System Break

Chapter 182: The Undercity

Leonell led me into a beautiful garden park with monuments next to the Janissare Estate. There was a dark granite rectangular building off the path, nestled amongst the trees.

"What's this?" I asked.

"I know what it was, but the workers who maintain the park now use it for a tool shed."

With my sight I could see there were no obvious qi traps, but there was some sort of power. Leonell fiddled with the design and the door slid open. 

He led me past the tools and into a corner where he jumped down a hole. If an old man could do it - I followed and landed in straw, the fall wasn't great.

"This is one of the ancient buildings and leads down into the undercity."

"I thought I was using the sewers."

"It's both, but it was a city for a long time before it became part of our sewer system. It leads to the lake and with heavy rains the water can rise."

He lit a torch. "We need to go down further; we're still at the top of the tower." 

"How buried is this ancient city?"

"It varies, it some parts not much, but here it's deep. I'm fairly sure this was a tower and it's top level peaks up to ours. But it was once several stories high."

The spirit stone was suspended by my qi and it turned until it faced in a single direction. It glowed softly while Leonell searched through and cleared rubbish until he found a door to a stairwell and we began to descend. The shadows seemed darker because the dark granite devoured the light from my stone and his torch. 

It was pitch black above and below as we descended for three floors. It was disorientating and nerve-rackingly quiet and dark.

"What's down here again?"

"Monsters."

"Why don't they surface?"

"They do on occasion."

"What sort of monsters and how am I supposed to fight them in the dark?"

"Here it is," he said and while the tower continued down there was an exit to our right. "I will come with you as far as I can and then come back here to wait."

I peered up the tunnel and something glowed from the ceiling and walls. The floor was the familiar granite stone, but the rest was natural rock.

"It's lichen and it glows which is nice because it's not totally dark. From here it becomes a maze, so we'll mark our path with these," he said, and retrieved a glowing stick from a pouch. It was full of them. He then marked the wall with a line and the stick looked like some sort of glowing chalk.

He held out the pouch and I took it. "If someone follows me out this will leave a trail right back to us."

He nodded. "You should wipe them off when you return."

"What if I'm in a hurry?"

"Then run faster."

I shook my head and led the way up the tunnel. This would have been a lot easier if we had a couple of Dokkalfar along and Leonell was marking the wall every few yards.

"Stop," I said. "I will mark and only at intersections. One mark and one backup. Then pray that whatever monsters lurk down here don't lick them like sweets."

"If you can manage a Thrackan you can manage these. But it's not just the monsters it's the jump." I glanced at him and he said, "You will soon see."

At least my qi sight would ensure I wasn't caught off guard by a monster hiding in the dark. Something that was unique to me that would cause anyone else major problems.

As we got closer I saw the Janissare land core and its connection to the grid. It was bright and was visible at a much greater distance than monsters cores, even mythical beasts.

We passed through two arches and then a black hole opened up in front of us.

"No monsters," he said and smiled. But I could see them below us, they were like ants scurrying around in the depths of the underground city. We were up much higher on a causeway or similar. It could have formerly been a city wall with a tower in the corner.

In front of us was a break in that wall, where it had fallen away. 

"Can you make the jump?"

"Down?"

"No," he said and pointed straight ahead.

I looked up and across. "How high is the ceiling? I will hit my head."

He pointed up at some glowing moss and I realized it was a natural cavern. Like something had taken a massive bite out of the rock.

I threw one of the glowing chalk sticks and it bounced across the floor on the other side.

"Ten yards," he said. "Maybe twelve. It's not something I can make." Judging by his appearance he'd be lucky to jump two yards.

"Why didn't you bring rope? I could have jumped with it and then brought you across. Or used a grappling hook, speargun, any number of tools."

"True, but that would be noisy and bring unwanted attention and I'm not sure that a hook or spear would penetrate the dark granite, it's very hard."

He had a point and what use would he be. His knowledge was valuable, but his best years were well behind him.

"Anything else before I go?" I put the spirit stone away and walked back up the corridor ready to make the jump. 

He handed me a spare torch. "Do you have flint and steel?"

I nodded and slid the unlit torch through my harness for safekeeping while I jumped. "Place your torch on the edge and stand against the wall."

My qi flowed and I ran like the wind. I bent my knee and used my arms for uplift as any long jumper would. The main difference was I had qi speed, agility, and strength which I used in my legs. I flew high and for a fleeting moment I thought I was going to overshoot and faceplant above the tunnel entrance. But gravity took over and I ducked my head underneath the ceiling.

My momentum carried me forward at a run, then I slowed and skidded to a halt. 

The tunned was deathly quiet but my landing was not. The monsters beneath had become agitated and the chittering which reached my ears was chilling.

I could see Leonell smiling and waving. He was smart enough to stay silent, but that ship had sailed. The sewer guardians had been alerted.