No matter how Murai thought about it, Lisa kept being stubborn and assuming things for herself. There was no changing it, it seemed, so he decided to dance along with her head and try to look for a change. The last Gate or this whole temple was altering their relationship. There was no doubt about it, so he figured it was bound to change even further if he was forceful and she was weak.
Sizing her, he glanced at the maps of the Hellscape. It wasn't the entire map, since the whole would be too big. Hellscape was like a big tunnel that was curving in a snake-like pattern a few times until the end. It was numerous times longer than wide, so the shapes of the drawings would be irregular.
This one described their journey up to the half of this Gate.
One would expect some clarity because this whole place was a man-made structure dug into the earth. It was wrong. Corrosion, external effects, and internal efforts all changed the Hellscape in numerous ways since its creation. Mountains, lakes, rivers, and plains were here for here for a reason. Perfection wasn't necessary. Levandis overlooked it, letting this land grow like the rest of the Gates. Some parts were better at this, as this temple was an estate left by the Sun God himself.
Of course, Levandis didn't want to ruin it. It was in her care, so everyone who wanted to cause trouble had to go through her rules first. And if they did, her interest was always bright and clear, or coming shining thereafter, often ending in questionable results. Mindarch was the middleman in this ideology, acting as the overseeing ruler over this small realm that a God possessed.
The bits of the maps curved at some points, describing turns between the Provinces. The one before him was between Province 2 and 3. The first was full of farmlands of various sizes that accompanied some mountains. The other was more broken, unkempt, and with larger mountains, depicting rough Sectors in dozens of parts. One of these Sectors was their current location.
Further in, Province 4 was their target, right before rocky ranges of plains and mountains that spanned around the edges and middle portion of the cave, right towards the desert that was making up the entire Province 4.
Ip'ur Mountain was on the other map, describing the middle portion of the Hellscape as a whole, which was a thousand kilometers long, if not a bit more. This mountain was below a huge artificial sun, right in the middle of the desert.
“We are here.” Lisa pointed to Sector 27, far away from the Helltrim City and a long distance away from their target. It was still a couple of days away. Perhaps less. It depended on how much Bagus wanted to work, though the plans were bound to change. Lisa already knew it.
Since they needed to be wary of the surroundings politics and incoming Hunt, traveling slower might not be a bad thing, while taking care of the eyes above was different.
She smiled as she observed Murai glancing at their location.
The change wasn't as obvious for him as it seemed.
“And this is where you need to be.” Then, Lisa pointed to the Ip'ur Mountain on the other map. The reality was before him. From her act, Murai noticed Province 3 and 4, their intricacies, places, and patterns ahead. There were a lot of places between this place and their target.
Getting to know more was right since many Sectors ahead were rough and full of chaotic borders, zones, cities, and villages. Most borders were changing every month, as the ownership was either set in stone by wealth or through fights and politics. Living was chaotic, full of beasts, tribes, and beings that partially lived under Levandis's rules, or wished they didn't.
Beasts were that. They might not need to consider her at all, for they were simple beasts with instincts and no respect for Gods. Survival was their God! Power and thirst were their fuel.
Cities and proper denizens were different. Bagus knew all about it, as a former beast with a life that broke through its Limiters. He became as intelligent as a human and grew to be greater than some unfortunate beasts.
The second map had a surprising amount of information. Murai liked it. Maps held truths that needed fewer words since what was written was set in stone. As long as it wasn't a lie, of course. In that case, Murai might be sorry instead.
Lisa truly pointed towards Ip'ur Mountain, giving the eyes above some regard.
“Are you testing them, me, or us?” Murai asked her through their willful connections that no one present should hear.
Lisa kept smiling and gave her Will back. “I want to see if something changes. Acting like this is necessary because this location and your target are troublesome. David told me it was feasible and unknown. The way to that place is viable while the Hunters knowing it as our location could give us some surprising benefits. Why? It has no way out.”
“Which means?”
“We go there and disappear before we are caught or seen. It is a bait.”
“Are you expecting this place or these crazy Hunters to work like you expect?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“We fight,” Lisa said and squinted her eyes.“Upset?”
Murai grunted and looked away, glancing down at the map with his shiny eyes.
The map went into detail, clarifying terrain in drawn lines, while altitudes, hills, and some cities held shifting colors of shades. Black, white, or gray, the shade or lining seemed to indicate an excellent map. Each Sector on the way to the desert wasn't anything unique. Most were mountains, plains, forests, or jungles. A lot of unique locations went through Province 3, but their group had one rule about them.
Not seek trouble if no trouble came at them. Thus they didn't make any stops in any settlements, villages, or cities. Even with Murai's Token, visiting Pivotal City wasn't right at the moment.
Some Sectors were unique in location, holding remarkable mines, places of beasts, cave systems, and much to Murai's surprise, essence-gathering farms. With mana being richer here than in most of the Surface, it was no wonder there were many of them.
As Murai saw the end of this Province, from Sector 40, there was a desert named Scorching Light. A place that was desolate from the name alone, even if it sounded bright. This desert had an insane amount of natural resources, with much more worth than the first three Provinces combined. Most of it came from the mining, heat, and the fact that they were underground. Mining was a perfect way to see some worth, as the land held many resources that were easier to reach. The crust of this planet was quite thick, and the further it went, the more right it felt to steal some things, and the harder it got.
This temple disregarded this idea since it wasn't like a tower going through the earth, or a dungeon. It was a series of places and spaces buried into the earth.
The mining business was one of the richest departments in the temple as a whole, let alone the Hellscape. Hence, there was a large interest in gang activities, and various companies held what was underground as dearly as their souls. The military was less prevalent even when wealth followed power.
Owning a mine was a jackpot. Following the variety of paths and mountain ranges was another, while Sector ownerships were valuable positions akin to Majors of Pivotal Cities, though not close to Generals of the military.
A few Sectors in the Scorching Light held valuables worth multiple essence-gathering constructs. Though the environment was anything but pleasant, there were races and values in all kinds of things. Murai was yet to know it, but the Scorching Desert was a very special place.
And also dangerous due to the artificial suns, greed, and intensity. Heat won't stop the greed. It will adjust instead.
The Scorching Light extended to all corners of the cave, changing the ceiling or walls for more than a hundred kilometers. The cause? Artificial suns had much more power in this place, while the ceiling was a bit lower than usual. The perimeter of the artificial sun that was in the middle of the cave was the same.
Murai wondered what Lisa was aiming for. She said she would give and reveal her plans, but so far, she was silently observing him, rather than giving her tones some shit.
It was his first time looking at this map, however. It was much more important than the general plan meetings that they held a few times as they rested. In those, Murai knew that Lisa and David were yet to decide on some things, and didn't want to include him too much.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The entry to Province 4 went through this shift of heat and sand, while mountains from the previous Province cut into it, creating some shades and valleys. But this desert was still flatter overall due to corrosion and sand. The heat was supposed to be unbearable at all times, and it was futile to escape it on most of the surface.
That was the Scorching Light. There was no escaping it for any Challenger with targets above Sector 40. Dozen kilometers width ensured some easier traversal, but heat and length were the problem.
Hiding in shades of some mountains, or mines was an evident opportunity, and there were many of them scattered around this Province. Traveling right below the numerous suns was not optimal. Yet, the further Murai watched, less mountains there was. The mountain range from the previous Province disappeared to the side.
“What is your point?” Murai mumbled, taking her bait as simple.
Hiding under some mountains seemed useless to him if he needed to get ahead, but if this was where his target was, he accepted it.
“Look closely,” Lisa suggested and pointed to the numerous dots describing mines.
Building settlements on top of the desert never worked, thus this Province was known for its underground society and cities inside that mountain range and occasional lone mountains further in. Almost every one of them held mines in their shade, and because of these combined factors, this Province was known as a lawless zone.
But there were some rules that Murai had yet to know.
Ip'ur Mountain represented a big dot in the middle. It was a well-known mining location in this Province.
The place wasn't the best in terms of politics, or ease of access, but what was easy in this temple, let alone this Hellscape? This Province had no owner. Its Sectors were more chaotic due to the mining business. Everyone wanted some cut. Thus, more gangs possessed some Sectors than in any other Province and they were unwilling to reconcile or bow.
So far, obtaining information barely included their target, lest the others learn the nasty truth. That was one piece of advice that David leaned on. Lisa got it but she still forced him to put his attention on Ip'ur Mountain. That included history, importance, recent development, and mainly Levandis' care. He was careful about it and did come up with some ideas. No answers, however.
The easiest solution would be purchasing information in this place itself, right beside the use of the Network. Only one was viable. There were hundreds of mountains, if not a few thousand, including Ip'ur. Some of them had official portals that might be a target for unfortunate Challengers, though there were fewer of them than in any other Province due to the heat and so-called interferences. It wasn't suspicious, even if many others would subsequently learn that their target was in the Scorching Desert and Ip'ur Mountain if they succeeded.
Lisa worked with that knowledge in her plans, including the present reveal for Crows and two eyes to see. The military was a worrisome topic. In the Levandis's name and her Hunt, this place might turn into hell and those mines were sensitive. Just why they went to the best one? Lisa didn't get it at all. That might be a problem that Levandis never handled or voiced, but it was possible she would send and put some interest in that place.
And they had Razmund to worry about too.
Lisa wished to forget that madman but couldn't.
Gangs constantly shifted their attention because of the mines and wealth, so this place was never stable. Many mines were under military protection, or some troublemakers, holding the majority of the mines under control. Obvious reasoning pointed to Levandis, who would never lose her rule over the wealth or forte of this Gate.
Thus, the point ahead was nowhere. There was no way to get ahead than going onto this hellish land and hoping no one insane would fight them in this desert. Shadows of doubt be damned, as this entire reason for coming here was weird.
Ip'ur Mountain held no portals under any official or rumored records. There was nothing here besides an ancient cave system that went many kilometers below the Hellscape, stretching even further than this Province.
Thankfully, the information about the caves should be open and systematic, thus easier to get. David's gathering was enough in that regard. It wasn't a time for legends or rumors. After spending his life here and playing a big role in the information gatherings across the Helltrim Society, he held a good understanding of this cave.
No matter how he looked through it, Ip'ur Mountain had no possibility for a portal, and no records pointed to anything. Yet Mindarch gave his voice, and for Lisa, Lorry gave her his words. Thus Lisa and David had to research it in some way or go there to see the truth.
It shouldn't be a trap. If so, why? Was this a time for pranks? Lisa doubted many things, but not Levandis.
Since it held no Portal history, it was both suspicious, hard, and easy to get at the same time. It might be a private matter, which was even more serious as far as Lisa was concerned.
Helltrim Society information depicted mining records that went on for tens of thousands of years, and the fact was, that Ip'ur Mountain was one of the first mining places in this entire desert. It had its history, yet no portal. How did Levandis make and create their concepts? Only once. Touching the portal's inherent working was better said than done.
Lisa was determined, knowing that the essence of their time was up to them. “It is going to be a difficult contest. In many ways,” Lisa pointed to the Ip'ur Mountain.
“Fight?” Murai questionably quacked. “Am I supposed to fight a mountain? Go deep, find my portal there? I have my Token, but where to even start?” He wasn't panicking. He didn't like how locating itself sounded in this Gate. It was a strange assignment. He swore he would prefer battling through some fodder than walking for half a thousand kilometers.
It was no wonder. In normal cases, it was either up to luck or the benefits of the doubt. Fighting under this Gate for Challengers was more than frequent because they had to think or disregard those greedy Hunters. If they could, that was.
Those rules were fair, unlike right now, and much more flexible. Unlike the previous Gates, this one aimed at knowledge, strategy, and ways to handle the open jump in difficulty. Solving it requires a delightful plan, confidence, or power.
Fights occurred roughly at one's power level or level. If an Extreme Challenger arrived, things would be a bit different, of course. Much more strict rules would fit their stakes, similar to Razmund's non-killing rule from the previous Gate.
Which was something Lisa lacked and David didn't solve. It was too difficult to grasp right now. There were regular patterns. Levandis or Mindarch barely stated anything besides their abnormal Hell Points and their stakes, and... target.
It went without surprise that Lisa was frustrated and rarely showed it on her face.
“Start? No need,” Lisa mumbled awkwardly. “There is no known portal in your place. Sectors have others, but rules are the rules.” She revealed, grimacing in helplessness that revealed no despair.
It wasn't as if there was no plan. There was still a choice they had to make, even when David seemed not a bit better than her. He should know much more about it, considering he lived here for the majority of his life, while she was barely interested in some mining.
But she was in this Gate quite a few times in the past.
It was worse. Challengers weren't that rare in ceasing the rules away. Even with the random nature of the given location and portals, enough time had passed for denizens or researchers about this Gate to gather enough, if not all data. Even if some portals were barren for centuries or longer, or destroyed, some news would spread. If the target was there, it was there. That was a fact.
They got either a brand new portal put into work, which was against the established logic, or it was something Levandis or Mindarch were hiding since consideration of this Gate.
Both of these points were far from convincing Lisa's head. The moment David expressed them to Lisa in their first plan meeting, she almost snapped him in half.
“You think working with Chaos Space and portals in this place is an easy play? This smells of secret more than anything else. Dig around! Find them!” was what she said at that time, clutching David's head in her grasp and glaring at him like a fiend.