CHAPTER 61 No One to Hear You Scream

Henrietta

The second we passed into level nine, I felt the slow creep of dread climb up my back.

I looked down a dimly lit cave path and played off the shiver as a reaction to the coldness from the cloying damp. The path was wide enough that Keith and I could still hold hands while we walked, but I admitted that I grabbed his arm a little harder than I meant to. I'd been preparing since he mentioned the underground level earlier in the day, and everything should be fine.

I was totally fine.

"Ria?" His breath tickled my ear as he leaned in closer. "Is there something the matter?"

Usually … Usually, only Sir Havork traveled with me on these kinds of levels. He knew that I had a—a thing about small spaces.

I could handle them. Dungeons with open spaces, bright rooms without windows, and dwarven tunnels lit with bioluminescent moss and mushrooms and glow stones didn't bother me very much. Even Rufus's office was comfortable over cloying.

It was just the dimly lit dungeon floors with very breakable lanterns and trap doors that dropped you into blackout rooms that had no way out and no one to hear your scream—

Time to take a deep breath. Usually wasn't now, and Keith was waiting for a reply.

"It's …" I could tell he was concerned, his eyes patient and kind. "I don't really like these kinds of levels."

"Why?"

No anger. No pity. Just a pure and honest question.

"I'm not a fan of the dark," I explained. "Or tight spaces."

"Alright." He nodded and lifted his free hand. He didn't say any spell, and suddenly the entire tunnel was filled with dancing lights. They were the same ones he used to light up the area we liked to sit in to have tea in the gardens back home.

"Thank you." It wasn't perfect, but the light and Keith's presence beside me made a big difference. I let go of Keith long enough to unsheathe Jacqueline, then reached out and gripped his hand again.

It was a lifeline.

I took a practice swing to see how far my reach was, but it was too tight to do most of my normal moves. I'd be limited to lunges and thrusts with no cuts.

"[Mana Shield]," Keith cast on himself. He asked, "Are you ready?"

I shook my head. "One second."

[You have activated the Skill: Sword Aura.]

I chose [All Targets] and immediately noticed the two creatures clinging to the top of the cavern ceiling just down the tunnel. I would activate my other abilities closer to the combat.

"Pyre bats to the right," I told Keith. "Do we have some way to breathe if one of them ignites while I'm fighting them?"

"You can leave that to me," Keith assured me. "Or do you want to leave the whole floor to me?"

I shook my head. "No, it gets easier every time I face it myself. I'm better now. You should have seen me the first year they threw me into … Well, I'm better now. I can do it, and it's better if I keep challenging myself."

"You said ‘better' three times," Keith pointed out, squeezing my hand. "But I'll respect your decision. Just let me know if it becomes too much."

"Alright," I lied. "Let's go."

The pyre bats were each level nine, and they were grooming each other upside down while clinging to the ceiling of a small alcove. They were half as tall as Keith and known to attack with sound- and fire-based attacks. I focused on them using my skill and ignored everything else.

If they got upset, they tended to light themselves on fire, so while the pyre bats themselves weren't a problem, the [Vacuum] area of effect—caused by fire in an enclosed space—could trap me, with no air, on the ground as the cold stones dug into my broken fingernails and no one came—

"Ria?"

I'd stopped and stood there with my eyes closed, shaking. But it was fine, this was normal! It just took me a bit to gather myself. I gave Keith my best smile. "I'm just thinking about how to defeat the bats without igniting them. The second we turn this corner, they'll see the [Dancing Lights] reflecting down the path. I'll have to activate [Quick Step] now, and then I'll only have a few seconds to jump them."

"Can I just kill the dumb things?" Keith almost growled in his grumble. "I have so many dragon spells memorized that any one of the air-based cutting attacks could do it. Or I could magic the alcove to collapse on—"

"No!" I yelled. Then I realized what I'd done as my [Sword Aura] turned each pyre bat red in my senses. They knew we were here. I continued, quieter, "No, it's fine. They're coming now. How—How about you take the one on the left, and I'll stab the one on the right? One hit each?"

Keith sighed but agreed. "As you wish."

The pyre bats had let go of their perch and were flapping down the path. They flew in a jagged angle up and down, the one on the left slightly ahead of its partner.

It let out a screech just as we turned the corner, and I realized that I hadn't actually activated [Quick Step] yet.

[You have taken 21 Sound-based Damage. HP 1788/1809]

The attack bounced off of Keith's [Mana Shield]. He looked at me and frowned. With a wave of his hand, he cast the spell, "[Air Cutter Blades]."

Before I had time to chastise myself and activate [Quick Step], the air gathered into ten blades and cut both pyre bats into ribbons.

[You have defeated a Pyre Bat. +4 EXP]

[You have defeated a Pyre Bat. +3 EXP]

"Hey!" I turned on Keith. "My bat!"

"You took damage," he countered. "You weren't ready."

"So! I could take a hundred of those hits and be fine." I crossed my arms.

Keith pushed up his glasses, "Could you? At Strength sixty and presumably thirty-something Constitution, you have eighteen hundred hit points. By my calculation, a hundred hits from a pyre bat should be almost exactly enough to kill you."

"You know what I meant!"

Keith looked at me. I was stubborn and continued to hold my own. He was overreacting.

Finally, he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to steal your kill."

"Apology accepted." I nodded. "Let's go. I'm sensing some mole dogs further on. I can handle all three of them. Alone."

He reached out a hand, and I hesitated only a second before I took it.

We walked along, and I pushed down the impending dread that stayed with me as we walked farther into the caves.