Chapter 383 - The Third Floor

After the hardships we endured throughout Purgatory, we decided as a group to extend our stay--resting at the tower for a week. Although I'd say it was paramount to make sure we were fully rested...I'd be lying to say the main reason was just because we were scared of what awaited next. 

But soon, you have to face reality. 

[Purgatory, Intermediate Chamber Between Floor Two & Three -- One Week Later] 

That ominous, cold gate that oozed with ancient maledictions; all they could do was stare at it as only one decision sat between them and the final floor of the hellish realm.

"This is it," he stated, "beyond that door is our final trial." 

Looking back as he stood at the forefront, he looked at the members of the Weltwanders that left the final choice to him. 

Our group has grown so much...it really makes me feel like nothing can stand in our way, but when I look at that door...I just can't shake this feeling. It's like my primal instincts warning me--no, my instincts are shivering--it's just completely dread coating that steel, he thought. 

As doubts clung to his mind, a gentle grasp of his hand dug him out from the suffocating depths of such plaguing thoughts. 

There was no mistaking the small size of her hand, feeling her lithe fingers against his own--recognizing them even through the material of his glove. 

"Iris…" He looked at the girl. 

She bestowed upon him a smile that lit his heart with a light that tossed away the aching shadows, "We can do this." 

It was an infectious smile, causing him to return her expression as he nodded, interlacing his fingers with her own. 

"Yeah. We haven't lost yet, have we? No reason to doubt ourselves now," he said. 

Turning back once more to the rest of the group, it seemed the same sentiment was shared between them as they held smiles of confidence themselves. 

"...Here we go."

He placed his hand against the chill steel of the ominous gate, pressing his strength against its dense form as it slowly began to part with a croak. 

As it started to part, allowing the space between the two sides of steel to widen, he desperately looked at that space in hopes of getting a glimpse of what lay beyond the door before having to face it fully. 

But, nothing could be made out. There wasn't any semblance of light that seeped between the cracks, only an all-encompassing, silent darkness. 

Iris joined him in the parting of the final door; soon it was fully parted--revealing its bare threshold to the challengers. 

"What is this?" He asked quietly. 

Nothingness. 

There was nothing behind the doors; a scenery of silent, pulsating darkness existed beyond the threshold with an unwelcoming, yet enticing cold. It brought a still silence that overwhelmed him greater than any beastly roar, exhibiting a dense darkness that gripped his body with an aura of enigma. 

"Are my eyes playing a prank on me? All I see is black," Valerie commented, leaning in for a closer look. 

Jae-Seong stepped up, curiously and cautiously placing his hand beyond the threshold; it began to vibrate subtly, being tugged on slightly as his eye widened with a bit of surprise before he withdrew his hand. 

"What was that about?" Macheo asked, keeping a safe distance from the enigmatic doorway. 

"I get it now," Jae-Seong spoke, seeming to ignore the prince's words, "they're being pretty secretive, huh? It's a teleportation veil." 

His words only seemed to mean something to Iris, Fedrin, and Mencius as the others were left perplexed at his realization. 

"I guess I'll be the one to ask...what's a "teleportation veil" anyway?" Ren asked. 

Iris turned her gaze to him, keeping her hand tucked close to her chest, "Mother told me about it a long time ago...she said it was outdated, and that very few people in the world used it. It's a type of magecraft that combines spatial and dark magic, setting a doorway to another, disconnected area wherever the caster chooses--but it's usually meant to exile criminals as the doorway casts a Blackout spell on whoever walks through it." 

As impatient as ever, it was the golden-haired prince hailing from Lucrauv that stepped forward, looking at the darkness past the door as if glaring with contempt. 

"So we just walk through it, what's the problem?" Macheo said with a certain sass as he looked back. 

"...Right. Why didn't we think of that, oh-so-smart prince?" Ren sighed, "but I guess you are right." 

He stood by Macheo, peering into the space absent of anything as he could feel the coldness of the darkness brush against his skin. 

"Nothing left but the road ahead, right?" He looked at Macheo. 

"Damn right," Macheo smiled. 

As the most reckless duo of the group, the two young men stepped forward with a powerful stride in unison. 

His stomach felt as if it sank into unknown depths as he stepped into the formless space, unable to see any platform in which the soles of his boots would meet with. 

"Macheo?" He asked.

As he looked to the side, the companion who was directly beside him wasn't to be seen--only daunting darkness. 

It took him a moment to realize the truth of what he saw--it wasn't an all-encompassing darkness that blinded his view, but a total lack of any of his senses in general. 

"..."

He uttered his comrade's name again, but didn't hear it this time. 

So, this is how Blackout feels, huh? Scary stuff...He thought. 

There was nothing to do; he knew it wasn't simply an absence of his senses, but he truly was in a separate space from where he once was now. 

Without any warning, the darkness engulfing his senses vanished--revealing the space in which he now stood in. 

Immediately, his balance was tested as the surface he stood on rocked unnaturally. It was as if the ground beneath his feet was being subject to a light tremor that shifted the floor side-to-side beneath his boots. 

"Huh?"

--Nearly falling to the side, he was caught by a hand grasping his arm, helping him stand up straight. Turning to see the source of the helping hand, it was none other than the long-haired, high elf. 

"Thanks…where are we?" He asked. 

Finally looking around, it was a vast world of darkness with a ground of unseen depth--but that wasn't quite right. 

Looking down, he realized the unnatural shakiness to the ground beneath his feat originated from the fact he was stationed on a small, shoddily made boat. 

It was then a stomach-churning realization was made as he looked at the scenery around the boat: it wasn't a dark pit surrounding him, but a far-stretching sea of black, abyssal waters that allowed no view to what was beneath. 

"If I had to guess...this is the third floor," Fedrin answered. 

As a sea was expected to be, it seemed endless to his gaze; the black, enigmatic waters accompanying the natural darkness to the dreadful domain. Passing by, the winds existing in the enigmatic realm brought along a sharp cold. 

"I see...where are the others?" He asked. 

Looking in front of him, there was nobody else he could see, though it was difficult to trust his eyes after the sensory deprivation he just experienced. 

"Well, I'm right here, but...I'm the last one on this ship besides you two," a familiar voice called. 

As he turned to face the masculine voice, he found Jae-Seong standing at the back of the roughly-crafted sea vessel, who held his same frivolous look, but with an air of caution. 

"But…"

"Don't worry, it looks like they just split us up between boats--look there," Jae-Seong pointed with a turn of his chin. 

Upon further inspection, he could make out other similar boats traversing the chilling, abyssal sea--though they were too far for any words to be exchanged. 

"This place…" He muttered. 

Looking up, the only sources of light were colossal trees of gray bark that were laden with amber, firefly-like spores that clung to the towering, mystical cedar in abundance. Though it wasn't nearly enough light to settle his anxiety. 

As far as he could see, the sky above was nothing but an abyss of its own; filled with darkness and little else to be seen. 

"It's huge," he commented. 

"Indeed it is...I presume we're all headed towards the same place, though," Fedrin spoke, "there is an island in the far distance--quite a large one." 

He questioned how the high elf could see anything as he saw nothing but darkness in the far distance, but the existence of vision reinforcement was reeled back to his mind. Centering his reinforcement on his pupils he looked straight ahead. 

As noted, it was a massive stretch of land, seemingly walled off by high slopes that rivaled mountains. 

"I don't like this at all," Jae-Seong took a seat on the untrustworthy floor of the boat. 

"What?" He looked at the man. 

"...I'm not good with the sea," Jae-Seong answered, covering his mouth. 

The usually carefree man held his stomach and mouth, seeming to use all of his willpower to contain whatever should be left in the pits of his stomach. 

Please aim that off the side of the boat, he thought. 

--Without warning, a presence was felt at the forefront of the claustrophobic sea vessel that slowly moved across the black sea. 

"Who's there?" He asked, placing his hand on the handle of his sheathed blade.

Acting just as quick, Fedrin raised his staff, standing at the side of the snowy-haired man as they faced the unknown presence. Though the same couldn't be said for Jae-Seong, who remained compromised by his sea sickness. 

It was a familiar sight--the small cat he had discarded long ago. 

"Bifrons?" He looked. 

The black cat remained silent for a few moments before speaking, "This will be our official goodbye, Ren Nakamura.. It is the duty of at least one of the participants' attendants boarding the ship to inform you of the nature of the final floor."