I stumbled upon another tear in the air, or rather a ripple now. I know better now than to blindly reach out for it. I focused my mind for a second, thinking of where that ripple might lead me now. A faint idea shot through my head.
A place full of water, tiled rooms, and also still empty.
A soft hum escaped my mouth; the pull of dehydration wasn't strong yet, although I wouldn't mind a sip. A change in scenery might also do well for my mental health. The sickening yellow walls and the electric buzzing were severely exhausting.
There was no escaping it.
However, if I go to the next room, I might have to exhaustively explore it. While I don't think my mapping of this yellow monotonous dungeon is even close to a six percent completion, and that's putting it generously, it was still noticeable progress.
I've spent five days here in this wretched trap. I was but a caged mouse, at the mercy of a sadistic owner who would rattle the cage if it amused him.
With great force, I destroyed the hallway beside me via a frustrated kick. The whole hallway was obliterated, but below it was a huge drop to another hallway, and above it was still another hallway. My choice for destroying this wasn't out of sheer frustration, although it played a part.
It was a marker to know where the tear was. I've also made a mental note, but it helps to remember if there was a marker, especially if that marker is the total obliteration of a particular area. I dashed with great speed, heading towards a location where there were several deep pitfalls.
The location confused me at first. The floors had several yet perfectly lined square-shaped pitfalls with very little room for navigation. The walking space was thin; one wrong move and you'll fall to your death. That's probably one of the best-case scenarios for this place.
I've arrived at the room, and at the end was a single wooden door. I've already opened it, and it was another set of hallways and turns, albeit more expansive. I've yet to explore it, but I probably will when I've explored these pitfalls.
Armed with my great sense of intuition and senses, I can tell that it was a huge drop, but there was a tangible surface beneath. With a small prayer, I leaped into the void. My descent was rather gracious, similar to letting yourself sink to the bottom of a lake.
I was probably around a hundred meters deep, and the lights from above could no longer pierce the darkness; however, it was no issue. My eyes are working well enough to see in absolute darkness.
With a soft plop, I landed.
The floor was no longer the fuzzy yellow carpet; it was the cold, hard ground. Not dirt, just stone. Now, it felt like I was exploring a dungeon. A nauseating stench caught my nose, filling my eyes with sorrow.
It was another lost soul.
There it was, a few meters away in front of me, a person who had died from the huge drop. It was a man dressed in a sickening yellow armor, but this time, the color was smooth as if expertly made.
The man was covered in it; it looked like it was for protection, but it didn't appear to be for combat. A suit made for the environmental hazards, I assumed. The armor's face was made of a strange, thick, almost glass material, enough to see but hard enough to stop an arrow.
The man died in an instant. He hit the ground, a small mercy. I bowed and muttered a quick prayer before continuing my exploration of this dungeon. The whole place was barren. If above, they have the bare minimum of design; here, it was extremely barren.
There were no turns or angles; it was a wide and flat empty space. I made sure to move several meters away from the resting corpse before stomping the ground, causing it to shine brightly. It was a temporary shining marker since I don't want to dwell in this place for too long.
I rushed ahead, sprinting with great speed. My steps were causing the ground to crack as I sprinted faster than sound, faster than a speeding arrow, slightly faster than the fastest man alive. Not even twenty seconds in, I could tell that this whole place was featureless.
My search here would be meaningless; there's literally nothing here. I've traced back my steps, following the cracked ground. I was now back at the shining marker, and with a single great leap, I've made it to the top.
"I don't think the exit is there." I can't help but mutter to myself, It really was useless. I've already had an idea of what's down there, but I didn't want to leave a stone unturned. I shrugged away my regret and headed straight for the ripple that I had found earlier.
"This one is more promising." I've muttered; it's been some time since I've properly said something other than quick prayers and groans. I've arrived at the ripple, and I was about to reach for it until a faint sense of movement caught my ears.
It was from afar, but when there's no other ambience other than the buzzing, anything unique can be quickly picked up. That skitter and dragging, it was akin to an insect if the insect stood at eight meters tall and was erratically shifting.
When it comes to my surroundings, I tend to have decent awareness. However, this thing suddenly appeared. "Maybe it came from a tear and was another lost soul?" No, that's not right, I don't sense anything from this creature.
I don't even think that this thing is functionally alive. I could feel it staring at me through the walls. There was no hesitation within me to approach this mysterious entity, and within four seconds, I was now standing in front of it.
It noticed me, and I guess it was surprised? Well, imagine my surprise, too.
A sentient string figure made out of black yarn. That's the first thing that comes to mind.
Its figure was like strings meshed together to resemble something human, as if made by a child with nothing better to do. It stood upright with a slight hunch, while the arms were unnaturally elongated and the legs were strangely short.
The entity twitched, then lunged at me.