Chapter 263: A Muted World (1/2)

”Is this the fissure?” Arthur asked and Norman affirmed. Arthur has seen a fissure before, but it was nothing like this. Fissures were like raging black lightning that sucked everything and disrupted it that everything. A crack in the dimension itself.

”For some reason, the undead monsters are of lower numbers than we have expected,” Norman said with a frown as he called out for his scouts to give instructions.

'Well, that's probably because I cut them in half with liquid-fire.' Arthur thought as he saw the scouts disappear to see the surrounding area.

”We can go in now; they'll report any abnormalities,” Norman said and gestured for Arthur to follow. ”It's quite dark inside, so be careful, Sir Alexie.”

”I'm starting to like you,” Arthur said, making Norman grin in victory. However, he missed the sarcasm because he didn't think Arthur knew his true nature.

The guild army marched toward the fissure as the undead grew and more frequent. At one point, an undead knight appeared but it was taken care of easily by one of the Vetus-rankers.

”You might want to record this.” Norman hastily suggested as the battle ensued. Showing the good side of the guild to Jerano would prove beneficial in the long run for the guild. Being praised by such an institution would bring more customers their way.

”Ah, I'll make sure to mention that in my report.” Arthur nodded as he opened his bracelet. He read again through the task's update that he received early this morning.

Last night, he reported the stable fissure to Jerano, saying he would confirm its existence by himself. They sent an update mentioning the need to monitor the Golden Warhammer Guild as well.

'These guys are profit-hoarders.' This phrase summarized the information Jerano sent. The investigation was to solve the mystery of the undead while ensuring the guild did its job without slacking off.

They started marching again after the undead knight was defeated. As they approached the fissure, Arthur was more convinced this was nothing a fissure was supposed to be.

The black surface of the dome was smooth without any irregularities. The undead monsters were cleared away and it was time to enter the fissure.

”Are you okay?” Arthur asked Ellen when he saw the frown on her face. She nodded and didn't say anything. Seeing her like that, Arthur decided to stick next to her.

The first warrior disappeared as he walked into the dome. It was soon their turn. As soon as they entered, it was as if they arrived in a different world.

A giant graveyard that was piled with bones greeted their view. There was no light, only the artifacts the guild members held in their hands to illuminate the surrounding.

The bones lined the ground they stepped on. Arthur felt the bone beneath his feet crack as he stepped on them. As he looked down, he saw that what lied beneath the bones was even more bones. They were endless.

”This is truly a dungeon,” Arthur said but no sound came out. The realization then dawned on him; the place was scaringly quiet. There were no sounds, even as the bones cracked beneath him.

The panic spread throughout the people inside, but it was only visible through their actions. Arthur patted on Norman's shoulder, flinched, and gestured for the team to leave this place.

Norman looked around with hesitation and looked at his consultant. They looked at each other before nodding. Norman was the first to try to leave the fissure, but as he kept walking, there was no end. There was no wall that they had entered from, there was only the endless expense of bones.

'We're trapped.' Arthur realized as he looked around. 'The space that we entered wasn't as big as it was on the outside, it's a fissure.'

The moment that this fact was known to all, the panic was clear on their faces. There was nothing like being trapped in a place with no exists and especially an eerie graveyard where no sound was produced.

This was a muted world.

After panic was confusion. If they couldn't communicate, how would they fight together? How would they detect an incoming enemy without hearing it?

Arthur was tempted to use his detection rune, but the glow of the rune itself would give him away in such a dark setting. It took only moments for the guild to work out a solution.

The mages stood in the middle while the warriors surrounded them. They formed a circle where every guild member faced a direction.