Chapter 131 ‒ Shadows Behind the Door
The darkness in his mind pulsed like a wounded heart, each echo throbbing through Tyler’s skull. He stood on a thin plane of blackness, a void so deep it swallowed every footstep, every breath. In the far distance, a shape slowly coalesced, as if rising from the abyss itself.
A figure stepped forward — his own silhouette at first glance. But as Tyler’s eyes adjusted, the illusion cracked.
The creature’s skin was torn and mangled, a patchwork of deep gashes and gory rents that oozed a viscous black ichor. Blood gushed from its eyes and mouth, staining its chin and splashing down its chest like a ritualistic brand. Its eyes glowed an unnatural, furious red, glaring as if they could pierce through worlds.
Tyler’s throat tightened, but he forced himself to step forward. “Who… who are you?!” he demanded, his voice echoing around him like a frightened animal’s cry in a tomb.
The creature’s gaze flicked to him, slow and almost bored, as if acknowledging a fly buzzing at the edge of its perception.
“Answer !” Tyler’s voice cracked, desperation clawing at his ribs. “Why do you keep taking over my body?! Why do you fight like that?! Tell —!”
The other self tilted its head slightly. Thick drops of blood sizzled as they struck the unseen floor. Slowly, its mouth curled — not into a smile, but into sothing closer to a snarl, a contemptuous twist that spoke of endless scorn and sorrow woven together.
Then it spoke, voice low and jagged, like bones scraping across iron.
“Leave alone.”
The words slamd into Tyler’s chest like a hamr blow. The creature turned away, the heavy sound of its breathing deepening, echoing in the void like thunder rolling over black seas.
“No! Wait—” Tyler lunged forward, arm outstretched, fingers grasping at air.
Without warning, a massive black iron door erupted from the ground between them, towering and featureless, its surface glinting with a cold, unnatural sheen.
The creature placed a blood-slicked hand on the door and, with a single shove, slamd it shut. The echo rattled through the darkness, an impossibly heavy, tallic crash that reverberated through Tyler’s skull like an explosion.
Tyler’s fingers slamd against the cold iron just as everything shivered and blurred. His consciousness splintered, yanked backward by an invisible hand.
---
A sudden thunderous clang — the sound of tal crashing against tal — jolted Tyler’s senses back to life. His eyes snapped open, his lungs gasping as if surfacing from deep water.
System ssages flooded into his blurred vision, the last pieces of reality slotting back into place like shards of glass.
[ 514 XP]
[Level Up! Tyler Level 181 → 192]
[Attribute Points: 11]
He lay on a firm surface, a heavy scent of forge oil and scorched iron filling his nose. The rhythmic pounding of a hamr filled the air, each strike echoing like a heartbeat through the dark tent around him.
A mont later, Tyler’s gaze darted around, piecing together the sll, the sounds, the heat — he was in Vitamin Ape’s forge. Relief coursed through his veins, his body surprisingly light and unburdened, no hint of the poison’s sharp sting or the clawing exhaustion that had devoured him before.
He jerked upward, almost spilling from the table, before a deep, rumbling voice bood from sowhere beyond a curtain of hanging tools.
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“So you’ve finally woken up! How did you like the Matcha Tea?” Vitamin Ape called, his voice both gleeful and faintly scornful. “Honestly, I don’t get it. That stuff tastes like swamp water to . But if you enjoyed it, feel free to have it all.”
A crisp notification slid into Tyler’s view:
[Acquired Item: Matcha Tea Leaves x11]
[Description: These leaves can be used to prepare Matcha Tea, which removes all special effects upon consumption.]
Tyler exhaled sharply, shoulders collapsing as tension drained from him. He glanced toward the massive silhouette erging from behind the hamring bench — Vitamin Ape, his massive figure frad by dancing forge sparks and tools gleaming like stars in a black sky.
“Tha— thank you,” Tyler managed, his voice fragile, barely above a whisper. His throat burned as the words tumbled out. “I don’t know if I could ever repay you… I… thank you. Truly, thank you so much.”
Vitamin Ape barked a rough laugh, swiping a cloth across his forehead. “Aye! I could at least do that much for you, [Player]. After all, you’re my favourite custor!”
Then, uncharacteristically, Vitamin Ape’s broad shoulders slumped. He set down his hamr, head lowered, eyes hidden beneath heavy brows.
“But… I also apologize,” he said slowly. “I had no idea that Yandeon would turn out… like this. I’m sorry for dragging you into this ss, [Player]. Truly… I didn’t have a clue what that old wizard was planning…”
Tyler shook his head, pushing himself upright. “Don’t apologize. No one could have known… Still… thank you for helping . I know it can’t have been easy to side with an outsider… against Yandeon, soone you’ve probably known for ages.”
Vitamin Ape’s heavy chest rumbled, and his head snapped back up, an almost mischievous glint returning to his eyes. “Of course I should help you!” he bellowed, slamming a giant palm against the bench with a clatter. “You brought that divine teorite core, which gave this majestic hamr! And don’t forget the dark shards, the ancient bones — I got to work with literal divine materials! Why would I stick with so old geezer who just sat on his dusty stone seat, barking orders all day?”
Tyler let out a weak, disbelieving laugh, his lips cracking into a small, genuine smile for the first ti in what felt like centuries.
Vitamin Ape pointed at him with the hamr, eyes fierce. “Rember, [Player]! You ever need help, my forge is always open. Always!”
Tyler nodded, his hands balling into trembling fists. “Thank you… truly.”
---
A short ti later, Tyler set out again, the world around him a blur as he raced from place to place, each step echoing in his mind like an urgent drumbeat.
First, he scoured the rocky hills and quiet outskirts of Yandi. Dust drifted underfoot, the wind whistling between jagged stones. No sign, no trace — only silence.
Next, he plunged into Muckwood. The swamp choked him with its thick, rotting breath; each murky pool glared back at him like empty eyes. Locals shied away, shaking their heads or simply slipping away into the mist without a word.
Then, Dustville. Familiar streets and worn wooden fences greeted him. He found Farnak leaning against a new fence, hamr in hand, sweat streaking down his soot-darkened face.
Farnak straightened up, wiping his brow. “Hey… it’s been a while, huh?” His grin was sheepish, heavy with awkward warmth. “Guild’s mostly stabilized now. We… we’re holding on. But I haven’t seen any wizard wandering through here, sorry.”
Tyler nodded, his heart a tight, twisting knot. “Thank you… stay safe.”
Next, Heartwood. The forest trails felt eerily serene, the whisper of leaves brushing against his ears like distant sighs. But no sign — just the gentle hush of nature, as if holding its breath.
Finally, he arrived at Virelia. Before he even stepped through the main gates, Sir Caldus’s armour glead in the sun, blocking his path.
“You dare step into Virelia again after swearing to stay away?” Caldus thundered, his spear tip poised.
Tyler, breath ragged, shot back, “I’m looking for a wizard — he stole divine artifacts. If he finishes what he’s planning… the entire world could collapse.”
Caldus glared, his gaze slicing into Tyler. After a mont’s silent battle, he clicked his tongue. “Hide in Lira’s Redies. I’ll contact the king and buy you so ti.”
Inside the shop, Lira welcod him with a motherly coo, dusting off bottles on her shelves. “Oh my, I told you to be careful last ti, right? Trouble follows you like a lovesick puppy. You want to try my new potion? Morning Sunsh—”
“Sorry,” Tyler snapped, eyes burning with urgency. “I don’t have ti. Please tell Caldus… I left.”
Lira’s face fell in surprise, but before she could speak again, Tyler vanished in a shimr of blue light.
---
He found himself in Noobia next, its old piers creaking under salty winds. Tyler stumbled to a bench, his hands clawing into his hair.
What if he’s already across the sea… What if I never find him… I failed again… Everyone… Milo… I’m so sorry…
Tyler’s breath hitched in his throat. In that mont, the entire world seed to pause — the crashing waves, the distant gulls, even the wind that tore at his hair and armour. All of it stilled, as if waiting for his answer. His fingers dug deeper into his temples, heart pounding like a war drum. At the edge of his spiralling despair, that deceptively cheerful voice slipped in like a dagger between ribs:
“Oh [Player], looking for sothing?”
And in the echo of that single, innocuous question, Tyler felt the fragile boundary between resolve and collapse tremble, ready to shatter.
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