JUDICATOR JANE 6 - CHAPTER 1 (Patreon)

Into the Dark

Jane traced her fingers along the smooth walls of the dark chamber. Definitely Arcanite. She glanced down—the floor glimmered under the torchlight. Also Arcanite. Even the sconces holding the torches were Arcanite. What the heck is this place?

The chamber was vast, easily accommodating the fifty-foot-wide ring gate with space to spare.

“Ever seen anything like this?” she asked, tilting her head toward Melindra.

“Never,” Melindra murmured. “This much Arcanite… it’s unfathomable.”

Jane summoned her Gavel of Repentance at normal size and gave the wall and floor a few whacks. “Doesn’t even leave a mark.”

Melindra folded her arms. “It wouldn’t. Once forged, Arcanite is indestructible.” She cast a concerned glance at the portal. “But there are other matters to discuss. Even with a chamber this size, if demons keep pouring through, space won’t last for long.”

Jane turned to watch the procession. One after another, demons emerged from the gate, marching forward in grim silence.

“What about going back?” she asked. “Is it a one-way trip?”

“I’m afraid so. Stepping through on this side does nothing.” Melindra hesitated. “If absolutely necessary, myself or one of the other Demonic Instructors could use Sanctuary of Knowledge to teleport back to the Unboreal Citadel and relay an order to halt the migration. But the skill has a month-long cooldown.”

Jane bit her lip, considering. “Good to know. For now, let’s keep that as a last resort. Priority one is getting every demon out of the Netherrealm as soon as possible.”

Her eyes flicked to a group of Darkwing Skimmers that had just emerged.

“Hold on a sec.” She strode over and waved them over. “Hey, you two—fly up to the ceiling and tell me what you see.”

The demons immediately shot into the darkness, their wings slicing through the air. Moments later, they returned.

“Mistress,” one reported, “the structure ends in a flat ceiling above. No exits. The walls are as smooth as the rest of the chamber.”

Jane exhaled in frustration. “Hmph. So much for an easy way out.”

Her attention shifted to the piles of robed corpses, their reptilian features unmistakable. There were hundreds of them. Dragonkin, presumably. The ones she checked ranged between levels twenty and one hundred and fifty.

“Have you ever met one of their kind?”

Melindra shook her head. “No. Most of what I know comes from Belgoth or records in The Great Library in Dawnskeep. And even Belgoth only heard secondhand accounts from his master, Fazrah. But the corpses fit the descriptions. The names, too.” She paused. “To my knowledge, they’ve never lived in Arcadia or the Providencia.”

“So an entirely different land?” Jane rubbed her temples, her thoughts flitting to the western continent she had seen on the planet of Alur while in the Netherrealm. “Just great.”

Melindra nodded. “Then again, we have no way of knowing for sure. We could be deep underground. Across the Green Sea—beyond the Dying Desert, or on the complete opposite side of Alur.”

Jane scanned the chamber. “Well, one thing’s clear—they were trying to keep the gateway sealed. And it looks like Gral’gor had to fight his way through them, whoever they are.” She sighed. “Hope he wakes up soon. We need answers.”

For now, the only way forward was the dark corridor ahead. Some of her strongest demons stood by, their wary eyes fixed on the cavernous opening.

So dark… but does it have to be? Isn’t there a Firecaster bound to me? What was his name…

She turned to her demoness assistant. “Veralaktus, let’s get some light in here. I think I have a Firecaster bound to me, somewhere. Is he through the portal? Have him conjure up one of those big fireballs to illuminate the path.”

“Tia’moth. He is here.” Veralaktus closed her eyes, focusing. A few seconds later, a sphere of fire flared to life, floating thirty feet overhead. The corridor came alive in its glow, the Arcanite glinting like captured starlight.

Now Jane could see the ceiling properly—just another flat surface, as unremarkable as the walls. The entire structure was rectangular, box-like. Only the sconces and braziers had any curves, and even those were relatively simple.

Flanked by Veralaktus and Melindra, Jane stepped forward out of the chamber and into the barren corridor.

“Veralaktus, give the order—the Firecaster comes with us. He’ll keep the way lit. Everyone else is to follow behind.”

“Understood.”

They pressed on. The corridor soon split—left and right, identical pathways stretching into shadow.

“Not much variety, huh?” Jane muttered. Both routes looked exactly the same. She sighed. The only thing I care about is getting out of here. Better let my Luck do the choosing.

Closing her eyes, she spun on her heel, arms spread wide, then stomped her foot down. Slowly, she blinked them open again.

“Okay then. Left it is.”

They moved deeper, but the corridors kept splitting. Again and again.

“This place is starting to feel a lot like a maze,” Jane said under her breath.

“So it would appear,” Melindra agreed. “Construction of this magnitude can only be the work of a Legendary class builder. The Great Barrier, the King’s Road, the city of Dawnskeep, Valtoris in the Providencia… and now this. But I’ve never heard of one using Arcanite before.”

Jane glanced back. “Veralaktus, is everyone still with us? No one’s wandering off?”

“No. The line from here back to the portal remains intact.”

“Good, we don’t need demons getting lost in the darkness of the corridors. Make sure everyone is still on guard though.”

Corridor after corridor, Jane let her Luck guide them. Each passage was utterly barren—no furniture, no supplies, no signs of life. The only light came from the Firecaster. The chamber before had sconces on the walls, keeping it lit, but they were absent here. It was deathly silent—the only sounds coming from the shuffling demons behind her.

How long have we been walking? Hours? Are we underground? The floor felt completely flat. No incline, no slope.

“How’s Gral’gor?” she asked as they walked.

“He has yet to awaken,” Veralaktus replied, unbothered. “A Tormentor is carrying him. They are about halfway to us now.”

“Great,” Jane muttered. “Let’s keep moving.”

***

“I think we need to call it a night,” Jane announced.

She turned back, surveying the corridor packed with demons. The floating orb of fire had lit their path for hours, but it was growing smaller. Even high-level Epic-class Firecasters needed time to regenerate Mana.

“What a day…” Jane dropped to the ground, leaning back on her hands. Beside her, Melindra did the same, her expression unusually bright.

“You look like you’re in a good mood,” Jane remarked.

Melindra chuckled. “I suppose I am. After all, you’ve done it, Jane. Whatever this place is, we’ve escaped the Netherrealm. That’s no small feat.” She glanced around. “Though it seems clear that whoever built this place never intended for the demons to leave.”

Jane exhaled. “Yeah, no kidding. But were they the ones who put the demons there in the first place?”

“Perhaps,” Melindra mused. “There was an identical gateway, just as the early Velnatari predicted. And that lever—likely used to activate the portal from this side. But Jaridume and the gateway itself weren’t made of Arcanite. If I had to guess, whoever constructed this place isn’t the same as the one who created those.”

Jane nodded, running a hand through her hair. “One thing’s for sure—we need to find food and water.”

Tilting her head back, Melindra scanned the walls. “If this truly is a maze, from the size of it, we may starve before we ever reach the exit.” Melindra turned to her. “Are you certain your Luck will guide us? Or should we send demons to scout the other paths?”

Jane shook her head. “No. My Luck never fails. This is the way. I don’t want anyone getting lost. In this darkness, a wrong turn or two and they could be gone forever.”

Yawning, she lay down. “For now, today’s been long enough. Veralaktus, spread the word—we rest here. If too many demons come through and we need to keep moving, let me know. But it feels like we’ve covered enough ground; there should be plenty of space.”

“As you wish, Jane,” Veralaktus replied.

The last fire orb flickered out. Darkness swallowed the corridor whole.

***

Crakkis sat against the cold Arcanite wall, engulfed in pitch-black darkness, his mind ablaze with curiosity. Having spent much of his existence in the Darklands of the Netherrealm, he had long since adapted to the absence of light. More than that, as an Infiltrator, shadows were not merely his environment—they were his domain.

Is this the world Ur fought so desperately to reach?

After being struck by Jane’s hammer, he had spent another lifetime controlling Jaridume, staring into Ur’s inaccessible portal. Now, after all those years of wondering what lay beyond, the reality felt... underwhelming. This world was little better than the Netherrealm itself. At least there are no storms—yet. But perhaps the size of this burrow was just a preview of how terrible the storms on this world were.

He lifted a hand and activated Silent Blade. A red-hot blade emerged from his arm, casting a dim ember glow on the corridor ahead. The passage split, leading away from the mass exodus of demons. Jane King’s orders had been clear: remain on guard and avoid unknown passageways. And yet, curiosity gnawed at him.

What lay beyond? More of the same? Or something else entirely?

A lifetime of commanding his own vast horde had sharpened his instincts. Isn’t knowledge of the unknown, in its own way, a form of vigilance? He would not venture far—just deep enough to ensure no unseen threats lurked within.

Raising a hand, he signaled a group of Hellguards and Tormentors. Without a word, they fell into step behind him. This was no mere indulgence of curiosity. This was reconnaissance.

In defense of the horde.

***

Jane’s eyes snapped open, jolted awake by the familiar ping of a demon being slain. Then another.

She shot to her feet. “Veralaktus, did you feel that?”

The demoness nodded, already focusing. “I did. Behind us—two Hellguards, about two hundred feet back.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then lifted a hand. An orb of fire flared to life, rising from Tia'moth the Firecaster, casting flickering light down the corridor.

“Let’s go.”

Jane took off at a sprint, Veralaktus, Melindra, and the Tia'moth close behind. The demons parted as she passed, their ranks growing denser—through the night, more and more had emerged from the portal, filling the corridors.

Ahead, the passage forked into darkness. Jane skidded to a stop. “This way?”

Veralaktus nodded. “Yes, further in.”

What the heck is going on? I told them not to stray.

Tia'moth sent the glowing orb ahead, its light stretching deep into the corridor. Silhouettes took shape—a group of Hellguards and Tormentors standing in eerie stillness. Around them, several demon corpses lay sprawled and unmoving.

“Careful, Jane,” Melindra warned, gripping her shoulder. She pointed upward.

A large sphere hung from a pole extending from the ceiling, slowly rotating. Its metallic surface was lined with a grid of holes.

Jane narrowed her eyes. “What the heck is that?”

She scanned the ground. Something sharp and glinting caught her eye. Kneeling, she picked up a jagged fragment of Arcanite.

Arcanite Dart

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Some kind of killing machine then. And if the System description is even semi-accurate, then it sounds like this whole place is a death trap.

Jane studied the floor, searching for any anomalies. Nothing stood out. Then—a blur of movement. A demon materialized from the shadows.

Crakkis.

“Forgive me, mistress,” he began, bowing his head. “I was scouting for hidden threats when we were suddenly attacked from above.” He glanced behind him. “Thanks to the shadows Tia'moth's Oblivion Sphere created, I was able to escape, but the Hellguards and Tormentors were not so fortunate.” He pointed upward. “That metal orb fires darts whenever it detects movement.” His expression darkened. “I didn’t see it until it was too late.”

Jane’s eyes flicked toward the sphere. Motion-triggered. Darts littered the corridor floor and along the walls. And yet—the stranded demons were still standing.

She jabbed a finger at Crakkis. “You and I are going to talk later.” Then, turning to Veralaktus, she ordered, “Relay this to Balostroze and Yiw’drogg—no demon is to split from the horde for any reason. Make sure there’s no room for misinterpretation.”

Veralaktus inclined her head. “It will be done.”

Jane exhaled and turned back to the trapped demons. Alright. How do we get you out of there?

The orb hung directly over them, slowly rotating. The demons were still alive, which meant there had to be a dead zone beneath it. The scattered darts suggested it wasn’t targeting specific things—just firing at random intervals.

If that’s the case…

She turned to the others. “Back up until you’re clear of any Arcanite Darts on the ground.”

“Be careful, Jane,” Melindra warned. “Legendary constructs are unpredictable—and Arcanite is not to be underestimated, even with your abilities.”

“Right. Guess we’ll find out,” Jane muttered.

As the others stepped back, Jane took a cautious step forward. My Luck doesn’t usually prevent damage unless I’m on the brink of death, but if this trap fires randomly, then theoretically, every shot should miss me.

Still, she activated Mantle of Retribution, just in case it would offer any protection.

The sphere’s rotation sped up. Faster. Faster.

Here we go…

A wave of darts exploded outward in every direction. Jane heard them clink against Arcanite—but felt nothing. Was I hit? Doesn’t seem like it.

The demons below the sphere remained unharmed. Safe zone confirmed. She stepped forward again, triggering another barrage. The sound of clinking darts echoed in the corridor. More darts bouncing harmlessly off the floor and walls.

Is it my Luck or my armor? A little damage taken is worth knowing.

She shut her eyes, deactivating Mantle of Retribution, then took another step. The sphere fired. More clinking. Nothing.

Jane smiled. Nice.

Reaching the center, she peered up. The bottom of the sphere was smooth—no dart holes. That explains the dead zone. Beyond, the corridor stretched into darkness. No signs of anything living, or anything else for that matter.

Okay. My Luck protects me, but what about these guys? Need something that can shield them from the darts… An idea sparked.

“Get ready to move,” she ordered, motioning to the quivering demons.

Summoning her Gavel of Redemption, she expanded it until it reached the ceiling. Arcanite may be indestructible—but so is my hammer.

“Stay behind me.”

As soon as the demons moved outside the center circle, the sphere spun up again. Darts launched, but they struck the head of the massive hammer, pinging harmlessly to the sides.

Good. Just what I was hoping for.

Slowly, she guided them out. One step at a time, until every last Hellguard and Tormentor was clear of the trap.

Jane glanced at the fallen demons, their bodies riddled with Arcanite Darts. Not exactly a warm welcome to Alur.

The sphere slowed, returning to its idle state. She exhaled, tension easing from her shoulders.

Walking back, she fixed Crakkis with a sharp glare and thrust a finger at him. “No more side trips. Understood? We lost two demons because of your recklessness—I don’t want to lose any more.”

Crakkis paled. “Yes, mistress. No more side trips.”