Chapter 319 - Armored and Armed (1/2)

Li gave a nod of acknowledgement to Asala, and the serpentine woman flitted out her forked tongue, pleased that there were still many who acknowledged her scholarly knowledge. He stepped forwards to the Spiral Door, a swirling mass of twisted space spanning the width of the Midpath bridge.

The forest environment of the Gigant was still visible behind the Spiral Door, its towering, hundred meter trees completely devouring up any view of the sky, but Li knew that this was not necessarily an accurate depiction of what it looked like.

One had to travel past the Spiral Door to truly enter the Gigant, for as a proper dungeon, there was no flying over it or entering through the underground or whatnot. And the Spiral Door was like a dimensional doorway, meaning that it was only by passing through it that one could get a proper and accurate view of what was behind.

For all Li knew, the forests that appeared visible from behind the Spiral Door were just an illusion, something that had been propped up almost a thousand years ago. It was entirely possible that maybe the entire forest had rotted away or maybe it was just the same.

It was up to Li to figure out.

Li hovered a hand over the Spiral Door, and that was when he felt it: cold.

Tia felt it too. She clung to Li's side, tugging at the sleeve of his brown Farmer's Guild jacket.

”Papa…,” began Tia.

”I know,” said Li with a concerned furrowing of his brows. He addressed Asala. ”Asala, do you happen to know more about the Gigant? How many layers it has as a dungeon? The type of monsters within it?”

Asala put her stylus to her red lips and wondered for a moment. ”I hath only…second-hand recollections. But yes, I doth posses some idea.

It is said that the Gigant is a land of the giants. The three races of giants that came with the Convergence – the treants, the Musphelites, and the Jotunn- deemed themselves too great to occupy the greater world.

Thus, they made peace and life in the Gigant. A world within a world.

It is said that each people of the giants creates one layer. The forests with the treants, a land of fire for the Musphelites, and a snowy land for the Jotunn.”

”Demons, then,” said Li. ”Musphelites are fire giants, yes, but they are also demons.”

”Tis' so,” said Asala.

The mention of demons sent a wave of chilling silence over the rest of the party, particularly with Mason and Mercer, but Old Thane and Zagan remained unfazed, though Zagan did noticeably stir in reaction.

”Yet, it cannot be so that the Musphelites raise their great fists against us,” said Asala. ”In the First Darkening, tis' true that Asmodai, the king of the Musphelites, attempted conquest of the greater world as a herald of Wrath.

But when he was struck down, the very blow that reduced him to ashes creating the Shibboleth, the Musphelites accepted the rule of Skadi, the gentle queen of ice who treats life dear to her heart.”

Li began a telepathic communication with Zagan.

'It is true,' said Zagan. 'Since the First Darkening, the Demonic See has never called upon the might of the Musphelites again. Nor was it ever possible.

The Gigant Dungeon is impenetrable unless Skadi, the center of the dungeon, wishes for the intrusion, and she has made it quite clear that she reviles our kind.'

'I see. Then all of us are going into this situation blind. Then I will be taking extra precautions,' said Li. He ended his telepathic link with Zagan and turned to the rest of the party.