20 Chapter 20: Trap (1/2)
Wilhelm cautiously followed the trail, making sure that no dangers lurked. The surroundings were dead-silent, only the sound of his breathing and footsteps reverberated throughout the narrow cave. Other than the minotaur footprints, there were no other signs of life to be seen.
His shoulders slumped as beads of sweat trailed down his body, causing his loincloth to become damp with perspiration. His hunting bore no fruit and only resulted in a waste of time. His cracked dagger swayed at the side as if it was depressed with no blood to be had. The humid temperature beat at him while he was down, and he could only return from whence he came.
His empty stomach and parched mouth were insufferable as he strolled back. Not a single insect, let alone a beast even showed up. His previous worries were unwarranted, and he was beginning to wonder if his senses had dulled. When he had first set out, he could've sworn that there would be an opponent, or at the very least, some food.
Wilhelm's brows furrowed as he spat onto the ground, resting his hands in the loincloth as if they were pockets. He let out a few grumbles as he walked, once again cursing the androgynous fairy and his bad luck, getting trapped inside of a dungeon. The thing that interested him the most, human interaction, was now impossible.
His annoyed figure continued for a total of five minutes until he grew tired. A deep sigh escaped from his thin lips as he rested his back on the side of the cave. As a man who had once smoked a lot, he was dying for some nicotine, food, and even water right about now. As his back leaned against the wall, he could feel it crumble, ever so slightly.
Like the straw that broke the camels back, it caused a chained reaction. More and more debris started to fall, causing Wilhelm to retreat backward. The sand was wafted into the air, impairing his already terrible sight. He covered his eyes with his arm and waited for the plumb of dust to subside.
It took a few moments, but the cave finally stopped collapsing. The dust receded, and Wilhelm was once again able to perceive things, albeit, barely. A small entrance was created, just big enough for Wilhelms tall figure to move through. A glimmer of light could be seen from the hole—barely lit as if its flame could be extinguished at any second.
Intrigued, Wilhelm stepped over the small groove and entered the musky hole. The musky smell antagonized his nose as he entered. It smelled as if something had been decomposing for an entire millennium. Water dripped from a sharp piece of rock, dangling from the roof, threatening to fall at any given moment.
The faint, blue light flickered in the distance, drawing Wilhelm closer. He stepped forward, stretching his hand out, but a dark premonition suddenly occurred to him. Immediately, he took a few steps back, raising his hands in a defensive position. The blue light fluttered, rising into the air and splitting in two.
The small cavern was gradually lit, causing Wilhelm's remaining eye to nearly pop out of its socket. Skeletal remains, reminiscent of a human body, stood up, it's jaw and ribs ominously clacked together. Its eyes gleamed with a blue hue, looking down on Wilhelm as if he was merely passing wind.
Wilhelm raised his dagger in awe and retreated a few steps back, scrutinizing the strange skeleton. It was somewhat short, probably around five feet, similar to a small male back on earth. Cracks ran through its body, and dust covered it, like some sort of buried artifact.
Its movements were sluggish and threatening, like its first instinct was to attack, or perhaps, defend. Wilhelm was intrigued by this discovery, what was it defending? And how did it get here? Why was a human-like body residing inside of a dungeon? Dozens of similar questions assaulted Wilhelms' brain, but his first priority was safety.
He brandished his dagger and observed his opponents' movement patterns. Not only was the creature slow, but it didn't appear to be intelligent either. His abnormal perception of danger just about evaporated, and Wilhelm regained his confidence.