Capítulo 63: The Guardian
The brilliant light faded out soon after revealing the item inside the boxes. Each boxes contained different item, totally random if one might say.
"This is it?"
Hallel was the first one to complaint as she took the item inside her box. It was unexpectedly a necklace. She knew that the necklace should be something good, its glow was on par with legend rank item even. Its effect should be great.
But everyone who played HeavensTale knew that each player could only equip one necklace, not more. Even if she had dozens of good one, they were practically useless in the end. She had been stranded in this world for five years. She already tested whatever supposed to be a loophole before this game turned into reality. Even if she equipped a second or third necklace, only the first one was effective. The others was just useless decor even when equipped. She still picked up the necklace and inspect it diligently though.
"At least it's better than mine. Ugh, what do you get, Mays?"
Ria harrumphed as she tossed the item she got from the box to Mays. It was actually a glove. A pair of black leather glove, an item totally useless to her. As a knight, she obviously use gauntlet, not a glove. Hallel chuckled as she saw how dissatisfied Ria was.
"Err... I don't even know what my reward is used for."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"What the heck is that thing for? Hahaha."
Mays shrugged his shoulder as he showed his reward to Ria and Hallel. Both of them laughed right away when they saw what Mays got. It was cards. A dozen of cards. A dozen of god damn monster cards, each with their own illustration together with their description.
And that was it.
"Okay enough laughing. I don't think that this so called trial would reward us useless things."
From his despondent tone, both Hallel and Ria knew that Mays was quite disappointed with the reward he got. At the very least, the two of them got something literally useful as they were items commonly used but Mays actually got a dozen of cards. What use were those?
The three of them fiddled with their reward yet there really was nothing they could sense from those items. Since this world was a game no more, these former players could only tested the items literally by using them. They would feel something changed within them every time they changed their equipment. But these item they just got, there were no changes whatsoever. None at all.
"Seriously, I don't think these things are anything good at all."
"You're right. This glove is also useless."
Both Ria and Hallel complained. Hallel had the necklace wrapped around her neck while Ria wore the gloves but they really didn't feel anything changing at all. It was like those items were just common, normal item used by humans in this world. Obviously Mays couldn't even equip the card he just gotten.
"Ugh, this sucks."
Right after Mays cursed, something happened. The silver statue near the door suddenly started shaking on its own.
"Finally, the time has come. You guys are the lucky godkins who managed to reach this place."
Everyone reacted on instinct the moment they heard that unfamiliar voice. Mays was in his fighting stance while both Ria and Hallel held their weapon respectively. Their sight were all focused on that silver statue.
Little by little, the statue moved. At first, the statue was moving rigidly like a mechanical life form. Everything including his hand, his head, his leg and every other limbs were moving slowly for about one full minutes before it started to move fluidly like a human.
"Worry not, I mean no harm."
Noticing the hostile gaze from everyone, the silver statue spoke once again. It even raised both his arm as if indicating how harmless he was.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Mays who was still calm asked the silver statue in his usual tone. He was still in his fighting stance though, albeit way more relaxed compared to the other two.
"I am Beta, a guardian assigned by the lord."
"The lord? Who the heck is that?"
Hallel interrupted out of nowhere. The silver statue glared at Hallel for a while before he continued.
"The lord is someone who you people called god back on earth. He was also the creator of the three realm."
"And you? Are you those so called world god?"
Once again, Mays asked the silver statue about something that had been troubling him.
"I might be and might not. In a sense, I am similar to him but in actuality I am not him."
The silver statue paused for a while before he continued.
"There are three of us assigned here by the lord. One as overseer while the other two as guardian. I am one of the guardian while the world god known by people in this word is the overseer. Our only job here in this world is to guide you godkins as you strive as a fighter worthy of the lord."
Those sentence spouted by the silver statue left Mays and the rest in deep silence. Understanding those words and accepting them as facts were two different things altogether. That fact was so out of the world that it was hard for them to accept right away.
"Fighter for the lord? What for?"
"It's not one of your concern yet."
"Can we go back to our previous world."
"Yes of course."
"How can we go back?"
"I don't know."
When his question was not answered satisfactorily, Mays realized that this silver statue was not the person he was looking for. He then changed his approach as to gather more information as possible.
"Can you tell us about the other guardian and overseer?"
Guardian, I know nothing about the other one. As for overseer, he was traceless. He lives in Demon Continent that I am sure of.
"Only overseer knew the way back home I presume?"
"That's correct."
Both Ria and Hallel kept their mouth shut as they listened to the conversation between Mays and the so called guardian, Beta. They had long ago kept their weapon away as they sensed no hostility from this silver statue.
''These item we got here, what are they for?''
"It's not the time for you to know yet. Just keep them with you for now."
"Ugh okay."
Once again Mays got that useless answer. He was quite fed up with it but he could do nothing about it. Drasca who was coiling all over his neck never said anything from the very moment the silver statue start moving. She was observing the statue's every move with a stern look on her dragon's face.
"Is there..."
"Sorry, my time is up."
Before Mays could ask his next question, he was interrupted midway by the silver statue. Right after that, the silver statue stopped moving. It was now back to being a mere statue, without any sign of it ever had any life within. The duration of that statue being alive was actually just five minutes in total.
"Eeehh... Its back to being a statue?"
"What the..."
Both Ria and Hallel didn't know what else to say. Mays was still deep in his own thought, rationalizing the fact he just acquired. The very same moment the silver statue stopped moving, a rectangular door opened up on the wall.
"Tch, whatever. Let's go guys."
Mays who was not planning on wasting any more time urged the others to follow him as he walked out from the white room. The Heavenly Wish Trial was unexpectedly a trial set for them godkins in the first place. No wonder there was never a successful case of anyone for centuries.
Up above on top of a cloud, an old man was leisurely sipping his orange juice while relaxing under a colorful parasol. He had been observing everything which happened inside the cavern ever since Mays and his group set foot in it. He was the overseer, the so called world god who always messed things up in the dark.
"It took them five years to finally meet with the open guardian. I wonder how long it will take for them to search for the hidden one. Ugh, I wonder if I can even triumph over those people at HellsGate. Their players meet the open guardian back when they were at their second year."
"At least, one of them was someone with god's bloodline. I'm looking forward to it."
--------------------------------
A crimson dragon was seen soaring over the area of BrutalBear Dukedom as if notifying everyone present about its existence. On the back of the dragon was a carriage full of people. Mays and the rest was inside the carriage, on their way to the location depicted by the map Hallel showed them previously.
"Let's just hope that this map ain't a dupe like that cavern."
"Of course it's not. I think. Surely, I guess."
It was obvious that even Hallel herself was not sure about the validity of the treasure map in her hand. She mumbled for a while after she answered Mays. She was confident at first but she hesitated soon after.
"In the end, that silver statue was not the one we are looking for."
Ria voiced out her opinion dejectedly. She didn't really understand everything but from what Mays just said, she knew that their cavern exploration before was a failure.
"It's okay, don't sweat it. We still get a lot of interesting information from him nonetheless."
"And some ambiguous item."
Hallel added while showing off her new necklace.
"Yeah, yeah. Well, how far are we now from that location marked in the map? I think we are close enough already."
The crimson dragon Flamence had been hovering over the hills for quite some time already. The cross mark on the map should be around this mountain hills area if the map was genuine. It was then when suddenly a humanoid figure came out from a cave nearby.
"Tch, it's like that. No wonder."
Mays slapped his head as he realized it. Hallel already told Mays that there would be either a settlement or a village at every cross mark in the map. Those people were the next generation of map holders, those whose duty was to guards the very same kind of map which Hallel snatched some time ago.
Since Hallel encountered a village each time she reached the cross mark area, she concluded that it was necessary to be so for every other cross location. This misdirection was the reason why they had been hovering over the area for almost one hour.
It was not that this place had no settlement but the settlement itself was a hidden one. That humanoid figure which came out from the cave entrance was the biggest clue. He was a bear kin. Their brownish fur reminded Mays of cave bears back in earth. It was a wonder that there was also a bear tribe here which lived inside a cave.
"What, what?"
"You noticed something Mays?"
Both Hallel and Ria was still clueless. They had grown tired of observing the green forest after dozens of minutes. Hallel had been fiddling with the treasure map while Ria was playing with the monster cards Mays just gotten from the trial previously together with the other spirits. Only Mays alone watched over the area diligently without complaining.
"Hallel, go down there. The people who guards the treasure is in the cavern."
"Ehh? But there is no village down there."
Hallel retorted as she was adamant on her own speculation which was the treasure supposed to be guarded by a group of people, a village at the very least.
"Because it's not above ground. Its underground. Believe me and just go."
"Uh fine. Wait for me."
It never occurred in her mind that an underground settlement was still a settlement. As if she was suddenly enlighten by that fact, she immediately jumped down without further thinking. Ria didn't interfere with their conversation since this topic was not related to her at all. She just stared at the cavern entrance for a bit before she once again played with the monster cards.
Flamence landed not too far from the cavern entrance as everyone inside the carriage awaited for Hallel to return. None of them even bothered to came out from the carriage.
Not too far from them was a group of fully armed bear kin, observing their every action. This was the local army of BlackFur City led by Captain Ponn, the younger brother of Chieftain Pomomo. He was the only gold ranked intermediate boss in this army.
"What should we do, captain?"
"Just wait and observe for now."
Since his brother had been fatally injured by Mays and his group, he rushed out with his troop only to be stopped by Syaitona and the rest of the spirits in front of the stone gate of Heavenly Wish Trial. He was beyond frustrated when he realized that every single woman guarding that gate was at his level, if not higher even.
Since he couldn't do anything to these people, he could only observe them from a safe distance. He was even prepared to sacrifice his life if these people were to massacre their citizens but thanks god they didn't.
Not even one hour later, Hallel came back. She had a dejected look on her face as she walked toward Mays.
"Another dupe?"
"Ugh yeah."
Hallel replied dispiritedly as she tossed the map she just picked up toward Mays. It was identical to the map she kept with her all this time. There should be eight identical map all over demon continent, one at each cross marked area in the map.
"It's okay. Your luck is just not that good. Since there is only one cross mark left, the last piece of that treasure should be there."
"Erm, that's right. Sec ima check where the last one is."
Her tone was now better since her treasure hunt would come to an end soon. The last cross mark would undoubtedly had the missing part she had been looking for. It was stated that there would only be three part of the treasure after all.
"No need to look for it. Its DemonBlood Dukedom. It's also where our next destination is."
"Aaaah. That is why you sent Kasimon and the rest there. No wonder."
The one who exclaimed excitedly was Ria. She was quite proud at the fact that she realized what Mays had planned without the need for him to tell her. Syaitona who sat opposing of them nodded in acknowledgement as if she already knew about it.
"Well, since it was quite far to go there, we might need to camp out tonight."
"It's okay."
"No problem."
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As it was predicted by Mays, the group set up camp at the border of HornedRabbit Dukedom. They had long left BrutalBear Dukedom, leaving those army observing them at a loss on how to catch up on them.
Rather than a camp, it was more appropriate to say that they were now living in a villa. A single, three storey villa. This villa was Ria's portable house, the same one she used back when she was camping together with the MisfitSquad.
Mays didn't use his portable house because he only owned a basic one, without any further upgrade to it. He never use it back in HeavensTale either. Only girls loved playing house and dressing up their character inside a game.
There were four room on the third floor and another four on the second floor. Mays, Ria and Hallel took one room each at third floor while the other spirits were sharing rooms on second floor. Drasca was obviously staying close to Mays.
"You're asleep Drasca?"
"..."
No response. Mays was planning to have a deep conversation with Drasca but apparently that dragon girl was already asleep. It seemed like the talk regarding those guardians and overseer needed to be put on hold for now.
After putting Drasca on top of a makeshift bed for small pet, Mays let out a small sigh. Since his plan was now on hold, Mays who had nothing else to do could only laid down on his bed waiting to fall asleep.
Knock. Knock.
A sudden door knocking sound startled Mays. It was rare for someone to come looking for him at the middle of the night.
"Come in."
Kreak.
The door was opened and Ria walked in slowly in her bathrobe. The sweet smell of fruit shampoo permeated all over the room after Ria closed the door. Her wet hair was clear evidence that she had just finished bathing just a while ago.
"You busy, Mays?"
Ria asked after she sat on the bed beside Mays. With her enchanting look, it was impossible for Mays not to feel anything.
"Not really. Why?"
"Err... Actually... I..."
Her face was beyond red and she stuttered all the way without being able to say anything. She was totally embarrassed. A girl coming over asking for that felt totally wrong to her. She was after all a naive and inexperience young maiden.
"You what?"
"I... I..."
Mays just couldn't help to tease her more when he saw her reaction. Ria was just too cute. Well, every girl who transported here to this world turned into absolute beauty but this innocent reaction was just priceless, making her cuter.
Looking directly at Mays who was grinning, Ria was about to cry. She felt that the man in front of her was unreasonable, purposely making her embarrassed.
"You're a jerk!"
"Hehe sorry. I just can't help it, you're too cute."
Mays apologized before he hugged Ria from the back.
"Now that you're here, you're not going anywhere tonight."
With a slightly hard pull, Mays easily stripped Ria of her bathrobe, revealing her alluring body out in the open. Their long night had only just begun.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, a pair of small eyes were fixed at them, observing their every action the entire night.
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