Chapter 69: Man vs Catacombs

Chapter 69: Man vs Catacombs

The tunnels were grinning at Basil.

He almost missed the cold, sterile walls of the Paris underground. There was no one beneath the citys concrete, no water or peopleonly dreadful silence. The transit system had fallen into disrepair, leaving its tunnels empty and almost safe to journey through. It should have been a sign that something terrible frightened monsters away from the citys depths, but the party progressed through them nonetheless. They had rested and prepared as much as the ticking clock would allow. They had traveled through the subway, used Bugsy to dig tunnels whenever they encountered a roadblock, and finally found a way into the catacombs three hours into their search.

In doing so, they had left the comfort of civilization for the world of the dead.

Corpses formed the catacombs foundations. Walls of skulls supported arched ceilings of bones, kept barely illuminated by ephemeral ghostlights. The place felt neither cold nor warm; the air was dry and thick with dust. Strange noises often echoed through this maze of death: pained cries, cracking bones, and the sound of an invisible wind blowing in the distance.

Still nothing? Basil asked Bugsy as he and the centimagma advanced at the groups vanguard. His fiery halberd provided a measure of light, as did a flame floating inside Vasis opened hand. We were told this place was crawling with undead monsters.

I detect footsteps a few tunnels ahead, Boss, Bugsy whispered back, his voice so low that Basil could barely hear him. But theyre few and far between.

I smell dust and rot everywhere, Plato warned behind Basil. Although the cat was usually sent ahead of the group to scout, the current terrain made it a risky proposition. Basil had seen enough Indiana Jones and Mummy movies to know that underground tombs always included trapdoors and closing walls. The party couldnt afford to split up. This place gives me the creeps.

Wait for me, Rosemarine protested as she closed the march. Once as long as a bus, she had shrunk to the size of a large alligator. I miss open spaces

Rosemarines size had presented quite the challenge for Basil: the tropidrake was too big to fit into the tunnels, but also integral to the partys composition and a trusted teammate. He had considered switching her for Zacharielwho remained at the Lair base with Neriabefore finding a different solution.

His Jekyll & Stein alchemy manual had once again proved its weight in gold. One of its potions, Gullivers Drink, allowed the user to temporarily shrink in size for hours at the cost of halving physical stats for the same duration. Basil managed to craft three doses, enough to let Rosemarine accompany the party into the catacombs. Somehow, dwarfism had made her even cuter.

Basil had nicknamed this form Chibimarine.

How far are we from the dungeon? Vasi asked Shellgirl, who was busy examining the teams maps.

Close, Shellgirl replied. We need to take left at the next crossroads and then right. Were almost to the quarry.

Which, according to BuzzBands map, was the junction between the catacombs and Plutos dungeon. Basil suspected that the Louvres plaza was right above their heads.

We have progressed so far and yet to face opposition. Vasi shook her head. I cant believe our foes wouldnt send anyone to patrol the underground.

Me neither, Basil said grimly. The catacombs arent exactly a state secret either. We should have encountered resistance by now.

Basils eyes darted from one wall to another. The skulls and bones making up the foundations often formed ghastly designs of broken hearts, arrows, and Christian crosses. He stopped upon noticing fingerbones assembled into a sentence.

Lasciate ogni speranza, voi que entrate.

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here, Basil translated. How charming.

Be wary, handsome, Vasi warned him. I disabled a few trap glyphs as we walked. These words can trigger curses if spoken aloud.

Duly noted, Basil replied, only for Bugsy to freeze in place. What is it?

Enemies incoming, Boss, the centimagma warned, his antennae touching the ground as he spoke. Two of them, maybe more.

Basil cursed. Their luck had to run out at one point. Can we avoid them?

I dont think so, Boss, Bugsy replied. Theyre in our way.

All right, then lets finish them off quickly before they can sound the alarm. Basil almost welcomed the interruption after the monotone, underground journey. Everyone, time to buff it up.

Be thankful, I shall grace you with my new illusion powers! Plato joined his palm and activated his new sorcery. Mirage!

Good work, oh king of cats, Vasi said before casting her favorite spell. Hasten.

Motivate! Shellgirl added.

The buffs empowered Basil and swiftly spread to his team.

[Mirage] status! Your chances of dodging Physical attacks are doubled for three minutes![Hasten] status! Your speed is doubled for two minutes!Your accuracy and critical hit chances have been increased for five minutes![All for One] shared your buffs with your allies!

A pity Basil couldnt drink Vasis mind-protecting potion yet. Since it canceled shapeshifting effects, it would disable Rosemarines chibi form and immediately return her to normal size. Hopefully, he wouldnt need it until they reached the pyramid.

The enemy appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Basil blinked in surprise at the sight. Instead of a monster, a little human girl no older than ten stood in the partys way. She was white and immaculate from her feet and dress to her skin and eyes. Her facial features were blurry, to the point Basil struggled to recognize her face.

[Monster Insight] cannot work on this target.

Who are you? Basil asked, raising his halberd for battle. Doesnt matter if you look underage, Ill hit you anyway.

Poor choice of words, Plato joked, causing Vasi to chuckle. Shes too old for you anyway.

Before Basil could utter a clever retort, the white girl vanished as swiftly as she appeared. Huh? Shellgirl asked. What was that?

I didnt hear her coming, Bugsy apologized. Im sorry, Boss.

I couldnt read her stats, Vasi said. She must have been an illusion.

Mummy GuardiansLevel 30 [Undead/Humanoid]Faction: Metal Olympus (Psychopompos).Immune: Soul, all ailments.Resist: Frost, Earth, Darkness, Mythic.Weak: Deadslayer, Manslayer, Wood, Life, Water, Light.The new vanguard of the Franco-Egyptian fashion circuit, these monsters showcase the latest trend in funerary practices. Undeath: dont settle on lifelike.DeathscytherLevel 29 [Undead]Faction: Metal Olympus (Psychopompos).Tomb HaunterLevel 18 [Undead]Faction: Metal Olympus (Psychopompos).Supereffective hit! Critical hit!Supereffective hit! Critical hit!Supereffective hit! Critical hit!Supereffective hit! Critical hit!

Boss, the ceiling is collapsing! Bugsy warned.

Those cowards!

No recall or intervention can work in this place! the ghost declared with a burst of wicked laughter. You will never see the sunlight aga

Vasi shot the specter with a fire blast before it could finish its sentence, dispelling it.

Follow me! Bugsy shouted, rushing through a tunnel on the left with his antennae touching the ground. This way!

After him! Basil shouted as the Bohens followed their ally. Bugsy charged through the maze of tunnels, trusting his Tremorsense to guide the party through them. Skulls fell from the ceiling and Basil deflected them with his halberd before they could hit him.

The race lasted more than a minute, forcing Vasi to cast Hasten on her boyfriend again to keep the team up to speed. Basil heard a loud crack behind him, and looked over his shoulder to see the tunnel collapsing behind Rosemarine and Plato. Both cat and tropidrake rushed as fast as they could to escape an incoming cloud of dust and debris.

Bugsy took a corner, but Basil blinked upon seeing that it led to a wall of skulls. Dead end! he shouted in alarm.

But Bugsy didnt slow down. In fact, the centimagma cast Agility Up once again as he charged headfirst into the wall. His mighty body shattered skulls and bones on impact, blowing a hole for the party to escape through.

Basil didnt hesitate. He stored his pistol back in his inventory, grabbed Vasis hand, and leaped with her through the hole.

The landing on the other side wasnt very glorious. The party fell from a small height upon one another, with Basil crash-landing on Bugsys back and serving as an unexpected cushion for his girlfriend and cat alike. The tunnel collapsed behind them, with a flood of bone debris closing the hole behind them.

Ugh Basil coughed dust as Vasi rolled off his back. He glanced around himself, and to his relief, all his team had made it through the catacombs unharmed. Is everyone all right?

Im fine, Boss, Bugsy replied before rising back up. I didnt feel a thing.

Speak for yourself. Plato scoffed. His black fur was covered in dust. Im dirty! Dirty!

Ill heal you, Mister Plato, Rosemarine said before glowing brightly. The room they had landed in was better lit than the catacombs, allowing her to use her Perks. Sunbath.

The healing light cleared away Basils exhaustion as his buffs ran out and the System awarded them experience.

Congratulations, your party earned 970,000 EXP (54000 for you). You earned two levels (total 38).

Thanks for the landing pad, Basil, Vasi whispered as she helped her boyfriend rise back to his feet. Your back is very soft, you know? I could get used to it.

Please dont make it a habit, Basil grumbled. At first look, his party had landed in some kind of ancient underground quarry. A hall of stone large enough to house an airport opened before them, with dizzyingly tall pillars of stone holding a dark ceiling over ten meters high. Burning hieroglyphs covered the walls and repelled the darkness with bright light. Good job, Bugsy. Your quick thinking saved us all.

Oh Boss, youre making me blush, the centimagma replied with happy eyes. It was nothing.

No need for false modesty, Bugsy, Shellgirl said with a grin. We owe you our lives.

One of them at least, Plato said. But how did you know this path would be safe?

I, uh Bugsy scoffed in embarrassment. I sensed the walls were very porous in the last tunnel over. Considering the local architecture, I guessed that it meant they bordered the quarry.

So you knew because youre an architecture nerd? Plato deadpanned.

Whats a nerd? Rosemarine asked navely. How does it taste?

Either bitter or very sweet, Vasi joked. So is this the quarry we were looking for?

If you ask me Shellgirl raised a finger at a distant structure. My merchant sense tells me this is our place.

Basils gaze followed her lead.

As weird as it looked, a seven-floor modern building of concrete stood at the quarrys center. Shaped like a three-sided star, the structure supported the ceiling alongside the stone pillars. The remains of petrified trees and empty ponds surrounded its gates of steel. Thousands of stained glass windows covered the faade, preventing outsiders from seeing the horrors inside. In spite of being located deep underground, the building appeared strangely well-preserved.

A bronze sign written in both English and French loomed over its entrance.

UNESCOUnited Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization

The UNESCO HQ, Basil whispered. The place where it all began. The building Kalki desired to visit above all else.

Dungeon: Louvre PyramidLevel: Variable.Faction: Metal OlympusField Type: Tartarus.[Soul], [Corrosion], [Fire], [Earth], [Darkness], and [Mythic] elements are strengthened.[Wood], [Water], and [Light] elements are weakened.Healing effects are halved and chances of suffering from [Insta-Death] are doubled.All creatures that die in the Field will rise up at sundown as mindless [Undead] Types.

As BuzzBand had warned, the Pyramid had assimilated the UNESCO into itself. Basil suspected that ascending through the buildings floors would lead them straight into the Louvres halls.

Level variable? Basil gritted his teeth as he read the dungeons stats. Of course these cheaters wont play by everyone elses rules.

Looks like we exorcized the ghosts, Shellgirl noted. The path to the catacombs was closed by a hill of dirt and broken bones, and with it, their escape route. That, or theyve decided to cut their losses and flee.

We should assume the worst, sad as it sounds, Vasi said. One of them might be warning their master as we speak.

Agreed, lets move before reinforcements arrive. Basil looked up at the windows. The building appeared empty and silent, with no enemy to welcome his team outside its walls. Yet he felt an invisible pressure on his shoulders.

The disturbing sensation of being watched.