Opening my eyes, I see nothing but blackness. With my Shoggoth eyes, I should have been able to see in even ultra-low light conditions, meaning that the place I was in needed to have literally no light.

On that note, where was I exactly?

The memories slowly etched back into my consciousness. Everything that had happened was coming clearer by the second.

Oh yeah. Seems we were captured. That's not good.

Looks like it. So, any brilliant ideas? We do still have a job to complete.

Try to get out of wherever you are, maybe?

Yeah, like that's really helpful… not like there's much else to do, though, so let's just get to it.

Immediately trying to move my arms and legs, I find myself not being able to do so. Most likely rope of some kind. Instead, I begin my body and find out that I'm in a lying position. Wriggling, even more, my master deduction skills figure out the texture of the floor. The floor was a smooth hard surface with no imperfections at all. Not just good looking. LITERALLY no imperfections. That was not natural.

So, what now?

How about you get of those ropes? Should be easy enough.

Fine.

A good chunk of my Mana Reserves had restored, so any larger spendings could be allowed. Larger spendings equaled; I could do whatever I needed to get out of these ropes.

The first step first. I needed something that could cut these ropes. Something I knew could be sharp enough to hold me down…

Claws! Those fine claws that I learned to create when I was just starting out. But, what good would those claws do, when I couldn't move my hands to cut with? And, I can't just put them somewhere else, cause I need fingernails to make them.

Wait, why don't I just… yeah, that might work. Should not cost too much to do.

Using Mana-Feel to look at my Pattern, I start to focus on my abdomen. After having found an a-okay spot to start, I begin slowly creating a hand. Not a whole arm, mind you, but just a normal, human hand. Anything else, and it would begin costing a bit too much.

After having grown the hand fully out, I quickly change the nails to claws.

Good. Now, time to cut them.

The robes give zero resistance to my claws, allowing me to quickly get them of me. After having done so, I remove the extra hand. It just felt too weird to have.

Standing up, I try to look around. Still nothing but blackness. Wouldn't have expected more, to be honest. Seems the only thing possible to do is walk around blindly.

We should really have invested some time into learning Light spells.

Why would we need Light spells, when we have Fire?... Oh. We have Fire.

Picking out a random direction, I fire a Fireball straight ahead.

When it hits something, or light something up, we will know what is out there.

The floor turned out to be completely black. And, that was actually all I got to learn from that Fireball. After traveling about fifty meters, it simply fizzled out. I couldn't see any roof or any walls. All I was able to see was the completely black floor.

… How about trying in another direction?

I sigh. This was gonna take awhile. I was certain about that, at least.

After ninety Fireballs cast, and over fifty percent of my mana wasted, I had finally come to a conclusion. I was completely fucked. Nothing was around me. No roof was over my head. I was sure of that, after using an overcharged Fireball. There weren't any monsters either. No massive Eyeball that had actually been floating behind me this entire time.

I was completely alone. I was stranded and I didn't know how to get back. Maybe, I should just walk a direction, and hope that it gets me somewhere? Maybe, try to figure out teleportation without any prior knowledge. I mean, what else is there to do?

Maybe ask for help?

What do you mean by that? We can't ask Metis for help. We can't ask ANYONE for help. Who would you ask?

Remember when Glautru told us about Primal Magic?

Yeah, we do have a perfect memory. It is quite literally impossible for us to forget anything naturally.

“The potential of primal magic is near infinite.” With Primal Magic, we can ask for help.

Well, can you remember what he said, just saying that? “ but it is also dangerous. One wrong step and anything could happen. LITERALLY, anything could happen. So be cautious with it, and don't take chances without studying it first.”

… Well… we can study it now, can't we? This will be perfect for our first experiment!

But anything can happen. We could accidentally summon the explosion of a Tsar bomb, for crying out loud!

Exactly! That's why this is the perfect environment! Nothing is around us! AKA; We can do whatever experiment we want, and nobody will be hurt by it! Well, everybody's that not us, of course. But, that's a risk I personally would be willing to take.

… I don't think that there's much else I could do, really. Maybe wait it out. But, how long would I need to wait? I don't have any supplies on me-

Which is why we should begin immediately!

Fine. Do I need to focus on wanting help, while pouring out Primal Mana?

Yup.

Okay. Here it goes.

Drawing out my Mana, I channel to the peak of my fingertips in a steady, nonstop stream, all the while focusing on contacting someone to help me. Someone that can take me away from this place, without me getting harmed in any way. Someone who won't kill me on sight. Someone that-

Something, or someone, hit the floor in front of me, taking me out of the focus.

“Hello?”, I say, completely baffled it actually worked. Though, why am I not getting an answer? Wait.

Going down on one knee, I touch the object before. Please don't tell me this is what I think it is.

Casting a stationary Fireball, I become able to see what I summoned.

Huh. Didn't know you were ´that´ type of person.

“I don't know what you're talking about”, I said coldly, before lighting the object on fire. At least I was able to see without using my mana now.

… So, you wanna try again?

Can do much else, now, can I?

Suppose not.

Repeating the whole starting process yet again, I begin focusing on someone that can help me. Someone that can help me get out of this place. Not figuratively, but instead literally. Nothing that makes you feel as if you're getting away from this. Someone that actually can get me out of this place. Someone that is actually-

The sound of a metal object hitting the floor draws me out of my focus yet again. Looking to my right, I see a knife. Huh. Definitely not what I had in mind.

Try again?

Yeah.

The next thing that I summoned was a gun. Needed to add; Getting out alive. After that, it was LSD. Forgot to add; Literally, and not figuratively. Then, it was a red button that stated “Wormhole Creator”. Needed to change, “Getting out alive” to “Hundred percent chance of getting out alive”. After the Wormhole Creator came a small, very lifelike doll. I simply multicasted about twenty Fireballs on it. No chance in hell was I gonna come near that when I had already added: “Someone alive”. Then… I think something was here? I don't really know. Maybe, maybe not. Just need to move on.

These experiments continued on for what felt like hours upon hours. Each time, something new came up. Something that SHOULD have helped me escape this hellhole. But, not a single thing actually helped. For a few milliseconds, I actually regretted burning the living doll. After that thought appeared, though, it was almost instantly squashed. No way was I gonna deal with them doll things. Honestly, it just seemed like nothing would ever work. It was, as if, all this time spent trying was for nothing. It made… angry? Maybe.

How about one last time?

You said that three tries ago.

But this time I mean it.

You also said that.

But this time I REALLY mean it.

Guess what? You also said that.

Oh, for crying out loud! Can't you just do it!

You already-

Just do it!

… Fine.

Trying one last time, I channel my Mana to my fingertips.

Whoever the hell is listening to these can just go fuck themselves. Do you really think you're being funny? Just get down here, and help, for Pete's sake!

“Fine! Have it your then!”

“Wait, what?”, I blurred out.

“You heard me! I am gonna get ´down there´ with you!”

“Oh, you don't have to-”, I tried to say, but it was too late. Above me appeared a massive red-pulsing, golden gate. Out of it, jumped a man. He looked to be in his twenties, had short, black hair, red eyes, darker skin-color, and about average height. Landing five meters in front of me, he stared me right in my eyes.

“You wanted me, and here I am”, the man said, his eyes seeming like a river of blood.

“Oh, I-”, I tried to say but was cut off.

“I know what you want, don't worry about that”, the man said. “Now, let's discuss the price.”

“Price?”, I asked.

“Of course, the price”, the man said, his smile literally glowing. “What man asks for something, and doesn't expect a price?”

“Uhm, me, I guess?”, I said, with a way too pathetic chuckle at the end.

“Well”, the man said. “What can you offer me?”

Seems like this dude is… let's call it a little special.

“Thanks for the compliment”, the man said.

Wait, he can hear me?

“Yes, I can. How else would I speak to you?”, the man said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Now, I ask again, what can you before.”

“Sorry, but before that, can I ask you a question?”, I asked.

“Well, you have already asked me two things, so I guess a third won't matter much”, the man said. “What do you want to know?”

“Who are you?”, I ask.

“People call me Set”, Set answered. “Enough questions now. What do you offer?”

“Well, what do you want?”, I ask.

Set seems surprised by that.

“Are you sure you want to offer, what I want?”, Set asked. “Nobody has survived that.”

Oh, shit. Not getting involved with that.

“Then, let me rephrase that. Do you want something I have, which won't kill me, if you take it?”, I ask.

“Not really, no”, Set said.

“Then I don't have anything to offer you”, I said. Seemed I wasn't getting a ride back, after all.

“You must have something”, Set said. “Let's agree to this. I will get you, and your little friend, out of here, if you will say yes to owing me a favor.”

“Wait just a moment”, I said. “What do you mean by ´my little friend´?”

“The unconscious girl behind you”, Set said. “Are you not with her?”

Looking behind me, I find Elora. For how long had she been here. I should have noticed her when I was doing the sweeping of the area.

“Yeah, shes with me”, I said.

“Good”, Set said. “So, do you accept the terms.”

“Sure.”

“All that is needed, then, is a handshake”, Set said, reaching out his hand.

I give him a handshake. It felt just like the one with Hel.

“Hel? Wouldn't have guessed you knew the guy”, Set said. “He was an old drinking buddy of mine, actually.”

“Looks like we have something in common,” I said, happy that the tense mood was beginning to dissolve.

“How is he nowadays?”, Set asked.

“Oh, he is currently dealing with some Plane-Travellers trying to invade his realm”, I said, trying to speak with a casual tone. “You know, the usual stuff.”

“That's nice,” he said. “Wait, who is helping him drive Pratchett's machine? You need to be two people to do that.”

“It's a person by the name of Glautru, I believe”, I said.

“Thought he would be dead by now”, Set said, with venom in his voice. They didn't seem like they got along.

“Well, we must be going now”, Set said, clearly not wanting to speak anymore. “Ready to go?”

“Just one moment”, I said, hastily getting Elora in my arms. Couldn't forget about her. “Ready.”

And, then we were off to the dungeon again, ready to get down to the third floor.