Chapter 3
181.
The Underworld's Outskirts is a wasteland that separates neighboring cities around the realm. It is also the home of lone hunters, some may team up to attain the same objective, but those are just temporary setups that usually end after the agreement. The Outskirts have been chaotic since the previous times, and now it gets even worse. It used to be only the higher-ranking Horn-type Kemis and a selected few, could unlock talents through Runecrystals. That is no longer the case in today's equation, almost everyone has a talent due to the Forbidden Runes, the sudden feats truly changed the conditions of hunting.
As the group searches for VesTris, the Ramman that attacked them earlier sets the tone of their journey. Strangers kept on charging at them one after the other. At first, they only target Ovae's horn, though later on, the corrupted Kemis also target the Catgirls to acquire the loot in their backpacks. The group survived the battle against the 3 corrupted Kemis in Nesuto, but now they are facing ruthless Kemis with a desire for a bloodbath, can the group make it out alive?
Later in their journey, the group already fought a total of 12 Horn-type Kemis with different talents; some have stat-boosting abilities, others are related to elemental manipulation, while the rest were mostly physical-morphing feats. Talents are mysterious and hard to identify, it's impossible to accurately pinpoint and know what a Kemi will unlock, making their battles insanely unpredictable. Everyone was gassed out, so they decided to hide for now to regain their strength. The six of them hid in a small cave and sat down on the ground, exhausted from all the battles they barely survived.
"The attackers are relentless, it never ends!" Kita complained while panting.
"I thought your appearance would offer us safety?" Raven questioned Ovae's status.
"Normally it would. Back then, these low-class Kemis would only attack me if they failed to recognize me. I could roam around anywhere most of the time because I was the threat. I do think that most of them still recognize me, but I guess everyone is now cocky because of their new abilities. Taking me down would boost their profile tremendously." Ovae answered.
"Keep in mind, we saw that the levels of corruption affect someone's thinking. It makes them overly driven and will solely pursue their goal, and it looks like the hunters have their eyes set on Ovae." Hana mentioned.
"What are these levels specifically?" Ovae asked.
"As far as we know, it starts by entering your palm and instantly giving you a random talent. The next level was their veins where the Forbidden Rune entered will turn violet and crawl to their body, spreading through their system as the Kemi suffered massive pain. Eventually and probably in the last stage, they'll go full non-responsive under the influence of the Forbidden Rune as the violet veins continue to crawl to their body. They will be glued to their goal until their body can no longer handle the corruption, and that's when their lives will be taken." Yuna explained.
"There's no specific duration of the corruption, it all depends on the Kemi's mental strength based on our study," FeLinE:1000X added.
"It also means that their aggression will depend on their goal. The corrupted Kemis in Blizshore were not violent, those in Nesuto only wanted to reach the shrine above the clouds, but now here in the Underworld, looks like they are violently driven." Kita responded.
"Great, now I'm like a walking bait for these imbeciles." Ovae madly said as she stood up, "Rest for now, we'll be leaving in a bit." She added and left the small cave.
An hour passed, and the Catgirls had fallen asleep. Hana was the first to wake up from their slumber and immediately woke up the rest. They were all clueless about how long they were out, so the group proceeded outside to look for Ovae.
Instead of the usual cacti, something else is lying on the red sand. Hundreds of wounded bodies lie on the ground filled with blood, the group can't even tell which ones are dead or just unconscious. However, there's a common thing with these bodies, every single one of them regardless of their condition, has broken horns. Ovae stands in the middle of the pile of horns, covered in blood. It's hard to say whose blood is it, but it's clear that Ovae is the one who defeated the hundreds of attackers.
"Nyu are a monster…" Raven told Ovae while the rest were still processing the scenario.
Ovae chuckles, dumbfounded by Raven's words. "Tell me, would you still say the same thing if I was the one on the ground? Or, if one of your friends suffered the same fate? This is how the realm has worked for decades, if none of you can stand what's happening, then go back to your fake paradise that abandoned us. Your endless facade infuriates me." Ovae responded as she wiped the blood on her face and left the scene.
"FeLinE is not siding with Ovae, but don't put the blame on her. Their previous generation caused this ruthless behavior, they are just victims of yesterday. As a Sentient Kemi, FeLinE apologizes for the lack of interference in this realm. From this point forward, FeLinE swears to rebuild this realm after solving the problem in the Realm Sanctuary." FeLinE:1000X stated.
Despite having a heavy heart, the group listens to FeLinE and follows Ovae. The values that the Kemis grew up in are entirely different from one another. It showed the privilege that the Catgirls had in the UniPaws while the rest of the Horn-type Kemis suffered in the Underworld.
It was a long series of silence as they traced the location. Ovae's actions were unjustified for the group, but they cannot deny the fact that it helped them. That slaughter sent a message to every other hunter that Ovae was out of their league. It wouldn't stop the fully corrupted ones, but those Kemis that still have consciousness will take it as a warning.
Eventually, the group reached the front side of a big cave with a metal screen blocking the entrance. The Relic tells the group that VesTris is inside of it, with a few number Kemis near her.
"VesTris is surrounded, someone must have captured her," FeLinE:1000X told the group.
"I don't recall a lair in the outskirts, things truly changed while I was away. Anyway, we're breaking in." Ovae instructed.
182.
Combining the talent of Kita and Hana, the group managed to slice through the metal screen. With dim lighting, it's quite hard to navigate the cave, though it's evident that it was superbly modified. Steel plates dictate the maze itself, once triggered, the metal walls either move or rotate. There are times when a wall blocks a certain path, and they can only re-open the closed path if they find the correct steel plate to flip the wall. One wrong move and the whole pathway will rotate and lead them back to the exit. A mechanized lair that has moving metal walls and pathways, loaded with steel plates that can either solve the maze or make it even more complicated.
"I conquered and infiltrated a lot of lairs but I've never encountered this type of defense," Ovae mentioned while they were solving the maze.
"What do nyu mean? I thought every lair had some sort of defense mechanism." Yuna questioned.
"We have, but it's not like this. Most of our traps can kill intruders, not this stupid rotating maze." Ovae madly answered, annoyed by the cave's defense.
"We already solved a lot of mazes inside a cave in different realms. Some were deadly while others were just straight-out confusing. I'm sure we can solve this one eventually." Kita said.
"Actually, this sort of defense oddly resembles the caves that we've been through," Hana replied.
"And just like those, surely one of these leads to the right path. Let's identify the function of each steel plate, we can map out the place once we label them per wall trigger. There is also a possibility to find a pattern in this maze." Yuna instructed.
The Catgirls may have skipped the dungeon-seeking quest to attain the Mystical Runekey in Euchambersia and KeraValley, but a similar circumstance greets them at this moment, minus the Templarites part. Breaking through the metal walls would be the fastest way to cross this maze, unfortunately, Mathus is the only one they know who can pull that off. Leaving them without a choice, the group used the elimination process to cross out the steel plates that reset the maze.
This time, Ovae chose to stay at the entrance to ensure nobody else would interfere with their mission. She doesn't have enough patience to be part of the path-solving anyway, and the Catgirls are a much better fit for that role. Several hours had passed, and the group already lost count of how many times they had returned to the entrance. However, every failed trial is as valuable as finding the correct one since it narrows down the options.
Eventually, the Catgirls unlocked a narrow pathway without any other steel plates along the way. The five of them have a strong feeling that this might be finally what they are looking for. Keeping their guards up, the group quietly crosses the area. While doing so, the noise from the other end confused the Catgirls.
"Is someone crying?" Yuna asked, referring to the other end of the path.
"And it sounds like from a kid," Hana added.
"Are they doing something to them? Let's save them!" Kita reacted with great concern, and they rushed to the scene.
The end of the narrow pathway led the group to the latter part of the cave. Modified for comfort, the cave has all the necessary items for survival, nothing fancy, but it's a complete shelter. Right in the middle, the group saw a bunch of young Horn-type Kemis hugging a Catgirl. Dark skin, medium-length curly ash-violet hair, violet ears, pink eyes, and dark violet hands and legs. She's around 6'3" tall, bulky, and muscular, wearing a sleeveless white shirt and black shorts. Her name is VesTris:1100F, a Sentient Kemi who mastered the art of crafting and forging.
"VesTris?" FeLinE:1000X said.
VesTris gladly rushed towards FeLine, "FeLinE! It is truly nyu! How did nyu find me?" She asked, her voice is quite deep and slightly husky.
"We saw your hints at Euchambersia, FeLinE apologizes for taking a lot of time to solve it," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"If there's a Sentient Kemi who can unfold my clues, I knew it would be nyu. Plus nyu are the only one that can track other Kemis with your Relic, mine is more for crafting stuff." VesTris:1100F said.
"Are nyu the one who built this place?" FeLinE:1000X replied.
"Hai! I created this place after I collected the Mystical Runekey in this realm. The layout was inspired by the cave in Euchambersia holding the Mystical Runekey. This was not part of the plan but when I saw these children while I was on my way back, my immediate reaction was to take them somewhere safe." VesTris:1100F responded. She then turned to a young Kemi and said, "Tell the rest everything is fine, nyu can all continue playing." The young Kemi wiped her tears as they all resumed their playful activities.
"So that's why there's a lot of Kemis surrounding VesTris… Oh, by the way, I'm Kita." Kita said as she wiggled her ears, the rest of the group also introduced themselves.
"Nice meeting nyu all, and I thank nyu for helping FeLinE. The Sentient Kemis are having a rough time right now." VesTris:1100F expressed her regards.
"We already collected 5 out of 7 Mystical Runekeys, and FeLinE believes that nyu have the remaining 2," FeLinE:1000X mentioned.
"Right, hold on a second," VesTris:1100F said. She walked to the far right of the room and picked up her Relic. A large silver-stainless steel handle with gold layers surrounding it, the head of the giant hammer is made out of stone and a pink core similar to FeLinE's Relic is fused to the center. They may all have different features but every Relic has the same core that helps the Sentient Kemis to store items inside of it.
VesTris wields her Relic and gets the Mystical Runekeys from Euchambersia and the Underworld. "Getting these Mystical Runekeys has been problematic, good thing nyu already acquired the rest," VesTris:1100F said as she handed the artifacts to FeLinE.
At last, the group completed the 7 Mystical Runekeys. FeLinE stores it in her Relic, finally ending their long search. But before they can return to their main mission, one more problem needs to be addressed. What will they do with these children in the middle of the Outskirts? The shelter has been effective so far, though they cannot stay there forever.
183.
The conversation between the Sentient Kemis continued and it looked like they truly missed each other. FeLinE and VesTris shared their experiences, especially when they first regained consciousness. It was a contrasting backstory between the two; one searched the realms, while the other stayed in Euchambersia for a long time. Their stories were endless, though they didn't have the time to tackle everything as of now. They must focus on their next move in navigating their way out of the Underworld.
The question regarding the situation of the young Kemis was opened up, and VesTris has a strong stance for them, "I'm not leaving these children here, the shelter could protect them but it's only a matter of time before someone annihilates this place," VesTris:1100F said.
"We must find another place… I doubt Ovae will allow us to take them back to her dungeon." Hana mentioned.
"Ovae? I've heard her name all over the Underworld. Based on what others are telling about her, she's a true terror that everyone fears, I wouldn't go near her to be perfectly honest. Anyway, do nyu know her?" VesTris:1100F asked.
"Ano… She's actually waiting at the entrance…" Kita answered as she chuckled.
"FeLinE is aware that this is a high-risk decision. We cannot fully trust her, and Ovae can easily turn against us. Even so, FeLinE thinks that Ovae's current mission is aligned with ours, meaning we are allies for now, and we both need nyu." FeLinE:1000X explained.
VesTris was speechless, she could not believe that FeLinE was teaming up with one of the most dangerous Kemis in the Underworld, though this also gave VesTris an idea. "I see… If that's how Ovae operates, then I got a proposal for her." VesTris:1100F said.
The group looks at each other, getting the gist of what VesTris wants. Kita and Yuna went back to the entrance to pick up Ovae, and after a short while, Ovae also met VesTris.
"I heard that you want to talk to me first before leaving this place, make it quick," Ovae menacingly said, she's completely burnt out from the previous sequence of events, evidently having near zero patience left.
Judging from the bloodstains, VesTris realized that it had been a long day for Ovae. With that, she carefully threaded her words and said, "We both need something from each other, I don't know what your goal is, but before that, let me state my request first. I'm willing to cooperate as long nyu will keep these kids safe in your facility." VesTris:1100F negotiated.
"Fine, whatever, now let's head to my place." Ovae immediately answered without any hesitation. She then walked out, leaving everyone lost for words.
"This is not how I expected the convo would play out…" Kita commented.
"Maybe she's just too tired already and protecting these kids is not a big deal to her," Yuna added.
"Maybe she's not that bad after all," Hana said.
"Or maybe she just doesn't care at all, clearly she's not doing it for the sake of these children," Raven replied, still doubting every move of Ovae.
Even though it was confusing for the group, they followed Ovae and prepared for their leave. Good thing VesTris already built a vehicle where the 13 kids can ride. It's not as fully packed as Ovae's modified jeep, the vehicle only has; 4 wheels, a flat platform connecting the parts, long metal bars encircling the platform, and a steering wheel in the middle. It's like a roofless cage with wheels or a rover that can be maneuvered. It may not offer safety, but the convenience is still there, definitely way faster than just walking through the Outskirts. VesTris pulled it out, and everyone hopped on as they headed to Ovae's vehicle.
The battlefield has ceased for the time being and is a perfect chance for them to move forward. After a couple of minutes, they reached the previous cave where they hid the modified jeep. Before they re-enter the city, the group made some arrangements first. Ovae's vehicle can only fit 6 Kemis, enough for 8-10 Kemis if the passengers are the young ones. The finalized setup is FeLinE will protect the 6 youngest children while Ovae drives, and then the rest will be with VesTris, trailing from behind. The two vehicles wheeled through the red sand, finally leaving the Outskirts.
Eventually, the group safely returned to the entrance of the city. Ovae started to speed up a bit, building momentum in case there were stray fights on the streets. As the drivers of the group, Ovae and VesTris are both hyperfocus. They are anticipating what's about to come so they can react quickly. The tension was continuous and it felt like one of the longest minutes they ever experienced. Oddly again, the streets were surprisingly quiet, just like the Outskirts when they left.
"We haven't seen any Kemi from the Outskirts to the city. Where's everybody?" Yuna curiously asked.
"This is good for us, let's take this opportunity to safely reach Ovae's place." VesTris:1100F responded.
On the other hand, Ovae noticed the sudden acceleration of VesTris through the side mirror. "Looks like they also want to seize this chance," Ovae mentioned.
"They most likely have the same observation as ours," FeLinE:1000X replied.
"This place kept changing every hour or so, oh well, let's just wait for more," Ovae commented as she also stepped on the accelerator.
Later on, the group reached their destination without any trouble, though the zero sighting of Kemis was still bothersome for them. Upon settling the vehicles in the garage, Ovae ordered her servants, "Let these kids stay in the VIP room with the rest of the guests, and give whatever they need. I'll slit the throat of whoever will interrupt my shower." She said as Ovae proceeded to her room.
"Right this way please," the servant assisted the group alongside the young Kemis.
The spacious VIP room suddenly became crowded, but it was the most luxurious place that the kids had ever experienced. Since the VIP room has a shower, Kita and Hana decided to bathe the kids while waiting for Ovae. The servants also gave them meals and spare clothes for the young Kemis. It has been a long day for everyone, and the group thinks chaos is looming around the corner.
Meanwhile, Ovae also feels the gravity of the situation. "Could this be the change of the Underworld?" Ovae said to herself while taking a shower.
End of Chapter 3