Algoritm of oblivion. Юрий Третьяков

more and more unbearable. Max felt his palms sweating and adrenaline surging through his blood. He knew that something terrible could jump out of the darkness at any moment, and the only way to survive was to fight these monsters. He gathered all his determination to move on and, looking at his comrades, thanked the gods that he was not alone here. At that moment, he felt a connection with these people, whom he had recently considered strangers.

      “Oh my…” Redbird stood up, frozen in horror.

      Hundreds of red eyes were already looking at them from the darkness.

      “It’s just rats,” said Darriel, trying to hide her own fear.

      “There are probably thousands of them under the hill here,” the dwarf gasped, realizing the scale of the danger.

      “As long as the torch is burning, they won’t attack. Move forward, redbeard.” the girl pushed the dwarf in the back. “Animals are afraid of fire, even cursed ones,” she said like a professional monster hunter. “But don’t stop, go forward, the torch will burn out and we are corpses. We must find a way out to the top at any cost. And quickly… Max, keep up!”

      They wandered through the labyrinth without finding a way out, the torch was burning out, the elixirs were running out.

      The corridor unexpectedly widened, turning into a small cave. A rift in the wall of the tunnel revealed a side room. Artem, who was walking ahead with the torch, froze on the spot, gasping in surprise.

      Dasha, ready for another manifestation of the dwarf’s grumbling, looked over his shoulder, but instead saw something that made her open her mouth slightly.

      Maxim squeezed forward to see what had struck them so much.

      “Well, well,” Artem muttered, “Looks like someone overdid it with the night lighting.”

      Before them stretched a room lit by an unearthly, pulsating light. It was not the light of fire, but of something living, organic. Light emanating from hundreds, thousands of creatures covering the walls, floor and ceiling.

      The room was filled with glowing slugs. They were of different sizes from small, the size of a fist, to large, like dogs. They slowly crawled along the walls and floor, leaving a luminous trail behind them, as if drawing patterns in the darkness.

      Maxim felt a mixture of admiration and anxiety. The room was incredibly beautiful, but it exuded some kind of danger.

      “What is it…?” Dasha whispered, amazed by what she saw.

      “Slugs?” Max asked, a little uncertain.

      “Slugs,” Artem confirmed, with obvious disgust in his voice. “Glowing. And, according to rumors, very unfriendly.”

      In the midst of all this shining, slimy splendor, in the center of the room stood… a chest. Old, lopsided, as if it were made from the remnants of other chests.

      It was covered in cobwebs and covered with a layer of dust. It was clear that no one had touched it for a long time. A chest that was just screaming: “I’m a trap! Don’t open me!”

      The experienced dwarf looked at the chest, then at the slugs, then back at the chest. “You know,” he said, “I’m starting to think that this is exactly the case when the best thing to do is just turn around and leave. Preferably quickly. A chest… In such a place… It’s too suspicious.”

      Dasha shook her head. Her face expressed complete agreement. “Well, I’m definitely not going there. No way.”

      “Why?” Max asked.

      Dasha looked at him with horror in her eyes. “Don’t you know about the glowing slugs? They say they dissolve everything they touch! Weapons, armor, even… clothes!” She shuddered. “Can you imagine going back to the city naked? That’s probably even worse than being eaten by zombie rats!”

      Artem nodded. “I’ve heard of that. Old miners told stories. If you get into their slime, you can say goodbye to your armor.”

      “And not only with armor,” Dasha added, her voice trembling. “I’ve heard stories about people who accidentally touched their slime and lost fingers, arms, even whole legs!”

      Maxim looked at the slugs. They looked harmless, but, judging by the words of Dasha and Artem, they were very dangerous.

      “But there might be something valuable in the chest,” Maxim said, still not having even a weapon. “A hint or something that will help us get out of here.”

      “Or maybe there’s just an evil mimic,” Artem remarked. “Have you thought about that? Is it worth it?” Artem continued, looking skeptically at the chest. “Risking your life for some junk?”

      The room was humid and warm. The air was filled with a faint smell of rot and some kind of chemical sweetness. Muffled gurgling and rustling sounds were heard.

      “I want to see.” Max said.

      Dasha squeezed his hand. “Please, Maxim, don’t go there. It’s too dangerous. We’ll find another way out.”

      “But if I don’t try, we’ll never know what’s inside.” Maxim said, smiling at her. “What if this is our only chance?”

      “But why you?” Dasha asked. “Let Artem go. He at least has armor.”

      Artem shook his head. “No, thank you. I’m not going to risk my armor for some chest.”

      Maxim looked at his novice rags. “I have nothing anyway,” he said. “If I touch the slime, I won’t lose anything.”

      Dasha grabbed his hand even tighter. “Don’t say that! Your life is more precious than any chest!”

      “Listen, why really take such a risk?” Artem looked at Maxim with concern. “We have no guarantee that there is anything there at all. And then, there are things worse than death, you know.”

      “Yes,” Daria chimed in. “For example, losing your favorite boots because of some slugs.”

      Maxim looked at his boots. Rather, at what was left of them. He was wearing a novice’s rags, which would most likely dissolve even from looking at the slugs. He wasn’t wearing armor, he didn’t have weapons either. It seemed the risk was minimal.