The obsidian sanctum

Falling for at least what felt like a minute or something, August opened his eyes regaining his consciousness. Although his body felt heavy, like being crushed beneath a giant rock. Not being able to see anything in that eternal darkness, he found himself lying on the floor.

' what ? What's happening? Where am I ?..... Am I still alive ? Ah.... I am so tired of these nightmares. I must be still sleeping. ' wondering in his thoughts, surprised and reacted quickly as he heard some strange noise.

With a flame on the palm of his hand, the surroundings lit up. Surprised as he realised that he was still in that dungeon which they thought to be a low tier one, but it was somehow different. As if it was newly built completely different from that rundown version of it.

He called for them as it seemed Red and Reneir weren't here.

Right now, there were two ways in front of August, not knowing which one to take he was standing there giving it more thought. He knew that dungeons like these were like a complex maze. He might get lost and worse -- could keep repeating the same route again and again.

Staring at the left and right doors standing in front of them, they both looked the same to him. Lost in his complex thought process he heard the voice once again, but this time it was clear as an announcement

A heavy voice :

[ WELCOME TO THE ' OBSIDIAN SANCTUM '

' THE PLACE WHERE WISHES COMES TRUE '

AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS BEFORE YOU.

* THE RIGHT DOOR : WILL TAKE YOU TO THE EXIT WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE OR DANGER

* IF YOU DESIRE SOMETHING, THE LEFT DOOR HAS THE ACCESS TO THAT DESIRE OF YOURS.

BUT, THAT WILL NOT BE EASY, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH UNIMAGINABLE PAIN.

AND A WARNING : THE TIME FOLLOWS DIFFERENT RULES THERE

--- MAKE YOUR JUDGEMENT --- ]

Carefully listening to the voice, August now had the information that he needed in order to move forward.

' Hmm... So I can exit this dungeon easily through the right door. And for the other door, there's no telling what would be waiting for me there. On top of all that, there is a time problem. The announcement said that time flows differently in that part, probably if I take too long inside, the world outside may cease to exist as I know it or it may be that i would spend eternity there and nothing much would change in the outside world. Well it is too good to be true, the first one is the most possible outcome. '

Thinking about all the possibilities thoroughly, August reached a conclusion at last. To enter the left door of the dungeon. To be honest, after hearing those words, he didn't even consider exiting the dungeon to begin with.

He had a goal, that he wanted to achieve since he was five years old after all. He was determined to see through that no matter the cost. But the price here was the same thing he was limited with, ' TIME '.

It was a once in a lifetime gamble.

Not taking too long, August reached a conclusion, that he would enter the left door. August was determined that, no matter the cost he will make it happen.

Standing in front of the left door, with the determination in his eyes, knowing that he had to slay everything in his path and that too in a time limit.

Closing his eyes, August inhaled deeply, raising his hand and manipulating the mana around his palm, August made four independent flames, protecting them with two spells.

First : so that they could keep burning continuously until August himself turned them off and the second : so that they could move accordingly with his speed.

After doing the arrangement to counter the darkness, August assumed the stance in which he could run faster. With a deep inhale, he started running.

Giving the straight path forward, the dungeon was too generous. As August was running with all his might, the flashes of lightning could be seen occasionally from him.

Back when August was training at his home, he tried so hard to be able to move at the speed of light.

But even after his countless efforts to combine magic with his strength and stamina, he wasn't able to achieve that speed.

But as per the human standards, he was moving at least ten times faster. After covering a distance of about a kilometre or something, he reached a room that appeared to be the same as the previous one. There were even two gates right and left, just like the previous one.

' No, it can't be. It was a straight way here, it's too soon to get lost. can it be some kind of illusion magic ? '

Not losing his cool, August looked around carefully and found a detail which made him sure that he wasn't in a loop. Looking above at the center of two gates he saw a strange symbol

[ ---- [ || ] ---- ]

Not thinking much, August took it as number two.

That means it was the second room. Following the example from before, August took the left gate.

Moving through the path that seemed the same as before after a kilometre, August reached the room that too shared similarities as the previous ones apart from the one detail, the symbol :

[ ---- [ ||| ] ---- ]

Now he was sure, and kept moving without stopping.

Along the way, one thought was bugging him.

' I am about to cross the fourth room, but no monster has attacked me till now. ' This thought was relieving and unpleasant at the same time. August began to wonder if he was on the right path or not.

After crossing the fourth room and almost reaching the fifth -- he got the answers to his question as a giant claw attacked him inside the fifth room from darkness.

Dodging it as August glanced at the way out thinking that he just had to escape the monster without engaging in a fight with it. To his surprise, the gates were not there this time, only the symbol :

[ ---- [ V ] ---- ]

Looking at that, he immediately knew that he had to kill the beast in order to get out of here, and that had to be quick.

With the flames surrounding him getting brighter and brighter, expanding his fire domain. Now August was able to clearly see the monster. It was ugly, unrecognisable, like a huge pile of flesh concentrated together. With the disoriented body, it was rather quick to maneuver.

Two sharp claws were its only modes to attack or defend itself. But even, with all that enormous body of its, the movements and attacks were clumsy and repeating. But the thing, that August was unable to understand while dodging the huge but clumsy blows from it --- sound, the monster was making. Like it was in some kind of pain and asking someone to help put it out of its misery.

August would've loved to hear and resolve that problem of the monster, but time was the essence here. So without giving it much thought August attacked it with continuous fire blows.

Noticing that fire is making it cry more -- August, dodging the blows, closing the distance in between, moving his hands in a coordinated -- circular fashion, gathered the strong winds around himself, reaching at the arms length from the monster, he jumped on top of the monster. Sensing him landing above itself, the monster tried crushing August between his claw and its body. Watching the attack incoming, August jumped straight in the air as he was done preparing the final attack to end the battle.

Reaching at the limit of his jump August performed a slash with his left hand midair.

[ ZEPHYR'S CLEAVER BLADES ]

The winds, following his movements, carried the same slashes along with them resulting in severing the monster in countless halves. To deal the final blow, August covering his right fist into the flames, using negative wind pressure he rushed to it with full force and speed.

Striking the center of its body the monster got blown to pieces following the cuts that it previously got. The whole place felt the vibration.

Right after slaying the beast and catching a breath August glanced at the exit and just as he thought, the gates appeared.

Without wasting any time August took the left gate and headed to the next one.

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