Death: Genesis

For a long while, Zeke lay on the floor. After everything he’d been through in the dungeon, he was exhausted. It was his fault, really. With how relatively easily he’d conquered the previous two dungeons – both the centaur trials as well as the arena where he’d ground out multiple levels – he had begun to underestimate dungeons. He should have remembered how difficult the first dungeon was, but as with most people, his memories were afflicted with a serious recency bias.

As he lay there, he vowed not to make the same mistakes in the future.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Eveline said.

Zeke was in no mood for her platitudes, so he ignored her. Instead, he continued to flare [Touch of Divinity], repairing the damage he’d incurred in the previous chamber. He wasn’t in as bad of shape as he’d expected, but there were some lingering injuries that would get worse if he didn’t take care of them. So, he spent a little more than half an hour ensuring that he could attack the rest of the dungeon in perfect condition.

Once he was fully healed, he climbed to his feet and looked around. The passageway was completely unadorned, with smooth, rounded walls and a inclined floor. The latter led upward, though Zeke couldn’t see where it ended. There was only one way to go, though, and he started forward.

Thankfully, nothing attacked him. No living statues climbed out of the walls, and no winds cut through him. Instead, he merely had to climb the ramp, which was quite a difference from what he’d encountered previously. Zeke was grateful for the break, but he knew it wouldn’t last. With that in mind, he remained on guard as he waited for the other shoe to drop. He knew that, at some point, something would attempt to kill him. And when it did, he would be ready.

His heavy footsteps echoed up and down the ramp as he slowly climbed, and hours passed without incident until, at last, he spotted a door in the distance. As he drew closer, he saw that it was decorated with a relief sculpture of a large tree with spreading branches. From that tree were carved long lines that Zeke thought were meant to represent light. Or power. Either way, it was an interesting carving, but it brought to mind a question. He gave it voice when he asked, “Do you think I’m going to have to fight a tree?”

“Oh, are you speaking to me now? How grand,” Eveline deadpanned.

“Come on. I’m sorry. I just wasn’t in the mood to talk.”

“And so, instead of simply saying so, you rudely ignored me,” she pointed out.

“I said I was sorry.”

“Sometimes, an apology isn’t enough,” Eveline stated. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Zeke sighed. He hadn’t really needed an answer to his question. There was no telling what sort of enemy he might face on the other side of the door, so he’d meant the query rhetorically. Still, he said, “I really am sorry. I’ll try not to do it again.”

She responded, “Fine. Apology accepted. This time.”

After reaching the door, Zeke took a few minutes to inspect it. However, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about it, save for its immense size. The thing was at least fifty feet tall, which meant that it dwarfed even Zeke’s titanic form. Seeing no other choice, he pushed it open, and when the landscape on the other side was revealed, Zeke couldn’t help but let out a small gasp of surprise.

It was paradise.

If the garden they’d encountered before was beautiful, there were no words to describe the expanse of greenery Zeke saw on the other side of that door. Which meant that he just knew something terrible was about to happen. That was how dungeons worked, wasn’t it? Slap him in the face with something incredible, then sneak up behind him with something deadly and dangerous.

But there was nothing for it but to keep going. It wasn’t as if going back was an option. He’d just have to keep an eye out for threats. That in mind, he stepped forward into paradise, looking around as he fully left the tunnel behind. Green trees, colorful flowers, and blue skies greeted him, and he couldn’t help but relax a little. A tinkling brook flowed on his right, while the path led off to the left.

He followed it.

“It even smells pleasant,” Eveline remarked.

That much was true, and it brought Zeke back to when he’d visited botanical gardens back on Earth, though it somehow felt stronger and more real than his memories. So, it was more than a little shocking when he turned a corner and saw a heap of bones lying in the center of a path. There was a stairway leading downward into ground, making it look as if the owner of the bones had crawled from down below.

Then, the bones moved.

Zeke raced ahead, expecting the worst. He hefted his hammer, fully intending to smash the undead monster into dust. However, he skidded to a stop when he heard a familiar voice. There were no words, but Zeke couldn’t mistake Talia’s voice for anything else.

He dropped to his knees and flipped her over. Most of the flesh was completely gone from her arms and legs, but her torso remained somewhat intact. Her face was untouched, confirming her identity.

Resisting the urge to demand an explanation, Zeke immediately embraced [Hand of Divnity] and channeled it into the fallen girl. Her body – or what was left of it – absorbed the healing energy greedily, drinking it in great gulps. As it did, Zeke could see Talia’s flesh reforming.

But one look told him that it wouldn’t be a quick process. First came tendons and cartilage, and by the time he’d run completely out of mana, the job had barely even begun. However, Zeke couldn’t stop, so after a short rest – during which Talia only groaned in obvious agony – he began anew.

Hours passed, punctuated by brief bursts of rapid healing. The rest of the time, Zeke could only wait for his mana reserves to renew themselves. It was torturous for him and agonizing for her. Hearing her whimpers was enough to break anyone’s spirit. Yet, Zeke kept his eyes on the proverbial prize, and slowly, Talia’s body was rebuilt, one bit of flesh at a time.

Layer by layer, her muscles returned. Then, finally, flawless pale skin crept across her arms and legs, encasing them in ivory. It wasn’t until he was nearly finished that he realized that she was almost entirely naked. If it had been possible in his titanic form, Zeke would have blushed at the realization. As it was, he quickly drew a pair of blankets from his spatial storage and covered her most private parts.

Only when Talia’s body had been completely rebuilt did she awake, and she did so in a flurry of panicked activity, springing to her feet and looking for something to fight. Notably, the blankets had fallen away – as had whatever was left of her armor. After a few seconds, her panic waned, and it was replaced by humiliation. She clapped an arm over her chest and a hand over her groin before fleeing behind a bush.

Zeke rubbed the back of his neck, then retrieved one of Abby’s old outfits from his spatial storage. He passed the clothing to her, saying, “Sorry. You were missing your clothes when I found you. What happened?”

She told him, recounting her journey ever since they had been separated. Zeke had a hard time comparing what he’d been through with her experiences, but her story did confirm the fact that the dungeon was horrible. It seemed as concerned with testing their psychological state to forcing them to fight, which was a horrifying turn of events. Zeke could mow through whole armies without issue, but having to confront his innermost fears was something else altogether.

Hopefully, the dungeon would soon be over.

Once Talia was dressed – in clothes that didn’t really fit – she joined him in the small clearing around the stairwell. She looked at it with no small degree of anxiety, so Zeke planted himself between her position and the descending steps. That seemed to help. After they’d both rested for a bit, Zeke asked if she was ready to move on.

“Yes. It is the only option,” she answered.

Zeke helped her to her feet and, together, they continued along the winding path. As they progressed, their surroundings became increasingly more idyllic. Seeing that, it was easy for Zeke to forget that he was inside a dungeon that would inevitably attempt to kill him again.

Finally, something changed.

A woman sat near the path, her legs tucked under her as she held a hand before her. Upon her finger was a large butterfly with rainbow colored wings. She sighed, and the insect lifted off and fluttered away. Only then did she turn to face Zeke and Talia.

“Come. Join me, children. We have something to discuss,” she rumbled. The entire paradisical landscape shuddered at her words. Not only were they incredibly loud, but they carried with them a level of power Zeke had never felt before. Using [Inspect], he saw:

Lenu, Primordial of Life – Level ???

“I hope we’re not meant to fight her,” Zeke said inwardly.

Before Eveline could respond, Lenu laughed – a sound like ringing bells that echoed across the entire dungeon – then said, “You have nothing to fear from me, child of destruction. Come. We haven’t much time.”

With a shake of his head, Zeke stepped forward, partially to shield Talia from further harm. She wasn’t having it, though, and she dipped past him to walk at his side. So it was that they reached the woman together. Upon approach, Zeke was struck by Lenu’s appearance.

First of all, she was enormous. At least fifty feet tall, which just seemed to large to exist. The only reason Zeke hadn’t noticed it before was because of the distance. However, when he drew closer, the size difference was unignorable. Otherwise, she had skin like willow’s bark and vivid green hair. When she turned her gaze on him, Zeke saw that her eyes were like miniature galaxies on a field of green. Finally, she wore a Greek style toga with a short hem.

“Good. I hoped you wouldn’t hesitate too much,” she said, her voice fading to a more normal volume. It still carried with it a significant amount of mana, but Zeke didn’t feel threatened. “You must help me.”

“What can we do that you cannot do yourself?” Talia asked.

“A good question, unliving champion,” Lenu stated. “My domain is beyond this garden, but it has been invaded by abyssal invaders. If we do not stop them soon, I will cease to exist. I can counter their general, but it will take all of my power. I need you to combat the army he brought along,” she explained. “The moment I begin to engage my defenses, they will come in force, and from multiple directions. Even now, they work to subvert my power. I feel it waning with every moment. Please, I need your help.”

As soon as Lenu finished speaking, Zeke got another notification:

New Quest Acquired!

Quest: Protect Lenu

Objective: Slay the abyssal invaders, protecting Lenu as she battles the general. Win the battle, and complete the dungeon.

Reward: Seed of Life and Death

It seemed simple, but Zeke knew it wouldn’t be. And even if it was, it would still be deadly. Still, the quest was as straightforward as it could be. They needed to help Lenu, and upon completion of the battle, they would get their rewards for finishing the dungeon.

So, after exchanging a glance with Talia and receiving her nod of ascent, he said, “Fine. We’ll help. Just show us where to set up.”

Lenu smiled, and in that moment, Zeke felt like he was on top of the world. It quickly faded, but the echoes remained. She climbed to her feet and bade them to follow. They did, and as they pushed forward, Zeke noticed that the paradisical garden grew more haggard with every step. By the time they reached another door, the trees had become black and twisted skeletons, and the ground was barren. The colorful insects were gone, and the babbling brook had gone dry.

Lenu frowned sadly. “So much damage,” she rumbled. “The abyssal invaders will pay. Never fear.”

Then, she opened the door – which looked almost identical to the one Zeke had passed through to enter the garden. On the other side was a maze of platforms and pathways, each one suspended in midair. They all led to the center of a huge expanse, where a massive tree stood.

Beside that tree hovered an enormous and vaguely humanoid cloud of black smoke.

“You have come to challenge me, Lenu? You wish for another beating?” it roared, following it up with a slight chuckle. “So be it.”

Then, the door clanged shut, and the atmosphere darkened. A huge hole broke open in the sky, and from that poured thousands of winged monstrosities.

“So it begins,” Lenu said, her voice steely. “Protect me from the minions, and I shall deal with the master.”

Then, she leaped forward. Zeke and Talia followed.