Chapter 18: The Underworld
Jessica watched as Lulunaka disappeared in surprise. She stood on the strange piece of glass, and as it twisted and deformed strangely, Lulunaka was gone when the shattered image on the glass dissolved into a swirl of heavy entanglements. And that whirlpool, still turning.
This was not something Jessica could have expected, she looked at Junia, and her captain didn't have much surprise on his face, as if he was used to it. And Zhendina, it seems, is the same.
"She's gone. Jessica felt the need to speak at this point, otherwise the silence would probably last long. Zhendina grimaced, looked at the turning glass floor, and looked up at Jessica, "It's a portal-like thing...... I've been standing on something similar before, and I've been tricked by her a lot back then. Zhendina had a familiar tone, and it didn't seem that it was the first time she had experienced such a thing.
And Junia, as the person who used to be with Lulunaka, also has unforgettable memories of this pattern. That's when he's still a teenager, and he's still alive, thanks to some old man who is no longer there...... But he never had the joy of surviving, only the regret that could not be erased.
Junia stepped forward, also standing on the glass floor that had engulfed Lulunaka. "You stay here. Jessica, take care of this kid ......"
Before he could finish speaking, Zhendina was already standing beside him. "If I don't follow, she'll be angry. Zhendina looked up at the tall Junia and said, "If you've known her for a long time, you should understand." β
Junia, so she stood up, and Gendina, for the same reason, followed him. Jessica looked at the two who were already standing, and after watching them move under their feet, she touched her head, walked over quickly, and followed them. "It's hard to stay in this gloomy place, it's better to follow you. At least with the captain here, I don't believe I'm in any danger. β
Jessica trusts Junia unconditionally, and Junia responds with silence. There are some things that don't need to be said explicitly, as long as there is a tacit understanding, then each other will understand. Junia never worried about her back, because Jessica was thereβor Gad, who had already taken the knights out on patrol. Junia trusts Gad as much as he trusts Jessica, and that's why he made the choice of a detachment like this.
As all three of them stood on the swirling glass floor, the floor slowly "sank" down. Jessica could see her vision descending and her surroundings rising. When she looked down, the glass floor was still spinning, and she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, and only when she used what was around her as a reference did she realize that she was sinking.
Soon, the surrounding landscape was only dark, and it was invisible darkness, which didn't happen when she thought her eyes should have adapted to the darkness and began to regain their vision. If you ignore the sound of the three of them breathing and small movements, there is no sound around them, and they don't see Lulunaka, it seems that the person who "went down" first, they can't see it for the time being.
After a dark time that was hard to count, Jessica finally felt her feet stop, a slight sinking sensation in her body - a sign that something had finally stopped beneath their feet.
"We're here?" Jessica saw that there was still darkness around her. And this is a small lantern that Zhendina pulled out of her small backpack, which is the same as the one in Lulunaka's hand. Zhendina lit the lantern and lit it up in the darkness. Unlike Lulunaka's lantern, which glowed green, the lantern in Gendina's hand lit up with an orange-red flame that made people feel more relaxed.
The darkness was dispelled, and they finally saw where they were now. They were standing in the middle of a hall with no edge in sight, and it seemed to be in the center. There was a cool smell around them, making them sure they weren't in the manor now...... At least not on the grounds of the manor.
"Are we going underground?" asked Jessica, who answered her from Jindina, "it must be underground, as long as the passage isn't a bend...... But even if it's a bend, it won't send us anywhere other than underground. β
Junia stepped out of the platform that had sent them down here. The glass floor had disappeared, and it seemed to be just a barrier, and after sending them to a certain distance, what was under their feet, became a gray floor.
For Junia, this is not the first time she has stood on such a strange pattern, but it seems that the way of teleportation is different. Either way, they've come to the underground.
The wind is not felt in this place, and there seems to be no place like an exit nearby. But the place was cold, and the feeling of air sticking to the skin, much like something was covering it. If you don't care about the environment, then this is a good place to escape the heat - if you don't care about the danger that this underground may be full of dangers.
"Follow me, don't mess around. Junia said this, addressed to Gendina as Jessica released another orb of light for reconnaissance, and the orb of light drifted off into the distance and soon vanished. Jessica's eyes were half-closed, sharing her gaze with the ball of light, "I can't see anything moving, it feels like it's dead...... At least that's how it feels. β
"Be vigilant, this kind of place, no matter what happens, it won't be surprising. Junia rested her hand on the weapon at her waist, "And if we can't deal with the unexpected, that's our own problem." β
Junia's words are so correct that there is no thought of refuting them. Jessica is familiar with Junia's appearance, and she is a little unapproachable.
"Let me start with that, I don't have any combat skills. Zhendina was in the middle of Junia and Jessica, and the three of them formed a vertical team, which also happened to protect her in the middle, "Even if something happens, I can only run, but nothing else." β
"That's enough. Junia didn't expect much from Zhendina, as long as she could keep herself out of danger, that would be enough.
As the three of Junia began to move around, something was moving in another space not far away. Unlike the hall where Junia was located, it was a much larger, but very dilapidated place. The soft ground seemed to have been turned over by a hoe, and the fragments of masonry buildings were scattered around it, piling up into hills. Between these ruins, there are large numbers of broken biological bones, scattered around - and humanoids, too. At the end of these ruins, there is a shadow in the same human form, which is moving......