Saejang Undaunted: Saejang's Journey, #2

By Paul Springsteen

Saejang is now in a predicament. Drawn into hell. Made to endure and suffer. The everlasting torment of the pyjeks now made front and center into a continuing trial of pain. Can Saejang escape from the abyss? Or will he be lost forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Springsteen
• Release date: Feb 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393175049

Paul Springsteen

Paul Springsteen is someone that grew up in a medium sized town in Texas located in the united states. He went into the military upon graduating high school.  Though it didn't last long he did get an honorable discharge because of medical reasons. After this he went to the local college of his home town.  There he got a master's degree in physics. Due to illness he had a hard time in the job market before he discovered the joys of writing and wishes to spend his time writing stories for the forseeable future.  This came about from a strange origin.  From D&D of all places.  He kept feeling like he was getting shafted from playing stories.  So he pushed himself to write his own stories and enjoyed it. His stance on writing though is that he doesn't write to whatever is the it thing in the market.  Instead he has a particular way the story is supposed to go in his head and follows that.  So the reader should be aware that even killing the protagonist and having the bad guy win is a possible way things could happen in the story in the future.

Book preview

Disclaimer:  This is a work of fiction.  Any names, personalities, locations, or companies that share their name with the names in this book is purely coincidence.

Chapter 1

For a while, there was darkness.  Pitch darkness.  All encompassing darkness everywhere.  Saejang didn't see what was around him.  For a while, he felt nothing.  Then all around him.  Tendrils or tentacles moving around and squirming all around him.  Like he was in a pit of worms.  They were moving him.  Pulling him toward something.

The darkness persisted for nearly 2 days.  Though perhaps that is what it felt like.  It was uncertain how long exactly that he was out of it.  In total darkness.  There was no sound.  There was no air.

Saejang tried to move and walk.  Through whatever it was that he was in.  He could walk and move about.  Though it was like there was something there.  He was in total darkness, scratching and clawing.  There was a narrow space so he could move about.  Again it felt like the walls that were pressing in on him seemed to almost have a mind of their own.  They moved around.  Saejang could feel them crawling and moving around on him.

Eventually, though, he walked, and he saw the light.  Though it wasn't bright light or any light source.  He just entered into what it seemed like was a place that he could see.  Though he didn't know if he was hallucinating or what was happening.  He could breathe though he was in a new room.  A new place that he was unfamiliar with.

It was a large room.  The ceiling, well, he couldn't even see the ceiling.  It extended far into the darkness above.  There wasn't that much in the way of light.  The wall seemed to be made of some kind of grey stone.  They were hard and solid.  He could probably only see about 10 feet in front of him.  Beyond that, everything was in darkness and black as night.

The air was something that was stale.  It was like if you entered into a room that was deserted for ages.  The air felt stagnant.  Though there wasn't a stench of mildew or dust, it was just dead air.  However, for now, he could breathe.  Though it was strange that he wasn't able to breathe for up to the time being.  How did he go so long without air?  Where was he?

The room, if you could call it that looked like something that was a hallway.  A grand hallway that extended as far as he could see, which wasn't that far.  Though walking around for a while, the hallway extended for a long, long distance.  It was like it was unending.  Much larger than the room that he thought that it was.

There was something else.  Within this area, he felt empty.  Saejang wasn't that much for emotions.  However, this area seemed to drain them from him.  Abject nothingness for the entire time that he was here.  It was like there was something that was pulling it from him.  Though he wasn't sure about such things.  It was only a thought.  What if there was something else within this room?

He didn't see anything else, however.  So he kept walking for a long, long time.  He didn't know how long, but it had to be days.  How did he go that long without food?  How did he go that long without rest?  Where the hell was he?

Eventually, though, as he was walking, he came across someone that was lying on the ground in the darkness.  Saejang walked up to him and tried to talk.  Excuse me, do you know where we are?  Saejang said.

The man was probably around 5'7" in height.  He had blond hair and black eyes.  Though it wasn't that the irises were black.  Everything in his eyes was pitch black.  He was wearing some kind of metal armor.

The man said nothing.  It looked like he wasn't breathing either.  Saejang tried to talk to him for a while.  However, there was no response.  It was like he was dead.  Though the body failed to decompose.

Saejang had a thought of sorts.  That metal armor.  If there were things in this area, a corpse wouldn't need it.  The metal armor looked to be something akin to plate armor that didn't have the helmet.  Though with some looking the man was resting on his helmet.

There was a blade there lying on the ground.  It was almost as if Saejang needed to do something of a double-take.  It was his own sword.  His sword from before was here.  What was happening in this place?

Saejang stripped the man of the armor.  Thankfully the man had clothes underneath.  It was still going to take some getting used to, to get used to walking around in plate mail all of the time.  The metal was light.  It was almost like someone made it out of aluminum or some lighter material.  His sword seemed to be just like he left it.  It had some dings in it, but other than that, it was fine.

There was a note of sorts that was left behind.  It was something like a journal.

No matter how much that I walk, I can't seem to get out.  I can't seem to leave.  I keep walking.  There seems to be nothing thing that I need to sustain myself.  There seems to be nothing that I need to breathe or sleep.  I can only think that I am in some kind of bad dream.  I can't seem to become awake.  What is wrong with this area.  I feel like I should be screaming out.  As more and more time passes, I don't even remember what it was like to be happy.  I just feel sad and depressed all of the time.  I feel like there is nothing that I can do.

There was another portion of written material a little bit later on his person.

I think that I'm very tired now.  I think that I should lay down for a while.  There is nothing here.  I think that lying down would be fine.  Perhaps I will feel better when I awaken.  Maybe I should sleep.

Poor guy seemed like he laid down for rest and never got back up again,  Saejang said.  However, as of now, he took the man's plate armor.  It really looked like the man was dead.  He was just lying there staring.

However, the note did mention something.  He felt drained as he walked through this hallway that never seemed to end.  It seemed like it was getting harder and harder to move.  Though to Saejang, he thought about the grace of God and his obligations.  He couldn't die here.  Wherever this was.  Saejang decided to keep moving.

Through the darkness, Saejang walked and walked. 

He felt it.  It was like something was sucking the joy and pleasure out of everything around him.  Though perhaps he wouldn't have felt something like that in this place of eternal darkness.  He was thankful, however, that he could still see somewhat.  20 feet of vision was still something that he would take over nothing.

Strangely though, it wasn't like he was tired at all.  He could just keep walking.  Which is what he did.

Eventually, probably days later, he got to a door.  It was a large door whose top end seemed to stretch into the darkness.  The door seemed to be made out of metal.  It was thick.  There was no way of getting through by brute force.

As Saejang got closer to the door, he heard something of a voice.  Well, well, what do we have here?  The voice sounded something like a sinister voice though Saejang didn't know where it was coming from.  The voice was mid-range in pitch.

Where are you?  Saejang said.  He was his typical monotone self.  He brought up his sword just in case he would need it against whatever this was.  I can't see you.

Are you afraid of things that you cannot see?  Why do you raise your sword?  The voice said and then began to chuckle.  Though I would imagine that suspicion will probably save you in these halls.

If you don't mind, I would keep my sword about me,  Saejang said.

Oh, I don't mind.  As you said, I'm perfectly fine here in the darkness.  You have been walking for some time now.  If only you could see what was around you the whole time.  Perhaps you would be far more shaken.  The voice said.

Do you come here to taunt me, or is there something that you want?  Saejang said.

You have almost nothing that I want.  Really talking is so much different that I am welcoming it for now.  Tell me something, though.  Are you afraid of dying?  Are you afraid strange creature?  The voice said to Saejang.  "That you wrap yourself in metal.  So to try to keep things from attacking you.

Where am I?  Saejang said.

First, answer my question.  I asked you first, after all.  The voice said.  Though it sounded like there was a hint of anger.

I'm not afraid of dying.  I will go to heaven after I die.  Saejang said.

Well, that is rich.  Do you know where you are?  You are in hell.  Or rather, I should say one of them.  One of the many, many hells.  They are endless, you know.  Just as endless as the despair within people or other races.  The voice said.

I am not afraid, though.  I will emerge from hell, and if I need to, I will kill demons.  Saejang said.

Well, that is precious.  You think that you can kill demons.  What do you think that you can kill demons with?  With that scrap of metal.  You will die if you try.  We are much stronger than you.  The voice said.

There is only one way to be sure.  If you wish to have, combat come out of the shadows.  Saejang said.

Now why would I do something like that?  The voice said.  You know that I am in something of a good position.  You can't really see me.  You have no idea where I am.  The ears of humans are sorry in that way.  It doesn't tell you enough information.

What are you?  Saejang said.

What am I?  What am I really?  You see, I am something that comes out of nightmares.  Something that you wouldn't want to see.  You would call me a demon.  However, no, I won't tell you my name.  Just because I don't feel like it.  The voice said to Saejang.

How do I get past this door?  Saejang said.

Why would I tell you that?  Just walk around until you stop existing.  That is what that one fellow that you found did.  Though I didn't talk to him.  The voice said to Saejang.

Why would you talk to me them?  Saejang said.

I just wanted to see why you smell so bad.  There is something about you.  In these dim hallways, you are quite bright indeed.  Though not in the normal way.  That is why I'm not going to kill you in the normal fashion.  You will just walk around to death.  Then when you die, I can examine you properly.  Though it would be hard to eat you because of that metal armor that you are wearing.  The voice said to Saejang.

Well, if you aren't going to help, then shut the hell up so I can focus,  Saejang said.

By all means, I can watch you.  Though if I feel like talking, I will.  You can't stop me.  The voice said.

Then for a while in front of Saejang, there was only the door.  Saejang needed to find some way past it.

Saejang tried to push on the door.  However, it wouldn't budge.  It was a large door that seemed to have something of an impossible weight behind it.

Saejang could hear the voice, and it was laughing at him as he tried to push on the door.

That was fine, he thought.  As long as it stood far from him, it didn't matter.  Sometimes to get out of this kind of situation, he should respond to brute force.  Violence, if directed, can be useful.

Saejang took out his sword.  He could hear the voice.  What good will that do?  You can't cut your way through a metal door.  It laughed at him.

Saejanng cast reinforce on his blade.  It slightly glowed from the energy filling it.  The voice stopped laughing when it saw this.  The mark of twin axes on his body glowed with light as Saejang caused for his mark of brutality to activate.  Saejang brought up his blade and struck the metal door.  Energy flowed from his body into the blade of the weapon that he was holding.  There was a loud crack as the door bent inward.  There was a large gash in the door, and the rest of it was caved in toward the impact.

The voice hissed at him.  Stop.  If you don't stop, we will stop you.

Saejang thought to himself.  If this is hell, then I will try to kill as many demons as I can.  All of them are evil spawn.  They will all die.

Saejang swung his weapon at the door once more.  He had the energy flow from his body once more.  Another gash, but this time there was room for a person to crawl through.  Saejang was going to taunt the voice right back.  However, he saw that something was coming at him through the darkness.  He jumped out of the way as a figure landed where he was.

The figure was covered in shadow.  It seemed to possibly be made of shadow though that was because of the darkness around him.  Saejang cast the vision spell.  He could see the sound around him.  There were more of these creatures. Even though they were hiding in the darkness, he could see the sound which made while moving.

Saejang dashed toward the creature that tried to get the drop on him.  A sword swing that cut deep into the body of the creature.  Then another swing of his blade, which was enhanced by magics.  Even though the strike would kill a normal person, Saejang fed energy into the blow.  The slash became a mighty gash.  Light for a brief second emanated from the impact for the briefest second.  He could see creatures made of shadow all around him.  They were on all fours with claws on their front legs.

He could see their sound as they rushed toward him.  They bit and clawed toward him.  However, the armor that he was wearing proved to be quite important in this regard.  They were unable to pierce it.  They clawed weakly at his armor.  The scratching of claws on armor.

Another turn for Saejang as he stabbed one of them with his sword.  The light of the glowing blade did little in the darkness of this place.  With a spin, he pulled out his blade and slashed at the creature in front of him.  It collapsed on the floor.

There was another round of them trying to slash and claw at him, but they clawed weakly at his armor.  They tried to knock him off his feet, but he stood his ground instead of being knocked back as opposed to on the floor.

Saejang's turn.  He saw another one of the creature's sounds, and he jumped in the air and stabbed downward toward the creature.  He felt resistance as he carved into the creature's flesh.  Pulling out the sword, he landed on the ground and trust once more.  A large gash appeared on the creature.

Creature turn.  The creatures around him rushed toward him once more to try to carve into him.  Their claw slashes were futile before the armor that he was wearing.  Though it was probably only an eighth of an inch thick.

Saejang's turn.  He slashed at another one of the shadow creatures in front of him and cut deep into it.  Thanks to the magic that was flowing through him, he did considerable damage.  Saejang then kicked the creature.  He felt resistance. It was like kicking a solid mass of tissue.  Energy flowed through his body as he did into the creature.  It flew back, probably around 10 feet from the impact of the kick.

Creature turn.  The creatures in front of him and around him dashed toward him.  It was another attempt to knock him off of his feet; however, he stood his ground and wouldn't let them succeed.  There were a couple more claw attacks through the didn't manage to do that much to him.

Saejang's turn.  He turned to another one of the creatures and ran toward it.  He stabbed the creature with a thrust; however, one was particularly effective.  As he poured energy into the creature from the thrust, it just exploded into thousands of tiny chunks. He still had the time and slashed at another one of the creatures.

The creatures came for him one more time as it was their turn.  One slash from one of them.  Another from a second.  And 3 more from the others in the group.  That would make 5, Saejang thought that he could manage to kill all of them.  They tried running into him to knock him down, but it failed to work on him.

Saejang slashed at one of them and put energy into the strike.  It collapsed to the floor as energy ripped through its body.  Then for a second, as he stabbed, he decided to end it, putting energy through his blade.  That was another creature that was down.

The remaining 3 kept their distance on their turn and started to move and run away from him.  Saejang had won the combat.  He killed a number of them, and they seemed to be unable to really do anything against him.

He felt a little somber.  Much of his energy seemed to be drained away from the fight.  More so than he thought that it would be.  Perhaps their attacks actually did have an effect, and he only noticed it later after the combat.

After the fight, he could feel it.  The claws.  It was like it went right through the armor.  He could feel it afterward that it felt like they clawed into his flesh even though the armor was supposed to protect him.

After he moved up to the door, the large gash was still there.  He moved through the opening.  It was brighter.  Must brighter than before.  All around him was light.

Chapter 2

Saejang walked into a chamber.  The chamber was lit.  In the middle was a device.  Made of metal and glass, it looked like there was some kind of creature within it.  The glass was transparent, and beyond was filled with some kind of liquid.  It was a tank of sorts.  There were metal decorations on the outside of it.  Though it was unclear if they were indeed decorations.

All along the outside of the chamber in metal, it spelled out various runes and words along its surface.  The words seemed to glow but only while Saejang wasn't looking directly at them.  Along the outside of the room, it seemed like round walls of white.  The material of which he was unsure about it, but it was solid and smooth.  Just pure white.

The creature inside of the tank was a creature of pure white.  It was like a person; however, there was no hair.  There was no mouth or eyes or nose.  It was all smooth.  Saejang could only make out something of a humanoid shape underneath.

As he stared, it was like it looked at him.  The only way that he could tell was like it was some manner of moving silhouette.  Then a mouth formed.  The material or flesh of the creature tore open to reveal a gaping maw of blackest hue.  Flesh strips and tore flesh still were along the outside of the torn mouth.

You made it past one of the hells.  The creature said in what sounded like a chorus of prepubescent children.  You even killed a lot of demons along the way.

What the hell is this?  Saejang said.

Yes, you are in hell or one of many.  The creature said.

Are you friendly?  Saejang asked the creature.

I am not friendly, but I'm not hostile.  The creature said.  The mouth didn't form different shapes when it talked.  The mouth was just moving open and closed repeatedly, and sound was coming out.

Why am I here?  Saejang said.

I don't know.  I am not part of the outside, and I don't know the reason why you would be here.  The creature said.  It sounded like a bunch of children talking in unison, but there was something else.  If he listened in, there was a quieter part of his speech saying something else.  Saejang activated vision.  Perhaps he would be able to pick it up.

How do I get out of here?  Saejang asked the creature.

Simple, you must just leave through that door over there.  A door opened up.  However, listening closer, he heard something else.  You are doomed human.  You will suffer here for an eternity.  Everything that you know will be stripped from you.  However, that portion of speech was much quieter than the rest.

"So I just walk through this door.  Convenient that