Denizens of the Labyrinth

DING!

YOU HAVE ENTERED THE TEMPLE OF THE MER KING

YOU MUST REACH THE TOP OF THE TEMPLE AND DESTROY THE CORRUPTEDION!

The system alerted him as soon as he stepped through into the basement of a temple. He did not think he was underwater but when he focused his eyes, he saw that his entire body was covered in a thin membrane of Mana, thankfully it came from the system and not his own source. But he was bewildered by the creation of it, he studied it in the safety of the hidden corner he was in.

The Mana was translucent but to his eyes, it glowed a dim blue. It was pretty and it made him want to tell Sadé about it. When they reconnected, he would. On that note, he sent a follow up origami to Baek, detailing where he was but also asking where they were.

He stepped from his corner and looking back he saw the thin outline of a doorframe, but it was blocked. He could not enter it again; he touched the wall to make sure and shivered at the low temperature around him. He could not feel it and wondered if that was down to the Mana skin he was enwrapped in or if that was just himself.

He stepped from the room and immediately was beset. A fish with a huge gaping jaw swam at him, he cut it in half from jaw to tail and as he skipped past, he noticed things. Firstly, the other fish leapt into a frenzy; forgetting about him and tearing apart the entrails of their dead ally. Secondly that there was a small lag to the fluidity of his movement, the Mana was doing its best to help him, but he could feel the water he was cutting through as his sword swung. He would have to compensate for that.

DING!

TIER II CORRUPTED ANGLER KILLED

EXP EARNED

He started jogging and turning a corner he ended up within a school of fish that looked remarkably similar to that angler fish. Jazmel cut through them before they even get to him, the same frenzy ensued, and he dipped into a new corridor.

DING!

TIER II CORRUPTED ANGLER X3 KILLED

TIER II CORRUPTED SWORDFISH X4 KILLED

+1 AGL

He looked out for the stairways and when he found it, he slowly began his ascend. The detail in the architecture was brilliant. Coral had been used to make the entire temple, and everything had been made out of it. Different shades of blue marred the walls of the stairwell and in an odd pattern, the reflection paled and lit the stairs in an even paler shade, it had the look of the moon and Jazmel found it beautiful.

DING!

YOU HAVE REACHED THE FIRST FLOOR!

The system sung in his mind and before he could wonder why it did that, he ran into the oncoming group of four girls.

“Who are you?!” one of them yelled, sword drawn while other weapons were already bared but one of them looked familiar and he realised he recognised her.

“Jazmel?”

“Tera Nema?” he guessed, and she seemed happy that he had remembered her.

“Guys he is a friend, he helped me in the Xuanhuan realm, remember.” She said and he realised she must have had told them about him, she must have realised this too because her face suddenly got really red.

“Come on! Get a move on they are coming!!” a voice yelled and looking over the girls he saw mermaids. Actual mermaids swimming towards them but their faces were girded in anger and wrath. Jazmel stepped forward and one of the girls pulled his arm.

“Stop they are strong.” But Tera Nema stopped her and let him continue. Jazmel strolled forward and righted his stance as they swam at him and as soon as the first spear was driven at him. He was in the fight.

He cut through the spear and the arm that was holding it. The mermaid screeched and swung with a clawed but webbed hand. He cut through her, and she fell in half behind him. The other threw a spear, and the speed nearly caught him off guard, he let it glide pass him and as the mermaid attacked him with both hands, he stepped into her charged and with a downward slash he cut her open; from shoulder to hip. She died too and the fish burst into a bloodlust frenzy. Tearing apart their one-time allies.

“What the hell, why are you so strong?!” Tera Nema shouted and broke off running, Jazmel followed them, and they led the way.