Reborn With the Infinite Gods System

Chapter 135 Set-Up

Axel and Josh bolted through the winding, narrow tunnels, their hurried footsteps echoing off the jagged stone walls. Every shadow seemed to stretch and twist in the dim, flickering light of their lanterns, casting unsettling shapes around them. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth, and the further they ventured, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.

They had to move quickly—there was no time for stealth, and any delay could prove fatal. Loki was the weakest of the trio, and if he was already in danger, Axel and Josh couldn't afford to waste a second.

Axel glanced over at Josh as they sprinted side by side. He could feel it too—the weight pressing against his chest, the undeniable presence of something far more powerful than they had anticipated lurking in the depths of this cave. It gnawed at his insides, a growing sense of dread that clung to him like a second skin.

"Do you feel it, Axel?" Josh asked, his voice strained with worry. His face, usually calm and composed, was etched with concern. "Something… something's not right."

Axel gave a quick nod, his expression grim. "Yeah. It's getting closer."

It felt like a predator stalking its prey, just out of sight, waiting for the right moment to strike. Whatever it was, it was strong—stronger than anything they'd encountered recently. Axel's instincts screamed at him to turn back, but they couldn't. Not with Loki still missing.

They reached the entrance of the tunnel in a matter of minutes, their pace relentless. But what they saw there stopped them both dead in their tracks.

The once-clear path leading out had caved in, a mountain of rocks and debris blocking their way. Dust and rubble still hung in the air, evidence of a recent collapse. The tunnel's entrance wasn't just closed—it had been destroyed.

"Shit!" Axel cursed, his voice sharp as he scanned the destruction. "Those two... They must've done this to trap us in here."

Josh hissed through his teeth, frustration mingling with fear. "This is bad. We won't be able to dig our way out. A collapsed cave… this is a worst-case scenario."

Axel's mind raced. Trapped underground, no exit, and with something—someone—powerful waiting in the shadows. He hated enclosed spaces. The weight of the earth above felt like it was pressing down on him, threatening to crush him alive. And there was still the matter of Loki.

Josh raised his sword, trying to contact Loki through their telepathic link. But there was only silence—no response, no signal, nothing. It was as if Loki had simply vanished.

"Seems like Loki might be on the other side," Josh muttered, lowering his sword in frustration. He flopped down on the ground, sitting cross-legged as he let out a long, exaggerated yawn. "This sucks."

Axel, however, couldn't relax. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind. Why would Loki leave like that? It didn't make sense. They'd come here together, a team. Loki wasn't the type to abandon them—or was he?

"Josh, do you think there's a chance that Loki…"

"Betrayed us?" Josh interrupted, finishing Axel's thought for him. "Yeah, I've thought about it. He's the only one who could've caused the collapse. But it doesn't make sense, does it? Loki's not the type to hurt us, but for some reason, he chose to leave things like this."

Axel's jaw clenched as he looked at the wall of rubble. Josh was right—this felt like betrayal, but not a malicious one. Loki hadn't left them to die. No, it was more calculated than that. Loki had warned them before everything went to hell, which meant he was still on their side… in some twisted way.

"He's probably dealing with something really strong behind that wall," Axel muttered, his mind racing. "And he thinks he can handle it on his own. Or…"

Josh's eyes locked onto Axel's, both of them arriving at the same conclusion.

"He's making a sacrifice," Josh said slowly, his voice low. "Setting up a double trap system. If we try to break out, we could collapse the entire mountain. We'd be buried alive, and so would anyone else nearby—friend or foe. Loki's trying to keep us safe while trapping the enemy at the same time."

"For him to go that far…" Axel murmured, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders. "It must be something powerful. Something he thinks we can't handle."

***

On the other side of the tunnel, Loki staggered to one knee, his breath ragged and uneven. Blood dripped from his mouth, staining his already battered clothing. His vision blurred, and for a moment, the world around him flickered in and out of focus. But he forced himself to stay conscious. He couldn't afford to collapse now—not with what stood in front of him.

"Damn it…" Loki growled, biting down hard on his lip, the taste of blood bitter on his tongue.

Standing before him, its form shrouded in darkness, was a being unlike anything Loki had ever faced. It was shaped like a human, but its body flickered and shifted like flames, horns twisting up from its head, eyes glowing with a malevolent, fiery light. A devil. A Voidwalker.

In its hand, it held the lifeless body of Ham, Loki's ally. Ham's headless corpse dangled limply, blood dripping from his severed neck, soaking the ground beneath him. The sight turned Loki's stomach.

"Ham… didn't even last a minute…" Loki muttered under his breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He glanced to his right, where the god candidate Troy lay on the ground, his arm severed at the elbow. Troy wasn't dead—not yet—but his eyes were glazed over, as if he were in a trance, staring at the remains of his own arm with a sick kind of reverence.

Loki clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. 'I was right to block the tunnel,' he thought grimly. 'Axel and Josh wouldn't stand a chance against this thing. Hell, I barely do…'

He had hoped that maybe—just maybe—they could've outsmarted it. But as the battle raged on, it became painfully clear that they were outmatched in every possible way. Loki's chest heaved as he tried to summon his mana, but nothing happened. The Voidwalker had drained their energy before the fight even began, leaving them helpless.

"This bastard…" Loki growled, raising his trembling hands to his face. He was exhausted, his mana depleted, his body pushed to its absolute limit. And yet, the Voidwalker stood there, unharmed, as if the entire fight had been nothing more than a game to it.

"So… this is a Voidwalker," Loki whispered, his voice hoarse.