Chapter 184: The Dungeon Planet & The Stargazing Witch
Chapter 184: The Dungeon Planet & The Stargazing Witch
Wow…
I was truly speechless, and if I were honest, it was a fantastic view, but it couldn’t compare to the brilliance of the stars.
I fell down for a while into a massive open space. Along the surface, the earthly mass that covered every direction of this almost spherical space was a deeply beautiful gemstone-like surface. It stretched on with various shapes and reflected light in a variety of ways.
Though that led to the question of where the light was coming from. Because no matter where the human eyes looked, it seemed to come from nowhere. As if it just manifested in this space without a source, but it wasn’t a kind of natural light.
I could look at this place for a long time if I didn’t have other very urgent tasks I needed to handle.
“Well, Espr", I spoke with a confident, arrogant tone. “Looks like I am here. All that effort and you ended with failure. There is a lesson to be learnt here.”
Espr didn’t seem to agree with my statement.
(“ Silly one, do you think by just reaching my core you would win? ”)
“Any reason why that wouldn’t be the case? Espr?” I smirked, and in response, lasers of energy began pouring down from the ceiling and came at me from all directions.
“I take it that you didn’t like my answer."
(“ I am simply stating a fact ”)
The lights that filled the core of the planet went dark as the space now felt similar to the void of space.
Light is still here… It is just by its nature dark.
(“ You can’t win ”)
I couldn’t immediately see through whatever light filled this space, only being able to use the light that came from my own body, but quickly, I lost the time to debate the possibilities.
A massive pressure pulsed through the whole space as my body was pushed down from every direction.
“Argh!” With an explosion of fire, I was able to move, but that didn’t stop this weird force from crushing me.
Before I could even solve the issue, a blast of energy came from below that my senses barely caught. I force myself to the side with nearly non-visible energy shot through my arm, disintegrating my hand.
The arm that had lost a hand had now lost my replacement one… along with the rest of the arm as the spiral of energy rips the layers of energy within it apart with ease.
Fuck!
I couldn’t even process the damage as I used my Starlight to tear off my own arm before the damage could spread.
“Na–Nast–y tri-ck!” It was nearly impossible to speak, so I switched to the soul method. “Did you not want to show that off earlier?”
(“ It would have been best if I did. Perhaps you would have learned to behave ”)
“Probably not. I am quite the misbehaver ”
It must only be something Espr can do now that I am within the core of the planet.
The open void held nothing. There was no shiny blue core that would be expected of a normal dungeon planet. Just a vast space that wanted to destroy me, and now that I was within the Espr’s personal space, their control over everything had vastly improved. Which also meant any chance of trying to escape with my soul disappeared.
Having faced the pain of the attack, I was prepared for the second one, as not even moments after losing my arm did another of those beams shoot at me from a completely different angle. With an explosion of energy to counteract Espr’s pushing forces, I managed to dodge it.
Crafting a cannon around my lost arm, I focused my energy and fired a blast of my mixed energy at where the attack came from. The beams of energy flew high only to smash against the crystal surface of the wall. Doing damage to the wall, but likely nothing to prevent such an attack from happening again.
I will… I.. Argh!
Espr changed strategy, and I felt the forces pushing on me rapidly adjust. Before, the forces crushing me were mostly equal, but now, each second, each direction rapidly varied. Throwing my motion off balance. They followed up with millions of laser shots across the void.
Flames were the only thing keeping me moving like old times, as the burst of speed and constant explosions I forced to occur kept me flying across the massive space as I hoped to find anything. The laser chased me as a few pierced my body, weaker than the previous attack, but each one left a hole that refused to close in me.
Home-field advantage wasn’t enough to describe the situation. I was completely trapped.
(“ It didn’t have to be like this, so I will correct what has gone wrong ”)
My own voice spoke in an unintentionally regretful tone.
“Sure, Espr, sure you will,” I replied, just… tired.
Every moment, I was using every speck of processing power to keep myself together while fighting.
Flying so fast, I completed a second lap of this space, as the endless laser show followed me entirely. Holes appeared across my limbs and face as I felt myself cracking apart. My senses were on full alert, looking for the path forward.
Even if there was no sign of it. I knew it existed. Something only I could find.
Then, in the middle of the lasers.
Another silent beam of twisting energy pierced through my body, and I felt my existence unravel.
Not yet!
Hundreds of thousands of Starlight strings appeared, wrapping around my body that was crumbling at the seams. Holes slowly expanded as the tight squeeze of strings warped around anything trying to get my energy contained and soul stable.
I will find the strand~!
Fire and Starlight exploded from the holes as these scars appeared across every limb of my body.
I continued to do what I did best and fly. Searching for my victory while dodging the streaks of death that came for me. My soul was burning up as everything I had was reaching its limit, and I could feel my energy reserves emptying, but until the end, I was going to keep shining. Never allowing Espr to see a moment of weakness.
Starlight barriers kept breaking, and flames burned brighter the closer I reached my end.
I–
I felt a strange pulse, and I charged forward—
Argh…
-–Only to have two beams of energy shot through my body. Each one only caused the pain to intensify, but I was prepared this time. Even if that only meant that the process destroying my body was slowed. Holes kept emerging, and trying to fill the gaps with energy only delayed the inevitable. Scars that had long been healed returned with a furious hunger.
(“ –Ceella– ”)
Espr’s remaining words were lost to me. I couldn't even focus on them anymore, barely even hearing my own name.
Within the void of my consciousness, I raised my remaining arm. The whispers of energy pushed me forward.
With my body collapsing in on itself. Thousands of strings of Starlight that were tied around my remaining arm unravelled as I reached forward. My energy hummed as I grabbed the nothing that was in front of me, and Espr’s laser show suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
The nothing that I brought closer to my chest, with the many strands of Starlight wrapping around it.
Finally, the light cracked, but there was still nothing there, but I could feel and knew what was there. While it was, in a way, not fully real, and perhaps only I was the only one who could touch it.
I had found Espr’s core.
A true smile finally appeared across my disintegrating face.
“I win."