Chapter 125 - Escaping
When visual in the black portal became crystal clear in Satan's large chamber, it showed a lone individual in a desolated and cursed land. Hearing the person talk, only a certain number of servants recognized the speech pattern and tone coming from the humanoid creature. For others, the appearance of the levitating figure seemed like a blend of a demon and those in Purgatory with no soul. Seeing the ruler of that land glitch into existence and the undead rising from the ground, the sight made Satan smirk a little. Looking closely at the Blighter, recognizing who it was made him chuckle out loud.
"You saved that mortal's soul by turning him into a Blighter!? This is rich!" the Hell king said with mirth. "He is already lost in his mind."
Looking at the dark goddess and about to thank her for entertaining him, she was focused on the portal only. Turning to his subjects, all of them were staring at what was being shown in the rift as well. Deciding that he will allow this to continue for it brought him amusement, he resumed watching. After seeing all the undead suddenly rush the male teen, he slowly lifted his hand. When the zombies were about to chomp his face, the group saw all of them get slaughtered in mere seconds. What took most by surprise was the environmental space morphed into something surreal and chaotic.
"...how torturous..." one remarked with surprise.
"...a Blighter's fate is this monstrosity?" another stated that sounded intrigued.
"...that boy must have caused a great deal of sins to be given that judgment..." a male slave commented followed by others giving verbal agreements.
"...mortals...they always have extremes...none of them are the same...all are impure regardless of mortification," a loyal servant remarked lifting their noise up a little.
"Well my lord," Lamashtu began then turned her head. Looking behind her, the Underworld lord looked less amused.
"I believe this one is the most suited out of all of my Blighters...possibly the most reliable one yet."
Hearing Satan not say anything from her statement, the servants looked up at him then at the deity. Seeing the confident smile remain on her face, it didn't break from feeling the Hell King not enjoying himself like he was. Suddenly, all saw a crimson rift appear. Dropping out of it was a mortal gunslinger. While the slaves said mixed things about the female teen, both Lamashtu and Satan remained quiet.
"...who...is that mortal?" he asked seeing the red, black, and white vision change back to normal. He blinked in confusion from seeing her vanish and reappear closer to the Blighter. The aspect that the mortal was not afraid of what the turned individual looked like or emitted was odd. In some aspects, the King of the Hell found that attribute to be attractive.
"...Lamashtu...I want those two here," the fallen angel demanded evenly. Glancing at the goddess who hadn't stopped looking behind her, she grinned at him. It wasn't appreciation from getting his acceptance, it was one of mockery. She turned her head back slowly to the black portal.
"Are you sure my lord...you want...those two? A mere mortal and a demonic lab rat...as you say."
"...you have peaked my interest...more so the female human than your damned mortal recreation."
"You say the most touching things," she responded with a mild laughter at him. Seeing the loyal slaves frowning at her, she forced herself to calm down.
"Very well. I will call them here."
"No...transport them here...right now," he corrected.
"As you wish my King," the woman smirked then gave a curtesy.
Lifting her right arm up, she pointed her palm toward the floor. The black portal vanished and was replaced with a crimson summoning circle. With little effort, she sent a green orb of magic into the center of it. Symbols and shapes filled the space rapidly until everything inch of it was part of a shape or design. Once completed, the circle rippled rapidly. Materializing in the center space, two figures appeared.
"...!?" Selbith reacted with surprise and looked around quickly. Recognizing the two prominent figures and who this chamber room belonged to, she stayed near Jin.
"Well well...you look more ravishing in person mortal," Satan stated and approached them.
"..." Jin responded looking at her. Seeing her not moving and keeping her eyes on who spoke, he slowly turned around. Facing the Hell King and seeing Lamashtu standing outside of the fading magic circle, he looked similar to the one in Pandora's Box.
"I see you survived my boy...to be honest, I am a little surprised that you haven't given into insanity yet," the Hell King remarked with a smirk. Turning to the gunslinger, he gave her a smile of interest.
"What is your name dear?"
"...Selbith..." Ami answered with a stoic face. Blinking, she saw the devil offer his hand.
"You can use Hell runes with such ease. Are you a follower of me?"
[...Jin...get her out of there...] Derek stated before a short release of static. After that, the male teen felt there was less of an airy noise in his head.
"No...I do not follow you or the mortals cult of worshiping you."
"Do not lie mortal...no mere human can use three Hell runes at once."
"...hee hee hee..." Lamashtu giggled and placed a hand over her mouth. Amused, seeing the Underworld lord look at her made her grin.
"She does not lie my lord."
"..." he responded with a blink and narrowed his eyes.
"You will explain goddess before..." the devil began then stopped. Only turning his head a little, the Blighter's face was inches away from his. Given the large height difference, the male teen was levitating above the ground to be face to face with him. Seeing no expression on his face, the eyes, pale skin, and worming protruding black veins created tension.
"If you want to keep your face insect, you will-gah!" Satan spoke before feeling something pierce his chest.
Looking down at his right breast, the Blighter shoved his left hand into it. Taken by surprise, the aspect of feeling pain was perplexing. Instantly feeling it fade, he narrowed his eyes at the humanoid. About to release Hell fire on the male teen, he felt something converging in his chest. Without warning, a strong force launched him backwards and off his feet. Flying fast across his spacious chamber, he impacted and cratered into a wall harshly.
"...!?" the servants around looked in shock.
A couple of loyal ones instantly went to where their master had fallen while the others became enraged. Getting their personal weapons and taking offense stances, they froze. The floating monster was in front of them in a blink of an eye. His left hand was dripping with blood as he bored into the nearest servant's eyes. Seeing the slave shook a little with fear, it released a battle cry and charged.
With only one step, the demonic servant froze. Seeing the veins on Jin's temples protrude more and tense up, all the limbs of the slave were ripped out of their sockets. Crying in pain, its arms and legs were floating around itself as blood spilled on the floor. Causing a level fear to arise in the rest of Satan's personal attendants, their tortured fellow member's head rotated past 180 degrees violently. Becoming lifeless, its body dropped to the floor along with its limbs.
"...beautiful..." Lamashtu commented with a pleased smile.
"..." Selbith reacted with a genuine smile and felt giddy inside.
"..." everyone in the hospital room blinked after Dr. McCole turned off the monitor. Derek saw what the medical staffer was going to do from seeing him quickly point the remote toward the TV. Able to get his statement prior to the TV being powered down, all saw the screen go black.
"I think...that is enough," the doctor stated evenly then looked around. A wave of disbelief, confusion, and dread emitted from the large group.
"...doctor..." Derek spoke.
"Yes?"
"If possible, can you set up something similar to my daughter's headgear?"
"...I can...though I am limited on resources," Dr. McCole mentioned. Seeing him turn to him, his face was grave.
"If it is money you are concerned about...then that can be arranged."
"No no...I can go look for spares," he stated then looked at the rest of the group. "Is anyone needing a chair to sit down or need aspirin?"
"..." the others responded with a gloom look. Alex was not the most affected by what was witness whereas Samantha and Renee were.
"Are you okay Mrs. Ainsley?" the doctor asked seeing her face.
"...no...I'm not...I just need to go sit down," she answered. Turning around, she slowly walked out to the hallway. Alex walked beside her followed by Gene walking quickly to them.
"How about you two?" Dr. McCole asked looking at the Sanders.
"Other than creeped out...I'm fine," Tiffany replied then looked her daughter. "How about you hon?"
"..." Renee responded with an angst expression. "...I...still want to talk with him."
"Did Jin believe you?"
"...he's being...stubborn..." she answered then curled her hands into fists. "I just have to try again and reach him."
"Was this game adulted rated?"
"...?" the junior replied with a blink of confusion. Looking up at her mother, she looked at her with a neutral expression.
"...no...it is PG-13...why?"
"If you did not see it, then I will ask you another time," the woman mentioned then turned to the doctor. "I'll check on the others doc."
"Okay. Thank you," he said with a nod and saw her walk to the hallway. Turning toward Derek, he told him that he will go look for extra components to set up a viewing with his daughter's helmet. Watching him leave, the Felmorts turned toward each other and discussed things.
"..." Renee commented in thinking about what her mother stated before she went into the hallway.
'...Jin was transported to Satan's chamber room...there were Satan's slaves...or at least I think they were...then both viruses were there too...wonder what she meant by adult rated.'
'So that is Lamashtu's game,' Adam thought from watching the live feed. 'Her focus is more acute on the E.D.E. world and not pursuing outside of it...the retaining of the players was just her way of enslaving anyone that was a mortal.'
'That makes things a little easier,' he continued. Opening up a command code program, he inputted a long series of text. After a couple of minutes, he completed and hit the enter key.
'...now...for this Blighter...' the lead programmer muttered in his mind. Knowing that the two top ranking players were in Satan's Gates at a level, he gave a cruel smile.
'Maybe those two can help me...it would knock two birds with one stone,' Adam thought and entered a series of code. Once finished, he hit the enter key again.
'Now...I have bought some time,' he pondered while looking at the live feed. Staring at Lamashtu, he contemplated hard.
'How do I get rid of you?'
"As expected of you Jin," Selbith commented with praise. "...no mercy...no hesitation...no fear...no morality...you are becoming someone who will rule over others."
"..." he replied.
Only turning his head, he glanced at the gunslinger. She was walking toward him followed by another person. Lamashtu was smiling at him; however, underneath that smile was something more fierce. About to say something, the entire environment began to glitch. Seeing that both women did not react to it even when breaching his personal space, his body felt fleeting.
"...!?" the dark deity spoke in surprise.
Instead of vanishing or opening up a portal, the Blighter faded away. It was like a spirit that found what it was searching for and was able to transcend. Feeling no power surge from him fading, she looked at the others. The servants were equally baffled. Turning toward the gunslinger, she had immediately started walking toward her.
"Lamashtu...what happened?" Ami asked with an accusing face.
"Selbith...I am equally intrigued as you are...though not as possessively upset as you."
"Is that a technique that Blighters have?"
"...no...they do not," the goddess informed then crossed her arms over her chest. "Half of the powers Blighters have I do not know of."
"..." the gunslinger reacted with giving a deadpan expression. "You don't even know the power of your own experimentation...and you call yourself a deity?"
"..." Lamashtu answered with shrugging her shoulders. "I don't remember quite clearly from being imprisoned for so long...though not quite as long as you were in isolation reaper."
"Hmph," Selbith commented and narrowed her eyes.
Opening her mouth, an explosion occurred across the room. Turning toward it and at the area where Satan impacted it, four servants were blown back. The power the Hell King released was too great for them as they tumbled brutally on the floor. Sliding to a stop, the four were battered, bruised, bloody, and quite dead. Hearing a loud roar, everyone could see that Satan had transformed into his more red demonic form.
"WHERE IS THAT PARASITE!?"
Blinking, Jin suddenly was not in the same room. Instead, he looked to be in a massive dungeon room. Having a high ceiling, the décor was that of a prison and torture chamber. Hovering down and landing on the floor, he started to explore it. Breezing through almost everything, it just appeared to have multiple levels upward. Oddly, there seemed to be doors that stuck out.
'...strange...' the Blighter thought trying one of the metal doors on the wall. '...none look like they would open...or if they did, they would not lead to anywhere...'
About to try one more area that he did not look, a loud bang was heard on the other end of the torture room. Turning around and enabling "Sneak" mode, his figure vanished in a shadow. With the sound of something massive ramming at the double doors again, they swung open. It revealed a long hallway that seemed to stretch on for some distance. Stepping into the room, there were two individuals. Both looked like young adults which one was a swordsman and the other was a swordswoman.
"Do you have to announce your presence like that?" the female asked out loud. Both walked in and were not trying to be quiet.
"Every room that we have gone into has had demons inside," he mentioned holding his left palm out. Each emphasis he said, he used his other hand to point at it.
"They have roared at us...given us monologues...threw weapons at us...chanted spells and curses at us...tried to blow themselves up in front of us..."
"I get your point," she commented with a sigh.
"I just thought since we are still stuck here, I'd try something different...you know, make it less boring," he offered as an explanation.
"...yeah yeah..." the swordswoman remarked then stopped when in the center of the room. "Is this another dungeon of some kind?"
"Seems to be...strange that there is nobody in here. Last prison cells we went to, there were at least a couple of imprisoned people," the swordsman commented.
'...Sword...and...Rose...' Jin thought staring them down.
Closing the "Stalker" window that gave short detail description of each, he debated on what to do. Knowing that the other players trapped in Hell were at the safe zone, he wondered if they chose not to escape. Deciding that confronting them was the only option, he would have to be on guard. If both chose to fight, he would have to force them through a warp portal. Floating out of the shadows and going slowly towards them, they appeared to not notice him.
"...h...e...y..."
"...!?" both players flinched. Within a flash, both had drawn out their swords and were in offense stances. Their eyes seemed to widen seeing two black-frost white eyes staring back at them. Not moving but looking more alert, they seemed to be attached to a dark silhouette.
"Who goes there?" Sword asked in a commanding tone. "Show yourself."
"...f...i...n...e..." he spoke in a deadpan voice accompanied with airy whispers. As if it triggered something, all the small wall torches became lit. Showing more illumination in the room, the two warriors faces became startled at who was in the room.
"...i...s...t...h...a...t...b...e...t...t...e...r...?"
"..." Rose replied with feeling ambivalent. Half of her felt apprehension and a sense of danger from being in the room with this hell-turned person. The other side of her thought he looked vaguely familiar. Deciding that she wanted to be curious then try to slay it, she lowered her blade a little.
"Who are you?"
"...who...I...am...does...not...matter..." the individual responded. "...what are...you two...doing here?"
"We'll be asking the questions here demon," Sword stated firmly. He leaned closer to his partner and whispered.
"This guy is the creepest human looking demon I have seen. Do you know what kind of demon he is?"
"I don't know...he just looks like a tortured person...maybe he is an NPC?" she whispered back.
"If he is an NPC...bet he is insane to be found in this place."
"..." Jin reacted with rolling his eyes. Controlling his voice, he made himself to not sound too demonic.
"Is there a reason you are in Satan's Gates?"
"...?" both sword fighters reacted with blinking a couple of times. Sounding less threatening, they kept their guard up.
"If there is no reason to be here...then I will take you two...else where."
"We don't have to answer you-"
"Wait a minute," Rose cut him off with grabbing his arm.
"...?" Sword stated blinking and only glancing at her with his eyes.
"..." she continued with letting go of him and pointing her sword to the ground. "We, as well as a lot of other fighters, were trapped in Hell due to an event called 'Surreality' collapsing. We haven't been able to find a way out of Hell so far. We decided without telling the others that we would go confront and try to kill Satan. That way, there might be a relic that would help all of us get out of here."
"...I see..." the male teen responded finally blinking slowly. "If you possess Hell runes in mass...you will be able to transfer from realm to realm...that is if you can read and understand the ancient Hell hieroglyphics."
"Is there another way for us to escape?"
"There are warp gates throughout Hell's sectors and regions...if you offer them enough sacrifices, it will open up to areas in Hell and the mortal realm."
"How about one that doesn't involve killing or learning a language?" Sword asked still looking at him sternly.
"..." Jin replied with lifting his left hand.
Both players saw that it was dripping with blood as it stopped to point in their direction. Seeing the demon's eyes glow hauntingly, something materialized behind them. Sounding like a warp gate activating, they glanced behind them. It was a black rift that swirled violently on the inside. Looking back forward, both stiffened greatly.
The humanoid monster they were conversing with was instantly in front of them. His aura was more sinister with an aura of malice. Seeing that its body was coated and stained with crimson, it was naked. About to break away and attack, both could not move. It felt as if an invisible force locked them in place.
"...I...w...o...u...l...d...n...o...t...t...r...y...t...h...a...t..." it spoke as multiple voices and whispers emitted from his mouth.
"Damn you demon," Sword reacted with anger as he struggled to break free.
"Where...are you taking us?" Rose asked staring daggers at the male teen.
"...when you reconnect...with the others...escape to Stratnum," Jin mentioned and looked at them hard. "...follow the fleeing mortals...to the house...with the white portal."
"...?" both responded with confused looks.
"Do you...understand?"
"..." they replied with a short nod. Seeing him blink, a red rift violently occurred at the back end of the dungeon. Not even turning around to see who was coming out of it, the male teen sent a fast shockwave at the sword fighters. When both vanished into the black portal, it faded away. Hovering forward out of the chamber as fast a speeding automobile instantly, a monstrous roar bellowed behind him.
"GET BACK HERE YOU DEFECT!"
"...that kid..." Bill commented out loud with a look of surprise.
"Where did he send those two players?" Rodger asked.
"..." the lead monitor tech began typing. A window popped up stating where they were heading to. "He sent them to the safe zone where the others are."
"This is our window...Sam?" the lead programmer called.
"I finished it," the coder stated then looked at him. "Ready to go."
"Good. Activate it. Bill, send a message to the player that is holding onto the signature item. Tell him to throw it in an empty space nearby."
"Copy that," both workers stated at the same time.
"...!?" everyone at the safe zone reacted from hearing something nearby.
Turning to it, a black rift opened up in the air. Immediately, all felt a strong monstrous aura coming out of it. The dozens and dozens of players all got their weapons to the ready and waited. Coming out fast, they recognized the two individuals that appeared to have been hit by a shockwave. Those that were in line to be impacted, they quickly clustered up to catch them. Grunting from preventing both Sword and Rose from cratering into the ground, everyone started crowding around.
"Who was it?" one called from behind many people.
"Its Sword and Rose."
"Does this mean we can finally get out of here?" an archer asked followed by others sounding similar statements.
[DK, this is Bill from administration. Do you read?]
"...!?" Juan reacted startled. Blinking and turning away from the others, he walked a little.
"Yeah. I read."
[That object you are holding. Throw it at that open space in front of you. It will open up a massive portal]
"Finally," he commented with relief. Chucking the pulsating crystal in the area ahead of him, it clanged on the ground once. As if triggering something inside, a massive green rift ripped into the space. Reaching the size of double stacked bus, its width was the length of a big rig.
[Get everyone in there now. It will transport you directly to the outskirts of Stratnum. Follow where other players are heading. I will stay on the line if you still need direction]
"Got it. Thank you," he stated grateful. Turning around, he barked to get all of their attention.
"Listen up gals and gents. Get your ass movin' and lets go home. It will take us to Stratnum. All we have to do is follow where the others are going. LET'S GO! LET'S GO! LET'S GO!"
Without a second thought, the many groups of players all mad dashed to the portal. All were running with relief on their faces. Waiting till all went through, DK saw his group members go through. Seeing the remaining ones enter the large portal, two players approached him. It was Sword and Rose.
"How the hell did you guys know to get back here in time?" Juan asked curious.
"...we...we didn't," the swordsman answered with a confused look.
"There was a...demon that helped us," she stated equally confused.
"You guys are fucking lucky. Now come on! I don't want to stay here another minute," the dark knight remarked. Dashing into the portal, his figure was gone. Sword turned around and saw Rose looking at the ground.
"Come on...we can finally get out of here."
"...that character..." she said shaking her head. "I remember him from somewhere."
"We did fight a lot of monsters that were humanoid...both in the mortal realm and in Hell."
"...no...something about him...it was during...!?" Rose stated then gasp. Looking up at him, he leaned back from the immediate look of recognition and shock.
"...that gunslinger...when we watch the live feed during the Q&A session...that was him!"
"...n-no way...that couldn't be him," he stated shaking his head.
"He was able to turn himself into a Grim Reaper...he is a gamer like us. We have to help him!"
[Sword and Rose. This is Bill from administration. Please go through the portal. You don't have much time]
"But...there is another player that is trapped in Satan's Gates. He helped us escape. We can't just abandon him here!" she stated out loud.
[There is already a plan to recover him. Please go through the portal. It will not hold on for long] the lead monitor tech stressed.
"Come on," Sword spoke and grabbed her hand. Pulling her in tow, he ran into the rift.
"..." Rose responded with pressing her lips together. When both transferred through, the portal remained open for a minute before it exploded.