Eclipse | COTE x Danmachi

Chapter 9 (Lower Floors)

(A/n: Aleus' pic used above was generated by Hyakki and put in a collage by noodle. Props to them.)

Cradling the right side of his head with one hand, Aleus' fingers gripped onto his temple as if trying to anchor himself amid a storm of ambiguity. 

The weight of the spell that he had unleashed a while ago had forced him to rely on the support of his other hand, fingers splayed against the surface beneath him. He eased into a seated position. 

A deliberate slowness evident in each movement. 

His free hand moved methodically, fingertips tracing a path over his throbbing head, and then pressing the bottom of his palms firmly against his closed eyes. 

The vision of the dungeon was replaced by a static black as he pressed his palms with an even greater force, until all he could see was a pitch-black canvas dirtied with a floating mosaic.

'That was too close to a "Mind Down." I can perform it, but my management is awful...'

Slowly, his mind was recovering itself for the stress of performing a new spell, something that had not been seen by many. A very creative, yet dangerous way of weaving a spell. 

As he sat there, his world narrowed to the sensation of his palm against his forehead, fingers lightly grazing his closed eyes. A rhythmic motion accompanied his slow breaths. 

"That was quite something..." He mumbled to himself. 

Looking at his body, he saw the dim silver light from where the monsters where slowly seep into his body, generally integrating into it. 

"Regular Excelia...huh?"

Regular Excelia was accumulated after one fight monsters in a dungeon. It can be used to increase individual stats as well as unlocking development abilities. As of now, Aleus had no development abilities, since they start appearing after one reaches 『Level 2』

"Well, I guess I will keep moving." 

Pushing his body up, Aleus stood and picked the short-sword—given by Riveria—up. Using the cloth in his pocket, he wiped the blood off of it, and gently sheathed it back into its scabbard that was tied to his hip. 

Taking slow steps, he moved forward, his fingers slowly trailing along the walls that transitioned between jagged and smooth, dull and bright, pulsating in tandem with the roof, illuminating the whole place. 

The pouch attached to his side rustled and crackled, the magic crystals and 『Goblin Fangs』 that dropped from the monsters colliding with each other in the wide space, an addition to the sole sound of his footsteps echoing in the narrow hallway as he walked. 

'It is awfully silent.' 

Aleus thought to himself, his hair standing on their edge and a chilling sensation seemed to slowly crawl like a limping ant up his spine, making his body shudder ever so slightly. 

Placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, he stopped in one place, his quickly flicking from one place to another. 

A rock—with an eerie cadence—slowly slipped down from the edge of the wall, making a slight sound as the rock, or rather the lump of dirt and debris broke down until a small pebble was left. 

From the light casted by the illumination of the roof, a shadow slowly started to emerge. Continuing to expand like an ever-expanding force, it continued until it had fully submerged Aleus in its shadow. 

Aleus' eyes widened, not believing what he was seeing. After all, he was never told that he would face something like this on something not only in something as early as 『Level 2』 but not in the entirety of dungeon as a whole.