(I apologize for the delay; I was enjoying the holidays and the new year.)
(Re uploaded, I accidentally submitted a draft.)
It's been ten days since I've been here, and my prospect of escaping from here is becoming grim. My survival, however, is not really a question; it's a fact. I can survive here for months, even years, but I don't want to survive here.
I want to escape this endless yellow dungeon maze.
Now and then, the yellowness would subside, a room with different lighting, an empty black place. I would sometimes rest in these areas to gather my bearings.
I've already perfected my apology for disappearing for so long to the point that I am confident it will be accepted with understanding grace, especially from Felt.
It's been an eventful past month, really.
We just defeated two sin archbishops and saved the wonderful city of Priestella. Well, I've helped save it anyway; my friends and allies did most of the heavy work. I was merely a supportive observer; they deserve the credit, actually, not me.
I've stopped running around; sprinting all around the area would make me miss potential clues. I've decided to take my time and be patient. Your effort doesn't matter if you've got bad timing, a great hero said that to me once.
He knows more than I, and because of that, I took his grounded advice.
"Oh?" A small door caught my eye; it seemed like there was something behind it. I approached and opened it, and what I saw gave me some glimmer of hope.
It was a town, or rather a slice of a town. A neighborhood. There were houses with strange designs and architecture, all lined up neatly. No, it was perfectly lined up.
They were lined up with exact precision.
Maybe Async was here?
"Hello!?" I shouted before placing my hand in my mouth.
That was rude; there might be people or lost souls sleeping. I don't want to disturb their rest or, worse, attract something wrong to this location.
The houses were materially odd; they were made with materials unfamiliar to me. They weren't made of marbles or resistant wood, but instead something different.
There were wood and other familiar materials, but the rest, I can't say.
They weren't durable, and they also weren't pleasing to look at. It was as if whoever made this only had one thing in mind: functionality.
A house is where you would eat, rest, and sleep.
I guess if you could do all that with pleasing comfort, then that's a home. I guess I shouldn't judge; everyone has their niche. However, despite all that. I don't think these houses were made by human hands or any hands for that matter.
I entered a house, and I didn't even bother to knock since I knew it was empty. There was a huge pitfall as soon as I opened the door. Anyone could've fallen in, especially desperate people who thought these houses were places of comfort.
I jumped over the pitfall, landing on the stairs. I searched around the house but found nothing. The furniture was odd, though. Some drawers couldn't be opened, tables on the ceilings, and hallways that led to nothing. There were even doors painted on the walls.
With a sigh, I exited the house and destroyed it with one slicing kick. The house was instantly blown away by the solid gust. That house was a trap, a false comfort. I entered another house, and it was similar, although there were no pitfalls this time.
I still destroyed it. I don't want other lost people to take their chances in these false houses. They were dangerous and had to be destroyed. I don't want people to lose their lives over my complacency.
....
....
....
Behind me were rows of destroyed houses, and now.
The last house, I entered it, and there were signs of residency.
A blood trail, but it was already dry. I solemnly followed the depressing red trail and found the source — a young, decaying man. My intuition activated again, telling me that this man died with fear in his eyes.
The man died with no sense of comfort, only dread and horror. There was a small device in his hand. Gently, I took it from his hand, prying it. I inspected it, and I couldn't figure out what it was. I know one thing: whatever this was; it had no power.
I placed it on the table beside me and muttered a quick prayer of forgiveness. I searched the decaying young man but found nothing. There are no identifications or clues, only dust.
I left the house with a somber expression, making a mental note.
There it was again, that slight tingle. Whatever this thing was, it was persistent. I don't know why it was trailing me, but maybe I should now confront it.
With great speed, I sprinted, and I was now behind the stalking entity. The lifeform was now looking for me. I could tell it was confused. It then crawled on all fours and slowly crept up to the house, where it last spotted me.
I drew my leg and kicked the lifeform from behind, hitting its rear.
It kinda yelped, like a puppy.
It screamed in surprise; there was something human in its screech. As if multiple voices were screaming out, but distorted. Was this thing eating or absorbing humans?
Then that settles it; it was time to defeat this entity. The stalker in these dungeons.
It was now facing me, and it tried to stab me with its limbs, but it missed. It tried again and again to reach, stab, grapple, grab, and whack, but to no avail.
"You won't reach me no matter what."
It was confused, looking at me with odd glances despite having no eyes. I reached for it, and it retreated, disappearing within the walls. Fortunately, I could sense it heading towards the entrance, straight to the yellow monotonous walls.
"I see you, now I end you." *WHAM!*
With a heavy jab, I punched the wall beside the entrance. The humble door was blasted away along with the walls. The entrance to this strange neighborhood was now a wide-open hole, and the lifeform escaped my clutches again.
I made a promise to myself that when I corner that thing again, there will be no mercy. I will grab it and not give it ample time to react. It won't be able to escape from me again, I guarantee it.