Author's note: Hope you all had a good day!
This arc is about to reach its climax soon. The good thing is that after this arc is done all the main plots would have been set in motion and most of the world building would be finished. Took me long enough I know, but this novel will be around 300-400 chapters long, so it isn't that bad xD.
After that, I will be starting the proofreading of chapters. All changes made to chapters will be summarised and provided to you. This might take me around two weeks at least (if not more!), so yeh there will be a hiatus in chapters until I am done. This will be followed by the 3rd arc, which will be focusing mostly on character development, action, several secrets and suspense!
Last but not least, thank you for reading!
Penguin
Proofreading will be focused on the following:
1) Dialogue and conversation (some tags are not needed whilst others can be simplified, some conversations can be improved and some commas should be changed to fullstops.)
2) Excessive use of adverbs, especially in the starting chapters. Some will be eliminated whilst others replaced with stronger verbs.
3) Where possible, I will try to eliminate lazy words such as ‘very’ and ‘really’ .
4) Simplify hard to read sentences.
5) Introduce a wider range of vocabulary, especially in the starting chapters.
6) Grammar and typos correction, although there shouldn’t be much left at this stage.
7) Some scenes will have increased details and be emotionally stronger.
8) Reducing passive voice
9) Reduce useless words. For example:
Elena shouted in anger. "Little rascal!! What the fuck are you doing??!!"
The words "in anger" are not needed, since the anger is being expressed in the the dialogue. Sadly, I have noticed my story is littered with these and I am going to remove them all. Sorry for this, still learning, my first novel!
10) Fix name of first arc. Naming an entire arc as a prologue was a bad idea and might scare readers away xD!
11) Punctuation marks will be fixed, including reduction of comma usage.
12) Plot holt in chapter 18. MC should suspect there is something wrong with the amulet. This can and will be fixed by altering a part of Marcus speech in the same chapter.
13) Why the feck the royal academy has a dormitory when nobody needs to sleep? I will be fixing this too.
14) The transition from chapter 23 to 24 is terrible. I made a mistake with the MC reaction at the end of chapter 23, something which i tried to fix in the start of chapter 24. Hence, the akwardness. Also, the speech between MC and Oliver in chapter 12 will be altered (it's terrible!!!!)
15) Please note that there is a lot of stuff you think. "oh! It's a plot hole!! Bad author!!" Well, you're wrong baby! example:
a) How planet Yuba survived the ravaging of the grigullians? Well, sorry guys. The days of spoon feeding you everything are now over. You need to start speculating!
b) How the Girgullian ruin survived the natural elements for 20 million years! Yes there is a reason for that too.
c) Why people eat food when they do not need? Hey? Ever heard that eating food is one of the pleasures of life??!
Still, if you noticed something akward, pm me and I will let you know if it is a plothole or not. I only have one brain, can't make miracles xD!
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Chapter 31 – Grigullian Ruins
The general atmosphere inside the ruin emitted an ancient aura. Silence reigned, only interrupted by the sounds of cautious footsteps.
The pathway was linear, although it changed directions. Sometimes it turned 90 degrees to the right or left and sometimes it inclined itself upwards or downwards. Rhombus shaped bronze tiles covered the dusty floor of the pathway. For this pathway to survive for so many years, it was an existing proof of how advanced and resistant Grigullian architecture was.
The duo kept walking for a while until arriving before a large tile. Jefferson then lowered himself to inspect it. “Freaking amazing… according to the information written on this tile, this pathway was a trial Grigullian warriors undertook before officially joining the armies!”
He kept the lead with Kane following close by. Kane did his best to stay as close to the middle of the pathway as possible, feeling somewhat acrophobic.
They walked and walked in what it seemed to be an endless journey. Every time they finished a pathway, they found themselves on a small platform, where from there they commenced walking over a new pathway. This routine kept going for hours, only occasionally interrupted by Nick’s calls.
When they were about to give up hope, they saw a tower into the distance. Their motivations returned, eyes reignited with hope, hurrying their pace towards the tower.
It didn’t take them that long to arrive before the tower. Its shape was cylindrical and build from the same bronze-like material of the passageway. It had no windows, no style, no designs; just a boring plain building.
They entered through the only door of the tower and arrived inside an enormous circular hall. What greeted them were the countless rubble and broken statues that littered the hall’s ground. The passage of time had clearly left its mark.
Kane then moved towards one of the few remaining standing statues. Although it had lost some detailed features, it was still recognisable; the physical appearance of a Grigullian. If the statue was true to its scale, a Grigullian stature was similar to that of human beings. The skin was green and scales covered the entire body. The statue had extended pointed ears, reptilian eyes and the hands only had four fingers. The statue also had a long green tail emerging from the lower back. However, what surprised Kane the most was the short red hair which was something normal reptilian creatures lacked.
“Hey Kane! Move your ass already!! Start looking for anything valuable!!” Jefferson yelled.
Jefferson’s shout snapped Kane out of his trance, who then began aiding Jefferson in their hunt for treasures. They searched behind the rubbles, under broken tiles, inside the cracks of the walls; everywhere. Yet, all their efforts were in vain.
Jefferson then sat down on a pile of rubble and sighed. “Damn it man! There is nothing to be found here!”
“Hey Jeff look, there are some words scrambled on the floor…”
Jefferson stood up and moved towards Kane. “Hmm… these look quite recent…” Jefferson inspected before reading out aloud. “Year 20127, Erka Period. I, Jason Bordas, a proud warrior of the Bordas Clan, have completed the Grigullian Ascendency Ceremony and obtained Spiritual Illumination.”
Jefferson appeared startled and whispered, “Jason came to this place before? What’s spiritual illumination??” Lost pondering, he noticed another message. “Follow me! There is another one over there!” Both of them marched towards the next text.
Jefferson then recited the message. “Suckers! Can’t find your precious treasures? Naturally! We have taken them all!! Now go home crying to your mommas!!!”
“Oh! And I hope you didn’t believe the bullshit Jason wrote? He’s just a dramatic moron!!!”
Both Jefferson and Kane trembled in shock. Jefferson fell on his knees, his moral broken and his hope of finding any treasure all but vanished. Even Kane felt frustrated; despite their efforts they were going to end up empty handed.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Kane asked.
“What is there to do? We need to find a way out from this shitty place, go back to the boob cave and take that freaking violet crystal!” Jefferson replied.
Still broken hearted at their failure, they began walking towards the exit.
“Hmm…? What am I sensing?! Hmm… WHAT??!!!!! HUMANS???!!!!!!!!!” A mysterious voice rang into their ears.
“The hell? Who’s there?!” Kane shouted. They both assumed their fighting stances whilst investigating their surroundings. However, they didn’t notice anything strange.
“YESSS! YESSSSS!!!! My saviours have finally showed up!!!!”
Jefferson started shivering, turning his terrified gaze towards Kane. “It-it’s a gh-ghost!!!!”
“Shit! Run!!!” Kane yelled as the duo sprinted towards the exit.
“You idiot!!! What ghost?!!! It’s me!!!!!”
When they heard this, they stopped their movements and looked at each other with a puzzled expression. Jefferson then displayed courage and shouted, “Who… are you?”
The mysterious voice proudly replied, “The sexiest universal existence!!!!”
Kane and Jefferson stared at each other dumbfounded. “Are you a Grigullian?” Jefferson asked.
“Grigullian your butt!! Mistaking my beautiful body with those ugly lizards?!! Outrageously shameful!!”
“Hey now! How are we supposed to know how you look like?!!! And what the freak do you want from us?” Jefferson replied.
“Simple! There is a pathway hidden behind that rubble over there, behind that headless statue!! Clear the entrance and come down to the floor below and break me out! Out of this stupid prison!!!!”
Jefferson paused to think. After a while, his eyes flashed and he smirked. “Nothing is free in this life... What will you give us in exchange for your freedom?”
“Jeff! Don’t be hasty! He could be someone dangerous and we don’t know his true intentions—” Kane said, interrupted by Jefferson’s palm.
“Shuss, I have a plan!” Jefferson said.
“What plan? You idiot, you know I can hear you right?!” The mysterious voice butted in.
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Jefferson began losing his patience. “Do you want us to save your ass? Then answer my freaking question already!!!”
“Hmm…” The mysterious voice said followed by a long period of silence. “Ok! You can have my body for two years!!! You can cuddle me, pet me and we can sleep together in bed. How does that sound?”
Jefferson’s face turned dark. “Are you freaking kidding me??!!!!! I want precious treasures!!! Not your freaking body!!!”
“You!!!! How dare you refute this beautiful body of mine!!! Hear me you idiot!!!! Regardless if one is old, young, male, female, an eccentric freak; when faced with this ultimate beauty, there is nobody in this galaxy who can resist me!!”
Jefferson grinned. “Hey Kane, let’s leave this place!”
“Nooooooo!!!!!!!!! You understood me wrong! What I meant was me becoming your immortal slave for two years!!”
Jefferson and Kane shocked themselves. “You’re an immortal???!!!”
“Yeh babyy!!!”
Kane was the first to recover his mind from this revelation. “Since you are an immortal, what guarantees are there that you will uphold your end of the bargain?”
“Youuuuu!!! How dare you question my manliness? A true man like me will never back out from his words!”
Kane fixed his gaze on Jefferson, who nodded and signalled to move downwards. They removed the debris and descended the staircase, arriving at the floor below. They found themselves at the entrance of a labyrinth.
“Is this a maze?” Jefferson asked.
“Are you blind? Of course it’s a maze!” The mysterious voice replied. Jefferson, who was running out of patience, started complaining into his heart.
“So now, which path should we take?” Kane asked.
“Hmm… to the right!” The Mysterious voice said.
Jefferson led the way and took a step to his right.
“You idiot!!!! How can you be this stupid??? It’s my right side, not yours!!!!”
Upon hearing this, Jefferson started to tremble, protruding veins covered his face, struggling to keep himself calm. “You… How the damn am I supposed to know which side is your right side…?”
“Oh! You’re correct! Turn to my left then!”
Jefferson felt confused, since ‘his left’ would mean right again. He took another step forward, only to receive a barrage of insults.
“You imbecile!!! Do you have any cells in your brain?!! I’ve turned my position around for you, and you keep moving straight!??”
Jefferson’s patience was now paper thin. “You ingrate fool!!! Show some freaking respect to your saviours!!!”
“Noooooo!!! Why is this happening to me?! For all these years I’ve dreamt of my two beautiful saviours!! My two stunning princesses! Why did it turn out to be someone as stupid as you??!!”
This was only the start, with Jefferson and the mysterious voice arguing against each other along the way, using all kinds of insulting words the human language could possibly offer. Kane ignored them and followed behind his companion, quietly observing the maze’s walls, encaptivated by the numerous drawings representing the now extinct Grigullian culture.
After several detours they had finally arrived inside a room. It was a death end but there were three large red buttons on the floor.
“What now?” Jefferson asked.
“Press the red button?” The mysterious voice replied.
“Maybe there are three freaking red buttons?!!”
“So?! Just press one of them you idiot!!”
Jefferson expressed a disgusted face then walked towards one of the buttons and stood on it.
“Ooohhhh~~~ ooohhhh~~~ ooohhhhh~~~” The button triggered a melodic song, like a religious chorus. The entire floor then started to tremble whilst a widening fissure appeared on the roof above them. Without any warning, the platform they stood on began elevating itself whilst two large green crystals located on the maze’s walls changed direction, illuminating the platform with green lights.
“What the hell is going on?” Kane asked.
“How am I supposed to know that?” Jefferson replied.
They kept rising upwards accompanied by the mystical notes of ecclesial music. The roof above them was now completely open as the platform kept rising. The pair looked like two spiritual beings ascending towards the heavens.
This scene was short lived as they found themselves transported to the room above. The music stopped and the floor below began closing again, forcing them to step on it. Then they heard the sound of the platform receding back until everything returned to a still.
Jefferson blinked his eyes. “Isn’t this the hall we were at before?”
Kane looked at him and nodded.
Then, like the sound of a rampaging thunderstorm, like a flash of lightning that appeared out of nowhere, a voice interrupted Jefferson’s confusion.
“YOU IDIOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!! All you had to do was pressing a button!!! And you pressed the wrong one!!!This is beyond stupid!!!!!!”
This was the final straw for Jefferson. He had arrived at a point where he couldn’t take it anymore. This was no different than mental torture. He knew he was a hot-tempered person, he tried his best to remain patient but this affair had turned too unbearble for him.
“Enough of this shit!!! I’m leaving!!!” Jefferson said, walking towards the exit.
This was followed by several desperate cries of the mysterious voice that did nothing to dither Jefferson’s stand. Jefferson kept walking towards the exit, though at one point he stopped and started laughing like a mad man. He then turned around and pushed both his ears forward.
“Yes!!!! Let me hear the cries of despair!!!! Because of your stupidity you’re going to remain here for all eternity!!! Enjoy waiting for your two stunning princesses that will never come!!!”
The mysterious voice, now almost crying, started begging Jefferson and Kane. “Please!!! I love you!!! Please, I’ll promise I’ll be your immortal slave for eternity!!!!”
Jefferson paused his movements. “What if I will become an immortal myself? I won’t need you anymore!!!!”
The mysterious voice replied, “A weakling like you? An immortal?!! Ha! Don’t make me laugh!”
Jefferson’s body trembled and yelled, “I’m out of here!!!”
“NOOOO!!!!!! I actually have two precious treasures you might want!!!”
Jefferson turned around, then opened both of his arms and pushed forward his chest. “You can insert your precious treasures into your butt!”
“Kane! Let’s leave!!”
“Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! I’ll give you… but I love them… but I’ll still give you!!! My two seeds of life!!!!”
These shocking words paralysed both Jefferson and Kane. Jefferson already knew what kind of a valuable treasure the seed of life was whilst Kane had seen its price tag back at the tower of Violet Eagle City.
This new offer aroused Kane’s curiosity, who asked, “What kind of treasure is a seed of life?”
“You!!!! You don’t know about the powers of the seed of life?! Three things are what makes up this galaxy! The laws of the universe, matter and beauty! And I am beauty! Yeh baby!!”
Kane frowned comically.
Seeing this, Jefferson explained. “Seed of life is a seed that grows on the flower of life. Unlike normal flowers that obtain their energy from matter, this flower obtains its energy directly from the laws of the universe! It can grow anywhere and natural elements cannot harm it. It can even grow in space or on stars! During its life it will produce a seed. Once the seed is removed the flower will wither and die.”
“The seed of life is filled with energy of the laws, which act as a stimulant for the soul. Once consumed a level breakthrough of the soul is guaranteed! That is why it is so freaking precious! It can finish in one day what could have taken months or years!
Unfortunately, according to my clan, it’s so rare that only one is found every ten years!”
Jefferson then paused. Although he found this mysterious creature annoying, he couldn’t refute such an offer. He had to become stronger if he wanted to beat those three.
“Kane, we are going back down there. However, you will be the one that will lead now!” Jefferson said.
“No need for that. I’ve left marks on the walls.” Kane winked.
Jefferson smiled. “You shrewd bastard…”
They went again to the lower floor and started walking until they arrived at the button platform. They now had two choices left. Kane moved ahead and pressed one of them. Much to Jefferson’s surprise, the wall ahead of them lowered and opened a new path.
“How did you figure which button was the right?” Jefferson asked.
“It’s my instinct,” Kane replied.
Jefferson stared at Kane dumbfounded. He didn’t give it too much thought though. They walked the last part of the maze, which became darker and darker the further in they went. At one point, Jefferson noticed something and rushed towards a stone. A small black insect was resting on it.
“You!!!!!! So that’s how you look! You ugly thing!!!” Jefferson pointed his finger almost touching the insect. The barely sentient insect lacked the necessary intelligence to respond to this awkward situation, although it still gazed at Jefferson with a ‘what the fuck?’ expression.
“Hey Jeff! Over here!” Kane yelled.
“Ehh?” Jefferson felt stupid as he rushed towards Kane. Jefferson then saw a room. Inside it there was a large semi-transparent dimensional bubble. Sealed within it, there was a fluffy creature, which he immediately recognised. Out of all animals that lived in the entire galaxy this was the one that he hated the most.
“That’s… that’s… that’s a buflu!!”