Chapter 28

Diya didn’t understand religion or the significance of the Ito clan’s pilgrimage. Baba came from a Hindu family but didn’t practise and worshipped the sword instead. Once a year, for five days in October, he would drag Diya to a gathering of people from the homeland. It was for a festival called Durga Pujo, which Diya never understood.

The Boleyns were similar in their religious aspirations. They forgot all about God and faith until Christmas. When the year’s longest night came, they’d give the staff three days off and spend the time feasting. Edgar, on the other hand, had joined the Church of Noah. He didn’t share their belief system with the party, and Diya didn’t care enough to ask.

Hina helped Diya clean the blood off his face and hands once she calmed down. He thanked her, and the two discussed their experience so far. Dealing with two powerful beasts so close together wasn’t common, even when people ventured into rarely visited territory. The mole almost made sense. The monsters preferred quiet but enjoyed staying close to sources of food. Yukiho didn’t say it outright, but it sounded like the last Ito-clan pilgrimage was almost a decade ago. That was enough time for the creature to move into the territory. If the paths were destroyed, ordinary Climbers would avoid the area. Their walking and talking must have awakened the beast, and it had come charging at the disturbance.

The slimes felt out of place. Sure. They preferred damp areas, but the creatures rarely moved far from their places of origin. The monsters could lay dormant forever, waiting for food to come their way. They didn’t have brains or motivations that encouraged them to migrate. Either something had driven them out of their original home, or someone had introduced them to the area.

"What's with those runes on the back of your hand?" Hina asked, nodding at the mostly smudged shapes on the back of his hands. The giant slime's gastric juices hadn't burned the skin or distorted the shapes and washed parts of it away. "They look like the inscriptions on the upgrade stations and bind stones."

"They're connected to one of my soul's keywords," Diya answered honestly. "Unfortunately, neither Gaia nor the upgrade stations gave me instructions on how they work or how to use them. It's something I'll have to figure them out myself."

"What does that one do?" Hina pointed at what remained of the shapes on the back of his hands.

"It pulses and lights up when a powerful monster is close. I don't know what metric the runes use to measure a monster's power, but its proved somewhat useful so far. Going forward, I might need to place it somewhere less visible. Wouldn't want a beast seeing the light while I'm trying to sneak up on it."

"That could prove incredibly useful," Hina said thoughtfully. "You could use that to bargain a bigger cut from the Itos or find a position in a well-sponsored climbing party. Perhaps we should—"

"We shouldn't do anything. I told you, Hina, because I'm starting to like and trust you. We're cut from the same cloth. I'd like to think. Whatever information you learn from me, keep it for yourself, and it will profit you in the future."

"You intend to find more sites like with the ice spiders and leverage them with the FTF or similar parties?"

Diya nodded. "And my future party will receive a fraction of the earnings."

"And you'd want me to join you?"

"Potentially," Diya answered. "It's too early to give you a hard yes. But I'd very much like for us to climb together in the future." He glanced at Yukiho. She and her friends were still distracted. "Without the Itos, of course."

"Of course."

Once the trio finished lighting incense and saying their prayers, the Ito-clan members were ready to move on once again. They expressed their displeasure at climbers defacing the area around their shrine. It was then Diya noticed the dozens of carvings on the surrounding walls. He’d been so busy watching the slime lord wrestle itself free of the rocky crevasse that he had missed them altogether. Diya had been in another world, wondering what such a creature’s Core would be worth.

Slimes weren’t uncommon beasts, and people often reported specimens as large houses. However, killing them was a near-impossible feat for the people in the first two intervals. The slimes’ impervious nature and the ability to digest people alive made them too big a threat. Diya didn’t know whether the FTF would find any use for such a high concentration of the beasts or not. So he noted the location before Yukiho ushered them towards the door. The carvings on the walls weren’t in Japanese. He intended to investigate them at a later date, too.

Much to the party’s surprise, the door didn’t take them to the third floor’s hub. They found themselves in a clearing surrounded by tall deciduous trees.

“This isn’t right,” Yukiho said. “Doors aren’t supposed to change their destination. Only Ito-clan know of this door. They can’t have changed the destination.”

“You saw the graffiti,” Diya said. “Others have been through here since your last visit. The carvings looked old, though. Perhaps it was not long after your last pilgrimage.”

“Most of the miners on the second floor have been at it for nine years,” Hina told Yukiho. “They work for the Montagus, from what I hear. Assuming they’re the ones that caused the collapses and breaks, I’m guessing the last Climbers went through the area not long after you. Do you think they could’ve done something to the door?”

“That shouldn’t be possible,” Diya mumbled, his mind wandering back to the wall carvings. Perhaps the markers would give him a clue as to what happened. The power to control or change a door’s destination could prove invaluable. Depending on the limitations, it could let people move back to intervals they could no longer access.

The trees towering around them had shed all of their leaves, but the bushes at ground level were full of life. Wildflowers of varying colours sprouted from their branches, filling the air with a sweet and spicy aroma. Diya realised it was the first time since leaving the first floor that he took time to take in ambient smells. The last time he took a moment to enjoy the sights was before reaching Bear’s Tooth.

“It’s a pleasant change,” Hina commented.

“I wouldn’t get too comfortable,” Yukiho said. “We need to get moving. Besides, I bet the local beasts come around here to enjoy the scents, too.” Her eyes drifted to Mei’s pale face. “All that frost fire took too much out of Mei. I don’t want to interfere on this pilgrimage more than I have to.”

Hina whispered a translation to Koki, and he laughed. Diya studied their surroundings once more and agreed with Yukiho’s sentiment. After his experiences on the ground floor, trusting such a site would be foolish. Yukiho was busy talking to Koki in Japanese. She had scaled a tree in an attempt to figure out their location and the ideal bearing for the next leg of their journey. Now that his mental faculties had somewhat recovered, Diya took some time to reorganise his deck.

Then the moment of peace ended.

Mei pulled a hand-sized box out of her pack and approached the closest bush. She had a little finger-sized knife in her hand. Yukiho proved correct. Mei’s movements were sluggish and slow when compared to her usual confident gait. She kneeled in front of the bush and breathed in the aroma deeply. Diya spotted a genuine smile on her lips for the first time since their meeting. Things went south when Mei reached out with her knife. The closest flower tripled in size, shot forward and closed around her extended hand. Both Mei and Diya took a moment to register the sight. She screamed before he started running towards her.

Yukiho leapt from her tree, rushing at Mei. Expecting vines to sprout from the foliage, Diya drew his axe. The ground opened up instead. Because of the unfortunate timing, Yukiho was the first to go down. She had enhanced herself with the cape and travelling at near blinding speed. Due to the sudden elevation change, she tripped and flew face-first into the altered terrain. Her limp body disappeared into the darkness below. Mei got pulled down next, screaming all the while.

Diya still had a chance. The ground parted between his legs, forcing him into an uncomfortable split. It wouldn't have been a big deal if not for the load on his back. The pack, hooks, and clamps combined ruined his balance, and Diya scrambled for a handhold. His fingers only found grass and loose soil. Neither could support his weight. Then he was dropping into the darkness too.

Fortunately, Diya’s axe caught on a thick root and arrested his fall. Diya looked around, heart thumping and huffing. Going up wasn’t an option. There was only tightly packed dirt above. He could see the ground ten feet below him. Yukiho’s unconscious body lay in a patch of sunlight. If she had followed the pilgrimage’s rules, she wouldn’t be in her current state. Now she’d be dead weight. He needed to get to safety. Mei’s screams echoed through the dimly lit caves below. She sounded terrified. Diya would need to get her help first.

“Hina! Koki!” He yelled but got no answer. Considering the sounds of snapping and pounding footsteps above, they were engaged in battle.

Flowers as big as Diya’s head emerged from the darkness. Saffron-like strands wriggled at their heart and their aroma intensified. Diya knew they were coming for him, and he wasn’t in a defendable position. So he wrenched the axe free and dropped the rest of the way down. A soft roll took the stress off his knees. Diya rose with a defensive swing of his axe and cleaved through a nearby flower.

Kartik warned me about this thing!

Diya still couldn’t figure out how the gate had brought them to its hunting grounds. He took in his surroundings while chopping down the flowers that came at him. Bones and rotting carcasses of lizard people creatures littered their new environment. As his nose adjusted to the sweet and spicy aroma, he also picked up the undertones of rotting flesh.

Diya soon realised the plant monster was much weaker than the beast they had faced. Unlike the creature on the ground floor’s ruins, the plant relied on the element of surprise to overwhelm its victims. That was the only answer he had as to why it struggled to get a firm hold on Diya. Then he noticed Yukiho’s unconscious body was gone. The flowers weren’t trying to put him down. They wanted to keep him distracted.

A quick hypothesis formed in Diya’s head. If his assumptions were correct, the flowers acted independently but were part of a single creature. It could spend all day sending the flower grabbers at him, tire him out and then take him down. If he needed to win, he needed to find the beast’s heart. Perhaps damaging it would turn all the attacking flowers inert. So, he sprayed inkfire from the fountain pen, burning a pathway forward. The carnivorous flora retreated, giving him breathing room.

It didn’t take Diya long to find Mei. She had her arms wrapped around a jumble of roots while dozens of flowers held onto parts of her body. They would’ve carried her into the massive maw above if not for her augmented limbs. It sat in the flower's heart hanging from the ceiling. The mole would’ve fit in through the orifice. The spicy smell in the area got stronger as he approached the creature. Diya guessed the creature’s digestive juices were the aroma’s source.

Instead of freeing Mei, he dashed to Yukiho’s aid first. A flower had wrapped around her head and would most likely suffocate her soon. It surprised him that the woman hadn’t recovered yet. He expected someone with her tempering and experience would have improved hardiness or recovery.

Perhaps her upgrade solely focused on speed and agility,

Diya leapt, wrapping his legs around Yukiho as the flowers lifted her off the ground. He climbed up to her ankles and hacked through the wrist-thick stems.

As soon as the pair dropped, the flowers attacked them once again. Diya grabbed Yukiho’s collar with his left hand while inkfire pushed back the floral attackers with his right. He dragged the woman with all his might towards Mei. Progress was slow because of the number of flowers coming at him. A flower finally got his left arm, and Diya tried ripping it off but failed. The petals gripped him, and the feelers within—stigma, Edgar would've reminded him—had a strong hold on his wrist.

Using the axe would've been ideal, but Diya couldn't afford to stop the stream of inkfire. At the same time, he could feel the pen getting lighter with every passing second. Ink Vines and Frozen Ink Lance recovered the ink used unless either construct suffered damage. Meanwhile, Inkfire burned the soul's stores. Fortunately, Diya had experienced fighting similar beasts. While burning away flowers, he spotted a knot of vines which connected all of them. He targeted it.

Flowers and vines lunged at Diya as soon as he dispelled the inkfire. The animated threads growing from among the petals wrapped around his shoulders and legs. However, before they could disable him, the fountain multiplied in size. The nib transformed into a spearhead of frozen ink, and the shaft extended, driving the tip through the flora. Everything went limp a heartbeat later, leaving Diya to rip himself and Yukiho free and drag her further away from the still animated flowers.

Diya released her on reaching Mei. He used both hands to cut through the stems and then helped her rip the flowers off.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

Mei didn’t answer, of course, and struggled to cover up. It didn’t do much good. The flowers had ripped her yukata around her arms, hips, and torso, exposing the raw and scratched flesh underneath. She tried to get up, but her legs failed her. Despite the low lighting, Diya could see dark welts on Mei’s pale skin where the stigma had held her. Diya dragged Yukiho onto her lap, spun on his heel, and busied himself attacking the flowers.

There was no end to it. A stitch had formed in Diya’s side, and he no longer had his breathing under control. If he didn’t do something soon, the situation would likely turn hopeless. Diya glanced at the giant flower above them. The attacking stems came from within its mouth. He couldn’t figure out what sensory organ the creature used to target them. One thing was for sure, though, if they were to survive. He needed to take the flower out.

Feeling returned to Diya’s hand as he fought. He guessed the flowers needed to keep hold of the numbing effect. Perhaps it applied the paralytic agent over time, and the stigma hadn't held him for long enough. When Mei summoned half a dozen frost fire wisps, relief washed over Diya.

“Protect her,” he said before turning to the roots behind Mei. She looked at him, panicked, but had her dagger out within moments. She drew the frost fire into it and slashed at any flower that got close. Much to Diya’s relief, the flowers shied away from the cold aura.

When Diya started climbing the roots, a frost fire wisp flew into his axe head too. Mei most likely understood that he was her their salvation. When looking down, Diya realised the flowers were going for Yukiho now, leaving Diya to wonder whether the beast hunted by tracking temperature. Diya slipped the axe’s loop around his next and let it dangle over his shoulder. It left his back cold, but the flowers stopped coming for him. Mei still hadn’t gotten on her feet but was doing a decent job of protecting Yukiho, so Diya continued towards his goal.

Once at the ceiling, Diya could see where the flower met the earth. A soft golden light glowed from within the green. It had to be the creature’s heart. Fortunately, the dense network of roots served as perfect handholds. He moved from one to the next like an ape, hoping the flowers wouldn’t find him again. Another frost fire wisp flew into the axe on his back. The cold intensified, but Diya didn’t mind. The temperature on the third floor was much higher than the previous two. He sweated more because of the added exertion. Diya’s breathing was ragged when he made it to the glowing connector.

Diya had never attempted wild acrobatics or manoeuvres like the ones Mei used against the mole. However, climbing the tall buildings in Noble’s Ring often demanded hanging in uncomfortable positions. Unlike nature, human construction avoided hand and footholds as much as possible. The nobles disliked common folk climbing their buildings, after all. It never stopped Diya nor Neer. New Calcutta was their playground. Diya put his trust in his knees as he swung up and slipped them through a tangle of roots. All he could do was hope they’d support him. Then he pointed the fountain pen at his target and cast Frozen Ink Lance.

The icy spearhead needed a couple of thrusts to penetrate. The first time, it only bit an inch into the fleshy mass. Frost spread from the point of contact. The second swing cracked the hardened surface, but the spearhead too. Flowers came for Diya, then. The cold aura might have made him invisible, but the creature could feel the attack. Diya ignored them and channelled Burst of Strength and thrust for the third time. He finally got through. Golden goo sprayed Diya’s face, but he didn’t stop. He repeatedly jabbed his weapon even when flowers clung to his back and shoulder. Their hold weakened when the glowing liquid flowed from the plant, raining down on Mei below. It didn’t take long before the entire beast went limp. The sound of fighting above ceased too, and he picked up the sound of Koki and Hina shouting at each other in Japanese.

Diya dispelled the soul before untangling himself. When a silver light glowed from the plant soul, he claimed the three cards that appeared and pocketed them. Considering the beast’s history, it surprised Diya no one had killed it yet. The location was a known one. Then again, the plant had displayed a modicum of intelligence. Perhaps it felt out a party’s strength before showing its true self. Either way, Diya had killed it, and he was confident the Core would give him what he wanted.

Mei was on her feet by the time he returned to ground level. She pried the flowers holding Yukiho off the woman. Diya gave her a once over. She had a gash along the side of her head, but the blood had already clotted. He guessed it was an effect of the flowers. The monster most probably didn’t want its victims to bleed out and lose nutrients to the earth.

“You okay down there?” Hina’s voice echoed through the now silent cavern.

“Bruised and tired but solid,” Diya replied, looking up. He could see the silhouettes of her and Koki’s heads. “I killed it.”

“I guessed. Where’s Yukiho?”

“Unconscious. She’s suffered a head wound, and the flowers housed a numbing agent. It might take her a while to wake up.”

Mei and Koki exchanged words in Japanese too. Hina added to it, and the tone got angry suddenly. Diya ignored them and climbed out first. Then he dropped the Ink Vines, and Mei started climbing them straight away. Hina had to instruct her to tie it around Yukiho’s waist first. A heated conversation followed before Mei complied. Diya’s arms were much too tired, so the others pulled her out. Then they did the same with Mei.

Hina’s soul came of use once again. Diya noticed how their numbers had multiplied. Hina didn’t just use them to lighten the loads but had them clinking to her clothes too. He couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t figured out alternate uses for it before. It didn’t matter. They were out and had survived.

“Too many close calls.” Diya sighed, fingering the cards sitting in his vests’ pockets.

He watched as Koki pulled a vial out of his pack and held it under Yukiho’s nose. It didn’t take long before the woman stirred. She grimaced as soon as her eyes opened, reaching for the wound on her head. Her eyes took a moment to focus before moving between her party members.

“We’re alive.” She sounded surprised. Her voice came out as a croak.

“You can direct your thanks to Diya,” Hina said. “He’s the one that killed these things.”

“It was just one beast, actually,” Diya told them. The smell of rot had replaced the sweet aroma. It rose out of the cross-shaped opening in the ground. “The flowers were its appendages.”

Mei added information in Japanese, and Koki contributed too. The latter’s words sounded unusually harsh. Diya ignored them and helped Yukiho onto her feet. She staggered for a moment, but then her cape hugged her back and legs before stiffening.

“We need to find our way out of here,” Yukiho said, rubbing her eyes. “The beasts will smell something that has changed here.”

“We need to go south,” Diya told her, pointing through the dense foliage. The party looked at him questioningly. “A friend told me about this creature. It’s close to the floor’s hub. People don’t come here because of the unsolved disappearances.”

“Let’s hope you’re right,” Yukiho said before speaking to the others in Japanese. It didn’t take long before the weary party got themselves together. Everyone hydrated before starting their journey to safety.