The Realm Between: A LitRPG Saga (Books 7 - 10), page 110
As soon as the notification faded away, a red door materialized about a hundred yards away, where the ledge met the land.
He found this incredibly suspicious.
Up to this point, the door had always appeared nearby. This time, Azure would be required to walk a good ways to get to it.
Feeling like Luuq was playing another trick on him, he kept his arrow nocked and his eyes to the sea as he cautiously made his way toward the door. No doubt, at any moment, another monster would come. Perhaps the frogloks this time.
Jin had indiscriminately massacred them. If Azure had to pay for the elf’s past mistake, he would be pretty pissed off. As it was, all he wanted was to get off this ledge. The claustrophobia of having such a small walking space was unsettling, not to mention his constant fear of what he couldn’t see beneath the water.
Please let this be it, Azure repeated in his mind over and over again as he made his way toward the door. Every step he took made it seem so close yet still so far away.
By some miracle, he reached it without further incident, though he gave pause before touching the handle.
If Azure continued off the ledge and onto the land, he would eventually find a Pool of Recovery that would heal all his wounds and bring his stats back to 100%. It was worth bypassing the door to locate it, especially with as poor of shape as he was currently in.
Keeping his bow in hand, Azure tried to go around the door and walked straight into an invisible wall. Luckily, his foot hit it first, so he didn’t end up smashing his face against it like he had with a glass door back on Earth one time.
“What the?” Azure grumbled, tapping the wall with his big toe a few times before walking to the other side of the door and trying that side instead.
It was the same. There was no way to get through, though he could clearly see the beach leading up to the forest. Beyond that, Finborh was nestled in the side of the mountain. Was he even aware of what was going on—that Luuq had somehow crossed into his territory, in a sense?
“Finborh!” Azure called out.
Maybe the God of Land could help him out of this mess.
As soon as the name left his mouth, he heard a croaking sound behind him.
Azure turned to see four frogloks with spears approaching, and they didn’t look happy.
“That’s a whole lot of nope,” he said to himself.
Then he opened the door and stepped through the portal.
HOUSE OF HORRORS
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE REALM – DAY 1020
Azure had had no idea where he would end up when he walked through the door. To his knowledge, he had run out of near-death experiences. The only one he hadn’t gone through was when he was up against James Bower. But that was much further back in the timeline.
Where Azure had ended up could best be described as a closet. Three dark-purple walls closed him in on all sides, barely giving him four feet by four feet of space. Directly in front of Azure was another door, though this one was painted black and didn’t have his name etched into the frame. Tacked to it was a piece of parchment with messy handwriting scrawled across it.
Azure leaned forward to read it.
Congratulations! You have survived your past. Enjoy the rest of the night off in these completely safe accommodations. One of your comrades will be joining you shortly. Enjoy your time with them while you can. More fun house shenanigans await you in the morning.
Much disdain,
Luuq
“Completely safe, huh?” he huffed.
That certainly didn’t sound safe at all.
Feeling claustrophobia creeping in again, Azure turned the silver handle and opened the door.
There was a sense of familiarity as the black vintage flower pattern made a return crawling up the purple walls. If that wasn’t telling enough, the dark maroon carpet confirmed that this was an extension of the large chamber that Azure and his friends had originally teleported into when they’d first entered Luuq’s Fun House. This room was much smaller, though—the size of a large bedroom.
A four-poster bed was pushed back against the right wall, the foot of it sticking out into the center of the room. Dark purple drapes hung from the ornately carved wooden posts, thin enough that Azure could see two oversized feather pillows resting behind them. The comforter was plush, sporting the same design as the walls.
A complete bedroom set made of carved mahogany gave the room a bougie feel. Several gold candelabras provided light. Despite the multitude of them, there was still a dimness to the room that felt a bit ominous to Azure.
To his surprise, the black door didn’t disappear once he stepped through it.
Looking around, Azure wished some food had been provided for him.
Glancing down, he realized for the first time that all his original armor and gear had been returned to him.
Digging in his Worn Leather Backpack, Azure found all his inventory intact in addition to the loot he’d collected going through the previous doors. That was a relief, as was the fact that he had food on him, so at least he wouldn’t starve to death.
Just to make sure that everything was completely back to normal, Azure brought up his Character Sheet.
Name: Sir Azure Galvan
Race: Human
Level: 47, 46% of the way to next level
Health: 215 / 990 (1650)
Mana: 810 / 650 (1810)
Stamina: 445 / 655 (1015)
Vitality: 50 (66)
Intelligence: 21 (116)
Strength: 22 (36)
Agility: 13 (40)
Dexterity: 17 (31)
Charisma: 5 (16)
Luck: 20 (24)
Skills: Archery Lvl 16; 77% of the way to next level
Stealth Lvl 12; 0% of the way to next level
Analyze Lvl 30; 74% of the way to next level
Cooking Lvl 20; 60% of the way to next level
Alchemy Lvl 8; 78% of the way to next level
Foraging Lvl 26; 42% of the way to next level
One-Handed Weapons Lvl 4; 10% of the way to next level
Tracking Lvl 1; 90% of the way to next level
Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 30; 12% of the way to next level
Fishing Lvl 1; 10% of the way to next level
Drinking Lvl 4; 25% of the way to next level
Air Magic Lvl 2; 55% of the way to next level
Battle Magic Lvl 2; 45% of the way to next level
Land Magic Lvl 10; 68% of the way to next level
Enchanting Lvl 47; 31% of the way to next level
Mining Lvl 3; 60% of the way to next level
Tanning Lvl 5; 80% of the way to next level
Leatherworking Lvl 3; 10% of the way to next level
Woodworking Lvl 10; 13% of the way to next level
Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue, Elvish, Cheoksum
Once that was confirmed, he drank six Poor Quality Potions of Minor Healing.
Azure currently had the Fabled Cloak of Quick Cast equipped. Since the stats on his Brawler’s Magic Cloak were better, he swapped the two out. Then Azure clipped the Daisy Lapel Pin onto his cloak, boosting his stats even more. Once that was done, he rechecked his Character Sheet to see the changes.
Name: Sir Azure Galvan
Race: Human
Level: 47, 46% of the way to next level
Health: 1415 / 990 (1860)
Mana: 810 / 650 (1930)
Stamina: 445 / 655 (1165)
Vitality: 50 (87)
Intelligence: 21 (128)
Strength: 22 (51)
Agility: 13 (60)
Dexterity: 17 (46)
Charisma: 5 (30)
Luck: 20 (40)
Pleased with the outcome, Azure closed his Character Sheet and once more turned his attention to the hunger causing his stomach to ache. Surely, whoever he ended up with would understand if he ate without them.
All Azure had on him was some Uncooked Deer Meat. While he was pretty sure he would be fine if he ate it raw, it wasn’t worth risking it when he was still in the depths of the fun house. Luckily, there was a source of fire in the room.
Skewering a piece of meat on the end of his Fire Summoner’s Dagger, Azure walked over to one of the candelabras and held the red flesh above the flame. Not surprisingly, with the source of heat so small, the meat cooked unevenly. It also took a painfully long time to cover every inch of it.
More than one time, the thought of using his dagger’s Kiss of Fire spell swept through Azure’s mind. Would that actually cook the meat, though, or just burn it? There was a big difference between 1 point of fire damage and 140 points. Too bad he couldn’t control the outcome.
It felt like Azure had stood over the candle for nearly an hour before the outside of the deer meat was mostly brown. Of course, with an uneven heat source, parts of it were blotchy on the outside, and there was no doubt it was still rare on the inside. Proof that it wasn’t fully cooked was in the lack of a notification. But Azure’s patience had run out, and he was too hungry to care anymore.
“Well, here it goes,” he muttered before ripping into the meat with his teeth like an animal.
Blood and juices rushed out to dribble over his chin. The meat was most definitely not cooked on the inside, only deceptively browned on the outside. Azure tried to pretend it was blue, but it was a lot closer to completely raw.
Still, the food satiated his hunger just enough to get him through to his next meal—whenever that might be.
Now, it was time to make himself comfortable and wait for whoever would show up.
After dealing with mimics, Azure didn’t much trust any of the furniture in the room. The fact that the bed was the only option for seating was also suspicious.
Erring on the side of caution, he decided to sit on the floor instead, resting his back in the far corner of the room facing the door.
Boredom set in quickly as time passed, and Azure felt his eyes growing heavy from exhaustion. How long had it been since he’d last slept? After fighting so many monsters, it felt like days.
Trying to keep himself awake, Azure wondered who might walk through the door. He really didn’t want it to be Jin or Princess Zadori. Taking into consideration that the bed might be real, Azure didn’t want to have to give it up.
If he had his pick, he’d choose Uden as his roommate. More than anything, Azure wanted to know what had caused the half-imp to disobey the elf’s orders and come to see Luuq. Also, he needed to know that his friend was still himself.
“Please be Uden,” Azure said aloud, in case the God of Death could hear him and grant his wish.
Then again, Luuq was all about creating turmoil. He would likely room Jin and Uden together since they hated each other.
There would be comfort in reconnecting with one of his comrades, no matter who walked through that door. Azure speculated what ordeals the others might have had to face, playing them out in his head.
Clearly, he, Jin, Uden, and Rerdam all had rough pasts. But what about Princess Zadori? What could Luuq possibly have subjected her to?
Azure’s thoughts went to darker, more unpleasant things. The fact that she had made it out of Eckgan Bluff unmolested was a miracle. Of all the horrors that could befall a woman with no other trauma in her life, he could only think of one fitting for a place like this.
A loud sigh left his lips as he considered how this dungeon might change them all. Even thinking about everything they’d been through and everything that might lay ahead was exhausting, causing Azure’s eyelids to grow heavy.
Despite his resolve to stay awake, he could not fight sleep forever, especially while enjoying the still silence and safety of the room. Azure had definitely been in here for over an hour now, and nothing had attacked him. But that didn’t mean that monsters weren’t waiting for the right moment. He had even checked under the bed to make sure nothing was hiding there, biding its time until he dropped his guard.
Thinking about his friends was no longer working to keep him awake. Neither was fear a motivator. Every time Azure closed his eyes, it took a little longer for him to be able to force them open again, his eyelids practically sealing together in resistance.
Just when he was on the very cusp of sleep, he heard a clicking and the sound of hinges creaking open.
Instinctively, Azure’s eyes flew open, and his hand went to the hilt of his sword as he watched the black door open. Then, just as cautiously as he had first entered the room, a head poked through.
The woman looked back and forth. She wore a long black dress with a massive collar that stuck out high above her head. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a bun and covered in black fishnet. Messy ringlets crowned her pale face. Black eyeliner ringed her blue eyes, making them seem almost larger than realistically possible. Her lips were equally dark.
The dress she wore was cut into a long V in the front that reached almost all the way down to her navel. White skin showed beneath. Touching the floor, the bottom of the dress was flowy, made from a mix of black velvet and lace. From her shoulders fell a black net cloak studded in diamonds.
Naturally, Azure’s eyes were drawn to the woman’s chest. In the center of it, a round green stone with tiny flecks of gold peeked out. Around it was a faint green ring.
Looking back up, his eyes locked with the woman’s, and recognition hit him.
Almost before Azure could make it to his feet, Princess Zadori was throwing herself into his arms.
“Oh, Azure!” She buried her face against his chest. “It was horrible.”
The collar of her dress consumed his sight, making him uncomfortable.
For as much as Azure liked being close to the princess, he wanted her to detach so that he could see the rest of the room.
Very gently, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pried her off of him before peeking behind her. The door that Princess Zadori had come through had silently closed itself and disappeared, leaving the two of them trapped in the room together.
“Tell me all about it,” Azure said distractedly. “Have you seen the others?”
“No.” She shook her head before turning to see what he was staring at.
The princess seemed to be taking in the room for the first time. Letting him go, she walked toward the bed, then ran her fingertips across the comforter before pivoting back around.
Azure couldn’t get over how different Princess Zadori looked. With the black lipstick and dark eyeshadow, it was as if someone had forced pure innocence into a slutty Halloween costume. He wanted to hate it, but he just couldn’t.
Keeping his eyes away from her chest was a real challenge, though.
“You look…different,” he couldn’t help but point out.
The princess seemed startled by the comment. “Oh. Yes. This.” She glanced down, though she didn’t bother trying to cover herself. “May I ask something of you?” Her gaze shot back up to meet his.
“Yes?” Azure replied hesitantly, not sure what she might want.
Because she looked so different, he didn’t really trust her—that it even was her.
“Can you take off your Mail of Change? I want to see you. The real you.” The princess’ eyes were earnest, and candlelight danced off the wetness covering them. It was a look of trauma and confusion.
Azure realized just then that she didn’t trust him either. What had Luuq put her through? The thought that the God of Death might have harmed Princess Zadori psychologically made Azure angry.
Still, he couldn’t help feeling the need to protect himself against the possibility of deception. “This armor provides some pretty good stats for me.”
Her gaze fell to the floor, and sadness took over her, as if she was barely able to hold herself together. “I know. I just need…some familiarity right now. I need to know that you’re you.”
“And how do I know that you’re you?” He held firm.
“I’m a bard with no instruments,” she replied with a hint of shame.
Now that Azure thought about it, he’d never really considered her a bard. Maybe it was because she hadn’t used that talent in so long.
With a sigh, he relented. If this was a trick, he could end up getting boned, but he understood her need for familiarity right now.
Despite his better judgment, Azure unclasped his Brawler’s Magic Cloak, then stripped down until he was bare-chested, effectively transforming back into himself.
“Oh, it is you!” Relief was palpable in the princess’ voice as she rushed into Azure’s arms once more.
Discomfort swirled through him from both the closeness and the fact that her collar had once more obscured his vision.
Princess Zadori was not acting normal at all, and for that reason, Azure forced himself to pull her away from him again.
“I can’t see shit with that collar. Can you take it off or…” He tried his best not to sound rude.
“Oh.” Once more, she seemed startled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize.” The princess took a few steps back before turning around. “Can you help me? I’m not sure how it goes on. I think it might snap.”
Azure glanced around the room a final time to make sure it was still safe before helping her remove the collar. It attached to a stiff piece of fabric at the back of the dress that extended into shoulder pads. Taking the collar off reduced the height of the garment by a solid two feet. The thing was absolutely ridiculous, though it had done well to create a dramatic effect for her entrance.
He held the collar awkwardly for a moment before tossing it onto the bed. “Not sure what you want to do with that.”
“Burn it.” Princess Zadori glared at the stiff accessory.
“So…are you going to tell me the story of this or what?” Azure gestured to the dress.
She drew a hand up to her face and shook her head. “It was a gift from Luuq—part of an attempt to get me to abandon our quest for the remaining Stones of Blessing. He gave it to me after showing me…” Her voice cracked, and her eyes began to water.
The princess turned away from Azure to hide her face.
