LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 5: Demon Attack
Inside the academy stadium, a gigantic square hologram depicted real-time activities from the island test ground. The liveliness and graphical quality of the hologram were such that the viewer felt that the audience was sitting right there. Almost a thousand students could be watched and monitored through various small projections, depicting in real time what they were doing. Important events were featured on the big screen.
A camera orb was drawn to each student as if to photograph all their actions. In a protected room, instructors closely observed, grading each performance. Discussions broke out amongst them on who has excellent attitude and skills. However, in the midst of assent and dissension, one instructor zeroed in on a single student. She tried to know who the student was, experiencing a strange familiarity but could not place where she had seen him before.
The student she observed was Zarek, moving with Leo by his side. They were outside an ancient labyrinth, a strange old pyramid. They had agreed to check out the area first for any suspicious signs before going inside. Leo surmised that there was probably a flag inside but suspected it would be hard to get. Zarek already knew there was a flag inside and nodded in agreement.
"There might be traps inside, so we need to be extra careful," Zarek warned.
Securing that they were alone around the pyramid, they approached the entrance. Leo, excited, went ahead but stopped abruptly. The entrance was closed. Unlike typical doors, it couldn't be opened with a simple push.
"You're very excited, aren't you?" Zarek teased. He could tell from Leo's expression that he was thinking hard about how to open it.
Leo pointed out, "The pattern engraved on the ground might be the key. Look at the two puma statues on each side and the patterns on them connected to the ground. In the middle, there are two stone arms holding a diamond shape."
Zarek and Leo studied the patterns, their minds working in tandem like seasoned detectives. They saw intricate engravings on the statues' paws, written in an ancient language. The engravings radiated mana, hinting at the needed enchantment.
Leo got to his knees to take a closer look at the patterns on the ground. "These lines run related to the statues. Here, look," he said, tracing the lines with his fingers. "It's like circuitry. The energy must be released from the statues to the diamond shape in the middle.
Zarek nodded, impressed by Leo's insight. "Good catch. The sun and moon runes in the eyes of the statues symbolize light and darkness. We must activate these elements somehow."
Leo's eyes lit up with realization. "The key must be those orbs held by the statues flanking the entrance. One emits light energy, the other dark.
Zarek nodded and proposed, "Let's take the orbs and put them in the right puma statues."
Leo hastily brought the orbs, and they inspected the statues. Each of the statues had a flawless hole for the orbs and a handprint showing exactly where to put their hands.
"We have to decipher the old language to interpret the spell," Leo said, squinting at the inscriptions.
Zarek, with no alternative, approached System 64. Upon scanning the text, System 64 rewrote it into a poem as follows:
Oh great Sun, blazing orb of life,
Rising anew, cutting the shadow of night.
You who sail the celestial seas,
Bringing warmth and growth to all that breathes.
By your light, the world awakens,
Fields bloom, and the waters glisten.
Ra, the eternal, creator of the skies,
Your journey marks the days of our lives.
And when you sink, the Moon ascends,
Gentle guardian, the night's soft friend.
Silver light upon the Nile streams,
Watcher of dreams, keeper of beams.
Oh Khonsu, your cycle renews the tide,
Marking time as stars align.
In harmony, you rule with the Sun,
Guiding creation, two lights as one.
Pretending to understand, Zarek explained, "I can understand the language. Follow my lead." As they recited the poem together, the orbs brightened and the patterns started glowing, flowing toward the diamond shape. Energy built toward the entrance, and about 30 seconds later, the entrance opened.
Leo and Zarek were both exhilarated by the success. They had solved the puzzle, opened the entrance, and were ready for whatever awaited them inside the pyramid.
When Zarek and Leo went into the labyrinth and explored deeper, Zarek sensed something strange. He could feel the remnants of mana on one of the bricks in the wall. He followed it with his senses and found that it was linked to a mana line. He continued to follow the mana line, which led him to a hidden button for a secret path.
"Leo, come here! I think I've found something interesting," Zarek called out.
Leo arrived, curious. "What'd you find?" he asked.
"Can you sense any mana here?" Zarek asked.
Leo focused but negated. "I don't sense anything at all."
Surprised by Leo's incapability to sense, Zarek wondered why Leo couldn't detect it. For this to be just a hallucination, he decided to press the button, and surprisingly, a path showed up.
"Oh, wow! How did you manage to find this, Zarek?" Leo asked, startled.
Zarek smirked. "Just a hunch, I guess."
They went into the secret way and walked forward. It was weird; no traps seemed to spring up within, nor was it dangerous in the least. The ambiance within the secret way was kind of creepy - ancient carvings and worn out murals described tales from ages forgotten. The air was heavy with old energies, as though the secrets that lay hidden were whispering around them.
"This place is creepy," Leo said, glancing around. "Too quiet."
"Stay sharp," Zarek said. "We have no idea what's out here."
He followed the winding paths for what seemed like a good long time. Finally, at the end of the path stood a room that looked as though it was a treasure room. Gold and jewels lay on the table everywhere. So much wealth made their heads spin.
"We should look for traps," Zarek warned, his senses taking over.
They cautiously tried the room but no trap was set. Both of them were so excited, eyes sparkling at the treasures. They began to dream about their new fortune, what it could mean.
"Can you believe this?" Leo shouted. "We're rich!"
However, Leo's face became serious. "Wait, the academy is watching us. We cannot take these treasures for ourselves. There is a magical orb watching us."
Leo felt for the orb and, to his surprise, could not detect it. Knowing that the orb must have vanished when they entered the hidden passage, Leo smiled. "The academy did not see us discover this. We are in the clear."
He and Zarek shared a glance. They burst out into uncontrolled laughter as each knew what the other was thinking.
"Do you have anything to store the treasures?" Leo asked, still grinning.
"No worries," replied Zarek. He tossed Leo a magical pocket with enough resources that it could be held. Again, they laughed wickedly as they gazed at each other.
As they stored the treasures, Zarek's attention was drawn to a special ring floating above the pile. Leo didn't notice it, but Zarek sensed it was the most valuable item among the treasures. As he reached for the ring, it flew directly to his ring finger. Upon touch, a flood of memories overwhelmed him—flashes of a woman with a vague face, smiling and laughing, looking at him lovingly.
A voice echoed in Zarek's mind. The woman warned him that the other students outside were in grave danger and needed his help urgently. A vision of dead students on the island flashed before him.
Returning to reality, Zarek held his head, trying to comprehend what he had seen and heard. Despite his usual detachment, he felt compelled to act. He couldn't ignore the woman's plea.
"Leo, stop! The other students are in danger. We have to get out of here, now!" Zarek said sternly.
After seeing the serious look on Zarek's face, Leo stopped stealing all the treasures. They hurriedly left the maze.
As they got outside, there was an aura of malice around them, so they could tell that demons were now inside the island. It was impossible to comprehend the threat level. They hastened to where the smoke rose from all the sides of the forest.
Suddenly, Leo stopped and confessed. "Zarek, I'm actually a sixth-rate mage. I had to hide my true level for certain reasons. We can save more students if we split up. I trust you can handle it."
Zarek nodded, taking in the connotation. The two tapped their shoulders and each wished the other well. Leo was engulfed with mana and left, flying far away, as Zarek used his blink spell to move speedily, fading in and out of existence by the second.
Leo, while flying toward the burning forest, spotted five students cornered by a powerful demon. With one move, he would be able to kill them all. Leo increased his speed to triple the output of mana to counter the danger that the demon's spell possessed.
The demon laughed maniacally, savoring the suffering of the humans. "I will enjoy your despair before I feast on your souls," it taunted. Dark energy coalesced around the demon, forming a menacing slash poised to strike.
Just as the demon unleashed its attack, an excellent flash intercepted him. Leo was armed with an extraordinary sword between the demon and the students. His flashing knight armor welled up in response to demon's dark energies. The aura he released was so sharp that it repelled the demon's dark powers.
"How dare you interrupt my fun, human!" the demon snarled amidst showing his irritation on being interrupted.
"You foul demon will die today," Leo declared, unwavering in his determination. "Show me your fangs. Come at me if you dare!"
The demon, gauging Leo's aura, initially underestimated him. It viewed Leo's composed self as a sign of weakness and concluded he was an easy target. The demon, fueled by pride, could not resist the taunt and charged at Leo with blinding speed.
Leo stood firm, staring straight at the demon. As soon as the demon lunged at him, Leo struck with a speed that seemed to be made of lightning. His sword cut through the dark energy like butter as it sliced across the air. In an instant, the demon's head had been separated from its body, but it took another moment for the demon to know what had just happened.
"What. How?" the demon stammered in its final moments, disbelief etched on its face. "Who are you?"
Leo's eyes were cold, hard, unyielding. "A dead demon doesn't need to know my name," he said before, with one sweeping motion, continuing to dismember the demon further, each stroke filled with the power of magic to seal and finalize the destruction of the demon. He incinerated the core of the demon, leaving the flames to wholly consume it into nothingness.
The five students, who had been paralyzed with fear, stared in awe and relief. Leo approached them, his aura calming. "Here, take these healing potions," he said, handing each of them a vial. "Return to the starting point. It's safe there."
One of the students, still trembling, managed to ask, "Who are you?"
Leo gave a reassuring smile. "Just someone who couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt. Now go, quickly."
As the students moved away, Leo scanned the periphery, feeling for other threats. He aimed to save as many students as he could, so once again he took to the skies, his eyes scanning the woods for signs of distress.