NOVEL NEXT Chapter 158: Chapter 158
The group moved cautiously through the debris-strewn patio, avoiding attention. That's when they heard it—a haunting melody drifting through the air.
"Hush now, my dear, close your eyes,
Under the veil of the moonlit skies,
Nekyroth watches, so still and so near,
Guarding your dreams, there's nothing to fear."
A chill ran through all of them as they turned toward the source of the voice. A ragged woman danced alone, her movements graceful but unsettling. She continued singing.
"Shadows may dance on the edge of your sight,
Whispers may call in the still of the night,
But Nekyroth holds the key to the door,
Keeping you safe from the dark evermore."
"Guys, I think we should leave," Carmilla whispered, her voice trembling. "That song gives me the creeps."
As if hearing her, the woman turned to them with a sweet smile—too sweet for the eerie situation. It only unsettled them further.
"Oh, you're already here," she said, her tone cheerful. "He went underground. If you go that way, you'll catch up to him," she added, pointing down a pathway.
"How do you know who we're looking for?" Lily asked, her voice wary.
"Don't worry about that. I don't wish you harm," the woman said, twirling as she spoke. "In fact, I quite want you to succeed."
Though unnerved, the group felt compelled to believe her words. She was telling the truth.
"Okay… thanks," Lily said cautiously, her guard still up.
"Oh, one more thing," the woman called out as they turned to leave. "When you find him, tell him his idea is quite good." She resumed her dance, her voice rising in the haunting melody.
"Sleep, little one, in his gentle embrace,
Feel the soft touch of his ancient grace,
Nekyroth's light will guide your way,
Banishing nightmares till the break of day."
The group hurried away, but the eerie song lingered in their minds. No matter how far they went, that melody continued to terrify them.
Vas and The Negotiator had already descended into the first of the underground floors. The area had multiple entrances, likely designed to allow guards to access the depths quickly from different points. As they stepped further in, the scene shifted drastically.
The stench of blood hung heavy in the air, a metallic tang that clawed at their senses. Scattered across the floor were the dismembered remains of guards, their limbs and torsos arranged in grotesque configurations. The corridor was dimly lit, the weak glow of overhead lights casting elongated shadows over the macabre display. At the center of the carnage stood a young man, his back turned, seemingly engrossed in some grotesque ritual involving the corpses.
"The Sculpture," The Negotiator murmured, his tone sharp with recognition.
Vas arched an eyebrow. "Do none of you have normal names?" he asked, his voice tinged with dry incredulity.
"Here, we're all given new names," The Negotiator explained, his gaze fixed on the figure. "Names tied to our crimes or what we were known for before capture. The longer you've been here, the harder it is to remember your real name. Rumor has it that the ones on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors are even worse than what you see here."
"What about the seventh floor?" Vas inquired.
"Nobody knows," The Negotiator replied, his voice dropping to a whisper. "As far as I'm aware, only the warden and key figures in the government have access to that floor. In fact, though it's said to exist, there's no way to confirm it."
"Well, today's the day we find out," Vas said, his tone resolute as he stepped forward. But his advance was halted abruptly when he felt a presence close by—far too close. Spinning around, his gaze fell on the young man from before, now standing unnervingly close.
The figure's appearance was unnerving. He looked youthful, almost out of place in the grim surroundings, but there was a strange malice in his aura. He wore a full-body suit of what seemed to be blackened leather, adorned with torn and frayed straps dangling loosely. His short, messy hair fell just above his eyes, which gleamed with a mixture of curiosity and hunger.
"Your face…" the man said, his voice soft but tinged with an unsettling fervor. His lips curled into a wide grin as his pale cheeks flushed crimson. "It looks… so good." His grin widened unnaturally. "I want it."
With that, his hand shot out, fingers reaching for Vas's face. The movement was unnaturally fast, like a whip snapping through the air. Vas reacted instinctively, stepping back just in time to avoid the grasp. Yet even as he moved, a peculiar sensation coursed through him. For a brief moment, it felt as though the man's hand was larger than it appeared, its reach extending beyond what should have been possible.
"How did you do that?" the man asked, tilting his head in genuine curiosity. "You should have been enthralled by my presence."
Vas sighed, the weight of the situation settling in. Ignoring this man wouldn't be an option. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his Tenebra's blade. The faint hum of the weapon filled the air, its dark, ethereal edge glowing faintly in the dim light.
"Oh, so you can use Anima too," the man said, his grin never faltering. "Then I don't have to hold back."
He brought his hands together, forming a mudra with practiced ease. Immediately, the scattered corpses around them began to twitch. Vas watched as the limbs, torsos, and other body parts moved with unnatural coordination, coming together to form a grotesque golem. The final creation was a monstrosity of flesh, skin, and bone, standing nearly twice the height of a man. Three arms jutted out at odd angles, while two legs supported its malformed frame. Its face was an unrecognizable mass of tissue, with a bleeding cavity in the center of its chest.
"What do you think of creation?" the man asked, gesturing to his work with pride.
Vas didn't answer. Instead, he adjusted his grip on the Tenebra blade, the weapon's wire-like extension dancing in the air behind him. Without warning, he moved. To an untrained eye, it appeared as though he had vanished, replaced by a brilliant green flash that cut through the gloom. When Vas reappeared, he was standing back in his original position, the golem motionless behind him.
A heartbeat later, the creature split cleanly in two, each half falling to the floor with a resounding crash. The sound echoed through the blood-soaked corridor as the severed halves twitched and spasmed, leaking dark ichor onto the ground.
"What did you do?" the man asked, his expression shifting to one of fascination.
As realization dawned, he clapped his hands together, almost gleefully. "Oh, I see now. Well, no matter. I'll just move on to the next one."
He formed another mudra, and the dismembered pieces of the golem began to stir once more. This time, they shifted into a new configuration. The abomination's form elongated and reshaped itself into a massive, dog-like creature. Its jagged limbs scraped against the bloodstained walls, and its malformed head nearly brushed the ceiling of the corridor. The beast's hollow, eyeless sockets glowed faintly, exuding an aura of menace.
"You see," the man began, his tone conversational yet tinged with obsession, "I'm a bit obsessive. I can't create something new until the old one is destroyed. But thanks to you, with each new creation, fresh ideas come to mind." His grin stretched wider, and the blush returned to his cheeks. "Now," he said, his voice trembling with excitement, "I can't wait to use your face."
Vas remained silent, his expression stoic. He tightened his grip on the Tenebra blade, the wire behind him rippling like a serpent ready to strike. The air grew tense as the monstrous dog crouched low, preparing to attack.
The creature lunged forward with terrifying speed, its massive maw gaping wide in an attempt to engulf Vas. He narrowly dodged the attack, the sheer force of its passing wind slicing the air near his face. Instinctively, Vas lashed out, whipping the wire around the creature's thick neck. With a powerful tug, the wire tightened and snapped the beast's neck with a gruesome crack, exposing jagged bone beneath the layers of sinewy flesh.
For a moment, the creature fell limp, and a torrent of dark, viscous blood gushed from the open wound. But before Vas could assess his next move, the blood took on a life of its own. Thin, writhing tendrils emerged from the crimson pool, weaving themselves into grotesque threads. They reached for the severed neck, threading and stitching the torn flesh back together in an eerie, seamless motion.
The creature shuddered violently as its body began to shift, the grotesque transformation accompanied by the sickening sound of cracking bones and tearing flesh. It rose to its feet, now towering over Vas, its form unnervingly humanlike yet still monstrous.
The newly bipedal abomination wasted no time, hurling a massive punch at Vas with an arm that seemed to stretch unnaturally, the flesh elongating mid-swing. Vas dodged just in time, the impact of the punch causing a shockwave that cracked the ground beneath. But as Vas regained his footing, the creature closed the distance in an instant.
This time, it unleashed a brutal kick, the force connecting squarely with Vas and sending him hurtling backward. The impact reverberated through his body, the ground beneath him splintering as he collided with it.
Vas, however, was far from done. Acting swiftly, he launched his blades into the ground, the wire snapping taut. With a hard yank, the tension propelled him back toward the creature at blinding speed. Using the momentum, Vas delivered a devastating double kick directly to the beast's face.
The sheer force of the attack not only connected but also tore the creature's head clean off. Its decapitated body crumpled as Vas landed lightly on his feet, the severed head tumbling to the blood-streaked floor.
"Oh, there goes another one," The Sculpture said, his voice tinged with delight. His lips curled into a lavish, almost predatory smile as his fingers began forming another set of mudras. "Let's keep going, shall we?"