The Regressed NoBody

I looked around me—the cavern—through the vegetation which grew in this place, as I made my way down the steep cliff, together with Neil, the supposed stranger who had saved me a few minutes ago.

The vegetation looked majestic up close, almost peaceful, making me think that this place was not a dungeon for a moment. Unlike the nest brimming with monster on the other side of this cavern.

“Is there any way of getting out of this place, except for that opening in the wall?” I asked Neil, as I pushed an enormous leaf to the side, stepping into the deep vegetation inside this wide cavern.

Neil shook his head, and a disappointed look flashed over my face. But Neil began to speak as he bended down, avoiding a thick branch inclining down a lush tree.

“That might not be the only way out, but there is a way which leads to another tunnel connecting to the outside,” Neil said. “But...”

He stopped as he looked around his surroundings, keenly observing the bushes a few feet away from us.

He withdrew a beautiful bow, which had beautiful green grooves engraved on its hard wooden surface, which held the light string of the bow, from the ring he was wearing on his middle finger. He pulled the string of his bow, and a translucent rich mana filled arrow took form in his fingers. He released it and it shot at the bushes.

With a withered groan, something rustled out of the bushes and laid on the ground in front of us.

It was a three tailed leopard. There were sharp strips of green arching across its body, and its body being twice my size. It had silvery eyes which gleamed with a dark sheen.

The mana beast laid on the ground and took a final breath, as the arrow which Neil had released flickered out.

The arrow had dug straight into its heart. Accurately!

I snapped my head at Neil and warily looked at him. The reason for my wary was, because three Tailed Leopards were masters of camouflaging their presence, best if they were in the wild. Even I hadn’t noticed its presence, not until Neil had turned to point at the bushes in the distance.

He withdrew the bow back into his dimensional ring, and looked at me.

“This place is also filled with monsters, so be careful,” he said, whilst walking deeper into the dungeon.

I followed him from behind, but maintaining some distance from him. Whomever he was, he was skilled, and he was on the rank, close to reaching the threshold. But his senses were also sharp, I think even better than mine.

“But fortunately, you didn’t fell into the pit which those centipedes were guarding,” Neil said, as we reached near the pond I had seen from above the cliff.

“How so?” I asked, raising a brow, while looking at the fellow in front of me.

“Because the Boss Monster is down there!”

I stopped in my tracks and hurriedly asked. “What? How do you know that the Boss Monster is down there?”

Neil looked above his shoulder, then spoke. “Because I confirmed it a few days ago. And that’s the reason why the Clawed Centipedes are guarding that place.”

I then began to think, on how to proceed with this new development. But, I asked a question before making an further judgement. “Have you seen the Boss Monster? What does it look like?”

But Neil shook its head, in naught. “Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it! I mistakenly took the wrong tunnel—just like you—and found myself in the nest of the Clawed Centipedes.”

“So you have been here for a few days?” I asked, curious.

Neil nodded, as I crouched down, and splashed water over my face from the pond. The cold water felt refreshing to my skin, as I washed the blood off of my face.

I took my coat off, then my shirt, following my pants. Having stripped down—only keeping my boxers on—, I jumped into the clear water of the pond, and completely submerged myself.

Afterwards, I resurfaced and walked out of the pond. Neil was looking away from me. But still catching a glimpse or two from time to time.

“What’s wrong? You need something?” I asked, putting my clothes back on. And ruffling my long hair, wiping the water off them.

“I-Its nothing,” Neil hurriedly said, taking a step to the side. His behaviour a little shaken, unlike before.

“Alright,” I shrugged, wearing my coat back on.

I turned to look at the ceiling of the cavern, and it had the same root spiralling across, illuminating the inside of this wide cavern, like the early dawns light.

Pulling my gaze away, I looked at Neil, then asked. “Hey, can you guide me to a tunnel which leads back to the nest of those centipedes? Or is that opening in the wall the only way back there?”

Neil’s brows knitted together as he spoke. “You want to go back to that nest once again? You were barely able to escape?”

I knew that myself, but, after learning that the Boss Monster was residing down that pit, I had to take the risk to get down there. But Neil’s description of their behaviour was similar to what I had seen. The Clawed Centipedes were circling around that huge pit, almost as if they were guarding something, or someone.

“I know but, I need to kill the boss monster at all cost,” I replied, determined.

Because despite the difficulty, I had to clear the quest.

This time there weren’t any penalties for not completing the quest. But what if that quest criteria changed like last time, when the time limit the system had given me in the last quest had reduced all of a sudden or if it gave me a penalty out of no where for not completing the quest?

But despite all that, the rewards were also good enough to not let this opportunity go. I could grow stronger and also get decent rewards.

Neil sighed, as he pointed to the southern direction of the cavern. I snapped my head in that direction and he began to elaborate.

“There is a tunnel which leads back to the tunnel which led you to the nest of the centipedes, but it will take you at most an hour to get there, its a big detour.”

I nodded my head in acknowledgement then began to follow the youth from behind as he led the way.

Because I was running short on time. I only had a few more hours left until I needed to return back to the Inn. During which I needed to retrieve the cure for the exchange deal, which was due tomorrow.

With a fast pace both of us reached the tunnel Neil had previously pointed toward.

“Let’s go,” Neil said, stepping inside the tunnel, as I followed him, leaving the green lush cavern and into the dimly lit tunnel, as it grew darker the further we went.

But, I was kind of curious what he was doing here for the past few days, as he had mentioned previously.

“If you don't mind me asking, what have you been doing here for the past few days?”

Neil looked above his shoulder, as he led the way inside the tunnel.

“I have been studying this World’s culture, including the monsters, vegetation and other stuff,” the youth said with enthusiasm, like a person describing their purpose on a field trip.

“This world’s?!!!” I pointed out with a raise of my brow.

Neil let out a dry chuckle as he replied. “I-I mean this country and all the others I have already been to.” He hurriedly answered, almost as if he was trying to hide something.

But I didn’t press through. I knew everyone had their secrets and thing that they couldn’t tell anyone. So forcing someone to speak wasn’t my thing.

“But if we are going to fight the boss monster, we first have to go through the nest of the Clawed Centipedes guarding the place, “ Neil said, as two more tunnel came into our vision, he took the tunnel on to his right and continued his march, me following suit. “So want to make a plan or something?”

“Since when was there a 'we' in this?” I asked, blunt.

“I was also going to fight the boss monster on my own when I got the chance, I was just looking for an opportunity after I found a little bit more information on it. But with two people, don’t you think we have better shot at me?”

Honestly, his offer was tempting. Neil had spent a few days here and knew the ins and outs of this cave dungeon. But I wasn’t quick to rely on someone, just because they were being charitable enough.

“Why should I team up with you?” I bluntly asked, not pulling an inch away.

The youth came to a halt, twirled around as he looked me straight into my eyes. “You have your own reasons for wanting to fight the boss monster and I have my own, but...” he paused for a moment—looking for the rights words—then again continued. “But the bigger problem are the centipedes guarding the pit. Are you confident enough in reaching the pit, while fighting your way through the hordes of those monsters?”

With a sigh, I shrugged my shoulders. “Alright, as you say, its the better option.”

Neil nodded with a victorious smile plastered over his face, as he spoke. “Alright, then I’m in your care, Shun.” He extended his hand at me, and I took it.

“Right back at you! Now hurry up and lead the way!”

***

“Alright, the plan is simple, I would distract the monsters by using these explosives I have, while you reach for the pit generating a path for me to follow.”

Neil elaborated the plan out loud, as we stood just outside the mouth of the tunnel. Inside his palm was a crystal shaped stone, which was amethyst in colour—which was actually an explosive.

“Because the Clawed Centipedes have sharp senses, so they will be stunted by the shockwave of the explosion, so in that moment, we will go down that pit.” I finished for him.

Then both of us dashed into the tunnel and soon came out through the other side. The same cavern, filled with those monsters came into my view.

I nodded at Neil and my companion nodded back.

Then he threw three of those amethyst crystals down into the nest. Just as he did, I jumped down.

The walls and ground of the cavern trembled violently, as the centipedes were immobilised for a moment. I landed and unsheathed my sword, and hacked through the hordes of monsters.

I swinged my sword, slashing through the hard skin of the monsters. Blood spraying all around me, as I cleared a path leading to the pit, which was at least a hundred feet away from me.

But a second or two later, two more explosions shook the ground beneath me, but much to my avail, some of the monsters had lunged in my direction.

But they were cleanly killed by the translucent arrows of mana released by Neil. He had jumped down himself and was making his way through the path which I had cleared. In only a second he was running behind me now, taking care of the monsters coming from the sides and behind.

[You Have Levelled Up]

[You Have Levelled Up]

[You Have Levelled Up]

Windows popped up in front of me, indicating me having levelled up, as I reaped through these insects.

The pit was only a few more meters away, but some of the centipedes around me had regained their senses, and quickly lunged in my direction.

Same was the case with Neil. I kept killing centipede after centipede, as I reached closer to the dark abyss like pit.

But I heard a loud groan come from behind, as I twirled, hacking through a centipede’s body, and turning to look at Neil. Three centipedes were over him, as he dug the sharp side of his bow into the centipedes, but one of them grazed him with its claws on his back.

I kicked a centipede close to me, as Neil stumbled a step, but I grabbed him by his left arm and dragged him toward the wide pit. But to my avail the centipedes kept lunging at me from all directions.

Neil’s body was becoming unmoving as the second passed by. But he swung his bow, killing any centipede close by, trying his best to not be a burden.

Sidestepping, I held my sword firmly and performed a horizontal slash. The centipedes fell to the ground, lifeless, as black blood sprayed all around us.

But from my side, I felt a deep stinging sensation arise. I looked below, and a centipede had thrust its claws into my abdomen. I grunted, as I punched the vermin, my fist hissed through the air, as it dug into the centipede’s body, killing it.

[You Have Levelled Up]

[You Have Levelled Up]

My vision began to blur, as my arms became stiff, unmoving. The paralysis poison was taking its effect.

Me and Neil were already close to the pit, but now with both of us poisoned. I stumbled a step, as my vision blurred again, and we both fell into the deep wide pit.

But the Clawed Centipedes didn’t follow us into the pit. The light coming from above dimmed, as we both fell deeper into the abyssal pit.

“S-Shun,” I heard Neil’s voice coming from beside me.

Damn it all, I have to do something. I thrust my almost stiff hand at him, trying to grab my companion. He held his arm out, trying to reach me somehow.

But a moment of struggling later, I grabbed onto his arm and pulled my companion close. I embraced his body, pulling him close to me, so I won’t release him.

This deep pit kept on going, and if nothing was done, he would be falling out our deaths.

I drew in a quick breath and closed my eyes, as the wounds over my abdomen had already began to heal.

I activated my skill, and was ready to teleport. But my mind was unable to empower—focus on—any location. I couldn’t teleport.

It must be due to the poison. I quipped.

My mind was becoming foggy, as my body was becoming unresponsive due to the poison.

I opened my eyes, and looked at the currents of mana which spiralled around me. Burning with purpose.

‘What am I supposed to do?’ I thought, panic shrouding my mind, as I tried to think of anything. But I couldn’t. My mind was now a blur, my senses had dulled due to the poison.

‘Fuck,’ I cursed, as both of us fell to our death. Neil was barely holding onto his consciousness while fighting the paralysis effect of the poison.

But in my desperation, I heard a dim, almost distant voice calling out to me. I snapped my head around, but the only thing which I saw was the interconnecting web, which held the motes which were bare to my eyes.

Again, I heard that voice but this time more vividly. It was calling out to me, telling me something, but my senses dulled to the point, that I had started hearing random voices.

No, I wasn’t hearing random voices, those were the voices of the pathways—motes—themselves.

I sensed for the motes—their presence strongly felt—, the current flowing all around me. Shinning just as brightly as the suns light.

It asked where I wanted to go, to what purpose which the pathways could be of help to me in this desperate moment. I calmed my mind, and breathing, and answered to their call.

Take us somewhere safe! I said to them.

But as if they had heard my call—heeded my command—the obsidian black coloured currents began to burn with life, with purpose, with energy. I closed my eyes momentarily as the light almost blinded me.

But, in that moment, information—so much of it—coursed through my mind. My head began to split, as the pathways provided me with information after information. Places I knew of, places which were foreign to me, places which I had never seen or could describe with mere words.

I allowed the pathways to feed me the information, rather myself extracting it from them.

I had never experienced a phenomenon like this, in my past life neither in this one, when using my skill. For the first time, I felt completely—deeply—connected to the pathways. A weird warmth began to spiral up my spine, as if the pathways were covering me in their subtle warmth. They were reassuring me to trust them. To leave my everything to them.

I did as they said, and entrusted myself in their care. But just as my head was close to bursting with the information, a mote sparked to life. It burned with such a blinding—brilliant—shine which made me almost cover my eyes.

I firmed my arms around my companion, as I tapped into the mote, and it pulled my mind towards it. Without giving it another thought, the current gleamed, brightening my surroundings.

Black tendrils coiled around my body, as it furiously sparked. Then I leaped. I felt myself being drawn to those currents—pathways—as I rode the current and left the pit.

A moment later, I found myself rolling on muddy ground, with my arms tightly wrapped around Neil's body. I violently rolled, protecting Neil in my embrace.

But soon I came to stop, and released Neil from my grasp. My vision was blurring by the minute. I couldn’t make out of my surroundings, but I knew I had teleported someplace safe. The tendrils of lightening around my body flickered out, as the pathways disappeared from my vision.

My eyes slowly rolled into my head, as my body ached with pain, but it became numb soon enough.