Dark Magus Returns

Dame continued to follow Chip to wherever he was being taken. For one, he didn't even know where the mist led. He had been down here with the Dark Magus, and not even the Dark Magus was sure about the strange mist of the place.

On his own, he would have no idea where to go, as he couldn't even see the cliffside of where he had come from. Even if he reached the cliff, he would then have to enter the academy once again and try to survive somehow.

Although he was able to walk, Dame felt like it would be a while before he could fight. Just because he could fight, it wasn't a guarantee that he would win either.

'I have no intention of joining this Bonum Society. I want to build up what I have with the Dark Magus. I don't even know what this group's goal is, but I need to use them to survive. It's not like I can head back to the Demonic Faction either.'

They continued to walk for about thirty minutes, and Dame was trying to keep track of Chip's movements. Once in a while, Chip would stay still and look left and right.

It was questionable if Chip actually knew his way through the mist or not, but he did manage to find him.

"Amir… you said he was part of this society of yours, right?" Dame asked. "So he isn't working with Murkel and will help the children."

"Honestly, that depends," Chip answered as he took a sudden right turn through the mist. "Amir is a person that is focused on the task of the Bonum Society. Because of who he is, he is quite dedicated. If he thinks they can help, he will protect them."

"If you want an answer on how they're doing, I can give you an update soon."

Right then, Chip took two more steps and a hollow clanging noise was heard underneath his feet. He stopped and then slammed his foot into the floor, making the same noise as before.

Reaching down, he fiddled with a few things as he brushed the dirt away, and then, opening up the large square-shaped trap door, a ladder was revealed that looked to go deep into the ground, very deep, to the point where the bottom couldn't be seen.

"Don't be scared, we just have to keep going down and you'll be fine," Chip said.

"I'm not scared of this. Do you know what clan I was part of?" Dame asked. "The Neverfall Clan was far scarier than this."

It felt like they had been climbing down the long ladder for as long as they had been moving through the mist.

What Dame was noticing was, during this entire time, the bandages were still healing him. He could feel his body loosening up, and perhaps he would be in better condition quicker than he thought.

Which might make him change plans slightly. After going down for a while, sounds could be heard from underneath, the sounds of people, metal clanging, and more.

Eventually, the two of them reached the floor and Dame could see that they were in a large lit-up tunnel. The tunnel itself seemed to be carved out of metal.

When looking behind, the tunnel went on further than he could see. There was no end, and then on the other side, there was a big round object made of metal, which was where all the noise was coming from.

Chip went out in front, and with both hands on a round object, he started to twist it several times one way, and several times another.

Screeching sounds were heard, and it didn't look like an easy task.

"I wish you could help, but you don't really know the pattern yet," Chip said as he continued to struggle.

While Chip continued to twist the round object, Dame went up to the larger piece of metal that appeared to be some type of door.

He knocked his hand against it. "This is amazing, it seems incredibly thick, I'm not sure that even I could break through this if I tried to," Dame commented. "How did you come up with such material in the first place to build something like this?"

"This place didn't just get built overnight. It took a lot of work and from a lot of people, and I'm glad you said you couldn't break through this. That means it's doing its job. Since this is designed to keep people like you out."

A loud click was heard and steam exited out from the side of the giant metallic round door. It pushed itself forward and then started to open inward, allowing the two of them to enter.

When the door opened, Chip stepped forward and Dame followed. It felt like he had entered a completely different world, and he was starting to understand that there was a lot about Pagna he had no idea about before. In his eyes was a whole new place. Just like the tunnels, the rest of the structure past the door was made of the same type of material, but it had opened up into a large space.

A space that was the size of a small town on the land above. As he followed Chip around, Dame was looking at hundreds of people moving around, heading from one area to the next.

Just from listening in, he could tell that there were those making reports. Some were heading to a canteen to eat food. While he observed groups of people getting a breakdown of what was to be done next.

It felt like he was inside a large clan, but a clan that was the size of a village with everyone extremely focused.

The large round metallic door was heard closing behind them and sealing them, and that was when Dame knew he would be part of this place, at least for a little while.

"It's impressive, right? Everyone who comes here for the first time has the same feeling as you, don't worry," Chip said. "You have a role in this as well and somewhere important to go."

Moving through the place, Dame continued to look at others. Some looking like Pagna warriors, others looking like regular citizens, and a large variety of ages of people as well.

Going through a set of more tunnels and doors, they reached a place that was filled with Pagna warriors. Dame could sense their powerful Qi, and when he looked ahead, he could tell why.

Deep underground, in such a place, there was a portal right in front of their eyes.

"How did all of this exist... underneath the academy, it's been here the entire time?" Dame asked.

"It's been here a long time," Chip answered. "Who do you think created the mist in the first place? Makes things harder to see."

Chip moved forward and gestured for Dame to follow him as the two of them went closer to look at the portal.

"There is a lot that you will need to learn about the Bonum Society, a lot that we need to tell you, all of this is at the request of Amir. He has agreed to be your mentor, which is very lucky, honestly.

"As for your first task." Chip turned around, and quickly moved, and with both hands, he pushed Dame.

The unexpected push moved him, and he fell right through the portal.

"Your first task is to come back alive."