MadGhostofBrownHollow

Apologies for the month hiatus ;w;

As the group weightlessly fell downward, all Tan Shihong could feel was rage. The one feeling he had was now useless, the urge to protect mixed with one of despair, one that was crying out in his mind you have failed. 

            The sadness of his master’s grave being broken, the emotion Tan Shihong couldn’t understand the most, stung in his chest. He continued flinging his sword wildly, worse than that unskilled protagonist had at him, trying especially hard to cut the stranger to ribbons. 

            The stranger looked at him with cold eyes, grabbed Tan Shihong by the throat as they continued to fall, and hit him promptly on the neck in an attempt to knock him out. 

           Unfortunately for him, Tan Shihong was quite dead, so he just continued trying to murder him, wriggling in the stranger’s death grip. 

            Chang Fa was busy screaming, clutching his sheathed sword tight as the group continued to rapidly descend. Fortunately for him, Tan Shihong had been yelling in rage the whole time, covering up his pitiful state. 

         “Go away! Get out, get out, get out…”  Tan Shihong repeated, seeming in hysterics, as the stranger yanked his hands together and took his sword. 

         As soon as he calmed down, Chang Fa looked at him in awe, the undead had seemed arrogant and villainous before, his eyelids lulled and his actions never too strenuous. He had even scolded Chang Fa, it took him almost no effort to point out every single one of his flaws. But here he was, going berserk, hanging by the throat from the stranger’s hand. His thick hair was in disarray, and the blood that flowed down his forehead endlessly dripped down the sides of the neck as he screamed at the stranger. 

          When Chang Fa looked closer, the faint blue blood vessels reflecting originally on the undead’s neck, had turned orangish over the collarbone. 

           ‘That’s where Shimei got him with a dart… Is he poisoned?’ Chang Fa said in surprise.

           [How can one be poisoned when they’re already dead? He’s just an idiot who’s failed at his task,] the System replied, voice full of contempt for the zombie. 

          Tan Shihong knew he was acting irrationally, but whenever it came to the emotions regarding the grave, he felt out of his body. He choked on the blood rolling down his forehead, and somehow, metaphorically, while he was spitting out the cold metallic liquid, he got a moment to breathe. He fell strangely silent, his mind numbing as he looked at his surroundings. 

          Due to the fact this physical body felt no sensations anyways, when he ignored the stranger’s hand around his throat, it was exactly like being in the void. It just wasn’t as dark in the cave, and he could hear the breathing of those around him. 

          Both the stranger and the protagonist’s eyes were drawn to the undead, Tan Shihong had closed his eyes, and his hands were plugging his ears like a child. 

         [Are you throwing a tantrum?] The system sounded in Tan Shihong’s ears. 

         ‘No, I’m pretending I’m dead.’

        [You already are dead.] 

         ‘Go away.’ Tan Shihong hissed, eyelid’s creaking open a centimeter in annoyance. 

        [See? You’re throwing a tantrum! You’d think someone over 500 years old would be mature at all.] the System’s mechanical voice came off exasperated in his head, [You fling your sword wildly, and scream, and then go to take a nap. You’re a centuries old toddler.] 

    ‘...’  Tan Shihong finally felt a slight hint embarrassment. He opened his eyes fully, and glared at the stranger. The hand around his throat was tight, but Tan Shihong was incapable of feeling pain, so he just firmly pushed the stranger away, and used the momentum to push himself back into the center of the falling group, falling horizontal, back first. He trained his eyes on the faint light at the top of the abyss, where the cave opening was, where his master’s and his own coffin were located. He longed to be back swinging his saber at birds again. 

Although it was a lot more calm, now that Tan Shihong wasn’t in such a rage, the group became awkwardly silent. 

    “Er, first of all-- who are you both?” Asked Chang Fa, definitely not because he was being urged by a specific system in his head. 

    Neither the stranger or the undead seemed to have any intent to respond. 

    [Say your name!] the System began to now urge Tan Shihong. 

    “I believe you’re supposed to introduce yourself before you ask the same of others,” The undead replied, “But, call me Tan Shihong.” Anything to get the system to shut up. 

              “Oh— er, sorry about that! My name is Chang Fa, let’s get along!” The protagonist cheered up instantly, as if he wasn’t previously fighting with him before. 

              Oh sure, let’s get along, you’re only a grave-robber who helped tear me away from the only thing keeping me in this world. Tan Shihong just sneered, crossing his arms. 

               As the group grew silent, Tan Shihong began to notice as they fell, long horizontal pillars began to appear connecting to the cave walls. As he fell, a pillar passed quickly by his head, almost smashing into it. He quickly faced forward as he fell. They had gained a lot of velocity as they fell down into the ‘abyss’, but the undead didn’t hesitate a second as he reached for the nearest horizontal pillar. 

              He grabbed on quickly, using his other hand to grip the protagonist, and his body jolted with the sudden stop. A crack was heard as what Tan Shihong assumed was his shoulder, jolted up and out of place. He used his good arm to throw the protagonist onto the pillar before using it to pull himself up beside him. 

             “Hey, hey, are you alright? Your shoulder seems really—“ Chang Fa began, although Tan Shihong gripped it tightly and yanked it back in place before he could finish. He was an undead, he couldn’t feel pain, so why not use that to his advantage? 

              The stranger had landed on the pillar next to them, beginning to jump pillar to pillar slowly down. Chang Fa watched quietly, eyes wide as he took in the situation. When does this even happen? This is so weird…

               [Follow him!!!!] The system barked before Chang Fa could think any more, and only then did he realize that both that Tan Shihong-undead dude, and that weird creepy stranger guy, were pretty far ahead of him. 

              Ah, crap! Chang Fa hurried to follow after, clumsily tripping from pillar to pillar.