Lorry laughed straight to her face, thinking that Lisa was either exaggerating or lying about taking his offer to her questionable head. She was hardly honest with herself in her past life, so when others got involved around her, it shouldn't make any difference.
“Got some problem with that?” She asked as she wanted to grab him again between her palms or stomp him to the floor.
But this time, Lorry wasn't willing to take her offer. “No. No... Lorry is wondering about something. How come you've not asked this earlier? Murai is alone in these Islands for the most part, hiding behind a Space Cage that messes with perceptions. Any talk that Lisa wants doesn't come into Murai's ears. Lorry supposes you've been very curious or cautious, but many more questions are there. Consider Lorry curious.”
“Says someone who won't bother answering what I wanted. So why should I seek answers that won't come, idiot?”
Lisa knew why she didn't ask this earlier. She doubted it was fine to be this open, not when her link to Murai was always strong even with this Space Cage between them. She had her boundaries, albeit they were hers alone.
So when Murai was sleeping, she had the certainty to speak about anything she wanted. That was one of the few reasons she wanted to stay outside of his Soul Space. Portals also helped with setting strong boundaries, because Chaos Space was quite a menace to any connection. At least according to her logic, this idea played some role in her decisions and talking.
“Lorry is sure there will be more time for this... And if Mindarch may rule it so, Lorry has no problems with anything, as long as it is within the rules or judgment.” Lorry mysteriously said, glancing to the ceiling in understanding.
He trusted Mindarch like a fool, so if Mindarch didn't give him anything, a Guide hardly moved like an independent force for the Challenger. And Lisa wasn't even a Challenger. He could laugh, taunt, and ignore her however he wished, which he did, but not to the extent he wanted. Lisa was a small menace herself anyway. At least in his Soul Flames.
“I would use you like a fine tool if it weren't for those rules...” Lisa grunted and was no longer willing to give him any care.
“And we wouldn't mind asking you about this Path of yours. Later perhaps? The current time... and this duck. Those are also intriguing quite a few people.” Lorry said in a strange voice, surprising Lisa that they were willing to listen to part of her story. This meant ammunition to use in trades for information. She could use this to her advantage if the other side showed some interest in what she alone knew.
She smiled, no longer taking this conversation further because Lorry was telling only the bare notion his side could take. It was a good start to her interest, which may go further thanks to the other Islands.
Without clear directions, speaking casually about anything wasn't fine. Lisa needed certainty to feel if it was worth it. She wasn't taken that lightly by Mindarch and others, similarly to Murai himself, but he was a Challenger and she was a simple ghost of her former self, so his stakes were different.
With this semi-closed and private conversation being over, the time moved on.
Sometime later, Murai woke up, trembling in distress at some callings. Something screamed in his mind. He wasn't sure what, but it woke him up.
“Uhm... I really needed this nap, but what is going on?” He asked himself as he was still on his back, barely able to open his eyes. “Truth be told, I would prefer sleeping for a couple of days like this, but who am I kidding again? My current species needs such a thing in almost all scenarios. A ton of food too, but I know I eat like a wild animal.... poopless too. That is hilarious like being a duck.”
He knew it. This was no dream. He woke up as a duck again.
“At least Murai has all limbs and quacks to complain about.” He heard Lorry from not far away.
“At least? I would rather sleep more hours, but that is just my preference. It grants strength and beauty, you see. It is the rule of the universe that always prevails!” He grunted as he lied. He didn't have many preferences about sleep, but something about his species and rest truly resonated with him.
But this setting didn't allow for that, nor his time. So he fell to his side and forced himself from his position. Not far away from him were floating Lorry and Lisa who readily greeted him with a nod and wave of a hand respectively.
“Yeah. Yeah. I see and hear you. I slept like I wanted. Leave it at this. Falling asleep is not my fault, so it is time to move on...”
“Murai needed it,” Lorry said. “Seems that way to Lorry.”
“Whatever. Why did none of you wake me earlier? Bunch of lazy bastards. Are you not getting a hunch that I shouldn't sleep at all? Got Islands to beat, essences to eat, and heads to crack.” He asked in doubt, still half sleeping and feeling that something was wrong.
“Not sure what you mean by going forth with more troubles ahead,” Lisa said. “Many Islands still remain and those will take more out of you than those behind. You fell asleep because you needed it. It is the truth and you worked your ass off for it. You may be level 17 right now, but the enemies you face will push through some of your limits, regarding your level and mentality.”
“Got that idea already through the last few dozen islands. Got stronger with time, you see. That is a common concept.”
“But the pressure of growth and killings are different things. Think of what you can do. You are great for your kind of species. Fighting enemies twice your level is enough of no concern for you, but it is a harsh reality in the common world. Not for you, but someone would be jealous of you for sure. Or scared. So be a bit understandable. You are doing good. Keep it up.” She tried to cheer him up, but it sounded kind of weird coming from her of all people.
Murai halted his step, jolting his neck and beak toward her. “Have I just heard a helping topic out of your mouth the moment I woke up? Is this universe in one piece? Is the world in one spot? What is my name!?” Murai cried in a faked and teary panic.
“Is stating a fact that hard to imagine?” She argued.
“No...nonono.” Murai furiously shook his head. “You are the insane one! What about the Levels? You hardly mentioned those... like ever. Level 17. What does it even mean when fighting level 38 Menthir? Are numbers just foolish excuses and time and strategies are everything? Or point to kill is a fact that is outside of some Level? What about Grades? Have I gotten so ahead of that number that it doesn't mean shit?”
Lisa smiled at him without worry. “True. It is right in a little bit of everything. When you consider the heights and limiters of your species, it doesn't sound insane, but your head doesn't know the context. I guess you deserve some apologies but look at it from the positive side. Look and consider yourself for a moment. You are the insane one.”
“Insane?” Murai glared at her in doubt. “In what layers?”
“Balance. Your life proves that point, while this world is subject to handling it. It does so in some parts and not in others. I bet your little Iris was enough to give you some ideas about this, but it isn't as if you are an idiot yourself. You kept thinking about your own takes on this world anyway. And since I've woken up, you got hold of your head and body a bit better to make it useful. Now, you are taking the rewards through time and training. That is what pushing yourself through battles does for your species and head.”
Murai looked at her without a word to give. He was fighting better the more he endured, but wasn't this the most common thing? Experiences won't appear like lightning from the clear sky.
“Want more truths?” Lisa asked something stupid. “I can be all ears and full mouth wide for you if I want. It just poses a question of how much you need to know, because you know and do what you want. Am I that important? Is it worth the hassle?”
“This...” Murai was speechless to listen to her nonsense excuses that sounded overly complicated. It was true that he didn't consider her much, but if she wasn't like this, he would think of her differently. He looked at Lorry who was aside. “Was she such a bitch in her past life?”
Lorry furiously nodded, not peeping a word to make her angry.
“Huh? Got a problem with that logic?” Lisa increased her voice and tone a bit higher.
“67 Islands took this much to force your mouth, while I fought for my life and growth. What about the things you might say to further things I've already got? Haven't thought of that? It is called furthering an already established context. Only stupids would not consider it, and I don't know everything, stupid.” Murai said to her resolutely.
“Not sure what you know, but I am not stupid. I haven't taken a look at your fragments since I woke up a bit better than ever. No time went for that, you see. Woke up in an already established Encounter that wants your life. And you were handled like a fool by one of the Suns, so I decided to be helpful and gift you this temple. Are you complaining?”
“Oh... now, it is a completion how to piss me off? Are you that proud to give me this thing? Or Is it all about those fragments again?” Murai got somewhat calmer as she mentioned some truths he already tossed far behind his mind.
Murai wasn't taking Lisa and her status that much into account since she wasn't doing anything important. She mostly left him alone. But she might be useful... That was a fact.
“Why haven't you mentioned that earlier? You have no idea how much I've suffered in the hands of that girl, or what occurred afterward, or in that well. When you disappeared into my soul space, it was a moment shit went wry against those humans.”
“I wouldn't mind to know about them,” Lisa said with a carefree smile.
“Alright. I will give you such a gift that will change and shake your mind. Crack it too. Heheheh.” Murai laughed like a demon. His memory fragments were special. They might not be easy to handle for her.
“Wait! Not so fast. Still have some voices from Will of the Battleworld and Mindarch in mind. I heard what I could. Like whispers, but only creaks and some knots. You don't have to consider fragments too much, so let's not go far with any gifts.” She visibly got nervous after remembering his memory fragments to this day.
“Which poses a question of why Lisa is even taking this topic out right now if Lisa doesn't want it.” Lorry expressed a good question instead of Murai who was kind of dull after his sleep.
“He asked why I mentioned something about his level and might. He does the same thing. It is called information gathering. Don't ask me how Life Companionship goes back and forth between me and a Blessed, Lorry. I would fucking murder you If I could.”
“Wow. What a savagery.” Lorry chuckled like a maniac.
Murai lightly stretched his tensed-up body and settled his mind on what to do next.
“Fine. You keep your head and soul tight. I do mine. My level is low because of my age and time. That is what Iris told me, Thar confirmed it, and the world contextualized everything. The reality is, that I can work around this level because of my actions, while abilities, their evolutions, or evolution itself are the true changes. Level enables them, right?”
Lisa nodded.
“Then, there are chains of the Encounter that stopped it too, but most of it is because of my age. Not you, Lisa. But considering what my power is, it should be about my species the most... Right, Lorry?”
“Asking a Guide, huh?” Lorry shuddered. “Sure. Lorry agrees with this logic. Anatidaes and many great species can fight way out of their levels thanks to various factors or limiters. Means a nod at Breaches that do poise something that went over the common sense. It is also part of Grading schemes. Some abilities and their high grades matter more than some levels. Then, there is magic. Shaping experience or familiarity achieves many more advantages than leveling does. It is what experience grands, which Murai is no novice to. For example, Murai isn't aware of it, but attributes aren't as important. How one uses them is. Attributes are like authorization to connect aspects of one's body, which do change and empower the body. When fighting, killing poses two things...”
“To kill efficiently and get it done regardless of some limitation. To kill, doesn't mean much else than to end one life. Means don't matter.” Murai answered instead of him. “That is the norm to anyone who has some head on their necks. When one has great and precise powers, it shows regardless of the Will of the Battleworld or those... limiters or what those are. But those grading schemes and attributes give it some edge. It is logical to think of them as fuel for my body, so yeah. You answered what I've deduced.”
“He still left some things behind.” Lisa weakly mumbled beside him, not willing to get involved in this conversation more than with some comments.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“We will take this topic again after some stops, both of you. We will have time for that, right? Not now, when I have energy and mana to spare, and Islands to beat. Oh, and that Heavenly Shaping is still pending to my eyes, so let's hold this conversation for a better time.” Murai said.
“Sounds like a plan to me. Sure. Go ahead.” Lisa shooed him, gesturing with her hands to the maze.
“Whatever, I still need more. More time and growth.” Murai mumbled, looking at the walls that were quite tall for his figures. Stone walls were a big problem when it came to this Menthir fight because they were thick and tall. However, that didn't mean there was darkness in this place, and even if it did, his Night Vision worked wonders even in pitch-black places, giving him more visual clarity.
Then, he had Sonar that could easily deal with the rest of any unfamiliar, which was a very important part in figuring out where Menthir was attacking from.
A shady maze was nothing, even when there wasn't that much light or mana around. It was a perfect place for a quick ambush, yet Mindarch decided to give him Menthir, which was quite a questionable choice, considering its size was hard to miss out and its mana was like a light in the night sky for his Sonar.
Sending well-balanced forces against the Challengers was already an established rule that Murai trusted, yet Mindarch kept testing some parts of his powers, rather than wanting to shatter this Challenger like usual.
Balance was gradually turning thinner the further he went.
Murai moved through the maze and soon found one of the ends that went straight towards another island far away. It was a curved stone bridge that looked so brittle, it seemed as if it would crumble very soon. High in the air, a new Island was visible, representing one of the tallest ones he had seen, reaching all the way to the 200th meter above the water's surface.
Which meant he had a lot to cover to get there. The bridge ahead was terrible. He wondered if he should look for the other exit, but he saw another angled bridge fairly close when he looked out of the bridge to the cave. It was leading to an Island that was even further ahead, but slightly lower in height.
He decided to take the first choice. Gulping down, Murai felt the gust of wind coming from the large cave. There were just straight wooden planks making up this bridge, with no protection against the wind. One could be swept by the wind in no time, stumble by the holes, and leave nothing behind but a freefall to the bottom of this enormous cave.
It wasn't the end of this journey. As long as one managed to get back to the starting point, one might restart the walk, but not the fight. Falling meant a lot of walking, which Lorry mentioned around an hour ago to him.
And it wasn't something Murai was willing to ever consider. He didn't even think about it. There was no way he feared those stair bridges, but he didn't like them. Murai shuddered at such options, hoping to seek another option out of his terrible time.
Either way, this was what the average path toward the next island looked like. All he could do was accept it and move on. Well, in his case, he had no choice but to clutch his cheeks and use his beak as a tool to clutch the planks that at least had some mass to them. They didn't crack when he stabbed them or clutched them.
He munched to each plank, moving step by step forward and upwards, cursing the wind and this Gate for all eternity.
He hated it more, because Lorry and Lisa were always above him, graciously floating without any bother about the wind.
At least they didn't taunt him. That was their good grace and idea.
Ascending was a bit clumsy and slow, but it served its purpose of establishing some difficulties of the terrible layer. In Murai's honest opinion, it was even worse for him because of his small stature. He wished to have a deep chat with the maker of this Gate. After all, because of his weight and lack of security, Murai can be swept by the wind.
Lisa didn't argue against his anger. Once, not long ago in the Islands in the 40s, Murai tried to move normally and fell off the bridge for a speck of a second. If it weren't for his senses and readiness, he would be long down at the bottom of this journey, walking and cursing Lorry to piss off and force him to fly him back.
He wouldn't mind fighting his way back into the Islands if it meant some essences, but this temple didn't work like that. It created this nasty falling and walking problem instead, which he hated to his bones.
Of course, it would be a pain in the ass, and Murai was more than unwilling to even try it. He already spent too much time walking and ascending the bridges, then fighting.
However it didn't mean that Lorry didn't find it funny, and he teased Murai from time to time, allowing him to curse this talking skull to the seventh hell. Without even hearing Mindarch's words about the content of the upcoming Island, Murai reached the end of this nasty bridge in about 10 minutes.
It had the same old wavy space, depicting a much more sturdy-looking Space Cage that left nothing of what was ahead clear. Thick and wavy, the platform was hidden for some reason.
That was when Mindarch spoke out loud to all of them.
[Congratulations on a safe journey. It must be tough, huh?] Mindarch joked, but it sounded terrible and fake.
[On the contrary of the difficulties, Citizen M has finally met and selected a great Island! It is a great result to reach a further bracket of chances.]
“Oh? Is that it? At last!” Lorry cheered.
[Dificulty: Grade A, Level 41]
[There is a specialty about this Island you've chosen. Great luck, I must say.]
[It is called a Variant Island. It adds a nice sound to it, you see.]
Murai wasn't impressed after what he went through on the bridge behind his back.
[There is a triple bonus to the points upon the successful finish of the Island. Double bonus if the desire to give up knocks the foe sooner. Both choices add some flavor to the Tier of success afterward.]
[Oh, and as a bonus reward for Variant Island, there are special bonus rewards upon completion.]
[That is Question Mark: It is a knowledge transfer or message regardless of any conflict of interest. More about it later, when you succeed.]
[Grade is nonexistent, as it serves as an information-gathering bonus that Challenger can use to gain answers to one's worries, or anything. I, great Mindarch shall answer that to the best of my capabilities since Citizen M is deemed great enough. No Guide... Not this time.]
Lorry visibly shuddered in disappointment.
[Another thing is a Key.]
[That is all.]
The series of words echoed quite steadily, revealing little information about the Island itself which was unlike the past ones.
Glancing behind, Murai shot Lorry a questionable glance if he heard this right.
“Ohoho. Murai sure is lucky to have Murai's answers and worries ahead. Mindarch knows a lot in terms of Question Marks. They are an excellent route into his Codex. This Island is special by itself, so Murai has to see it for himself. It isn't the case of the chance given to you by the hunch of the higher-ups. It's just a chance that Murai gave to himself. Murai had chosen this island.” Lorry said it like a haggler.
Murai felt something wrong with his bones.
This felt like no luck or chance.
He felt tested for a long time already, and this Island was just an option to push him over some edge. Or it was here to give him some push and hope to get something interesting out of him.
Points weren't interesting to him, but that Question Mark sounded great. He hardly used anything from the last shopping anyway, as the points didn't give him something great. Well, apart from those essences that still held some value.
So with a sigh, Murai was still keeping his beak in the wooden plan because he had no choice. The wind was still pushing against him even before the Space Cage. And there was no choice before him. Even Lisa was curious about what this Island would be like since she knew all about the Variant Islands, what they possessed, and what Keys or Question Marks were. She shall wait for Murai to finish it, and let him reap these nice rewards.
She didn't mention anything about them to him whatsoever.
Murai pushed himself past the entrance, entered the Island, and landed on the ground of the arena. Right. An arena. Space Cage hid an old-looking circular arena with sand for the floor. It was bloody and rough. Around its perimeter was nothing but an empty wall, with no way to see the edge of the island. That was good. He can't fall over the edge.
Above it, floating in the air were seats to hold thousands of people. Made of stones, all of them were empty, but their sheer size and width made this Island the biggest he had seen.
And surely it was weird. The Island from the outside was nowhere this large.
Before, Murai couldn't see any of this for a good reason. The platforms were behind the Space Cage, letting Challenger second-guess their strategies. Only a rough layout of the platform was rarely shown. And this time, there was nothing but dense wavy space. It was a bit unfair, but Murai wasn't complaining about this. Fighting was fun so far, so he kept going to these Islands without any care for consequences.
This time, he didn't know the foe, but he knew Level 41 and Grade A difficulty spoke of some interesting things. Perhaps a High-Grade 7 essence? He can't wait to be disappointed...
So far, the rules that worked around these platforms were all weird anyway. Killing the foe was the simplest form of accomplishment. There was nothing hideous about that simplicity, which he preferred and liked.
Murai stood on his tiny legs, looking around the surface of the sandy arena. It was well over 50 meters in diameter, making this the biggest arena he had seen so far. In the midst of everything, there stood a lonely figure that poised as his already present foes. It was a man. A half-naked one, to be exact, which wasn't mentioned by Mindarch even once.
Murai finally met what he wanted in all of these Islands. A human appeared at last.
“Oh? A human? No... Not one per se. It could be fake. A monster in disguise!” Murai decided to not trust a thing. So he looked at the figure dozens of meters before him, and the man looked back at him. But he remained standing with his hands crossed around his chest, clearly thinking or hesitating to go ahead and fight.
Murai trusted his Soul Read, mind, and Sonar. So he pushed Sonar ahead and felt his soul. It wasn't wrong. He was a human through and through.
He was a man in the prime of his life, but his exact age was hard to discern. His body held quite some tan, his muscles weren't bulging nor huge. He held well-toned-down proportions, combining a combat body with high flexibility, power, and endurance. He looked straight like a warrior from tribal nations and looked like he loved to fight.
So when he noticed Murai, his face changed. “What do we have here? A duck? Is this a joke?” the man asked and lightly chuckled. “Haven't tasted one in years! But... Is this truly the Hell's Punishment? No!” Suddenly, the man scowled, turning his stoic expression to one of utter madness and disappointment. He even clutched his brown hair with both hands, tearing a few strands away.
He was upset, glad, and fearful at the same time. Upset over having to fight duck, glad to have a meal, and fearful over not having this sort of meal for years down the road.
Hearing his words and sensing his soul, Murai cringed his face and tensed his wings and beak like never before. He got the fury right up his mind.
Fucking what? This little shit thinks of me as a freaking meal? I will kick his nuts for real! Underestimating this duck shall be your eternal mistake! He thought to himself without quacking like a duck. Following this, he completely stopped the veiling of his mana that he kept training between the Islands, or upon entering it.
A powerful surge of his mana went out of the Beast Core, cruising into his body and changing his aura. It appeared like many flame waves that followed his feathers upwards. They weren't natural, of course. Murai let it all out, while veiling only worked to steady and hide his aura. What he was doing right now was the exact opposite of being normal or veiled.
He started with his Flame Affinity by Conjuring it out all over himself, creating the basic premise of a fiery aura. It wasn't practical, but it sure got the blood and his aura going from the norm, outwards. Pure mana without a thing would make him azure and kind of rich. It was always good to use some affinity to make a stronger point.
Why use something worn when he had something better?
Murai wanted to go with already established spells under his arsenal but changed his mind. Conjured Flames were the perfect way to start some Shaping. It was a regular procedure, so he aimed at the start of the fight.
Mindarch hadn't voiced a thing yet. It was suspicious, so Murai pushed his flame aura forth.
A powerful burning pressure slid out off the little duck, turning the disappointed man weird. He went alert, yet continued pressing his hands around his scalp, hoping to quench his anger and frustration away.
He took a light breath as he felt the sudden change in temperature and that duck; his hands trembled in the process of retracing them to his waist. As he did so, his face changed from regret to clarity and seriousness.
“Oh? A prank is it not? A Challenger was pending, or so I thought, but in the appearance of a duck? I presume you are one of those... How they are called again? I heard one of the old mates talk about these monstrosities that came from some other continent. Ah! Anapipa? No...” the man shook his head. “Apapa? Akura? Anala? Anatita? Right. Right. Anatidae. That is their weird name.” he finally remembered, and upon doing so, his whole body went stiff in battle readiness.
He shook to his core as he realized his ridiculous foe.
Unlike before, his whole body changed, trembled, and began to radiate the luscious aura of a warrior. He had no clear weapons at hand, but a distinct aura went over his body, bathing him in crisp light. His mana of a Handler category worked wonders because this temple was perfect for any mage.
At this point, Murai also noticed something else on his body. There was a crest on his chest, burned with the crest of a slave, looking circular with two claws on top of each other and a demonic skull in the middle.
Murai expected this sort of thing to see, as it wasn't the first foe to have this crest. Some beast had it as well, but this was the first intelligent being he had ever met here! He was happy to see him, even though the crest meant his position was that of a slave.
His anger was unreasonable. His will to fight was getting better. Murai had no idea how such emotions mixed together, creating a mess in his head.
For this temple to have this sort of enemy wasn't unexpected. The fact that it happened after more than 60 Islands was disappointing. After all, having human slaves around the level 30 to 40 shouldn't be all that expensive or hard to get.
War slaves around level 30 were commodities in almost all wars. Their numbers were never small, albeit they depended on the rules of continents, cultures, politics, or how powers around them started those wars.
Holy War or Divine War, it didn't matter. Mortal Wars were quite normal occurrences and an easy way to force some slaves to flood the market or many businesses.
The man before him was exactly that. A tool. A commodity that demons viewed as resources, while even other human powers did the same. In the Battleworld, this much was a norm.
The man obviously knew what was better for him. Choosing to serve was even a little respectable since refusing was meaningless. Few would rather starve and die meaningless Ends.
However, his journey may still end like that. Slaves weren't that happy and right. His past was less than visible in Murai's eyes, nor was he too interested in his story. He had already pissed him off, so he wasn't ready to forgive him.
Everyone had their own life stories. Be it in terms of virtue, evil, or whatever else, there was no greater good or evil. There were just acts with consequences. Poorly said, of course.
Murai long ago understood many facts about living, since he viewed death and life from a completely different point than the rest of the beings in the universe. Few would even dare to imagine his cursed living.
Some gods may try some tiny part of it, but it wasn't validating enough. They were too lofty and arrogant bastards who were more often than not, too preoccupied with their own asses. Powerful and deserving of their standing, it wasn't surprising.
It was the power that held up these truths. Where power ruled over the ego and lesser power, things happened by virtue of more power. Those who were better than others were the winners, but those wouldn't understand Murai either. What good or bad was in power or ridiculous authority that Gods might have? Nothing? Everything mixed together, perhaps?
Murai disagreed with pretty much anything. There was nothing good there. There was no good or bad that moved the universe, let alone any world.
Fate just flew and things and people were changing.
It was just how it was. An endless cycle. A truth of nothing but the individualistic path that maintained no threat or greater meaning. Everyone walked the path that they could and wanted to walk, or was there something that forced them down some curves or changes? Simple fateful excuses were often also included in some living, but Murai hated to handle or think about Fate.
He wasn't that angry at this man in any deep principles. He just didn't like his words and act. Were these valid reasons to kill him? Murai doubted it was, but the man wanted to kill him. It was obvious by the rising killing intent that surged in his soul. Considering the circumstances and finally meeting a different island than endless beasts, bones, or demons, this warrior was a neat change of pace.
Though, in this case, it was a duck against a man, which was still making a rather funny picture that Mindarch couldn't help but eternally engrave to his Codex.