"You there, get out of your hiding place." John stared at a certain stone platform that was a few meters higher than the one they were at.

John cautiously watched the Floran walking away from the shadow while carrying his bow.

"Who are you?" The Floran with the bow in his hand dangerously narrowed his eyes and asked John.

"I don't need to tell you such information."

"..." He silently stared at John for a while before he switched his sight at the fallen small Floran. "You killed one of usss...do you think that we'll not avenge him?" His tone became colder and the grip in his bow tightened.

John pointed up the gun in response to the Floran's minute movements. "He's not dead..." John said.

The Floran's eyebrow lifted slightly. He glanced at the male Floran that was with his hands up in the air. "Check him out." He said while pointing at the kid.

The male Floran didn't move. He switched his sight from the archer to John.

"You can go, but don't try anything funny." John threw a threatening glance at him.

The Floran stood and walked toward the fallen kid. He placed his finger over the pulse, chest and then at the neck.

Once he confirmed that he was alive, the Floran sighed in relief and glanced at the archer. He nodded once and stood up.

"Alright, now I believe you." The archer dropped his bow in the ground. "Now...what are going to do?"

"Here..." John dropped 3 Razor Feathers in the archer's feet. "Cut yourselves using these feathers."

"Why would we?"

"It's your choice. Do it or I will have to kill you."

The archer glanced at John and then at the Razor Feathers. He crouched down and analyzed it.

He picked it up and brought it by his nose. Once caught the faint scent coming from the blade, his face couldn't help but show a surprise.

"Ssso they fell so easssily because of thisss poissson, right?" The Floran gazed at John.

"Yes, it only takes seconds before the effects start to take over." John calmly explained.

"Why would we trussst that you aren't going to kill usss afterwardsss."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"You have two choices. One, believe in me and might survive to see the sunlight once again. Two, don't trust me and struggle to end, maybe I cannot kill the three of you, but at least two are going to die today." John's eyes glinted with a frosty glow.

The archer narrowed his eyes. He was having an inner conflict. To trust or not? Begs the question.

"We ssshould do it..." The female Floran approached the archer from the side and whispered by his ear. "I know you want ssso badly win, but...we never ssstood a chance. Remember that there isss ssstil Nuru... it'sss impossible to people sssuch asss we fight againssst her. Only Oktar's crew and Peri would have the chance to win."

The archer lowered his head and sadly sighed.

It was true. They were a lot weaker than the genius known as Nuru, and not crafty and resourceful as Oktar.

Not all Floran warriors were the type to go forward and fight to the death. Some have a little more intelligent and self-aware than the others and they often chose to live today to fight tomorrow.

As long as they are alive they would have the chance to make a comeback. So why would they waste their lives?

"We are going to do it..." He said while taking the Razor Feather with his hand. "I'm going to trussst you... don't fail my trussst..."

"Don't worry, I might not be the nicest guy in the universe, but at least I'm trustworthy." John said honestly.

"All right..." The archer glanced at the female and male Florans before he cut himself first.

The other two took a glance at the colorful feather in their hands and immediately cut themselves as well. They did it without hesitation after their apparent leader, the archer, cut himself first.

In less than 20 seconds the three Florans were on the ground, unconscious.

John took his Matter Manipulator and was about to start digging when he felt something.

He carefully scanned his surroundings.

When he saw that there was no one he confusedly scratched his head.

[What's happening.... I'm certain that I just felt that I was being watched.] John thought while he took one last look at his surroundings. [Maybe it was just my imagination...]

He proceeded to open up the holes in the ground and place the unconscious people in them.

Once he was done dealing with them, John proceeded to start finding a way to deal with the huge door in front of him.

Last time the lever was hidden in a higher platform, but this time John saw that there was no higher platform near the door.

John stepped closer to the door and traced his fingers over the surface.

"Mm?" His fingers passed through a small, inconspicuous hole.

He inclined his head and took a closer look.

[A keyhole?] John saw that the small hole was, in fact, a keyhole. But...

[Where might be the key?] John glanced around but saw no place that could be used to hide such an object.

[Or...] John's gaze hovered at the wolf's body. [Maybe..... it's inside him...?]

John was pretty sure that the key was somewhat related to the beast that now lay dead on the ground.

As for why it's simple. The beast really looked like a guardian of sorts.

[I have to at least try...]

And like that, John approached the beast with the dagger on his hand.

John was about to start cutting when something shone and caught his attention.

He looked at the shiny object that was tied in the wolf's neck.

He was unable to see it earlier because it was hidden in the wolf's fur, but now that he was very close to the corpse he was able to it clearly.

After a quick glance, he was able to confirm that it was indeed the key that would enter in the door's keyhole.

[Well...] John thought while retrieving the object from the wolf's body, [Let's continue forward then.....I wonder...how many different landscapes I have to go until I reach the end...?]