Secrets Unfolded

POV: Lani

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Lani

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Species: Homo Sapien

Race: Cantonese / Vietnamese

Class: Summoner (Rank F)

Stats: | Affinity:

Strength: 9 | Common

Agility: 16 | Rare

Stamina: 11 | Uncommon

Ability Control: 20 | Epic

Pressure: ?? | Epic

Skills:

Summon Vulture: (Rank F)

Proficiency: 22/100

Summon Lion: (Rank E)

Proficiency: 2/100

Summon Water: (Rank F)

Proficiency: 31/100

(AN: This was why dehydration wasn't an issue in the cave)

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I continued to hold onto Ezra. In a way, I wished that this moment wouldn't end. My eyes wouldn't leave his bleeding arm. I had bandaged it up during the fight with the tarantula, but now it was lightly bleeding again. I looked down at my exposed stomach in disdain.

I wish I had another shirt to give him.

As I thought this, his face turned to mine. My gaze fell downward from his eyes and unconsciously fell to his lips. No matter how much pain Ezra was in, his lips always curved up unnaturally. The constant smirk on his face made it look like he looked down on everyone and everything. Even the other group members had a hard time connecting with him at first because of how full of himself he seemed.

But, I saw those lips in a different light. From the first time I met him, it felt like that smirk was something that I needed to have, something that I needed to conquer and control. It was an unreasonable desire, but I wanted it for myself.

My face reddened as I realized that our lips were only a few inches away from each other. Time seemed to slow as the illumination from the sun above us began to dim, bathing both of us in a dark, warm light.

To my horror, he turned away after a few seconds and began to brush himself off.

My chest tightened and a dull ache came from inside me as he looked away.

I returned my gaze to Zaher and realized that only a few seconds had passed.

Zaher spoke calmly, "What would you like to know about this place?"

Kenji was the first to speak, "How did you get here?"

Zaher tilted his head, "Your question is not one, but two. Which do you mean? How did I get chased back to the third floor, or how did I get to The Depths in general?"

Kenji's dusk-colored eyes seemed to light up with greed as Zaher spoke. "First, how did you get to 'The Depths'."

Zaher spoke blankly, "I suppose it was the same way every creature does. I came upon a gate."

This answer distracted me from Ezra momentarily. My mind filled with more questions than answers as he said this. I wanted to rip my hair out in frustration. I saw Hazel's face contort in confusion as well when he answered.

Without thinking, my lips moved on their own, "What do you mean, a gate?"

Zaher seemed to smile and beckoned for Xavier to come. "Your knowledge is obviously limited. I will show you the nature of this place in the simplest way to understand."

Xavier motioned for the little mantis to stay put as he walked towards the jaguar.

Zaher nodded in satisfaction, "You may use my memories. I'll help you."

Xavier seemed to be confused but his expression changed to tranquility as the jaguar placed his paw on Xavier's head.

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You are being affected by Dual Telepathy

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The sandstone walls around me began to morph and a sickening vertigo clashed strongly against my sense of reality. Claws tore out of my hands and feet and I instinctively fell onto my hands and knees.

What is this?

Dense vegetation and trees appeared around me as I struggled to comprehend my changing disposition.

In an instant, the vertigo ceased and a calm sense of focus enveloped my mind. I glanced down dominantly to see a stream of water running along my paws.

Seconds passed in silence before my slit-like eyes locked onto a creature in the distance. Near the river bank was a crocodile. It wasn't exactly an easy prey, but it would have to suffice for today.

As I stalked towards the half-conscious reptile, my stomach lightly slid across the ground. I inched my way closer and closer, careful to avoid the dead branches that would potentially alarm my powerful prey. The distance grew shorter and shorter as I blended into the early dawn's dark side.

Until, finally, I was only a few feet away.

My pupils dilated and a strong sense of bloodlust came over me. My powerful hind legs pushed me forward and crashed into the head of the reptile. As my front claws dug into the back of the creature to gain a hold, my razor sharp teeth ripped through the scales on the crocodile's head, until thin cracks began to appear. The armored prey resisted for as long as it could by trying to roll over, but my hind legs that were firmly planted in the Earth wouldn't allow him to perform his evasive maneuver.

My teeth shredded the scales over time, and the durability of the skull began to falter. After a tiring escapade of ripping and tearing, eventually, the crocodile fell limp. I panted heavily and shot my eyes from side to side to look for predators that would try to take my kill.

After a few moments passed, I became engrossed with the fruit of my victory. It was a trophy that would keep me fed for weeks.

As I began to tear into the meatier part of the reptile, a strange spore caught my attention.

I looked up in shock at the ball of light that seemed to beckon me to follow. To my own surprise, my paws began moving on their own.

Why am I walking away from my kill?

As the spore sped up, I bounded off my paws and gracefully chased it. It lead me further down the stream until a waterfall appeared.

This waterfall? Where did it come from?

I kept following the spore against all logic and ventured further along the stream. A strange sense of happiness, mysticism, and fear came over me as the little ball of light disappeared behind the waterfall.

I had always loved the water, but, now, this flowing water seemed to taunt me. I felt like a cub in front of it. As if by instinct, I slowly waded my way underneath it and came out on the other side.

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Mission

Difficulty: F

Objective: Survive

Rewards: ???

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The space around me morphed and precise black walls began to envelope me.

Fear gripped me tightly as I saw other creatures looking around in confusion. They were beasts that I had never seen.

There was a horned monster on 4 legs that shook me to my core. Its rough skin and glaring eyes put the other creatures on edge as well. There was a snake, not like those found in the Yucatan. It was a behemoth nearly 10 meters long with discerning eyes, begging me to make the first move. I began having thoughts that I never experienced in my life.

I looked to a nearby creature that was similar to myself. It was like me, but larger and with black and orange stripes. Her nod implied that she was having similar thoughts to me. I took a strange risk and went back to back with my striped sister.

The scent of blood dominated the colorless area as we tore each other apart. Limbs and appendages were scattered across the room, but over time, the room became more silent, until, finally, nothing was heard.

I panted heavily and looked at the carnage in front of me with a tinge of fear. Every creature in front of me was now dead.

I finally took the chance to look behind me at my ally to see a clump of gore.

A strange feeling that I had never felt rose from deep inside of me.

It hurt.

It felt like my prey had just been stolen, but ten times worse. The dull ache of my heart nearly sent me to the ground with its unrelenting power.

I couldn't take my eyes off of my striped sister. My eye quivered unnaturally.

What am I feeling?

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Mission Complete

Difficulty: F

Objective: Survive

Rewards: You are now an 'Evolver'

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-

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Dual Telepathy Skill Ending

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An even stronger sense of reality gripped me tightly and pulled me back into my bipedal form. My legs shook slightly out of confusion. The legs that I had used all my life suddenly felt foreign to me.

My hand shot up to my chest as I tried to slow my heart down. For some reason, I couldn't stop my mind from thinking about the tigress. I pleaded with my own conscious to remove the memory to no avail.

Jeremiah seemed to have recovered unnaturally fast. "Can all animals do that like you?"

Zaher looked disgusted as he heard the term 'animal'. "Yes. I will remind you that you are also a creature of Earth as well. You live and die as well, human."

Jeremiah frowned, "My apologies, I didn't mean it like that. But, how long ago was that?"

Zaher narrowed his eyes, "Roughly 1500 years."

Ezra shouted my thoughts aloud, "How are you alive!?"

Zaher sighed, "If you're on the third floor, your lifespan is likely around 1000 years."

Jaws dropped among many in the room from the comment.

Zaher straightened, "Don't think that you will live anywhere near that long. The chance of survival for you is even lower here than on the surface. The only reason I was able to live that long is because I hid with my family."

Kenji nodded, "I think I understand roughly what you're saying. Creatures that enter 'The Depths' become 'evolvers'. All creatures regardless of species can enter. I think you're also inferring that this place has existed for a very long time."

Zaher smiled. "As a matter of fact, It's existed for so long that nobody in the first ten floors knows when 'The Depths' was created."

"Now, about the second question? How did you get chased back here?" Kenji raised an eye.

Zaher remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, "Have you noticed the change in creatures as they venture deeper?"