“Buddy…” I asked while carefully observing my surroundings.

“W-what's the m-matter, hero?”

“How far until we are done with this cave? I'm starting to get tired.” This cave is so massive. I feel as though I am just wondering aimlessly in the pitch black darkness.

“Ooh, i-if you w-want t-to rest, I k-know a s-spot!” He answered me quickly.

Going in the direction he instructed me to, I went into a little pathway that needed me to crawl. Thankfully the hole had a big entrance for me to enter. Not to mention it was only for a short moment.

As we entered I rested. Buddy decided to cover the hole with a rock in the meantime.

“How do you know about this area here?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, w-well that's b-because...I live here!” Really? It's so cramped and non spacious.

At this point it's whatever. “Thank you, I'm going to sleep now.”

“Right!”

Closing my eyes, I can feel Buddy crept close to me and laid down on the side of my stomach.

He must have been really lonely…

When I woke up again after sleeping. Buddy was nowhere to be found.

Hm… where did he go? There's no way he can leave the area, the entrance is blocked. Even if I moved the rock, it won't budge at all.

Hearing a sound that tingled my ears, I looked at the top to what suddenly gleamed a dazzling light. Low and behold, I was at the neck of the red crystal.

Taking a gander at the area, the other side is wide and spacious. How could I have been so blind? What even is Buddy?

I don't remember the room being so well lit before. There's more to “Buddy” than what he looks like.

Seeing a shadow figure which looks to be monstrous it spoke “Haahahaha~! Who dares to stumble onto my abode!”

I reply back knowing it is Buddy’s voice, “Uhh… I am a human! I came only to seek what lies in that crystal!”

“R-really~? Uh… I-I mean - A human? A puny human dears to face me!?! You have some nerve to come against me! The keeper and guardian of what lies deep within the gem? You, trying to dig your grave!?!”

I indulged in his role play, “Ahh noo~! Whatever shall I do?”

Falling down I scream aloud, “Oh no~! I fell down… “

Buddy leaps out into the air and screams, “Face the wrath of the almighty, human!”

With his tiny little fang he bites into my garment.

“Om nom nom…”

We both laughed it off and I gave him a head pat. It was pretty fun to do in my opinion.

“Alright. Buddy? Is there any way to get into the entrance?”

“I don’t know. I searched every nook and cranny to open the door, and so far…”

“So far…?” I listened intently.

“Nothing out of the ordinary!”

“I see… at least you aren’t stuttering anymore. That’s great Buddy, I’m proud of you.”

“Ooooh~!” he was in glee when I praised him.

With the conversation done, we both find solutions of how to open the entrance.

Flaming my sword I was able to provide light for the both of us.

Looking at the symbols on the wall. I can deduce that the carved stones might be the key to opening the entrance.

Only problem is I don’t know what the heck the symbol begins from.

Considering that the cavemen used paintings to symbolize what they saw, I wouldn’t be surprised if these were both similar.

No wait, that’s it!

There is always a beginning for scripts like these. But what if there is no order?

Looking among the paintings, hm…!!!

Doesn’t this look like Buddy?

“Hey. Buddy, doesn’t this drawing look like you?”

“Hm…This is Buddy? I don’t think Buddy looks like this? That one is big and scary…” he trembles from the thought.

Indeed the painting has no resemblance to Buddy. I’m just curious, were there more than just him around?

“Buddy…”

“Yes?”

“Where are all the other inklets?”

“...” he gave a sad expression

“Buddy?” This isn’t good.

Buddy begins recalling the past memories, from which he has been blocking for a millennia.

“Ack…” he’s in pain!!!

“Buddy, stop it’s ok!” I shake Buddy relentlessly.

“Uwaaaghhh!” Crap! The ground seems to be trembling.

“Buddy!!!” Forgive me Buddy!

Smack*

My slap stopped his tantrum, but he seemed to be knocked out cold. Something from the past must have traumatized him.

Grabbing hold of his sleepless body I put him in a safe spot.

“Brother…” His squeamish tiny face seems to be troubling him.

Covering an area for Buddy to rest, I go back to solving the trick to opening the entrance.

Drawing ink clones I order all of them to inspect every square inch within the area.

Something about Buddy’s breakdown is bothering me…

What must have happened to such an adorable tiny thing?

It’s inconceivable to get a grasp of, but this is the harshness of reality.

Getting back on track, I looked at the stoned painting that had the resemblance of a Muscular Buddy.

No matter how I look at it, this thing resembles so much like Buddy.

The crystal begins Gleaming rapidly. Crap did the ink clones do something without letting me know?

Turning around I saw that my clones are getting pierced with razor sharp Crystal claws.

Looking at it now, it seemed like a part of the crystal was chunked out. Did it come from there?

“Aaaaggh!!” It’s screech is damaging to my earlobes, all I can do is hold my ears in hopes I don’t hear a thing.

One of the ink clones drew a noise canceling ear plug for me before they died off.

“Lucky!” Putting it on I rush into the fray.

I can’t see clearly the figure in the dark, but the red glow from the crystals surrounding the body gives it a fearful aura.

Looks like I’m up against an inker…

Crap. I want to run but Buddy is still asleep.

“Hey!!” Grabbing the attention of the dark crystal monster, I bring him to a different location.

This should prevent Buddy from getting hurt.

Drawing my sword out, I wait for it to barge at me.

Crap. Fighting in the dark is disadvantageous for me, it can come from anywhere.

Seeing a light shine I evade it.

Zoom~*

It glides through into the air to where I previously stood.

Bringing out its crystal arms it begins infusing energy within the crystal. Diffusing the energy it shot a beam at me.

Arching my body to the left, I nearly dodged the laser beam.

“That was close!” My heart begins racing.

Making sure I’m not at a distance from it I get face to face with him. Damn it, if only I got a chance to plan! I wasn’t expecting any one sided long range battle to occur.

As it keeps stockpiling energy I run as fast as I can, before it’s completed. This would be my only chance. The laser beam was deadly, just getting hit by one will disrupt my organs bursting.

Looking at the aftermath of its first laser shot, the rocks melted through giving visibility of light.

That’s it! Instead of fighting him in the dark I need to make it expose as much light as possible.

When energy properties were no longer stockpiled the crystal golem thing unleashed a heavy laser beam engulfing the area.

Although deadly it seemed to be moving at a slow rate unlike its quick charge shot. Good, I will use the attack to my advantage.

When the laser was closing in on me. I let the laser expose the outside light as it melted the cave while moving.

Repeating the process until I had a clear three sixty vision of sunlight.

However…

Once light exposed the Crystal monster. I noticed that he looked like Buddy!

“Eegh what’s all that noise?” Oh no Buddy is awake?

“...”

“I remember now…Brother!!!!”

“Hero! Run away, Brother has become an ascended inker!”

What?!?

Running up to me “He sealed himself away, so he couldn’t hurt me! Run away! Forget what’s at the top of the crystal! Run for it!”

Giving some thought I yelled to Buddy

“...no.”

“What…?”

“Buddy, I’m sorry! But your Brother must die...”

Buddy was tearing up, “b-but…”

“Buddy! Look at your brother! He’s in so much pain! Make things right, release him from this suffering…”

“Please, understand…” Grabbing Buddy I chuck him to a safe place as he sobs.

I wasn’t lying… about the pain his brother is currently in. He seems to be suffering. It seems irreversible, the current form he is assuming. His muscles are just breaking down, consumed by the crystals. Must explain the source of the energy beams he shoots out. His life force is just getting sucked away just for such a lethal attack.

“Your pain, your suffering! It ends now!”

Leaping at him with my sword, I fulfill my oath.

Chapter 18 (part 1) End