LEVEL 50?
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the story or any of the characters from The Great Cleric and I earn no profit in doing this.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This popped into my head after seeing episode 11 of the anime. Not sure where it came from, but I decided to write it up. Thanks to Storyseeker for beta-reading this. As usual, if you have any comments or preferences, please don't be shy. RandR.
Luciel stared at the door to level 50's main chamber or boss room as he kept thinking of it. He was out of food, water, and potions. After his run through the last few levels carrying a barrel of substance X in his arms as monster repellent, he was exhausted and he doubted he would ever get his sense of smell back. Still, he was here, and he had little choice but to push on. His magic was at about 50%, but he couldn't wait for better.
Near dead on my feet as I am, I have to risk it. He readied his weapons and pushed into the level 50 boss room.
OOOOOOOOOO
Pope Fluna looked on her latest visitor with trepidation and a bit of carefully hidden distaste. She knew the man before her very likely brought bad news, and she suspected the ambitious priest might not consider it such. Granhart had never been Luciel's biggest admirer. She had heard the grumblings about the younger man's questioning of church and Guild policies.
His observance of formalities and courtesies was flawless, as always, as he entered her audience chamber and knelt before her.
"What news do you bring Granhart?"
"It has been nearly two weeks since the young exorcist went to confront the monster in the main chamber of level 40. There has been no sign and no word. I fear we must conclude that he has fallen."
"It may be too soon to say such," she answered smoothly. "He has spent prolonged periods in the labyrinth before."
"We cannot assume. Soon, the monsters on the upper levels will begin to spawn again and multiply if we are not ready."
"Begin searching for another, then." Sadly, he was right, they couldn't afford delays in this matter. An exorcist patrolling the labyrinth and putting down monster was vital. She just wished he didn't show such satisfaction with the news.
Without warning a seam in the wall of the chamber, previously invisible, appeared and a section of the wall swung open, much to the shock of Granhart. Fluna herself had barely known it was there, but she did, after a moment's confusion, remember what it meant.
The figure that stepped out of the shadows was filthy and ragged and stank to high-heaven. It was almost certainly an undead of some sort, much to her dismay. She stared in silent confusion for a second even as Granhart readied a spell to purify it.
It shouldn't be possible for an undead to approach my chamber by that route.
Then, it shocked both of them by speaking.
"Huh. I'm not sure if the labyrinth kicked me back to the surface with some weird space-bending magic or if this is the level 50 room and it's like one of those badly written twist endings to a stage drama where the villain is supposed to be the person no one suspects, but the entire audience is like, 'yep, totally saw that coming.'"
"Wha-?!" Granhart's expression of confusion likely mirrored her own they both processed that speech, trying to discern his meaning. They must have understood at the same instant as well, given the highly offended look on the priest's face. It apparently took too long for the furious priest to find his voice as Luciel raised his sword.
"Look, either attack me or start shouting about me being disrespectful. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I stink. Just make a decision, already."
Despite herself, Fluna giggled, which attracted the attention of both men. "I would suggest choosing a third option, Granhart. Either of those is likely to get you stabbed." She decided to consider the implications of his words later. What sort of impression had the priest made on their young exorcist?
"Your holiness?" Luciel asked, noting her presence behind the screen for the first time.
"Yes, Luciel. You've cleared the labyrinth. Congratulations. Please put away your weapons. We will hear your report later. For now, go have some food and rest, and a bath if you would."
Luciel nodded and his sword and shield vanished into his magic bag. He sniffed at himself. "Maybe not in that order." He turned and started to shamble out, like the undead he currently resembled.
Granhart still looked near apoplectic, but he held his tongue. As Luciel cleared the door, he turned back to her only to be interrupted by a high-pitched, girlish scream and a hastily shouted purification spell.
"Hello, Jord," they heard Luciel say calmly. "Can't you just say 'welcome back' like a normal person?"
