Kazi did not like mountains. They reminded of a memory that he would much rather forget; of blood and tears and the misery of the world. Thermopylae was a narrow pass he had once visited, gravelly and light-brown. In the distance were the limestone mountain ranges that ached his heart. Kazi Hossain sat cross-legged, sitting across the man known as Ephialtes. From his armour, it would be difficult to tell him apart from any other Spartan. Bronze as well as equipped with a helmet, Ephialtes’ importance couldn’t be picked out by those that were uneducated.
Because he was who mattered. The mountain did not matter. The hot spring that Heracles was rumoured bath in didn’t matter. The gate to Hades didn’t matter. None of it was important. Kazi understood that more than anyone.
He sat down on the ground and so did Ephialtes.
“My father was a helot. There was no escaping from that fate. It’s a status as deep as blood. That’s just how it is in Spartan society. He sacrificed himself to let me escape, but…at the end of the day, no matter where I go, Sparta is there. I must serve them.” His gaze was stuck to the gravel and he swallowed the fear in his throat. Across from him was an individual he could only consider divine. Fighting was meaningless. He knew it as soon as he saw him.
“I hate them,” Ephialtes muttered. “I despite them. I have no wish to serve them.”
“Even…?”
“Yes.” Ephialtes met the eyes of the divine Kazi. “Even if it means betraying my friends.”
Kazi closed his eyes. “I understand. You don’t believe in solidarity, do you?”
“Solidarity between Greeks? As if. I refuse to accept that. Not after what they did to my father. Not after how they treat us as…as disposable warriors. A number to add to their endless, meaningless war!”
"And where do you see yourself in ten years, Ephialtes?" Kazi asked, his tone gentle yet probing. "What do you envision for your future?"
“My future…? My future…is one free from Sparta.”
“And you think the Persians will give you that?”
“Doing nothing means to aid them.”
“So it’s not freedom, but vengeance. There’s nothing wrong with vengeance. In this world, there are some injustices that are too cruel to leave be. They must be erased.” Kazi locked eyes with him. “Is this one of those injustices?”
“I…”
“The Persians…why are they here?”
“To slaughter us,” Ephialtes answered slowly.
“Why would you be any different then? At the end of the day, you will walk amongst those that hate you.”
“...I suppose.”
“Then think. What other way can you defeat injustice? By killing Leonidas? To free the Helots? Or…”
“Both,” Ephilates declared, voice tinged with newfound determination. “I want to free the Helots and then slaughter the Spartans that oppress us. I want to walk freely not alone but with comrades. Friends. Family.”
“Then that is what you must do. Bide your time. Strategize. Use your farming resources to gain an ear. Start somewhere and you will find what you seek. I guarantee it.”
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For the first time in his life, Ephialtes felt truly empowered to take control of his own destiny, to fight for a future where freedom and justice reigned supreme. "Thank you, Kazi," Ephialtes said, his voice filled with sincerity. "For believing in me, for showing me that there is another way. I will not forget your words." He grabbed hold of his spear as he stood up.
"Remember, Ephialtes," Kazi said, his gaze unwavering, "true strength lies not in the sword, but in the courage to stand up against injustice and fight for what is right. You have that strength within you. Use it wisely."
“Yes…yes, sir!”
Kazi nodded approvingly, a faint smile gracing his lips as Ephialtes ran off. His pupils reflected the appearance of several blue screens.
[ Congratulations! Gate 12 : Catch Ephialtes of Trachis
Main Objective: During the Battle of Thermopylae, Ephialtes of Trachis betrayed King Leonidas, the Spartans, and his home! Capture him and do what must be done — Complete!
Receive:
15,000 XP
15,000 PP ]
[ Congratulations! Gate 12 : Catch Ephialtes of Trachis
SPECIAL OBJECTIVE: Defeat Ephialtes without touching him — Complete!
Receive:
50,000 XP
50,000 PP ]
[ HIDDEN OBJECTIVE found! ]
[ Congratulations! Gate 12 : Catch Ephialtes of Trachis
HIDDEN OBJECTIVE: Convince Ephialtes to go back — Complete!
Receive:
30,000 XP
70,000 PP ]
[ Congratulations! You are the first player to complete the Gate 2 HIDDEN OBJECTIVE! ]
[ Bonus Receive:
40,000 XP
2,000,000 PP ]
Now that he was Level 75, it was going to take three hundred thousand more XP to reach the next level. In other words, levelling up was going to be super grindy for Kazi. He didn’t wallow too deeply on it, deciding to return to White Abyss without much thought on the matter.
[ Returning to White Abyss! ]
Upon returning to outside the Heavenly Tower, he was met with a certain message from the Heavenly Tower.
[ Warning! You have completed the Main Objective, Special Objective, and HIDDEN OBJECTIVE, thus reaching the daily quota limit of Gate 12! Come back in 47:59 hours! ]
Kazi didn’t let himself get irritated by it. He was already aware of the visit limitation. He presumed that gaining XP twenty-four-seven wasn’t healthy for the soul, hence the visit cap. Kazi didn’t mind. XP-wise, Gate 12 wasn’t too important. It was the points that he wanted. Taking into account what he gained from Gate 12, he sat at 136,506,440 points. A ludicrous amount that even a veteran player would be shocked by.
‘Open map,’ he said, selecting the spawn point close to Mango Pulp. The ten thousand point tip he gave was the equivalent of dropping a grand in America. It was borderline life changing for Manish—and so he earned his loyalty. As he dropped in, he was immediately pounced by a red-haired male with crazy wide eyes and a poster.
“H-hey, you’re a new player, right? My daughter, my daughter, she went missing during Gate 10 and—! I-I just want to know if you’ve seen here. Please, look!” The paper was shoved into his hand and Kazi looked it over. The photograph was monochromatic and of very low quality. The woman had curly red hair falling in curls, a smile of dimples, and grinned as she presented the jewelry on her left hand. Two magical rings adorned the pinkie and index finger.
Kazi held the paper closer to his face. His eyes softened. This woman…
“Yes, I’ve seen her,” he replied.
“R-really!? Really? Where? I-I…I died when she was very young so for us to meet like this…” The man shuddered. He was no older than thirty but because of the way time flowed in the White Abyss he was able to have a daughter in her twenties. “Please! Where?”
Kazi slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“What? W-what does that mean? She’s not—” The man stepped back, a hand on his mouth. He looked like he was about to throw up. “No, that’s—please!” He grabbed onto his shoulder. “It has to be a mistake! It has to!”
The curse of never forgetting. The curse of never making a mistake. Kazi shook his head again.
“B-but…!” The man stared at the ground, heart broken. “She…she was everything I had left here…” His knees buckled beneath him as he sank to the ground, his hands shaking as he buried his face in his palms. “Everything,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Kazi could only watch in silent sympathy as the man's heart broke before his eyes, the weight of his anguish forgotten in the Nebulous Bazaar. He received judgemental stares. He received disrespect. In that moment, there were no words of comfort to offer, no solace to be found. Kazi kneeled down to him and simply pulled him into an embrace. The world was a broken mess incapable of change. Even then, he wished to at least change what he could.