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Chapter 356 - Echoes of Terror
🕑 Added 2025-10-05 04:50:04 +0000 UTC----------------------------
Kai stilled at the mouth of the stairs. The screams rebounded over the walls of the cavern, carrying notes of pain and terror. His senses stretched through the tunnels to pinpoint their source. Where his range failed, the wave of ominous whispering revealed the direction. The moss's faint luminescence highlighted the entrance of the farthest tunnel on their right.
“Is that…” Alden stared into the darkness. His taut shoulders betrayed his steady facade.
All those what-ifs they had discussed suddenly didn’t seem so silly. If they found a student in danger, it was a matter of ensuring their enchanted bracelet would teleport them to safety. Yet their speculations didn’t account for the broken seal in the chamber below—or the threat pressing down on them.
Another raw scream pierced the cold, underground air.
Something was terribly off, and they had no time to figure out what. Each passing instant dragged the weight of a boulder.
Dammit, I should be over this reckless shit.
Before Kai consciously acknowledged it, his mind had already set his course. His eyes flicked to Alden. In a glance, their intent aligned, faces set in grim determination.
“Let’s go,” Kai gestured to the tunnel, his roommate already moving, steps as swift and quiet as the rocky ground allowed. They didn't need to say more—they had discussed this part. When time was of the essence, it only heightened the need for caution. Rushing would just add more people to the list in need of rescuing.
Three sharp grooves carved the bluish moss into the passage. Again, Kai ignored Hallowed Intuition’s suggestion to turn away.
A faint scream echoed in the distance, almost too weak to distinguish.
Whatever went wrong, they were inside the Trials—a school test. He wore insurance on his wrist. A whole team of Fourth Circle mages was probably monitoring them at this very moment.
Uh… Hobbes? What do you mean they aren’t watching?
A deluge of impressions flooded the bond.
Kai stalked closer to Alden, weaving a cloak of Shadow as he tried to understand what his familiar meant and ignored his roommate's pointed look—another question for later.
Slow down. Are the professors watching or not? You said there were many peeping scripts around here… What do you mean they were watching, but aren’t anymore…?
The more Hobbes rambled, the less he understood, and the deeper the knot in his gut grew. The cat never had much patience for explaining the obvious, and his thoughts weren’t usually so skittish.
Were the scrying arrays malfunctioning, or simply inactive? It stood to reason that the academy couldn't monitor every one of the thousands of first-year students at once. Could Hobbes have misunderstood?
Creeping over a slick rock, sharp gravel pressed in his palm, his mind split in seven ways to scout against an ambush. No more screams. The underground had returned to its quiet dripping and rustling air.
He couldn’t spare the attention to interpret Hobbes. The academy’s actions didn't change the immediate situation. Instead, he tried a different approach.
Do you know what’s happening ahead? Who screamed?
The bond turned quiet, then rang with unease. Images flashed, blurred by a cat’s alien acuity in the dark. Kai was puzzling out the muted colors when Alden stabbed a finger in his ribs and sharply gestured.
Ahead of them, the glow of quartz spilled over the twisting cavern, stretching the shadows along rough walls. Slowing their approach, they stepped on the larger rocks to avoid the crunch of pebbles.
A cold gust brought the coppery tang of blood—a starkly clear answer to his doubts. Alden stiffened before quickening his pace.
Wait, dammit.
Kai drew the Shadow veil tighter. His hand grasped empty air, wishing for the weight of a sword. Spells would have to do. The passage ended at the ruin of a large door. Jagged planks dangled from torn hinges, brushing his arm as he passed through. Splinters and twisted iron ground/crackled underfoot, still smoldering with wisps of shattered enchantments.
Pale quartzes lit the small chamber. A mosaic of numbers and runes covered the walls, likely the key to some unknown challenge. Sparing it a passing glance, Kai fixed his attention on the girl crumpled in a pool of blood on the carven floor.
Deep gouges carved across her chest and stomach, hands vainly clutching at her wounds. White bones peeked amidst the gurgling red where her ribs snapped like twigs. The dress that might once have been white was now streaked with spreading crimson, clinging wetly to her body.
Blonde hair framed her pale face, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Kai didn’t need to feel her pulse to know she was dead. Mana streamed from her figure, slow and irreversible.
He crept toward the warm pool of blood. Whispers pounded his head, insistent but not imminent. The silver bracket gleamed on her wrist—for all the good it did. Despite his certainty, he still knelt to search for a heartbeat he knew wasn’t there.
“Is she… is she dead?” Alden stood on the threshold, wearing a stiff mask. From his tone, he’d already guessed at the truth.
“Yes. It’s too late. We were too far to help,” Kai said, not sure if for Alden or himself. Bloody smears trailed toward the passage across from them. The marks looked like none of the beasts he’d met, not helped by the rough cavern floor. “Do you have any idea what did this?”
Alden approached the body with measured paces. “I— No. Nothing I’m confident in. It could be twenty different creatures.” He fell silent, scanning the tracks. “It’s strange, though. Why didn’t she trigger the script on her bracelet?”
“She might not have had time.”
Among their barebones information, Dumbledore’s twin had taken time to specify that the enchantment took ten seconds to teleport them out of here. It had seemed short, yet plenty to kill a human several times over.
Alden shook his head. “Even if she died, the bracelet should have still carried her corpse away. To lay here, she must not have channeled her mana into it.”
“Hmm… maybe she panicked?” Kai tried, furrowing his brows. Plenty of people froze up against a beast, but from the repeated screams, she suffered quite a bit before dying. How could she not send a wisp of mana to her wrist? “Are you sure that’s how the enchantment works?”
“I am. The mana charge is embedded within. Once you trigger the script, there is no need to complete the activation. That’s how House Astares usually engraves escape devices.”
I’ll take your word on that.
The more Kai saw, the less he liked it. Beneath the overpowering iron tang, another pungent odor lingered. Thanks to Rain’s Perception exercises, he could match it to the scent he’d caught from the gate below.
The stifling underground gloom, the threat of unseen creatures—it all dragged him back to his worst months in the Sanctuary.
His breath caught, shallow, as if the air itself had thinned. Tightness coiled in his throat. Cold, clammy prickles ran across his skin. His heartbeat thudded louder than his thoughts. The world narrowed. Sounds sharpened, urging him toward action.
Calm down. It’s just a test.
He wasn’t stranded in some hidden realm. The looming pressure from Hallowed Intuition fell short of a Green beast’s weight—dangerous, yes, but his skills also had grown. Whatever mess the academy threw him in, he could handle it. Or at least survive it. He just had to be careful.
First… what do we do?
Kai gently closed the girl’s vacant blue eyes, then stepped back from the overpowering stench of blood. “It’s strange. Beasts kill to feed and grow. Especially if they escaped from the gate. Why hunt her all the way here and leave without feeding?”
Unless it’s one of the academy’s precautions to leave the bodies intact. Though they’ve already fucked up letting a student die, so…
“It is odd,” Alden said, leaning closer. “Have you checked if her heart is still there? I’m no expert on subterranean beasts, but I know of creatures that only consume certain organs.”
Uhm… as if this couldn’t get any creepier.
Kai scanned the jagged wounds. “Her… her heart looks intact.” His grasp of anatomy wasn’t enough to say about the rest—and he wasn’t about to rummage through her still warm insides. He’d skinned plenty of beasts to get over his squeamishness, but touching a human felt different, no matter what logic said.
“Let me see.” Alden crouched beside her. Threads of mana glimmered around him, prodding the body. “I think her liver is missing. Also—” He jolted back, barely keeping his feet.
“What is it?” Kai asked. Mana rushed to his fingertips. Black wisps writhed beneath the girl’s bloodied dress, unspooling like threads that drifted off under their gazes. “What did you do?”
“I… nothing. I was just examining the wounds with a skill. I’m not sure what this is, but it isn’t poison.”
Kai focused his senses before dark marks faded completely.
It almost looks—
Another scream tore the chill quiet.
His head snapped up. Only two passages opened in the chamber. They could return the way they came through the broken door, find another path outside and let the academy deal with their mess. Or they could follow the bloody streaks up the other passage.
Uh, fuck me already.
The wispy lines had disappeared like smoke in the moment of distraction.
Kai pushed down the questions and speculation swirling in his mind—Alden was already running ahead.
“Wait!” He ran to catch up with him. Cold air rushed against his face. Pale/Bluish moss softly pierced the darkness. Loose rocks and pebbles threatened their footing, their skidding lost beneath the distant screams. More than one voice was crying out. “Slow down. We’re no use if we crack our heads or get there panting. Any idea what we’re dealing with?”
“I’m… not sure. I don’t have enough information.” Alden slowed a fraction, his words coming quick between each breath. “True Underground beasts aren’t well documented. Certain species exclusively feed on specific organs. Others only if they hunt creatures of lower grades. I—”
“Can you lend me one of your flying knives?” Kai pivoted into a more promising direction. Hallowed Intuition hissed for caution. Wielding a weapon without a handle wouldn’t be ideal, but better than going empty-handed.
“I… yes,” Alden said. A gleaming knife slipped from his sleeve, hovering between them. It resembled a throwing dagger, though the double-edged blade made up most of its length, leaving a stubby handle too short to wield by hand. “This is the best one I have. It’s designed for someone with a Metal affinity. It likely won’t be of much use to you.”
“It’s fine.” Kai wrapped a stream of Water around the base and froze it into a makeshift hilt, then bound/wrapped it with his bloodied handkerchief to protect against the cold. Gripping a stabby weapon immediately eased his tension. It wouldn’t hold up to heavy use, but even if it shattered, he could always make another. “Thank you.”
“Be careful. The blade is coated with poison. Do you want me to remove it?”
“Leave it,” Kai listened to track the screams in the branching tunnels. That would just make dagger work better. “Do you have the antidote? Uhm… unless it was in your spatial artifact.”
“I have it on me,” Alden said. “It has to be administered within seconds. The effectiveness depends on your Constitution and the size of the cut. Even if you survive, it won’t be pleasant.”
Don’t get nicked. Got it. Maybe I should ask him for the anti—
“We’re here.” Alden motioned to a light flickering on the bend of the tunnel. Pained yells and scared voices echoed clearly through the cavern.
Kai wove another cloak of Shadow around them as several presences entered his senses. Seven students huddled in a corner of the cave, pressed tight against a wall, while a languid shape stalked them from the ceiling. Two first-years bled mana on the ground, likely gravely injured. The creature didn’t resemble anything he’d encountered before, though the incandescent mana was unmistakable.
Peak Yellow. Just my luck.
Its elongated shape reminded him of a great cat, though the proportions were all wrong—limbs too long and thin, head large and misshapen. It moved with a disjointed grace, each prowl broken by twitches among the stalactites.
“Stay b—back!”
“Help me…”
"Na—Nathaniel, do something!”
Turning the bend, a floating torch flame cast/shed uneven light across the scene. Shards of quartz glowed dimly on the ground, likely broken off from a nearby chamber.
I should have thought of that.
Seen with his eyes, the creature looked even more unnatural.
It clung to the ceiling, claws biting into stone. Each limb bent at wrong angles as it shifted its weight with deceptively slow movements. Pale skin—almost translucent—stretched tight over its wiry frame, dark veins pulsing beneath. The protrusions in place of its eyes looked/appeared permanently closed. A long, slick tongue lashed from its maw, glistening as it snuck between rows of jagged fangs.
Kai had hated the spiders, but this creature stirred a deeper revulsion.
Under the cloak of Shadow, none of the students reacted to their entrance. They shouted incoherently at the creature. One girl sobbed over her bleeding companions; the others waved a sword and three spears to keep the thing at bay.
Their panicked actions killed any chance to put up a worthwhile defense, only survived because the beast toyed with them.
“Pale Stalkers shouldn't hunt here,” Alden muttered. Slowing from the run, he lifted his arm. Two blades whistled through the air.
The creature jerked aside, twisting between the attacks with worrying ease. Its head tilted toward them with an odd clicking sound, tongue lashing the air, thin nostrils flaring.
The nauseous pungent smell mixed with the scent of blood.
With a sudden twitch, the beast dropped from the ceiling and snapped its attention toward them.
Kai raised his knife, weaving Water and Earth mana. As he met its eyeless gaze, a wave of terror clenched his guts.
What the—
Paralyzed with dread, he barely reacted when the dark tongue lashed toward his eye. The world narrowed. Only years of honed instinct pushed his body into a roll. Wind whipped past his ear, the tongue grazing his cheek. He hit the ground hard, a rock digging into his back. Pulling into a crouch, he let Empower flood his legs, ready to dart.
Hallowed Intuition’s sharp whispers flared, drawing his focus to the aura bearing down on him.
A fear attack…?
Once he became aware, the nameless terror receded by half. His thoughts came slow and rigid. Struggling to adapt, he barely registered when the pale stalker lunged—its speed a blur. A hastily raised shield shattered. Ice shards scattered across the cavern floor. A metal blade flew through the air, buying him just enough time to get out of the way.
Kai retreated, wiping the bloody line on his cheek.
The creature lazily shifted its weight, swiveling its neck, pale skin unmarred by the clash. The more he focused on it, the more terror gripped his mind—not that looking away was an option.
This is gonna be miserable.
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A/N: See you next week :)
Comments
Brianna Stormcloud
Thank you for the chapter 📖🍿
niko north
That is happening to me too, but I found a work around. The cut off only happens on my home page. If I go to Drewells page or click the chapter title then I get the whole thing.
Martingrant91
I think he might actually get mentorship from the Dean. At the start of the Trial, didn't the proctor say that the Dean has mastery of spatial magic?
Doug Wills
Empower is what it evolved into I believe.
EEN
are the last few words on the end of each row being cut off for anyone else?
Keid
He's gonna get some awesome alchemy ingredients out of this.
Gromaul
Nah, the principle crafted them personally remember? More likely is the fear aura prevented the poor lass from even remembering that she could portal out
Mohit
Either there was a catastrophic error that affected all enchantments or there was deliberate sabotage for an unknown purpose
Brett
I’m looking for some sort of forced evolution of a skill… like generating a green level skill to deal with this problem and it overwrites his yellow skill…
Brett
So, what mental defenses does Kai have? He’s gone through a lot of mental stress and strain but I don’t see a skill that really helps him deal with it… I’m wondering if he can enhance body augmentation to be body and mind augmentation… not just augmentation of muscles and bones but organs like the brain… nervous system response to fear… Fight or flight chemical response…
C
Don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby.
C
Please! I'm scared of heights! Don't leave me on this cliff!
Mohit
So when he says Empower he is referring to Body Augmentation right? Is it just easier to think of it as?
roflkong3
i hope that Kai will agree to Jolene´s Mentorship after the Trial......
ApeOfHonor
As always too short. I don't want to wait. Especially on a semi cliffhanger.
Sacredwisp
Thanks for the chapter. Also, you left a few "/" in. Should probably clean that up at some point.
Some Guy
TFTC
Viria
I hope they deal with the beast first.
Deinos
Thanks for the chappy! Glad you didn't switch to the others yet, it'd be quite frustrating since the chappys are already very piece-meal ^^
Immutably Empty
Now it's time for the alt pov, right?
wanderer117
Their panicked actions killed any chance to put up a worthwhile defense, only survived because the beast toyed with them. suggested edit Their panicked actions killed any ability to put up a worthwhile defense. They were only surviving because the beast toyed with them.
Gromaul
Was mentioned last chapter. There was probably food and equipment on the main path. Kai took a unique route that netted them a bunch of points and also didn't have any supplies. Again, due to not being the main path.
Anthony Goh
Getting exciting!
Trevayne
Thanks for the chapter. I wonder how all the other students got swords and spears?
Martingrant91
Good chapter but actually was looking forward to the Flynn, Rain, and Val chapter.
