All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Justin was beyond exhausted, but the dark tunnel leading down to Drakendir remained unbroken, which meant there was no chance of losing the Baron yet. The only light came from the two torches carried by Eldrin and Bohemond, their flickering flames revealing little more than the stone walls of the tunnel and the descending path ahead.

"They say this wasn't the main entrance," Bohemond said, his voice barely above a whisper. "During the height of the Drakendir Kingdom, the dwarves had moving floors that transported people and goods from the underground city itself to Thalgar's Tunnel."

"Moving floors?" Justin asked.

He almost let the word "elevators" slip but caught himself in time. That was a term from Earth, and Bohemond didn't know the full extent of Justin's origins. He had to be careful not to reveal too much.

"Of course, they were repurposed centuries ago," Bohemond continued. "Now they're the way stations we passed back in the Tunnel. The magic that powered them died out long ago." He paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Probably for the best. Nyrissic Magic has no place on Eyrth."

"Nyrissic Magic?" Justin asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

"Chaos Magic," Eldrin answered. "It's powerful but also unpredictable. Like Death Magic, it's forbidden by the Church of Light since it derives its power from the Nether. It has just as much chance to harm the caster as it does to help."

Justin resisted the urge to look at Kargan. He wondered if there was any connection between this Chaos Magic and Blood Magic because the orc's spells fit the description perfectly. They hurt him but also provided incredible benefits.

Bohemond turned to Justin, surprise evident on his face. "You've never heard of Chaos Magic? It's the magic of the Dread Goddess, Nyriss. Every faithful Adherent of the Church learns about its dangers. A man of your talents and experience should know this."

A cold sweat broke on the back of Justin's neck as Bohemond's gaze bore into him. "I've heard of it," he said, forcing a small smile. "But it's not something I've ever had to deal with directly. I prefer to avoid such dark powers when I can. Better to leave that knowledge to experts like you, Lord Ashcroft."

Bohemond studied him for a moment longer, then nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Wise choice, Mr. Talemaker. It's best to avoid such corrupting influences. Only those blessed by Arion's Light should dare face the forces of Chaos. Vile creatures like goblins dabble in Chaos Magic, and they can be found in dark places like this."

Justin exhaled, grateful that Bohemond had let the matter drop. The last thing he needed was the knight digging into his past—or worse, realizing that Justin was hiding something far more dangerous than a lack of knowledge about forbidden magic.

The tunnel's monotony ended as they stepped into a massive underground cavern, and Justin's breath caught in his throat. Before them stretched an enormous subterranean expanse, illuminated by clusters of glowing blue crystals embedded in the ceiling and walls. It was no mere cavern but a vast underground space that extended for miles, the distance lost in a blue haze. It was like stepping into another world.

At the heart of the cavern sprawled the ruins of an ancient city. Its towering structures, built from dark stone, loomed in silence. The city of Drakendir, once a bustling metropolis of dwarven civilization, now stood as a relic of a forgotten age. It was hard to tell at a glance how large it was, but it was far bigger than even Windfall and was clearly once home to thousands of dwarves.

The broken path they were on wound around the outer edge of the cavern, alternating between exposed ledges that offered a breathtaking—if dizzying—view of the city below. Silence reigned, broken only by the faint echo of their footsteps on stone.

"Keep moving," Eldrin urged, his voice low but firm. "We can't afford to rest yet."

"We're not going down there, are we?" Justin asked.

"Arion willing, no," Eldrin replied. "We'll stay on the periphery and hope for a tunnel that leads to the surface."

Bohemond frowned. "Where is this Vault, if not down there?"

"Not far," Eldrin promised. "My information is good."

Bohemond gritted his teeth but said nothing. Eventually, the man would grow suspicious if he wasn't already.

Justin nodded, though his legs screamed for rest. Every muscle in his body ached from the relentless pace, but he knew Eldrin was right. They couldn't afford to let their guard down until they were certain they had lost Valdrik. In this depopulated place, Justin was once again fair game.

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They pressed on, following the winding path along the cavern's edge.

"Lucky those crystals are here," Lila whispered. "They let us see far more than what the torches would reveal."

Kargan leaned toward them, his voice a low rumble. "Aether crystals. There's a reason the Dwarves chose this site to build their city. The crystals were not only their chief export; their power can be tapped to supply aether itself, the essence that powers all magic."

"There are so many," Justin said, passing by a patch of them on the trail.

"No one has harvested these in years," Kargan said. "One of those bigger ones is worth two crowns or more."

"Why doesn't Windfall take advantage?" Justin asked.

"That only speaks to the danger of this place," Kargan replied. "Where a few harvesters might sneak by undetected, an entire mining operation has no such luxury."

Bohemond shot them a warning look. Despite their whispers, sounds had a way of carrying in utter silence.

They continued to follow Eldrin along the path. Sometimes, they passed through small peripheral towns—suburbs, Justin supposed. These were clusters of buildings built from the same hewn stone as the metropolis below.

To Justin's surprise, these outlying settlements showed signs of recent habitation. Abandoned cookfires sat in the center of town squares. Gnawed bones, still fresh, were scattered around the edges of the fire pits, though thankfully, they were definitely not human. The stone houses, once home to dwarven families, stood hollow and vacant, their doors hanging loosely on rusted hinges.

As they moved deeper into the settlement, Justin's gaze was drawn to a building that stood apart from the rest. It was larger and more imposing, with weathered columns flanking its entrance. The building resembled a temple. Above the entrance, carved into the stone, was the image of a goddess, naked from the waist up.

She was beautiful, but in a way that made Justin uneasy—a figure with flowing hair and eyes that seemed to follow him as he passed. Her features, though exquisite, held a sharpness that hinted at malice, and the faint, cruel curve of her lips suggested a nature far more dangerous than benevolent. Her hands clutched a scepter entwined with serpents, their heads poised to strike.

Justin assumed the goddess was Nyriss, the Dread Goddess of Chaos that Bohemond said goblins revered. Morvath wasn't the only deity to watch out for.

Eldrin kneeled near one of the fire pits, his eyes narrowing as he examined the grisly scene of bones. "Trolls. They've been here recently. See how the bones are cracked open? They do that to get at the marrow."

Justin shuddered, glancing around as if expecting a monster to emerge from the shadows at any moment. "How recent?"

"Hard to say. A few days. Maybe a week. But trolls are territorial, so they can't be far." Eldrin stood, his expression tense. "We need to move on."

They continued, their eyes scanning every dark corner and shadowy alcove for signs of movement. The vastness of the space around him made Justin feel small and vulnerable. He hoped even the Baron wouldn't follow them into such a dangerous place. It would be against his careful nature, right? It was the only possible glimmer of hope he could find.

After what felt like hours of navigating the twisting paths and deserted settlements, Eldrin finally led them into what appeared to be an abandoned home at the edge of one town. The structure was small and unremarkable, built from the same dark stone as the rest of the town, with a low ceiling and a single narrow entrance. Unlike most others, this one still had the stone door intact.

After they entered and secured the home, Eldrin barred the door behind them, locking it with a heavy iron latch that groaned as he slid it into place.

"This will have to do," Eldrin said. "We've walked through most of the night already. It's not much, but it's better than staying out in the open."

Justin collapsed onto a stone slab near the back of the room, his body aching with fatigue. The others followed suit, finding whatever spots they could to rest. The interior was sparse—bare stone walls and floors, a few pieces of broken furniture, and a cold hearth that hadn't seen a fire in centuries. The air was damp and musty, carrying the scent of old, forgotten things. Bohemond and Eldrin each placed their torches on opposite sides of the room, providing a small amount of light.

Once done, Bohemond took a seat near the door, his sword resting across his lap. His eyes scanned the room. "We should take turns keeping watch. I'll take the first shift. Arion will keep my eyes ever vigilant."

Eldrin nodded, settling down near the entrance as well. The strangest thing about the house was that it had no windows. That was a good thing, but it made everything feel claustrophobic. "I'll keep watch with you, at least for an hour."

Justin approached Kargan, who had taken a seat near the hearth, his broad shoulders slumped in exhaustion. "Do you think we've lost him?"

He asked it quietly, so Bohemond wouldn't overhear.

Kargan shook his head. "Hard to say. It doesn't sound like he's one to give up easily. But we've done all we can for now. We'll have to hope it's enough."

Justin nodded, though the unease gnawing at his gut refused to go away.

He lay down and closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Sleep wouldn't come easily, not in this place, not knowing that the Baron could be around the corner, hunting them through this labyrinth of tunnels and forgotten towns.

Lila took the slab next to him. Her presence was a slight comfort, at least.

For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the soft crackle of Bohemond's armor as he shifted his weight, his eyes never leaving the door.

Justin turned to Lila, his voice barely audible. "Do you think there's a way out of here?"

Her eyes found his in the dim light. "I hope so. Drakendir's a maze, but it stands to reason there's more than one way out. The key is to avoid detection."

Justin nodded, though he knew it would be tough. The Baron was relentless, a predator that wouldn't stop until he had what he wanted. More than that, it was personal now. Justin had ensured that.

And here, in the depths of Drakendir, they were little more than prey, not just to the Baron but to anything that could end them.

Sleep, when it finally came, was restless and filled with dark dreams of shadowy figures and endless tunnels. But in the back of his mind, Justin knew that when morning came—if morning could be said to exist in this place—they would have to keep moving deeper into the heart of the darkness that lay ahead.

At least he had another level up to look forward to upon waking.