Chapter 105 First Fragment



"This place is bigger than I anticipated " Vincent murmured to himself in awe as he hung suspended from one of the rocks jutting out from the ceiling of the cave.

The water below was too deep now, and there were no longer any rocks protruding from the surface. He was forced to rely on the sturdy hold of the rock above him. He dug his fingers into the rough surface of the stone, and with a powerful punch, he created a hole to anchor himself. 

"I'm almost there, I can't afford to lose momentum now," he muttered, his voice echoing in the damp cave. The jagged rocks threatened to loosen up with every hold, but he pressed on, his eyes scanning the dark cave for any hidden dangers.

"I could try swimming, but who knows what lurks in those murky depths." The strong current below served as a constant reminder of the perilous depths that awaited him should he fall. While he had initially believed that he had nothing to fear from the current, witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience than merely imagining it.

"If only I had wings," he chuckled, trying to ease the tension that was building up inside him. The idea of soaring above the treacherous terrain was a tantalizing one, but alas, it was not meant to be. For now, he would have to rely on his wits and his  abilities to get him through this.

"Swooosh"

"Swooosh"

"Swooosh"

With each calculated move, he reached for a new hold, gripping with the strength of a vise.

"Swooosh"

"Swooosh"

"Swooosh"

"Just a little longer " He pushed through the discomfort, refusing to let a little hardship stand in his way. He continued to move with determination, his eyes focused on the task at hand.

"Finally! " he let out a relieved sigh as he finally saw the end of the cave.

The rough terrain and the darkness were starting to take a toll on him, but his determination pushed him forward. As he approached the end , he saw a wide rock surface below a wall of hard stones. Without hesitation, he took a leap of faith and jumped onto the surface, his feet landing firmly on the rough rock. 

"Thud"

"I can finally have a breather " he let out a satisfied smile, relieved to have finally caught his breath. He stretched his fingers, feeling the lingering ache from gripping onto the rough surface of the cavern wall. Despite the wound on his hand, he could already see it slowly regenerating, a testament to his resilience and the regenerative abilities of his body. 

"Where should I go next?" He stood before the solid rock surface, unsure of how to proceed. He could sense the fragment nearby, but there seemed to be no clear way through the solid wall of rock .He doubted that brute force alone could break through the thick stone, and he certainly didn't have the time to waste on a futile effort.

As he pondered his next move, his ears picked up a faint noise closed to him.

"What's that sound?" he muttered to himself, his senses on high alert. He walked to the edge of the rock surface and peered down , then he saw the water bubbling below.

"There's a current pulling in the water," he exclaimed, his mind racing with possibilities. Could this be the entrance to the fragment's domain?

"But how can I enter?" As he considered his options, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was a risky move. He knew his lungs had become stronger, but holding his breath for too long was still a dangerous proposition.

"Maybe I should go back and get some diving gear," He muttered to himself as he finally gave up in getting the fragment today.

But just then, something miraculous happened. The ground shook beneath him, and the water level in the cave began to rapidly decrease. He braced himself as the world around him shifted, and a new tunnel was revealed below.

"My medallion must have reacted!" he exclaimed, his heart pounding with excitement.

He immediately jumped down and entered the tunnel.

Vincent cautiously made his way down the man-made tunnel his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. The narrow entrance had an eerie atmosphere that made him feel as if he was entering a forbidden domain. But he couldn't let fear hold him back, not when he was so close to finding his objective.

As he descended deeper, he couldn't help but marvel at the precision of the stairs and the walls. It was as if someone had meticulously build this hidden passage with great care and intention. The thought of the power it must have taken to lower down the water level of this cave and build this tunnel was beyond his comprehension .

Finally , he reached the bottom of the stairs and found himself in a small room. The walls were adorned with strange symbols that he didn't recognize, and the air had a powerful feeling to it. It was as if the room was alive, pulsating with energy.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself. He could feel the fragment's pull getting stronger, urging him to move forward. 

He approached the far end of the room, where a crack in the wall glowed with a faint light. He placed his hand on the surface and felt the warmth emanating from it. 

With a sudden burst of power, he pushed against the crack with all his strength. The wall gave way, revealing a big space beyond.

He stepped inside, and his eyes widened in wonder. The cavern was filled with crystals that glowed with blue otherworldly light. It was as if he had stepped into a different realm altogether.

ραпdα---nᴏνa| сom "This place is amazing !" He was awestruck by the breathtaking sight before him. The walls of the cave were adorned with countless sparkling crystals that shimmered in the dim light. It was like he had stepped into a secret treasure trove, hidden away from the world. As he gazed around in wonder, he could feel the fatigue in his body fading away, replaced by a sense of renewed vigor.

He walked towards one of the crystals and carefully touched it with his fingertips. It felt smooth and cool to the touch, yet emanated a powerful energy that seemed to flow into his body. He closed his eyes and let himself be consumed by the sensation, reveling in the pure bliss of it all.

"What is this place?" he whispered to himself, still in awe of the incredible beauty surrounding him. "Who could have created something like this?"

"Swooosh"

But his thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a swift , darting movement. His mind focused as everything around him seemed to slow down, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the small creature that had appeared. It had a pristine white fur and was about the size of a Shih Tzu, but its body was incredibly agile, moving with an almost ethereal grace.

With his more powerful body, he moved like a blur, darting towards the small creature with the agility of a vampire. His enhanced senses allowed him to anticipate the creature's movements, and in no time, he was right behind it. It turned to face him, its white fur standing on end, but he was already upon it. With a swift movement of his hand, he caught the creature and held it up to his face, examining it closely.

"What is this thing?" He had never seen anything like it before. Its eyes were large and yellow, and it had a small, pointed nose. Its body was covered in soft, white fur, and its small, delicate paws were tipped with sharp claws.

Vincent could feel the power of the crystal coursing through its veins, and he knew that this creature was somehow connected to it. He wondered if it was a guardian, put in place to protect the crystal from anyone who would misuse its power.

"No, this thing is too weak to be a guardian " He shook his head as he looked into the creature's eyes, he could see that it was afraid. It struggled in his grasp, trying to break free, but he held it firm. 

With a soft, reassuring voice, he spoke to the creature.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," he said. Slowly, he released his grip, but the creature scurried away, disappearing into the shadows.

"Run little guy " he chuckled as if he had already anticipated the creature reaction.

He followed the small, white-furred creature with curiosity as it darted around piles of crystals. He made sure to keep a safe a distant from it to avoid detection.

As the creature led him to another tunnel, Vincent continued to follow closely, eager to discover where it came from. He realized that following the creature was a wise decision as there were countless tunnels in this place, making it all too easy to become lost in the maze-like passages.

After a couple  of minute, he finally emerged into a huge open space where dozens of these creatures were living, surrounded by even more crystals. He noticed larger variants among them, but his attention was soon drawn to the giant creature at the center.

The creature was around 20 feet tall and had a similar structure to the smaller ones. But what made him excited was the golden object embedded in the creature's forehead. He knew it had to be the fragment, and he could feel his heart racing just by looking at it.

"I need to find a way to get that thing!"