Chapter 101 - The Mysterious Merchant

Crawling out from the bath of blood again like a newborn being brought into the world, he couldn't stop himself from shaking as he fell back to the ground; bile seeping from the edges of his mouth before spitting it out onto the grimy stone.

The pain was still fresh in his mind, the unbearable agony he suffered was carved into his flesh as a reminder of the despair inflicted upon him. Running his hand over his cheeks and into his hair, gripping his locks--tears escaped his eyelids.

His jaw sent his teeth into a constant tremble as they chattered together, rocking back and forth as the torturous moments stayed at the forefront of his mind. What amplified this instilled fear was the very fact that there was no escape from it; no choice was left to him but to fight that beast until the moment he prevailed, if that moment were to ever come.

--Is this the price of strength? If this is just the start, what will become of me by the end? Will I even be "Nakamura Ren" anymore, or just a husk that discarded his emotions in order to gain power?

As the flow of tears finally stopped after a few minutes of silence, he hesitantly stood himself up, dragging himself out of the starting room before instantly coming to a pause at the sight of the room before him.

He knew for sure that the room had previously been somber, covered with tall standing pillars and weathered crates. The room that existed before him now was but a walkway, with two seemingly bottomless pits running parallel along the stone path.

All that sat in the distance was the faint glow of the end of the mysterious room.

--Am I going crazy, or did the room change completely?

A draft rose up from the dark chasms, causing his step to come down in a wobble before he started to slowly move forward.

As soon as he began his journey forward through the long, narrow stretch, the draft seemed to pick up in intensity. The stone path that stood above the chasm was wide enough only for himself, with the wind brushing against him, a wide step would be made impossible, unless he planned on falling into the hollow darkness that awaited below.

Howling and whistling, the enigmatic winds called for him as he kept his arms up to maintain his balance, placing one foot in front of the other. His heart felt as if it were going to explode as he placed his foot down, the stone step beneath slipping out of place as he narrowly managed to maintain his balance. Ren watched with a throbbing heart as the loose slab of stone fell off of the thin path, disappearing into the chasm below.

If there was one singular thing keeping him moving forward, it was the constant thought of Iris roaming through his mind. Imagining the minotaur's wickedness getting a hold of her, if it didn even a quarter of what was inflicted on Ren--it was an unimaginable thought that he wanted to prevent.

Reaching the end of the somber pathway, he slowly approached the vibrantly lit room that sat waiting for him.

"Oh? I felt the floor rearrange itself, but I didn't expect it to bring you here this quickly."

A hoarse, scratchy voice called out to him from within the next room, quickly drawing his attention to it. Ren was quick to place his hand on his sheathed blade out of instinct, finally setting his gaze on the source of the words.

"Woah, there! Calm down, I'm a harmless merchant, just look at me!"

The enigmatic man raised his arms to display they were nothing but grime-covered bones, as was seemingly the rest of his body, which was wrapped in a light-brown robe.

"A skeleton…?"

"The name is Galaggher, but Bones, or Skelly, is fine by me."

The pile of living bones by the name of "Galaggher" sat in the center of the room, surrounded by wares of all kinds: gems, trinkets, weapons, and even potions. Lining the walls were even more tools of malice hanging on display.

"I'm not an enemy, Mr…?"

"Ren."

"Ren! A unique name, never heard it before. As you can see, I am a merchant--and these are my beautiful wares."

Galaggher moved his arms through the air as he presented the selection of tools to the still cautious young man. Sensing the paranoia from Ren, the skeletal merchant gave him words of reassurement.

"Don't worry, that monster--Asterius--isn't near. By the look in your eye, I can see he didn't grant you any mercy? He never does."

"Asterius? Do you mean that bull-man-thing?"

Answering his confusion, Galaggher nodded his head to confirm the identity of the monstrous foe that had inflicted death upon him twice now.

"Tell me...What the hells is this place? The rooms…"

"Ah, I can answer that for you, lad. I'm sure you at least know this is the very first floor of the Purgatory Temple. As the domain which Asterius wanders and protects, it has coined the name of the "Black Labyrinth" for its evershifting nature, each time one falls to death, the rooms completely change order."

Flipping a black gem above his bony fingers, Galaggher explained the origins of the floor that currently resided in, stroking the silver beard that somehow existed on his chin consisting only of bone.

"Now, come, relax for a moment! I'm sure there are more questions that need answering."

There wasn't a hint of malice he could sense from the mysterious being, so he decided to seat himself down in front of the merchant.

"I'm guessing you're curious about the identity of one such as myself?"

"--Yeah, I am."

Ren nodded his head, glad that he didn't have to ask that question himself.

"It was a long, long time ago...so long, that I don't even remember!"

Releasing a fit of hoarse laughter from his non-existent throat, Galaggher slapped the top of his own skull. As he quieted down, the shadowy sockets that harbored no eyeballs looked at Ren.

"I suppose there are only so many memories that can be remembered. It's a miracle I even know my own name still! Still, I can tell you how I wound up in this peculiar situation!"

"How's that…?"

"It's faint, but I do remember making it to the third floor."