Beyond Gods 18 The Labyrinth

Days turned into months, and months into years as Johan and Neil climbed diligently day after day towards the top of the pit. They climbed so long that memories of their lives outside the pit began to feel like an old dream. Their strength and mana abilities grew due to the long climbs and grueling exercises they performed diligently daily to get stronger. Before long, they were able to quickly leap from wall to wall and ascend up the pit at a rate faster than was previously possible by merely climbing. When they found ledges along the pit, they'd rest, and Neil would teach Johan fighting techniques he'd learn't while being a solider. Scars littered their rough thick muscular bodies due to the falls they'd taken and accidents they'd had during their daily routines. They were driven by a common purpose, to escape the pit and get revenge. The more they suffered, the less mercy and more resolve they had in their hearts towards their jailor being punished.

In time, Johan told Neil about his experiences with Gadra, the monster, and all the strange things that had happened to him. Neil was quick to accept it as reality since the Universe outside the realm they had been born in, often had unexplainable occurrences due to mana being abundant. Neil told Johan how before he left earth, he'd lived as a NEET because even with his college degree, he had been unable to find employment. He didn't see much of a difference between the tyranny of their current realm, which he called the 'Looking Gla.s.s Kingdom' and earth.

"Put!"

"Put!"

"Put!"

Neil and Johan's feet lightly taped the rocks as they jumped from wall to wall quickly ascending up the pit.

"My guess is that we have been climbing for at least seven years now," said Johan. "I know because of how old your mug looks these days. Yet, I still don't feel like we are making progress ..."

Neil said, "It is called the pit for a reason ... we are deep. No point in worrying about things we have no control over. Just focus on getting stronger and prepare for when we leave the pit. We have to work harder because of our lack of resources. The people outside the pit must be much stronger than us now."

"I know," said Johan, "I just wish that there was a way to tell how much we'd progressed."

"No point in complaining about things we can't change," said Neil. "Lets just move faster. I know there is an end to the pit and the faster we move, the faster we'll reach it."

"The skeletons we pa.s.sed on the way," said Johan. "Sometimes they talk to me in my dreams. At times I think I am going mad. This is all insane, yet we've gotten used to it and accept it as the norm."

"Survival of the fittest bud," said Neil. "Just a constant reminder ... a little crazy makes life interesting."

Johan grunted in acknowledgement as they sped up their ascent.

"Lets take a break and spar at the next ledge," gasped Johan after a while. "We need a break. Plus, I came up with a move just now that will totally blow your mind."

"Tired already?," said Neil letting out a laugh. "Don't be disappointed when I put you on your back again."

Moments later, they reached a rocky ledge. To their surprise, on the ledge, there was a cave opening on the wall of the pit.

"The pit exit?," gasped Johan landing behind Neil onto the ledge.

"No," said Neil glaring into the dark cave, "The pit we were thrown in was in a room with other holes in the ground. I didn't see this on our way down."

"Maybe there was more than one exit," said Johan hopefully. "I didn't think pits had caves."

"Lets check it out," said Neil. "You can go first, tell me if it is clear."

Johan laughed and said, "You know, in horror movies its always the guy that stays behind that gets caught by the monster. You scared?"

"No," said Neil, "Me scared? Ridiculous!"

A rock from the wall of the pit broke off and hit the side of the ledge causing a loud boom to echo through the pit.

"AHhhh!," yelled Neil jumping to the side and struggling to keep his balance as he wobbled near the edge of the ledge.

Johan grabbed Neils shoulder, stabilizing Neil.

Neil stared at Johan with a pale face. After a moment of staring at each other, they both broke out laughing.

"Let's check it out," said Johan.

Neil nodded and followed Johan as he led the way.

Johan carefully led the way and Neil placed his hand on Johan's shoulder in order to not loose him as the light from the pit faded away in the cave into nothing.

"CRACK!"

Johan lost his balance as he stepped on something large, round and hollow. He steadied himself by placing his hand on the cave wall.

"What was that?," asked Neil.

"I think I just stepped on a wooden ball or something," said Johan.

"I'll make some light," said Neil. "We should get a look around."

"You can do that?," muttered Johan surprised.

"Mana manipulation," said Neil, "but it is draining at my current level. I can't keep it up for more than five minutes."

"Another thing you haven't taught me," muttered Johan.

"There wasn't a need," said Neil. "The pit has plenty of light on its own."

Neil closed his eyes started humming as a light began emitting from his glabella lighting up the area they were in. Almost immediately, sweat started dripping profusely from his forehead from the strain of producing light.

The area was slowly lit up. Johan let out a gasp when he clearly sat that they were surrounded by the bones of the deceased and he'd just stepped on a skull which had caved in under his weight.

An anomaly caught Johan's attention. Amidst the bones, floating in mid air elevated by nothing, was a torch emitting a black flame. Awe struck, Johan reached out and grabbed it. An electric shock instantly flowed through his body.

"Ahhh!," yelled Johan surprised.

The flame on the torch turned white lighting up the cave.

"What's wrong?," said Neil opening his eyes. The light emitting from his glabella disappeared as he lost his focus.

Neil let out a gasp seeing that the entire cave was illuminated.

"This torch was just floating there," said Johan. "What is this place? Why are there so many bones here?"

"I don't know," said Neil. "It is a mana torch. Look at these people's bones, some look like crystals ... Lets explore."

Johan nodded.

They walked deeper into the cave cautiously following the rocky tunnel. As they navigated the cave, and maze of tunnels, they came to realize they were in an underground labyrinth, which had been converted into a underground city. Some areas had large dining areas, others had living quarters with beds, stores filled with clothes and canned foods, and yet one thing was consistent, it seemed that everyone in the city had been instantly died a the same time while going about their daily activities. The more they explored, the more they realized that they were the only living things in the city.

"Amazing ...," said Johan.

"We should grab a change of clothes our next opportunity," said Neil. "... and take a shower, if this place still has water."

"We are lost," said Johan. "We didn't mark our way back to the pit."

"We will figure something out," said Neil.

"What is this place?," asked Johan.

"It is probably an ancient advanced civilization," said Neil. "From before resources became scarce in the Looking Gla.s.s Kingdom. Probably pre-war. I don't think people outside the pit are even aware of its existence."

"What is the pit?," muttered Johan. "What could do something like this?"

"I don't know," said Neil crinkling his eyebrows concerned. "But we should be careful. "

"The mana is getting thicker the deeper we go," muttered Johan.

"I noticed too," said Neil. "I wonder what is causing it. If we find the source and it isn't malicious, we should cultivate."

Johan nodded.

"I feel like we are being watched," said Johan, "but everything is dead. I didn't get this feeling in the pit."

"Me too," said Neil glanced around nervously.

They walked deeper into the stone labyrinth letting the torch's light guide them.

Eventually, they found what appeared to be a large stone department store. The store was in remarkably good condition, void of dirt, plants and spider webs. Within it, they found travel bags, clothes, canned foods, soaps, and items they had never seen before. They took the opportunity to stock up.

"You think we can eat this stuff?," asked Johan. "I'd prefer something other than pit fungus for a change."

"Only if you value a change of food over your life," said Neil. "Its probably expired ... and something killed the folk around here and we don't know how long this place has been abandoned-"

A loud crunch stopped Neil talking mid-sentence, he looked at Johan and saw him holding an open can with cubes of a brown tofu like substance in it. Neil's jaw dropped open.

Johan thoughtfully continued to chew the cube while staring into the can as a single tear ran down the side of his focused but expressionless face.

"Are you okay?," asked Neil. "How is it?"

Johan's face turned red, as he took another cube and popped it into his mouth.

"I-it-it's horrible ...," said Johan with a smirk and he slowly began to increase the pace at which he popped the cubes into his mouth. "You don't want any of this stuff ..."

Neil raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Johan and said, "That sounds like sarcasm ...,"

"It is SO good!," gasped Johan as tears streamed down the sides of his face.

"Best you ever had?," asked Neil.

"Yes!," stammered Johan handing a small cube to Neil.

Neil suspiciously examined the cube as his stomach rumbled, shrugged to himself, and said, "Well ... you only live once."

Neil then popped the cube into his mouth and an explosion of flavor unlike anything he'd experienced before overcame him almost knocking him off his feet. Warmth spread throughout his body as memories of spring time, beaches and Christmas.

"Goodness it is good ... and it contains condensed mana infused into it," Neil gasped. "I feel it flowing into me, making me stronger. My meridians and dantian should have shattered, but something in the food is reinforcing and healing them. I've never heard of something like this before ..."