Written by Sneh Lahurikar
Illustrated by Shravan Bakkiyaraj
Edited by Ilakiya PB
Andrew stood motionless. The rough, cracked ground stood firmly beneath him. Static echoed throughout the air. The continuous buzzing had a primordial feel that emanated wherever the sound began, growing louder as it circled him. He tickled his fingertips with his thumbs, feeling the calloused prints that dug deeper into the skin the harder he pressed. Then he let go of them as if he were counting on their tips. He knew he had the key now.
The sound kept blaring through the air, its decibels steadily increasing. His sensitive ears couldn't hold out for much longer but he kept tapping with his right hand, maintaining that rhythm. Somehow, the sound was always playing. A strange occurrence. It’s as if the sounds never stopped before emerging from a new source. A realization struck him. "Obtentu,” he whispered as quietly as possible. The echolocation and sound resistance spell he had cast dissipated, leaving behind a basic magic force field in front of his body—enough to save his life, just not enough to keep it unharmed.
He regretted that decision. He heard the agonizing screams in their full force, which were somehow enticing him like the sirens' songs to just cup his ears, curl up, and lie down. The volume kept rising throughout the closed dungeon hall as those feelings of cowardice kept getting stronger. The strain repulsed his naked ears as they arbitrarily changed pressure, threatening to pop everything inside. He was quivering as his balance was giving out, sentencing him to defeat. “NO! Focus on what matters.” He steeled his resolve, he wasn’t here to die. He focused his ears on the direction of the sound, attempting to ignore its chaotic drive. Whenever the direction changed, the sound momentarily stopped; only the reverberations remained till the source resumed with the horrid sounds from another spot.
The sound died down for a few seconds. Andrew spun around a perfect 180 degrees, taking his opportunity as it came. "Perdere," he bellowed in the direction he believed the sound had stopped, pointing there with his small, smooth, and polished wooden wand. A screeching wail erupted from that direction at the same time he cast his new spell. The light was always faster than sound. A crimson bolt of magical energy violently shot itself toward the nearest target. The source of the screeching wail. An explosion was followed by a silent thump. Before the wail could strike him, he had done it, another monster added to his kill count.
The monster lay writhing on the ground. It had been burnt by the targeted explosion spell, losing most of its body in the process. The spell had struck his torso, meaning he would live for a few more minutes. His intuition was right though, the wand that had struck him was indeed powerful, and if he had slain its wielder he could have acquired its power to cast spells as well. Damn it! He had lost his chance to go beyond monster kind. How had he lost though?
This mage was a beginner and he had slain many, more capable of their kind through his Medusa Vision and Banshee Shriek. This mere child seemed unaffected by his stone-turning gaze and was surprisingly resilient to his ear-splitting screams. That kid had the gall to cast an unsheathing spell while he was trying to disorient him with continuous screaming while flying across the confines of the underground dungeon. Was it all a trap? To lure him into using his time-consuming Banshee Shrieks from behind, giving the kid enough time to locate him. How could that be?... Unless his thoughts died that moment with him.
The magical energy of the monster surged into Andrew as it drew its final breath. He could feel the inherent magic in his body adapt itself to the abilities the monster had used. He had done it, acquiring powerful and unique monstrous magical abilities that didn’t require spells to cast. There was only one way to find out: Andrew took a deep breath and concentrated on the magic within. Instead of his wand, he redirected the energy into his throat. A deafening roar engulfed the dungeon, silencing every other sound. He closed his mouth, to feel continuous and powerful vibrations pulsate through his feet. Yes, that had caved in a few pillars. He’d have to test the other ability later, small stones started falling from the ceiling like hail. He had to leave the completed dungeon now, after all, he had achieved his goal. He sighed in relief. Who would've thought it would be easier to slay monsters if you happened to be blind?
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