It was a quiet evening and all was well as Minh made his way through the guildhall in silence, taking note to construct more defensive parameters for the flying sanctuary. During this short walk of his, he would promptly be stopped by the same elderly man who has given aid to him since his arrival to Sabertooth. In his hand was a letter that looked urgent and sealed, and his face looked grim for one handing off the item. Minh took it but was not able to question the man as he walked off with only parting words for the earthen fighter to hear.
"Whatever is in that letter is of the utmost importance in grave matters taking place right now in the Ace of Spades, and this..'matter' is something I'd expect an powerhouse like our former Dark Guildmaster Frederick to be contending with....I can only wish you best of luck if you choose to address it yourself."
"You worry too much, Old man, whoever sending this would not have if they did not know of my capabilities."
The response was enough for the aged man to concede with a sigh as he made his way down the hall back to his office in the guildhall while Minh stands there, opening up the letter to see just what it was that was so urgent and dire to be given to him in such a formal manner. What was there was nothing more than a rather elegant looking single piece of paper, decorated with a small section of text before being signed off by Aiyana. He didn't pay much mind to the details save for the contents of the small letter itself. As it happens, a large cathedral on the outskirts of the town has gone dark with an investigation party gone missing. People have been cut off and told that it is going under repairs as a strike force of combat mages have dove into the fray it seemed, but they too have not reported back. In fact, whatever the presence was in the cathedral has basically created a void within the building in which nothing was sensed or detected. Aiyana has asked that Minh was to enter this place himself to eradicate the threat residing within, and while he was sure of his ability to do so, he can't help but wonder if this ominous feeling he had about this whole affair was a bad omen of what was to come in the passing hours.
He was off in a near instant with a fast job through the complex as he jumped his way down from the guildhall itself down onto the plaza below. The rocky man landed with a thundering crash leaving something of a small crater before he quickly made his way to the church grounds where a whole troop of Sabertooth mages were lined up to block the path to the large structure. Upon Minh's arrival, they hesitantly allowed him through with one man standing before him still with a stern gaze. The two men stood with equal stature like two giants facing each other, each with a sense of purpose about them.
"Listen here, the Ace did say you have permission to enter the building and all, but I am in mood to be letting some arse go in to get himself killed. I don't see what she sees in you, but you're not ready for whatever horrors lies in there...if anything, I should be the one going in."
From the full suit of heavy plate armor and the massive zweihander strapped to his back, it seemed that this mage was more of a decorated warrior than the usual magi around Fiore. His gruff, upset toned gave Minh a hinting that this was a man whose pride had been tarnished somehow. The monk inferred it had to do with his assignment to tend to whatever was in the cathedral, but another matter that could have lead to this confrontation is simple arrogance. A man who finds no fault in his own capabilities and has an unwillingness to accept others whose has passed him, but this was just an on-the-spot assessment that Minh thought of. Sadly, such a prediction seemed to be quite accurate as the knight continued holding him back without budging an inch. Sensing that this was most likely going to come to blows, the earthen mage tried to convince the man before him to step aside.
"What she decides to do is her own business and not mine to question, and if she desired for me to undertake this task, then I will do so with her trust in me. There is no need for this.."
This was the best he could do for trying to convince this brash warrior from outright challenging him to a duel on the spot, but it was not enough for the warrior only snorted at the reply before shoving Minh back with considerable strength as he was slid across the ground. Seeing that the only way this man can see reason would be through force, he would oblige by empowering his fist with explosive, strengthening energies as he takes a few strides back towards the knight. The man grunted and reached for his sword while the other mages and combatants near him stepped away, not wanting to be drawn into this little conflict. Minh was the first to strike as he lashed out with a solid right hook, smashing into the other's torso right below the sternum with a crack as he struck. The knight was thrown back several meters, smashing into some woodwork as he recoiled from the strike, but like any bastard, he was not yet done even though the armor around the strike was absolutely demolished. He spat up blood and still made for his sword only to be put down again by a sudden streak of orange-red energy engulfing his entire upper body. Fortunately, only few civilians were around to see the commotion while the other mages slowly reformed their line, blocking view of the fight. Minh did not wish to put anymore damage upon the man after this attack, and he was right to say so as the surprised knight knelt upon a knee breathing heavy while the places where his armor was hit lit up red. The singed warrior said nothing more besides giving the other male a deathly glare as he walked passed back on the path to the cathedral.
There was indeed a sort of void that surrounded the area but was more prominent the closer one got towards the center which did worry Minh to some degree. Much like the neutral lands, it drained him of his outwardly magics within minutes, leaving only his physical capabilities to deal with this strange threat. Perhaps it was this very aura that has lead to the likely death of all those sent here previously. It was only when he came into the main structure itself did he come across several piles of rubble from what seemed to be harsh battle. It was ominous at best but was not something too daunting, but that was swept away by faint cries. At first, it was like that of those in grave distress with wails of the sort, but when Minh progressed through the large halls of the building, the sounds of distressed turned into fanatical drivel.
"Eyes...must...have...more eyes..."
"I can see it now...I can it ALL!"
"The others, all must know of this discovery...all must see..."
A man in his thirties, a young woman, and another man in a more elderly state were heard by the man, but he did swear there were others. Surely, this cannot be all that is left of the investigation group as well as the team sent here, or the bodies could have been demolished by whatever being resided within this large halls. His steps were much slower now as he crept up towards the doorway leading to the chamber where these folk were, and while he was not a subtle person, he knew when it was a necessity in order to further progress a goal. In this case, he wanted to catch more of the ramblings to determined what has happened to them. Quiet whispers, more faint and eerie than the seemingly crazed wails of the persons, began filling up his mind, and a cloudiness made it hard to focus. Whatever this void, rather whatever created it was not going to be pleasant dealing with most likely. Urges to do commanded tasks and the like were getting more intense but stopped at a point where Minh hoped his mental resistance had made it difficult for the presence lashing out to properly corrupt him.
He finally mustered his composure to slowly lean over to the side to look into the chamber once he reached the doorway. Inside of it were the three individuals, who all matched what he expected from their voices, but around them were other beings. Humanoid in shape, they were, however, more alien with warped bodies with additional limbs sprouting and heads that were more bulbous like cactus head if one also replaced ever prick with gouged eyeballs. From each pierced eye bleed a dark, tainted pus that was constant yet constantly evaporated before hitting the ground, and the gray-tinted teal did not make them look any less horrendous. The rest of their form was still human to an extent save for the limping gait that they seemed to use when shambling about, and while it was unnerving, it was nothing of a terror to him. At most, it left him with much unease as he thought of just what has transpired in this place in such a short time.
"Hey, you, boy...can you hear me...HELLO.." A voice rung through his head, like that of one of the older monks he once knew back when he was younger and less rocky. It was somehow all around his head as well inside of it as well, like some kinda godly entity shouting down upon him. There was no malice in the voice or intrusion of his privacy, but at the same time, he was not going to be opening up for anyone so easily.
"Who is this, and what is it you have to do with is going on in the cathedral...I do not remember people have bulging heads encrusted with reddened eyeballs all over. And would you also mind explaining what is this maddening influence I keep feeling attempting to pry apart my mind as I am not a fan of being left a dribbling husk." Minh let out a growl almost before stopping himself short when he heard curious screeches of the deformed beings inside, shuffling around closer to the doorway before halting as they headed away thankfully.
"I am an entity from another realm of existence that even the many pantheon of gods would not be able to comprehend, so to keep it short, call me Gramps or Pops, whichever pleases you to call me by. As for my participation of what is going on in here, it was more along the lines of a forced one since I am currently trapped in a cell of sorts. Apparently some fanatic of the Eldritch powers decided to unseal the box containing my seal which tore a damned hole, letting loose the vermin among your unfortunate kind who were all warped or slain by the invading forces. Any survivors were probably left going mad to slowly turn into more fanatics or abominations. The fool that did this was the first to die, but now there is a massive hole forming a bubble of my realm in yours. I am not one to admit it, but I would like to not be surrounded by worshiping idiots...that being the various horrors that are pouring into this cathedral of yours." The aged voice sounded like he was berating a group of troublesome kids with that tone, making Minh more hesitant about facing whatever damned monsters that had been unleashed in this place.
"Guessing that you are going to be helping me, tell me what is needed to be done to clean this mess up, and I am going to predict that these set of instructions will leave me wanting to send you back into your realm." The earthen mage said while slipping closer to the doorway now, leaning over as slowly as he could to see into the room better.
"Destroy the box that once held my cell as it is being used as an anchor for keeping the portal stable, and I will suggest you move as quickly as you are capable of since I will not lie about the literal pouring of them into this place. As for where the box is....it is with the alpha of the things if I had to make an analogy, and I can tell you will be the most likely to succeed at this task than the last two encounters I had with you mages. Before you utter a word about them, I will put to you as quickly as possible since you do not seem like a man for much talk. The first group was a second to their length of patience and understanding, but what they lacked was the necessary manpower to accomplish what I ask for due to their magic being ripped from them as they entered the bubble.. The ability to slip past the hordes is one thing, but the underestimation of the Alpha's capabilities was ultimately their downfall as they are now probably scattered about the central chamber...the big one where coincidentally, everything is located in a massive clusterfuck...mind my language. Being in the middle of this all is mos...umm..the second group to come. They were perfect, if it were not for their unfortunate lack of foresight as soon as they felt their magic slip, and I can quote them as well." His voice changed tone to one much more annoying if Minh had to describe it in one simple word. "We know not what you are foul demon, but we will not be stopped by your trickery. Our magic may be taken, but not our might, ONWARDS BROTHERS." The being let out a loud chuckle before sighing. "Yes, I will have to agree that if it were any other group, maybe it would've went much better, but as you can see, luck was not on our side or theirs for that matter. The anguished cries were enough for me to confirm their results, and for any humans you find alive in one piece...all mad and lost I'm afraid...not many had their mental fortitude up to endure the initial blast of madness." The voice finished its long winded talk just enough for Minh to let out a long sigh before placing his palms to his face with a light, audible thud. The level of exasperation of this whole revelation had put Minh at the edge of his patience with this all and he made a sudden move to step into the small room that he had been hounding with all of the warped beings turning towards him before converging on him. "I am taking it you are going to be much more thorough than the other, or you are completely losing it."
A loud roar following that statement with the sounds of crushing skulls was enough for the old man to keep shut as the earthen martial artist fell upon the horrors in a whirlwind of gore. Fists hitting so hard that some of these sickly beasts had the eyes from their morphed skulls shooting out everywhere like bullets if they weren't splattered across the floor from the start already. Thrown strikes against Minh did hit him with a force that could harm even an armored mage, but he was a literal solid wall of dense earth which absorbed the blows with little difficulty. The harm done to him was to a minimum as he cleared out the room within a minute which left only the insane ones as he was not really willing to kill them just yet. He can hear a slight inquiring 'hmm' from Gramps who probably found an interesting contrast when just seeing how quickly he tore apart his enemies just a moment ago. "So, where are we going...I will rather not wade through the enemy without direction, and unlike the others, I will be more capable of...paving my path through this place if necessary. Also, this cell of yours, just what is it anyways, and I take it that it lies within the same box that I have to destroy. I am not being led to free you am I?"
"Ha, my ass you are, did I not just state that I am something beyond that of the gods? Are you daft? And as for what it is exactly....something along the lines of a pair of full gauntlets. My fellow friends thought it be fun to lock me away in them to be used like tools by mortals while slowly causing them to dive into insanity where I have to spend those days listing to their driveling until they eventually die from it. To be honest, I've never seen one like you with such resilience and recovering capabilities, and simply put, I would rather find myself in use by a more quiet lad or lass who won't lose it on me." Gramps sounded almost too sincere to Minh by the end of all that, but there was some truth to his voice. A paranoid person would say that it was all a trick, but Minh was an opportunist. Gauntlets were also something that he could utilize much more than any other weapon since he only stuck with fighting unarmed with his bare hands, but gauntlets were something that didn't interfere with this preferred choice of combat.
"We will discuss that more once this whole mess have been cleaned up, and as for the whole aspect of being an old man wanting peace, you either are lying through your teeth or you are choosing the lesser of evils with me being somewhat suitable for your tastes." Minh replied before smirking to himself as the old man did so as well being just as cheeky, directing him through the cathedral. The man was lucky because the disembodied voice seemed to have a very refined sense of direction as the two of them passed by masses of various Eldritch monstrosities without having to engage many. Minh hadn't really thought of it till now, but he realized that this ancient entity's presence had almost eliminated all of the maddening influence that has been trying to pry open his mind. Soon, they both entered into the main hall where a cacophony of gibbering voices can be heard from the survivors among the masses of horrors., and their quarry rested at the alter. It was a massive beast that filled up most of the cathedral and turning itself along towards Minh was daunting, and this was in addition to having almost every other foe twisting their grotesque heads towards him.
"Before us lies an ocean of bodies, but I am one such as you are more than capable of parting it. Remember when I said that the box was the anchor...the bloody beast has somehow merged with itself. You will need to split that thing's head wide open like a nut." Minh only snorted loudly at his words and grinned almost before diving straight into a fleshy hell. It was akin to smashing through a wall with the initial crash almost breaking his momentum, but he was able to carry himself forward with another rumbling roar. Every stride threw him through the sea of blood as monsters left and right are thrown dozen of meters through the air, yet Minh seemed limitless as his inner heart thudded with the excitement of battle. The old man would admit that despite the nature of the suicidal charge, it seemed to only push the warrior further beyond what he has previously shown. As his speed picked up, he crossed the threshold within reach of the Alpha whose many limbs lashed out unnaturally fast with one slammed into Minh. Despite his forward momentum and weight, the earthen mage was thrown like a bullet through the swarm of horrors, splatting all in his path in a comical fashion as he careened into the stone wall with a loud boom like a cannon had fired. The Alpha let out a victorious screech only to be cut off short as a boulder sized piece of rubble was launched into its head with a fitting crunch. It jerked backwards as Minh bursts from debris with a renewed rush, parting the ocean of foes once more as he make a mighty leap up into the air towards the huge abomination, and by the time it had recovered, Minh landed upon its head. One hand kept a hardy grip onto one of the woven sections that felt like a kind of bone with the other raining blows upon it vigorously. Crack after crack formed before groping hands managed to grab hold of him, attempting to crush the earthen warrior in one. Minh growled as he struggled against the hand, pushing outward with his limbs as much as he could. Eventually the momentous strength from the man was enough to hold the hand open enough for him to leap out before it closed shut into a fist with a light thud. Though a giant in stature, the Alpha lashed out with furious sweeping strikes with Minh barely keeping his position, lashing out back at the arms with heavy blows from his fists that sounded out like thunder throughout the central chamber. An arm would come sweeping from his flank only to meet an equally powerful blow from his fist which kept the two in a strange standstill as Minh tried to find an opening to leap upon the beast once more. The smaller monsters around the two did not interfere as they would be splattered into mush attempting to. After a while, the large monstrosity slammed all its appendages down upon him, but he rolled forward into a leap straight up once more towards the bulging, empty head. It screeched as Minh made his mark, holding once more while smashing the head open as the cracks grew in size, but this time, Minh knew to move around as the hands groped wildly for him to really grab hold of him once more. His fists still rained blows until he finally broke through with his whole arm suddenly finding itself lodged within the empty space of the Alpha's head. Within a moment of realization, the earthen monk reached forth to latch his hand onto the box in the head that was attached by similar boney sinews and tore the box out as he fell off into ground. With an unnatural piercing scream, the Alpha turned itself to Minh who wasted no time to smash the box in between his hands with all of his strength. To his surprise, it was barely enough to do so as if he had been trying to press together a container of strengthened steel than wood.
A cracking sound echoed throughout the entire room, shaking it to the foundation as the Alpha looked about with visible disarray before a warping noise fills the room like a screeching static. Minh laid there on the ground watching as a black void slowly appears before him, and he held s a rather large, black tome with the pages looking rather worn as the remnants of the box falls around his hands. The Alpha now screeched and went into a rampage as well as the other abominations that are in the main hall, striking out at each other along with the surrounding area. Madness had skyrocketed tenfold as if the rushing magic that filled the area affected them in the worse of ways without the protection of the empty void that was present in the cathedral till now. Standing up from his spot, he jumped once more up straight at the head of the now deranged Alpha who seemed to be dying, and Minh helped it along by a last few strikes of his fist that cracked and shattered the boney cage head of this wretched monster. It feels itself losing strength as the massive body with its many appendages crumpling onto the floor with life draining quickly from the broken bodily form. The other creatures had left themselves a bloody mess to add to the one they made already to begin with, and he had no desire to wipe the rest of them out given their self-destructive nature. "Good job, and I take it you will be bringing that thing back to the one you gotten this task from. However, I request that you not hand over that book for that is my cell that I spoke of earlier, and since it would be best that it doesn't end up in the wrong hands...I need one last favor from you." The old voice rung out once more in a more dire tone.
"I take it you wish to bond yourself to me...but besides me being a quiet man, what else is it that you want of me." Minh inquired back, not yet trusting his unknown entity from beyond despite his lack of malevolence.
"If anything to strike back at my peers and what you would call my leader or boss...she is what I call a bitch. This book is actually the original tome of her legacy that once existed here many eons ago for cults that came and passed, and you might think it is quite foolish to seal an enemy in such an artifact. This was more for humiliation and irony as I am, to some degree, the keeper of lore for the goddess in her court. This book is my doing, and it doesn't make it any less insulting to be trapped inside one of my doing no less. And if it were to please you more, I believe I can grant you powers akin to making a pact with the goddess herself. Perhaps with most of the benefits, but much better than having yourself tied to her, and the only condition I have for you to assist me in killing those who have chosen to join her side and eventually to kill her court and the goddess herself. As for what I am to do afterwards....if I cannot be released, then I will enjoy my eternal company with you, mortal."
"Agreed, if it keeps your power out of the wrong hands, and allow me more tools to eliminate those that would abuse it. As for your condition, that is something that would've already been on my list from the beginning." And with that said, a mutual silence came over the two as Minh grabs the corpse of the Alpha, dragging the aberration out of the cathedral to the main square of the town where his guild Ace was standing to await his return. "Aiyana, it is done...and next time, tell that bastard stationed over there to mind his attitude lest I crush his head to a pulp."
"Whatever is in that letter is of the utmost importance in grave matters taking place right now in the Ace of Spades, and this..'matter' is something I'd expect an powerhouse like our former Dark Guildmaster Frederick to be contending with....I can only wish you best of luck if you choose to address it yourself."
"You worry too much, Old man, whoever sending this would not have if they did not know of my capabilities."
The response was enough for the aged man to concede with a sigh as he made his way down the hall back to his office in the guildhall while Minh stands there, opening up the letter to see just what it was that was so urgent and dire to be given to him in such a formal manner. What was there was nothing more than a rather elegant looking single piece of paper, decorated with a small section of text before being signed off by Aiyana. He didn't pay much mind to the details save for the contents of the small letter itself. As it happens, a large cathedral on the outskirts of the town has gone dark with an investigation party gone missing. People have been cut off and told that it is going under repairs as a strike force of combat mages have dove into the fray it seemed, but they too have not reported back. In fact, whatever the presence was in the cathedral has basically created a void within the building in which nothing was sensed or detected. Aiyana has asked that Minh was to enter this place himself to eradicate the threat residing within, and while he was sure of his ability to do so, he can't help but wonder if this ominous feeling he had about this whole affair was a bad omen of what was to come in the passing hours.
He was off in a near instant with a fast job through the complex as he jumped his way down from the guildhall itself down onto the plaza below. The rocky man landed with a thundering crash leaving something of a small crater before he quickly made his way to the church grounds where a whole troop of Sabertooth mages were lined up to block the path to the large structure. Upon Minh's arrival, they hesitantly allowed him through with one man standing before him still with a stern gaze. The two men stood with equal stature like two giants facing each other, each with a sense of purpose about them.
"Listen here, the Ace did say you have permission to enter the building and all, but I am in mood to be letting some arse go in to get himself killed. I don't see what she sees in you, but you're not ready for whatever horrors lies in there...if anything, I should be the one going in."
From the full suit of heavy plate armor and the massive zweihander strapped to his back, it seemed that this mage was more of a decorated warrior than the usual magi around Fiore. His gruff, upset toned gave Minh a hinting that this was a man whose pride had been tarnished somehow. The monk inferred it had to do with his assignment to tend to whatever was in the cathedral, but another matter that could have lead to this confrontation is simple arrogance. A man who finds no fault in his own capabilities and has an unwillingness to accept others whose has passed him, but this was just an on-the-spot assessment that Minh thought of. Sadly, such a prediction seemed to be quite accurate as the knight continued holding him back without budging an inch. Sensing that this was most likely going to come to blows, the earthen mage tried to convince the man before him to step aside.
"What she decides to do is her own business and not mine to question, and if she desired for me to undertake this task, then I will do so with her trust in me. There is no need for this.."
This was the best he could do for trying to convince this brash warrior from outright challenging him to a duel on the spot, but it was not enough for the warrior only snorted at the reply before shoving Minh back with considerable strength as he was slid across the ground. Seeing that the only way this man can see reason would be through force, he would oblige by empowering his fist with explosive, strengthening energies as he takes a few strides back towards the knight. The man grunted and reached for his sword while the other mages and combatants near him stepped away, not wanting to be drawn into this little conflict. Minh was the first to strike as he lashed out with a solid right hook, smashing into the other's torso right below the sternum with a crack as he struck. The knight was thrown back several meters, smashing into some woodwork as he recoiled from the strike, but like any bastard, he was not yet done even though the armor around the strike was absolutely demolished. He spat up blood and still made for his sword only to be put down again by a sudden streak of orange-red energy engulfing his entire upper body. Fortunately, only few civilians were around to see the commotion while the other mages slowly reformed their line, blocking view of the fight. Minh did not wish to put anymore damage upon the man after this attack, and he was right to say so as the surprised knight knelt upon a knee breathing heavy while the places where his armor was hit lit up red. The singed warrior said nothing more besides giving the other male a deathly glare as he walked passed back on the path to the cathedral.
There was indeed a sort of void that surrounded the area but was more prominent the closer one got towards the center which did worry Minh to some degree. Much like the neutral lands, it drained him of his outwardly magics within minutes, leaving only his physical capabilities to deal with this strange threat. Perhaps it was this very aura that has lead to the likely death of all those sent here previously. It was only when he came into the main structure itself did he come across several piles of rubble from what seemed to be harsh battle. It was ominous at best but was not something too daunting, but that was swept away by faint cries. At first, it was like that of those in grave distress with wails of the sort, but when Minh progressed through the large halls of the building, the sounds of distressed turned into fanatical drivel.
"Eyes...must...have...more eyes..."
"I can see it now...I can it ALL!"
"The others, all must know of this discovery...all must see..."
A man in his thirties, a young woman, and another man in a more elderly state were heard by the man, but he did swear there were others. Surely, this cannot be all that is left of the investigation group as well as the team sent here, or the bodies could have been demolished by whatever being resided within this large halls. His steps were much slower now as he crept up towards the doorway leading to the chamber where these folk were, and while he was not a subtle person, he knew when it was a necessity in order to further progress a goal. In this case, he wanted to catch more of the ramblings to determined what has happened to them. Quiet whispers, more faint and eerie than the seemingly crazed wails of the persons, began filling up his mind, and a cloudiness made it hard to focus. Whatever this void, rather whatever created it was not going to be pleasant dealing with most likely. Urges to do commanded tasks and the like were getting more intense but stopped at a point where Minh hoped his mental resistance had made it difficult for the presence lashing out to properly corrupt him.
He finally mustered his composure to slowly lean over to the side to look into the chamber once he reached the doorway. Inside of it were the three individuals, who all matched what he expected from their voices, but around them were other beings. Humanoid in shape, they were, however, more alien with warped bodies with additional limbs sprouting and heads that were more bulbous like cactus head if one also replaced ever prick with gouged eyeballs. From each pierced eye bleed a dark, tainted pus that was constant yet constantly evaporated before hitting the ground, and the gray-tinted teal did not make them look any less horrendous. The rest of their form was still human to an extent save for the limping gait that they seemed to use when shambling about, and while it was unnerving, it was nothing of a terror to him. At most, it left him with much unease as he thought of just what has transpired in this place in such a short time.
"Hey, you, boy...can you hear me...HELLO.." A voice rung through his head, like that of one of the older monks he once knew back when he was younger and less rocky. It was somehow all around his head as well inside of it as well, like some kinda godly entity shouting down upon him. There was no malice in the voice or intrusion of his privacy, but at the same time, he was not going to be opening up for anyone so easily.
"Who is this, and what is it you have to do with is going on in the cathedral...I do not remember people have bulging heads encrusted with reddened eyeballs all over. And would you also mind explaining what is this maddening influence I keep feeling attempting to pry apart my mind as I am not a fan of being left a dribbling husk." Minh let out a growl almost before stopping himself short when he heard curious screeches of the deformed beings inside, shuffling around closer to the doorway before halting as they headed away thankfully.
"I am an entity from another realm of existence that even the many pantheon of gods would not be able to comprehend, so to keep it short, call me Gramps or Pops, whichever pleases you to call me by. As for my participation of what is going on in here, it was more along the lines of a forced one since I am currently trapped in a cell of sorts. Apparently some fanatic of the Eldritch powers decided to unseal the box containing my seal which tore a damned hole, letting loose the vermin among your unfortunate kind who were all warped or slain by the invading forces. Any survivors were probably left going mad to slowly turn into more fanatics or abominations. The fool that did this was the first to die, but now there is a massive hole forming a bubble of my realm in yours. I am not one to admit it, but I would like to not be surrounded by worshiping idiots...that being the various horrors that are pouring into this cathedral of yours." The aged voice sounded like he was berating a group of troublesome kids with that tone, making Minh more hesitant about facing whatever damned monsters that had been unleashed in this place.
"Guessing that you are going to be helping me, tell me what is needed to be done to clean this mess up, and I am going to predict that these set of instructions will leave me wanting to send you back into your realm." The earthen mage said while slipping closer to the doorway now, leaning over as slowly as he could to see into the room better.
"Destroy the box that once held my cell as it is being used as an anchor for keeping the portal stable, and I will suggest you move as quickly as you are capable of since I will not lie about the literal pouring of them into this place. As for where the box is....it is with the alpha of the things if I had to make an analogy, and I can tell you will be the most likely to succeed at this task than the last two encounters I had with you mages. Before you utter a word about them, I will put to you as quickly as possible since you do not seem like a man for much talk. The first group was a second to their length of patience and understanding, but what they lacked was the necessary manpower to accomplish what I ask for due to their magic being ripped from them as they entered the bubble.. The ability to slip past the hordes is one thing, but the underestimation of the Alpha's capabilities was ultimately their downfall as they are now probably scattered about the central chamber...the big one where coincidentally, everything is located in a massive clusterfuck...mind my language. Being in the middle of this all is mos...umm..the second group to come. They were perfect, if it were not for their unfortunate lack of foresight as soon as they felt their magic slip, and I can quote them as well." His voice changed tone to one much more annoying if Minh had to describe it in one simple word. "We know not what you are foul demon, but we will not be stopped by your trickery. Our magic may be taken, but not our might, ONWARDS BROTHERS." The being let out a loud chuckle before sighing. "Yes, I will have to agree that if it were any other group, maybe it would've went much better, but as you can see, luck was not on our side or theirs for that matter. The anguished cries were enough for me to confirm their results, and for any humans you find alive in one piece...all mad and lost I'm afraid...not many had their mental fortitude up to endure the initial blast of madness." The voice finished its long winded talk just enough for Minh to let out a long sigh before placing his palms to his face with a light, audible thud. The level of exasperation of this whole revelation had put Minh at the edge of his patience with this all and he made a sudden move to step into the small room that he had been hounding with all of the warped beings turning towards him before converging on him. "I am taking it you are going to be much more thorough than the other, or you are completely losing it."
A loud roar following that statement with the sounds of crushing skulls was enough for the old man to keep shut as the earthen martial artist fell upon the horrors in a whirlwind of gore. Fists hitting so hard that some of these sickly beasts had the eyes from their morphed skulls shooting out everywhere like bullets if they weren't splattered across the floor from the start already. Thrown strikes against Minh did hit him with a force that could harm even an armored mage, but he was a literal solid wall of dense earth which absorbed the blows with little difficulty. The harm done to him was to a minimum as he cleared out the room within a minute which left only the insane ones as he was not really willing to kill them just yet. He can hear a slight inquiring 'hmm' from Gramps who probably found an interesting contrast when just seeing how quickly he tore apart his enemies just a moment ago. "So, where are we going...I will rather not wade through the enemy without direction, and unlike the others, I will be more capable of...paving my path through this place if necessary. Also, this cell of yours, just what is it anyways, and I take it that it lies within the same box that I have to destroy. I am not being led to free you am I?"
"Ha, my ass you are, did I not just state that I am something beyond that of the gods? Are you daft? And as for what it is exactly....something along the lines of a pair of full gauntlets. My fellow friends thought it be fun to lock me away in them to be used like tools by mortals while slowly causing them to dive into insanity where I have to spend those days listing to their driveling until they eventually die from it. To be honest, I've never seen one like you with such resilience and recovering capabilities, and simply put, I would rather find myself in use by a more quiet lad or lass who won't lose it on me." Gramps sounded almost too sincere to Minh by the end of all that, but there was some truth to his voice. A paranoid person would say that it was all a trick, but Minh was an opportunist. Gauntlets were also something that he could utilize much more than any other weapon since he only stuck with fighting unarmed with his bare hands, but gauntlets were something that didn't interfere with this preferred choice of combat.
"We will discuss that more once this whole mess have been cleaned up, and as for the whole aspect of being an old man wanting peace, you either are lying through your teeth or you are choosing the lesser of evils with me being somewhat suitable for your tastes." Minh replied before smirking to himself as the old man did so as well being just as cheeky, directing him through the cathedral. The man was lucky because the disembodied voice seemed to have a very refined sense of direction as the two of them passed by masses of various Eldritch monstrosities without having to engage many. Minh hadn't really thought of it till now, but he realized that this ancient entity's presence had almost eliminated all of the maddening influence that has been trying to pry open his mind. Soon, they both entered into the main hall where a cacophony of gibbering voices can be heard from the survivors among the masses of horrors., and their quarry rested at the alter. It was a massive beast that filled up most of the cathedral and turning itself along towards Minh was daunting, and this was in addition to having almost every other foe twisting their grotesque heads towards him.
"Before us lies an ocean of bodies, but I am one such as you are more than capable of parting it. Remember when I said that the box was the anchor...the bloody beast has somehow merged with itself. You will need to split that thing's head wide open like a nut." Minh only snorted loudly at his words and grinned almost before diving straight into a fleshy hell. It was akin to smashing through a wall with the initial crash almost breaking his momentum, but he was able to carry himself forward with another rumbling roar. Every stride threw him through the sea of blood as monsters left and right are thrown dozen of meters through the air, yet Minh seemed limitless as his inner heart thudded with the excitement of battle. The old man would admit that despite the nature of the suicidal charge, it seemed to only push the warrior further beyond what he has previously shown. As his speed picked up, he crossed the threshold within reach of the Alpha whose many limbs lashed out unnaturally fast with one slammed into Minh. Despite his forward momentum and weight, the earthen mage was thrown like a bullet through the swarm of horrors, splatting all in his path in a comical fashion as he careened into the stone wall with a loud boom like a cannon had fired. The Alpha let out a victorious screech only to be cut off short as a boulder sized piece of rubble was launched into its head with a fitting crunch. It jerked backwards as Minh bursts from debris with a renewed rush, parting the ocean of foes once more as he make a mighty leap up into the air towards the huge abomination, and by the time it had recovered, Minh landed upon its head. One hand kept a hardy grip onto one of the woven sections that felt like a kind of bone with the other raining blows upon it vigorously. Crack after crack formed before groping hands managed to grab hold of him, attempting to crush the earthen warrior in one. Minh growled as he struggled against the hand, pushing outward with his limbs as much as he could. Eventually the momentous strength from the man was enough to hold the hand open enough for him to leap out before it closed shut into a fist with a light thud. Though a giant in stature, the Alpha lashed out with furious sweeping strikes with Minh barely keeping his position, lashing out back at the arms with heavy blows from his fists that sounded out like thunder throughout the central chamber. An arm would come sweeping from his flank only to meet an equally powerful blow from his fist which kept the two in a strange standstill as Minh tried to find an opening to leap upon the beast once more. The smaller monsters around the two did not interfere as they would be splattered into mush attempting to. After a while, the large monstrosity slammed all its appendages down upon him, but he rolled forward into a leap straight up once more towards the bulging, empty head. It screeched as Minh made his mark, holding once more while smashing the head open as the cracks grew in size, but this time, Minh knew to move around as the hands groped wildly for him to really grab hold of him once more. His fists still rained blows until he finally broke through with his whole arm suddenly finding itself lodged within the empty space of the Alpha's head. Within a moment of realization, the earthen monk reached forth to latch his hand onto the box in the head that was attached by similar boney sinews and tore the box out as he fell off into ground. With an unnatural piercing scream, the Alpha turned itself to Minh who wasted no time to smash the box in between his hands with all of his strength. To his surprise, it was barely enough to do so as if he had been trying to press together a container of strengthened steel than wood.
A cracking sound echoed throughout the entire room, shaking it to the foundation as the Alpha looked about with visible disarray before a warping noise fills the room like a screeching static. Minh laid there on the ground watching as a black void slowly appears before him, and he held s a rather large, black tome with the pages looking rather worn as the remnants of the box falls around his hands. The Alpha now screeched and went into a rampage as well as the other abominations that are in the main hall, striking out at each other along with the surrounding area. Madness had skyrocketed tenfold as if the rushing magic that filled the area affected them in the worse of ways without the protection of the empty void that was present in the cathedral till now. Standing up from his spot, he jumped once more up straight at the head of the now deranged Alpha who seemed to be dying, and Minh helped it along by a last few strikes of his fist that cracked and shattered the boney cage head of this wretched monster. It feels itself losing strength as the massive body with its many appendages crumpling onto the floor with life draining quickly from the broken bodily form. The other creatures had left themselves a bloody mess to add to the one they made already to begin with, and he had no desire to wipe the rest of them out given their self-destructive nature. "Good job, and I take it you will be bringing that thing back to the one you gotten this task from. However, I request that you not hand over that book for that is my cell that I spoke of earlier, and since it would be best that it doesn't end up in the wrong hands...I need one last favor from you." The old voice rung out once more in a more dire tone.
"I take it you wish to bond yourself to me...but besides me being a quiet man, what else is it that you want of me." Minh inquired back, not yet trusting his unknown entity from beyond despite his lack of malevolence.
"If anything to strike back at my peers and what you would call my leader or boss...she is what I call a bitch. This book is actually the original tome of her legacy that once existed here many eons ago for cults that came and passed, and you might think it is quite foolish to seal an enemy in such an artifact. This was more for humiliation and irony as I am, to some degree, the keeper of lore for the goddess in her court. This book is my doing, and it doesn't make it any less insulting to be trapped inside one of my doing no less. And if it were to please you more, I believe I can grant you powers akin to making a pact with the goddess herself. Perhaps with most of the benefits, but much better than having yourself tied to her, and the only condition I have for you to assist me in killing those who have chosen to join her side and eventually to kill her court and the goddess herself. As for what I am to do afterwards....if I cannot be released, then I will enjoy my eternal company with you, mortal."
"Agreed, if it keeps your power out of the wrong hands, and allow me more tools to eliminate those that would abuse it. As for your condition, that is something that would've already been on my list from the beginning." And with that said, a mutual silence came over the two as Minh grabs the corpse of the Alpha, dragging the aberration out of the cathedral to the main square of the town where his guild Ace was standing to await his return. "Aiyana, it is done...and next time, tell that bastard stationed over there to mind his attitude lest I crush his head to a pulp."
