The two women came out of the trees and joined the conversation. Silas was still worried about the possibility of Valks lying.

2,000 years of grinding is not something I can underestimate. He would have reached the level cap a long time ago, or maybe there is no level cap. That’s unfair to those who have just arrived here.

"Please, Valks, could you tell us more?"

"Like I said, I’m not like you or the chief. I’m just a regular pix, but my chief is more than willing to speak with you and explain more. That’s the reason he sent us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this may sound too harsh, but he was hoping that you would be reasonable and form an alliance with our tribe."

"An alliance?" It was too good to be true. There was nothing this group could offer to someone who had been playing for two thousand years.

Unless we happen to get our hands on something very special and unique. He looked at Emily. She and the orb were the most important things the guild had. Gloom Scent went mad with anger after he saw her. A half plant, half human would be something unique.

Does he want Emily and her orb? If he offers an alliance, he can then kill us when our guard is down and capture her. But we need information. Maybe the best option is to pretend we agreed and then kill them first. But they saw our fight, so maybe they already had some kind of plan to deal with us. The best option is to retreat.

"In any case, it would be better if the chief could tell you directly. I know it is not much, but the only thing I can give you is my word. As the commander of the tribe, I can promise I won’t let anyone hurt any of you. We don’t want to fight."

"Give us a moment to decide." They took a step back to get some distance, and he asked them. "What are you guys thinking? I thought about the possibilities, but the chance of betrayal is too high. We'll be walking into unknown territory, and they saw some of our powers during the previous battle. It is too risky."

"Wait, are you planning to escape? Are we not going to at least listen to this guy who has been alive for 2,000 years? You always go around saying that information is important."

"Yes, but this is different, Nathan. There are too many unknowns, and if a fight breaks out, we’re almost certainly going to lose. Even if we go, there is no warranty; he won’t change his mind and end up killing or enslaving us."

"Yeah, but this is exactly what we were looking for, another group. I vote that we go and talk with the chief. If things go bad or if it’s a trap, we can fight. I don't believe these pix guys are stronger than the plant monster."

"You’re just following your instincts and not the evidence."

"What evidence? You’re going into full paranoid rambling inside your head and can’t see beyond evil intentions."

"How do you know what I’m thinking?"

"After more than three weeks, it is pretty obvious that you always assume the worst when something new happens." Nathan nodded, and Nora spoke in Emily's favor.

"Silas, I know you’re worried, but you were saying that finding other people was better for all of us. They aren’t humans, but they are more intelligent than animals, and they didn’t threaten us during our first meeting, like the plant thing. We should count everyone’s votes and decide together."

Nora used her power to talk to everyone still hiding and explain the situation. In the end, the rest of the votes were all in favor of trying to go see this chief and learning more about the System. After the eight members of Dawn got together, Jacob went up front and spoke with Valks.

"We’ll go to see your chief, but if your kind try anything funny, we won’t show mercy. Is that clear, partner?"

"Of course. I’ll do the same thing if I were in your position. Shall we go now? It is a long journey."

The village was about a day and a half away, but thanks to Emily's directions, they avoided predators and dangerous plants along the way.

"Your power is incredible. Our best hunters can barely keep up with you." Valks looked back at his hunters. Three of them were all very skilled, but now they were racking their brains trying to match Emily’s skill.

"They are much better than me. They are actually reading the prints on the earth and the direction of the wind. I’m just using the power the System gave me."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"It is still a skill. If I said something about it, I would be casting doubt on the chief’s power."

Silas's ears were completely focused on the conversation the two of them were having. This could be a chance to get a little more information, or maybe it would be a trap. Either way, he had to listen more. Come on, Emily, don’t make it too obvious. Keep moving the conversation along.

"What is your chief power?"

Too obvious!

"Sorry, I don’t think I should tell you now. I’m sure you will get to experience it soon."

"Eh really? But you said you don’t have any power. If the System brought your people here, why didn't it give you any power?"

"It did. All the Pix who were taken here were given a power like you, but the rest of us who were born in this world weren’t given that power."

"You were born here? Does that mean you don’t know your original world?"

"Yes, I have heard stories, but only the chief was alive during those days. For the rest of the tribe, we are all the descendants of others who were taken by the System."

"That’s crazy. Then you haven’t gone home. Your chief has been stuck here for 2,000 years?"

"Yes." The words carried more weight in Emily and Silas' hearts. No, everyone was listening.

They pretended to not care or like they were not paying attention, but everyone noticed. If the chief was stuck here for 2,000 years, then there was almost no chance for them to come back to Earth.

That idea had been hidden deep in their hearts but was becoming stronger with each passing day. If they couldn’t go back, what happened to their friends and families? They weren’t the only people here. The System said it took 100,000 humans, so there was a real chance they could be here. Somewhere in this world, that hope kept them moving.

As the sun went down, they arrived at the village. It was between the trees, with numerous houses and bridges between them, above the ground to avoid predators. There were also food fields on some of the platforms and several traps along the perimeter.

Valks called for the guard in front, and they dropped a ladder. They got up, and he took them to the chief’s house. It was a three-story house in the cup of an old, firm tree. Despite being three stories, it was smaller since the Pix were a small race.

Valks called and knocked inside. "Chief, the warriors of the System have arrived. I’m sorry I didn’t ask what race you are."

"We’re humans."

"They are humans. They are interested in your offer."

"Let them in!" A powerful voice came from inside the house. Valks made a motion and invited them inside.

With great difficulty, Silas tried to enter the house, but he couldn’t. "Ugh, is too tight. There is no way for all of us to enter. Is there a bigger building where we could talk?"

"I can feel a storehouse on the other side. The ceiling is big enough for a human." Emily answered. She had already looked all over the village.

"What is the delay? Oh." The chief looked at Silas, half stuck in the entrance, and understood. "Sorry, I have my men prepare the storehouse. Valks!"

"I know Chief Cink. I will take them there. Please follow me."

Silas looked at the chief as he left the house. It was an older pix, but it didn’t look too different from the others. Maybe this race can live long lives or maybe it as something to do with a skill?

They went to the storehouse, and after moving the bags of food and seeds, they prepared a table; the reunion could begin.

All the members of Dawn were present. From the village were Cink, the chief, and Valks, the commander of the army. Along with some others as guards and attendants.

"My apologies for having to use the storehouse for the discussion. As you can see, our race is not used to dealing with tall creatures like humans. Please have a drink." The attendants served dark juice in some cups.

"Emily."

"I’m checking." She took a sip and felt the taste of a familiar fruit. "It tastes fine."

"I could be a drug that doesn’t have taste. If it is not a problem, we shall abstain from drinking or eating anything until we discuss more things."

"Not a problem. I felt confusion and fear when I came to this world. I remember being dragged to fight a battle for the System."

"How old are you?"

"Oh my, you go straight to the point. I’m not sure how much time it was in your original world, but I have spent over 2,000 years trapped in the worlds of the System."

"Then why do you look young?" Emily asked.

"There's a reason for that, and it may sound crazy, but everything I'm about to tell you is true. First, I need to know something. Are you all adult humans?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Because you can't get any older than you are now. Maybe with a power, but you won’t grow older with time anymore."

"What?"

"Once a creature the System takes in reaches its adult stage, it won’t grow older. That’s why I look the same as I did 2,000 years ago."

"We can’t grow older?" Nora couldn’t believe it. "That’s wrong. Why would it do something like this to us, to so many people?"

"I don’t know, probably to keep us in its fight against the Ouroboros."

A cup shattered, and pieces flew everywhere. Franco smashed it with his hand after hearing that. "What else? What else did this System do to me? Tell me everything you know."

"I know it is a lot to take, but listen carefully. After I explain everything, I’ll answer to the best of my ability." He drank the juice and looked at them.

"You’re the fifth race the System has taken to defeat the Ouroboros. We are the fourth. It told us the same thing it did to you, probably in other words, as it auto-translates languages."

"Is that why we can understand you and the plant creatures?"

"Yes, if you’re wondering how I know this, it is because I have heard from another creature of the other races. Before the gates were destroyed, I used to live in the desert world."

"How many worlds are there?"

"Why were we chosen?"

"Is there a way to turn our bodies back to before all this?

"Can we travel to other worlds here?"

"Wait, wait, I said, to let me explain and ask questions after. Mmm, to be honest, you should take the early parts with caution, as I was told by another, but it is the closest thing to the truth you can find."

"It started in a world named Elda. A peaceful race lived there, with technology far beyond the imagination. Until one day, a meteor shower rained down and dragged them here…"