The residents of Enchanted Heights exchanged glances; their trembling eyes focused on the flashing blue panels. Those near the fountain stared in Scott's direction, as if a voice had proclaimed him responsible for their potential misery. Meanwhile, Scott wore a playful smile behind his mask, reminiscing on his encounter with the examiner.
Ten days, huh. I thought that petty son of bitch would make things even more difficult for us. But ten days isn’t a lot of time either. Scott turned toward Llorva, Heinrich, and the humanoid, then shifted his attention toward the procession approaching at a slower pace.
“You all heard what the examiner said, so go back and prepare yourselves,” Scott communicated mentally. “In ten days, we’ll face the battle of our lives. Until then, continue to act as you always do.”
Without any acknowledgment, the group dispersed as randomly as they had gathered. Scott then focused on the trio sitting on the park bench.
“Heinrich, was it?” Scott asked mentally, and the short man nodded. “You mentioned the penalty for leaving any faction is three thousand elemental shards, right?”
Heinrich nodded again, the yellow sign flickering in his eyes. Scott took a step forward, then continued, “Tell me more about the elemental shards, what purpose do they serve here?”
“We're all given three elemental shards after every full moon, regardless of faction affiliations,” Heinrich explained. “However, that number can rise significantly depending on which faction you join, the tasks you complete within a month, and bonuses for remaining indoors during a full moon.”
He pointed toward the building he had emerged from moments ago before continuing. “Most of us without any factions live there.”
“Isn’t it a bit too small?” Llorva interjected with a whisper.
“It’s much bigger than it looks. We can’t stay in better places since our supply is limited.”
“Why not take out your elemental shards during the night of the full moon?” Llorva cocked her head to the side, smiling at the short man. Like Heinrich, she was also stuck in Scott’s dream space, which resembled reality.
Heinrich sighed while shaking his head. “If only it was that easy,” he said. “I have been here for eight years now…”
Llorva gasped, her eyes widening in surprise, while Scott merely raised his brows. Hmmm... he has been here longer than Vaeril.
Heinrich cleared his throat before continuing. “Although I have been here for that long, I have only participated in one full moon, and I was fortunate to have survived. The only reason I made it through was because of the vast number of elemental shards in my possession. Without them, I would probably be dead and long forgotten like most of my comrades.”
“Let me guess, the elemental shards became active the moment you stepped into the streets,” Scott inquired.
“Yes,” Heinrich turned toward the masked man in surprise. “I can’t recall much from that night, but it felt like I was being bounced around like a ball, with screams echoing in the background. I woke up the next morning on the streets with nothing to my name.”
Scott nodded slowly as he took another step forward. “Who oversees the distribution of the elemental shards? Is there a mine or something? And where do people store their excess elemental shards? Is there a bank?” Scott fired off a barrage of questions.
Llorva laughed cheerfully, sensing where the conversation was headed, but Heinrich stared blankly at Scott. Like the elf, he could tell Scott’s intentions from the questions asked. The man swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he continued. “The factions are responsible for the distribution of the elemental shards, while the factionless receive theirs through the administrative office. I don’t know if there’s an elemental shard mine or anything similar, but it’s rumored that the elemental shards are stored in the vaults of the respective factions.”
Scott pondered silently, while Llorva and Heinrich remained quiet. The humanoid, who had stayed silent since sitting on the bench, suddenly stood up, taking a step toward the eldritch knight.
“The elemental shards are stored in the administrative building,” it said, stopping several feet away from Scott.
“Hmmm? How do you know that?” Scott inquired.
“Because I can smell them,” it replied.
Scott frowned, as did Llorva and Heinrich, the trio confused by the humanoid’s words. It was well known that elemental shards didn’t stimulate any of the sensory organs of most creatures and were deemed practically useless by all accounts.
“What do you mean you can smell them?” Scott asked. “By the way, what are you to begin with?”
“Fi-Fi is an elemental slime. Regardless of affinity, Fi-Fi can sense anything related to the elements,” the slime explained.
“An elemental slime?” Heinrich frowned, doubt twisting his visage. “Are you a mutant by any chance?”
Fi-Fi nodded. “I’m indeed a mutant.”
“It’s starting to make sense a little bit,” Heinrich said, his tense visage relaxing.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“How?” Llorva asked, her confusion evident. Her gaze shifted between the slime and the short man, awaiting an explanation. Heinrich didn't keep her waiting long.
“Slimes are typically bound to one affinity, commonly earth or wood, with little deviation between generations due to asexual reproduction. However, rare mutations occur, such as a metal slime originating from an earth slime. These mutations usually last one generation. Fi-Fi is likely a result of several unlikely mutations over time, making it something that shouldn't normally exist.”
Scott and Llorva turned their attention back to the slime.
“So, Fi-Fi, you're certain the elemental shards are in the administrative building?” Scott asked after a brief silence.
The slime nodded. “The smell was too thick; that's why Fi-Fi slept in the garden. Fi-Fi only woke up when you called.”
Scott frowned. Why does it keep referring to itself in the third person? It didn't talk like this when we first met. He turned toward the administrative building, realizing the abnormality there might be connected to Fi-Fi.
“Can you sense any elemental shards in the headquarters of the factions?” Scott questioned the slime.
The slime nodded, creating two contrasting circles on the ground. “This one is for the elemental shards in the factions combined,” Fi-Fi pointed to the left circle. Then, it pointed to the right circle. “This one is for what's in the administrative building.”
Scott, Heinrich, and Llorva stared at the circles. The left circle was merely a dot compared to the expansive one on the right.
“The difference is that huge, huh?” Scott turned toward the administrative building again.
“Heinrich, is there a rule stating we must all be indoors before the commencement of the full moon?” Scott asked.
“Um, not that I'm aware of. Most people stay indoors because it's safer. Why do you ask?”
Scott grinned. “What else? We're going to rob that place, of course.”
“Whoo-hoo!” Llorva shot to her feet, wearing a bright smile. Heinrich's visage turned serious, disbelief clouding his eyes.
“I know you might have your misgivings, but we need the elemental shards to survive the trial,” Scott explained. “It might be difficult, but it's absolutely necessary.”
Heinrich stood up, gesturing to the vacant streets. “Putting that aside, there are more obstacles. Apart from the traps, there will be thousands of creatures with frightening levels of strength. Four of us aren't enough to take them on.” Heinrich took a step forward. “Even if, by some miracle, we manage to fend off the relentless assault, survive the traps, and rob the administrative building, how do we know where the exits are? In case you haven’t heard, the map in your inventory is useless, and no one here knows anything about...”
“About that,” Scott interjected, clicking his fingers softly. A book appeared in Heinrich’s hand. “Open it,” Scott said with an unseen smile.
Heinrich's eyes shifted between the masked knight and the seemingly ordinary book. Llorva tiptoed to the back of the man, peering over his shoulders. “C'mon, open it already,” she urged, slowly massaging his shoulders.
Unable to quell his curiosity, Heinrich flipped open the first page with Llorva watching intently. Instantly, the surroundings morphed. They found themselves staring at Togan from a bird's eye viewpoint, with all the hidden exits flashing across their minds. Then, they returned to the park. However, the book had disappeared.
Llorva muttered in a daze, “W-W-What was that? Was that a map of this place?” She turned her head in all directions, barely recognizing some places from the expansive map.
Heinrich, on the other hand, trembled in his standing position. There's no mistaking it... that was the map of Togan. How in heaven did he memorize everything?
“Does that answer your question?” Scott strolled toward the vacant bench before taking a seat.
“B-But, the four of us possibly can't do it by ourselves,” Heinrich said.
However, Scott's laughter filled his ears. Before the man could speak further, the eldritch knight clicked his fingers. Zara and Slim appeared next to the bench, and then tens of thousands of unfamiliar faces filled the park.
Heinrich swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he noticed some familiar faces among the massive crowd.
Llorva raced towards the bench, reaching for Scott's arm while glaring at the surrounding champions, like a small puppy marking her territory. Fi-Fi dissolved into a puddle, hiding within the lush grass.
“I believe we have enough people to successfully raid the administrative building,” Scott said with a smile as he stood up. He didn't bother to explain that he was having multiple conversations at the same time with those marked by the tendrils. Although only Zara and Slim were given the imprint of madness, the tendrils enabled him to invade the consciousness of anyone corrupted by the blackened strands.
I wonder how that bastard would feel if he realized invading my consciousness allowed the mask to mark those seeking me out, Scott giggled softly within himself.
“I will leave a copy of the map with each of you.” Scott’s voice thundered across the dream space. He took a step forward, and all eyes remained focused on the eldritch knight. “We're neither friends nor enemies; however, each and everyone here is crazy enough not to bow their head to rules of this place. Some of you haven't fought a battle in years, and the battle in ten days is going to be difficult, painful, and downright exhausting. But if you survive, then you'll have a chance to flee this prison. Now, I'll ask you. Are you ready to blow this place up?”
The yellow sign flickered non-stop in the eyes of several champions one after the other, a silent approval of Scott's plan.
Scott turned toward Heinrich one more time. “Do you have any more concerns?”
The man pondered for a moment, then silently shook his head. Like that, the crowd disappeared as if they had been an illusion all along.
Three books appeared in Scott's hand. “It's unlikely you'll be able to memorize the map in only ten days, so I'll bridge that gap for you.”
Llorva quickly grabbed one book, while Scott threw the remaining one toward Heinrich and Fi-Fi, who had yet to retake a definite form. The shapeless organism consumed the book, and it visibly degraded within its bluish membrane.
“How can you give out something so precious thoughtlessly?” Heinrich whispered softly. “Aren't you worried someone will betray you?”
Scott's free arm dropped on the shoulder of the man. “I'm kind of hoping someone would. I have a lot of things I want to try out; all I need is proper justification at this point.”
The illusionary world crumbled, and Heinrich, Llorva, and Fi-Fi returned to reality. Like before, the trio sat on the park bench, but they couldn't find any trace of Scott.
Llorva instantly jumped off the chair, turning in all directions before running eastwards. Fi-Fi stood up, still maintaining a humanoid appearance similar to Scott's. Wordlessly, the slime departed, leaving Heinrich alone on the bench.
The man's gaze shifted between the beautiful garden, the exquisite buildings, and the calm and oblivious passersby. Then he smiled as he stood up. Do I still know how to swing an ax? He rubbed the back of his neck while taking gentle steps toward his home. It has been eight years since that night. This time, I must succeed no matter what. He suddenly paused in his tracks, staring at the skies. I wonder how far that ginger kid and his friends have gone. Would they even remember me?
The man sighed gently before continuing his trek.