Chương 231: Getting some answers
Thinking of attacking seriously, I had a question. Where is he? The one who put me up to this. Where is Strauss?
"Mom, has there been a man here? He has white hair and kinda looks like a male version of Samantha. Did he ever visit?"
"Yes. He actually did. He didn't talk to me. He just said something to Fay and Aura. Hazel wasn't present at that time so he asked them to pass on the message and disappeared. He hasn't been here since." (Mom)
"When was that?"
"A few days before you fell. What's wrong?" (Mom)
"I need some answers from him. He may visit again."
That Strauss! He is pulling all sorts of strings while I am in the dark. Feels uncomfortable. And why is Hazel, Fay and Aura collaborating with him? Maybe I should ask them.
"Where did they go? I haven't seen Fay and Aura since morning."
Yeah! I didn't see them this morning. Since coming here, the breakfast takes some time so I believe it's been a while since daybreak.
"They said that they are going somewhere. But didn't mention the place. They were rather serious." (Mom)
So they have been up to something behind my back. That feels a little complicated. I guess I am getting my just desserts. Maybe I should ask Hazel.
Let's try contacting them first. Maybe I can get through. But it was in vain. I couldn't find them anywhere.
They aren't on Jupiter. They aren't on Earth either.
(Hazel, where is Aura and Fay?)
(They went to that place. That one place where you came back from, master. The place you called the Primordial Ruined World.) (Hazel)
(I hope they are okay. That place will test even the strongest. I guess I need to find Strauss.)
(He is with them. He is guiding them through that place. And I stayed behind because I lost the game of rock paper and scissors.) (Hazel)
She sounds a little disappointed. I have no choice other than waiting.
It feels weird. Like the end of the story is approaching but I can feel it. It's not the end. This is the beginning. Let's wait for them to return.
On the other side, Fay and Aura are currently traveling through the ruined world with Strauss as their guide.
They woke up in the same cave as Clive and are going towards the center of it.
"Still, this place is far worse than he showed us." (Fay)
"Yeah. It's impossible to walk through this hot earth and the heat will kill you the moment you stop drinking water." (Strauss)
"Why are you whining? Didn't you come here before?" (Aura)
"I did but not like this. I just sent my projection while my real body was somewhere else. This place really slaps." (Strauss)
They are already past the cave where Clive fought the Naga.
"This is where the trouble begins. Be prepared to fight." (Strauss)
He takes an unusual stance.
"But our powers don't work here." (Fay)
"You have to go physical all the way. Just how Clive did it." (Strauss)
"Then we better be ready to die. Because I can't take out that giant monkey." (Aura)
But Strauss scoffed.
"The monkey isn't here anymore. Our opponent this time are those." (Strauss)
He points to the front and they see some black humanoid sludge like thing.
"What are those?" (Fay)
"Remnants. This world is called the Primordial Ruined World because this is the very first world ever created and the first to be destroyed. Those are remnants of the inhabitants who lived here." (Strauss)
"Why didn't Clive fight these?" (Fay)
"Because the monkey was stopping these. We have to clear the remnants to get the primordial artifact. That will give us a chance at stopping this mess." (Strauss)
They ready themselves.
"How do we defeat those? They look like sludge." (Aura)
"We'll just have to try hard enough." (Strauss)
He sounds uncertain. Because he doesn't know either. Remnants are rare. When a world is destroyed, everything is destroyed. Remnants are only born if the souls become trapped in that world.
Aura dashed forward to strike. Preemptive strike would let them gauge the situation as well.
She observed the movements of the sludge like figure. It's slow. And it doesn't have any sentience. She threw a punch which dissipated the sludge.
It splattered everywhere. Aura avoided the splash and went back.
The sludge however started moving again. It went to another sludge figure and got absorbed.
"They just absorb the disfigured sludge. How do we deal with that?" (Fay)
The advent of the sludge was not slowing down. They were being pushed behind.
"Let's retreat for now and find a higher ground." (Strauss)
At his recommendation, they drew back and climbed a slope. The sludge just kept walking ahead until it came to a stop.
The sludge is currently stationed at the same place where Clive fought the Naga.
"It's not moving." (Aura)
"Is that searching for life?" (Fay)
"I don't know. Let me try something." (Strauss)
Strauss climbs down the slope and goes near it. It started slowly creeping towards him. He quickly drew back and climbed back up. The sludge stopped moving again.
"Yeah. It's probably trying to absorb anything that has life. We are in a way, trapped on this slope." (Strauss)
The situation is not good. Their ration isn't infinite. Their water is depleting fast. The temperature isn't friendly either.
If they don't move, the environment will kill them.
"How did Clive survive here?" (Fay)
"A miracle. Because even I didn't think he would be able to survive. If that had happened, I would have just sent him back. But he actually survived and went back by his own merit." (Strauss)
All of them were starting to run low on water. It wasn't the time to chat about the past.
"It seems like I have to clean up once again."
Someone appeared before them. A normal looking man, nothing so special about him, appeared.
"Who are you?" (Strauss)
Strauss is on guard. Because no normal entity can enter that place.
"I am Keith Harding. I am here to clean that mess." (Keith)
He points at the sludge. But Fay remembered who he is.
"You are the man who helped Clive. I saw you in his memories." (Fay)
"I did help Clive once. And now, I will help you all." (Keith)
Keith puts a barrier around them to protect them from the environment. He gave them water and food as well.
They were overwhelmed by it but managed to keep themselves calm.
Keith went down and put his hand inside the sludge.
"What is he doing?" (Aura)
"Let's see. I have yet to witness a creator level entity's powers so this will be interesting." (Strauss)
Strauss is looking at Keith with great interest. The sludge glowed for a moment and disappeared.
He came back to them because he wanted to have a word with them.
"This world has been given to me. From now on, I am the creator of this ruined world. So, why were you three here?" (Keith)
"I had heard that this world has a primordial artifact that can erase any world." (Strauss)
"That thing was destroyed. It doesn't exist anymore. Sorry that you had to come all the way here for nothing. I'll send you three back now. Give Clive my regards. I hope that he will succeed in doing what he intends to do." (Keith)
They all disappeared from there.
"I hope that bluff worked. The primordial artifact isn't something that can be brought out. It will spell doom for every world and its creators." (Keith)
The plot thickens as it becomes a bigger mystery than before. But Clive will find out about this a while later and that will mark the beginning of his journey through different worlds.
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Gregor_americana
Gregor_americana I am not dead yet. Although someone I know did die today. This chapter has been stalled for 3 weeks now. So I finished it somehow. Don’t as about the pointless stuff. I’ll probably forget about these soon.
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