Staircase to Hell

As we descended the staircase, my eyes were drawn to the long hallway that stretched out before us.

It seemed to go on forever, with no end in sight.

"Mika, I'm scared," Airi said, gripping the edge of my cloak.

"It will be fine," I smiled, hoping to reassure her.

"Your smile is even scarier," she replied, turning her head away in disgust.

I sighed. It was a relief to hear Airi's voice return to normal, even if it was to make fun of me.

"You hear that, man?" Orion suddenly asked.

We all fell silent, straining to listen. It was the sound of something dripping, echoing through the endless hall to the north.

"Is that the sound of water droplets?" Airi asked.

"It could be water or some other liquid with a similar density. The frequency of the sound suggests one drop every five seconds," I explained.

Airi pouted in response, but Orion chuckled.

"You're quite the scientist, Mika. Always analyzing everything."

As we started walking down the endless hallway, I kept a mental count of the steps we took and every second that passed.

I've always been good with numbers and patterns, so I was confident that I wouldn't lose track of time or direction.

"Hwah... There's no end to this," Airi said, her voice laced with exhaustion.

I gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll get through this, Airi. Just keep moving forward."

After what felt like an eternity, I heard a faint sound in the distance.

The rhythmic hammering of metal on metal echoed through the long hallway, growing louder with each step we took.

The sound was eerie, a constant reminder of the unknown that lay ahead.

Despite my confidence in my counting, the sound made me feel even more disoriented like we were walking towards something otherworldly.

Airi's steps grew slower and more hesitant, and I could feel her grip on my cloak tighten with each passing second.

The sound grew louder still, almost unbearable, but we pressed on, drawn forward by curiosity and hope.

At last, we saw a glimmer of light in the distance.

It was small and almost imperceptible, but we could see it.

"Look! Lights!" Orion shouted

Our pace quickened as the light grew larger with each step until we could see the outline of a massive door made of rusted metal and covered in strange symbols that seemed to writhe and twist before our eyes.

The light was coming from a lamp around the door.

"Damn, that's a massive door," Orion said.

"What could be inside?" Airi asked, her curiosity piqued.

Without hesitation, I reached for the handle.

I looked at my companions, and they nodded in agreement.

The anticipation of discovering what lay beyond the door coursed through my veins, but also a sense of apprehension.

I pushed the door open, and we stepped inside.

As soon as we entered, we were greeted with the sight of a single blacksmith working tirelessly at a massive forge, illuminated by the bright, roaring flames.

The heat was intense, causing beads of sweat to form on our foreheads and our clothes to stick uncomfortably to our skin.

Despite the discomfort, I couldn't help but be entranced by the mesmerizing sight before me.

I watched in awe as the blacksmith worked with the molten metal, his every movement smooth and precise.

However, as I observed him more closely, I realized that something was amiss.

The blacksmith's movements were too fluid and too precise to be human, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was otherworldly.

Suddenly, the blacksmith stopped hammering the sword and turned to face us.

His cold, unfeeling gaze made me shiver with unease.

"Who are you?" he bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the room.

Airi and Orion stood frozen in fear, but I managed to gather my wits and replied, "We're just passing through."

The blacksmith took a step closer, his eyes still fixed on us.

"You should leave. This is no place for outsiders," growled the blacksmith before returning to his work.

The heat in the room was almost unbearable, and sweat was now trickling down my forehead and back.

I could feel the sweat stains on my clothes, and the discomfort was becoming unbearable.

Airi looked confused and disoriented. "What just happened?" she asked.

"I don't know, man. It feels like my mind just went blank after Mika opened the door," Orion replied, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

"The blacksmith asked us to leave. Should we go?" I asked, my eyes darting around the room.

"What blacksmith?" Airi asked, looking at me incredulously.

"The one who's been hammering the sword," I said, pointing towards the massive forge.

"Oh man, you're losing it. I think you should be the one who goes back," Orion chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Airi's voice quivered as she spoke, her eyes wide with terror as she scanned the empty room.

"M-Mika," she said, "there's only a skeleton in here."

Her words hung heavy in the air, dripping with a mix of disbelief and fear.

Confusion etched itself onto my face as I tried to process her words.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice laced with anxiety.

Airi pointed towards the corner of the room, her hand shaking slightly as she did so.

My eyes followed her gesture, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw the remains of what was once a human being.

The bones were arranged in a haphazard pile, the skull grinning up at us in a macabre greeting.

My mind raced with questions, trying to piece together what could have happened.

As Airi's trembling voice echoed in the silence, I couldn't help but wonder if I was going insane.

System, open menu.

[System: Menu has been opened]

-----

Name: Mika El

---

Level: 17

Exp: 12278/25000

Health: 66%

Status: Stable

---

Title: None

Code name: M

Age: 18

Adventure rank: B

Threat level: B

Full potential: Unavailable

Breakthrough stage: Unavailable

---

Cumulative stats

[+] Intelligence: 115/100

[+] Wisdom: 95/100

[+] Charisma: 102/100

[+] Strength: 37/100

[+] Dexterity: 81/100

[+] Constitution: 107/100

---

[-] Equipment (?)

Weapon: None

Offhand: None

Armor: Ordinary high school uniform and pants (100%)

Accessories:

1. Leather shoes (41.3%)

2. Dried tall grass backpack (76.8%)

3. Dried tall grass pocket belt (87.3%)

4. Phantom Mantle (99.7%)

Overall attributes bonus: none

---

[-] Ability (?)

1. Xiaoli

2. Ripple

3. Hyperthymesia

4. Photographic memory

5. Tetrachromacy

6. Hyperpolyglotism

7. Exceptional visual acuity

8. Snap judgement

9. Rapid cognition

10. Mental fortitude

[+] Spell:

1. None

---

[-] Harem count: 2

Eiko Suzuki: 7% attribute bonus

Airi: 10% attribute bonus

Total attribute bonus: 17%

---

[+] Player summary

[+] Inventory

-----

"The menu says that I'm stable with 66% health," I stated.

"So what do you say? Should we keep going?" Orion asked.

"I think we should continue. I just want to get through this quest quickly," I replied.

"Aight, man, your call," Orion responded.

"I heard the sound of a sword being hammered a while ago while we were walking towards the light," I said.

"Did you hear it too, Airi?"

"Uhm... no," Airi replied hesitantly.

"Then why did you hold onto my cloak tighter?" I asked, confused.

"Jeez, I'm just scared of the dark, okay?" she said defensively.

"Hahaha, you guys are quite the comedic duo," Orion laughed.

As we kept walking past the forge room, I heard the sound of a male voice, around 46 years old, which sounded like it was being amplified by a voice-enhancing device.

He seemed to be commanding an army.

Quickly, I turned my head to Orion and he immediately responded, "Yeah, I hear that too."

"I'd say he's either the leader or the general," I said.

"Huh? What?" Orion asked, confused.

"I mean, the sound of someone shouting," I clarified.

"Oh, I thought you were referring to Airi's breathing. Wait, I'll try to check the sound," he said, moving his head closer to the wall.

"You're right, I can hear a man's voice shouting behind this wall," Orion said, his voice echoing through the empty corridor.

After walking for another three hours, our feet aching and our stomachs grumbling, we stumbled upon a massive wooden gate.

It looked sturdy, with intricate carvings that hinted at the craftsmanship that went into making it.

"Should we knock?" Orion asked, his hand resting on the cold metal handle.

"Well, let's be polite this time," I said, hoping for a less dangerous encounter this time around.

With a loud thud, we knocked on the gate, but there was no response, only an eerie silence that sent shivers down our spines.

"There's no response, should we just barge in?" I asked, feeling uneasy.

Orion merely shrugged, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger.

"Alright, time to finally put my fire to good use," said Airi, her voice confident as she took a step forward.

Not knowing what else to do, we stepped back and let Airi work her magic.

With a swift movement, she pulled out her flame sword and unleashed a torrent of fire.

"Azure bullet! Azure flame! Hyaah!" Airi shouted her battle cry, her eyes shining with determination as she burned the gate to a crisp.

"Hmm... it's a thick one," said an exhausted Airi, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"That's what she said," replied Orion, a smirk on his face as he looked at me.

I couldn't help but laugh, relief washing over me as we exchanged a low high five.

The gate was consumed by flames, revealing a ghastly sight that made our blood run cold.

In the center of the room was a huge orb with twelve swords on the ground, orbiting around it, and suspended above the orb was a man who had been brutally crucified on a cross.

As we cautiously approached the orb, the sound of dripping echoed through the chamber.

But it wasn't water that was falling.

No, it was blood - thick, dark, and coagulated - dripping down onto the orb in a sickening rhythm.

And then we heard it - the man's agonized screams.

The so-called "shouting" was the pitiful cries of a man in the most excruciating pain.

We were frozen in fear as we beheld this horrific scene, wondering what kind of evil we had stumbled upon.

"Help me."