The issues and opportunities of this Encounter and its reasons were finite for so, but the term of this high-grade task was prone to a lot of interest. Greed was among the most common, by those who can clutch it.
Those of no high luck can only hope to gain so form of sense out of it, wishing to get so sort of chance to prove themselves. In this case, Ultrek was one such example, and his case was no different from many others like him. Even Tikka was no different.
None would ever work for free.
That was a fundantal rule that worked behind the power. It was among other things, rules, problems, and issues of the Battleworld, but many people saw them as fitting, while others loved them or hated them. People and ordinary beings didn't run this place, but they filled the world to the brim with many things that Gods couldn't even touch, but could influence. Gods were using such prospects to move many things, giving the desires and options choices, and hope.
Though many took it for granted, human greed and weakness overlapped such things or straight up seeped into their Egos. Those were the maniacs, lunatics, and the kinds that moved through the Chaos of this world.
In a sense of the opposition, many didn't consider those high interests and rather viewed the world in a pragmatic view of values, with so occasional greed, and what was worth taking. That was money, power, and Will. Money can rule over the rules in so sense, forcing soone to move past the limits so their life may turn into a better living. That was common sense to many as well as a deep solution and thod of how the Centralis Kingdom and many other organizations worked.
Ultrek was greedy. Of course he was, so he made a deal out of this situation for his own good. None shall question it and no one will.
“1000 tokens will do,” Ultrek asked for a small amount, hoping for sothing better later if his help will put a significant change into a larger picture. This information was worthy of more and he knew it. “Also, for the sake of our deal, the enemy fled to Death Valley so you probably know what it ans. A nasty situation that may beco variable enough to make things worse.”
“Deal, but the Death Valley? Are you serious? From Cherry location?” Tikka seed surprised, but not so much to make her life worse. “I thought it wanted to escape, but that may be not that bad for our superiors, I reckon. They did force things onto the Seventh Death Forest, so this may be within their expectations. Oh well, good job lurking it there, then. I will provide you with additional benefits if everything will go well. Also, don't go there unless you want to die.” she said, sounding sincere, yet Ultrek knew she didn't care one bit about his well-being.
In fact, not so long ago, she was under his command but because of his injury, she beca his superior in rank and power. That was the rule he couldn't overturn, as power ruled over certain people, and the Centralis Kingdom loved power.
Stopping the flow of mana into the talisman, Ultrek returned it back underneath his cloak, still upset about sothing. His greed, that was. He was fine with what he said since the situation asked for reason and greed to get sothing. Power was more important than that, however, so Ultrek gestured for his beast to follow him back to the forest, where they will find a way toward Death Valley on their own.
Below the cliff, yet still above Death Valley
Murai was gliding away in the sandy wind, following a direction that Lisa pointed into,
Harsh winds of the sandy storm blew to his face, causing his eyes to squint and his body to shudder. The sand was the most annoying thing out of this, blowing to his face and creating a harsh environnt for flying. Though it may be a bit uncomfortable, he figured out how to stabilize his body by clutching his muscles along the wings. Then, getting the proper form of direction was possible by a few motions of his wings, tail, and neck. It wasn't that bad to fly even in these terrible conditions, while his core was sowhat manageable even through this wind.
It wasn't the easiest thing he ever did, since he lacked a lot of practice and care about his body, but he wasn't the worse at it thanks to Lisa's tough help. For once, she did what she should, giving him a much-needed boost of confidence and help one would need.
For the second ti flying, he wasn't doing the worst, but it was all thanks to Lisa, who helped him to regain his stability and caught him with so troubles.
She flew along with him now, glancing left and right but more forwards, trying to discern the surroundings and how much they changed in 50 years. This place was harsh, yet she held so confidence that Murai can take it because of his talent and body. If not, then what she planned ahead may be just an excuse and awkward failure that she will take towards the Afterlife.
Gesturing him forward, she pointed at the sandy mountains of Death Valley that were in the middle of this dozens of kiloters wide valley. Murai followed her since he didn't seem to have a choice.
Slowly, he was already reaching the limits of his montum, albeit the wind of this place was strong, pushing him around from ti to ti like a kite without any strings. Murai wanted to get back to the ground for a long ti, but Lisa argued it was better to skip a few kiloters, rather than travel through the desert underneath him by foot.
He agreed, feeling the threat and dangerous aura from below, lurking for any living. It was a dangerous feeling without any Mana Detection in action. but Soul Read's passivity did give him an idea of how deadly this place was.
The Death Valley underneath him spanned many kiloters in many directions and was like a bright spot in the midst of the Seventh Death Forest. It wasn't wrong, in a sense. This place was hard to escape from, with half-kiloter-tall cliffs around the entire periter of Death Valley.
Murai saw the larger picture of this place because of his flying and sight from that cliff. This place was actually more dangerous than the Seventh Death Forest, filled with many lurking dangers that were unlike the soul forms. No. Perhaps they were worse than the soul forms.
He noticed so Sand Harpies flying at so distant sight a hundred ters away, but they didn't seem to notice him. The environnt was harsh for the flying monsters and for once, he noted there were many physical beasts.
Slowly, he was reaching the surface. Looking down, he flew about 10 ters above the uneven ground of light brown sandy dunes. They stretched to the distances, filling this place with curves and sand. That was all to this place, apart from high storms and quite dusty surroundings that were densely spread around this whole region.
Murai decided to flare up his Mana Detection again, fearing the surroundings of this caliber that seed quite nacing and dangerous. His Soul Read told him that, rather than mana. This place was full of souls, filled with threats of Death. Mana Detection helped him to detect hundreds of flickering mana lights and the presence of creatures in the surroundings. No matter what, they were everywhere, hiding underneath the desert, or openly roaming or swirling around the dunes.
There were many dozens of ters-long snakes, scorpions that were like wolves in size, and many more. Murai was surprised by the amount of threat he felt with his Soul Read. The motion of the mana wasn't helping too, since the beasts seed stronger and were well above the Alpha Coyotes in power.
“What the fuck is this place, Lisa? Are you seriously putting my life on the line from that forest to this sort of hell? It seems like I am getting from one lesser problem to a much larger one.” Murai scowled, which in truth, eased his mind a little and helped him with staying focused. One way or another, he can't change what he already did, since he agreed with Lisa's plan.
Now, he had to grit his teeth and follow through with this problem until he will solve it. That was who he was and how he solved many issues in the past. Whether it was a good thing or not was secondary, as the rise of adventurous spirit was forming in his heart and he wasn't afraid to get nasty. He never was, but he preferred to openly treat the dangers with seeming hesitation while he actually didn't mind it.
That was right.
He was an absolute idiot with this sort of attitude but would soone bla him? Lisa would, unsurprisingly. It was an insensible and idiotic attitude, and one should be serious and take this thing as a bad thing that needed full attention.
Alas, neither his worries nor his body will stop him from complaining about this place. The majority was aiming at Lisa, who had so hidden intentions about this Death Valley that she was yet to tell him.
Murai can tell that from her careful gaze of the surroundings and how she was shifting her finger from one location to another as if turning Murai from fewer dangers or leading him in a specific direction. Murai noticed nothing specific, however. He can escape the dangers in this flying motion but on the ground? He felt he would beco minced at and a soft feathered pillow in a heartbeat.
Though, Lisa was guiding him sowhere, silent and not talking about it even though Murai continued to try to force her to talk. Not like he had choices so he halted his tries, fearful of his own life.
Flying required his full attention so he accepted the circumstances with bittersweet hopes of survival and adventure. He didn't know where, what for, or why she was like that, but he kept gliding through the barren-looking desert, that didn't have a speck of greenery. There were no trees, grass, or anything indicating good living conditions.
Like the Seventh Death Desert, the lurking aura of death, chaos, and sothing else spread around this place. It was familiar to him for so reason.
Apart from many hard and tough living beings that Murai detected, one wouldn't hesitate to call it a land of death for sure. The na of Death Valley was fitting in his opinion, but what wasn't fitting was his lackluster tries at flying longer. Murai strained his wings at so point in his focus, feeling as if the tendons of his right wing snapped and his muscles tore.
Forced to descend at the end of his efforts to remain flying, it caused Lisa to grunt, telling how he didn't even last 4 minutes. It was already 3 more minutes than any beginner Anatidae would last, but she didn't care about that sort of thing. Neither Murai, who fell to the sand, stumbling and rolling as he was unable to put balance into his legs or wings.
Great... This was terrible... He complained inside, forcing himself to stand up after not praising his landing at all. His wings were strained from this long stretch of flying. He didn't find it surprising even though it was surprising, since his wings were out of his touch and one of them was even out of his body a week ago. Only feathers and muscles helped his right wing to stay on his body, while the lack of firm bones was not his issue.
Wanting to fly for 4 minutes was already more than anyone would ask him for, and Lisa's high demands were less than sensible. However, Murai didn't care about her at all, viewing the surroundings instead. The sandy dunes were tall to his standards, but what wasn't? His stature was small, causing him to feel the impending issues of this journey.
He wasn't far from so storms, while the desert was quite chaotic and filled with wind and a strange atmosphere or aura. Surprisingly, his flat feet were kind of nice to travel in this desert, allowing him to walk just fine.
Glancing at Lisa who remained floating above him, she didn't view things in their favor, but not as if she complained further. He flapped his flat feet forward, walking uninterrupted in this environnt that didn't seem to be hot. Yet that was about the only advantage he had as a duck.
He nervously looked around him with his Soul Read and used his Mana Detection to feel the mana. There wasn't much to see apart from sand and for so reason, no beings were around his proximity, but so were behind him, away from the hills in the opposite direction.
The dunes were free of the beast, yet it was eerily cold, much to Murai's expectations. He also discovered how the sand seed strangely bright, and a bit cold and warm to the touch in terms of mana. He felt it. The ridiculous aptitude of mana that soaked the whole of Death Valley with large quantities of it buried, yet noticeable in many strange aspects and laws.
Lisa shook her head, figuring that she wasn't seeking a lot of things from this low position, so she moved down. “Well, that was easy, wasn't it?” she said, floating before Murai's face. “We are at the right place, so good work.”
“Yeah? Easy? I won't argue about it to you, but you damn wish I will live this down. I won't, because of your damned issues... Slapping like that... hmhmhm..” He complained, mumbling in annoyance in his regular quacks. “I hope I won't have to endure this shit for the second chance. Wait... Don't tell there is another cliff at the end of this desert. That wouldn't be funny at all.”
Hearing his fearful tone, Lisa chuckled, looking at the surroundings instead. “What if there is actually sothing much more nacing than so asly little cliff? I thought you were confident and nothing will bother you. Or are you that afraid of flying? That is... a bit strange, considering yourself an Anatidae.” she said, glancing at him with a smirk of victory.
Murai didn't have a steady argunt about that, so he asked what he should do instead since it seed she already had so plans.
“I am fine with what I can do and not. What is your plan? Are you finding this place familiar as you looked? You were like that since you realized our location, or you decided on sothing behind my back? Mind talking about it, or do you want to upset all over again?” Murai asked.
Lisa stopped smiling, feeling it was indeed too much to remain in their power dynamic as before. The situation wasn't good and she knew it.
“I know this palace from my experiences, but to travel through it isn't put to myself. But I know what I know. Apart from these mountains, everything seems different, as if changed. It's sand of the death, so it is no wonder.” Lisa pointed to the distance, pointing to large specks of cliffs and mountains in the middle of this Death Valley. Engulfing it, and surrounding it were many sandstorms and whirlwinds. One wouldn't be able to see it up the cliff with how dense the sand and wind seed. But on the ground level, one could see so motions of those storms creating a pivotal location to travel to so one wouldn't get lost.
That, or it was specifically like that to lure out foes. Who knew that other than Lisa?
“This? The sand of the death?” Murai looked down at his feet, feeling the na to be dishonest. That didn't seem to be right. It wasn't necessarily hard sand made of countless little rocks. It was kind of softer than that, but not really. He couldn't point it out, but the mana and the aura coming from below were fitting for that na too, so he decided to forget it.
“Fine!” Lisa clapped her hands, causing Murai to jot his beak toward her direction. “I will talk. You need to know it and I am sorry and not for what I am about to tell you. This place has certain legends to it, but not as if it is a legend for so. Wanna hear about it, Murai Hisagi?” She asked, inclined to do sothing about her way of sensible talking.
“Is it about the reason why you wanted here? You did try your damned best, but I don't know if you planned for it, or if this whole decision was only a small idea or a gamble to create a chance.” Murai said, finding the obvious reply to his question more than likely to be a confirmation.
“You are more or less... right. I knew you wouldn't refuse either way, so I will explain the situation here since...”
“...since I don't have a chance to refuse? What a joke...” he sighed.
“Anyway, there is a reason for my actions because frankly speaking, you need so variable and chance. This place allows it. This is hope and chance as you said, but you will find it to your liking, I bet. I visited this place twice in the past when I was quite a vivid succubus. I was around... Level 60 to 70 back then, which is around 100 or more years into the past. There was a trendous opportunity discovered in this place long before that. It forms a nasty thing and many beings know about it, yet fear it for their own living. Now, I suppose it's under the watchful eyes of the Centralis Kingdom since Seventh Death Forest is surrounded by their land ~ this Death Valley included. I know it should be the sa opportunity that could cater to fate, and cause so variables in this Encounter. Are you down?”
“Down to what? Is there a Dungeon? A demonic nest? A city buried underneath this ss? Wait... this Death and Chaos, I am having so doubts about this.” he fearfully said, yet remained expectant of Lisa's answer.
“You aren't right or wrong. It isn't far from the truth, and it isn't good either. It is a Temple. An old place of interest, more than dozens of millennia old.”
“Wait. wait. wait.” Murai stopped her explanations. “What's the difference between that and dungeon? It sounds the sa to .”
“The reason is simple. That is God's interest while the other is not the kind you would guess. This whole region used to be a place where a god resided at so point in the distant past. An ancient one, in fact. He or she left a Temple in this place, or the Temple remained by itself until soone took it to one's hand.” Lisa revealed, sounding quite serious which put Murai on guard.
“And? Is it an opportunity then? Forgotten places of gods... That sounds like a freaking disaster if you ask . What god was that... God of the dead, or soone of your... kind? The less righteous folks out there must have so demonic gods, I bet.”
“You are less right than you would think. It used to be soone on the opposite side of the chaos but so Death side followed it, while the rest is kept in history. It is too long ago, hidden in the veils of darkness that none can guess. See those mountains, that are hiding in that storm?” Lisa pointed to the distance. Around 1 kiloter from them were silhouettes of hills and mountains, not one bit resembling a temple, but that wasn't that surprising. Sandstorms were quite furious around those mountains, protruding in the central surroundings of that region.
“What are you getting into?” Murai looked forth as well.
“An opportunity for Blessed is there, but not for them alone. You are more or less guaranteed so safety from the Encoutenr in that place. I think your Anatidae species would be compatible with certain criteria there, unlike the human or humanoid beings.”
“Why a Blessed though? Is this sothing to do with the Battleworld if you word it like that?”
“I suppose you are right... but your case is unique. I don't know much about it, since not many were able to get too deep into that place. There are a dozen floors with the majority of the Temple being underground, following the grace of the past temple of that god, and current overlord.”
“Underground?” Murai said, finding it not that surprising. “Great... Another way to not see a speck of sun... We have a 10-day limiter, Lisa. What do you think will happen if 10 days will disappear and I won't get away in ti?”
“Nothing?” Lisa said openly without a change of face, oblivious to Murai's surprised face.
“Nothing... What the fuck? How? What? Wait... Will the Encounter change accordingly to my tirs and the flexibility that Gods creates with ongoing interest? If I will fail, that doesn't an the end of my Encounter. This is their take on so sort of delirious ga... so they are playing with the rules and decisions as they see fit. That would make sense. I don't have to worry too much about it if you are telling what I think you do. Am I right?” Murai thought out loud, hoping to get a clearer picture for himself which causes Lisa to look at him with a hesitant face.
“You see... That is a basic premise of so truth, but it is much more complex than that. I don't have ti to tell it all. You are a player in their ga, as strange as it sounds. They make the rules, but that doesn't an a player can't force so things in his favor or cause so imbalanced ss. We can, more than you think, but it can create so trouble for them and us. God's Wrath, not so much, but so variable may create more troubles, but it isn't as bad as it sounds.” Lisa said, nodding in confirmation to her own words.
“I can tell that.” Murai nodded. “Are there so limits to these rules or variables? For example, I have seen no Will of the Battleworld descent to so far into this Encounter, so I am pretty sure I am out of the loop. Will I gain sothing from the battles I had undergone?”
“You will.” She said hesitantly. “Well, you will get them at the end, or sowhere... at the end of the parts. I don't know your details, as a lot of things and rules behind them are only clear to the makers of this Encounter. Your rules state no direct boost from the world, but that doesn't an you can't gain sothing from mana. The Encounter's part may differ but don't worry too much. Your improvents will be noticeable in many things. Also, I am sure this Temple can create a large variable in the rules of the Encounter, allowing you to get so strength that you lack. But for that, you need to clutch it tight, and not let go of it.”
“Hmph... Fine. I agree since it seems interesting, but what about this Temple then? What is it? Are there any dangers? You went there twice, right? That is why you were like this throughout this ti... What are so special floors and so on? Explain it.” Murai ordered, looking at the mountains as if he was to seek sothing from them from afar, but he didn't see shit.
Murai wasn't sure if what he was about to do was the right call or not. Should he be hesitant over the dangers? He still held a rather low level, yet he was overpowering the others thanks to his skill and... body? His Anatidae species definitely seed interesting enough to move past so obstacles and limitations. He already killed those tough ssiahs with his Peak and body, so his confidence shot up.
However, there were many places that would shoot him down like a mosquito. He knew it. It wouldn't be surprising.
“It... actually depends entirely on yourself. I don't know what kind of dangers you can et there since it can vary and beco flexible like dungeons do. I know the floors are vast and unlike many kinds of dungeons. It is a unique kind of place that differs from the majority of Somalis sub-dungeons. As for the level of issues, or differences and lurking dangers, there are many... way too many things to consider. Undead, demons, or devils are there. It is a place where the demonic world ets the challengers with open arms.” Lisa said, talking and explaining this in vague terms as if she was hesitant to tell it as it was.
“Demonic world? Now that seems like sothing I shouldn't miss out on. I am in.” Murai said in confidence and decided to go along with Lisa's idea. There wasn't much to that then do them anyway.
“What about a way to get out of this valley? It almost seems there is no place to get out with those cliffs and dangers.” Murai asked as he began to walk.
“I will tell you that after this Temple, alright? I didn't think this chance would co, so why not grab this opportunity instead of worrying about sothing else? Do you trust ?” Lisa flew forward until her face was upon Murai. She smiled at him, which wasn't sothing Murai took for a good sign but a bad on instead.
“Hell fucking no,” Murai replied without hesitation. “but I don't have a choice but to seek your sense and hope you aren't creating sothing stupid since this involves your living too. Got it? I do... I do. I am not stupid, but angry. Furious about being hunted like an animal, so yes. I am stupid, wait... Ah. Forget it.”
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