Chapter 21: Diverging Paths

"Are you guys sure about this?" Niko asked, his voice thick with tension as he scanned the faces of Simon, Louis, and Marta. Unease gnawed at him, a deep pit in his stomach that only grew as he waited for their reply. The thought of them joining the Protectors left a bitter taste in his mouth. It wasn't just their decision—it was the implications for him. If they left, Niko would be alone, forced to navigate this dangerous world with strangers he didn't know or trust. And in this twisted new reality, trust was a precious and rare commodity.

"Yeah, we're sure..." Louis replied, though his voice carried a note of reluctance. He hesitated, glancing at Niko as if unsure whether this was the right choice. "You should join us, man. We can leave when we hit level 15, no chains after that."

Niko sighed, shaking his head, his resolve already set in stone. "I can't. It’ll take too long to reach level 15, and I don’t want to be tied down to this place. Not yet."

Louis frowned but nodded, sensing Niko's determination. "If you need anything in the future, we’ll try to help," Simon added, attempting to lighten the heavy mood. "And once we’re free, maybe we can explore the world together."

Niko managed a small smile, though the expression didn’t reach his eyes. His mind whispered a darker truth: If we all live that long. The harsh reality of this new world hung over him like a storm cloud. He had already stared death in the face, seen friends fall. He knew more loss was coming. No one was safe here. Not him, not Simon, not Louis, no one.

The room buzzed with low murmurs as the blonde man who had led them earlier stepped forward again. His voice echoed sharply off the stone walls. "Time’s up! Those who want to be Protectors, step forward."

Niko's heart sank a little as over half of the group moved toward the blonde man. Louis, Simon, and Marta joined the crowd, giving Niko one last glance before disappearing behind the hooded woman, Pippa, who led them away. Among them, Niko spotted Dharma Kyidtodpa—the bald man from earlier—walking with calm, deliberate steps, his robes flowing silently behind him.

The room suddenly felt much emptier. Those who remained exchanged uneasy glances, a shared understanding passing between them. They had chosen a more perilous path, one fraught with uncertainty and greater danger.

The blonde man’s grin widened, a predatory gleam flickering in his eyes. "The rest of you... You’ve chosen a perilous path. Let’s hope you’ve got the strength to see it through." He gestured for them to follow, and Niko fell into line with the others. The group moved through the stone corridors, their footsteps reverberating in the eerie silence. Niko could feel the weight of their decision pressing down on them, heavy and ominous. His spirit orb floated near him, drawing curious glances from the others. Despite the attention, no one dared ask questions. The tension was palpable.

They arrived in a room lined with wooden shelves, each holding rows of neatly arranged keys. Every key bore a number, ranging from 100 to 200, though several were missing. The room's strange orderliness stood in stark contrast to the chaotic outside world—a reminder of how meticulously structured this place was.

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Niko marveled at the organization. For a place like this to have such stability... they've been doing this for a long time. He wondered how many had passed through these halls, how many had made the same choices, and how many had survived to tell the tale.

The blonde man cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Grab a key. If you’ve got people you trust, pick keys from the same group. Each group can take up to four people."

Niko scanned the room, eyes landing on a trio of keys. He hesitated. He didn’t have a group to share them with. A strange sense of isolation washed over him as he reached for one of the keys.

"Mind if I join?" a voice asked from beside him.

Niko turned to see an Asian man about his height, his long, messy black hair tied back in a loose ponytail. The man’s clothes were filthy—what might have once been a white shirt was now little more than a dirt-streaked rag. His arms and hands were caked with grime, and his nails were dark with soil.

Niko nodded and gave the man a small smile. "Go ahead."

The man reached for one of the keys, his dirty fingers closing around it. Instinctively, Niko used [Celestial Probe].

[Name: Gao Zheng]

Skill: Nails of the Corrupted Dire Wolf

"Zheng from China," the man introduced himself, his voice warm despite his bedraggled appearance. "But you can call me Zheng. And you?"

"Niko," he replied, curious about the man’s strange skill but refraining from asking for details just yet. There would be time for that later.

Zheng nodded toward the floating orb circling around Niko. "That’s a neat skill. Did you guys have to fight weird dragonflies too?"

Niko shook his head. "No. We had giant beetles."

Before they could continue, another man approached. He was huge, with a wild beard that nearly hid his face, and his chest was covered in coarse hair that poked out from the open collar of his shirt. His skin was deeply bronzed, as though he'd spent years under a harsh sun. The man grinned broadly, his yellow teeth visible through the mass of hair on his face.

"Candreva, from Italy!" the bearded man boomed, his accent thick and hearty. "Looks like we’re all in the same group, yes? Let’s watch each other’s backs, yeah?"

Niko smiled weakly, feeling overwhelmed by the man’s loud energy. Candreva picked up the last key from their group and examined it closely, as if testing its worth. Niko activated [Celestial Probe] again.

[Name: Candreva Totti]

Skill: Powerful Beast Roar

Niko’s interest was piqued. His new companions seemed to possess some rather unusual abilities. Though he didn’t fully trust them yet, he knew they might prove useful. In this world, allies—no matter how strange—were better than walking alone. At least for now.

The blonde man’s voice boomed once more from the front of the room. "Alright, everyone! Let’s move out!"

Keys in hand, they followed the blonde man through the stone corridors. The flickering lanterns cast long, distorted shadows on the walls, heightening the eerie atmosphere. Niko couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, though no eyes appeared in the darkness. The silence, broken only by their footsteps, felt thick and oppressive, as though the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for something.

Niko’s mind wandered back to the mysterious figure he had seen in the preparation world—the Spirit King. There had been something about that figure, a power that resonated with his own strange abilities. He wondered if the Spirit King had ever walked these halls, or if his legacy lay further ahead, hidden deeper in the world.

No matter what lay ahead, Niko knew that this was only the beginning. He had chosen the path of a mercenary—dangerous and filled with uncertainty. But it was the path that offered him the most freedom, the power to choose his battles, and above all, the chance to find his sister.

As the group continued through the twisting corridors, Niko felt a chill creep up his spine. The further they walked, the more he realized just how little he understood about this world. It was a living, breathing beast, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

But for now, he had a key, two strange companions, and a resolve that burned brighter than ever. He would survive. And he would find her.