章節 4: Chapter 3 - Lurking Legend

Skin and Mia embarked on their journey to the nearby town, a place that radiated an exotic Arabic ambiance, bustling with laughter and joy.

Upon their arrival, they found themselves wholly immersed in the vibrant local culture. Their senses were enveloped by the scents of exotic spices, the rhythms of traditional music, and the kaleidoscope of colors adorning the attire of the town's residents.

"Wow~~ This place is so beautiful!" Says Mia, she lays her eyes on a bazaar, a place with stalls of everything, anything you would need was there, Mia points towards the "Let's go to their skin!"

Upon reaching the bazaar, Mia lost her mind due to excitement, she found the place amusing, and her eyes sparkled with passion, she wanted to fully enjoy this place.

A mysterious kid sees them, and he observes them for a while when Mia gets into an argument with a seller, she does not have any money and wants a chain of gold, but refuses to pay.

The boy approaches them quickly, "Hey! Hey! Now calm down good sir, they seem like travelers, don't be too hard on them!"

A spirited young boy comes into the picture, "Hello travelers, my name is Abacus, and I'm a guide for travelers, it's nice to meet you!"

Mia picks the boy up from his head, "You are quite scrawny for a kid, but I guess that doesn't matter, as long as you know how to use that head of yours!"

Abacus gets scared, he thinks to himself "God have mercy!!! What have I gotten myself into!!"

Skin raises his hand to the kid, with a gentle and angelic smile, "It's nice to meet you Abacus, I hope you can guide us well" to which Abacus gets teary, as he shouts "You seem like a great person!! I'll happily be of service to you sir!"

Mia releases the kid from her grasp, "Now then it's decided!! Now guide us through the town Abacus" Skin tells Abacus, "Just so you know, my name is Skin, and this right here is Mia, we are from another world"

Abacus ignores Skin's comment, thinking to himself "Yea right another world! Haha!" Ignoring that, Abacus greets Skin and Mia once more.

With infectious enthusiasm, Abacus led them through the winding streets of the picturesque town. Abacus seemed to be excited, his goal seemed like a single place.

"This is the central Mosque," Abacus explained, gesturing towards a grand structure nestled at the heart of the town. "The Mosque houses transport gates that connect to different cities and towns, serving as a vital link between worlds."

Mia and Skin are shocked, both simultaneously wondering, "Transport gates?" To which Abacus is surprised, "What you don't know about them? You guys must be from boonies..."

Mia and Skin lookslookkconfusedn, Abacus lets out a sigh, "A transport gate, something that connects to different Kingdoms, different cities, and different towns"

Mia and Skin are shocked, "What!? How is that possible?" To which Abacus replies, "It's Magic~ What else would it be? You guys don't even know what Magic is?"

Mia and Skin, again in confusion mumbles "No...", Abacus starts losing his mind "What?? Where are you from really?? How do you not know about magic?"

Skin looks at him awkwardly, "I told you before... We are from another world" Abacus again thinks that they are making a fool of him, and he finally gives in and explains.

"Fine, I'll fall for your trolling... Magic is like a miracle, the mana particles in the air and atmosphere, controlling them and performing a miracle, that is what magic is"

Mia is surprised, "Oh! So it is just like controlling the elemental energy, the power that we use in my world!" She's excited.

Skin on the other hand says, "Man... It must be nice having such fun abilities! Maybe I could learn this Mana thing as well!?"

Abacus replies to Skin, "Well you could, but it does depend on your talent, nature decides who it wants, to have the power to alternate it"

Skin with a smile says, "Well isn't that a shame... But maybe I have some unique talent, it never hurts to try"

Moving on, they traversed the charming streets, Skin and Mia were captivated by the town's charm.

The tantalizing aroma of local cuisine filled the air, and they marveled at the rich tapestry of colors woven into the attire of the town's residents.

Their journey into this new and vibrant world was marked by an exquisite blend of intrigue and delight, signifying the dawn of a unique and unforgettable adventure.

The wind blows to Ava, who had found refuge in the heart of an isolated forest. She was sitting on a small hill, where only birds chirped.

Her frustration and anger reverberated through the tranquil surroundings as she muttered to herself, "Why is everyone so mean to me... I hate them... I hate them all...."

Her emotions threatened to engulf her. In a moment of overwhelming fury, she let out a heart-rending scream, a desperate cry for release. "Damn you all!!!!!!"

Yet, destiny had something unexpected in store for Ava. She unwittingly fell from the hill, stumbling upon a concealed cave.

Within its shadowy depths, she stumbled upon a sight that surpassed her wildest imagination – a peculiar crystal, encased within a mysterious and formidable barrier.

This discovery alone was enough to astonish her, but what truly left her breathless was the sentinel of the crystal – a serpentine creature of mesmerizing beauty and bone-chilling terror.

As the guardian stirred from its watchful slumber, it revealed its presence to Ava.

It boasted the formidable body of a colossal tiger, its visage adorned with a captivating lion's countenance, and its lower half sinuously serpentine.

The guardian's very form was a breathtaking blend of beauty and terror, leaving Ava simultaneously awed and filled with trepidation, "Wh-What i-is that..."

Ava recognized the urgency of her escape but dared not make a sound that might betray her presence.

Each step she took was measured and silent, her heart racing as she retreated with all the swiftness she could muster.

Her sole aim was to navigate her way back to the familiar town, to rejoin the world she understood, and to leave behind the enigmatic and formidable enigma dwelling deep within the recesses of the cave.

Transitioning back to Mia and Skin, they engaged in conversation with Abacus, their guide in this enchanting town.

Abacus shared a crucial piece of information, "the town is named Balkias, nestled in the countryside, far from any signs of civilization, that where transport portals come into play

They were hundreds of miles away from the nearest settlement, making the existence of transportation portals all the more vital.

Although the people were somewhat familiar with the concept of magic, it wasn't a well-practiced art among the townsfolk.

As they delved into the intricacies of this isolated paradise, an abrupt tremor reverberated through the surroundings, jolting Mia and Skin into high alert.

"What was that?" says Mia, to her surprise, she sees Skin reacting to it as well, "Did you feel that too? Skin? But how....."

Ignoring the situation with Skin, her eyes scanned the area and landed upon a surreal spectacle.

Ava, sprinting with an unearthly speed, rapidly approached them across the barren land. Her movements defied the laws of nature, her legs now resembling those of a grasshopper.

Ava's harrowing scream cut through the air, "Save Me!!!!!!!!" carrying with it an unmistakable sense of fear as she fled from a relentless horde of monsters

– the same creatures that Agha had previously encountered.

Panic and desperation hung in the atmosphere as the pursuing horde drew nearer.

"I knew this kid would get in trouble!!" Mia, swift in her reaction, shot towards Ava at the speed of sound.

In the blink of an eye, she reached Ava and whisked her to safety just in the nick of time. A collective shock washed over the onlookers, all struggling to comprehend the inexplicable events that had just unfolded.

In stark contrast, Skin displayed an eerie calm, maintaining his outward composure. Mia, however, couldn't shake the suspicion that there was more to Skin's reaction than met the eye.

She wondered if his strange behavior was a part of something bigger, but for the moment, she dismissed her concerns as overthinking.

The mystery surrounding the impending threat of the monstrous horde that are still marching towards the city, left them all in a state of bewilderment and trepidation, with more questions than answers.