The Dreamer's Epilogue-Chapter 11: Rising tension

Chapter 11 – Rising tension

"This is completely ridiculous." Emrys whispered in a haze, looking at, in the distance, the Boss-level monster.

It resembled any red spawn.

But it was taller, standing at 5ft, and it had a lean body made of dripping, hissing blood. This one wore strange, black, ragged clothes, and its red eyes didn’t look as mindless as those they had encountered till now.

There was actually a flash of awareness inside.

That alone made Emrys feel a shiver run down his spine. But there was something else beside that.

In the right hand of the monster was a ruined sword. A long bloody sword that gleamed viciously under the light of the shattered sky.

One could see drops of blood from the nearby ground hissing, spluttering, then rising, surrounding the sword as if it was a magnet of blood itself.

’Is this a monster with the essence of GeumGeum?’ Emrys wondered, fear clawing at his guts.

He audibly gulped, looking past the dangerous boss monster. Emrys then rested his eyes upon the portal itself.

The portal was a swirling mass of purple essence, with white lightning cackling, weaving through it as if it was sewing itself to that mass of essence.

Just above it, there was a panel.

[Number Spots Left: 14]

This was the number of spots left before this portal could no longer accept any other being.

Emrys was relieved to see the number 14, considering they were only two.

But that relief transformed into confusion, then dread, when the number miraculously went from 14 to 13.

[Number Spots Left: 13]

"What?" Emrys exclaimed in a hushed tone, eyes widening. "Are they lowering the number left on purpose?"

Beside him, Océane was looking at the same scene, face solemn.

"No." Emrys shook his head, remembering the words the {Mother} had said. "It’s not that."

And that’s when he saw it. No, when they saw it.

"Emrys! Look!" Océane pointed, her eyes catching the sight faster than Emrys.

Underneath the swirling portal, both of them managed to see a small bloodied rat slipping past the monster — one that seemed to not care about animals — and entering the portal.

[Number of Spots Left: 12]

Emrys sucked a deep breath, then ducked down, hiding himself under the shattered metal.

Océane followed suit.

"The {Mother} didn’t say that!" Emrys almost bellowed, voice inevitably trembling with fear.

If even animals counted as a spot, and without the monster trying to kill them, then they did not have time to ponder too much.

They needed to act!

Océane was a lot calmer than Emrys.

She looked deep into the black eyes of Emrys, holding his hand tightly. "You will enter." Océane said with conviction. "No matter what happens, I will make you enter this portal before the time limit. I swear."

Emrys frowned at the tone of her voice.

"Not only me, but we." He corrected. "And I don’t like your sacrificial tone. It’s cringe and annoying. Stop it."

Océane playfully spat, "Surly Emrys."

Emrys managed a faint smile, but that smile was immediately wiped away after remembering their current situation.

He cursed again and closed his eyes, thinking about how they could get through this ordeal.

Emrys began to recall every item he and Océane had obtained as rewards since the beginning, trying to concoct something useful.

Océane only watched him, her hand caressing his own, trying to give him comfort.

Her eyes were dead cold, not quite liking to see Emrys this stressed.

She was ready to do the same as before; to bait away the monster and let Emrys enter.

This time, it would not be because she was betrayed, but because she chose to do it herself, for she knew it was better for Emrys to live than for herself to remain alone.

Otherwise, the barely mended pieces of her mind after the death of her brother would be nothing but dust in this hell on earth.

She didn’t want to see herself in that state.

’I swear... I won’t let—!’

"What is the main weakness of blood?" Emrys cut through her restless, eerie thoughts, bringing her attention back to the current situation.

"Weakness of blood?" Océane echoed, tilting her head. "I don’t know..."

"Fire." Emrys answered himself, as if not expecting her to answer correctly, eyes resolute. "Fire can burn away blood, in theory. So that’s what we need to use and enter the portal."

"We don’t have any fire." Océane said, frowning. "And I doubt the fire we can find in a restaurant or elsewhere could harm this monster. And can’t you feel it?"

"Of course I can." Emrys answered, talking about the pressure they were feeling in their very existence.

They felt like they were going against something they shouldn’t. Their Self screaming at them lethal danger.

But they both tried to ignore it. Each in their own way.

’Fear is poison, Em. Fear is poison, Em.’ Emrys recalled the words of his father that had become his mantra.

While Océane...

’I have already lost Noah. I cannot lose Emrys. I cannot. He is the only one I have left.’

Her thoughts were spiraling in worrying circles. Yet those thoughts made her mind sharper and focused.

"We don’t have fire," Emrys continued, breathing to calm his heart, "but we can create it."

They took out everything they thought useful. For Emrys there were the Red Flammable Liquid (3), Explosives Talisman Ball (4), and a Drop of Bulky Red Spawn Blood.

For Océane, there were the Vial of Miasma Poison (1), and an Unranked red spear, added to the Barrier she gave Emrys to store for her.

Looking at all these, the two stared at each other for a moment.

Emrys raised his head above the boulder, squinting his eyes towards the number of Spots left.

He cursed.

[Spots Left: 8]

He ducked down again, looking around. On the far right of the place they were hiding, Emrys saw the chemical lab Océane talked about earlier.

He saw many broken vials and liquids smeared across the ground, with soft, green-bluish smoke steaming here and there.

The scent around was heavy with chemical substances, some Emrys knew were rather dangerous.

Then suddenly, his ears twitched, feeling something on the left, beside a lump of cracked rock. Emrys snapped his head towards it, but saw nothing.

He frowned. He could have sworn he felt something.

Something akin to—!

"What are you thinking?" Océane’s voice pulled his attention away from the rock, and he looked back at her.

He shook his head, deciding to focus on the current task.

"Do you know anything about chemistry?" Emrys asked.

"No." Océane said, eyebrows peaking. "I told you I left school."

Emrys paused, then slowly...

"Do you believe in God?"

Océane cocked her head at the weird question. Still,

"No. I don’t."

"Same. But I think it’s time to believe in one, Océane..."

He looked at her with a strained expression.

"...for we will need divine intervention for whatever is about to come."

Océane’s heart trumpeted, confused, but Emrys had already begun.

"Here’s the plan."

—End of Chapter 11—