Murai heard her right, and couldn't help but be half impressed how clever she was with her words and excuses. Sothing in him almost moved. She always found a way to bend the truth or lies, which made her either clever like a fox, or lying like a succubuss.
Murai was nearly impressed.
More often than not, he found it lacking because the context of details was a factor that could help any poor bastard. Then, he voiced it in his own way, either speaking nonsense or a sense that Lisa didn't care about.
He accepted it wasn't an easy life with her around.
There were doubts and clarity in any facts and logic. Even so lies weren't far from that point, holding so truths. Murai didn't see through them all the ti, but he had seen enough in people to tell idiots and fools apart.
Lisa was proving herself, but she wasn't that good at it. He wouldn't be either in her situation, so he tossed her concerns behind his head for the ti being.
“I do care about so sense and validity. It is what those in power do and think. Clarity is information. Mind and acts follow every detail. Any is fine. If you judge what is fine or not in your head, then what do I do with that? How to work with this sense?” Murai asked.
“You should be clearer about your wants. Then, if you want validation while making my decisions, it is up to either of us. I am taking care of you too.” Lisa said as she left the bottle hanging barely half in her mind. Dragon Parrots were an interesting concept, and this bottle was quite valuable, but there were far more interesting things she wanted to know.
This Item will be a long-term investnt anyway. She realized how it should work, as Murai decided to take the route of Minor Influences. It was compatible and manageable for sure.
When she glanced at the belt-looking artifact or a sword on the ground, they were poor in comparison, or straight-up negligible. She wondered why those were his choices, but again... what had she expected? This was already better than usual.
The Influence Item in her hands was ready to touch any beast that had Parrot's features, no matter the stage. Its quality should work even for Adults of any bird, albeit not fully unless one desires to be closely related to Dragon Parrots. It was subjective to everyone who wanted to do their evolutions.
Taking the Item was a touch of greatness, history, or sothing unique. Not taking any Influence was also a possibility and often a popular choice for already powerful bloodline species.
For Murai, this choice wasn't terrible if he didn't take it fully. So she accepted it by almost storing it away.
Murai heard and saw her eyes linger on the bottle. “Clearer or not, I think it is ti to turn your status a little. From this mont fort, your status as a Loot Manager and Spatial Manager ends. See my hoodie?” He pointed to his pockets with his beak, right beside the sides of his belly, fairly close to the wings and away from most problems.
At first, Murai questioned what kind of lunatic would give a duck so pockets, but again, he had his beak! He can be flexible with it. This pocket was all he needed to work with. He should no longer be unhappy about not managing his efforts.
Lisa heard his remark, but his words carried surprises. She almost churned a laugh. “You want to give less work? How surprising.”
“So you would focus on what matters. All things will be with . Or you might take that ring along with so other things you desire. Think what you want, but I want important loot in my possession. Distribution will go between us, or you will care of it later. Ti isn't a problem right now, correct?”
“Understandable. Almost clever. Lissa will be happy.” Lorry uttered beside Lisa, who glared and snapped her arm at him. He dodged her and began laughing.
“I know... Fine. We will figure that out before or after we enter the Gate 3. It will be fitting because of the next Vault. For now... I think you have so remaining purpose and pieces left.” She said to Lorry who shivered when her hand flashed and she caught him again. One would almost think he smiled in delight as the shivering sona touched his nostril holes.
“Gentle... Gentle.” He moaned.
Murai ignored him. He figured the sight behind his back no longer mattered, so he looked at the other end of the cave. There was a massive wall depicting the end of this Gate. It wasn't a cliff, but more of a platform carved into one large chunk of rock.
“Think of what I said in your free ti, Lisa. Take my suggestion, or bear the results in your mind. I can be fair. You should consider it if you want my benefits that so find unreasonable. It isn't surprising. I am not what so people think, but also can be no different.” Murai said to her as he moved past her, ignoring the sword and the belt along with the potion.
He turned his attention to what mattered: away from her, as the wall was hiding its secrets or his goal.
“It's ti to move on.” Facing him, more than 20 ters away, was a normal-looking gate cut into the wall. It wasn't big like so would think, nor was it a portal that was a popular thod of transportation. Underground places use them for various reasons and obvious benefits.
As long as Chaos Space worked well, portals were stable for centuries. That needed proper mages familiar with the Void, Chaos Space, and Ti or Space in extre proximity to one's strength. Knowledge of runes helped as well since portals worked on principles of truth and complicated crafts.
Be it Laws, or a simple touch to Space, many beings could find talent in influencing the untouchable. In the Battleworld, the course of power had different flavors and heights than in most worlds. Regardless of level, so could do what others can't because of talent and a knack for sothing weird. The world helped a lot in this regard, giving often cheap and significant ways to enchant anything.
Before Murai was a gate that looked like a door fra etched into the stone, making it rather questionable how could so giants walk through this thing. It was at least 4 ters tall and 3 ters wide.
Enough for a duck for sure, right for him to walk through, crawl, or fly.
Murai got an intrusive thought about how many ducks would have to stand on top of one another to bump into the upper fra. And it was open, revealing the dark flickering fog within, leading to the long staircase that went to the depths of the temple.
Before glancing or waiting for Lisa or Lorry's argunt about his hoodie to reach so conclusion, Murai walked past them to reach the gate, disappearing into the darkness.
It left the two floating figures alone once again. Both of them were kind of speechless in their respective appearances. Lisa felt the red, radiant, and hot item. She wondered what its effects might be like to Murai's species, or him in specifics, but she knew he was at least months or longer away from the next evolution. And even that was questionable, considering his potential and what he would like, or even unlock.
She knew that evolutions held various requirents, while their Class was what truly mattered, second to the cracked Limiters. She doubted Murai wanted sothing poor. That will give rise to new problems and a thing called a Limiter, which poised as a ceiling for anyone and what one could, or want to reach. For now, it didn't matter, unless the weight of this Gate—or what she would do in the next one—outweighed the norm.
Lisa wasn't that sure about the situation of her cause, as she was responsible for the ss that went through this temple. She thought about it more than once or twice, talking to Lorry and Mindarch in hopes of reaching so arrangent or hopes.
They hardly bend a knee. As expected of the Hell Haven Guide and soul construct whose existence was hovering all over Levandis or her entire Hell Haven.
“Lorry swears... This is getting more and more interesting. Murai and you too, Lisa.”
“And you think I am making sense out of it? You are getting more annoying than I rember.” Lisa sighed.
“Lisa thinks so?” Lorry didn't believe that.
“Seriously, I an that. I also ant what I've always tried to work with. Details and weight of the Encounter are also on your shoulders, while this temple is trouble like us to the temple. As a Guide, you should take Murai for your Fate. Mindarch listens too, I bet. I want only good for us and this temple. Getting rid of us is one part of it, but I know it works weird when many sides do what they want. I want sothing. Murai is the sa. You or Levandis or Mindarch are no different.”
“Can't say I can't get your point... But can't. You don't want to go through this route,” Lorry whispered.
“Heard that... thrice. From Mindarch himself.”
“Who else is fit to say it? Rules and secrets are part of this temple. Do you think what goes around is fine to ignore? Razmund hunts your little guy and everything follows suit. The Surface is also there, while Lady shows so interest in it as well. You will have to bear that in mind, cater to it.”
“How to get out then?” Lisa grunted and glanced at the Islands of Greatness behind her. She wanted to disappear from the Seventh Death Forest, but maintaining the status quo of Murai's growth was also important, so she didn't know the perfect way to solve this situation.
So far, it went well, but that will change in the next Gate. She needed to look out for the worse case scenarios while maintaining a balance of the politics, Encounter, and Murai's damned head and dangers of this place. It was as complicated as one would think.
“What changes below? Is Mindarch changing or influencing our cause? Or the Encounter does it too?” She asked.
“All the above.” Lorry accepted the truth, figuring that there was no point in speaking weirdly. “Lady Levandis did sothing too.”
“Did she? Well, she did use a toy, that much is true. What else? What happened in that hut then? What about the previous... situation? Did soone make their move? Who? So God? I am more than willing to talk about what Murai went through before. No need to worry about secrets with . Trades work with words as well.”
Lorry glanced at her suspiciously, not believing that she would go to such lengths. “No. Lady got pissed herself, I dare to imagine. Wished was there...” Lorry wept a smoke of tears and his disappointnt was imasurable.
Lisa appeared conflicted in her thoughts. Looking for answers was hard if others were unwilling to take them. Especially when power wasn't in her grasp, nor treasures, or any kind of authority. She could try to work with what she had thanks to Murai, but it wasn't worth much at the mont. Reputation was also essential.
Thankfully, Mindarch was surprisingly cooperative so far into this temple, which Lorry took down to his mouth from ti to ti. Lisa put good use to it.
“Lorry suggests so care down there. Gate 4 is... Uhm. Danger too. Gate 3 is a priority. It is still a place that is semi-close and unique in its approach. Getting out is still harsh. Can't guarantee or force a thing. Mindarch might, but rules stand when Lady watches, and so Overlords guard that interest. Hunts do that, while the Encounter and your Hunt are the sa. It could clash to new heights.”
Lisa figured that much already. Shaking her head, she stored the potion in the ring she wore like a bracelet. The belt and the large sword bigger than her body over 4 tis went there as well.
One could store other spatial objects in others without any trouble, which was why the ring that Manager Kil beca important. Its quality was very high, whereas lower-quality pouches were secondary, but their internal storage was bigger than the ring.
But she knew her stuff. Storing powerful spatial properties inside low-quality spatial equipnt of any kind may cause instability and destruction of items. None wanted such things, so working and steadily improving or stabilizing them was almost mandatory for every owner of such treasures. Finding a good line of work between many of them was difficult, thus having a priority or a main spatial treasures worked the best.
Thankfully, the rings were one of the best of their kind in the market, right behind the gems or specifically made pouches with great properties and materials. Hers was a universal treasure that should work for their needs in the long term.
Murai found quite a few low-quality pouches in these Gates. A bit more than average, Lisa would say, but they were inexpensive if his enemies had them.
Fortunately, it wasn't the case for the ring, which had the quality to take dozens of full pouches or hundreds of empty ones, and a bunch of other things as well. It was a fine gift that Manager Kil got them.
Lisa overlooked the Encounter for the ti being, figuring that Razmund was inevitable like their run, but not the unnerving dangers that awaited. There were other worries she had, which Lorry could also answer behind Murai's back.
“How in the world did he get that uniform? I thought they were kind of... I don't know. Unique to the powers that Anatidaes have, or was it Pachi? What happened? How co he ca with that thing from that hut?”
“No idea. Mindarch has been silent ever since that mont.” Lorry mumbled in annoyance.
“Wait... what? What about that light and that hut then? You knew that sothing was wrong with that, didn't you? Who moved? An Overlord or sothing else?” Lisa changed her subject by pushing her hands to grasp Lorry to his mouth.
If she could, she would rather grab his collarbone, but he didn't have any. Either way, Lorry didn't mind the lack of collarbones or spine.
He was a spineless freak after all.
“C-calm down. Well... No! More! Gim more! Uh. Nevermind. This is bigger than yourself. Reliance. Be calm.”
“Bigger than myself?” Lisa ceased her grip and chuckled. “Now, call old-fashioned, but that is a rather small concept for and you know that.”
“Since you've died, many things changed.”
“Define many. I would say the opposite rules the reality, but be my guess in your excuses and limits. Battleworld is vast, but it hasn't gotten any major storm in centuries, let alone these decades that passed after my... departure. It's intact in all kinds of ways as my stubbornness has no bounds! It has always been this way. History tends to repeat itself.”
“It's fine... You don't have to say that. Not right now. Not before. Not later. Let it remain like the oath. Lisa can't free herself from the thread of the past or hopes. It is complicated. Lorry thinks you should acknowledge the current facts and logic of this world and circumstances. Murai's influence too. It is stronger than Lisa's.”
Lisa took his words with silence, but her ideas were ashen, close to his, and she wasn't liking his words. Frowning and clutching his bones with more force than she liked, her fingers cracked. She was weak. Weaker then she liked.
“It.. It's not as if I don't acknowledge him to be that. I do. More so than you would think, fool of others. I am just playing a ga.”
“Ga?” Lorry's eyes glead.
“Waiting ga. Patience. Vast and old, I hope he will end up in my hands since he doesn't like to be influenced by others, it seems. Whether he disliked my thods or not, from the beginning, he didn't want with him to begin with. ? Got it? It's hurtful. My pride hurts. I want to help him, but that sick bastard thinks he is superior even as a duck? I am brimming with lunacy for ages and he dares to be like that?” Lisa spoke her deep will, which Lorry took as much as he loved.
Cluttering his bones and Soul Flas bead, Lisa spoke enough for him. She let go of his bones and changed her mind and outlook. She regretted it. Missspeaking outbursts weren't her usual style. She was better than that. Made for it. She shouldn't have said nearly half of what she said.
“Yeah... Hard surface, with a soft interior. Lorry gets it. Loves it. So things never change, like the Chaos in the Battleworld, the Depths of the Skies, the intensity of the Void, or the living hearts. So souls are like that too. Deep and crazy. Like Lisa.” Lorry laughed, but before he could speak of her more, Lisa slapped his cheeks, causing him to roll on the ground and close to the gate.
“Shut up. Move on, or Murai will end up sowhere unknown again. Who knows what he can do with his art? He is an artwork... No. Master of ssing things up! Let's forget the half of what we said here.” Floating to the depths of the staircase, she disappeared into the darkness as well, with Lorry soon following her from behind.
He wanted to say that forgetting was impossible. With the amount of care Mindarch provided, her words were close to privacy, but still far from that. Few things were private in this temple. Mindarch, Guides, or those above them could be watching their performances without any issues.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
But perhaps Lisa knew that anyway, but spoke like she wanted because she didn't care to be heard unless it was Murai himself.
***
Further into the deepening staircase that wasn't overly wide or deep, Murai chirped and hopped down the steps. Alius Hoodie swayed in his jumping movents, causing his hood to fall. He figured it wasn't that distant from the feathers. Hoodie felt comforting like his skin, so his mood improved like the darkness around the stairs.
Then, it shuddered when so voice spoke.
[Citizen M....] Mindarch spoke as politely and great as he could. It sounded fake. [Gate 2 is fully completed under your touches, intense insanity, and choices that have been prevalent and deep.]
[I've watched the course... much to so dismays, but take care of the findings and your little clothes.]
[It is impressive in many layers, while what goes underneath isn't important.]
“Is it though?” Murai wondered, but Mindarch didn't seem to care for any discussion. Alius was a unique problem that wasn't his problem. Mindarch saw the hoodie's creation and felt deep repercussions from it quicker than he wished. |Now, changes will co out of it, since he watched it happen. His Lady's Will shall bore her voice, carry her insanity or judgnt.
This was sothing that didn't go over, or straight through her hand, right amid her backyard.
It was sothing else. It was far too late to change it, or perhaps it was a ti that she wouldn't willingly change.
It was about Alius after all. That madman was moving behind the rules of his Lady, so Mindarch knew that this wasn't a normal occurrence. Sa as her acceptance. She could've stopped it, but she didn't do that for so reason.
Which Mindarch couldn't talk about. It was secret, private, and deep. Consequences of voicing it wasn't fitting, let alone a hope to make it public. Gate 3 wasn't ready to take it. Perhaps nothing was.
But it was here. Alius t and made his move with Murai in mind. It wasn't sothing Mindarch liked, and he bet his Lady was the sa. Hopefully, Murai understood that himself and wouldn't chirp about Alius out loud.
Good. That was good. Mindarch hoped it would remain that way.
[Hut has been visited. Keys and Question Mark provided and spent. All is done, which leaves the points left and the Boosts. Both will co and go into the Reward Rooms or Vaults in that sensor na. They are part of the Gate 3, so let's go and get them.]
[The interlude to Gate 3 has many of them in its defensive structures, benefits, and protection. Afterward, or later, reasons, accomplishnts, and Boosts shall await. Battlewill might take it head-on, but not under my watch. My rules and power run supre in this place. So don't worry or fret.]
Murai heard him as he jumped, and soon enough, he arrived at the end of the staircase, hundreds of ters below Gate 2. It was relatively dark, but the Nigth Vision proved its worth. Murai saw through the fog that lingered around this tunnel and stairs.
A building in the deep unknown Depths was here, looking ancient, rumbling, and hot.
It looked like a dungeon-looking hallway, obvious by the polished stones for the walls, wooden or marbled pillars, and supports made of wooded slabs. The floor was poor, cracked, and old-looking. It had seen its fair share of problems for sure, but it wasn't like the kind that dungeons had. It wasn't as old, as this wasn't part of the initial temple or any Depths, but a place that Levandis created out of the forr things and new creations.
This place depicted an opening no taller than 3 ters, while the width varied, and length went for hundreds of ters. It almost looked like a long tunnel that stretched far and was large for his physicality. He didn't look forward to the walking, but it was better than any bridge he could imagine.
That was a nice aftereffect of Gate 2. Murai no longer considered walking or normal stairs as torture devices. He almost liked them, which... he wouldn't even acknowledge or tell out loud.
Not too late upon reaching this tunnel, Lisa and Lorry reached him at the sa ti. Unlike him, they didn't have a problem with their travels whatsoever. The ground or lack of light didn't matter to them.
They floated down quickly and looked at the familiar walls around them. Lisa had been here twice, so she knew exactly what to expect.
However, it still had its stops. She wasn't here for herself. Her ti depended on herself back then. Now, she depended on Murai, his choices, and power.
She should support that with all of her might, but sotis, it wasn't easy when two lofty minds clashed against one another. Finding understanding was for each to seek. And Murai was stubborn and not helpful like Lisa desired. It went both ways, frankly.
Most Vaults in Gate 3 were war-related concepts of rewards that always changed with the constant flow of wealth. Points were the prize, as it was the currency used in Gate 3 and the temple in general. Vaults in this place were no shops, however. They were safes that ant a unique chance for Challengers. Those could be from the Surface or the Depths.
For Murai, it was no different from any shopping, even if it was about so vague points.
Lisa didn't think of the points as sothing special. For Murai, it had its validity and worth, but for her? What was even the point of thinking about them when they were in a run for their lives? Sure, there were treasures and chances, but they were unlike the previous Vault which had sothing nice that she saw as a rare chance. It was a wonder, but it was there, waiting even after more than 50 years apart.
Heavenly Shaping was the best gift that she thought of for recent tis or better tomorrows. She couldn't figure out anything else. Perhaps she didn't have to. Boosts should be more interesting and willing to change him instead of her.
Her mind drifted sowhere else, even though she had always preferred to be in charge of her Fate. Going behind the end of the long stretching corridor, her head was already thinking of other things. There were no choices for Gate 3. Just a single one. A big, vast, and ferocious plain to traverse and bear its Chaos.
Murai noticed their arrival when Mindarch turned silent.
“What now, Lorry? My Guide... Will you do the job, or be useless?” Murai asked a good question. Apart from turning death foes into essences, Murai wasn't finding Lorry all that useful. Well, part of it was his personally, but the majority was because Mindarch was taking the role of a Guide rather than a Guide himself.
“Ehm.” Lorry cleared his throat to get behind the situation before he entered this place. “Lorry is utmost glad over Murai's neat Breach of Gate 2. It was almost poetic and nice. Murai...”
Lisa clasped her hand, giving Lorry a rare hint that Murai was looking at him with killing intent.
Lorry changed his mind in a heartbeat. There was no point in theatrics.
“This is a place where Murai will get the rewards done. Boosts and points, this is the place between the Gates. The previous hut was... special. Most Challengers get inside for a few things, as it is a place with special rewards and requirents, unlike the Vaults.”
“Its Relic Artifacts were dogshit,” Murai said coldly, forgetting about his hoodie altogether, or Influance Items, knowledge transfers, and other things. That hut had countless rewards to offer and most of them weren't available for him. Then, his hoodie wasn't part of the reward at all. It was an error. A Breach of protocols that soone else decided for him.
Of course, it went outside of Levandis, Mindarch, and Lorry, but Murai wasn't questioning it whatsoever. Alius caused it anyway and Murai didn't want to lose the gifts soone gave him. It held a different outlook from the Pachi Gift that Razmund had stolen. It was about a certain attachnt to Alius, who already took so interest in his heart. He was an interesting fella after all.
“Understandable problem, which Murai must get. What would a duck find earth-shattering at such a level anyway? Murai undeniably welcod it and gave so Artifacts barebone touches. Got so already, however. What is done is done. It's not the temple's nor Battleworld's problem that Murai doesn't like it. This tunnel is full of Vaults. Doors aside are the designed Rooms where are safe locations.” Lorry went quicker in his explanation than usual, floating forward until he was at the front.
Behind him was a long tunnel that went to the darkness until a thin light at the end shined. Murai noticed even a slight breeze coming from there, along with dense mana that looked like flickering winds of mist.
“Hmmmmmm... A temple is a temple. Unexpectedly ancient. I guess Rooms have the sa ideas as Gate 1' Vaults?”
“Murai is correct, albeit not entirely so. That pair was subject to the fundantals, acting with the beginning of this ascend in mind. These are more war-like, as Doors depict an accumulation of wealth of all Gate 2s and Gate 3. Points matter the most for taking care of the fateful single Room. Points will clash, granting the entry depending on your Tiers. They were for sothing, Murai sees.”
“You are skipping a bit too much this ti.” Lisa offered her piece of advice, but Lorry didn't take it.
He continued with a fervent swirl of Soul Flas as if he couldn't wait for what was to co. Murai listened to him not out of respect but sheer need.
“Murai's success will move us shortly to the entry to the Golden Room! A place for the top-of-the-line Challengers of Gate 2s. A special case is there for Murai since Murai did the whole 100 Islands without a single failure and hefty results. Isn't that nice? Nice? It is incredible! Few ever go all out in one go like this. Impressive. Most impressive.”
His eyes glowed in a radiant and exciting light. This was his ti to shine, and Lorry was good at it.
“Alright. Sure. How nice. Cheers and celebrations. Lead the way before I take a nap.” Murai quacked so annoying sounds, uninterested in his exaggerated words of excitent.
This left Lorry a bit dejected, but he had no choice but to follow the path behind him. Floating as the leader, his Soul Flas provided the light, but not as if it was necessary. Lisa was better at it, while Murai didn't even need their light.
A dark tunnel of hundreds of ters went on with occasional doors at both sides. Each, but not every one of them represented an accomplishnt for every Challenger. So were places for storage, specific needs, or sothing subject to Gate 3, or unique stakes that weren't up to Murai's status.
Gate 2 Vaults pointed to 5 possible Rooms that depended on the Tiers of each Challenger. It was about accumulative rits, so failure didn't an the worst things.
Failure was just a slap in the wrist, while fully going through Gate 2 in one way or another ended in one of them. The best was the Gold Room, followed by a bronze, and silver. Silver and bronze had 2 doors because they were quite hefty in stored items.
Each was quite abundant in resources, of course. It was what power ant when Tiers mattered the most. The majority of Flawless Tiers unlocked the Gold Room, but it wasn't always the case. Context mattered as well. One shouldn't have too many Barely Not Enough Tiers or lower.
Even though there were only 5 Doors, it was more than enough for the amount of Challengers this place was taking. It wasn't subject to the Surface, as most Challengers moving through them were denizens of the temple or Levandis troops. Everyone had a chance to gain so points as long as one fought for them.
Considering the amount of treasures the temple was getting through its skirmishes and history, the rewards were neverending. Distribution often led to vast business venues in these Gates, or other parts of Hell Haven, or even in the Surface or further Depths. Most of it was still happening across the Gates of this temple, with many having their respective Vaults for easier managent and loot distribution.
When there was wealth and money, treasures and business bood.
Lorry stopped before a door with golden outlines and so nice embroidered wood. At the front was a carved na.
Golden Room, for those who are extraordinary
“How original...” Murai wondered, causing Lisa to giggle a little.
“Introducing!” Lorry shouted, pushing his forehead against the door to open it up. “THE REWARDS!” Then, he pushed it further, creaking the old-sounding door. Flowery details around the tallic wood were countless, showing details and history. There were no runes inside of it, but Murai had no doubt it was heavy and protected. He just didn't find or see how. The door creaked forth, revealing... nothing.
Not only was it utterly dark, but Murai's Night Vision didn't work. It was so dark, he wasn't able to see shit. Even Lisa and Lorry didn't help. It was as if the darkness ate their light.
“Fuck!” Lorry shouted. “Where are the damned candles? Why is the spell cascade defense on when we have visitors after a long ti? Switch!? Where is the formation? No one caters to this place any longer? Where are the maids? Mindarch! Lorry swears the higher-ups are stingy with the pay... fucking... Hell,” Lorry cursed wildly, flying into the darkness and bumping into the walls until he found so special candles. His Soul Flas surged, letting them on fire and revealing thick fog that seed like smoke. Each candle dispersed a large chunk of it.
Soon enough, after floating left and right, and up and below, Lorry had to light the candles manually, revealing a rather grandiose hall filled with cobwebs. It didn't look as majestic as Murai expected, but the size of this place was decent enough. The architecture around this room looked like an ancient altar, or training hall of so sort that was refurbished for other purposes. It was still a Vault, but... mostly empty.
Dust was everywhere. No one had been here for years, or months at the least.
However, this didn't pose much issue to Lorry, who didn't think he would be ever allowed to enter this space. Mindarch allowed it because Murai Breached their successes and reached it without any failure. Then, his point, rits, and overall fairness and results were on point. It was as fair as it could get, which surprised Lisa the most. She expected Mindarch would get them so other room because she knew how stingy so things could get.
For most, the Silver Room was more than enough. There were diminishing returns of value, various rewards, and points.
Low-level Challengers wouldn't get many points, which made their purchases kind of lacking. Points worked with the already established economy, but not like Murai or Lisa cared about it right now. They didn't even know how many points they had, but Lisa knew how they worked.
They won't create any large changes because of his low level, even if he accomplished great results.
Another fact was that Lisa was never in this Gold Room, so perhaps her mind would change. The fact that Lorry let them in piqued her interest and curiosity, while Murai was... erratic like a doubtful old man.
Lisa looked around, but she didn't find anything worth ntioning. It looked like this place was barren for years, left to rot or so thieves did their work.
This place had a terrible first impression, unlike the Silver Room that she rembered. Filled with essences, gold nuggets, various mana materials, ponds of high-grade mana liquid, and so on. It had a nice touch. All Silver Rooms were the most visited Vaults.
For Gold Room, things had different ideas and imnse and heavy anings. One had to truly go all out, unleashing fury and nace to enemies, Gates, and Mindarch alike. Rewards were simple and equal to the Silver Room.
The difference was sothing else. That was the power of the discount and a couple of unique benefits that Lorry was curious about. Mindarch was yet to give him any helping touches, however.
Gold Room ended up looking like an abandoned museum, with the treasures of so sort catching dust. There was a reason for this and Lisa didn't know about it because she couldn't know everything.
And soone else didn't know much either. The Guide! “Now... What the hell!? Where is sothing? Lorry hasn't been here in 29 years. How improper.” Lorry floated back and forth around this huge place, looking for sothing.
“A bit disappointing, doesn't it?” Lisa asked Murai, glancing at him and his current deanor and clothes.
She acknowledged it looked good on him, but... what it was? How and why did this uniform appear on him at this ti and situation? She got the idea that Pachi must be questionable, as her gift ended up troubleso. Not only did it start a Major Task, but it felt like it was tightly knitted to the overall Encounter.
“I am already satisfied.” Murai surprisingly puffed his chest, showing off the gem on his chest. Lisa couldn't help but be a bit surprised by how much he liked this, considering he hated the backpack.
However, those things were very different from one another. Like the sun and moon, Alius took this idea on top of his shoulders and mind, creating a masterpiece. Pachi was... Murai wasn't even sure if her gift was a gift or a curse.
It was no surprise that he had preferences over the others. Lisa could see it herself, but why had he accepted it that easily?
In a while, as Murai wasn't even thinking of unleashing his Sonar, Lorry found a small keychain. Using his mouth, he hurried towards the main runic construct of this room and began to smash so things apart. There was so form of switchboard hiding under so rubble and dust.
Clumsy but trying, he succeeded after so struggles. Then, chanical noises spread from everywhere, and tremors echoed from the ground up. Nothing remained calm. Floor, ceiling, ground, statues, dust, paintings, or so leftover materials. Everything turned strange.
On one side of the wall, tables pivoted from the wall, revealing the glistering sight of interesting objects, treasures, and many gears. The empty bookshelves also turned inwards, becoming filled with books or bottles of all kinds. Materials rich in mana arose in crates or chests in so corners of the walls and shelves, all part of the hidden constructs that hid them away.
This place was big, yet Murai watched how he suddenly couldn't breathe or move all that much. There was too much clutter, glaze, and treasures everywhere. Enveloped by them, it was a problem he hadn't seen coming because of his small size.
“Slap if I see what I see.” Murai moaned, scowling at the sheer unnecessary sight in front of him. Lisa was an inch from slapping him for real, but she rather chose not to be that direct.
“Now! The TREASURES! That is what Lorry talks about.” Lorry shouted, filled with dust and cobwebs, but feeling fine overall. He even panted, as if he was exhausted, which was... impressive, or fake.
Would a lonely skull without anything get exhausted? Souls might. Especially because it was vivid in its instincts and long life for a long ti.
Murai and Lisa discovered their mistaken expectations. Looking at the glistering sides of the Mana Essences that had grades ranging to the Grade 3s in small doses, Murai shook his head. They looked like dense miniature stars, surrounded and hiding behind so formation that let them remain calm.
So were specifically under those that led so of their qualities out, creating a strong impression. Even those bits deafened the surroundings, turning this whole room bright and magical.
That heavied the air and dimd the candles. The light was much brighter from the treasures, so the little bits of smoke disappeared completely.
“Seems to I will have a nice haul.” Murai cheered, spread his wings, and hopped up, ascending so piles of crates and landing on the table.
It was ti for a shopping spree.
But just as he wanted to ask Lorry how many points he had and what he could purchase, the world shook and powerful intent and Will extinguished the candles. Even mana dimd all over this place.
A surge of powerful Wills pushed onto every inch, digging into Murai's soul and anchoring at it by force. Unlike before, Murai felt how it occurred. It was literary like poking a needle into the skin. They infected him, or was it the difference in strength that made it so savage? His soul was strong, so this wasn't about so strength, but so rule that made it feasible. A rule that he didn't like and didn't know.
Once again, the course from the past Gate happened. Battlewill and a representative from this temple went to his soul space without his choice or refusal. Perhaps his Soul Lock would do sothing, but it didn't activate.
Murai sighed, unwilling to stop his shopping, but felt he had no choice. Taking a seat on the table, he focused on his Will to turn inwards.
By now, a pair of shimring and vast spheres of light appeared before his soul. Each was no less weak than the other and both were pillars of high-class interest. One was silvery in color, while the other looked as if made of blood.
The sa fools arrived. Murai wondered if he should cry, cheer, or laugh.
“We see you again, duck.” a female voice said in an indifferent and cold tone. Villan got pissy and colder since their last eting. Perhaps she got angrier about him, or was it the aftermath of that ti that changed her, or was it sothing about this Gate?
Battlewill seed to be normal as before: calm, collected, and more than willing to do the usual business. They were here as collectors of interest, albeit in a weird manner that didn't have to arrive like this.
It was more personal for more personal problems.
Checking the aftermath of a unique set of Challengers was under Mindarch's status, but the current souls invading Murai were the sa thing. It was a business for both of them as well as sothing more.
“Again, it's the sa old problems. Vilan and good ol' Battlewill? Oh, how have I missed you all.” Murai said, mocking his words together and chuckling like a fake doctor. His Robust Spirit flared in power, gaining strength and arising by spreading its wings. A soul duck spread its influence, looking bigger than ever before.
Villain and Battleworld had the sa appearance as spheres because it was all they could muster.
“Hmph! Don't think you are better than us. You aren't.” Villan argued, her voice no longer shook the soul space at all.
“Is that all? So be it. It is just thinking. I can think of killing you both, but not like it can happen. It is a nice wish, though. What is it this ti? I fear this invasion is rather redundant since I don't even know what it was about last ti. Is this one caused by a special occasion? I got a lot to do, you see. Gate 2 was heavy and nice, and shopping was ready before .”
Silver and grey blob of mass turned as voice tried to shake this soul space. It didn't do much but waver so of Murai's soul feathers. “We are simple ssengers. A small token of this world, so to speak. And also part of what this temple used to an and currently ans. Battleworld's interaction has sothing to do with this too, which Mindarch can't do.” Battlewill said in a stoic, deep, and male voice.
“Fair enough. What is it then? Gate 2 is behind , cracked and fallen like foolish tools. So ploys are hiding behind the scenes, but not as if it is nice. Hunted but living, I do what I can in this temple.” Murai said confidently.
“So what!” Villan said. “It's the sa thing as everywhere, but you took interest from the Surface down to my ho! I can't forgive you for that. Do you think we will live this down? You destroyed just tiny fodder forces and you think you are a big Anatidae? What a joke. It's expected to gain montum. Undead, or slaves are fools, let alone the others.”
“So?” Murai mumbled as if her voice bothered him like Lisa's excuses.
“There is a madman after you. It's already bleeding us, even though we are trying to not lose our forces. Change it! Intercept him sooner and we will reward you.”
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