THE STORY CONTINUES.
Chapter 3 — The Fifth Floor: What Should Never Be Found
The air changed the moment Nicolas stepped onto the fifth floor.
They had found a hidden passage stairs leading downward straight to the fifth floor .
It wasn't colder.
It was older.
They moved forward slowly ,cautiously prepared for traps . They crossed the third floor unharmed using the stairs path avoiding dangers by fate .the stairs were not normal either they were pitch black and some unknown runes glowing faintly green on the walls around them they all felt it a sense of unease in their heart after seeing those creatures slaughtering their people .
They were traumatized deeply .
They still advanced forward because there was no backing down now . Nicolas commanded we should rest here a bit . Jhon nodded in approval. But a man stops them he was Michael a army major the current leader of the soldiers says calmly but authority lingers in his voice . If we rest here now .who knows what horror will attack us next . Sergeant morales agrees to him as well and says Its not safe to rest in a unknown area that have already killed our men effortlessly just moments ago .
Jhon says major i can understand your intentions you are worried for us but can't you see it yourself all of us are tired greatly and some are deeply traumatized by the deaths of our comrades .
Nicolas says he is right captain we need rest to advance further more effectively and i think those creatures will not attack us here in the stair way we will rest here for now and find a way out soon.
They all sit on the stairs .
Medics treats the injured miners and soldiers bandaging their wounds and distributing food and water to all of them. Their representatives Dr.elaine carter sighs and says what mess we get ourselves in we signed in for a archaeological site medic group not for a expedition in a unknown structure underground filled with life threatening dangers.
They all rested there for a bit .
Remaining soldiers reloaded their weapons ,
medics praying for the fallen comrades, archaeologists inspecting the stairs and the runes on the walls ,miners crying in fear ,
Meanwhile nicolas and john were discussing their plan with Michael about using their archaeological equipments to sense traps or lifeforms ahead instead of going forward recklessly Michael agrees to their plan and gives handguns to nicolas and jhon for protection.
He says me and my men will form a formation around our group and if unfortunately something still reaches you protect yourselves with these and he distributes some daggers and handguns to miners and medics as well .
Jhon says we are currently at the fourth floor the stairs ends here but there's still a floor beneath us means we have to advance through the fourth floor corridor now.
Who knows what dangers are lurking there.
They enters the fourth floor corridor ground crafted with pure goldalong with many precious gems embeded in the golden walls scriptures embeded on them hidden by tree roots spreaded all over the floor and walls countless chains forged by unknown metal with blades of different shapes and sizes hanging there silently. Each placed with perfect distance .
A miner can't believe his eyes seeing gold and precious gems abundant here he pick ups his pickaxe silently.
Nicolas sits and calls Dr.Elaine carter to bring a life force scanner .
She handovers the scanner to nicolas who was inspecting the roots with it .
Nicolas senses something and shouts at the miner to stop but it was too late he striked the wall with his pickaxe out of greed hitting the tree roots instead nothing happened they all burst in a laughter for a moment .
Sergeant Morales subjugates the miner binding his hands .
But then suddenly a tremor shakes the entire floor.
The golden tiles near the walls starts descending into the ground a blue liquid starts pouring out of them they all start panicking then the chains moves they start spining one by one with some kind of rythm without crashing into each other .
They all start running the corridor was vast the stange liquid was acidic burning those who fall behind but the roots were unaffected by it .
The chained blades come crashing toward the group hooking some soldiers and miners with them piercing their bodies injuring them then due to the constant spinning of the chains they fall in the pool of approaching blue liquid vaporizing their entire bodies in an instant .
Then a tree root moves grabbing some of the miners and medics legs making them unable to run or dodge the chained blades attacking them .
A root lunges forward to grab sergeant Morales leg but at the moment major Michael steps forward saving him but the root grabs his leg instead it pulled him toward it sergeant grabs his hand trying to save him major Michael smiles and says Sergeant from now on you are the protector of this group don't die here go survive this hell .
Tears start pouring out from sergeant Morales eyes he says as you command sir then Michael pushes morales aside a chained blade passes between them cutting off the major's hand the roots pulled him straight into blue liquid he vaporizes in an instant still smiling .
Sergeant Morales shouts in pain and commands the soldiers to go all out and show what they got.
Soldiers start shooting violently only to the bullets to bounce back by the chains straight at them .
Miners and archaeologists were wiped out completely only three medics dr. Elaine carter ,jhon ,nicolas , two soldiers and sergeant Morales were still alive .the blue liquid was rapidly approaching them.
They abandons their supplies taking only some mini explosives,bullets,painkillers,water and a life force scanner with them.
They start running toward the gate at the end of the corridor sliding in the slippery ground shooting the roots dodging the chained blades attacks by deflecting them with pickaxes of the fallen miners .
A medic falls while running a soldier runs to help her but both got killed instead by the chained blades their speed was increasing the acidic liquid was rapidly approaching them as well .
Then a root grabs a soldier's leg before he can even shoot it slams him straight into the blue acid just steps away from them . They reached the huge door they tries open it but it won't budge the acid was approaching rapidly they uses a mini explosive to use its force to open it . Sergeant morales sets up the explosive they step back a bit and detonates it still nothing they uses their full strength to open it .
A soldier was already caught by a root again vaporizing without even pulling him the acid has reached the group filling the entire corridor entirely then it finally opens.
The doors had barely finished groaning open when every instinct in Nicolas's body screamed the same word—
Leave.
The stone corridor ahead was swallowed by roots—massive, twisted things that punched through marble and metal alike, as if the structure itself had been built after the tree had already claimed the place.
The roots glowed faintly, veins pulsing with a dull crimson light, like a heartbeat buried beneath centuries of silence.
Behind him, Dr. Elaine Carter tightened her grip on her scanner.
"This isn't possible," she whispered. "These roots… they're still alive."
Sergeant Morales snorted, rifle raised.
"Lady, if it's alive, we can kill it."
Nicolas didn't answer.
He was staring at the walls.
Symbols—no, not symbols.
Records.
Carvings stretched across the stone like a mural of extinction. Humans kneeling. Cities burning. Beasts standing upright, crowned in gold and bone. At the center of every carving—
An ape.
Not savage.
Not wild.
Regal.
Wearing authority like a second skin.
"Tell me I'm hallucinating," Morales muttered.
Dr. Elaine swallowed. "These carvings predate known human civilization… by hundreds of thousands of years."
The lights flickered.
Somewhere deep inside the structure, something shifted.
Nicolas raised a fist, halting the team. His voice came out low. Controlled.
"Eyes open. Safety off. Whatever's down here—this isn't a tomb."
They advanced.
Venomous creatures skittered across the floor—serpents with crystalline fangs, insects the size of helmets, their bodies marked with the same silver patterns etched into the walls. One lunged.
A gunshot echoed.
The creature burst apart in a spray of black ichor that hissed as it hit the ground.
Morales cursed. "That thing bled acid."
"And it was guarding something," Nicolas replied.
They reached the chamber.
And the world seemed to hold its breath.
At the center of the vast hall stood a wooden coffin—massive, monolithic, wrapped entirely in the roots of the ancient tree above. Blood-red fruits hung from the roots, each one crowned with delicate golden spikes, pulsing softly like living hearts.
Silver leaves—petal-shaped and razor-thin—fell slowly from above, dissolving before touching the ground.
The coffin itself…
Gold.
Not plated.
Not decorated.
Its body was pure gold, carved with patterns so complex the human eye struggled to follow them.
And surrounding it, pooling like liquid moonlight—
A strange silver substance, thick and unmoving, preserving the coffin as if time itself refused to touch it.
Dr. Elaine dropped to her knees.
"This… this is preservation beyond science," she breathed. "This substance isn't liquid or solid. It's… temporal stasis."
Morales whispered, "Please tell me there's not something alive in there."
Silence.
Then—
Thump.
Everyone froze.
Another heartbeat.
Slow.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Nicolas felt it—not with his ears, but his bones.
"Seal the chamber," he ordered instantly. "Document everything. No physical contact."
Too late.
One of the fruits burst.
Red liquid dripped onto the silver pool.
And the heartbeat… stopped.
The scanners went wild.
"Life signs—no, wait—gone?" Elaine stammered. "There's no detectable biological activity!"
Morales laughed nervously. "See? Dead. Super-dead.."
Jhon says a perfect museum peice.
Nicolas didn't smile.
Because he knew better.
They spots a hole in the ceiling the sunlight was coming from .
They used there remaining equipment and ropes to come out of the pit.
There communication devices started working again .
They called their team over and contacted the authorities.
Weeks Later — The Gene Preservance Museum
The coffin became the crown jewel.
The world was told a lie: a previously unknown primate relic found in egypt.
The truth stayed buried beneath layers of clearance codes and armed guards.
The Gene Preservance Museum stood as humanity's pride—every species cataloged, every genome archived, every evolutionary step recorded.
Except this one.
The silver substance had been drained for study.
The coffin rested under reinforced glass.
Cameras watched.
Scientists debated.
Visitors stared.
And inside the coffin—
Eyes opened.
Gold met gold.
The Ape King awakened without breath, without panic.
Memory flowed into him like a river breaking a dam.
He saw the world through data streams siphoned from screens, whispers stolen from minds too close to the glass.
Language reconstructed itself.
History unfolded.
Humans had inherited the world.
Apes were caged.
Monkeys were toys.
Animals were resources.
A low sound escaped his chest.
Not rage.
Disappointment.
"So… this is what became of them."
The glass shattered.
Alarms screamed.
The Ape King stepped out.
Not running.
Not fighting.
Walking.
Bullets froze inches from his skin, crushed by invisible pressure. Soldiers collapsed, pinned by a force older than fear.
He raised his hands.
Allowed himself to be restrained.
Allowed capture.
Allowed transport.
Because the tree was calling.
Above the Amazon — Midnight
The helicopter shook violently as the Ape King twisted his wrists.
Metal screamed.
The pilot shouted.
Too late.
He redirected the aircraft with a single motion, bending steel like wet clay. The jungle spread beneath them—endless, alive, familiar.
He leapt.
The earth welcomed him.
At the ancient tree, the fruits ripened instantly.
He consumed them.
Power flooded his veins.
Intelligence sharpened.
Authority reasserted itself.
Roots parted.
A hidden pathway opened beneath the tree, spiraling downward into an underground lake filled with the same silver substance.
The Ape King cut his palm.
Golden blood dripped.
The lake responded.
Statues cracked.
Eyes opened.
An army stirred.
And for the first time in a million years—
The Conquest resumed.
To be continued.