568 Hive Mind
As Alolvi was being dragged through the ground, the filtering mask he wore fell off causing him to let out a short exclamation.
Danger.
He was now at risk of consuming the vile of the Bloodhaven… But the thing he feared the most was the repugnant smell that assaulted his nose.
This smell however managed to flip a switch in Alolvi’s mind. It was as though he suddenly awoke from an unpleasant nightmare. With a brighter mind, Alolvi who still held a tight grip on his spear managed to stab it deep into the fleshy ground.
A blast of blood then shot towards Alolvi and impacted the shield he held on his other arm. The shield’s surface was left smoldering, the blood this time had been highly toxic.
Having somehow gained reign over the situation, Alolvi who still felt the pulling force on his foot slammed the smoldering shield onto the red vine that was responsible for the force. After a few bangs, the devious plant-like tendon broke off right before other vines could try to assist from afar.
Alolvi was shaken by the sight of these slithering vines approaching his location but he didn’t let it get to him. His expression remained stoic and his mind completely cool as he stood up from the ground in a hurry.
With the opening this created, a new jet of blood shot towards Alolvi. Simultaneously, a separate jet came from another direction.
Alolvi had to act quickly but he still managed to block one shot with his shield. But one was one and there were two, the other landed cleanly on his back.
“Aargh!” Despite wearing armor, Alolvi felt a minor burning sensation.
New opponents were popping up out of nowhere but before he could complain the ground began to tremble.
The enemies he was facing suddenly stopped their actions giving Alolvi a chance to perform a clean slash with his spear. Despite the unsteady terrain, his fleshy foes were severed from the ground they were rooted on.
***
A few seconds earlier, deeper in the Bloodhaven, a grotesque lump of flesh laughed.
Marcus Epoch who now controlled the bloody mass that was the Bloodhaven was laughing because of the battle he was witnessing.
He had personally seen how what he suspected was the monster most responsible for his demise dug holes from atop an undead creature. Having been a sage filled with wisdom, he quickly thought of why the dungeon’s champion would do such a thing.
Speaking of… The dungeon’s champion… Normally untouchable for creatures of the dungeon. Marcus found it funny that not even such a special existence was allowed to defy him.
Rearranging the creatures of the Bloodhaven was a piece of cake for him who acted as the sole commander of what would otherwise be a disorganized group of freaks. He had what he would call his extensions to resprout elsewhere near each and every tunnel with the goal of performing a pre-emptive ambush. His will was the will of the Bloodhaven!
Everything moved according to that will and when the time came the elves could only struggle. Another laugh escaped from Marcus.
Now that he thought about it, Marcus reckoned that he couldn’t be called an individual anymore. In fact, he had become a hive mind as every part of the Bloodhaven was a part of himself that shared his same thoughts and followed only his command.
This realization brought upon a sense of euphoria that was unfamiliar to Marcus.
Ever since his birth, Marcus had been forced like many others of the Epoch family to mature at a rapid rate. The hellish training and mental torture he underwent in that family were a blessing and a curse.
A blessing… Because through it he was able to grow stronger but a curse because he was able to realize that the Epoch “family” was not a family. Knowing this he removed the Epoch family from the annals of history.
How it happened was up to archeologists of the future to figure out and piece together. Though Marcus doubted the former home island of the Epoch family would ever be found. He put in quite a bit of effort to make it a death trap and hide it from the rest of the world.
But erasing a family and hiding an island was only a fraction of his power, and Marcus didn’t feel any sort of exhilaration from doing either of those deeds. From then on he would live only to sate his small curiosities and never exercise his true power. He lived as a quiet hermit and left no trace of himself aside from a few students.
He only regretted this decision when his body started to break apart. Ironically, only after dying did he realize that human life was too short to live leisurely, and nothing lasts an eon.
“Why did I do that anyway?” Marcus asked himself as he explored his blurry thoughts. Having lived for over a century it was hard to recall the reason. But why did he grow strong enough to conquer nations only to never use this power?
It was then that a small doubt formed.
..wasn’t his current situation similar? How could he use the power bestowed onto him if he remained stuck inside a dungeon?
The Bloodhaven shook.
But this small temblor lasted only a few seconds as Marcus quickly reeled in his doubts and emotions.
“No… All I have to do is help the dungeon” If he helped the dungeon break into the outside… Marcus could see the outside world again and truly take advantage of his infinite life and power.
Although as he had just learned nothing would last forever, Marcus was fairly confident that he could make the impossible possible if it was with the help of the dungeon. After all, it had gotten him to use the name he promised to never again use.
Having become lost in his own thoughts, Eon finally realized that something went wrong in the fights he had arranged.
“Huh?” The Elves which had been struggling to fight back all had formed a comeback and cut apart the extensions of himself.
Marcus was infuriated. Not at them, but at himself who failed to feel the dying members of itself. He still had a long way to go before he could call himself an infinitely wise hivemind. For some reason that became a goal he was planning to work toward.
Bizarre.
***
Ed who was standing atop the highest peak in the area flashed a satisfied smile. He was doubting how well the elves would be able to handle themselves but the fears proved unfounded.
“I should probably give them a break now though” They had been in the Bloodhaven for quite a while already.
‘Let’s retreat back to the expedition base, I’m curious what they have cooked up’ Having left the base to mages Ed had some expectations for the base.
‘Everyone meet in the tunnels. We will be heading back to base’ Ed sent a transmission to those in his vision. The elves did not ask any questions as they dragged their tired bodies back into the tunnels.
A few minutes later, everyone was back in the tunnel, everyone except Alolvi.
‘I know I sent him the transmission’ Ed remembered having a clear line of sight on Alolvi’s back. The omnipresence of blood dyed everyone and everything red but it wasn’t to the point that they were indistinguishable from one another.
‘More than that I clearly saw everyone go back into their respective tunnels’ Even those that didn’t receive Ed’s transmission were able to return to the tunnel just using common sense.
“Who was last with Alolvi, we need to trace back into his tunnel” Ed asked the group. Immediately a warrior stepped up.
“Follow me” They broke into a jog and said. Clearly, they were also worried about Alolvi as they wasted no time.
Ed returned the Wormllipede to the system space and followed on foot after the elf.
After half a minute, they were finally on Alolvi’s route and Ed managed to catch a glimpse of a collapsed arid elf blending in with the bloody ground.
‘Alolvi! He must have been injured!’ Ed wasted no time in dashing forward and performing a diagnosis the only way he knew how.
[Alolvi (Gravely ill)]
[ A proud Elven Arid warrior who was bestowed a leadership position by the being known as Ed. Injured and sickened by vile and fumes ]
‘Sicked by vile and fumes?!’ Ed quickly grabbed hold of Alolvi’s body and turned him over revealing that he had no mask to speak of.
‘What!? Did he lose in his fight?’ Ed didn’t believe this was the only reason he collapsed, however. The elves of the past made expeditions into the Bloodhaven with crappy masks.
Plus, there was no need for the system to describe him as both injured and sickened.
Ed began to carefully strip Alolvi and after removing his armor he found what could only be described as burn marks on his back.
‘Did he get hit with acid?’ Ed should have known the monsters in the place would use something like that.
But there was no time to lament, Ed had to prioritize saving Alolvi.