Leave The Monster Alone

"Do not speak if you are unable to. I can guess what happened from here. So, will you check this place out?" Mark nodded, feeling like he had to check it out at least. He had a feeling that it was connected to Alan and this world's changes. 

He told his much to the other two who looked worried.

Well, Alex looked worried. Luna just looked uncaring about anything that was not his brother and news related to him directly. He just ignored Mark as he explained more and more about what this could mean for them. They had to reach a decision and there was no time for them to waste.

So it was decided, Mark would go to the new place while the others would handle the older location and rescue Alan. they had one shot at all this and they had to make it count. Even if the 'god' was their enemy, they had to push forward to succeed.

As Mark entered this new place, he could not help but feel unsettled by the atmosphere. There was something weird about this place, one had had not felt before in this world but it made the hair at his back stand up.

The plan had not been agreed upon by everyone but Mark and Luna had brute-forced their way through this exchange. In the end, everyone had to bow down to their words, especially with Yun and Alex at his side. No one had wanted to anger two divide beasts this early anyway.

Mark made his way through the dark hallways looking for the ways that would spell new passageways. This place was riddled with such useless things, just like the oractus passageway so long ago. He had never really ended up going back there, had he? So much material wasted.

As he walked inside alone, Mark could not help but think back on the wasted potential of his journey. There had been so much for him to achieve and yet he had ended up with so little in the process. He could not even make efficient usage of the resources had at his disposal.

He entered the base quietly, not wasting a single moment on the outside. He moved through the halls in a silent motion and finally made his way to the first gate. He could not brute force this one open but he had an even better plan. 

He plugged in his wire and allowed it to read through the data. His system had been modified in a way that would allow the data to be sent back to the headquarters. All he had to do was to wait now and wait he did. The second the door opened, he was through it in a flash. 

He moved further through the hallways, missing Kutro's presence at his side but he had to do this alone. Kuro was needed to rescue Alan and to further that plan. Plus, this place was weird and the further Kuro was from here, the better it was for her.

The small monsters inside here did not even realise when they died. Mark was too fast, too efficient in his moments. His body moved as it had in the past when he had not yet been transported here. He allowed that feeling to guide him further. 

He made it to the end of the hallway and the process repeated itself. Somehow, he could not help but feel worried about the easiness of this whole mission. Was it not far too easy to get inside the central part? Should it not be harder than this? Mark had a sneaking suspicion as if he was being played with.

Once again, another door appeared in front of him and this time he could not help but frown at his luck. He had a feeling he had crossed this hallway before but he had no proof of having done that. 

It was not like he was going around in circles, again and again, was it? The system would have surely told him if that had been the case. But then again, this system was not the same one he had before and he had noticed the change.

This system he had right now felt like an ordinary one and he could not help but think back to his previous system and its utility. It felt like it had been a living creature rather than a system oddly reliant and helpful at times as well. It had also seemed as if it had been adapting to new challenges.

The door in front opened, which bought Mark out of your thoughts and he entered another hallway. This one looked the same as the previous ones had and it is just solidified his theory that he had been going around circles the whole time.

But if this was not the way in, then what was? Was there another hallway he had not been aware of? He had not found a checkpoint as well which could open this map for him. He was shooting in the dark right now and he felt afraid of any mishappening.

He moved through another identical hallway before he stopped. There had been something different about this hallway and he might not have realised it had he not stopped to take another look. One of the walls had a small light shining through from behind and it had to be a secret hallway he had missed before.

"Bingo" Mark extended his hand into the crack to make it even wider than before he made any other move. Much to his surprise, not only did the crack widen, but the wall also started to fall apart. There was a popping sound before the wall exploded in Mark's face.

The debris that flowed out caused wounds to form on Mark's face but they started to heal faster than human eyes could keep up. He was alright as new as soon as stood back up, his eyes taking in the new space in front of him.

The hole looked identical to the hallway he had just entered from but there was a new energy in there now. Mark's body felt a shiver go down itself as he took a step toward the hallway. Everything in him cautioned toward not heading that way and yet he had to walk there.

He got a single second before he had to dodge the attack coming his way. The thing attacking Mark was not any ordinary monster but one of the failures he had faced off in his last life or was that his past in the same life?

It was Oractus, but he was much more coherent than before. His eyes looked clearer than last time so perhaps he had not made an attempt on the core yet? Fidi had ended up taking care of this pest last time since Mark had been useless then but he was not useless this time around.

With a single slash, the monsters head was served from his body into two. The regeneration process started but Mark did not give it any time before he burned it in flames. The flames caused cells to lose their properties and the monster was no more.

There were more monsters inside who tried to kill him but Mark was too much for them. He would not be stopped, no matter what happened and he hurried toward the centre. By this point, he already had an idea who sat down in the seat of honour. 

There had been eyes on him this whole time that had not felt human nor that of a beast. They had felt artificial, king of like his system but not that kind. It was the king of his world, the god that governed this world.

Mark fought and dragged his body to the end room where the end to everything laid bare in front of him. The AI was waiting for him when he arrived, the cold eyes looking back at him without any emotion. The door behind him closed and he knew it had been a trap for him.

Win or lose, this would be his last stand anyway and he knew that he would not be able to escape out of here alive. The AI would either kill him or they would perish together.

"You did manage to make it this far. Are you tired? Want to rest?  The shapeless form of the AI asked and Mark wasted no time in charging. The other dodges out of the way, an offended air around him but he was not yet angry. Mark had to make the other side angry enough to become careless.

"You are the root of all the problems we are facing. You are not needed" Mark hissed as he forced the sword to attack the formless being. There was a chuckle of amusement before the form twisted around his weapon and familiar eyes stared back at him.

"Are you sure I am the problem? Or are you trying to make yourself feel better?" the AI wore his face as it faced him.