Chapter 62: The Second Authority

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: The Second Authority

The darkness under the chamber split open

A thin gap appeared on the floor, emitting light before it turned into a dark crack. Arin instinctually stepped back as the darkness widened

Something was coming up from the depths below. Ayan stood in front of him

’’Everyone, fall back!’’

Saira pulled Mira back while Eldran ordered the elven guards to get into a defensive formation. Garul yanked Zarl away from the opening

’’I’m not going anywhere!’’

’’You were about to!’’

’’I was weighing up my options!’’

’’Your options usually consist of running away!’’

The stone split apart

A hand emerged from the darkness. It belonged to a human, but the veins of darkness that ran through it and the markings on the wrist were not natural.

The figure pulled itself out of the darkness, revealing a pale, skinny body with long jet-black hair that framed its face. Unlike Authority One, this figure possessed no monstrous features. It stood in the chamber for a moment before it turned to the group.

’’Where...’’

It looked at Arin, confusion evident in its voice

’’...am I?’’

Arin kept his sword raised. The figure turned to him

’’Who are you?’’

It looked at him. At that moment, it stopped.

’’You."

Arin furrowed his brows

"Do I know you?"

The figure shook its head.

"No."

It looked around once more before it muttered. ’’This isn’t my dungeon.’’ Eldran stepped forwards "You are inside the elven dungeon." The figure looked at him in disbelief ’’The elven dungeon?’’ It ran its fingers along the wall when a pulse of authority ran through the chamber, causing the ancient blue crystals to briefly light up before they dimmed once more. The figure withdrew its hand.

’’They changed it.’’

Arin narrowed his eyes. Without Arene, he could not use the System’s diagnostic, but he had his Dungeon Sense. The authority the figure contained was volatile, shifting between powerful pulses of energy that faded away as if it struggled to contain it. Arin lowered his guard slightly

’’You’re one of the Dungeon Masters.’’

The figure looked at him. "Yes." There was uncertainty in its voice. "Or I was." Arin’s expression darkened. "How long have you been here?" "I do not know." Arin glanced at Ayan, who remained silent. The former Dungeon Master looked at its own hands

"I remember my dungeon." Arin’s expression changed. "You remember the System?" The figure looked at him. "Arene?"

"Yes." The former Dungeon Master looked at him in surprise

"Arene... still exists?"

Arin nodded. "She guides me." For the first time, something close to relief appeared on the Dungeon Master’s face. Then at least something survived. Arin stepped closer.

"You knew her?" "We all did." Arin felt a chill run down his spine. "So you know who created the Dungeon Master System?" The figure’s expression changed. "No." Arin frowned. "You don’t?" The figure looked at him. "We used the System. That does not mean we created it." Arin looked at him in disbelief. "Then who did?" The answer came instantly. "I do not know." The figure looked at the darkness below. "I inherited the System from those who came before me."

Arin’s breath caught in his throat. "So you never knew where it came from?" "No."

That only made it more mysterious. Before Arin could press on, the figure’s hand shot to its chest as it fell to one knee. "Stop!" Ayan raised his weapon. "What is happening?" The figure’s body convulsed. "Something is wrong!" Its authority surged wildly, causing the black markings to spread across its neck. Arin quickly focused his Dungeon Sense, feeling something press against the figure’s authority.

What was not a Dungeon Master was pressing against the figure’s authority. Something else. Then the former Dungeon Master roared. "Make it stop!" The chamber shook. Arin moved towards the figure. "What is controlling you?" The figure looked at him desperately. "I don’t know!" A wave of energy exploded from the figure, knocking everyone back. Arin hit the wall before pushing himself up. The figure slowly got up, its breathing ragged before its eyes landed on Zarl. It froze, and Arin saw Zarl’s expression change. "What?"

The figure was not looking at Zarl’s face. It was looking at the pendant. The one with the Dungeon Master’s Mark. The figure’s eyes widened.

"That..."

Zarl’s hand shot over the pendant. "What?" The former Dungeon Master stepped forwards. "That authority." Zarl’s playful smirk vanished. Arin turned to him. "What about it?" The figure stared at the pendant before it said. "I remember that." Arin’s expression darkened. "You’ve seen Zarl before?" "No." Zarl’s response was instant. "I don’t know him." Zarl exhaled. "Then what do you remember?" Arin asked the figure. The figure pointed at the pendant. "That authority should not exist anymore. Zarl’s fingers tightened around it. Arin turned to him. "Explain." Zarl did not respond. "Zarl!" Ayan’s voice grew colder. "Answer him." Zarl finally let out a sigh. ’’I told you I obtained it.’’ ’’Where from?’’

’’Somewhere.’’ Arin looked at him in disbelief

’’That’s not an answer!’’

’’It is the answer you’ll get.’’

The figure suddenly spoke again. "Someone gave you a fragment of a Dungeon Master’s authority. Zarl looked at it. His expression was unreadable. Arin narrowed his eyes. "You knew?" "I suspected it." "Who gave it to you?" Zarl looked away. "I do not know." Arin did not believe him, but the Dungeon Master suddenly grabbed its head A strange noise came from its mouth before its eyes turned black. Arin immediately took a step back. Something was wrong.

The terror was gone from the figure; indeed, the uncertainty was gone. The figure stood motionless. Ayan stepped closer to Arin. "That is no longer the same person." The former Dungeon Master slowly looked up. Its voice was different "New Dungeon Master detected." Arin gripped his sword tighter. "Who are you?"

The figure did not answer. Instead, it raised its hand, and the dungeon responded. The walls of the chamber reshaped themselves around the group despite Arene’s absence. All Arin had to rely on was his own Dungeon Master’s Mark

Move!

Ayan’s voice rang out as the chamber exploded with activity. The stone pillars above the chamber crashed down, forcing the expedition to scatter. Eldran pulled two guards away from a falling pillar while Saira grabbed Mira and flew across the chamber. Arin rolled under a pillar as it landed on top of him.

BOOM!

The ground shook beneath him. Arin looked towards the former Dungeon Master, who was standing amidst the chaos. Then the figure’s body released a wave of black energy, and Arin’s mark flared. Something was trying to connect to his authority.

"Get out!"

It was trying to reach into his authority, but Arin pushed against it. The pressure increased, and Arin’s vision blurred before another voice entered his mind. Not Arene’s, not the Dungeon Master’s voice, but a cold, distant one. "System access remains restricted." Arin’s eyes widened. "You!" The figure did not respond. Then another pulse of energy hit his mark, and Arin staggered.

He was trying to figure it out when he realized that this was not the same restriction Authority One had placed on him. Authority One had said it was not responsible. But now, it was clear that Authority Two was compromised, that it was being controlled by someone who understood the Dungeon Master System. Arin clenched his teeth

"Who is controlling you?"

Its head tilted back, its expression vacant before its eyes returned to their original state. Suddenly, the former Dungeon Master looked at Arin, fear in its eyes.

"Run!"

Arin stopped.

"What?"

"Run!"

The figure screamed.

"Before they wake the others!"

Its body convulsed, and its body was consumed by the black energy before the voice spoke again. It was too late. A great wave of energy shot through the dungeon. Arin felt it; Authority Three, Authority Four, and Authority Five had woken up. Then the others, one after another, until the ten ancient authorities were all stirring. The dungeon shook so violently that cracks formed in the walls. Arin looked towards the darkness below

"How many are awake now?"

There was no Arene to answer, so Arin had to rely on his Dungeon Sense. There were ten, but something else had changed. The pressure was no longer chaotic, it was coming together, linking the ten authorities. Arin narrowed his eyes

"Someone is connecting them." Ayan looked towards him. "Can you stop it?" Arin shook his head. "I do not know." The figure suddenly turned to him, its black eyes locking onto his before it spoke. "Find the creator." Arin went rigid for a moment as the darkness in the figure’s eyes faded away. The ancient Dungeon Master whispered. "Before they find you." Its body hit the floor, and the pressure vanished. Once more, the chamber was silent. Arin looked at the fallen figure before he turned to Zarl. The pendant at his neck still glowed faintly, so Arin walked towards him.

"What exactly did you steal?" Zarl’s expression was calm, but his eyes were no longer amused. ’’A piece of something I probably shouldn’t have touched.’’ "That won’t do." Zarl looked at the ten sealed chambers below. "No." He slowly closed his hand around the pendant. "It won’t."

The dungeon shook again, and far below, something huge moved. Arin turned to the darkness. The ten authorities were awake, and someone could interfere with the Dungeon Master System. Someone could control the ancient authorities, and something else, something deeper was beginning to stir beneath them. Arin turned to the passage.

"Let’s get out of here."

This time, no one protested.