Ann, out of shock and horror would step away from the White Reaper.
"No!" Yasuline would shout at her, stretching her arm out as she headed toward her. As Ann completely lost track of where she was and fell over the edge of the bridge. Only saved by Yasuline grabbing her arm in time to hold her up. But drained from running and lacking any strength, She was unable to pull her up on her own.
"I...can't..." Yasuline would try to say through the grit of her teeth as she held on. When the White Reaper tries to step up to help, Ann would freak out and wiggle around, making Yasuline slowly slip closer to the edge and her grip on Ann's arms slide.
"Don't...move! Let him...help!"
"Are you out of your mind!? That's the White Reaper!"
"I know he is, but he isn't as bad as the stories make him out to be!"
"This is no time for jokes! Haven't you ever heard of all the dead he has brought to Atlas? The burned village where he was born. The village that got buried in the mountains. The Queen of the Lunaclaw murdered!"
"Yes I heard...some of those...stories...but! He still...saved...my life! And...Yours!"
"Then that makes him even more dangerous. Who knows what he could be plotting for us. He could just be trying to gain your trust yo led you to a terrible death!" Ann would still fight against Yauline's hold until the White Reaper stepped back a fair distance.
As the thought of not letting her friend fall to her death, her wish to save her only grew stronger, it felt as if the pain in her arms was beginning to fade from her senses. In fact, it was dawning on her that she wasn't even utilizing the entire strength in her arms. She tried pulling again, expecting her to fail and feel the pain return, but to her surprise, she was gaining traction and was able to step back while pulling on Ann.
"H-huh?" Ann would look up, wondering how she was suddenly being saved. Amazed to find that Yasuline was doing this all on her own all of sudden. She didn't know how or why, but suddenly Yasuline looked heroic to her. The way the determination of her saving her was shown on her face. No hint of anything else. The fire in her eyes as she kept pulling. She felt calmer too. The threat of the White Reaper seemed so little to her. She could almost believe her when she says that he isn't as scary as the stories she grew up with have him painted as.
"How'd you do that?" She tried saying, but the words get caught on her tongue and she quieted down as she reaches for the edge of the bridge herself and holds on. With another strong pull from Yasuline, she was back on the bridge with the three of them. The tension of the situation would die down as the two of them called their hearts and breathing.
"I...I don't know." Yasuline would say, wondering the exact same thing as her as she looked at her hands.
"Well, whatever the case. I feel a bit better. But I still don't approve of the White Reaper being near us. You hear me! Keep about 10 feet away from me and her!" She yells angrily at him, he responds by stepping back even further from them.
Yasuline wanted to say something, but a small wave of ache hit her head. Forcing her to sit down on the ground for a brief moment.
"H-hey, you okay?" Ann asks, crouching down to hold her up.
"Y-yeah. Just a bit tired right now. But it's already going away. I should be okay now."
"Okay, you can lean on me for support if you want. It's the least I can do for you saving me."
"Heh, sounds good. But now, let's keep on going and see what is up ahead. I'm more curious than tired!"
With that, the trio would continue on. The bridge they were on was scattered platforms that lead straight to the two statues that they spotted earlier on.
Still feeling a bit drained, it was more trouble than it should be for Yasuline. It didn't help much that Ann was still keeping her guard up with the White Reaper around. Whenever they looked to be in trouble, she would immediately glare at him to ensure he didn't run at them.
They seemed to feel safe once they reached the statues, the ground looking solid and stronger than the bridges they were on before. Between the two statues was a small opening. Looking in, they could see some torches placed on the walls, unlit. For the White Reaper, it was a simple wave of his hand and the flames on his coat would react and blow right toward them. One after the other, the flames on all the torches would glow a bright light blue and illuminate the entire corridor that they discovered.
"Woah, this place sure has a different feel to it than the rest of the labyrinth." Ann would say in wonder as she looks about above them. The walls would stretch up high into the cieling that's possibly above them. Looking closely at them, they could find engravings on them.
"Hey! This has some writing on them." She calls out to the two. Almost forgetting that she should be only drawing in Yasuline's attention. The two would get in close and begin to look at the markings she had found.
It was actually a metal plate nailed against the stone. The plate barely had any rust to it, but plenty of dust that needed to be blown off.
"Let's see...You have discovered the legendary Adventure King's treasure hoard. Congratulations."
"Yes! We actually did it!" Yasuline jumps up and down in victory and lastly clings to the White Reaper.
"Accidentally. And what a straightforward message." Ann would comment.
The White Reaper stepped up and continued to follow the wall down the corridor. His hand taps against the wall presenting a metal clank.
"Huh? Oh! Another one of those plates!" Yasu would shout out and begins to read it when Ann goes to them. "If you plan on taking my treasure, then you must first be judged. Stepping forward past this point means that you accept to take my trials and prove yourself to be a true adventurer worthy of my keepings."
Yasuline would squeal and excitedly hops on her steps. "A test to prove that I am an adventurer! This place is the absolute best!"
"Wait, I think this could be dangerous. We're talking about the Adventure King, after all, he has done some amazing things that no one has ever done before. No normal person could possibly be able to what he did!"
"We got the White Reaper on our side. If things get too dangerous, right?" She states, holding out a thumbs up to him. He replies back with his own thumbs up.
Ann would only grumble under her breath. "...which is more dangerous."
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Upon stepping forth, the large corridor they were in began to rumble strongly. Ann and Yasuline hold onto each other just to keep themselves from fall over. The White Reaper barely looked to be having trouble. At a fair distance ahead, the began to bubble up and grow into a hill. After a minute, it became clear as to what was actually happening. Something was coming out of the floor. The floor itself.
A large being made out of the very stones the ground had stood tall, looking to be about well over 16 feet tall. Each moment on its body had the stones covering it grind on one another. It began to step toward them, lanky arms had his hands drag against the floor making the ground rumble along with its footsteps.
"The Adventure King must be one insane make if he intends for anyone to take down a Golem!" Ann would say.
"Ah man, this Adventure King is cool! He has a golem just like the ones my dad faced when he was young!" Yasuline would say with a smirk on her face as she glares at it excitedly. Seeing something from one of her father's tales in person gave her a full energy burst. She clutches her fists up and stomps on the ground with a soft thud as she poses into a make-shift battle stance, despite not having any capable tool or tactic to take it on.
"If I didn't already know adventurers to know how they are, I would be wondering if all of them have some sort of death wish for thrills." Ann complains. Walking back toward the closed door to keep as much distance from her from the golem as possible. Yasuline would remain at the spot she was to watch in excitement as the White Reaper got moving and started to engage the golem.
"Ah yeah! We get to see the White Reaper fight some more!" Yasuline says excitedly.
The White Reaper ran smoothly toward it, his steps focused and precise over the uneven terrain. The golem would sense that an enemy was approaching and would wind his arm back for a swing. As its body jerked for the attack, the White Reaper would drift to the side to evade the attack, the ground shook upon contact of the arm down to the ground in the slam, The White Reaper sprang off his feet at the perfect moment for one magnificent leap. The golem likely did not expect this as it would simply follow him in the air with its front face. The White Reaper would land on his shoulder and begin looking around its body for something. After a few long seconds of the golem straightening it, it tries shaking about to get him off. But the White Reaper simply held onto to him and continued to look.
Yasuline would shake her hands as she feels the tension of the fight go on. Not even noticing that Ann was right beside her, watching anxiously as well.
"Wow, look at him go. Not even scared of the thing. I didn't even see if he had any weapons on him."
After searching for so long, The White Reaper finally found what he was looking for, but then the golem finally adapted and moved his other hand over his shoulder. Prompting him to leap off of him. Yasuline wouldn't be able to see it at the distance between her and them, but the golem had a crack on his back that exposed the core that functioned as it's heart and brain. Knowing now where to look, the path was set for the White Reaper. The golem would turn to face him, not knowing anything more than to stop him from advancing to its master's treasures. It didn't move until the White Reaper does. He would fake him out by starting to run to the left of it but then spings off his foot to head to the right of it. The golem is slow and heavy. It's incapable of making such sharp turns without delay. And that was what the White Reaper was counting on. As he ran, the small shine from the core would be like a beacon to the goal. Once he was right at it's back, he would leap once more and jumps onto it for the second time.
"You can do it!" Yasuline would shout to encourage him to completely win. Ann wouldn't join in, she would simply quietly continue watching him take on the golem.
The White Reaper continued to hold on as the golem was now shaking drastically to get him off. He tries to sweep his hand onto his back to pull him off but keeps failing to reach for him. Gripping with one hand, he sticks his hand inside the golem, feeling the cracks of the stones cut his arm up as he wiggles his arm around to find the core. Having to stick his whole hand inside, he blocks his own view of the inside.
The golem could feel that something was inside it. It made a form of sound that loosely resembled a roar or cry for help as it was shaking even more violently. The White Reaper's legs would lose their footing and he would be dangling on the golem's back. His arm ripping up even more so against the cracks. But it was at his favor as he now grabbed onto the core. With one final pull, the core was out of the body and the White Reaper would land back on his feet. Upon the removal, the golem would slow to a stop in its moment. Then it rumbled for a bit and the stones that made up its body would collapse and fall into a pile of broke stones fragments.
"Yes! He did it!" Ann would cheer. The two girls would press their hands together and jump cheerfully for him.
Naxiro would stand tall, holding his arm that was clutching the core tightly in his fingers as he could no longer feel the nerves in his arm to move about. Nodding firmly at his victory.
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Yasuline would pull out one of her potions that she had bought from before and would poor the healing liquid ll over his arm. Having to use it all up due to how deep the cuts have been dug into him.
"Alright, so we managed to pass just one of those trials and we ended up having to use all of our remaining healing supplies already. I don't like our chances in the next one." Ann would say. Looking around them and waiting for the next supposed trial to come up to them and start another fight.
Instead, the whole tomb would whistle as if air was suddenly entering a vacuum. At the end of the corrider, a small glowing ring would appear.
"Huh? What's that?"
"Looks like the next trial. But it doesn't look like it is going to attack us. Now would be a good chance for us to run and find the exit before we go on further."
"The door is already closed. We can't leave even if we wanted to."
With nowhere to go and after the White Reaper showing that he was already healed up, the three of them would go down the corridor, with the core in hand. The ring that they saw was actually around a small hole-like opening.
"What do you think this is supposed to be?" Yasuline would ask as she traces her hand over the glowing portion. Feeling it have a warm feel to it. She could feel the small hair on her arm stand up.
"Hmm, How about if we put the core from the golem into it?"
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The White Reaper would nod and carefully places the core into the center. Expecting it to simply fall out, it actually sunk in further into the opening with a light "Knick!" sound.
The entire wall would shake and some of the stones would begin to move about strangely.
"What the!" Ann freaked out and back away at a great distance. Yasuline and the White Reaper remained and admired to strange contraction. The wall revealed a small door frame for them to pass through.
"Looks like the next trial is on the other side of the wall, let's go!" Yasuline says as she goes through and disappears into the darkness. The White Reaper was next, leaving Ann on her own until she too went inside.
The section they were in was quite different than the first. With the first being so open and spacious, ideal for a grand battle with the golem. This one is small and was filled with many short pillars with a similar glowing ring and slot. Only two of the had the cores that they took out of the golem.
"So many things to touch and mess with," Yasuline says gleefully as she looks mischievous.
"Yeah, please don't touch anything until we know what to do. I don't want some pit to open up and swallow us all." Ann retort.
They would split and slowy walk around the small room, looking and studying each one of the pillars until one of them was found to have another metal plate like the room before.
"Found another message!" Yasuline cried out, prompting the others to head to her. "Let's see. Congratulations on passing the first trial. Now let's see how you fare against this one. If the first was about your fighting capabilities, then this one will prove your cleverness. Also, this one has a time limit. Once the door closes, you have a few minutes to figure it out before the floor breaks away."
"See! I told you this would happen. Quick! Let's-" Ann would get cut off and lets out a screech when the sound of the door frame they came in shut tightly. The torches would automatically light themselves.
"We're too late!" She cries.
"We just got to figure out how to leave is all. No worries!"
"Yasuline, This is no time to have fun! Start looking around!" Ann would order as she pushes each one to other corners of the room to begin the search. All the while they were looking, they could each feel the floor rumble as if a quake was occurring.
"Find anything!?" Yasuline calls out, her eyes glued to the ground in the off-chance the key was just laying on the ground.
"Nothing so far. How about you White Reaper?" Ann would respond as she was pressing her hands on multiple slots in the chance that would somehow be the trick they needed to be free.
The White Reaper was doing something completely different. In anticipation that they would be running out of time, he was carving out footmarks on the walls for them all to hold onto. Every now and then, he would face the room to see if there was anything missed.
Yasuline would sigh and stretches her back from constantly looking down and bending over. Leaning on one of the pillars for support.
"What a downhill from such an awesome first trial. Even the threat of death doesn't make this one that exciting." Yasuline would say, jumping on the top of it so her limbs would hand around it. "Woah!" The pillar would shift in its place as soon as her body's weight was added on it and then falls over with a loud crack. Ann and the White Reaper would turn to see Yasuline laying on top of the pile. "Ouch, that's smarts. Why did it break?" As she feels around herself she would lightly lick her lips. "Hm" Her tongue tasted salt.
"You okay?" Ann would ask as she walks over.
"I'm fine, but I kinda taste salt right now."
"Huh?" Ann looked confused, and then it hit her. Something in the air definitely was salty. She looked around and crouched to touch the pile of stones Yasuline was sitting on. Upon touching one of the stones that looked to be still intact, it would break away into dust-like particles.
"Weird, the stones are made of salt. Hang on, is everything made of salt?"
She would look around at the remaining pillars. One of that had the orb still inside it. She walks over to it and pushes her body against it. The pillar disperses into an identical pile of stone and salt on the ground. With the orb resting on the top of it. She looks around the pillars near her and pushes each one of them. Only one remained after she presses her back against it. She would then place the orb into it. Another "Klink!" later, the ring around the slot would glow blue and the flames grew stronger.
"Ah, I see now."
"What? What do you see?" Yasuline asks excitedly, as there might finally be some progress.
"All of these pillars are all fakes. Except for the two real ones we are supposed to put in. All we have to do is push them and see if they remain."
"Oh!" Yasuline would quickly retreat to fetch the other orb one of the pillars. Taking the time to push it and enjoy it turn into a pile of salt before returning back to her. "So we just got to find the other one and put this one in, right!?"
"Exactly!" Ann states. As soon as she did, the ground rumbled more violently than before. Sounds of stones sliding against each other would occur. Against the walls, the three of them would see that some of the floors were beginning to disappear into the abyss below. The White Reaper stood on the one pillar with the orb they placed. His flames would burn strongly, illuminating the entire room. With the proper lighting, the two of them were now able to see something that they wouldn't normally see. The coloring of the pillars. The one that the White Reaper was standing on was darkly colored compared to the rest, all except for one.
"Quick, put the orb there!" Ann cried as she pushed Yasuline toward it to give her a head start as more of the floor began falling. The White Reaper swiftly grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him in time as the piece of the floor she was standing on just broke off and fell.
"Umm, thanks." She would say softly to him.
Yasuline would have some trouble getting to the pillar as the floor kept rumbling. She bumps into various other pillars that simply break and shatters. For one final push, she leaps right at the pillar and slams the orb into it.
The rumbling abruptly stops. And it remains quiet.
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The door frame that they came into would open up. The stones that filled it up would shift into a footing just before it to allow them to get to it. On the other side, another door frame would open up, revealing the deepest parts of the Adventure King's tomb.
"Ah! That was it! We did it, Ann! White Reaper!"
Ann would sigh in relief and nuzzles her face against the White Reapers' chest. "What a relief. For a minute there, I thought she was going to trip and drop the orb." It took half a second for her to realize what she was doing and presses her hands against him to separate the two. She was going to yell at him, but merely blushes and turns away in a huff. Not even going to comment when he puts his arms around her waist to carry her to where Yasuline awaited them.
Ann didn't even bother to argue anymore about going back. She knew they had only one more trial to go and after surviving both, she was actually feeling optimistic for a change.
"Time for the final trial. I bet it's going to be a real doozy." Yasuline says with a smirk as she looks around the room to see the next plate that would be telling them what to do.
"After this, we are definitely going to be taking a break. All this stuff is making me feel like I'm losing years down the end of my life."
Yasuline was more preoccupied with looking for the plate to listen to what Ann was saying. As she moved about, she steps forward and heard a metal clank. Looking down, she would find the plate she was looking for.
"Ah-ha! Found you." She would crouch down and sit. "This will be the last trial you face before you find what you have been searching for. It will be a simple task, but completing it will be up to you. Move on ahead and before you, you will become a True Adventurer in my eyes. Farewell, signed the Adventure King."
"That easy, huh?" Ann comments.
Yasuline would playfully tap on the plate as they began to wonder what the message could be meaning. That was when Ann and the White Reaper noticed something.
"Say... don't our voices seem echo-ey to you all?" Ann points out.
"Hmm?" Yasuline looks up at her confused and proceeds to test it out herself with a few hums. Indeed, as she had said, she could hear an echo that goes along with the sounds she was making.
"Woah, you are right. Where is it coming from?" She says as she stands up and begins walking around the room. She presses her hand against the wall and lets it slide against it as she follows it along. Heading to the other side of the wall, she was stopped by the White Reaper who stops her just before she stepped into the end of the floor.
"Woah!" She yelps as she takes notice. The White Reaper's flames once again lights up, but something keeps it from lighting everything completely. Half of the room they were in was hiding behind some sort of darkness that's staying just off the edge of the floor in the middle of the room, giving it a sense that the other side was opened to the darkness of the labyrinth.
"No way..." Ann says as she notices it. "He expects us to go through that? There's clearly no floor over there!"
Yasuline didn't have much to say. Ann was right. There was no floor near the dark wall. As best as she could, she would lean out with her hand to feel the air within the darkness. She could feel nothing.
"Hey, how about you try to flash your flames at it." She calls to the White Reaper.
He would pause and then nod. Holding his arm firmly forward. The blue flames of his coat would erupt and then shoot out forward as if catapulted straight ahead. Both the flame and the light it casted disappeared into the darkness.
"Damn, no good. Hmm, how about we try something else."
He chucks her bag over her shoulder and sets it down. Digging through it, she pulls out various things. One of them being a small pile of pebbles.
"Wait, why do you have that?"
"To measure things, sellers often sell by the weight, not by the quantity." She easily explained and then gives them a good toss into the darkness. No sound of them landing.
"There's nothing over there!" She yelled out in frustration. Slightly bothered that she just chucked her good rocks.
Yasuline remained quiet. Contemplating what they need to do. So far, the Adventure King has tested their strength. Strength was important in that you need a stern body and fighting capablity to survive such harsh enviorments. The next one tested your smarts and how quickly you can solve things under stress. Ideal when you get yourself in trouble and need to escape. So something about this trial required something else that a adventurer will need. Yasuline would think over all the stories her father has told. Something from that could possibly be the one thing that she needs to know.
All the while, Ann was trying to grab Yasuline's attention.
"Hey, let's just go back for real this time. We'll try to find something to build a bridge and come back or something."
"...No. I don't think that's what the Adventure King wants us to do."
"That's nice and all, but I don't see how we can do anything about this."
"I say we jump?"
"Um no. We leave and come back ready. Look, the doors aren't even closed. We can go back."
"But what if it's part of the test and he wants us to see if we would give up?"
"Well, maybe. Then it would be a test to see if we would be dumb enough to fall for it."
"As my dad ALWAYS says to my mom. Stupidity is often mistaken for bravery." She would say as she stands up. This made Ann worry as she expects her to leap.
"No way, think about it some more. This is crazy!"
Yasu would ignore her and look over at the White Reaper. All the while they were discussing it over, he was stretching his legs. likely just waiting for her. She would smirk and gives him a thumbs up and he does the same. Ann was the only one out of the loop.
"I'm surrounded by death." She comments.
Yasu would walk back to get some space for the run. The White Reaper follows her tactics and prepares as well. Both crouch down and get into a running position.
"1...2..." Yasu would suck in some air and blow it out. "Three!"
They both run at the same moment. Ann covers her eyes as she curls up, not wanting to see it all. The White Reaper happened to have the higher speed and leaps into the darkness. She sucks in some air at the final step and springs up into the air and goes into the darkness next.
Yasu would keep her eyes shut the whole way through. Even when she felt her feet planted against something, she just kept her eyes shut.
'This feels like…'
"Tap tap tap." She would stomp the tip of her boot to the stone ground. When she finally opened her eyes. The White Reaper was playfully waving his hand at her as if he was saying "Hello."
"Wait, is this?" She looks around and stops speaking. The room she was in was vaguely familiar to the one she just jumped from. With the exceptions of Ann not being with her and the door they came from had something shimmering almost trance-like from the flame light of the White Reaper's coat.
The White Reaper would jump through the wall of darkness and one minute passed where it was all silent. It abruptly ends when he comes back with Ann held over his shoulder. Ann was screaming at the top of her lungs and Yasu had to quickly lean over to her and covers her mouth just to save her ears from the mayhem.
"AHHHHHHHHH-" Ann would continue to scream into Yasu's hand, but then stopped and notices that it was her that hushed her.
"Yasu!?" She says, words muttered by her hand.
"Yeesh Ann, if you keep screaming like that, you'll end up making the whole place fall on us. And then we would really be dead." She would say so playfully and with a smile. Ann would continue to look at her in shock. She then starts look around where she was. She couldn't believe like Yasuline when she first passed through. Just as she did, both them and the White Reaper sees the wall of darkness suddenly began to fade away. Although, fading away would be a strange term. The way it faded was that the light in the room would replace bit by bit, the intense black of the wall and soon, they all would be able to see through to the other side.
"Wow, I guess we passed the trial." Yasuline would quietly say as she looks at the other side they were just in. Looking down, She would finally see the gap that the wall would be hiding. It looked to be about as tall as her. Or more than her. If she was as good as a measuring as everyone else, she would be able to confirm that the gap was about 13 feet. Looking at the end where the walls were, she could see etches of the floor that looked just wide enough for them to shimmy across.
"Well, least we don't have to jump anymore. I'm not sure I can handle being treated like luggage from such a rude man." Ann would playfully comment as she shares a glare over to the White Reaper. He didn't seem to care much as he was staring at the doorway that had the supposed reward for their bravery.
Ann noticed what could be up ahead of them and begins to lead the trio toward it. Walking near enough, their expectations were diminished. The treasure they envisioned in their heads was minor compared to what was in the next room. Dozens and dozens of piles of gold and glittering goods. chests that were forced open with the loot sticking out of the mouth. A rather gaudy fountain that had liquid gold pouring out and making a mess of itself in the pool. The liquid gold itself lit due to the intense heat, but it was what replaced the old-fashioned torches that were used until now. Sitting in the very middle of the chamber was a staircase that had a single chest closed and had a special spotlight on it. Yasuline was extremely interested in that particular one, but her attention was drawn away from it from the sound of something crashing. It was Ann who took her backpack off and held it upside down to let everything inside it drop off.
"Ohmigosh omigosh omigosh." She would chant repeatedly over and over as she ensures that her bag was empty. She dashes to the nearest gold pile to her and began to scoop the large coins that had a gold outing and platinum center. From what Yasuline remember, Those were the rarest kinds of coins in Atlas. Jewels, coins, and small gold trinkets would be collected by the giddy girl. "Oh, this one is going to buy grandmama her new teeth. This one is going to get my sisters to that magic school for the whole. This will pay for the rent for my new shopping booth spot."
Ann would continue to list off the various things she intends to pay off and then the listing deteriorates to a shopping list of necessities for her business. Yasu stopped listening at this point as she was now at the top of the stairs and looking at the chest in front of her. It was a gold plated with a unique metal for the bindings that common metal would usually be at in the common wooden chests. The chest didn't have a lock, it just took a pull on the lock mechanism and she would be able to lift the top open. At first, she was confused as the chest was partly empty except for a single sword in its scabbard and a rolled-up scroll.
"This must be a special sword." She whispered to herself as she sticks half her body inside the chest to reach down inside it to pull it out. The weapon wasn't particularly heavy, not compared to the training sword she keeps in her room. The scabbard wasn't decorated all fancy like the chest, but it had strange markings on it and some numbers on it. The markings were worn out, so she wasn't able to see what the numbers were except for the name. "Prototype. Weird name for a sword." Unsheathing it, the sword was much more impressive than the scabbard. The blade was gold, but with a shimmer of blue would be shown on it when holding it at the right angle of the low light. It was much clearer once the White Reaper stood by her side and shared his stronger light source with her. She holds it in the air for a brief, almost able to see herself standing there in a third-person view. She finally felt like a real adventurer after eighteen years.