Chapter 16

“Come on! We’re burning daylight slowpokes!” Lily’s voice calls out from up on a hill, her joyous sunny smile beaming down at the trio making their way to the dungeon.

“Remind me again, why are you tagging along?” Feros shouts up at her, confusion and a slight cold tinge in his voice, though no hostility could be felt. “I thought you were staying with the others?”

“Nah, I figured you guys would need a master at movement! After all, what if there’s some secret spots in the dungeon only accessible by doing some crazy trick?” as she says this she proudly jumps around, as if showing how nimble she could be.

“She’s got a point Feros, no one can move the way she does, honestly some of her movement seems inhuman…” Ryder comments as he approaches Feros’s left, a bit of a tired look still in his eyes.

“That is true… though we haven’t come across anything like that yet, we’ve only been to early game dungeons so far.” Feros rests a hand on his sword and the other on his chin, gazing past Lily as he loses himself in thought. “Though, if this is a dungeon that was meant to be late game, then who knows what it could hold…”

Yuria walks in front of the two, turning around to face them, the sun making her form silhouetted and oddly more divine looking. “That is why we’re grouped up, is it not? You have nothing to worry about if you stick with me though, I promise you that we’ll get through it safe and sound.”

“So, does that mean you’ll actually be fighting this time?” Ryder questions, honestly expecting her response to be a no or some kind of riddle.

“Should the need arise, I shall slay those who cross our path, otherwise I would like to see how you handle it.” her mischievous grin returns to her face before she turns and starts walking to Lily. “I won’t let you die though, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

A sigh escapes Ryder as he shakes his head, clearly not satisfied with the answer. “That really doesn’t comfort me in the slightest…”

“Oh relax dear champion, just enjoy the walk there and ease your mind.” she replies with a slight teasing tone in her voice as she approaches Lily. “You might want to slow your pace, I don't think the boys could keep up with us even if they tried.”

“You’re right about that, it’s hard to keep up with someone able to move so freely here…” Feros comments, finally reaching the top of the hill alongside the rest of them.

“It’s because I've spent most of my time in Full Dive, it’s really how I've gotten any sort of freedom or sense of adventure in my life.” a sorrow lingers in Lily’s voice as she turns and looks out at the sight before them now, a bittersweet look forming on her face. “After all, it’s not every day you can see these sights.”

Following her eyesight the group sees a scene ripped right from a fantasy novel. Rolling green plains littered with beautiful wild flowers shining brightly in the sun, tall trees swaying in the breeze, the ocean barely visible in the distance but sparkling nonetheless.

Worn and heavily walked dirt paths show that this used to be a heavily treded area, the feeling of countless people moving through here still marks the land.

“It’s almost easy to forget that we’re supposed to be in a dark land with sights like this…” Feros admits while crossing his arms.

“That’s because, until recently, this land had been untouched by the war raging on in the mainland, it was only that new blood seeking lordship that tainted these sacred lands.” Yuria tells them as she looks out at the horizon with a softer smile. “Truly this place was a thing of beauty, though not many remain to appreciate it now.”

“Wait, this place was considered sacred?” Ryder asks her, now even more confused than before. “I get the temples could be, but I didn't know the entire island was.”

“Oh, it is, this island actually used to be part of a mountain, but I can explain more of that another time.” as she says this Yuria casually begins walking down the hill towards the dirt path. “Come now, we’d best not admire the scenery for too long.”

With a shake of his head Feros begins descending the hill, being careful not to trip as he looks around for any potential threats, not trusting the calm trip they’ve had so far.

Ryder pauses and looks at Lily, a thought entering his mind as she slowly follows them. “So, what did you mean by that? The whole spending most of your time in VR?” he cautiously descends behind her. “I know the real world isn’t that great but at least some places have still been preserved like this.”

“Oh, I know and I'd love to see them if I could, it’s just… I really can’t, even if I wanted to.” her smile drops a bit but she tries to stay strong as she looks back at him. “I’ve been bedridden and hospitalized for most of my life.”

A gut punch, that’s what it felt like to Ryder, how could he have been so insensitive? Of course there would’ve had to be a good reason for what she said.

Hospitalization was the last thing he was expecting, nor was he really considering it.

“I’m sorry… i didn’t mean to pry-” he starts only for Lily to cut him off.

“No, it’s fine, really… it’s just not something i really get used to talking about.” her expression shifts, seeming to debate something for a moment. “Have you ever heard of Thelman’s Disease? It’s better known as the Burial Virus online.”

“Yeah… that virus that popped up a decade ago, wasn’t it a bioweapon created during the Collapsing War?” he asks, trying to remember the details he learned about it, though not much was publicly available.

Lily nods in confirmation as she keeps walking slowly behind the other two. “It was, the disease was created by Doctor Richard Thelman, he created the disease to try and end the Collapsing War… and it worked, by dispersing it into the air and water supplies of the Old American Empire, he let loose the disease that killed 75% of the empire in a month.”

“Yeah, I remember reading about that, but I never did get to read about what it does.” he comments quietly, trying to stay even with her pace.

“Thelman’s Disease… the Burial Virus is called that because if someone is infected they might as well be Buried and gone, their immune system becomes so compromised to the point that anything could destroy them, not only that but their body has trouble staying active in the slightest, even turning a page can be a struggle at times.” Lily takes a deep breath to calm herself. “That’s what I have, and it’s what I've been dealing with since I was little.”

“I’m… I'm sorry you’ve had to go through with that.” Ryder’s voice is low and sorrowful, he looks away, unsure of what to say now.

Softy Lily shakes her head before she smiles again. “It’s fine, it may be a struggle but I won't give up right until the very end! It’s why I even talked with Doctor Thelman himself, he actually helped create the reflection that I and many others use.”

“Wait, seriously?! Someone who made that kind of killer virus helped design the reflection?!” Ryder looks over at her in disbelief as she nods once more.

“Yeah, he said himself that he wanted to help anyone still affected by what he made or anything else, that’s why it uses the technology it does.” Lily waves her hand a bit. “The nanomachines in here have been what let me last so long, any time I use it the machines are also slowly repairing my body, it’s why the commercial release has that bleedthrough effect.”

“Really, that’s what causes the bleedthrough effect? I figured that was always more just a placebo happening.” Ryder looks at her, genuinely surprised and impressed at the knowledge she holds of this stuff. “Well at least he’s trying to make amends i guess, doubt many will forgive him though, especially since his virus reached further than needed.”

Lily nods once more, her eyes staring off at a bird flying overhead. “I can’t be too mad at him though, who knows what would’ve happened if he hadn’t made it? Plus he’s never stopped looking for a cure, even at his old age.” She smiles and looks at him. “So, what about you? What brought you into the game?”

“Me? Well I guess… you could call it a form of closure, a person I really cared about was actually working on this game, they used to talk about it before they passed a couple of years ago.” Ryder looks up as another bird flies overhead, it’s an odd one, it looks like a mixture of a bluebird and a hawk, something about it just felt calming. “The world never really felt the same after, my parents and I even stopped talking, once the game finally came out after the delays… well I figured it’d be the best way I could finally end that chapter.”

“Guess we both have our own heavy reasons then, huh?” Lily lightly smiles a bit. “Guess that explains why I was drawn to you in the beginning.”

“I guess so… I’m glad we had this talk, it was nice to open up a bit-” Ryder starts only to have said bird from before land on his shoulder, surprising both him and Lily.

“Woah! I’ve never seen that happen before!” she calls out, getting the attention of both Feros and Yuria who look back in surprise.

Yuria quickly walks over, a shocked expression clear on her face. “My oh my, aren’t you full of surprises? It seems like you have been blessed by the residents of this island, not an easy feat to obtain.”

Feros nods as he approaches. “The wildlife here is rare and very cautious of us after all.”

“Okay, slow down, what do you mean by blessed?” Ryder asks, being careful not to move as he doesn’t want to scare the bird.

“It means that this island and its wildlife recognize you not as a threat, but rather a resident or perhaps protector, especially considering what’s resting on your shoulder.”

Yuria slowly walks up and starts petting the bird on his shoulder, it releasing small cooing noises as she does so. “This is a Stormglider, a near extinct species and a descendant of an Elder Beast that resided with The Forgotten.”

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“An Elder Beast? You mean the legends?” Feros asks as he looks over at her. “Aren’t they supposed to be beasts so large that not even this island could hold them?”

“Ah, I see someone has done their research!” Yuria smiles and nods. “Indeed, normally they are, however once one makes a contract and becomes a familiar it can shrink to this size or smaller, or so the texts say.”

“Seriously?” Ryder looks back at the bird slightly concerned now. “So you’re saying this thing could be some terrifying monster in disguise?”

“Nope, this is just its descendant, the Stormbringer; Gale, vanished alongside The Forgotten years ago… in fact many have died out, hunted for their powers, only a small number remain in hiding.” she states while pulling her hand away. “Though they did keep their ability to tell what lurks within a person’s heart. Clearly they like what’s in yours, otherwise you would’ve been struck by lightning right now.”

“Ohh! So that’s why there’s been random lightning strikes in the distance every so often?” Lily asks while crossing her arms. “I just thought someone had found a new spell.”

“No, that would be these birds, likely striking other unsavory outlanders or soldiers.” Yuria calmly replies before turning around. “Now then, I'll take this as a good sign, we’ll likely have a smoother time in the dungeon than anticipated.” with this she starts walking off without waiting for anyone.

“...and I feel like we just got jinxed because of that.” Ryder replies looking forward and slowly following her, the bird flying off as he does so.

With a laugh Lily brings up the rear, though something worried her, an odd sense of dread filling her stomach.

It was similar to how she felt staying up in the manor on the mountain, the night that Ryder was pulled into the first False Zone.

Could they possibly be heading into another similar situation? She hoped not, there were too many unknowns about them, then again there were so many unknowns to everything in this world.

Her usual smile falters for a brief moment as a slight pain shoots through her head, an odd ringing sensation filling her mind and drowning out all other noise. Then, as quickly as it came, it vanished, clearing up in an instant.

Something felt odd though… different… like her senses were heightened beyond what they should be, she could clearly make out everything around her, down to the gentlest breeze brushing against her.

She could clearly make out each individual breath, step, heartbeat, everything.

Though being further behind she could clearly make out every detail sharply, every last thread on Yuria’s cloak, the tiniest hair on Feros’s armor, it was all visible.

Had the world always been this heavily detailed? Why was she just now noticing it? How was it all so… visceral?

Lily wanted it to stop, yet also felt oddly at home taking in all this information, her feelings clashing until things seemed to adjust back to a decent level.

“Lily, you coming- woah, are you alright?!” Ryder’s voice calls out, oddly filled with concern and worry causing the others to stop and turn around, their faces also filling with shock?

“What? I don’t…” Lily stops herself as the moment she opens her mouth the taste of iron freezes her solid. Slowly reaching up she feels her mouth, there was a warm liquid but it didn’t feel like it was coming from there.

“Your nose is bleeding, what happened?” Yuria calmly asks while walking over to examine her, producing a tissue to help wipe away the blood. “You didn’t eat anything strange, did you?”

“I don’t think so… I only had bread this morning… did anyone else hear that ringing a second ago?” Lily asks, still a bit dazed and confused as to what she heard and experienced a moment ago.

The others glance amongst one another, their expressions showing just how lost they are.

With a sigh Lily just shakes her head before pushing past them.

“Never mind, it was probably nothing, let’s just keep moving to the dungeon before we run into trouble.” her voice is a bit more hushed, but still somehow holding its more upbeat tone.

Though confused and concerned at what they just witnessed, the three begin to follow her back towards the location of the dungeon.

The rolling green plains were surprisingly clear of enemies, only the occasional husk to be seen.

It was a pleasantly calm walk through the area, other players briefly being seen running to and fro, though not any that Lily or Feros recognized.

This had just confirmed to them that those not a part of the group had moved onto this side of the island already, likely clearing out good sections of it.

Possibly even finding more dungeons and loot… maybe even a few useful secrets.

It wasn’t important now though, for they needed to get to their own location, find what secrets remained there.

Something was screaming inside Lily the closer they got, that feeling of dread growing by the second as they approached the mountain side.

The wall of natural rock shot up higher than any of them realized, standing hauntingly tall over them as they looked around.

No matter where they looked though there was not a single clue in sight, not a crack, discoloration, sigil… nothing.

It just seemed like the average mountainside they’d seen prior.

“Are you sure we’re in the right spot?” Feros asked, moving up to examine the wall, only feeling the cold stone underhand.

“Yes, I'm sure, I triple checked and cross referenced all other notes Demea and I scoured through.” Yuria huffs while knocking on the wall hoping to hear a hollow, but it was all solid.

“There has to be something we’re missing…” Ryder speaks while pacing the wall, looking for any tricks. “If this really is valuable there’s no way its hidden normally”

Lily approaches, the ringing noise returning as she nears the stone, all other noises seeming to drown out as she looks around, it’s softer this time, but clear… and vibrant.

In her trance-like state she walks along the wall, hand lightly gliding across its surfaces, the ringing growing louder and louder… yet clearer as well. Until finally she stops, her hand resting on the wall in a spot that looks just like the rest of it, inconspicuous to most, though to her it felt wrong.

The surface… it was rock, sure, but it felt different, made more artificially and the ringing was crystal clear behind it.

“Ryder, I need you to blast this wall.” her voice was duller, more focused on what she was feeling.

“Huh, why? Do you see something?” he asks, moving to her side, curious about the wall.

“Not see… feel.” she says before backing up. “Blast it, I'm sure the entrance is behind there.”

Not wishing to pry further he went along with her request, raising his right hand and creating a pitch black fireball, charging it up and hurling it full speed at the wall.

As it collides with the wall it explodes in a loud screaming fashion, catching everyone off guard.

Once the flames and smoke die down they can see a small cave path, only big enough to fit each of them single file, there was no room to attack either.

The darkness within seemed to stretch on for miles as well, though there was the faintest sparkle in the dark.

“Good job Lily, now we know where to go!” Yuria happily exclaims before producing a lantern from her cloak and walking in first.

Feros hardens his gaze, drawing his sword and following her, his only words being. “I don’t like this…”

With a smile Ryder pats Lily on the back, looking at her with a hint of pride in his eyes. “I seriously don’t know how you found it, but good job.”

A sheepish smile forms on her face as she looks away. “Honestly I don't know how I did it… I just got lucky, I guess.”

“Hey, you found it and that’s all that matters.” he says with a smile before motioning to the path. “You go first, if someone pops up behind us I can use my magic or sword to cover.”

Nodding happily she follows behind Feros, Ryder quickly bringing up the rear and watching behind them just in case.

The tunnel was incredibly dark, thankfully Yuria’s lantern gave them just enough light to see… and with that also see what was causing the sparkles in the dark.

Gemstones growing in the walls, though they didn’t look natural, no, they almost looked like the astral fragments from before… only more whole, more pure.

Suddenly everyone comes to a stop as Yuria whistles in amazement as a loud metallic thudding is heard. “They’ve got a Dentanium door here! They really wanted to keep whatever’s in here secure.”

“Dentanium? What’s that?” Feros asked, observing the dark silver door in front of her.

“Easily the heaviest and strongest metal in all of Terminus… not even an elder beast can tear through it.” She smiles a little. “Now I'm really glad I came along, step back! Give me some working room.”

As per her request everyone backs up, giving her space to step a few steps back.

There she pauses, a teal glow running up her right leg as she raises it and kicks in this impossibly heavy door, sending it flying into the darkness.

Her kick sounding like a gunshot and the door creating a bomb like sound upon landing.

“What the hell was that?!” Ryder yells in surprise as he looks past Lily and Feros right to Yuria.

“Magic reinforcement, I just turned my body into a weapon for a moment is all.” she replies without a care before walking into the room. “Come along now, let’s see what they are hiding!”

One by one the rest of the squad follows her into the darkness, the sounds of their footsteps echoing further and further into the unseeable abyss.

The ringing noise hadn’t left, no, if anything it was calmer, clearer, now sounding more along the lines of a tuning fork that never stopped.

Lily looked around the darkness, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from, what it was, why only she seemed to hear it- then she noticed something.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark she could see more of the crystals, though impossibly dim, they seemed to glow with the ringing… reacting to its variations.

It wasn’t just that, the magic in the air felt different, clear, light, yet impossibly heavy and oppressing, a paradoxical feeling she couldn’t wrap her head around, yet it gave her a needed answer as she stared at the crystals.

“Yuria, can you release a large pulse of magic?” Lily asks while not removing her gaze from the crystals, something no one else seems to see.

“I can, though I’d like to question it, I am curious what you see… so I shall indulge you this time.” the cloaked leader responds, tossing the lantern to Feros who barely manages to catch it. “Now then…”

Yuria raises her right hand up above her, an orb of teal energy swirling in her hand faster and faster, sounding like a raging whirlwind until it explodes.

A shockwave of energy spreads out into the cave, rushing past the other tree, though as it does the crystals begin to light up the same color as the energy.

Suddenly the darkness fades, revealing the cave to be composed of these magic crystals, glowing and humming in response to the pulse.

The energy swirling around inside them loudly.

“Well I'll be… so the rumors are true.” Yuria mutters before happily turning around and looking at the group. “I hope you’re ready as this is going to be harder than anticipated!”

Before anyone could question her further, the name of the dungeon appeared in front of them.

A feeling of dread washing over them as they gaze at it, fearing the implications of what may lurk within this crystalline cave.

[Tomb of the Forgotten.]