noveldrama
Chapter 112 : Lagoon of Doom
Chapter 112 : Lagoon of Doom
Third person POV
"Watch out!" a deafening cry echoed through the dense forest, cutting through the silence like a sharpened knife.
"BOOOMM!" The thunderous roar reverberated as a devastating force knocked down centuries-old trees, falling like giant dominoes, their towering height fading into a whirlwind of destruction.
In the forest clearing, a group of five hunters stood, usually bearing calm and serene expressions, as this territory was their home. Decorated hunters of Platinum rank, each of them was an expert in their field. However, at that moment, only extremely grim expressions could be observed, pale as paper leaves in the wind.
If one were to glance furtively among the trees, they could discern shadows moving with ferocious speed, stealthily stalking them, closing in on them in a deadly race.
Desperation seized them, cold sweat running down their tense bodies. Fear hung thick in the forest air, enveloping them like a dark mantle. A titan of terrifying proportions hunted them, and they knew their only option was to run for their lives.
Misfortune seemed to have targeted them as they inadvertently ventured into the titan's territory. Each of the hunters had made a monumental mistake by venturing into that forbidden place. However, their recklessness stemmed from years of meticulous research in Zone 4.
The fascination began when, after exploring ruins in that area, they discovered an ancient book. Its worn pages revealed the existence of a unique flower, a flower that bloomed only once every five hundred years. According to the ancient notes, this flower possessed an extraordinary elixir capable of bestowing bloodline powers upon those daring enough to consume it.
The book precisely described the location where the flower was speculated to be found. However, the most surprising revelation was reserved for the manuscript's final pages: they suggested that it wasn't just one, but several flowers that could be found in that mysterious location.
The hunters' eyes gleamed with greed and hope. Although most of them were mere commoners, without noble lineage, and many were over twenty-five years old, an age at which reaching higher ranks is normally considered unlikely due to the lack of genetic inheritance, the prospect of finding those flowers promised to change their destiny.
With that elixir in their possession, they could aspire to new heights.
However, their faces turned ugly upon learning the location the book indicated. They called it the "Lagoon of Perdition," a name resonating with warnings and mystery. The hunters' guild, with its accumulated wisdom over centuries, issued a serious warning to those adventurers who managed to achieve the coveted platinum rank: "Beware when venturing into the vicinity of that lagoon."
This warning had sparked all kinds of speculation among guild members. Some believed it concealed dark secrets, while others simply considered it advice to protect hunters from unknown dangers. Despite the warnings, a handful of brave souls decided to ignore them and venture toward the Lagoon of Perdition. Meanwhile, the rest of the hunters awaited their return with anticipation.
However, days passed with no news, followed by weeks, months, and even years. The brave ones never returned. After this incident, others decided to go to the lake, but they never returned either.
As the cases of missing hunters increased, the guild took action. By order of the guild leader, the total prohibition of that area for everyone was decided.
Even with everything on fire, they decided to enter. Since it was prohibited, they didn't notify anyone, the temptation to get a bloodline was much greater than their fear.
Days passed as they stocked up on resources, and one day they set off for Zone 4, quickly arriving by buying teleportation scrolls. Thus, they began their journey towards their own death unknowingly.
One of the hunters had a small bag while running, inside the bag in a transparent jar, a flower could be seen, the flower had a unique and mysterious beauty, with its twelve petals of a deep black color that seemed to absorb the light around it. Each of these petals shone with small specks of light, like stars scattered in the darkness of the night.
If you stopped to observe it closely, you could feel how those tiny lights seemed to come to life, dancing and twinkling with their own energy.
The glow of the flower was so intense that it seemed to create an optical illusion, as if it were enveloped in an aura of ethereal and magical light. Each petal reflected the light uniquely, creating a hypnotic and fascinating effect that invited one to lose themselves in its beauty.
Indeed, the flower existed, but they only managed to take one with them when they were attacked by a huge shadow above them, leading them to this situation.
As they fled for their lives, roars and wails filled the forest, shaking their souls with indescribable terror. As they ran, a vast cloak of darkness enveloped them, spreading like a dark curtain over their heads. Daylight quickly disappeared, drowned by the oppressive blackness that surrounded them, making the air thick and suffocating.
Their legs trembled, on the verge of collapse, as the relentless pressure of the titan's dominion consumed them.
Dominions were privileges reserved for those who reached platinum rank. Considered masters of their element, dominion holders could project their very essence, a manifestation of their soul in its purest form. When confronted with a dominion, the only option was to respond with a dominion of their own.
Among the trees, they glimpsed the imposing figure of the titan's projection, a presence that seemed to halt time itself around them. Within the dominion, reality blurred, as shadows danced in all directions, enveloping them in a whirlwind of darkness.
It was an endless few minutes before the dome of darkness faded. But there were no bodies, no traces of the brave adventurers. In the center of where they lay, a jar containing the flower. However, a profound darkness engulfed the flower, making it disappear as if it had never existed.