My Will To Live Forced Me Into A Second Life ?!

Chapter 37 : The Old Cathedral

"Such a strange landscape..." Valentin murmurs as he gazes around with a certain fascination. We had just entered the dungeon, and we now find ourselves in the middle of a vast clearing. The giant tree looms before us, imposing, majestic. That's when I truly realize the scale of its size. It's enormous, so tall that it pierces the clouds, almost disappearing into the sky.

"It's huge!" Alfira exclaims, full of excitement, running toward the tree like an impatient child. Elvaria and I, on the other hand, remain back, observing the scene more calmly.

"What do we do, Elvie?" I ask her, curious to know how she plans to proceed.

She turns to me, a confident smile lighting up her face. "We explore and find the final floor of this dungeon," she responds assuredly, giving me a thumbs-up. Her words comfort me, and I feel a newfound determination surge within me. Immediately, we start searching the surroundings. Valentin ventures into the apple tree forest, Alfira approaches the giant tree to examine it up close, while Elvaria tries to sense magical flows, searching for a sign of a lower floor.

As for me, I sit in the middle of the clearing, enjoying a rare moment of rest. It's nice to be surrounded by comrades, no longer facing these challenges alone. In my previous life, I was more of a loner. I had friends, of course, but we rarely saw each other.

I look up at the sky of the dungeon. That fake sky where the sun seems to be perpetually on the verge of setting. It doesn't move. Everything is still, almost unreal.

"I found something!" Valentin suddenly shouts from the forest. His voice echoes through the trees. From the sound of it, he can't be far. Immediately, Alfira, Elvaria, and I abandon what we were doing and rush toward him.

After passing through a few rows of apple trees, we find him in a secluded corner of the forest. He's holding a key in his hand, his expression still marked by surprise.

"I found a key leaning against this apple tree," he says, his voice puzzled. He seems unsure of what he's discovered.

"And what do we do with this key?" I ask nonchalantly, though I'm secretly pleased that we're making progress.

"I felt like the tree was hollow! Maybe we can use it to open the tree!" Alfira exclaims, bouncing with excitement. Her small size and childlike enthusiasm make her truly adorable, almost like a child on an adventure.

Elvaria then speaks, arms crossed, deep in thought. "I sensed magic everywhere on this floor. It was dense, likely from a powerful source. If what you're saying is true, Alfie, then the tree could be a portal to the second floor of the dungeon."

"Alright, let's see what we can do once we're near the tree," I say confidently, taking charge of the situation.

We leave the apple tree forest and head toward the gigantic tree standing in the center of the clearing. But a sudden question strikes us all at the same moment, like a flash of clarity. Simultaneously, Elvaria, Valentin, Alfira, and I utter the same words.

"How do we put a key into a tree?"

This shared question freezes us in place. For a brief moment, we look at each other, pondering the apparent foolishness of our action. Finally, Elvaria breaks the silence.

"Maybe it's a key that opens a seal. In that case, no need for a lock. You just need to be near the seal and infuse some magic into the object," she explains thoughtfully.

"That's possible... In my castle, the treasure room is protected in this way," Alfira adds enthusiastically.

Valentin and I exchange a knowing look, completely clueless about the nature of their conversation but pretending to understand everything.

Suddenly, Alfira and Elvaria move closer to each other. I instinctively step back to give them space.

"Valentin, hand us the key, please," Alfira asks, holding out her hand. Valentin gives her the key with a certain apprehension before retreating to my side, just as curious as I am about what they’re about to do.

Elvaria grabs Alfira's left hand, while Alfira raises the key in her right hand toward the sky. Elvaria also raises her free hand to take the one holding the key. What unfolds before my eyes is hard to describe. It's a sort of dance, a ritual imbued with mystical beauty. I hear them murmuring words in an ancient language, their movements fluid and harmonious.

Then, suddenly, the key begins to glow with a bluish light. At the sight of this glow, Elvaria's eyes light up as well.

"It worked! That was it!" she exclaims, a radiant smile on her lips, followed by Alfira, who jumps for joy.

"Thank you, Elvie!!" Alfira shouts, overjoyed. Valentin and I can't help but smile as we watch them. Their enthusiasm is contagious.

The immense tree begins to tremble, then softly glows. A door, previously invisible, appears on the trunk. An opening that seems to lead to the lower floor.

I approach Elvaria, placing a warm hand on her small head. "Well done, Elvie," I say with a sincere smile.

She blushes slightly, happy with my praise. "Thank me even more, Aley," she murmurs, visibly moved.

Behind us, Valentin watches the scene with a smile, while Alfira, a little further away, looks at us with a hint of jealousy.

"Let's move on," Valentin suddenly says, breaking the moment.

I remove my hand from Elvaria's head and turn toward the door leading down. "Yes, let's head to the next floor," I say with determination.

As we pass through the door, the world changes again. Every floor of a dungeon is a different dimension, and this one plunges us into a vast ruined city. Yet, a strange feeling of nostalgia washes over me at the sight of these remnants of another era. At the center of this abandoned city stands a gigantic cathedral made of black stone. Its towers are not straight and seem twisted, as if deformed by ancient magic.

As soon as I enter, Elvaria follows closely behind, then Alfira, and finally Valentin, who draws his sword, his movements betraying a palpable tension. He must be expecting an attack at any moment.

"Stay on your guard," I say gravely. They turn to me and nod in agreement, without a word. The atmosphere is heavy, as if something is watching us from the shadows of the crumbling buildings.

We move through the ruins, our footsteps faintly echoing on the cracked pavement, heading toward the cathedral that looms over the city. It's likely the path to the next floor. The more I look around, the more the architecture of this city strikes me. The buildings, even dilapidated, exude a grandeur that even the capital of Iveralmn couldn't match. These ruins once had unparalleled splendor. The false sky above our heads is dark, almost oppressive.

"Aley, raise your sword toward the sky," Elvaria suddenly whispers in my ear. Her voice is so low that Valentin and Alfira, who walk cautiously behind, don't hear her.

A bit perplexed, I draw my sword and raise it toward the heavens. I feel a bit ridiculous because nothing happens.

"What are you doing, Aley?" Alfira asks, her eyes filled with curiosity. I'm about to respond, but Elvaria, without hesitation, also draws her weapon and raises it toward the sky. At that precise moment, our eyes begin to glow with a supernatural light, and a beam of light shoots out from our swords. A phantom wing appears on my back, and another on Elvaria's. Suddenly, a luminous ray is projected into the sky, piercing the artificial clouds and turning the night into a brilliant sunrise, in contrast to the eternal twilight of the previous floor.

"What did you just do...?" Valentin asks, astonished by this unexpected spectacle.

"I just had a feeling it might work," Elvaria responds calmly before turning to me to whisper again.

"Aley, the voice of Elvaristria appeared in my mind as soon as we entered this place. She asked me to do exactly what we just did..." Her soft voice leaves me deep in thought.

What was this place to us in the past? Aleystria has already manifested to me, and now Elvaristria reappears in Elvaria's mind. All of this is certainly very strange.

The sun, now shining above us, illuminates the city, revealing all its splendor. Though partially in ruins, there is an undeniable beauty to this place, filled with nostalgia. The empty streets and deserted buildings seem to tell a forgotten story, one of a people who once cared for this place.

"Do we head to the cathedral or explore the city first?" Alfira asks, spinning around to take in the surroundings.

"The cathedral seems to be the way out, but if we need another key, we might as well search everywhere," Valentin analyzes the situation.

"I agree with Valentin," I say, nodding. Valentin smiles at me, clearly pleased that I'm siding with him.

"Alright," Elvaria intervenes, determined. "Alfira and I will examine the outskirts of the city. With my speed, it’ll go fast. You and Valentin, explore the surroundings of the cathedral and look for a potential exit."

The plan is set, but a hesitation crosses my mind.

"Elvie, don't you want us to go together?" I ask her.

She takes a moment to think before answering with touching honesty. "Yes, actually, I do. But I can't leave Valentin and Alfira alone. Valentin doesn't have our strength, and Alfira hasn’t fully mastered hers. They might end up getting themselves killed." She says these words so quickly that she runs toward me and jumps into my arms before I can even respond.

"I'm glad to know you'll miss me, Aley," she says with a mischievous smile. I hold her briefly before letting her go with Alfira. I watch them disappear into the ruins of the city, leaving me alone with Valentin.

"Tell me, Aley... Am I interrupting something?" Valentin asks, trying to appear cheerful despite a hint of awkwardness.

"Not at all, it's nice to spend some time with the guys now and then," I say, giving him a thumbs-up. He responds in kind, a smile on his face.

We then begin exploring the area around the cathedral. The buildings nearby are large structures and watchtowers. It’s clear the entire city was built around this central church. Religion must have been of great importance here.

As we slowly search through each building, I amuse myself by playing a few tricks on Valentin. Using my Quick Step technique, I move quickly behind him and tap him before disappearing, leaving him panicking as he looks around in vain.

But he doesn’t let me off so easily.

"AAAH!" I suddenly shout, sensing a presence behind me.

Then I hear an uproarious laugh. "Ahahah! Serves you right, Aley!" Valentin, laughing loudly, openly mocks me. He had noticed my attempts to scare him and took his revenge.

"If you weren’t older than me, I’d punch you," I grumble, irritated.

This only makes his laughter intensify, echoing through the city. "So you're a sore loser and a scaredy-cat! BAHAHAHA!"

"Alright, fine, you win," I sigh. At my words, he gives me a thumbs-up, and we resume our exploration with a shared smile.

After an hour of fruitless searching, there's only one option left: entering the cathedral. It stands majestically on a hill overlooking the ruined city. The stairs leading up to it are mostly destroyed, forcing us to climb up the side. I could have run vertically up to the top, but I choose to stay with Valentin.

Once at the top, in front of the imposing cathedral doors, we prepare to enter, the mystery of this floor deepening with every step.