the monster. He, Miria, and Selene had felt similar energy in the past, back when Umbra had first appeared, but with much, much less intensity. The menacing energy was incomparable.

  Soon, Umbra’s shape matched the size of the Scourge giant and he stared the massive entity down with his misty purplish eyes in the form of two sharply-angled glowing slits. They watched as he threw himself at the monster and his formless body wound around his opponent's frame. Umbra’s eyes appeared next to its strained neck and head.

  ~Let’s see how well you can bear abyssal radiation.~ He chuckled deeply and plunged into nothingness with the giant in tow.

  An uncomfortable silence fell onto Asterios and the others as they were left alone in the endless shadow domain. All the smaller monsters had already been dealt with and Umbra’s forces rejoined with their surroundings, leaving no trace of the poor Scourge that had fallen into the sinister familiar’s trap.

  Bryn was especially tense and distressed by all that deep and wicked darkness that seemed to suck all the light and life out of everything that surrounded them so Asterios tried his best to console his precious companion both mentally and physically. She hadn’t even noticed how tightly she clung to his arm and how much less anxious his fingers threading through her hair made her feel as her golden eyes darted from side to side.

  After what felt like an eternity, a massive shadow formed in front of them and revealed the Scourge giant. Right off the bat, they could all easily notice how much less lively it appeared. Its limbs hung down limply, including its head. But, the more apparent change was the presence of dark purple burn or stain marks all over its skin. They weren’t sure which was more accurate.

  Umbra rose from the ground next to his captive, taking the shape of an ominous pillar of pure darkness again, this time facing Asterios and the others. He let go of the tall monster and the massive Scourge fell forward, slamming into the ground with an echoing thud.

  ~The answer is, it can’t.~ Umbra let out a wicked chuckle. ~But, it certainly lasted longer than I expected it to. Whatever it was that made the members of this or these races like that, certainly could be considered on par or above deity level. Perhaps one of the gods from these worlds truly had something to do with this curse.~

  No one gave him any reply, just staring back at his towering existence of seeping darkness and dark violet smoke. He noticed how distraught Bryn was and started withdrawing his technique. The lines and angles reappeared in the shadows, marking the edges of the hallway again, and the sinister cover gradually receded, rolling itself back just as it had rolled out earlier.

  The Spire’s insides returned, including the warm lighting, and Bryn sighed in relief. Wanting to wipe off her forehead, she realized where her hands were and blushed fervently, meeting Ast’s gaze. He smiled at her softly and withdrew his palm from her head, allowing the Valkyrie to comfortably step away. Instead of getting even more embarrassed, Bryn thanked him with a polite nod and delicate smile.

  A shadowy raven circled all of them and perched on Ast’s shoulder. Asterios and the girls all turned their faces to the black bird making silly angles with its head and beak, unable to believe that something so goofy was at the same time so absurdly terrifying.

  “What was that?” Asterios asked what all of them wanted to ask.

  ~I brought us to my domain,~ Umbra answered. ~Though, it’s more accurate to say that I brought part of my domain to you, using a small section of this corridor as a medium. It’s much easier to achieve within an enclosed space than in the open.~

  “And what does that mean exactly?” Tina asked next.

  ~Thanks to Master’s growth, my limits were reduced to the point where I can create a link between this and my realm with my shadows. The environment inside the temporary realm conjunction gains characteristics almost exactly the same as my original world, allowing me to utilize much more resources that previously were only available back there, partially tricking the curse put on my realm into thinking that both places are one and the same,~ he explained. ~In short, for a limited time and in a limited area, I can use about three-fourths of my power.~

  “That wasn’t all?” Grea stared at him with wide eyes. “Oh, fuck me…”

  ~I’m afraid that I’m unable to fulfill that request the intended way unless you would like me to use the abyssal tendrils. Though, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t, in consideration of our master and your mate.~

  “Oh, no, no, no, no. I might be a freak in bed but I’m not letting those anywhere near any of my holes. Ever. Period.” Grea shuddered, rubbing her sides. “I’ll be plenty happy getting destroyed by something less evil and flesh-melting, thank you very much.”

  The others chuckled a little as Asterios shook his head with a small smile. “Better watch your words next time, then. How are you feeling now, Bryn?”

  “Much better. Thank you,” she replied, smiling too. “Even though extremely scary, it was a unique experience. I’ve never seen darkness this ravenous. It wouldn’t allow for any light to exist. It can’t be compared to the one during the time that Umbra transfers us through the shadows.”

  ~While the qualities of the Nethernight realm are somewhat similar to the Void through which we are moving with my ability, I can assure you that the latter is unimaginably worse. It only appears less oppressive thanks to me shielding you from the significant part of its influence. The fabric between realms is no joke,~ Umbra said.

  “Yet that woman Master met during the incident with John made traveling through that space sound like something equal to a walk in the park for her.” Miria sniffed, putting her hands on her hips. “She must be someone great, right?”

  ~Certainly. I wasn’t able to fully fathom her existence back then. We should be careful around her. No one knows what kind of temper she has, even if Master made a positive impression on her during their first meeting,~ he agreed.

  “We have no idea if we will ever run into her again.” Asterios shrugged. “But yes, we should always be careful.”

  “Who knows? She seemed like someone with great curiosity, who would be unable to let go of something they deemed interesting. She said herself that you piqued her interest. We can all agree that your story is extremely mysterious and interesting. She could be watching us right at this moment and we wouldn’t even know.” Tina looked around anxiously.

  “If none of us can sense anything, there’s nothing more we can do. Let’s focus on our exploration instead,” Silvia suggested. “This level is definitely bigger. If there are more monsters like that one roaming around, it might take us a moment to clear the floor up. I don’t think Umbra can use that ability repeatedly whenever he wants.”

  ~Correct. This was a good test and it clearly is way too straining to invoke multiple times in a short timeframe. So, I won’t be using it again unless there’s just no other way. For now, I’ll head out and scout the regions of this floor that you aren’t exploring.~ Umbra nodded his dark beak at them and plunged into Ast’s shadow.

  The others didn’t waste time and chose to return back to the elevator chamber to pick another path leading out in hopes of finding the way to the medical ward. Just as they were leaving the vicinity of the storage, a dim shadow rippled faintly in the far corner under the ceiling, right behind their backs, before turning still again.

  Umbra directed them to the central lobby and they began taking their chances. It took about an hour for them to finally find the right hallway. Metal signs hung on the walls of that one corridor, which Bryn was able to properly identify as directions to the miraculous ward. With high hopes, they followed the hints and guides.

  After some more walking and a bunch of smaller clashes with the Scourge, they arrived in front of a wide gate made fully out of gold. Similar to the one blocking the way into the armory at the very top, it seemed to open by sliding to the sides. In the very middle, where the crack ran down the intricate surface, a raised symbol was presented, cut in half by the line. It resembled an old, simple rod with a snake coiling around it. The serpent had fierce, slitted eyes and numerous sigils unknown to Ast and the girls circled the entire symbol.

  “This must be it. I saw this symbol a few times and it was always associated with recovery and healing in the ancient records,” Bryn pointed out. “The medical ward must be behind these doors.”

  “Well, let’s figure out the way to open them, then.” Asterios smiled at her and they got to work.

  Chapter 39

  The Chamber of Life

  “How much on it opening by itself and locking us inside?” Grea snickered, jabbing Asterios with her elbow.

  “That’s a highly probable scenario.” A delicate smile curled Silvia’s lips.

  “Personally, I wouldn’t use the medical facility as a trap. There is too much to be lost and damaged by the captured invaders. But, I don’t know what kind of defense systems are set up in there either,” Tina said.

  “Let’s be careful. I agree that they might have wanted to protect this place even better than the armory.” Asterios nodded at her.

  Bryn walked up to the gate while everyone admired the intricate design displayed in front of them. Besides the impressive snake coiling around the big staff, there were no other motifs that could be associated with Dragons so it didn’t feel like another vault, even though the fortified gate was made of pure gold too. The snake didn’t resemble a Lesser Dragon in any way either.

  “There’s an access panel here, just like the one by the floating platforms,” Bryn pointed out and they all turned their gazes to the side.

  She stood by a rectangular indent in the wall that housed a sloped surface with a carved shape of a palm. Asterios and the girls joined her to examine it from up close. Besides the smooth recess, there were no other marks or sigils around the handprint.

  “Since this is a structure built by your race, maybe you try touching it?” Grea suggested, raising a brow at Bryn.

  “The last time I placed my palm on something, it was locked in place immediately.” Bryn smiled wryly. “I’m not sure if I should be the one to keep trying.”

  “Who else if not you? We are all from other worlds.” Miria tilted her head as her ears twitched adorably. “Want Master to try first?”

  “Considering the fact that Red passed through this gate after the Cataclysm, I think Asterios would be our best bet. Assuming that he didn’t know some other way to come into the medical facility,” Tina mused. “But, if that device has to be attuned to an individual for them to receive access, it won’t matter which one of us tries, really. Our only hope is the chance that it works on spiritual essence and that Ast’s isn’t that far off from his father.”

  Bryn turned her face to Asterios, clearly waiting for his decision.

  He gestured at the imprint with his eyes. “Try it first. I’ll go second.”

  She nodded gently and slowly lowered her palm into the carved niche. A delicate golden light illuminated her hand from below before flashing red. Fortunately, the access panel wasn’t suddenly locked, the gate didn’t receive additional reinforcements, and no more defense systems were activated to get rid of the unauthorized intruders.

  “As expected.” Bryn sighed softly and made some space for Asterios.

  He waited for the weak glow to subside and mirrored her motion. Everyone waited with bated breaths at the result of the check. The same golden glow shone into Ast’s palm, then faded away without any change.

  “That’s it?” Miria furrowed her brows. “I guess it doesn’t recognize races other than valk—”

  A loud whirring and rumbling interrupted her and they all directed their gazes to the golden gate. Its wings had separated in the middle and were currently retracting into the walls on the sides. Bit by bit, the hidden chamber became uncovered.

  “Dragons are the key to everything.” Grea smirked. “I bet my tail that your friends wouldn’t be able to unlock this panel without Asterios. They better pray that it can be re-attuned or they will have to beg him on their knees to come and gentlemanly open the door for the ladies.”