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Chapter 323 - Calling for help
🕑 Added 2021-10-04 13:01:06 +0000 UTCThe passage leading outside the hidden crypt was longer than Hera expected. Not just that, but there were several walls made out of that weird stone that she couldn't move, blocking segments of the corridor. Silah had made a path going around each of those rocks. She had to dig deep into the walls of the crypt and even be careful not to mess too much with the structure of the area, but she had managed to reach the ending. However, she didn't open the last part of the passage just yet. Everyone more or less guessed that this would drop them at the end of that spiral passage, and if that was the case, there was a considerable risk of finding more monsters when they exited the crypt.
Before opening it, both Hera and Shane took turns using their sonar spells. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any monsters in the area, allowing them to open the passage and sneak outside. Like they imagined, they were by the end of the spiral path. Hera and Silah quickly started to block off the large corridor. The last thing they needed was to be cornered by the monsters in this part of the crypts, and now they had a way to move up through the hidden tomb, which should be safer or at least free of giant monsters.
"Ok, so where to next?" Blue asked.
"I think we should keep going to the corner of the room. We might find the legacy there," Shane said.
"I think we should go back to the outpost. We don't have enough supplies to keep roaming around aimlessly. Besides, we already have a safe way to come back here," Bonnie said.
"But if we go back up, we might end up meeting those monsters. We won't be able to cross the chasm if they are there," Alex said.
"That's not necessarily true. The monsters might see the cloud as something that they couldn't cross and don't even try. Either way, we don't have enough food to stay here for a long time," Bonnie added.
"We could just eat the monsters that are around here. I'm sure there will be some nearby," Helena suggested.
"I'm not eating spider!" Bonnie gasped.
"But why, though? It's just like any kind of meat. It actually tastes kind of like shrimp," Mylo said.
"I don't care. I'm not eating spider," Bonnie huffed.
"Eating stuff like that is really not that bad. The worst part would be feeling the legs in your mouth, but they are so big that it would be like eating regular meat," Hera said.
"Stor trying to convince me. It's not going to happen," Bonnie crossed her arms.
"Yeah. Let it go, Hera. Eating spider is not something our dear heiress wouldn't eat something so foul as a spider," Blue rolled her eyes.
"What did you just called me?" Bonnie turned around, staring daggers at the controller.
"Heiress, or would you rather future CEO? After all, if you can't even eat some spider meat, we can't expect you to last that long inside the MAZE," Blue smirked.
"Blue!" Hera gasped.
"Who the fuck do you think you are to tell me if I'm going to last long inside the MAZE? You and Hera spent months in a paradise. You had food anytime you want and the people in there kissed the damn ground you walked on. Don't give me that crap when you barely know what it's like to actually live in the MAZE!" Bonnie started shouting.
"Stop yelling!" Shane cried as the sounds started to echo through the valley.
"I'm at least not holding my party back just because I'm too precious to eat spider meat," Blue shrugged.
"I'm not holding anyone back! If you want to stay here and eat a spider, fine. I'll manage something on my own," Bonnie stomped her foot.
"Both of you, stop!" Helena said, "This is not the time nor the place for a bitching match. Bonnie, right now, if one of us goes back, we all need to go back. I'm not saying that's not an option, but we have to agree to that. If we stay here, we need to find some food and, if you don't want to eat spider for any reason, we might be ok for a while as long as everyone is willing to give you their rations. However, if push comes to shove, I'll shove spider meat down your throat. We can't afford to have you lagging behind just because you are hungry."
"I'm not a child. I know that staying in a place full of monsters while I'm hungry is stupid. I said that I would figure something out," Bonnie replied.
"Everyone, back in the crypt!" Shane yelled and started pushing people over the path that Silah had created.
"What's the matter?" Silah asked as she got ready to close down the passage.
"There are monsters incoming, I think. I saw something moving," Shane replied while everyone gathered back in the passage.
"Did your scan showed anything?" Hera asked.
"Not yet. But now I'm worried about what could be here. The monsters came out in too much of a frenzy. Maybe there was something else here," Shane explained.
"Do you think you could do the thing with your relic now?" Blue asked.
"That… might be a good call. Hera, can you make a place where no one will listen to me?" Shane turned to the explorer.
"I think so. Let's go back to the first part of the tunnel, and I make that bunker for you," Hera nodded.
"If you can hold everyone back here, I rather not have the bunker. I don't like the idea of being inside a place that I can't open myself," Shane gave a weird smile.
"Sure," Hera nodded.
They walked halfway back to the stone coffin after three of the side tunnels that Silah had created. Hera made the soundproof bubble and turned to Shane, "Be polite. If you can make something that can be used as a seat, it will help and,"
"Stop there. I think you already said more than you should. Don't push it, but thanks," Shane smiled at Hera.
With a nod, Hera walked back to the group, leaving the soundproof barrier behind. She could make it last a while, but the farther away she got, the more mana it would cost. Not wanting to run out of mana while Shane was still in the middle of her questions, Hera stayed a bit back. Blue noticed her staying away and walked over.
"Hey, why are you all the way back here?"
"The farther away I get from the soundproof spell, the more mana it takes. I don't want Shane to end up messing up her explorer thing because I ran out of mana."
"Oh. I see. That's kind of you," Blue and Hera looked back and saw Bonnie staring at her with an angry expression.
"You know you crossed a line, right?"
"I know. I just wanted to give her a bit of a culture shock. I didn't even have to look at Shane to see that she hated the idea of going back now," Blue replied.
"That was still a crappy way to do that," Blue just shrugged in response, "Blue, look, you are my friend, but so is Bonnie. You can't keep treating each other like that. At some point, staying at the same party is just not going to work anymore. I'm sure that at some point, we will go our separate ways for one reason or another, but I don't want to rush that."
"Why are you being so Grimm? This is just a fight."
"Sure, but fights create problems. I mean, you said she was going to follow in her dad's footsteps. That's just as bad as if you say I'm turning into my mother," Hera said.
"Oh, c'mon. It's not that bad," Blue rolled her eyes.
"It is for Bonnie. Promise me you'll talk to her later, ok? Maybe not while we are in the middle of a tomb of naga surrounded by giant bugs."
"Fine."
"No, not fine. Look, this is a line that I honestly never expected to say to someone who is not my kid, but this kind of apology can't be something you do out of obligation. It has to be because you understood that you crossed a line, and you reflected on your actions," Hera said.
"You think about having kids?" Blue asked.
"Maybe. I don't know. I'm young. There is still enough time for me to worry about that later," Hera shrugged.
"Well, for what's worth. I think you would be a good mother, much better than yours. But I also think you would get bored out of your mind," Blue chuckled.
"Tell me about it. I can barely stay still now. I'm really turning into an adrenaline junkie," Hera sighed.
"You are not turning into one. You already are," Blue smiled and looked back at Bonnie, "I'll keep what you said in mind, but like you said. Before apologizing, I have to understand why."
"Try not to take too long. Bonnie is the type to keep a grudge."
"You don't have to tell me."
They talked for a few more minutes until Shane came out of the soundproof bubble. She spooked Hera, who was distracted and called everyone over to talk.
"Ok, so I found a couple of things. First, the monsters that ran out of here will try to come back. I don't know if the barrier will stop them or not, but if they do, we could open the passage and run back here, and they might spill out in like a reverse of what they did when we got here," Shane said.
"Was that something you found during whatever you were doing?" Bonnie asked.
"Sort of, some of it I found out some of it I started thinking. Second thing, The tomb of the naga hero is not in the corner of the room as we were thinking, but it is by the wall. If we go to the corner and then follow it down, we should find it," Shane continued.
"You are hiding something," Mylo squinted at the explorer.
"I'm not hiding. It's just… something that might be a problem."
"What is it?" Helena asked.
Shane sighed, "Apparently, there is one monster in the room that we can't kill. Not like, the monsters can't die, but we are not strong enough to kill it."
"I mean, we are not that high level. There are a lot of monsters that we wouldn't be able to kill. Besides, Blue and I already found a monster that was a way higher level than the room's average," Hera nodded.
"Yeah, I don't know, but the way I got that information felt more like a general we and not just as we as in our party," Shane scratched her head.
"Like… we humans? Or we all explorers?" Blue asked.
"I don't know. It might just be me being paranoid. Also, there is no guarantee that the monster will be in our way."
"So? Why are you so worried?" Alex asked.
"Because there might or might not be a crazy-ass monster out there that we have no shot at killing," Shane yelled.
"Not all monsters are bad. Some just want a hug," Mylo shrugged.
"Sure big guy," Shane gave a weak smile, "I'm just worried. I don't know. This all started giving me a bad feeling."
"If you want to go back, that's ok. We can go to the outpost, get more supplies, or maybe even more people, and come back here. I mean, I'm sure the guild will be excited to find this graveyard," Helena said.
Shane thought for a moment and then started giggling, "As much as I agree with that. I'm greedy. I want my legacy. But this time, I'll be democratic. Do you guys want to go, or should we go back?"
Everyone looked around, but Mylo was the first to speak, "I say we go. You said it yourself. The monster might not be on the way."
"Honestly, Just thinking about how long it takes to get here. I rather finish this up now," Alex nodded.
"I'm curious about who the Hero is. I say we keep going," Hera added.
"We don't have enough supplies. We should go back," Bonnie shook her head.
"You are already worried. It's better to be safe," Silah said.
"As much as I want you to get your legacy, I agree with them. If you are worried about that, we should get some backup," Helena said after thinking for a moment.
"I'm fine either way, sorry, but the last vote is your Shane," Blue shrugged.
"That's really mean," Shane gasped.
"Not really. This is your party. It's your call," Helena smiled.
Shane stopped for a moment, "Ok then, let's keep going, but if we find any monster that is too strong or that we can't tell if it's a threat or not, we come back. A legacy is not worth our lives."
With that, the group left the passage and moved towards where the crypt of the naga hero should be. Unbeknownst to them, three creatures followed the party while hidden in the shadows.
##### Author's Note ####
Is it weird that I miss having those moments to talk when the chapters get too actiony?
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