Creak... Yuuya heard the sound when his slumber was interrupted. Promptly... or rather, he hastily moved by tilting his upper body significantly to the side and a blade of a knife struck the tree he leaned his back to. Yuuya smirked when he saw the hand holding the weapon retracted back as quickly as it went out. The man then sent his right arm forward with his palm opened for his aim was a grappling technique.
The attacker noticed his aim. She dodged by sliding and yet approaching Yuuya. In this manner she aimed for the gaps which opened up for a second if not more. Unfortunately there was a flying knee going to smash in to her face and with a surprised gasp the attacker raised her empty hand, catching the knee to defend her vision from being crushed.
"Too slow." –with snide remark a shadow came above her head. Grabbing it and throwing it down to the ground.
"Ga...Aaaah!!"
There was a notice of a critical hit and debuffs which struck the attacker. However, as she tried recovering and making appropriate distance, her head was once again smashed to the ground. This time a heavy and rough object was rubbing her head with the sensation of the knife in her hand disappeared.
"Hm... not yet. You certainly have started to learn how to mask your killing intent but you're a total amateur even with your intuition. Even if you fought a unicorn rabbit you will simply get your asshole bore through, little Alice."
It hurt. Being pressed down to the ground with the sole of the shoe and was punished for failing her task yet again. Even if she was used to it, the girl named Alice was a human. A living being who instinctually feared pain and suffering. It was obvious that she cried out in response but as if the Voyager had any pity. Instead, he grinned and uttered.
"Well now, Alice. Do you have anything to say now that you failed to assassinate me for the thirty-two times in one week?"
Yes. It was an assassination attempt. Yuuya had been sleeping for a while until he was assailed by Alice's action to take his life. Why did she even do that when she could escape? The answer was obvious as Yuuya raised his head to see the surrounding trees which were lined up so tightly they made a wall out of their barks. The trees were also frighteningly tall they were impossible to climb.
But, for a mage the wall was very easy to bypass. And Alice was not one which spelled her future demise from the very beginning. After she woke up and becoming unreasonably feral, Yuuya concocted a strategy using her hopeless situation. He enticed her with a declaration.
"If you can kill me even once, then I will grant you the freedom you sought for."
Of course the girl doubted his words. Yuuya betrayed her once so as if she could trust him anymore even though she did not notice that it was within his plan for her to hate him. Still, Yuuya was strong. And whenever she actually tried to kill him, the man taught her lessons in fighting the moment. Alice could not believe him at all to the point of doubting his nature as an individual.
If he had the power to back his words—then what he meant was never a trap. But an order. A challenge given to Alice. Therefore she struggled.
Therefore the girl foolishly continued her deeds. Obeying her ideal. Chasing after a dream she had for her entire life. And she was improving herself in order to achieve it using any mean necessary. This was a fact which entertained Yuuya the most.
"...I'll kill you...! I'm definitely going to kill you...!!"
The slave glared at him with a gaze capable of striking fear on ordinary people.
"Hm. Try your very best to kill me. After all, you have no other choice if you want to be free. But it's sad that I will have to leave this world for a short while."
"Huh—?"
Yuuya sighed as he removed his foot from Alice's head. The girl quickly stood up and has taken quite a distance in order to not receive another surprise attack. Still, this was useless when dealing with a person who could kill using words.
"You do know that Voyager can sometime cease to 'live' right?"
"...you mean the period of time where Voyagers rested their souls in their world and leaving their Vessels behind...?"
Yes. It was not because of status effects nor it was because of anomaly. It was a common occurrence called as Logging Out. Yuuya intended to log out from BWO because he still had some matters to settle with. Most if not all, was to investigate something. Even if the NPCs were not informed of Voyagers’ existences, they at least interacted for years already. Yuuya informed Alice everything she needed to know in order to become a useful tool, but he had no reason to stop his ambition when he barely started.
However, Yuuya logging out would cause Alice to remain in this place without any source to survive.
The Voyager had been thinking for a while so that even in his absence, the girl would become stronger on her own. In order to train her to become the perfect tool. But how? Yuuya then explained as he raised two fingers in front of Alice.
"There are two paths for you to follow. First is to remain here while trying to kill this soulless body of mine. Of course, with your growth speed then you will be able to kill me someday. However, you know all too well what I am capable to pull off."
Referring to a bad experience, the slave scowled. She knew that Yuuya was a mage and that he was a special existence. For his abilities harnessed ALL of the Trinity in addition of Blood Magic, the girl was even more frustrated knowing it. After all, none within her assassination attempts has there ever been a moment for Yuuya to utilize his magic. What was even more frustrating—
"Normally, this body would be terribly vulnerable once I log out. But I can easily conjure a spell to make myself invulnerable against all kind of attack until the next time my soul returned here. And you are just too weak for being a threat. Therefore you will die no matter what you do and time won't help you much."
"...and...? Are you telling me I should pick the choice where it has more risks to challenge?"
Yuuya clapped, saying "Now that's the spirit, my cute slave" with a disgustingly refreshing smile. Then he proceeded with his explanation again.
"What I want you to do is to venture outside this little garden of ours. You are permitted to bring several weapons from this place. But you cannot rely on someone else nor are you allowed to plead for help. To begin with, it's impossible for us to leave this Dungeon. In short—I want you to grow stronger as quickly as you can while I am not here."
".......how?"
Once Alice questioned the Mad Hatter, his smile extended further that she felt sudden chills on her back. It was not that she meant to question back but she could not let up the chance to shorten the days to reach for freedom be unattainable. But her way of expressing her emotion was too extra ordinary. She had become too emotional for her own goods that her body became honest to her desires.
"Humans... can surprisingly endure pain even if their bodies were pierced by a hundred of spears."
Shortly after, there was a scream which shaken the entire region of the Dungeon infamous for having no way out. A tiny object flew above the sea of green before falling back into it, followed by a crushing sound which could make anyone trembling in terror. Then everything went deathly silent.
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Days passed by. Nights fell and the sun rose up. Nearly a month had passed in Daedalus--
"What do you mean by you can't find him!? What the fuck are you trying to imply here, Hoodlum!?"
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
In the mansion, Duke Vagnis' roar resounded just like thunder. There was still no response from his target who was at the capital. And there was the case with an element which would fail his plan like falling domino. He was frustrated, but even more so the moment his partner in crime reported no result in their desperate search to hunt down a Voyager.
Vagni did not even think for a second to grab a wooden cane with which he struck Brown's cheek. The man faltered before he glared at the Duke. His gaze froze his tempers and enveloped the room with icy murderous intent.
"Hell if I know...! The damn Outsider vanished from the town!! He did not resurrect in front of the chapel and there is not even a sighting of his tail!! He disappeared and do you even know how to find these damn monsters with just OUR capability alone, old man...!?"
Almost not buying his retort, the Duke snapped back.
"Then do something! I don't give a damn about the method!! Aren't you within the strongest Guild, Brown!!? Use that absurd organization of yours to find him!!"
The Head Knight sneered. "If you think a dog like me can even order my Master (the General) then you might as well turn the whole Daedalus upside down right at this moment, Earl."
"Then what!? Are you trying to say all I've built so far will fail for certain!? Don't get so conceited you scum!!"
The Duke cursed the entire pantheon of Gods had he wanted to. His anger clearly shown on his face and his grip over the cane went even tighter. At this rate, killing all the slaves he had would be inevitability but once again, he settled down. Gazing over the path and the town beyond it, the Duke thought of various things.
(There's no way a newborn Outsider could go far. It was decreed by the gods that their actions are restricted and that made him no exception, no matter who or what he was before he appeared here.)
Daedalus' inhabitants were informed of a prophecy long time ago. One which referred the arrival of Voyagers and the blind future. They were ones bound not by the gods who saved the last continent before the collapse of the world. In fact, it was a given that they emerged the moment catastrophe struck the world in the distant past. This 'catastrophe' formed a crack in the dimensional boundary which enabled the transference of the Voyagers into Daedalus.
Of course, Duke Vagni could never hope to know the truth. He did not even realize he was but a program. A script which spun its own tale.
But he perceived doom whenever he witnessed more emergence of these monsters. It was possible for them to attain the impossible. It was even more possible for them to become Daedalus' rulers. Of all things, the Duke was frightened by a possibility where the Voyagers came into contact with Seventh-Star Diablos.
Daedalus had always been infested by them. The race which ruled the monsters. The first race which birthed conflicts between man and monsters. It was also due to these demons the world was reduced into one floating island. But a few of the Diablo was nowhere as intelligent as human if not given enough time, spanning over centuries. Considering what would have happened had the ancient Seventh-Star Diablos and beyond joining hands with the Voyagers was more than enough to cause spasms for the noble.
Therefore, Vagni desired to obstruct the Voyagers. He wanted to stop the tragedy to happen even if these Voyagers were dictated as the saviors of the world. He WANTED to spread his dominion, his legend, his own efforts before it became completely impossible. Was it too much of a dream for me…?
(...no...! I must be missing something!! There's something I have forgotten... something crucial...!)
It didn't take long before his thought backtracked. He retraced the flow of event, reversing the orders and reading through every scenario silently. Widening his awareness. Intensifying his focus at the details. Replaying every single event for a hundred of times before analyzing them. Then...
"...Brown. Where did you encounter the rat?"
"Huh—Ah... I think it was in the forest of Kinndver."
The Duke slowly turned to the Knight Captain. The gaze he gave was enough to flinch the veteran in battles and wars yet unrecognized by the masses. And he realized something which was ill foreboding for his self. Alas, it was too late.
"Beyond the forest... There is this forbidden Dungeon ruled by an Ancient Treat... correct?"
".........you've got to be joking right, Earl..."
His thought was passed to the Knight. A sliver of sweat ran down Brown's neck as he stepped backward for once.
"If I remember correctly, the Dungeon is infested with monsters, most are made of kobolds. The range of level is around 10 to 45 and there is many danger including a Treant which has lived for hundreds of years."
"...and you are telling me the guy survived... inside that Dungeon...? That's ridiculous!"
Yes. It was ridiculous. After all one needed to prepare a group of people in case of Voyagers and an army in case of the Natives. Especially when Dungeons could supply the necessary resources to strengthen the monsters spawning in it everlastingly. It would be a shocking news had there been a sighting of a dead man walking in that Dungeon unarmed. What's more...
"That Dungeon has many weird vegetation which confused sense of direction badly! And even Voyagers can't escape from the effects created by the Treant's magic!! If you can't find the damn monster then you're doomed to wander in the Dungeon forever!!"
"Yes... In other words, the black rat is possibly lost inside the forest."
"Then—isn't it better to leave him alone...? He won't be able to escape from the Dungeon right...?"
"And what kind of existence are you referring to? Do you believe that it's impossible for a Voyager to escape even if they were tortured ceaselessly?"
....Brown could not refute the Duke's words. He had expected it but the person in front of him was way too cunning. Such a sly fox was unable to rule a larger land? Impossible.
The thought of seeing darkness in a well which supposed to have a base frightened the Knight. How could he even be able to hide his true nature to this point? Who... Is this noble?
"I command you in the name of the ruler of this land." His cold words rolled out from his mouth.
As the silence dreaded the Hoodlum who was a curious cat at the same time, an end he had never thought was approaching him... no. It was more correct to say Death was in front of him. The noble had prepared this all from the very beginning...!
"Form an army made up from the Brigade and the stationed knights to enter the Dungeon. Bring along any Outsider with you. Then, in that forest... kill them. Separate them. Coordinate with our agents. Kill them when a chance rises up before they even realized that they were set up. Exterminate every single Voyager including a criminal who knew way too much. This is easier than dealing with Diablos... correct?"
An order which sounded precisely like a death sentence... was given to the Knight Captain named Brown.
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A/N: Aaahh.... we meet again, you who desired to know this story. Let us see what will emerge after another fragment of truth was shed...
Have you realized that darkness might as well be the source of light for some people? Have you realized that a light is capable of displaying a mirage until it dissolved into empty air? To Him who saw the abysmal future, and to Her who desired to relive unfounded past... What will the two's encounter result in?