The first time I regained consciousness couldn’t have been more than a minute later. I couldn’t control my own actions, much less my thoughts, as I chased the Scolopendra into the D ranked blue-rose’s range. I suddenly jumped into the air, and with all my might, brought the ceiling down onto it. I then turned to the blue-rose, and witnessed it inserting its blue-blood-fruits into the corpses of nearby animals and monsters it had previously drained, before losing consciousness once more.

In the second vision, I had taken the form of my last remaining Oleum Rubeta. I was sitting in a field of flames, the blue-rose ablaze, the skin-sacks it had risen charcoal.

In the third vision, I dove into the pond, wrestling with the other Polypus. It ripped off one of my tentacles as I bit into it, injecting poison through its forehead, then casting a space-bolt through the wound, expanding its brain-matter until it poured out through the wound.

In the fourth vision, I had smashed a slime to paste into the floor. It spread itself across the ground, inching away in its deformed shape, until I grabbed the ground it was on and ate it rocks, dirt, and all.

In the fifth vision, I cornered the Ferre Iram between several nets of webbing and the wall of the cavern. With nowhere left to go, it charged at me. I stopped its charge, grabbing its top and bottom jaws in each hand, and tore it in half, bisecting it.

When I last came to, the blue-roses no longer illuminated the cavern, and I stood in a pool of blood of my own making. Neither animal nor monster were left to make a sound. It was quiet, besides the screams of the voice echoing in my mind, and a soft chorus of song from a nearby passageway. I turned and ran towards the noise, unable to stop what came next.

I bounded into the cave, setting my sights at one of the bat-things hanging towards the entrance. I raised both of my Spiderilla-fists above my head, and smashed down onto it. The first and final dolosus lupus suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking me one-handedly by grabbing onto my face from outside of my reach. I turned my fists, smashing into its arm, only for my attack to phase through the illusion.

It howled with a volume that burst my eardrums as the flesh-alligator’s had, then chucked me through the cave’s wall, and back into the cavern. I remained motionless on the ground, every bone in my shattered from the impact. It slowly walked up to me, looming over my broken form. The monster grabbed me by the top of my head, and nestled its fangs around my neck.

Just before it crunched down, the bats’ voices rang out, piercing through the voice, bypassing my broken eardrums and directly entering my mind.

bonum puerum

gratias, sed licet.

The Dolosus Lupus opened its jaws, turning away from me, and whimpering.

semper hoc modo finem habuit.

Noli flere mortem nostram

gaude ut aliam vitam consequamur

The wolf howled once more and dropped me to the ground. Just before losing consciousness one final time, the bats swarmed me, and sang one final song.

Sozdatel suus electus

peccatorum nostrorum sarcinam portas

ex hoc tempore usque ad finem aeternitatis.

deus noster eris novus

Monstrum et Salvatorem.

Accipe cantionem nostram sicut orationem

judica nos pro peccatis nostris

Haec actio finiet dolorem

et perducat nos ad terram promissionis.

* * *

I found myself once more inside my own subspace. For the first time in a while, it was quiet. Even when I was in Rhannu’s form, there was some static at the back of my mind, a remnant of the voice still calling to me. But here and now, for the first time since I’d first transformed into the Ferre Iram, my thoughts were solely my own. Or, at least I hope they are.

My subspace was rather different from the last time I’d seen it. Mainly, there was an entirely new terrarium. It was vast and covered in labyrinth-stone, identical to the cavern I’d spent the last day or so in. All the monsters, animals, and plants I’d seen were there, as if someone had spent the effort to carefully reproduce the ecosystem…

I couldn’t have done that myself, right? I couldn’t have killed and consumed that many creatures during my rage… Right? Not unless I had weeks to do it and significantly better combat skills. Not to mention the fact that the labyrinth-stone was there. I wouldn’t have personally had the idea to take all that in as well at this point. Not unless someone were helping me take it all in…

Oh, I see… At the edge of the new terrarium, in the passageway just off the cavern as before, the bats hung from the ceiling, now surrounding a ball of light that shifted between black, white, and purple. Whatever was done, I’m guessing I can thank them for it. But why are they in here, and why did they help me?

I’ll have to ask them personally. But first, I need to check in on Rhannu. What looked like the severed head of some snake-haired mono-eyed creature was there in his terrarium, impaled in several places by the apple tree.

I shifted into his form, and asked “Rhannu, what happened? Are you alright?”

He puffed out his chest. “It was nothing I couldn’t handle. But it was concerning, still. The sky blackened for what felt like a day, and the neutral mana started flowing in like crazy. That aberration suddenly appeared in the air, and I had to fight it off.”

“The sky blackened?” I looked towards the space surrounding the terrarium. The white void around us had an ever-so-slight tinge of gray, as if whatever darkness had appeared left some of its essence, corrupting it.

“I’m more worried about why it happened though. thought something had happened to you!”

“Something almost did, but I think I got some help.”

“You think?” Rhannu raised his eyebrow.

“I think.” I confirmed. “I don’t know why or how, but I can’t know unless I ask. It’s time we had a chat.”

* * *

I have so many questions to ask them, but they don’t speak my language. Regardless, I took their form, appearing at the center of their alcove. If they are what I think they are, surely they’ll have a way to communicate.

“electus advenit” they spoke in unison.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot understand. Who are you? Why are you here?”

“Audiunt, sed non intelligunt. Adiuvabimus.”

A second ball of light appeared above the first, violet in color, and slowly floated over towards me, moving through my forehead. A disembodied voice spoke in my head as it passed “We are among the corrupted descendants of the fools you call ‘ancients’. We are here to fix the mistake of our forefathers, and ease the burden it has placed upon you.”

“Mistake? Do you mean that dream? So the ancients were the ones to cause the cataclysm… But how was it a mistake? Dryads like myself wouldn’t even exist if it never happened, and what do you mean by burden?”

Another purple ball gave their reply. “It was a trick, a great evil that can not be unmade. You will understand its burden in due time. Turn back, and enjoy the innocence of ignorance while it lasts.”

“Why would I turn back? The answers I’ve been looking for are here, if I am to believe Geistig.”

“The longer you stay in this labyrinth, the more you will grow, and the more it will influence you. Although that may be acceptable to our associate, we wish for you to at least have some chance at overcoming the trials ahead. But you are not yet ready.”

“Are you referring to the voice? It feels gone now. Is that your doing?”

“Fighting what you refer to as the voice is our objective, yes. But we can only do so much. When you leave this space, our influence will wane. Even what we can do here won’t always be enough. The more you grow, the more it will influence you.”

“If that’s what worries you, then I am aware.”

“You know nothing of what you face. The truth will only bind you. What is learned cannot be unlearned, and what is done cannot be undone.”

“Even so, I must press onwards. I have lived far too long, sheltered by those who would sacrifice themselves for my powerlessness. I’ve had enough.”

The ancients argued amongst themselves before the next reply came. “You will learn the significance of this mistake in due time, but we will not stop you. There will still be time to reflect once you know the truth. Seek out Sozdatel, and hear it from him.”

Sozdatel? Isn’t that the name of the person the dragon was looking for? “If you know, why don’t you just tell me?”

“We have already done enough to burden you. We will have no part in speeding your suffering. Now leave. And whatever you do, do not attempt to contact the rest of our species. They, too, are not ready for what needs to be done.”

* * *

I left my subspace in Dolosus Lupus form, and immediately felt the voice once again. Whatever The Ancients were doing to keep it away inside of me didn’t penetrate through to this dimension, as they said it wouldn’t. Thankfully, the voice was at least much quieter now that the Ferre Iram’s mist is gone.

Unfortunately, my little manic episode seems to have lasted long enough that Tishina’s trail was only just barely there. Perhaps I could use the bipedal Dolosus Lupus’s form to get a better sense of smell, but The Ancients seemed particularly attached to it, and I’d rather not upset them. Besides that, if the monster was capable of using an illusion to overpower a D-rank force aligned, then it has to be at least C rank. Maybe higher. I’d rather not risk taking its form, and suffering under whatever level of voice comes along with it.

If I wait around any longer, I’m sure I’ll lose the trail, and any hope of finding Tishina, or this “Sozdatel” fellow she’s apparently hanging around. Thus, I moved onwards, deeper into the labyrinth.