Chapter 60: Weird Door
As Desire and the fire continued walking throughout the cave, Desire soon found out that the cave has many pathways.
After all, the duo of fire and child turned many corners while walking. In Desire's first visit to this Dungeon, he only followed a single path to get to the place where he found his food and water.
Although it didn't seem much of important detail, Desire knows that knowing the layout of a Dungeon is important.
It could save his life in a critical moment, and it could also be counted as something that could help him make a decision.
Either way, Desire was thankful to know that there were also other pathways.
"How long do we need to continue walking?" Desire asked no one in particular with a bit of annoyance in his voice.
It had been for a long time that they walked in this cave, but they still didn't reach their destination.
It was quite harsh on Desire as he just replenished his stamina and water.
He already wasted a bit of that stamina when he went outside of the Dungeon to look for monsters.
That was why Desire thought that it would be best if they were able to get to their destination much faster.
However, the fire still didn't answer Desire as it just continued to float in the air.
It was to the point that Desire thought that it was a bad decision for him to follow the fire.
"Hah. Time." Desire spoke as his eyes witnessed a change in front of him.
He still wasn't used to this setting, but he was able to adjust to it rather quickly than normal.
What Desire called for was the time left he has before he would be taken over and the time he has left for clearing this Dungeon.
And what the Unknown has for him was...
[Time left until Desire's Vessel is taken over: 4 hours and 24 minutes]
[Time left until the Dungeon closes down: 4 hours and 24 minutes]
Desire only had 4 hours and 24 minutes left to clear this Dungeon and rank up. Although it may seem such a long time, for Desire, who didn't know anything in this Dungeon, it was a short amount of time.
'Hmm...I wonder why they have the same time frame?' Desire thought as he took a glance at the fire.
When he confirmed that the fire was still in front of him, he moved his eyes back to the Unknown before thinking.
'Is it a coincidence?' Desire thought, but he soon disapproved of what he thought as he shook his head.
After all, it was too sketchy that it would be a coincidence. The Monster who wants to take over Desire's Vessel, and the Spirit of Fire who is interested in Desire's Vessel and Potential...
'Are they the same?'
It was more than likely that they were the same creature or being. However, Desire thought that it was just weird and strange for it to be the same creature.
Taking over Desire's Vessel and being interested in it are two completely different things.
And it wouldn't even end with just their difference. After all, the latter part, interested in Desire's Vessel and Potential, seems to be more positive than the first one.
"Huuuu." Desire sighed as he closed his eyes and thought about how it was not the time to work his head over something like this.
It wasn't appropriate of him to think about this when something in this Dungeon could come out and kill him now.
He still hadn't forgotten about the incident of a blue fire burning a monster, which led to him being safe from that monster's attack.
It would be pretty stupid for Desire if he let his guard down here.
It was then.
As Desire kept thinking about such things while walking, the fire seems to have found its destination as it flared up quite strongly.
"Woah!" Desire put up a hand over his face and his other hand was dripping wet with water magic.
Although he knew that the fire wouldn't hurt him, it was just his instinctual reaction towards something.
It was proof that he now has his guard up for anything possible to happen.
"You surprised me...what is it now?"
Desire asked, but he didn't expect an answer. Instead, he expected the fire to make some sign or signal.
And he was right. The fire then made something like a hand and urged Desire to come over beside it.
Desire just calmly followed the fire's instructions, and when he was beside the fire now, his eyes widened like a firework.
"What the hell happened?!" Desire shouted as he back off some steps in a fluster.
After all, when he walked, there was nothing in front of him. He was sure of it as he remembers every single detail about the Dungeon, thanks to his Heavenly Demon Trait.
And what appeared when he was beside the fire was a huge black door.
The door was tall and grand that Desire could feel something just from the look of it.
However, when Desire took a closer and better look at it, he noticed that it didn't have any room beyond the door.
It was a door in the middle of nowhere, and the path continues on.
"What the hell...?" Desire's confusion grew as he checked the sides and noticed that the door didn't entirely block the way.
What the hell is the door for? Desire thought as he looked at the fire.
However,?what the fire did was something he didn't expect at all.
Why?
It was because it grew something like an arm and urged Desire to enter the door like a gentleman.
"Are you saying that I should enter this door to clear the Dungeon?" Desire asked, and once again, the fire signaled its confirmation to Desire's question.
It seems that Desire has to enter this door to clear the Dungeon.
Desire looked at the door up and down as if to measure its scale.
His eyes were shaking, and one could see that he was nervous at the thought of going in.
However, it wasn't as if he was scared of this huge black door.
It was just that he didn't know anything about it. And for some reason, Desire knew that once he steps in, he wouldn't be able to get back out unless he finishes what he started inside.
It was then.
As Desire continued to be stuck in his spot, the fire soon touched Desire's back.
Although it didn't hurt or anything like that, Desire could still feel that the hotness that the fire has.
"Hah. Do I really have to enter it?" Desire sighed as he asked once more.
His hopes were crushed and beaten down to the ground as the fire 'nodded' its head again.
It seems it wouldn't take no for an answer as it pushed Desire slightly.
Desire then looked at the door with a bit of a determined look. After all, if Desire has to do it, it would be better to do it now.
And so, while being backed and cheered by the fire behind him, Desire entered the door...well, not really.
"Wait, how do I open it?" Desire whipped his head back to the fire as he asked.
After all, it was a huge door that Desire was sure he wouldn't have the necessary strength to open it.
Even if he does use some of his magic, it just won't work.
And for that problem, the fire's 'arm' soon extended out towards the door.
Another arm grew out of its body, and it continued extending until both of them were on the doors.
"Wow..." Desire murmured an exclamation as he saw the fire's work.
It was exceedingly beautiful, after all.
'Is that how it is to be one with nature...?' Desire thought, but he couldn't finish it as the fire soon opened the door.
Whoosh!!
Despite the size of the door, it didn't make much of shaking, and Desire could only hear the wind blowing.
It didn't take much time for the fire to open up the door, and Desire could peek inside.
It was weird as to how the door had a room after it opened, and the pathway was still the same.
However, what he saw was just eerie darkness that seems to have prevented him from seeing what was inside.
And when Desire looked back at the fire which now had his arms back to its body, Desire made up his mind.
'I guess I'll enter it.'
With a little bit of uneasiness, Desire walked off towards the inside of the door.
His speed was quite fast even though he was just walking. And soon, his figure disappeared, and the fire just watched Desire enter the door.
The fire didn't follow Desire like it used to do before.
It was then.
As the fire continued floating in the air, another pillar of fire growing out of it could be seen taking something out of its body.
It didn't take long for its 'arm' to take out that something and the fire's arm just dropped it to the ground before returning back.
Well, it didn't really drop to the ground as it continued floating.
When the fire 'looked' at the thing in front of it, it saw a small, blue flame floating in the air.
It was the flame that protected Desire before.