94. The Vessel

What should have taken the normal route of everyone being screened through the clown's trial was overthrown by the effort of the Players that were left alive. They broke down the final barrier, burning the tent into flames. It wasn't like the regular red fire that they usually saw, but burning black flames that devoured even the metal down to a puddle of tar.

Everybody escaped as they ran a good distance away. They didn’t want to be part of the burning tent that would consume them whole if they stayed.

Snow had run out with the crowd until she was a good distance away. She watched the black flames lick the very tent. For a moment, she thought she saw a smoke-filled demonic entity as an apparition appeared in the smoke in a dying scream. It was a heart-chilling feeling.

A shriek of all-consuming despair emanated from the tent, followed by fiery explosions that ejected black flaming tar. Many ducked and scrambled to get out of harm’s way, for they did not want to be part of the destruction. At that moment, everyone saw a ghostly figure of a demon’s face screeched out once before it was snuffed out of existence.

The longer the Players stayed, the more they felt the urge to get out of this cursed dungeon. It was an instinctual urge to get out of there alive that was different from the other dungeon where they wanted to stay a bit longer to gain levels and rewards.

Eventually, the fire died down, leaving behind a skeleton metal wire. Barely even half a foot off the ground. The black smoke and the brunt ground was present, telling them that there once stood a tent.

Snow went up to Rodney, who had Mike and Sarah next to him as they were conversing with each other. Her light pitter-patter of her footsteps drew their attention. They noticed Snow coming over.

“You guys ready to move out?” Snow asked, too unnerved by the soul-chilling scream that she had to shake herself a few times to get her body moving again.

“Yes. Though the number of my people dead is quite high.” Rodney frowned, realizing that this was only just the start of their journey. They didn’t know how long they would be stuck in this dungeon.

“How bad is it?”

After a seemingly long wait, Rodney spoke, “We are down to 1600ish. We lost too many.”

Snow was guilty. They should have moved faster, her patience cost too many lives.

“We got to keep moving.” Rodney interrupted her thoughts. His words were cold. A bit of his body was tarnished with smoke, giving him a light burnt. He was the rare few that had come out last as he busily directed everyone out to make sure none of his people stayed behind.

“That is the best course of action for now.”

Rodney motions his people, getting them together to move forward. There was a dreary mood as everyone went along.

They continued onwards, the booths started to thin out. Wild trees and overgrown plants took up most of the area, making it into a mini jungle. There were open paths with pavement still present, but the most attractions were overgrown, barely visible to the eyes. One had to squint to see if they could see if it was a booth or an overgrown ivy that took up most of its place.

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Eventually, they came to a small stream that divided the first area that they walked through to the second. But everyone stopped; even if the little stream was a jump away, something about it made everyone freeze.

Snow couldn’t help but automatically send out her magic. There was something there--she knew it.

No, she felt it.

“I don’t know about this.” Mike stopped a step away, looking off into the distance with concern. He had a strange expression on his face as if he was uncertain how he should react.

The foul energy given off was disgusting to the point where their own soul rejected stepping any further. Only a few brave souls who had the mentality and the fearless conviction to step forward was able to make it across. It was almost like an unwanted baptism of evil.

Suddenly, the lights on the bulb turned on, lighting up ahead. The sound of happy amusement park music started with a few hiccups.

“Yea, I don’t like this.” Mike wasn’t thrilled that their next destination was intent on creeping them out. Mainly because they all expected a monster fight or a swarm that they usually encounter. Instead, it was like they were stepping inside some kind of horror movie. And whatever was in this amusement park wasn’t like the usual dungeon they heard about.

“What can we do.” Rodney was the brave few who trudge through. “We got to kill the dungeon crystal and the boss.”

“Yea, kid.” Tommy walked past him, striking Mike on the back. "Chin up, don't wet your pants."

“Hey, I resent that.”

“Sure, you do. Kid.” Tommy snickered.

With a deep breath, Snow took the first step as she squandered her budding feeling of unease. This wasn’t the time to get cold feet.

The moment she crossed the stream. Her body blazed into a protective defense. Magical energy burst from her body and wrapped around her in a dim light.

Surprised at her sudden action, the people around took a few steps back. Some even thought that she would burst into flames from the way her magic reacted.

“Is that what I think it is?” Red hopped over, trying to get close to her. But the holy light around her kept her away.

“What’s going on?” Mike asked him if he had heard the commotion from behind. He didn’t see what happened, but the sudden appearance of Snow’s light bulb like a light was blinding. Still, when he blinked a few times, the light seemed less harmless than before and washed over his very body.

They all felt it--peace. Whatever Snow did clear the very air.

“Her magic has a mind of its own.” Red was excited at the thought of what Snow’s magic can do.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Snow asked it wasn’t like she wanted to be a walking light bulb everywhere she went, but she felt the soft comfort of the magic keeping her safe. Whatever it was that seemed to make her jumpy was gone.

“Both.” Red was finally able to match Snow’s energy signature, she was the first to be able to get to her. Grabbing Snow’s hand, she brought it up for her to see. Pulling it back, she showed off Snow’s wrist.

“What?” said Snow.

“See this?” Red gave her an excited grin. “You have a magical band.”

“A what?” Snow wasn't sure what Red was getting at until she saw what Red was seeing. A bracelet made out of pure light, wrapped around her wrist. She had a weird feeling of familiarity behind it, almost like a faded memory that she couldn't remember.

“This only happened to a very rare selective few. You have become the vessel.” Red said excitedly. “You remember how you could get a mana overdose because of your condition? Well, my interesting subject...I mean.” She slurped, hiding away her excitement and her hiccup for speaking out her thoughts.

Snow wasn’t sure how to feel about Red looking at her intensely like some delicious morsel. It scared her.

"Your body has undergone a rapid change to accommodate the vast amount of magic inside the mana pool. This is like a one in a million chance. One could say it's a miracle. Every vessel that gets too much mana into their body die. Sometimes, there have been cases where they explode. Quite a gruesome case, I assure you." Red explained as if it wasn't a big deal. “And the ones that succeeded are imprinted with a mana bracelet, but not you. Look, it’s not just one wrist.”

Snow quickly checked her other wrist and realized that there was another. A thin white light barely visible to one’s eyes without using a man of their own.

"Weird, I know." Red was meticulously trying to figure out why. "Even I don't know why you have so many. These magical stamps had appeared in other forms as well. Your’s seem to be in the form of a bracelet?” Red looked at her for an answer. “Do you have some kind of affinity with it?”

“I don’t know.” Snow wasn’t able to give her an answer. It wasn’t like she knew why she wanted to chain herself with a bracelet.

Red was once again in her professional researcher mode. Looking her up and down, spinning around her and lifting her white hair. “The typical mark also follows with white hair turned and golden eyes. Still, this is peculiar. Maybe it’s genetics? Did your family have a history of magic?” She looked up at her.

“No, I was an awakened human, meaning I had no connection to the magical community until I got forcefully baptized by magic.”

“When was this?”

“Seven, when I stumbled around in the forest and ended up in a secluded fairy village.” Remembering these memories were like a brief cloud happiness that she kept close to her heart.

“They saved me and brought me back to my home.”

“Fairy’s tend to do that.” Red was thinking over what Snow had said. “And it always has to be those fairies to wake up a wandering child.” She rolled her eyes.