A stern furrow graced my eyebrows as I stared at Mr. Snake, who sat at the opposite end of the table.
“So…” I started. “Please tell me about this place, Great Snake-sama.”
It hasn’t been long since I’ve finished the food given to me by my new slithery friend. We took some time to play ping-pong, uno, and Jenga while the curry was digested. Speaking of the curry, it was delicious. Before I leave this place, I have to ask for the recipe…
“Well,” he started. “I’m sure you’ve already met Virgil, so you already know where you are…”
I nodded as he continued to deduce my situation.
“… So, what you actually care about is figuring out what to do next. And what you should be wary about.”
His rough face darkened as I moved to the edge of my seat.
“Limbo is the safest place in all of Hell. You can enjoy a relatively peaceful life… if you manage to do one thing.”
“What thing?” I asked.
“It’s quite sssimple. You must traversse through the sseven gatess. Once you do that, you’ll enter the capital of Limbo: Citadel Castrum. In there, you can keep your consciousnesssss and can live out your dayssss in peace.”
“What if I don’t make it there?”
“Then you will become nothing more than Dark-Ssoul matter… I’m sure you’ve seen them upon closing your eyes.”
I jumped out of my seat. The chair fell to the floor, and my mouth gaped open.
“What do you mean?”
He stuck a twitching tongue at me.
“Exactly what I ssaid. When you close your eyes, you can see the alternate realm. It is the home of the Lost-Souls who failed to pass through the seven gates. If they like you, they will guide you wherever you desire.”
My head was filled with countless questions. Where do I even begin? I opened my mouth once more… but words failed to come out.
“It’s a lot to take in, I know. That is why I am here to help,” he hissed. “I suggest you focus on passing the gates before anything else. Once you enter the city, there will be more people capable of helping you.”
I bowed.
“Thank you… Snake-sama! I’ve truly enjoyed my time with you, and I’m sorry about how things started between us.”
“No problem,” he hissed again. “I must say, though, that once you pass through the seven gates, we will most likely never meet again. My home does not appear often, so I wish you well.”
I guess that makes sense. If this were a game, then Mr. Snake would be an NPC that helps new travellers along their way. I’m truly grateful. If it weren’t for him and Mr. Virgil, I would be completely lost and hungry.
Tears began to stream out of my eyes as I ran over to Mr. Snake, hugging him excessively.
“Thank you! Snake-sama… thank you so much!”
“Alright, alright…” he protested, still allowing the hug. “Take however long you need to rest here as you wish, then be on your way.”
I spent another hour or so at the bar before leaving. Mr. Snake answered a few more of my questions and prepared some dumplings for me to take on the trip.
What a sweety pie…
Thanks to him, I now have a basic understanding of what to do and my newfound powers.
To start, there is, in fact, magic in Hell. Mr. Snake wasn’t aware of how others could obtain it, but he was able to use it. (It was what he used to change the interior of the room)
As for me, I should be able to use [Red Realm] (I named it myself, teehee) to find and pass through the seven gates. This ability is apparently unique to me, but it may not be permanent.
According to Mr. Snake: “If you fail to pass through the gates within a certain time, then the power will cease to exist.”
I’m not sure why that’s the case but preventing it is key. Avoiding that kind of scenario means I’ll never have to know if what Mr. Snake said was true or not. I am now determined to prevent myself from losing probably the only cheat code I’ll have access to in Hell.
I closed my eyes – letting [Red Realm] consume my vision. It still hurts like crazy, but it’s not something I can’t get used to. The Dark-Soul matter began to appear, forming a ghastly black arrow in the direction it wanted me to head towards.
Alright then.
I took off, keeping my eyes closed so that I could get used to the pain. Before long, I had already arrived at the first gate, bumping into it. I rubbed the sore spot on my forehead and winced. This better not be a recurring theme...
My eyes squinted open as I fixed my gaze upon the gate. It was large and imposing, and even the fog did not consume it. I could see it for all of its beauty.
Crafted from pristine white marble, it bore Latin inscriptions gracefully etched into the arch's grooves. At its pinnacle, a masterfully sculpted angel gazed serenely into the mist… or at me.
I won't lie. I was too scared to pass through. Why was something so majestic placed here in hell? And why do I feel like I am being judged… by that statue?
I froze in place, eyes popped open, contemplating everything. I don’t know what I did to deserve a sentence to Hell, and I don’t think I should spend too much time thinking about it either.
I took a reluctant step forward and entered into the gate. Immediately, I closed my eyes and clasped my ears, prepared for the worst… but nothing happened. I opened them again, and I was still perfectly intact. A sigh escaped my mouth as I looked behind to see the gate once more… it’s gone?
This place never fails to amaze me. All that remained in its place was the fog. I shook my head in defeat and continued my journey. There was no time to stay still.
…
I have now passed through six gates. Only one remains. I think it’s been just over four hours that I’ve spent looking for all of them. During that time, I tested out some more theories to see the differences between the Inferno and Earth.
First things first: Stamina is the exact same as it is on Earth. I learned this the hard way when I thought it would be a good idea to ‘Usain Bolt’ sprint my way to each of the gates. This quickly tired me out and increased my hunger, so I’ve been moving in moderation ever since.
Second: I still need to relieve bodily functions. I’ve pissed around twenty times since coming here and shat out twice (both times I saw the curry in the dung). As there is never anyone around out here, it was very easy to get used to the “natural way” of using the washroom.
Finally: My power. I am fully used to using [Red Realm] now. It no longer hurts my eyes. Even the Dark-Soul matter that appears seems to be more expressive and creative in the way it directs me. For example, when I was heading over to the most recent gate, it became a person with a top hat that led me there. Pretty cool if you ask me.
I closed my eyes once more as Dark-Matter-kun formed in front of me. He waved a glitchy arm at me, ushering for me to follow as we walked.
I began to notice another difference while in [Red Realm] … the world was beginning to change.
It’s not just red nothingness that I can see now. The ground, sky, all sorts of outlines. Soon, I may not even need to keep my eyes open while travelling through the Inferno.
We finally reached the final gate. It was much like all the other grand wonders I saw before it. That same judge-like Angel statue remained, casting a scornful look at me. It was a constant reminder that I was in Hell.
I closed my eyes… attempting to think happy thoughts.
Dark-Matter-kun placed his hand on mine. Though I could not actually feel it, a placebo-esque effect sent the sensation to my fingertips. It seems like he’s trying to comfort me, and for that, I appreciate him.
I swallowed my spit and walked through the final gate… and nothing happened, odd. I was kind of expecting to get transported to ‘Citadel Castrum,’ but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Dark-Matter-kun was tugging at my rags, telling me to move. I let out a bothered sigh. It seems like I’ll have to walk there myself.
Why is it taking this long? We are still walking. Sure, I lost track of time and feel really antsy to get to this place, but it should not take this long. Nevertheless, I trusted Dark-Matter-kun. It will only be a matter of time until we finally arrive.
To keep myself occupied, I decided to play a little game with my friend. You see, although I cannot see the colours (everything is black), I can now make out the checkered pattern on the floor while in [Red Realm]. So the goal of the game was very simple:
One: Don’t touch the cracks!
And two: You are only allowed three steps in each tile!
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was extremely good at this game while growing up and even in here. I was, however, no match for Dark-Matter-kun, who was able to extend his legs at will, meaning he never went over the three-step limit.
In other words… I lost. It was still fun, and I will definitely be challenging Dark-Matter-kun again.
We continued to walk for an unaccounted amount of time when I finally saw a positive sign.
Another gate was just in front of us. I opened my eyes to be sure I wasn’t just seeing things due to [Red Realm]. It was true. I couldn’t contain my excitement as I ran towards my salvation in hell. As I sprinted, the fog began to clear more and more until I finally reached the gate itself.
It was nothing like the seven gates from earlier. This one was extremely simple, made up of red bricks with a ‘welcome’ sign etched into the top. What was strange, however, was the fact that you couldn’t see through this gate. Instead, a weird water-like white jelly substance stood between me and whatever was behind the gate.
It was finally time. I put my hand through the substance, and it disappeared completely. I couldn’t even feel it.
Screw it.
I jumped in fully, falling face-first onto a cobblestone street… have I been teleported?
I sprang to my feet with a start and took a moment to survey my surroundings. It became evident that I had landed in a rather quiet town square. Before me, a splendid water fountain graced a serene green park. On my left, a spacious paved area hosted a group of elderly individuals engaged in yoga sessions, while to my right, separated by neatly arranged shrubbery, a cluster of young women appeared absorbed in meditation. The sole oddity lay in their choice of attire – or lack thereof.
Blood shot out of my nostrils… they’re all butt naked?!
I quickly ran towards the bushes and peered over with keen eyes… OH MY~!
I could make out each and every curve of their elastic breasts that jiggled slightly with even the littlest of movement. My gaze then fell on some of their supple thighs next. Who knew assuming a crossed-legged seating position could be this erotic? My cheeks began to warm.
"What do you think you're doing?" a voice - sharp and accusatory, shattered the good mood I had going.
Startled, I spun around, my heart racing, just in time to see a shadowy figure approaching me. Before I could say anything in protest, a sudden impact against my head plunged me into darkness. Confusion swirled through my head as I began to lose consciousness. The world around me dissolved into a hazy mess, and I could only make out the vague outline of a hooded figure looming in front of me as I completely blacked out.
