[ You have received Gold Pile ]

[ Gold Pile

-The pile of gold that accumulates fortune and misfortune. In order to manipulate Fate and escape the world, Sinner created the Gold Pile. ]

"Huh?" Aster looked at the small gold coin that appeared in his hands.

'Manipulate Fate? Escape the world? What?' Aster looked at the object with strange eyes.

He didn't know how nor why, but Aster was sure of one thing. 'This is extremely valuable. Really, really valuable.'

'How does it work, though?' He wondered. 'It accumulates fortune and misfortune, but how?'

At that moment, Aster sensed a presence approaching him.

'Bo- No, it's Asher.' Aster judged by the quantity of mana that approached.

Although Aster didn't take a battle-ready position, he still closed his hand on his dagger.

"Oh, if it isn't Aster." Ash waved at Aster.

"Hi." Aster waved back. He didn't want to admit it, but he liked Ash. 'Even though he seems too laid back and easygoing, it's not a bad thing. It does look suspicious at times, though.'

"You also making sure to be as strong as possible for the next exploration?" Ash asked Aster with a curious expression.

"Yes." Aster nodded. "Where are you going? To the boss arena?"

Ash smirked before nodding. "Yes, I am going there. Let's go together."

"Alright..." Aster didn't wish to reject Ash. 'I am stronger than him and can also sense sudden movement. As long as I keep my distance, it should be almost impossible to sneak attack me.'

Aster and Asher walked through the temple.

"By the way, I saw you holding a shiny coin. Would you mind if I take a look at it?" Ashed asked Aster with a grin.

"No, but only from my hands," Aster said. He took out the coin and held it in his hand.

"Oh, it does indeed attract me," Ash said with eyes full of curiosity.

"Attract you?" Aster asked Ash.

"Yes. You remember my Providence, right? It's related to luck. Well, I can feel myself being connected to the coin. Wishing to hold it." Ash said.

"You aren't afraid of sharing that information with me?" Aster looked at Ash with a weird expression.

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"Of course not." Ash chuckled. "Because you'll be dead soon."

The moment he said that Aster jumped backward, taking out a dagger from his side and holding it in front of him.

Just as he was about to use Enhancement, he heard Ash laughing. "I know that you are paranoid, but so much? I was just joking."

"Ash, I don't appreciate your jokes," Aster said with a flat tone.

"Look here, I'll tell you a small secret." Ash chuckled. "This temple actually corrupts minds."

"Corrupts minds?" Aster looked at Ash with an astonished expression.

"Yes. Maybe it can't really make you do something bad without months or even years of influencing you, but it can surely make you more tired, wary, negative, and hungry. In all meanings of those words."

"Haven't you experienced yourself becoming more unlike you? More cold. More heartless. More wary and suspicious. Hateful?" Ash asked Aster with a grin.

"Then why aren't you affected?" Aster asked Ash with a suspicious gaze. "You seem awfully easygoing and happy."

"I don't know," Ash said. "Maybe it's my Providence. Maybe there are some exceptions. Maybe I am just plain wrong. Maybe I am actually affected. Who knows."

"Alright." Aster lowered his dagger. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. However, one more joke like that, and I'll make sure that you won't joke again."

"Aw, c'mon. I like you way too much for that." Ash chuckled.

"No, you are creeping me out," Aster said.

The two walked together with a certain distance between them.

Then, at that moment, Aster saw a man in front of him. Behind him was a tarantula.

The tarantula was big enough to even make Nyle think twice before confronting it.

And the man was running away from it.

"Dammit, why is a survivor so deep in the temple?" Aster asked while instantly enhancing himself.

'I don't want to reveal my power so soon in front of Asher, but circumstances call for it.' He thought.

Luckily for him, Ash had another idea.

"Aster, throw me the coin," Ash said with a relaxed expression.

"Huh?" Aster looked at Ash with a suspicious gaze.

"Aster," Ash said. "We either fight it now, or we let it run back to the corridor with us. It'll make many survivors die. Give me the coin, and I can prevent it."

Aster gritted his teeth before throwing the coin to Ash. 'I can always take it back later.'

"Thanks." Ash grinned.

"HELP!!" The man shouted from the distance. The tarantula was slowly closing in on the man, but every time it approached too much, it slowed down.

'No way! It's intelligent enough to let the man lure it into our base.' Aster looked at the tarantula with an astonished gaze. He had never heard of a monster that intelligent.

"It must be the doing of the traitor." Asher chuckled. He took the coin and flipped it.

As the coin started falling, Ash said. "Head."

The coin fell, and the side that Ash could see was head.

Ash smirked before flipping the coin again.

"What are you doing?" Aster looked at Ash with a weird expression. Aster could feel panic inside him. He didn't mind fighting the tarantula, but his teammate wasting time playing with a coin was surely not among his plans.

"Don't worry." Ash chuckled. "Head."

It was head again.

"Eh, head sounds boring. Tail." Ash flipped the coin again.

And again.

He did it five times, and every time, he had accurately predicted which side the coin would fall to.

"Lucky me." Ash laughed.

At that moment, the running man reached the duo. It was the same man who had provoked Aster.

"Suckers, good luck with it!" He shouted.

"Nuh-uh." Ash grabbed the man by a collar, forcing the man to fall.

"Damn you, Asher! We will all die now!" The man shouted.

"No worries," Ash said. Then, suddenly, he disappeared.

Or at least it looked to Aster like he disappeared.

Aster turned towards the tarantula only to see it splattered on the ground. Asher was sitting on top of it while yawning. Then, he flipped the coin. "This coin is fun. Pretty useful. Tail."

It was head.

Ash laughed. "I like it!"