Versatile: Alternate World

1008  To Agartha

Almira is quite serious with her expression and I can feel the pressure she was releasing while she was just there sitting in front of me. Perhaps because I needed to learn the weight of my mission this time around or maybe just to make sure I am intimidated by it. But I am more inclined to lean to the former reason instead of the latter, knowing Almira and how she does her things.

"Only me? No one else?" I frowned.

"If you count your followers then they can be with you. However, for us, we are only stuck here until your task is over. We are not worthy enough to reach the place you are heading in."

"So which place is it that you guys are saying that I can find the item that can help the others get their lives back?"

"Remember the place under the lake where we couldn't enter it? If I remember correctly, it was the place called Agartha. That place is where you will find what you are looking for. It is one of the forbidden treasures that shouldn't be obtained by humans due to how dangerous it will be if it is handed to the wrong people," Almira revealed.

I wasn't expecting to hear the location of my destination. After all, no one would believe that my original destination to get the two weapons that are needed to completely slay the Goddess of Life is also inside the Agartha. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?

"Can you describe what this item is?" I asked.

"That is the big problem. Because I don't know. The only thing I know is that it does exist in Agartha and it cannot be taken out without knowing its consequence. You will have to know it by yourself once you get there," Almira explained.

"That is going to be vague as f*ck, Almira, and finding it before everything will be back to the Goddess of Life attacking again is not a good deadline."

"I know but what choice do you even have, Manato? We can't afford to waste any time and we can't delay the repair power of the Tree of Life with a little prayer at all. So all you can do is find it and return here as soon as you can before she prevents you from resurrecting anyone."

"F*ck...then I can't afford to remain idle here. I needed to go and find them as soon as possible."

I pull out a waypoint for me to use for later and drop it on the floor near the waypoints we use to teleport to and from the Dark Sea. Since that place has already got a Teleport waypoint installed, I can go back there anytime.

Mother hugged me without saying a word. She just quietly saw me off. Queen Tanya and I fistbump together. She didn't say anything as well but I can already see she is also sending me with best regards. Izmir didn't say anything, but she only made a light nod at me as I went while Almira didn't do anything but stay where she was sitting and just waited there.

Pixie wanted to join me on my journey however, I stopped her.

"Pixie, you better stay. I know that I barely bring you in battles and only ask you to heal us every time but this time, I beg of you to help me guard everyone while I am gone."

"Master. I know that you will succeed. Please come back safe alright?"

I smiled and patted her head with my finger before I stopped in front of the teleport waypoint.

"I better get going."

As I waved, I snapped my fingers and I immediately got teleported directly to the place where I put the teleporter to the entrance of the Agartha.

...

I have all of what I need for my travels today. Mother already packed it in a container that she had given to me after we embraced each other. Potions and food, water, and every necessity that I needed were packed.

Now I don't know how long I will be on this journey but I will try my best to finish the task as short as possible. The first thing I did was to look around and check the surroundings. After all, this is underneath the lake where we already filled back in after defeating the dragon that polluted the whole lake. I was half expecting to teleport underwater but I was happy that I didn't teleport then get submerged underwater. It would have been a very bad thing even for me.

Checking the way out that we used back when it wasn't submerged, I immediately saw water not too far from my current location. The underwater cavern under the lake has already been submerged and it would be impossible to visit the place without swimming into the water teeming with monsters. I am so glad I put a teleport waypoint in here back then when we visited, otherwise, I would have to swim underneath the caverns and have to make sure I didn't run out of breath before I left.

Knowing that my only way of exit from this place was to return to the mansion, I steeled myself to approach the gate that once stopped me from entering the place. I was expecting myself that I would get stopped again by that invisible barrier back then when I first approached it but as soon as I did, I was surprised since no invisible barrier stopped me from going further. I managed to enter without any sort of problem at all.

"Well, that was interesting...I didn't know I could just enter without even getting blocked now."

I continue to walk inside the place. The road leads downwards to the "futuristic city" that I saw back then. Although the place looks very much like it came from a cyberpunk city scenario, I don't know how it existed here underground and underwater as well.

As I further descended, I soon saw the place closer in my eyes and what I assumed to be the futuristic buildings I saw. It was indeed futuristic...but they are in ruins. The place is broken and is not even something that can be usually seen in cyberpunk scenarios unless the scenarios I have seen would then be resolved in the post-apocalyptic setting and the place would be abandoned or will be under ruins due to the lack of maintenance or something.

There are indeed big buildings and it looks like a former metropolis underground. I can say that this place looks like it was abandoned years ago. Seeing the plant overgrowth on buildings and the roads, it is clear that it hasn't been seeing any inhabitants for a long time. Trash is littered all over the place and the neon billboards and signs that I saw back then still flickered, inviting curious travelers to pursue the mystery in Agartha.

"Wow, and to think I would be expecting this place to be teeming with futuristic people with cybernetics and android bodies...guess I was expecting too much."

As I slowly walked and explored place to place in the streets, I suddenly heard noises not too far from my direction. It was sudden and noisy and I knew that I was not alone out here.

I instinctively grab my Devourer and ready as I can hear the noises coming close. The enemy is not being subtle about its presence and is more trying to make its presence known. But that changes things as I like my enemies to show themselves rather than go and ambush as I am not a big fan of those kinds of stuff.

It didn't take long for the enemy to launch its attack, jumping straight into my direction.

BANG!

THUNK

A single bullet penetrated the body of whatever attacked me, causing it to get hit by the impact of the bullet. It was killed instantly though it is already an expected outcome from the Pain Delivery.

As soon as I confirmed the kill, I checked into the enemy that tried to attack. I was expecting it to be a wild animal or something but it wasn't an animal, nor it was a living monster that I have seen in the surface either. No, it wasn't a hybrid or golem either...

It's a f*cking robot. I kicked it and it produced a metallic sound.

Yep, this thing is a fricking robot indeed. The body itself is all metal and all of its body parts are made of various parts that would come from junk and garbage. It is a literal walking junk robot.

"That was something..." I frowned as I checked the dead chunk of robot "flesh" that was now sprawling on the ground.

"Wielder. I can feel more in the surroundings. Don't let your guard down, alright," the shadow dragon warned me.

"Yes. Didn't expect to see them but I guess if it is a futuristic place like this, I guess I have to expect enemies like this one."

As I get myself ready, it seems the local inhabitants in the area are not so happy about my arrival.