Greeting Darkness

The damp walls of the labyrinth fills my vision. Because of 「Night Vision」 being a high enough level, I could see well in the dark.

It was not clear enough that I would be able to spot every single detail, but it was adequate enough that I had no trouble spotting dangers.

Using this skill had been practically second nature to me. The more I used it, the more comfortable and familiar it was for me.

I wonder to if this is because of 「Assimilation」…

Curious. It would seem that the 「system」 still had a mountain of secrets it was keeping from me. Though time and experience will naturally uncover them, the thought and excitement that I could still get stronger thinned my patience.

The witch came to a stop when she hit a fork in the road.

"It's over here."

Then she was walking again, this time through a somehow even more ominous passageway.

At her request, I had been following her for over an hour now. I made sure to grab my sword and dagger, along with my arm-guards and worn-down leather armor. Though it hadn't been long since I had acquired it, the article was already on the verge of expiring.

The witch said that we were going to a 'training grounds' that she had found a couple of weeks ago. Other than this ambiguous piece of information, she didn't say much else.

I was suspicious of her actions, though not as much as before. Even if it was light, I had learned to put my trust in her.

Eventually, we reached what seemed to be our destination.

The winding tunnels was covered in cobwebs; giant ones. The white threads weaved here and there, covering the entire cave. A breeze cools my skin.

「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」

The wind seemed to be coming from an entrance covered by a patch of webbing. The witch noticed this and immediately decided to summon a wisp of flame.

I watched her with intense curiosity. The way she activated, handled, and implemented the spell was all I had on my mind for a few brief moments.

I thought that seeing her activate another element would help me with my own. Sadly, I was mistaken.

No dice huh…

I turn my attention back to the now-burnt cobweb. The fire, like I expected, burned through the webbing immediately. It swallowed the thread easily, burning everything that the thread was connected to. This included the webbing currently strewn all over the cave.

Hmm…

I ready myself, expecting a sudden blow. It did not come.

Is this not the 'training grounds' that she mentioned…?

With a simple wave, the fire was gone.

The witch gave me a curious glance, especially the sword hanging on my hip. I dismissed the half-drawn blade and focus on the now-open path. Somehow, it was even more ominous than the last one.

「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」

No shit

The witch boldly entered the tunnel, I followed closely behind. Now I was really suspicious.

Despite the small amount of trust I had entrusted her with, I was still entitled for some skepticism. My instincts outweighed my trust. The bad feeling only got worse.

It was like my heart and organs were being twisted in an iron grip; not enough to kill me, but just enough to cause me enormous amounts of discomfort. It was a weird feeling.

After a few minutes of walking, she stopped.

Now THIS is ominous

What we found through the cobweb-covered tunnel was a giant hole, no–a chasm, or is it a sinkhole? Either way, it was really REALLY deep.

The witch gave me sly smile.

No… she couldn't be…

"Welcome to your training grounds!"

「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」

My skill was too late. In the blink of an eye, an invisible gust of wind swept me off my feet. I was sent flying in an instant.

I reach for the mana inside of me. In a second, I was immediately covered in a familiar coat of 「Reinforcement」.

The hole was deep; the bottom was invisible even from the ledge that the witch and I saw it from. I continue to plummet into the endless darkness of the pit.

◇◆◇◆◇

How long has it been…?

The pit was different from the abyss. Unlike the latter, the former had a clear exit, albeit one unreachable. Even now, I can see the clear white that indicated the up and down of this place.

I reached for it, an unconscious habit that I developed on my visits to the deeper abyss.

The light did not respond, remaining an impassive presence to mock me. I gave up on it.

Not like it's the real deal anyways

An actual 'light' was much brighter than that. It was a little bit hot too, and also blinding to one's vision. I have very high standards when it came to matters such as this.

With that, I present the darkness

I flip my falling body. The gust of wind constantly whipping my back was now slapping me on the face. The darkness greeted me.

My vision suddenly disappeared. The world was now covered in eternal night. The darkness has taken my vision.

I could not tell whether my eyes were open or not. My senses were dulled as well, each one growing weaker by the second. I changed my question.

How much longer?

That was what I really wanted to know.

Was I going to get out? Is this what the witch was after? Did she set up all this? Why did she do that? How did she do that? Can I do that? Does this place have something to do with my element?

The questions continued to pile up, my mind numbing with each one. The more I thought, the less I felt. The less I felt, the less I knew. The less I knew, the less I thought.

This endless spiral continue to gnaw at my mind.

Will she save me?