“It’s a trap, this place, it’s built just to kill people like you who try to uncover his family's secrets.”

“Huh, there’s no trap yet made to be able to kill me.” Said fatty, with his always ignorant seeming tone of voice, while big bro and that guy looked at each other as if communicating with eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“This place is indeed related to Ta ge and I know you guys are trying to find what’s going on and look for his memories, but this place is specially designed in a way that no one except his bloodline can get out alive from here.”

I thought that the information I just gave should make me feel reliable at the very least but the result was quite the opposite.

“Are you with Mr. Ning?”

Head slammer, “How did I forget about him, see if you don’t believe me then promise you’ll ensure my survival when this trap begins to work.”

Now that they think I am from their rival party, they will naturally not trust me. I can just hope to get out of here. But wait.

“Hey! I know the way out”

“Tell us”

“… it’s a map”

“Where is it?” it seems only the alien guy has the patience to deal with me as the fatty and bro went back to sit in their respective places, at least they are not trying to light the fire.

“It… it is on… is in…” it’s frustrating why am I feeling so flustered. Wtf- I don’t care anymore. I closed my eyes gathering the courage to speak when I felt something move in the wall.

“Fk FK Fk we are dead I mean I am dead… it’s coming.” I took several steps back pulling the guy along. “The map is on his 'Qilin' tattoo, quickly decipher it Mr. Alien or I am dead.”

Ta ge went near the wall in a step and I quickly pulled him back. That guy pointed his smaller blade directly at my neck and glared with no mercy in his eyes.

“Bro, that creature will wake from your body heat, it has been hibernating in the cold. Now if you bring something warm here, it’ll wake up. That’s why I wasn’t letting you lit the fire.”

He flinched as if remembering something. He held his head and wobbled a little. In this wobbling, his blade almost went straight through my neck. I moved quickly saving my own little life.

“Yo, bro! Support him, he’ll crush me to death.”

Fatty and the Alien guy came forward and held him, one arm each guy, and Fatty looked at me as if I was the culprit. I don’t have time to clarify myself anyways.

Suddenly he stabled himself and gestured for everyone to follow him. After a few lefts and rights when I finally felt that we’ll make it out alive without encountering anything weird a sudden swarm of endless seeming crystal green colored humanoid creatures chased us. Ge was already unstable and I can’t use imagination.

When it comes to physical strength I am nothing more than a burden, I can only help in mana. MANA that’s it; I collected mana in my palms with a little of my strength, my palms glowed with light blue energy and I touched the back of Fatty who was already fighting them. He looked startled but then feeling a sudden surge of energy he started fighting way more efficiently.

“Don’t fight them for long, try to avoid fighting, your body heat will just make them even stronger.”

Both the wobbly Ta ge and Mr. Alien looked at me suspiciously, I can’t care about that anymore. I moved at Ge and again collected mana in one of my hands with way more intensity than the last time and touched his forehead. I was comfortable with sharing more mana this time as I know he’ll be able to handle it as for the Alien guy, it’s better not to share unless needed or he might start an entirely different investigation for me. Throughout the series I used to think his curiosity might kill him, now I think his curiosity might kill me.

Ta ge suddenly looked way better and stood upright without any support.

When the guy urged him for the way, he looked dazed,

“Can’t remember?” I asked almost silently, slightly shaking my head, matching the rhythm of my slowly giving up heart.

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“It’s on your tattoo” I remembered and repeated what I said earlier. Mr. Alien looked confused, but Bro was quick as he understood what I meant. He quickly leaped over both of us and in a single go, he wiped away almost half of the creatures attacking us and came back to Mr. Alien as his body temperature was more than a certain degree after fighting, his tattoo should appear now.

He lifted his iconic black hoodie-like shirt and started looking at the patterns of his 'Qilin' tattoo. Mr. Alien helped him and both of them slowly started to crack the code. Whereas fatty was still busy with the rest of the creatures. Luckily, we were in a narrow area so the creatures can only attack one at a time.

I wanted to urge these people to be quick but I can just stand there and do nothing except look at them anxiously.

Suddenly both of them started running towards the front and shouted for us to follow them, I looked at Fatty, he was struggling a bit, but it was enough to say that he can survive this as those two didn’t bother to help him. When I took a step to follow them, I remembered the scene in the book where Fatty survived but his intestines were all messed up, bulging out of his stomach, I can read stuff like this but I don’t think I can bring myself to see this. I stepped back and passed Mana to him again.

This time he didn’t flinch but quickly pushed the nearest creature making it and the nearby ones fall, blocking the way for a sec or two. He started running in the direction both of them went. I followed him thinking I will be faster. But this damn fatty ran so fast that it looked unreal seeing how chubby he was.

He looked back without sparing any time, he grabbed my wrist and I was being dragged by him out. After a minute or two we saw the other guys, standing near a wall. The Alien gestured for us to hurry and Bro quickly pushed a slab in the way we came.

“You… you guys, I fatty will remember that you guys left me alone”

“But you are alive and kicking”

These two still had the mood to joke around, but of course, as the protagonists of this story, they won’t die. I need to take care of myself.

“What now?” I asked.

“We need to break this wall.”

“Then break na, what are you waiting for?”

“For you guys”

“Huh?”

“You want those creatures to get out with us?”

“Oh, then we are here, can you open it now?”

Mr. Alien nodded at Bro and he pushed the wall twice or thrice. Ta Ge is super strong when it comes to agility and swordsmanship but with strength like this, I don’t think he can do that anytime soon without hurting himself. In the novel, Bro actually had a pretty interesting encounter with a wall, but that time he just took a brick out that too using his fingers... I can't even imagine someone doing that in real life, won't their fingers just... let's not think about that.

In the novel, Bro and Fatty were both badly hurt and Alien had to break the wall himself. At that time he found a rod and used it. Where did he find it?

I looked around, but nothing to be found. But I guess I underestimated my idol. The wall shattered into pieces making way for a human to pass at a time. He went first, then Mr. Alien was about to go when I sneaked my way out first.

Most probably fatty should get stuck in the hole. I don’t wanna stay behind him feeling anxious for nothing. As soon as I got out, fresh air struck my face giving fresh feeling. The surrounding area was a forest as expected. Maybe my action reminded Mr. Alien about Fatty so he started pushing Fatty out first.

I kept a close eye on Ge. He’s the one who’ll go to the bronze door. According to the novel, he was supposed to be injured here and then he was rushed to the hospital, and given his habit if he ain’t injured then he’ll defiantly disappear into thin air.

Seeing me looking at him, he moved closer, “What do you want?”

“The ultimate,” I replied without thinking too much.

He flinched but then saw that other guys were not paying attention, he sneaked his way behind some bushes. Of course, I followed him and stood behind a tree nearby.

After a few minutes, both of the other guys were out and after panting for a while they started looking around.

“Hyo! Ge disappeared again,” said Fatty. I was expecting Mr. Alien to be angry but he did otherwise.

“He must have his own reasons,” he said and dropped his head a little. I felt sorry but I did nothing, of course, I don’t want to ruin Bro’s plans. The Sooner we find the door, the sooner I can go back.

“But what about that xiao-mei (little sister)?

“Who knows? Did she follow Ge?”

“Woah! If she did then she’s something different”

“Let’s go fatty, we still have to deal with a lot before that.”

After a few minutes, they were out of our sites. My heartbeat increased with excitement. I’ll see the story that no one saw. Now, it’s time for me to witness what this guy used to do behind the scenes. I wonder if he even slept. Fighting demons, going on adventures, and a lot more. I am about to witness that with my own two eyes.

“What else do you know?” he asked suddenly, bringing me back to my senses.

“I know that you are protecting some secrets behind that door. And since they are so well protected I don’t know what they are.”

“…”

“And I know that you are looking for your memories. But let me tell you it’s not worth it”

He stayed silent for a while and then finally spoke,

“What do you know about me?”

“Ummm… it’s a long story, but in the end, you gave up on this search and started living with those guys. And yeah you went in the bronze gate and came back after 10 years and you know these two waited for you outside the door, when you were about to come out. And yea, about your memories.; you are the last person in your bloodline. And there is a guy, I don’t know whether you guys met him yet or not, but that guy tried stealing your identity, but then of course even if your actual memory is bad, your muscle memory proved that you are real. Once some other guy even said you are a dead body haha. And then I mean like maybe twice or thrice you actually remembered something, but right after you did, your memories vanished again, you forgot everything even your friends. And then you went in search of your memories again…”

For a second I forgot it was Ge to who I was telling this story and blurted out everything without trying to make sense of it. I looked at him. He seemed to be pondering over something and started walking in the direction others went.

“Where are we going?”