Chapter 97: Let’s Do it Partner.
Ethan and Daniel stepped into the tunnel, their boots sinking slightly into the muck that coated the uneven ground. Each footfall gave a wet squelch, a sound that echoed with nauseating clarity in the tight space. The air was oppressive, thick with the pungent stench of rot. It clung to them like invisible mold—heavy, sour, and ancient.
The walls were slick with layers of oozing green mold, veined with lines of glowing yellow fungus. The entire corridor pulsed faintly, as if the ruin itself had a heartbeat. Spidery webs of organic growth clung to the ceiling, swaying gently as if stirred by some unseen breath. Strange translucent amoebas pulsed along the stone surfaces—each one twitching, shivering when the two men drew close.
Ethan pressed a hand against the nearest wall to steady himself as the ground sloped downward. He instantly regretted the contact. The stone was warm. Alive. A sticky membrane clung to his glove, and the faintest tremor ran through the wall as though it felt his touch.
"Ugh," Ethan gagged softly. "This place smells worse than a troll’s armpit soaked in vinegar and left under the sun."
Daniel chuckled, spinning his new axe in one hand like it weighed nothing. The blade glinted with a dull gleam under the bioluminescent glow. "You get used to it when you grow up in the slums. I’ve been through worse. At least nothing’s crawling up our legs... yet."
Ethan wrinkled his nose. "You say that like it’s supposed to make me feel better."
They moved deeper, passing under a series of low-hanging arches carved into the stone. Each was lined with carvings—twisting symbols and humanoid figures with gaping mouths and hollow eyes. Some appeared to be in agony. Others... laughing.
Behind them, the light from the world above was a fading smear, growing dimmer with each step. And then—
Click.
A soft mechanical sound snapped through the tunnel like a whispering lock being turned.
And just like that, everything went dark.
A low thoom vibrated through the ground. The fungal glows dimmed to nothing. The very air seemed to freeze.