Chapter 11: Monster

The boy walked out of the dark hallway and re-entered the large, round room.

Luxuria. Without a doubt, she held massive power. However, that white ape was guarding the dagger. The boy could tell that the ape’s strength was much greater than the bear he had defeated. He also had no poison left. There was no chance of him taking the ape head on. Thus, he had no choice but to leave the demon behind.

At least, he left with something. He had a name. Cerien. The boy now had a name of his own.

Cerien walked out from the door. To his left was the hallway he had originally entered from. To his right and in front of him were two doors he had not yet opened. He randomly chose the door on the left.

On the door was yet another rune that he did not understand. It was a simple circle with a smaller square in the middle of it. He opened the door.

In front of him was a long hallway. Cerien started walking down the hall in search of an exit.

* * *

Savunt and Senia walked through the caves. As they ventured deeper underground, they began to see writing on the walls.

“Hey Savunt. What’s with all these pictures on the walls?” Senia asked curiously.

Savunt glanced at the runes.

“The long-forgotten language of an ancient people. The Lagrim clan.”

“Really? What happened to them?”

“No one’s really sure. They disappeared around two centuries ago. Very few people can read the Lagrim language, so not many know what happened to the Lagrim.”

“Can you read it, Savunt?”

“What part about long-forgotten don’t you understand?” Savunt chuckled. “But to answer your question, yes I can.”

“Oh? Then what does it say on the walls?” Senia cocked her head to the side.

“Oh nothing important. Just grocery lists, diaries, and such.”

“Huh. That’s kinda boring…” Senia ignored the rest of the writing and skipped further down the cave.

Savunt took one more glance at the walls and frowned.

The writing on the walls were not grocery lists. They were not diaries.

No. The runes on the walls were simply a repeated pattern of words. Words the warned of impending doom. Words that were hastily scribbled in fear and desperation. Words written by madmen. The final message of the Lagrim clan.

“T H E M O N S T E R I T H U N G E R S"

* * *

Cerien entered a new room. The room was quite simple. There was a double door in front of him and nothing else.

He walked up the door and tried to open it.

It was locked. There was a keyhole in the middle of the door. But he had no key.

There was nothing else to do in the room.

As he turned around to leave, a sudden black shape rushed at him.

Cerien felt his skin being scratched as he tumbled on the ground.

As he fought off the unknown enemy, he got a better look at it.

A monkey with black fur. Its nails and teeth were abnormally large. The monkey was smaller than Cerien, but its ferociousness made up for its lack of size.

The monkey viciously clawed at the boy’s face. Cerien lost vision in his left eye. In a desperate attempt to get the monkey off, he used his nails to scratch the monkey right back in the face.

The monkey screamed and jumped off him. Cerien had given the monkey long, bloody scratches on its face.

Before he could make another move, Cerien began to stare in shock at the monkey.

Its wounds began to rapidly heal. The scratches disappeared from its face, leaving only the blood that the monkey had lost.

The monkey seemed more sluggish than before, but it still launched another attack at Cerien.

Cerien was too slow to react, and the monkey bit right into his shoulder.

Ignoring the pain, Cerien decided on his next move. The monkey’s rapid regeneration was incredible. In order to defeat the monkey, he would have to end it in one blow.

Cerien used his sharp nails to pierce through the monkey’s chest.

The monkey screamed even louder as Cerien plunged his right hand deeper into its chest. He wrapped his hand around what he assumed to be the monkey’s heart. Then, he pulled as hard as he could. He ripped the monkey’s heart straight out of its body.

The monkey fell to the ground. The hole in its chest began to close up. Cerien raised his foot and stomped down as hard as he could on the monkey’s head.

SPLAT!

The monkey’s brains and blood stained the floor. The monkey’s body twitched. Its wounds stopped healing. Cerien stood over the monkey’s dead body. He was in pretty bad shape. His left eye was cut open. There were scratches on his face. A chunk of flesh was missing from his shoulder. He had tiny scratches all over his body from the monkey’s claws.

Cerien looked at the monkey’s heart in his hand. It had stopped beating.

He smiled. One more ability to steal.

He bit into the heart, blood bursting from the bite. He ate the heart until nothing was left.

Then, he began to visualize an image in his head. An image of the monkey rapidly healing the wounds on its face. Words soon popped into his head.

[Rapid Regeneration]. Another ability that Cerien had stolen.

Cerien suddenly felt his skin stretching and growing. New flesh was filling up his wounds. His left eye quickly regained its vision. The wound in his shoulder closed up. As he felt the effects of [Rapid Regeneration], he became fatigued. The healing effects seemed to take energy out of him. It was still an incredibly powerful ability, but it could not be used without periods of rest.

He looked at his left shoulder. His arm was still missing. The regeneration had not taken affect. He assumed that there was no open wound, so his arm had no healed back. Once he had a sharp tool, he would be able to cut off the stump he had for a left arm. Then, he might be able to regenerate a new arm.

He fought off the desire to sleep and stood up. He looked at the double doors in the room. There was nothing he could do here. He could walked back through the hall he had come from.

He re-entered the round room. There was only one last door he had not yet explored. The one to the left of him. He walked over.

On the door, a rune was inscribed. It was a square with a line through the middle.

He opened the door. The door closed behind him as he walked through to the last room.

* * *

Senia walked right next to Savunt, holding onto his shirt. They passed through the caves and the writings on the wall appeared more frequently. They passed the carcass of a rotting bear and wolf, obviously the remnants of great battle.

Then, they reached a doorway. The door was already open when they reached it.

“Alright, Senia. Stay close. We’re almost out of here. Just keep on walking with me alright?”

“Hm. I got it Savunt.” Senia nodded, holding onto his shirt more tightly.

Savunt looked at the orb of flame floating next to him. He didn’t have much mana left. He had been absorbing mana from the magic beasts wandering the caves. But the flame was a constant drain on him.

He had to get out of these caves quickly, so that Senia would be safe.

They entered the doorway into a long hallway. At the end, they entered a large, circular room. There were three other doors here: to the left, to the right, and in front of them.

Savunt looked at the runes of each door. The left door was marked with a cross. The door in front was marked with a circle with a square within it. The right door had a square with a line through it.

Savunt pointed at the right door.

“There. That rune means exit. That’s our way out of here.”

The two quickly ran up to the door and opened it.

“Light! I can see light!” Senia excitedly shouted. She quickly ran in front of Savunt and charged up ahead.

“Hey! Wait, Senia! Wait for me!” Savunt quickly followed the girl from behind.

* * *

Cerien was in a new room now. Much like the previous room, there were double doors in front of him. However, unlike the previous room, there was a pedestal in the center. On the pedestal was a white cube. The cube lit the room with an eerie, white glow. He walked up to the cube. He raised his right hand and touched the cube.

Suddenly, the cube shook. The white glow was replaced with a dark red light. Cerien could hear a rumbling from the hallway that he had just entered from. The rumbling stopped and the cube became still, but the red glow remained.

Cerien frowned. Perhaps something had changed in the hallway? He walked back to see what had happened.

* * *

“Senia! Can you hear me?” Savunt pounded on the wall that had suddenly fell from the ceiling.

“Yeah Savunt! I’m on the other side.” Senia shouted.

Savunt pounded harder, but the wall did not budge.

“Damnit! Just wait Senia! I’ll find a way around! Just wait here!” Savunt shouted as he ran back.

“Huh? Hey! Don’t leave me alone!” Senia cried out.

“…oh no…please…don’t leave me alone…” Senia whimpered as Savunt left her.

She crouched down and began to hold her head.

Savunt was gone. For the first time in the caves, she was completely alone.

Tears began fall down.

“…please…someone…anyone…” Senia rocked back and forth.

Suddenly she heard footsteps.

She turned her head in shock and looked in front of her.

A sudden, new voice rang out in the hallway.

“Where did that wall come from? Hey. Girl. Do you happen to know where the exit is?”

A boy with black hair and red eyes looked at Senia. The boy was older and taller than her. The boy was wearing ragged clothing that was torn in many places. She instantly noticed that the boy was missing his left arm.

“Uh…I don’t know?” Senia responded in shock and surprise. She could hardly believe her luck. Just when she thought she was completely alone, she already met another human.

The boy nodded when Senia responded. Then, he turned around and walked away.

“Hey! Wait!” Senia ran up and grabbed onto the boy’s torn clothing.

The boy turned.

“What is it?” He cocked his head.

“Don’t you…don’t you think we should stay together?” Senia weakly smiled.

“…if you want.” The boy quickly answered. Then he turned around and started walking away.

Senia ran after him.

“I’m Senia.” She told him.

“Cerien.” The boy promptly replied.

“That’s a nice name.” Senia smiled at Cerien.

The two walked together in silence. Senia stayed close to boy, grateful for the company.

The hallway ended and the two entered a room.

Senia realized that the source of the light was coming from a strange cube on a pedestal.

“Don’t touch that. I think that’s what brought that wall down.” Cerien remarked.

Senia nodded. She looked closer at the double doors, when suddenly the doors began to open.

She ran backwards and hid behind Cerien.

As the doors opened, a man stepped out.

He looked at Cerien and Senia.

“Oh. You again. And it looks like you’ve brought company this time.”

The demon smiled cruelly.

“Hey Cerien, how do you know that guy? And why does he have black skin?” Senia asked him.

Cerien did not answer.

“Hey there little girl. What’s a human doing deep underground? This is no place for a girl your age.” The demon’s smile grew wider. But his eyes were cold and cruel.

“Cerien…I don’t like this guy. Can we go away?” Senia pulled on Cerien’s sleeve.

“You don’t like me? That’s…

Ironic.

After all, that boy you’re talking to right now…

Is a monster.”

Senia turned to look at the demon angrily.

“Hey! Don’t call Cerien a monster! If anyone’s a monster, you’re it!” she shouted.

The demon shook his head.

“Well then, why don’t we find out?

Boy. I will give you two choices.

You fight for your survival. Of course, I’ll just kill you both.

Or…hand over the girl. I’ll take the girl’s life. And I’ll let you escape.”

The smile on the demon’s face seemed incredibly twisted.

“Well then. Make your choice, boy.”

Senia looked at Cerien.

“Hey Cerien. Let’s just run away. There’s no need to-” Senia was cut off as she was suddenly shoved forward.

She fell to the ground.

“Huh?” She looked at Cerien in confusion.

Before she could say anything else, she suddenly began to rise in the air.

Her hands went to her neck as if she was choking. Her feet kicked in the air as she struggled to breathe.

Suddenly, a loud crack could be heard as Senia’s head turned at an unnatural angle.

With that, her body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless.

“Well. I guess we find out the answer.” The demon turned and looked at Cerien. His smile disappeared. His face was full of disgust.

“You…really are a monster. As promised, I will let you live. Pass through these doors and you shall find the exit. Now leave. Before I change my mind. You piece of trash.”

Cerien didn’t waste any time. Without glancing at the girl’s dead body, he left the room and went through the doors.

The demon swiped the cube on the pedestal. The red glow faded. A sudden rumbling could be heard further down the hallway.

He walked down the hall, leaving behind Senia’s lifeless body.

* * *

Savunt had chosen to enter the door with a circle with a square within it. The rune meant “city.” The other door had a rune that meant “forbidden.”

Savunt doubted that the “forbidden” door had the key to opening the wall. So, he chose the other door.

When he entered the new room, he first noticed the carcass of a monkey on the floor. It had been recently killed. In front of him was a pair of double doors. Unfortunately, they were locked. He looked around for any hidden mechanism, but there was none.

As Savunt wondered what to do, he heard another rumbling behind him.

Had the wall been removed? He quickly rushed back.

As he ran, he suddenly saw a figure ahead.

Was it Senia? No. The figure was much too tall and masculine to be her.

He stopped.

Sudden dread filled Savunt.

The man in front of him was all too familiar.

“Savunt. How long has it been, my man? Or rather, my homunculus?"

“…not long enough.” Savunt replied.

The man in front of him was Garmr. A legendary demon who had existed since the Start. Garmr. The first head of Cerberus, the infamous trio of demons that directly served under the great Demon King.

“What are you doing here in enemy territory? You should be on the other side of Alurca.” Savunt asked.

“Ha, my friend. I could say the same to you. But then again, I’m pretty sure anywhere you go it is enemy territory.”

“I don’t have time to waste. I don’t care why you’re here in the Lagrim ruins. I just need to get out. Tell me. Did you see a human girl wandering these ruins?”

Garmr smiled.

“A human girl? Oh yes. I did. In fact, I snapped her neck with my own hands.”

“YOU WHAT!” Savunt roared.

“Oh come on. Don’t be surprised. I can’t let a human tell the world that I’m here. Oh that reminds me. There was a human boy with her.”

“Spare me your chatter.” Savunt replied with barely contained hatred.

“Oh no. This is important. That boy…he was…one of a kind. I gave him a choice, you see. And without hesitation, he chose to sacrifice that girl’s life. I’m not going to lie. He is a monster. Whatever humanity he had, he had obviously lost. If you want to take revenge, I suggest not wasting your time with me.

In your current state, you are in no shape to take me on. But the boy is a different scenario. Go on. Kill him. I won’t stop you.” Garmr coldly smiled.

“Shut up. I don’t need you to tell to order me.”

“But you’re still going to listen to me, right?”

Savunt did not answer. He walked past Garmr. He walked towards the door with the exit rune marked on it.

* * *

Cerien walked along the hallway. He was finally reaching the exit. He kept on walking, leaving behind the caves.

As he walked, he suddenly felt the fatigue coming over him.

Damn it. Not now. I’m so…close…

Cerien closed his eyes as he fell to the ground.

* * *

A white landscape.

A boy was standing.

A look with disgust and anger was on his face.

“You. What do you think you are doing? I can’t stand by and watch anymore.”

The boy could barely contain his anger. He closed his eyes.

“I understand killing the wolf. It wasn’t human. Merely a magic beast.”

“BUT THE GIRL!” he shouted.

His eyes opened.

“THE GIRL WAS HUMAN! HOW COULD YOU BETRAY HER!” the boy was shouting with all his might.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?” the boy fell onto his knees. Tears of frustration and anger fell.

The boy quietly sobbed.

In a quiet voice, he whispered,

“You…

Are a monster.”

The white world slowly faded into darkness.