Saga of Atlantis

Chapter 74  Destruction of Marinthalis City 1

[third-person POV-general]

[Last floor of kraken's domain : 20:00 minutes till dungeon outbreak]

"Boss, come see this!" One of the workers under the leadership of Ben shouted; his voice was brimming with excitement. He then crouched down and started clearing rocks around a cracked glass-like half-sphere barrier, revealing something ancient.

His excitement piqued the curiosity of the worker beside him, and he started to move to see what was happening.

The worker asked, "What is this?" while looking at the cracked barrier. Out of curiosity, he, too, started clearing rocks, and the ancient structure became more visible.

Their unusual behavior attracted everyone's attention, and soon, workers and adventurers alike gathered around the barrier, eager to find out what secrets it held.

"What is happening here?" Ben, their leader, and the navigator within the dungeon arrived with the leader of the adventurers, Elara. He asked in a strict tone while looking at the worker lazing around.

"We hit the jackpot!", The worker who found the barrier replied, bubbling with joy and excitement, then cleared the view for Ben to have a better look.

"A liever?" Ben mumbled, narrowing his eyes, while looking beneath the glass-like barrier.

"Isn't this like the one that the other team found that led them to discover a treasure chest", the worker said out loud. His words caught everyone's full attention. "If we open it, maybe we can also find...".

"Or it can activate a hidden mechanism or trap that can kill everyone present here", Ben interrupted, making the worker go silent.

"I will inform the guild about this; return back to your work", Ben declared as he started to return to his position to supervise everything.

"You are not going to do anything like that", one of the adventurers said, blocking the path. His large body created a shadow over Ben, and his eyes bore an intense gaze.

"Why?", he asked, his voice clam while he looked directly into the eyes of the adventurer.

"You are asking why? Are you fucking kidding me?" The adventurer scoffed. He looked at Ben as if he were looking at an idiot. "The only reason we risk our lives exploring the dungeon first is because we get to keep 70 percent of what we find."

"I know that," Ben replied. His words only seemed to infuriate the adventurer further, who grabbed Ben's collar and lifted him off the ground.

"Then why are you stopping him?" he shouted, the sound echoing in the cave.

"We know nothing about what will happen if we do that; we could die," Ben reasoned, placing his hand on the adventurer's forearm.

"And what if there is a treasure? Who will be responsible if we miss it?" He asked again, bringing his face close to Ben's.

"Drop him down," the commanding voice of Elara echoed, diffusing the tension in the place. The adventurer released his grip on Ben without a word, stepping back to let Elara take command.

"Ben, why are you so fixated on not doing anything about this?" Elara questioned him, her gaze fixed on him.

"In ancient times, dungeons were used to imprison monsters that shouldn't exist in this world. Though it's been hundreds of years since any of this happened, there is still a chance that if we pull the lever, something horrible will happen," Ben explained, causing a hush to fall over the group.

"Now you know what might happen if we pull the lever, but there is also a chance that we can get treasure. So we will be voting for it," Elara declared, prompting nods of agreement from the group. Though she didn't show it, her own thoughts influenced this decision. As the saying goes, human greed knows no bounds.

"Hey Elara! Don't do this!", Ben shouted as soon as he heard her words.

"That's the best option, Ben; let me handle it", she said while prompting one of the adventurers to drag Ben back. Then she said, "Those who want to open the barrier, raise your hand".

Their greed also showed, as most of them raised their hands in agreement while others kept their hands down.

"Good majority wins; now break the barrier", Elara commanded, and at her command, two well-bulked men came forward with hammers in their hands as they started breaking the barrier.

After a while, the barrier that was already cracked due to passing time broke down after being restlessly beaten down. The beseeching of Ben not to do it faded into the background while he was held down. The lever was now in clear view for everyone. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Driven by curiosity and the promise of potential riches, an adventurer quickly pulled the lever down.

*Thrum*

The entire dungeon shuddered in response, the ground beneath their feet vibrating with an unsettling energy.

For a moment, nothing happened. The adventurers exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what they had just set in motion.

*ROAR*

The silence hung heavy until a low, guttural voice reverberated through the chamber, sending shivers down their spines.

"What have you unleashed?" Ben whispered, his eyes wide with realization.

Suddenly, the ground trembled again, this time more violently. Cracks formed in the floor, making their way towards the adventurers. Panic set in, and the group scrambled to escape the crumbling chamber.

"Run! Move out!" Ben shouted, and as soon as he was set free, he started to run to the edge of the cave.

The others also sprinted; the ground cracked beneath them, splitting into two. Ben managed to leap to safety just in time, being the closest to the edge. The others followed suit, but the horror had only just begun.

From the gaping crack in the ground emerged the chained tentacles of a monstrous creature. The adventurers and workers, unable to escape in time, were caught in a nightmarish struggle.

"AHHHH!".

The first tentacle moved out, wrapping itself around their leader, Elara, and violently yanking her into the depths of the crack.

"HELP ME!"

"MONSTOR!"

"MY FAMILY IS WAITI-"

Screams pierced the air as more tentacles, each chained and writhing, emerged to claim their prey. The once powerful and arrogant adventurers were now fighting for their lives against a creature that had been imprisoned for centuries.

"M-my god, w-what have we d-done",

Ben mumbled, his face etched with horror, as he watched everyone get dragged into the abyss. The echoes of their screams lingered in the air, reminding them of the ancient evil they had unleashed upon themselves.

Ben felt the relentless grip of the tentacle as it coiled around him, dragging him towards the crack. Panic surged through him as he glimpsed the last nightmarish sight before him.

Hundreds of eyes, each filled with madness, and an open maw adorned with thousands of razor-sharp teeth The grotesque mouth inched closer, devouring him whole.

The cave turned silent as everyone present there was dragged into the abyss. At the same time, hundreds of tentacles came out, lifting up the ancient monster with only madness and insustainable hunger within him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[First-person POV: Eden]

"Hey, do you think saving a girl in time of danger will really make her fall in love with you", as I was leaning against the bed while sitting on the floor with a novel in my hand, Nadya asked me.

"I don't know; why do you ask?" I replied with my own question, moving my head to look at her, who was currently lying on the bed that I was leaning on. The evening sunshine came from the window, casting a glow on her face.

"This always happens in love, which made me wonder: does this also happen in real life", she replied, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Hmm??"

Just as I was about to reply to her, the building around us creaked, making a weary sound. But this didn't last long, as the whole building started to shake violently.

"Let's move out", I said to Nadya, who nodded in agreement. We both moved out of her room and moved towards the main hall, where Linda, Elysia and Sylvia were already present.

"Master?", I called out for Sylvia as I saw her brows frown.

"Move towards the second floor", Sylvia commanded, her gaze moving towards everyone. She started to move outside the building.

"Why what's happening? I mean, why should we be inside the buildi–", Elysia started to question.

" I Said Go To The Second Floor!" Syliva shouted, which made Elysia flinch.

I was the first one to move,Nadya; follow suit, and then the rest of them.

"Stay here", As soon as we reached the second floor, I said to Nadya.

Opening the window on the second floor, I swiftly jumped outside, then, holding on to the edge of the window, I jumped to the roof of the building.

The first one I tried to look for was Sylvia, and I didn't find her on the ground, but then I moved my gaze upwards and there she was floating in the middle of the air, her gaze towards the endless ocean.

I followed her gaze, and my eyes widen when I see the huge waves coming in our direction.

"A tsunami".