8. The Caretaker’s Cosmos II

Just act innocent, Kyrios. You’re just a baby boy; there is nothing you can or should do. That was my initial thought when she spoke, and I wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. The Caretaker, whom she referred to herself as, didn’t appear hostile, but I probably couldn’t sense killer intent from a monster that could conceal her presence to that extent. After all, she materialized out of nowhere when I just arrived.

“I’m sure you have numerous more questions, boy, but so do I,” she voiced slowly with her ethereal and mystic tone. “Come… Let’s hear yours first. Where am I? Why am I still alive?”

Damn it. I already spoke, so I couldn’t pass it off as just another infant unable to understand language. I had to craft my sentences carefully, or I might cease to exist.

“Do y–they li-live here?”

“That’s… really your question? But yes, I reside here and have been for past millennials, but I cannot say precisely how long,” she answered, floating around the majestic crystal. “I assume it’s my turn now. What led you here, and for what reason are you here?”

Clenching my fists to calm down, I responded anxiously. “I don’t kn—I’m looking for a way out.”

“Then why did you venture deeper into the Rift instead of leaving the way you entered? Perhaps the exit was blocked off?”

“Well, yes, but a physical barrier didn’t block it off. It was more of a….”

“More of a what?”

“It was more of a trauma keeping me away. I was too afraid to approach it. It wasn’t even something horrific, yet I still can’t get myself to think about it without vomiting,” I confessed with my hands covering my face. “It’s like there is an unconscious thought amplifying my fear.”

“Hmm,” she mused after a moment’s reflection. “We all have something… well, unexplainable in our lives. But, unfortunately, I cannot help you with that. Either way, it’s your turn.”

“Uhh, okay. Then, countless thin strands were wiggling on the walls. Are they yours?” I asked a little more informally after hearing her response.

“I’m surprised you can see them, let alone sense their movement,” she replied, impressed. “But yes, they’re part of my millions, if not billions of limbs. Most thinner ones are self-reliant, and I have little control over them.”

“Did you carve this tunnel then? It stood out from the others.”

“Over centuries, yes.”

A look of puzzlement crossed my face. Billions of limbs carved for centuries? What in the world was I speaking nearly casually to?

“Then what about the debris. Where did the stone from that tunnel go?”

“It’s gone. My strands absorbed and chymified it. Some were probably compressed, though,” she answered, floating back in front of me. “Now, where will you go?”

“I don’t know. I’ll find another way out as this is a dead end, right?”

“This place isn’t a dead end, boy. We’re only on the tip of the iceberg.”

Confused, I tilted my head while raising an eyebrow. “Tip of the iceberg? But doesn’t this path just lead to the crystal and around?”

“The walls are under my influence,” she said as a pillar crept out of the bridge, curving up and forming a circular block. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

At first, the block was solid, but gradually it began softening into a mattress. “As you can imagine, many more pathways will show once I alter the walls,” she clarified, pointing her tentacles at an entry that just showed up.

“Does that lead to an exit?” I asked with burgeoning excitement.

“Naturally.”

“Then, could you help me over th—”

“Don’t even bother,” she interrupted, sending a ripple of shock through my veins. “Listen, boy. Where you came from acts as a mere foyer. Once you step foot inside the genuine Rift, even I will struggle to keep you alive. The Rift is nothing like the tiny cave you’ve explored so far. The structure, atmosphere, creatures—they’re entirely different and far more horrid.

“No, that’s… Isn’t there a safer path?”

The Caretaker shook her eye from side to side, implying no. “If there was, I would already have told you.”

“Meaning, all the paths are a guaranteed death?” I bit my lip out of frustration.

“All of them,” she warned, keeping eye contact. “But there is a way we can get you out fairly safely.”

“Really?!” I exclaimed, jumping out of the seat with eyes relit with a new hope.

“You sound excited. Unfortunately, there is a catch.”

“Hmph?”

“It will at least take a few years..”

Once again, my face frowned in a letdown as I sighed. “How come?”

“There are plenty of reasons,” she stated, finally breaking eye contact.

“To be honest, I could just decimate this entire cave network, but that would result in my immediate death. The air outside the Rift is a lethal poison for me, and even the slightest amount will kill. I cannot escort you either, as I am bound to this area by the crystal,” she explained, slithering her limbs along with it. The only way is by slowly digging a path to another rift foyer using my strand.

“Wait, if you said you could destroy this whole place, can’t you just do it halfway? Then the air shouldn’t poison you, and I can leave immediately.”

“Good question. Some creatures from the other side possess extraordinary senses and adequate intelligence. They’ll group up minutes after I drill a tunnel. Besides, it would help if you spent these years training as you’ll still encounter some.”

We continued our conversation for the next hour, asking and answering questions. The Caretaker suggested that I go back to the barkers to train. She called them rift puppies as they die of old age before maturing, leaving me wondering how they breed. But most importantly, she explained that my mana pool wasn’t that large, and it was because of the barker—no rift puppy pit I could endlessly waste mana. The rift puppies’ saliva was essentially mana with acid properties, so an enclosed space would naturally result in a mana-heavy atmosphere.

I’m supposed to visit her monthly to check on her progress while she checks mine. But unfortunately, she isn’t familiar with mana arts, so I had to figure things out myself like I always have done.

“Before you leave, let me make you something.”

“Please do,” I smiled, bowing my head slightly.

“Strech your arms out.”

A little puzzled, I did as she said before the block I sat on formed around my body as comfy clothes.

“I’m not a master tailor, but hopefully, this will do.”

Amazed, I let out a light giggle. “This is perfect.”

“Then I’m glad. Now leave and do your preparation.”

Unknown POV

The horizon greeted us with an impeccable view of the nordic valley. The lake-blue sky and fluffy clouds merged with the mountains in the distance so pleasingly that they distracted me from the mission. Spring was a blissful season; what a pity I couldn’t spend it on a picnic or a hiking trip.

“Are we sure this is the spot?” I asked, blowing away the mosquito that landed on my forearm.

The black-haired warrior, almost twice my size, looked slightly annoyed at me. “Can someone remind me why we brought a kid with us?”

“I’m not a kid; I’m 24,” I retorted with a similar attitude.

“You look 12,” he looked down at the tiny me, expressing his hostile mood.

I groaned, sliding down my hands on my face in irritation. “I don’t look 12. Also, elves age slower than humans.”

“Elf? You? You don’t even have pointy ears.”

“Just leave her alone, Kai.” A mage dressed in green cut him off and drove him away. “Saria is the one who found the Rift entrance in the first place.”

“Ha, then why the hell did she ask?” he scoffed, looking down at the map I sketched. “Shit, we probably walked too far.”

“You’re so—!” I wanted to yell, but it would only worsen the situation. Letting my rage out with a soft sigh, I turned backward. “Let’s just go back.”

I’ve loathed Kai from the moment I met him. Muscular, braindead, and a huge showoff—nothing describes him better. He was always picking on me no matter the case. Although a skilled fighter, his attitude will be his downfall.

On the other hand, Zeke—our mage with an affinity for nature—was a kind soul, protecting me from Kai’s bullying. Coming from a toxic environment, I was expecting another Kai, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Also, the higher-ups ranked as a high thaumaturge, so I got my expectations up. However, I do dislike his excessively long ropes getting stuck in every branch we pass.

The last member of our crew is… I forgot his name. He hasn’t said much since we met, and I sometimes forget he’s even here. Dressed in black, wielding two katanas and one word a day, even Kai is a little afraid of him. For some reason, I have the suspicion that he is simply introverted underneath his poker face.

“I think we’re here,” Kai mumbled with his face digging into the map.

“Look, blockhead.” I pointed at the chasm right in front of him. “You nearly died.”

In a swift motion, he hopped down without hesitation. “I can’t die from a fall this small, but maybe a midget like you can,” he grunted midair and landed with a thud. “You want me to catch you, princess?”

“Over my dead body!” I shouted as I stretched my legs.

One after one, we jumped down and watched as the shadow drowned us.