After Austin and Erik cleared their heads from the aftereffects of being stuck in an illusion, Oscar explained everything about the vault, the illusion, and the war between the Divine Stone Clan and the Forest Heart Clan. He saw Austin and Erik's faces become increasingly solemn as the realization of Ashen Grove's existence sunk in.
"Before I say anything, let me melt down this damned golem." Austin narrowed his eyes, gazing at the Gol-4 on the table.
"Stop it. I have many questions to ask it." Oscar held Austin's arm with a firm grip. He understood Austin's current mental state due to the illusion but could not allow him to act without reason.
"You should be the angriest out of us all," Austin spoke loudly; his face looked weary and troubled. "I watched as my family died, but you had to kill them."
Oscar closed his eyes and sighed, reopening his eyes with a firm gaze. "You're right. I should be the angriest; no, I am the one who wants to destroy him the most. So if I can hold back and not lose myself to it, then neither should you."
Erik still rubbed his head as if he had a bad hangover. "I'm angry too, but let's decide this later."
Seeing Austin relax his hostility and sigh, Oscar nodded in approval and turned to Gol-4. "Gol-4, what was the purpose of Stonehaven? Right now, only Elite Exalts under 25 can enter, but in the illusion, I was nothing more than a simple villager."
Gol-4 clacked and shook on the table, rolling around until it looked eyes with Oscar's. "Stonehaven is, correction, was, the place where the clan descendants lived, a portion to remain in safety so that the bloodline would never extinguish. Proper protocol would have been to destroy the gates from outside in times of crisis so that the clan would continue to live inside until they judged enough time had passed to open the gates. However, the Forest Heart Clan invaded before the protocol was activated and unleashed their encroaching forest, known as the 'Overgrowth', to invade the land."
"That's strange," Austin interjected. "We don't have any mention of the existence of the Forest Heart Clan. Ashen Grove was discovered by chance and opened every few hundred years."
Oscar looked deep in thought. Austin's words reflected the current history they knew so far.
"The only plausible explanation is that the Forest Heart Clan also faced a dilemma, and their legacy became lost." Gol-4 theorized. "They may have won the war against the Divine Stone Clan, but they ultimately fell. As for your question about the restrictions to the realm, the working theory is the Forest Heart Clan decided to use this place as a training ground for their Elite Exalts."
Despite the string of answers that came from Gol-4, Oscar had many doubts and questions because nothing was concrete. Everything they heard was just conjecture based on Gol-4's experiences, and he did not think the bodiless construct that flickered on and off was a reliable source.
Then a sudden thought came to him. If the Forest Heart Clan had conquered Stonehaven and turned it into their place, this vault should have already been ransacked. Oscar lifted Gol-4, gazing into its blue glass eyes. "This vault is empty, isn't it?"
Gol-4's eyes flickered for a moment before its low mechanical voice responded in its flat tone. "The moment Stonehaven was invaded, the clan set up defensive lines but ultimately had to flee with all the resources, leaving behind some clan members like the villagers while the core members concentrated elsewhere. The Oen Fortress was emptied long before the attack you witnessed in the illusion."
"Then, did we come all the way here for nothing!" Erik shouted in anger.
Oscar stared at Gol-4, tightening his grip on its head with a snarl, baring his teeth like a beast. Everything they had done to get up on the tree, pass through the enemies, and endure the horrific illusion was for nothing. The idea made him, and the others' faces darken.
"Not entirely," Gol-4 said, much to their surprise.
"What did you say?" Oscar asked.
Gol-4 remained silent for a moment. But its blue eyes flared with more power. "I remain here. After thousands of years, I am nothing more than a head, but the knowledge provided to me by my creators is invaluable. I can assist your efforts in Ashen Grove."
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"Oscar, let's leave." Austin stood up and turned around. "There's nothing worth from this piece of scrap that doesn't even know this place became Ashen Grove. Besides, we got quite a few resources on the way up. We can grab more as we descend."
Erik groaned loudly. The trip was not bad because their space pockets had a good amount of resources, but the excitement of the treasures in a vault raised his expectations too high. His Ein sprouted out into fire from his grief.
Hearing his friends' steps go away toward the exit, Oscar did not follow but continued staring at Gol-4, who gazed back. Behind him, his friends called out to him with confused expressions.
"Oscar? Are you really thinking of it?" Erik looked flustered.
Austin stepped forward and gripped Oscar's shoulder. "We can't trust this thing. It's harmless now, but who knows what it's thinking."
"I assure you that I have no such thoughts. My simple directive is to see what has become of the Divine Stone Clan." Gol-4 refuted Austin.
Both of them stared at Oscar with similar indifferent looks. Oscar felt the sting of their piercing gazes, but he had made his decision. He turned to Austin with an apologetic look which made Austin twitch. "I'll take Gol-4 with me."
"Oscar!" Austin and Erik shouted.
"Much obliged." Gol-4 thanked Oscar as Oscar placed him inside his space pocket.
"I'll take responsibility if he runs wild. Besides, I don't like leaving empty-handed." Oscar bowed to Austin and Erik to apologize for his selfish decision. He saw Austin show signs of struggle before sighing and turning around. Erik, to his side, patted him on the back with a shake of his head.
"I hope the piece of scrap can help us." Austin scoffed.
"Don't worry, I'll work him to the bone, though he doesn't have any." Oscar tossed a joke to lighten the mood, which worked with Erik's laughter following up.
After getting out of the cellar door, Oscar and the others went on a rampage to soothe their frustrations built from the illusions and the truth of the empty vault. More rusted knights fell before their power, and they cleared the entire fortress, ransacking every little bit they found.
From Gol-4's information, Oscar learned they only spent a few hours in the illusion, even though many days had passed inside it. Looking outside, Oscar saw the sun in its descent, almost approaching the time when the 'Overgrowth' attacked. Unknowingly, his hands clenched the stone window frames so hard that cracks appeared and blood dripped down his fingers.
"Oscar?"
Austin's voice snapped Oscar out of his trance, and Oscar looked down at his bloodied hands, thinking of the blood he spilled in the illusion. His eyes turned to Austin with worry and exhaustion. "Austin, we're not in the illusion, right?"
Austin nodded slowly and spoke calmly. "We are not in an illusion. There's no need to worry, Oscar. It's getting late. We should get some rest."
Oscar slumped down the stone wall, feeling the cool breeze from the open window. His chest heaved up and down as his labored breathing grew quieter, but his face remained pale, and he rubbed his eyes with a groan. "I will be staying here. Find your own accommodations tonight."
After Austin and Erik left for their makeshift rooms in the fortress, Oscar remained sitting, leaning back against the wall with a tired expression. Every time he tried to close his eyes, the images of his hands stabbing his parents and Celestina showed up as if they were imprinted under his eyelids. Outside, he could hear Erik's loud snoring, which made him smile slightly.
"Gol-4," Oscar took out Gol-4 from his space pocket. The glass eyes began to emit a blue glow, indicating he had turned back on.
"What is it?" Gol-4 asked.
"Nothing," Oscar said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I just wanted to talk."
"As the one who decided to free me, I suppose I can comply," Gol-4 responded. "I never got your name."
"Oscar Terr."
Gol-4's eyes brightened. "Oscar Terr, good name. Then let's get to talking."
The time passed as Oscar and Gol-4 talked through the night. Oscar, who was unable to sleep, finally fell to the side. His eyes closed as a light snore resounded from him.
"Hmm," Gol-4 fell from Oscar's hands and tumbled to the floor. "The illusions must have harmed his mind. Perhaps I should approach more prudently to help him." His blue glass eyes began to dim as he turned off.
The next morning, Oscar woke up and saw Gol-4 on the floor. He looked sorry for the bodiless golem and picked him back up. His body felt lighter than before from a few hours of peaceful sleep. "Thank you for indulging me last night."
Gol-4 chuckled in a mechanical tone. "No problem. I am here to talk if you need me."
Putting Gol-4 away in his space pocket, Oscar woke up Austin and Erik. Together, the trio leaped down from one large branch to the other, picking up more resources on the way down. After some time, they reached the lowest branch, looking down at the ground, reeling a bit from the sheer height.
"Getting down might be a problem," Austin said.
Oscar frowned and stared out into the ruins with his keen eyes. He caught glimpses of sparks and fire exploding below. "Look!"
They all focused on the battle, it was far down, but they saw a mix of blue and red clothes. Students of the Blue Ocean Pavilion and the Undying Flame Sect were fighting each other.
"We need to help!" Erik shouted.
"Calm down." Austin chastised Erik for his lack of calm. "We need to focus on getting down."
"There are more reds coming into the ruins. Our fellows will be in danger." Oscar squinted at the small group that approached the ruins' borders. If this other group made their way to join the battle, the Blue Ocean Pavilion students would be wiped out. His eyes flashed with a dangerous glint, recalling what Celestina asked him to do. "We have to help them."