Chapter 14: The Snake in the Trap (Part 2)
Location: The Root-Cellar of Gluttony, Floor 1 (The Acid Swamp).
Time: 1:45 PM.
Status: The Hunt Begins.
Vargo clawed his way onto the muddy bank, coughing up black water. His expensive Wyvern-hide armor was soaked, heavy, and smelled of rot.
He stood up, his boots sinking into the spongy floor. The air was thick with green mist and the sound of bubbling acid.
"Raven!" Vargo screamed. His voice echoed through the damp cavern, bouncing off the intestine-like vines. "I will skin you alive! I will boil you in oil!"
There was no answer. Only the drip, drip, drip of condensation.
Vargo looked around. Two of his Black Serpent Vanguards had washed up nearby. One was unconscious. The other, a brute named Goran, was vomiting water.
"Get up," Vargo kicked Goran. "Where are we?"
Goran wiped his mouth, looking at the glowing moss on the ceiling. "It looks like a Dungeon, my Lord. A natural one."
Vargo sneered. "A Dungeon under the estate? So that's where the 'Livestock' went. Thorne was feeding a Core."
Vargo checked his equipment. His scimitar was still at his hip. His rings were active. But his Communication Earring was dead—dungeons blocked external signals.
"We are cut off," Vargo realized. "And we are wet."
He raised his hand. [Spell: Flame Aura].
Orange fire erupted around his body, drying his clothes instantly and pushing back the mist.
"We climb back up," Vargo commanded. "We find the entrance, we kill the boy, and we burn this estate to the ground."
Thwip.
An arrow flew out of the mist.
It struck the unconscious guard in the throat. He died without waking up.
"Ambush!" Goran raised his shield.
Vargo spun toward the source of the arrow. "Show yourself!"
From the darkness, a voice drifted out. It was distorted, bouncing off the walls so it seemed to come from everywhere.
"Welcome to my house, Merchant."
Vargo narrowed his eyes. "You think a few parlor tricks scare me? I am a Level 35 Battle-Mage. I have killed Drakes!"
"Here," the voice whispered, "You are just calories."
Vargo blasted a wave of fire into the mist. [Spell: Fire Wave].
The flames roared, burning away the fog for fifty yards.
Nothing. The tunnel was empty.
"He's playing games," Vargo hissed. "Goran. Watch my back. We move to the exit."
They began to walk.
Location: The Shadows (Ten yards behind Vargo).
Status: Stalking.
Ren watched them from a ledge above. He was using [Shadow Veil] combined with the natural darkness.
Beside him, Kaelith had another arrow nocked.
"He has a Fire Aura," Kaelith whispered. "My arrows will burn up before they hit him."
"His mana is high," Ren analyzed. "He's burning mana constantly to keep that aura up. He's scared."
"So we wait until he runs out?"
"No," Ren said. "We help him spend it."
Ren looked at the environment. They were in the Acid Swamp. The floor was littered with Gluttonous Creepers—the stationary plant-monsters Ren had fought on his first run.
"Kaelith," Ren pointed to a cluster of Creepers hanging from the ceiling ahead of Vargo. "Shoot the sacs. Drop the acid on them."
Kaelith smiled. "With pleasure."
She drew her bow.
Thwip. Thwip.
Two arrows pierced the bloated sacs of the Creepers above.
Green, viscous acid rained down.
"Look out!" Goran shouted, raising his shield.
The acid hit the shield, sizzling loudly.
Vargo reacted instantly. He flared his Flame Aura, evaporating the acid before it touched his skin.
[ Vargo Mana: -50 ]
"Keep moving!" Vargo shouted. "Don't stop!"
Ren moved along the ledge, tracking them.
"Grim," Ren commanded internally. "I need a trap."
[ The Index Activated. ]
[ Source: 'The Hunter's Almanac'. ]
[ Skill Borrowed: Snare Set (Rank E). ]
Ren jumped down ahead of them, landing silently in a side tunnel. He quickly tied a tripwire made of thin wire (from his inventory) across the path. But instead of an explosive, he tied the wire to a Moon-Shade Mushroom.
If they tripped it, the mushroom would crush, releasing a small puff of paralytic spore. Not enough to knock out Vargo, but enough to slow him down.
Ren retreated back to the shadows.
Vargo and Goran approached the choke point.
"Wait," Vargo stopped. He sniffed the air. "I smell... ozone."
He looked down. He saw the wire.
"Amateur," Vargo scoffed. He stepped over it.
Goran followed.
But as Goran stepped over, Ren—hiding in the water nearby—activated [Mana Arrow].
He didn't shoot them. He shot the wall behind them.
BANG.
The explosion startled Goran. He flinched. His foot caught the wire.
Poof.
The blue spore cloud exploded at Goran's feet.
"Cough! Cough!" Goran stumbled, his legs going numb. "Lord Vargo... I..."
Goran fell to his knees.
Vargo turned around. He looked at his last guard with disdain.
"Useless," Vargo spat.
He raised his scimitar.
Slash.
Vargo beheaded his own guard.
Ren's eyes widened. He killed his own man just so he wouldn't be a burden.
"I know you're watching, Raven!" Vargo shouted, kicking Goran's body into the swamp. "I don't need guards to kill you! Come out and fight!"
Ren stayed silent.
Vargo was alone now. But he was fully enraged, full on mana, and heavily armored.
"Floor 2," Ren whispered to Kaelith. "The Meat Locker. We fight him there."
Location: Floor 2 (The Meat Locker).
Time: 2:30 PM.
Vargo climbed the stairs to the second floor. The temperature dropped. The mist here was freezing.
Vargo's Flame Aura flickered against the cold.
"Cold," Vargo muttered. "He's trying to drain my stamina."
He walked into the central chamber—the room where Ren had fought the Pigmen and the Shade.
The room was empty. The carcasses were gone (eaten by the dungeon regeneration cycle). The hooks hung empty.
Vargo walked to the center of the room.
"I'm bored of this game," Vargo said.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. It radiated intense heat.
[ Spell Scroll: Inferno Nova (Rank B) ]
"If I can't find you," Vargo smiled cruelly, "I'll just incinerate the entire floor."
Ren, hiding behind a pillar, froze.
A Rank B scroll? That will kill us instantly.
"Kaelith, shoot the scroll!" Ren ordered.
Kaelith popped out from behind a crate. She fired.
Vargo was ready. He didn't dodge. He caught the arrow with his free hand.
"Found you," Vargo grinned.
He pointed his palm at Kaelith.
[ Spell: Fireball. ]
A massive ball of fire roared toward the elf.
"Move!" Ren shouted.
[ Flash Step. ]
Ren teleported in front of Kaelith. He activated [Gauntlet of the Starving Wolf] and [Perfect Parry] (borrowed earlier, cooldown reset).
Ren punched the fireball.
BOOM.
The explosion threw Ren backward. He slammed into Kaelith, and they both tumbled across the floor.
"Ngh," Ren groaned. His gauntlet was smoking. His Health had dropped by 30%.
Vargo laughed. "A Null who can block magic? You are full of surprises. But you are still a bug."
Vargo began to unfurl the Inferno Nova scroll.
"Say goodbye, Raven."
Ren looked at the scroll. He looked at Vargo.
He couldn't stop the cast in time. The distance was too great.
Unless...
Ren grabbed the Heart of the Void Beast (conceptually) in his mind.
"Grim! Full output! Void Presence!"
[ Skill: Void Presence (Overdrive). ]
Ren stood up. Dark smoke erupted from his body, filling the room with terrifying speed. It wasn't just fear this time; it was Gravity.
The pressure in the room spiked.
Vargo felt his knees buckle. The scroll in his hand felt like it weighed fifty pounds.
"What... is this?" Vargo gasped.
"Kaelith! The hook!" Ren shouted.
Ren pointed to the meat hook hanging directly above Vargo.
Kaelith understood. She lay on the floor, breathless, but she raised her bow.
She fired an [Explosive Arrow].
It didn't hit Vargo. It hit the chain holding the heavy iron hook.
PING.
The chain snapped.
The hook—weighing two hundred pounds—plummeted.
Vargo tried to dodge, but the Void Presence held him in place.
THUD.
The blunt end of the hook slammed into Vargo's shoulder.
"ARGH!"
Vargo dropped the scroll. His shoulder bone shattered. The Flame Aura flickered and died as his concentration broke.
Ren didn't hesitate.
"Now!"
Ren sprinted. [Flash Step].
He closed the gap in a blink.
Vargo tried to raise his scimitar with his good arm.
Ren slid under the swing. He placed his left hand—the Gauntlet—directly onto Vargo's chest.
[ Skill: Mana Drain. ]
"You like magic?" Ren snarled, his eyes violet. "Let me take it."
Ren pulled.
Vargo screamed as his mana was ripped out of his core. It felt like being bled dry.
[ Mana Drained: 100... 200... 300... ]
Vargo kicked Ren away.
Ren skidded back, wiping blood from his mouth. He spat glowing blue saliva—raw mana.
Vargo fell to his knees. He was pale. His mana pool was empty. He couldn't cast spells.
"You... monster," Vargo wheezed.
Ren stood up. He drew the Prisoner's Shiv.
"I am a Merchant, Vargo," Ren said cold, walking closer. "And you are in debt."
Vargo looked around desperately. He saw the Inferno Nova scroll lying on the floor a few feet away.
He lunged for it.
Thwip.
An arrow pinned his hand to the floor.
"AAAAHH!"
Kaelith stood up, shaky but aiming true.
Ren reached Vargo. He kicked the scroll away.
He placed the tip of the Shiv against Vargo's throat.
"Give me a reason," Ren whispered.
Vargo looked up. The arrogance was gone. He saw the cold, grey eyes of the boy he had tortured.
"I... I surrender," Vargo gasped. "I have gold. I have connections. I can make you rich."
Ren paused.
Killing Vargo solved the immediate threat. But Vargo was a high-ranking member of the Shadow Pavilion. If he disappeared, the Pavilion would send someone worse.
But if Vargo worked for him...
Ren activated [Analytical Eye].
[ Target: Vargo ]
[ Status: Broken / Defeated. ]
[ Secret: He is actually stealing from the Shadow Pavilion to pay off a debt to a Demon Lord. ]
Ren smiled.
"A debt to a Demon Lord?" Ren whispered.
Vargo froze. "How... how do you..."
"I told you," Ren leaned in. "I know everything."
Ren withdrew the blade.
"I won't kill you, Vargo. Because you are worth more to me alive."
Ren pulled a [Void-Chew] (Stamina Gum) from his pocket. He unwrapped it and forced it into Vargo's mouth.
"Chew," Ren commanded.
Vargo chewed. His energy returned slightly.
"You are going to go back to the surface," Ren said. "You are going to tell your men that Raven escaped into the mountains. You are going to lift the siege on the Estate."
"And why would I do that?" Vargo asked, trembling.
"Because," Ren held up his hand. Black mana danced on his fingertips. "I placed a Void Curse on your heart when I drained you. If you betray me... I will detonate it."
(It was a lie. Ren didn't have a curse skill. But Vargo didn't know that.)
Vargo looked at the black mana. He believed it.
"And," Ren added. "I can help you with your Demon problem. I know the laws of Hell better than you do."
Vargo's eyes widened. "You... you can help me with Mammon's Collector?"
"I can," Ren lied smoothly. "But first, you work for me."
Ren extended his hand.
"Welcome to the Void Walkers, Vargo."
Vargo looked at the hand. He looked at the boy who had defeated a Level 35 Mage.
Slowly, painfully, Vargo reached out.
"I accept... Master Raven."
[ System Alert ]
[ New Subordinate Acquired: Vargo (Merchant). ]
[ Guild Influence Increased. ]
[ The Siege of Arken Estate is Broken. ]
Ren pulled Vargo up.
"Good. Now get out of my dungeon. You smell like wet dog."
Location: The Surface.
Time: Sunset.
Vargo limped out of the tunnel. He barked orders at his men. The Black Serpent mercenaries packed up and left.
Caelum watched from the window.
"He actually did it," Caelum whispered. "He turned the wolf into a sheep."
Ren stood behind him, nursing his bruised ribs.
"Not a sheep," Ren corrected. "A cash cow."
Ren looked at the setting sun.
"We have money. We have a base. We have a merchant."
"What's next?" Caelum asked.
Ren pulled out the Grimoire of the Devouring Void.
"Next," Ren said. "We prepare for the Academy. I need to reach Level 20 in six months."
"And," Ren added darkly, "We need to find out who sold my mother's blood to the Pavilion."
The First Arc was over. The Gluttony Dungeon was theirs.
But the Era of Silence was ending.
[ SAGA 1 COMPLETE ]
End of Chapter 14
Summary of Saga 1 (The Hollow Stomach):
Ren Arken awakens the Archive, clears the Gluttony Dungeon, and establishes the Void Walkers Guild.
He recruits Caelum (Noble), Kaelith (Ranger), Jax (Orphan), and subjugates Vargo (Merchant).
He obtains powerful artifacts: Prisoner's Shiv, Gauntlets of the Starving Wolf, Grimoire of the Devouring Void, and the Jar of Famine.
He discovers his Vane Bloodline and the threat of the Inquisition.