Affinity:Chaos
chapter-168

'We can't keep this up for much longer.' Grey said as he used the inscription to attack the frog that was getting closer to him.

'I know, but there's no way to shake them off, it's like they're glued to your aura or scent.' Void contemplated.

'I don't think it's my aura because the last time I managed to get out of their view, I concealed it, yet they still found us.' Grey said while running past the compound.

He suddenly halted and looked at the castle again.

'It's like the one I entered with the guys when I just came here.' He said.

Standing at the place the gate was supposed to be, he looked behind him, then at the gate. His mind quickly flashed to the castle and everything that happened there. If this one is just like that one, then it meant there would be trials inside. It also meant that he would be able to escape his pursuers.

"Let's go in." He steeled his mind and decided to take the risk.

He didn't know what trials this place had in store for him, but if it would keep these beasts away, he was okay with it. After using the Fusion State against the quasi dragon previously, he should be resting, but he couldn't because he had to escape.

When he entered the compound, he turned around and created a wall to block the space. After doing that, he channeled water essence towards his feet and then into the ground. He had already gotten better at turning the ground into mud, and could easily determine how much essence is needed to create an extremely thick, or light mud.

Currently, he was planning on creating a thick mud that would impede the movement of the beasts that were behind him. With the wall blocking the view of the beasts, they would all naturally jump over it, thereby landing in the mud he has prepared for them.

By the time he was done with his preparation, the frogs were already within a hundred meters away from his location.

'This should be able to slow them down.' He nodded looking at his work before dashing towards the door of the castle.

The compound was large, spanning an area of at least seven hundred cubic meters with the castle taking up one-third of the space.

Grey soon got to the door and just as he touched it.

'There are multiple spaces in there.' Void said, surprised.

'Yeah, there are a lot of places like this.' Grey said nonchalantly.

It wasn't his first time experiencing this, so he didn't feel too surprised.

Grey placed both hands on the wooden door, with the thought of pushing it. He had looked around and noticed it wasn't like that one he entered with the group, so he guessed this one would open if pushed. And just as he was about to apply force on his hands, the door shook.

Rumble!

Creak…

After shaking once, it slowly started opening up.

"Oh!" Grey exclaimed lightly, not expecting the door to open in this manner.

While watching the door, he heard a 'plop' sound, and a smile formed across his face. He quickly turned around and saw all three frogs were caught in his mud trap.

The mud was almost fifty meters long and was at least thirty meters wide, so it covered the area after the gate properly.

Boom!

Grey's attention was once again drawn to the door with that sound. Looking back, he noticed the door was currently opened wide.

"Don't tell me it'll stay like this?" He could not help but complain.

He already knew coming here was as much of a risk as an opportunity for him, this place could be a dead end, or it could provide an opportunity to escape. Furthermore, he already had a contingency plan in case it was a dead end, and that was taking the risk of using the Fusion State once again. But he was a little hopeful that this place would be able to help him escape from the beasts.

Without wasting any more time, he dashed into the castle which was dark inside, although it was still daytime.

Entering into the castle, other than pillars which had carvings of different magical beasts, there was only one door.

"That should stop them." Grey said with a wry smile.

The door was so small that he was sure it would stop him as well.

"Maybe if I crawl I'll be able to pass through it." He said self mockingly.

Presently, he already gave up on this place and just assumed he was at a dead end and had to face the beasts.

'Hmm, if I turn back now, I should be able to escape.' thought Grey.

Just as he turned around.

'What are you doing?' Void asked with a confused expression.

'Leaving on time so I could still keep a good distance away from them.' replied Grey while walking towards the wooden door which for some reason was closed.

He didn't hear any noises, so he was quite surprised that it was closed.

'Aren't you going to enter this place?' Void looked at him strangely.

'I know you can pass through it, but have you seen the size difference between us? I'm sure only my head could get past it.' Grey replied while trying to open the door.

"Fuck! Why won't it open!?" He cursed out loud when even after using all his strength, the door didn't budge in any way.

'Because it can only be opened from the outside.' Void said.

"Shit! We're fucked. *Sigh* Such a bad decision." Grey sighed while shaking his head in disappointment.

He never thought a single decision would cause so much harm, it might even cost him his life. There's no way for him to leave this place, yet, the beasts don't have a problem with getting in. If not for the mud trap he set outside, then he would have already started fighting against the beasts by now.

'Is anything wrong with your head or something?' Void had a strange expression while staring at Grey.

He still couldn't comprehend why Grey was acting this way.

Grey looked at him, but decided not to answer, rather, he walked to the side of a pillar and sat down in a crossed leg position trying to calm himself, preparing for the upcoming battle.

'Are you waiting for the beasts to come in before you go in?' Void still had the same weird look in his eyes.

Grey looked at him and declined to reply, he wanted to save his energy for the beasts coming his way. He felt maybe there was something wrong with Void's head.

Like, how the hell does he expect him to pass through that small door?

'I get it now, you don't know.' Void said after seeing his lack of reply.

'Don't know what?' asked Grey.

'That's not the entrance, there's a space opening just before it.' Void pointed to the door.

It was only now that he remembered unlike him, Grey didn't have the space element, so he wouldn't be able to sense the fact that there was an entrance just in front of the little door.

'Why didn't you say that earlier?' Grey instantly stood up and sprinted towards the little door.

Since he could escape, why would he bother himself with fighting against the beasts? He soon got close to the door.

'Where?'

'Take three steps forward.'

'Okay.'

Grey took three steps forward, but nothing happened, just as he was about to question Void again, he heard the creaking sound the door makes when opening.

He unconsciously took a fourth step, and just as his foot touched the ground, he was sucked in with a flash of dark silvery light.

'Oh, looks like it's the fourth.' Void said awkwardly.

'Where's this?' Grey asked looking at the dark space around them.

He was currently floating, and looking ahead of him, he saw twelve lights, other than that, he saw nothing else. It was like he was in the night sky, and the twelve lights were the stars in it. Judging from the direction he was headed, he realized he was going towards the third light he counts from the left.

'A space created by a Space Elementalist.' said Void.

'Wow, amazing! The space element truly is unique.' Grey exclaimed, surprised by what the space element was capable of once again.

From the time Void introduced the space element to him till now, he only keeps getting shocked by it.

He hopes to awaken his sooner, but alas, it was easier said than done. He knew how long it took for him to awaken the other elements, and luck was also what helped him in shortening the time. Had he not been lucky, then it would take longer. Comprehending the elements was just too hard, and since he had to increase the grade of the ones he had awakened, he had less time to start comprehending new ones.

Just as he entered the light, a frog appeared in the space.