Chapter 55: Fighting the Spawn of the Void (Patreon)

There was one final pause on the steps before we reached the next platform, where we’d likely face Ostorox. Everyone had their weapons drawn and ready, but Earnest decided to say something to the group first.

[Earnest Johnson: This is it. Once we deal with the creature, we can advance to floor 96 and then beyond. There is strength in numbers and we have enough here to surpass everyone who’s still stuck in the town on 98. But more than that, I want you all to remember what we’re fighting for. We can conquer this tower. We can reach the end and get out. I have two kids, one who just graduated college and one who just got married that I’m fighting to get back to. Together we can do this.]

A wave of confidence spread through the group as they read his words. He didn’t just tell them that they could do this, but he also put their goal into perspective. This was about more than just reaching the next level. It was about getting back out into whatever’s left of our world and finding our loved ones. We weren’t just fighting for ourselves, but for all of them as well.

It resonated and emboldened us as we rounded a corner down the last few steps. Unfortunately, what we then saw almost erased all of that.

The staircase led us not to another level but to a massive black void tinged with distant stars. There were no apparent floors, walls or ceiling, but my feet touched solid ground as I moved onto it. The space was very dark except for two lit torches by the stairs we’d just come down and a door in the distance that looked like it would take us onto floor 96. There was no sign of Ostorox or the rest of the staircase to descend further down.

My Nights Eye ability kicked in and yet still I saw nothing else. But that didn’t mean that nothing was out there.

[Sebastian Calder: Maybe it died from its injuries or moved further down?]

I shook my head.

[Lucas Hudson: No, it’s here. Look at this place. It’s like a home away from home for a creature from the void.]

[Rebecca Adwell: Should we create more light?]

[Earnest Johnson: Not yet. If the creature is here, then it might be sleeping and the extra light could wake it up. No, let’s all move quietly towards the door to see if we can get a better view. But be ready for anything.]

The first thing we did was try to move along what we thought was the wall connected to the 96th floor door in the distance, only there was no wall. It was just more empty space. There was no way to tell how big the room was. It could stretch on for miles in every direction.

Earnest and I went first, followed by Elijah the knight with his sword and shield, and Sebastian the Battleborn with his double-headed axe. Behind them was Rebecca the Hedge Witch and the other spellcasters and archers.

We made it halfway to the door when the first tentacle struck. Some of us dove aside in time, but the female archer, whose name I’d never learned, was too slow. She cried out as the tentacle wrapped around her waist and shoved its spikes into her. Earnest fired his rifle at the tentacle and a small chunk of it was blown away by the shot. The tentacle roiled in pain but did not let go its prize and retreated back into the darkness with the archer.

We could still hear her sobbing out there when Earnest yelled, “more light!”

Rebecca and the other spellcasters murmured amongst themselves about who would be best to do it. Though it sounded like none of them were keen. Whoever volunteered wouldn’t be able to defend or attack while holding the light. Rebecca finally became exasperated by the debate and said, “I’ll do it.”

She held up her wand above her head like a beacon as the tip glowed white. It grew brighter and brighter, illuminating more of the surrounding space, but the darkness inside the room was thick. It was only enough to see the end of several tentacles, including the one with the archer on it who was still alive.

“Oh god, oh god!” she kept mindlessly repeating as she sobbed.

Earnest and the others fired at the other tentacles, causing it to retreat further into the darkness.

Damn it. I can’t do anything from over here.

“We have to get closer,” I said. “Rebecca, I need you to come with me.”

“What? Why me?” she asked, looking afraid.

“The others will need your light to know where to aim. Sebastian and Elijah, you’re wasted here with the ranged fighters too. Assist me and protect Rebecca.”

They both nodded, eager to finally get into the fight.

“I’m coming too,” said the young woman carrying the staff. She had mousy brown hair that she pushed out of her eyes before readjusting her glasses, that I noted had a crack running down the left side. Her green robes shimmered slightly when she moved due to some kind of enchantment and her wooden staff had a roughly cut milky white crystal embedded at the end of it.

“Uh, sorry, I don’t know your name, but are you sure you wouldn’t be better off sticking with the ranged fighters?” I asked her.

“It’s Elise and I’m certain,” she replied.

I glanced at Sebastian and Elijah for their take, but they merely shrugged. I guess they haven’t seen her fight before either, but this wasn’t the time to argue or turn away help. Rebecca was our most important member as our light source, but that also made her our most vulnerable member who’d need to be protected. Using what knowledge I remembered from a late night internet search rabbit hole that had led me to articles on being a bodyguard, I told them what to do.

“We’re going to do a diamond formation around Rebecca. Elise stay a few feet behind her, while you two,” I said, pointing at Sebastian and Elijah, “flank her on either side. I’ll be in front of her and we move together at the same time.”

We got into position and then followed the archer’s screams into the darkness. But the room was far larger than expected. Earnest and his ranged fighters were getting farther away. They reluctantly followed from a distance, using Rebecca as a beacon to stay within an effective range.

The archer’s pained voice got louder as we drew closer. I found her lying on the floor, bleeding from a dozen different wounds. Her face pained. She reached out to me and grabbed my hand.

“Help me,” she cried.

I was about to ask if anyone had a health potion when I frowned. It didn’t make sense. Why would the creature just leave her here and not finish her off? Suddenly I understood. My eyes widened. It’s a trap, but not for my group.

“Look out!” I shouted to Earnest’s group. Regretfully, I had to leave the poor dying woman behind as I raced back towards the living, with the others trailing behind me. My voice sounded so distant. So weak that I wasn’t sure if any of them heard me. I quickly threw a message out into party chat just to be sure.

[Lucas Hudson: It’s a trap! Look out!]

Ostorox floated out of the darkness behind the ranged group. Light from the stair torches revealed it to be a disgusting, slimy creature with a bulbous body that was about the size of a large truck. Its reddish pink center mass was comprised of eyes filled with malice and a giant gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Eight tentacles covered in spikes dangled below its body and softly along the ground, writhing in barely restrained hunger.

Earnest’s group tried to back away, but it was too late. It surged forward and its tentacles lashed out at them with blinding speed. A male spellcaster was snatched up first and dragged screaming into the creature’s mouth. With one bone crunching sound, the man fell silent and disappeared inside the void spawn.

The others fought back with arrows, magic, and gunpowder. All of the attacks left visible damage behind on the creature, which raised our hopes that the group could fight it off. Those hopes were then dashed when a tentacle found each of them. It squeezed the life out of them one by one until only Earnest was left still firing at the thing.

Ostorox swung a second tentacle at him and a thick six-inch spike slammed into the side of his skull. I watched as my neighbor, my first friend and ally since this nightmare had begun, had died.

“No!” cried Elise. She was frozen with the same shock that I felt.

I looked back and saw Rebecca, Sebastian, and Elijah fleeing towards the 96th floor door. Inwardly, I cursed at them. Ostorox had sustained injuries which meant we had a chance or, as Hugo would probably quote, ‘if it bleeds, we can kill it.’ But I wasn’t sure if I could do it alone.

I clenched my jaw, angry at the pointless sacrifice Earnest and the others had made, before I grabbed Elise’s arm.

“Come on. We have to get to the door!” I told her.

Ostorox flung Earnest’s body aside and rapidly began floating towards us. It was moving fast enough that I didn’t think we could outrun it.

“Hold on to me!” said Elise.

I put my arm around her waist just before we were both launched into the air. We sailed across the room towards the door and just before we hit the floor, she pointed her staff at the ground. A second blast of air shot out of it to halt our momentum. We landed roughly but uninjured just as Sebastian and the others opened the door and went onto the 96thfloor. I let Elise go next and threw one last look at Ostorox before reluctantly following them.