Ascalon stood in shock before the almost faceless, towering statue of Arkssol’el, his single eye locked on the plaque below. The writing, though worn and somewhat faded, showed a message that only he could read and try to piece together: ‘Eighth Altar of Arkssol’el, our guiding benefactor, God of Wayward Souls, and the revered sixth throne of the great Gods. May he always show us the way.’

Ascalon chuckled at the words, his tension easing up a bit. Among the ten great Gods, Arkssol’el was one of the three who had never granted him a blessing. He found it amusing that he would stumble upon the statue of the ‘guiding’ God, of all things, since he had never been guided by him.

Still, the mere presence of the sculpture filled him with unease. He tightened the clutch on his emblem, which stirred fainty in response. “How is this possible?” He muttered in a low voice, his expression darkening. How could there be a statue from Excadia in this world? And in the depths of a dungeon, no less? Altars were usually placed in towns and cities, so pilgrims and believers could easily worship their respective Gods.

As he mulled over the discovery, he noticed Lilithra peeking at him from the side, her face a mix of intrigue and worry. The sight of her both frowning and fidgeting calmed him a bit. That’s right—she had asked before if he was okay, and he hadn’t replied yet. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he spoke.

“I am okay, sorry to worry you.” He stated as he flashed a reassuring smile, his emblem stirring on his palm once more.

“So… what’s this?!” Lilithra asked excitedly, realizing Ascalon knew something she didn’t. Her eager, cheerful tone lifted his spirits.

“It is a statue to an old God… from my world.” He explained in a concerned tone, and Lilithra opened her eyes wide in amazement.

“What?!” She exclaimed, raising her voice a tad bit more than she initially wanted to. “S-sorry.” Lilithra quickly apologized for her outburst, smiling sheepishly, while Ascalon simply sighed in resignation.

“I am as confused as you are, Lilithra.” Ascalon replied, gazing upon the statue once more, doubts beginning to cloud his mind again. “I cannot understand why this is here…” He continued, while Lilithra’s expression slowly shifted into a pensive one. Just then, the emblem in Ascalon’s hand jumped slightly, as if urging him forward. “Hmmm…” Ascalon pondered momentarily, before reaching out and causing the amulet to come in contact with the sculpture.

Lilithra watched curiously from the side, while Ascalon waited patiently, his arm stretched out… yet nothing happened. The emblem stirred, and it felt a bit warmer, but that was all. After a second or two, it jumped slightly, and away from the statue, prompting Ascalon to withdraw his hand. For a moment, the knight thought the trinket felt… disappointed? It was an odd sensation, to be sure.

Both him and Lilithra stayed still for a few minutes, wondering if something would suddenly change. But it seemed that whatever the trinket wanted with the sculpture was already finished. The emblem stopped moving entirely, and the pair simply looked at each other with confused expressions.

“Well…” Lilithra began, clearly at a loss, circling the statue and examining it all over. “I, uh, what do we do now? Haha…” She added, blushing slightly at her own awkward question.

Unfortunately, Ascalon shared the same sentiment, and was unsure of how to proceed from there. He couldn’t feel anything else coming from the emblem, and the statue remained as silent and unmoving as before. It seemed that this was all there was to find—more questions to add to the growing pile of unanswered mysteries.

Ascalon rubbed his temples, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips. Why was everything so enigmatic?! He questioned in his mind, brimming with frustration. But before he could delve deeper into these thoughts, a screen abruptly appeared in front of them.

The boss monster - Chimera of the Long Lost Tomb - has been defeated.

The dungeon will close in one hour. Reopening in: Ninety eight hours.

“Wha-?!” Lilithra blurted out, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. Ascalon too was taken aback by the sudden notice, wondering why it would show itself now of all times.

Up to this point, the network hadn’t classified the place as a dungeon, and the Chimera had been defeated quite some time ago. So, why now? To add to the weirdness of the situation, the reopening time was incredibly long in comparison to what he had witnessed back at the Howling Chasm.

“Is this normal?” Ascalon asked, causing Lilithra to shift in place while tilting her head to the side. Bringing a finger to her chin, she let out a thoughtful ‘hmmm’ as she rummaged through her memories.

“No… well, I dunno. I’ve never heard of something like this, at least…” She replied with a half-smile, slightly ashamed that she couldn’t answer him properly.

Ascalon smiled at her to try and reassure her, before eyeing the statue once more. It was all too strange, and made him feel unsettled. He stepped forward, and placed his hand on the sculpture’s plaque, hoping for a sign, a revelation—anything.

“What is it that I should do?” He muttered to the God of guiding, but his wish was met with silence. Sighing with clear disappointment, he returned to Lilithra’s side, who watched over him with a sad expression. He placed a hand on her head, and she blushed slightly.

Ascalon felt a bit discouraged, but reminded himself that he was in another world. Perhaps the statue had been transported just like him, and its connection to its God may have been severed due to that. Once more, he found himself lost in thought, dwelling upon matters he had no way of resolving on his own. Shaking his head slightly, as if to clear his mind, he looked at Lilithra with a firm gaze.

“Let us go back, and regroup with our friends.” Ascalon suggested with a gentle tone. At his words, Lilithra’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Yes! We can probably use the escape skill now!” She exclaimed, clearly excited that they could now leave—likely, thinking about their friends’ health.

With a warm feeling enveloping his chest, Ascalon took the lead, returning to the entrance as he promised to himself to come back. Next time, he would explore the entire dungeon and leave no stone unturned—perhaps then, he would find at least an answer to one of his questions.

----------------------------------------

As soon as the pair left the chamber, a figure stepped inside through another entrance, completely undetected by Ascalon.

“Finally! Thought they’d never leave!” The stranger exclaimed in a masculine voice, his words coated with irritation. ‘He’ strolled toward the center with a relaxed, carefree demeanor, his body swaying slightly with every step. His swagger was slow and nonchalant, almost exaggeratedly laid-back to an average person.

Stolen novel; please report.

But to those who had stepped into the realm of the mighty, his bearing would be recognized as irrefutable confidence.

The man stopped in front of the statue and leaned back, placing his hands at his hips as he inspected the sculpture. The flickering torches in the room revealed his appearance, though no one was there to witness it.

He was of average height, with short white hair. His face was slightly obscured, but a pair of black sunglasses could be pictured covering his eyes. He wore a long, white trench coat, with the sleeves slightly rolled up. Beneath it, a black t-shirt hung loosely, adding to his laid-back vibe.

Matching the coat, he had a pair of white cargo-style pants, and his boots were black, with thick soles. Strangely enough, all of his clothes looked brand new, which greatly contrasted with the surroundings. He raised his right hand, covered by a white glove, and traced his fingers through the air, briefly manipulating an unseen console.

“Network, is the sync complete?” He questioned with an impassive tone as he slid his hands into his pants pockets, slouching slightly forward.

Yes, master.

“Good. Initiate the relocation process and execute it once the dungeon is cleared.” The man commanded, his firm tone betraying his carefree image.

As you command, master.

“Ah. Save their battle records, too. I want to watch their fights later.” He added, remembering something that piqued his curiosity.

Saving...

He then looked around, sighing with exasperation. “Still, just how did they find out about this place, anyway? It’s outside the ‘playground’.” He groaned and clicked his tongue, casting a side-glance toward the exit Ascalon had used. “This changes things…” He stated in a tired voice, clearly unamused.

Should I penalize the culprits, master?

Reading the network’s proposal, the man pondered for a moment. “Hmm… no, leave them be.” He replied, shaking his head.

Understood, master.

“It wouldn’t be fair. After all, I did help that elf out.” He continued. “These guys playing at being the cardinal sins are up to some weird things—dangerous, and evil things, mind you—but this is my blunder anyway. I should’ve sealed this place better.” He took his right hand out of his pocket, and scratched his chin.

The master is never wrong.

“Oh shut up, you.” He replied, chuckling to himself. “Still… Ascalon’s involvement was unexpected… or was it? It’s hilarious to see he’s carrying her around, oblivious to her existence, haha!” The man suddenly laughed, his tone a mix between mischievous and smug.

“She must be so mad, too! The statue barely had any energy stored for her to absorb. But I’m sure she’ll awaken soon…” He smiled fondly, his gaze drawn to the statue’s face. “Oh, brother, I hope you come back sometime, too.” He spoke with a tender voice, a few pleasant memories flashing on his mind.

“Ah, I’m getting emotional, fuck! I’m out of here.” He groaned as he shook his head, taking a last look around the room. “I better go check on the other hidden vaults…” He mentioned as he turned around and strolled off, his carefree swagger carrying him into the darkness.

Safe travels, master.

----------------------------------------

After navigating the corridors back the way they came, Ascalon and Lilithra rejoined the rest of the group. After a brief conversation, and making sure everyone was ready, they all left the dungeon with the handy escape spell.

Once outside, Selorien was the first one to talk. “Ugh! I almost forgot…” He began, as the incandescent rays of the sun descended upon him, forcing him to shield his eyes. “So hot!” He groaned, hurrying to a nearby building’s shade. Lilithra and Lyra giggled in amusement, while Ascalon chuckled as he walked over, carrying Levi on his back.

“Sorry about this… Uhm…” The small felinae began, stammering over his words.

“Ascalon, sir Levi.” The knight answered with a reassuring voice.

“Yes… thanks, Ascalon.” Levi replied, his tone filled with gratitude. Lyra gazed at them with a warm stare, her eyes sparkling with such happiness that it could be sensed even from a distance. No one could fault her—they had succeeded in their mission, after all.

Escarlata herself, as per usual, maintained a proper distance as she scanned the surroundings. They appeared to be in the lower districts, and she doubted there would be any kind of reputable hospital nearby. “We should move to the upper districts.” She suggested, her voice carrying her usual respectfulness. Everyone nodded in agreement, while Ascalon decided something on his own.

“I shall go ahead, then. Hold on tight, sir Levi.” He suddenly blurted out, confusing the Felinae for a moment. Suddenly, Ascalon burst out with a dash, quickly leaving the rest of the group behind.

Levi was completely taken aback by the knight’s speed, wondering if he had somehow been put into a sports car. The wind rushed past him like never before, his grip tightening around Ascalon’s neck as he feared he would fall. But just as abruptly as the knight had rushed forth, he came to a halt, cushioning the cat boy’s momentum with his back.

“I think this is it.” Ascalon mentioned, his sole eye focused on a big, white building.

“Y-yeah…” Levi answered, his mind struggling to catch up.

Promptly, Ascalon headed in and explained the situation to the staff, who hurriedly checked Levi in. The fact that the cat boy was a Guild leader seemed to facilitate things, which was surely a good fortune.

With that taken care of, and having nothing else to do, Ascalon decided to head outside. He leaned against the building and sat down, a tired sigh escaping his lips. He enjoyed a moment of brief respite, the desert wind caressing his hair as he watched passersby with curiosity, reflecting on the day’s events.

They sure had been involved in quite the ordeal, and although they had rescued Levi, the mystery of his emblem’s origins remained unsolved. He brought it out, placing it on his open palm while poking it lightly with a finger. “Is it… asleep?” Ascalon spoke his thoughts aloud, seeing as there was no response coming from the trinket.

Perhaps what drove the emblem to ‘life’ had been spent, or maybe it was dormant after straining itself… somehow. Whatever the case, he had no idea how to proceed. “Hmm…” Ascalon muttered, remembering Claude’s message. The emblem had been sent from Starugnia, supposedly, so perhaps there was a similar shop to Claude’s where he could ask about the amulet.

It was an optimistic thought, and since he had no better ideas in mind, he decided it was worth a try. For now, he would wait for his friends, basking on the silent, peaceful moment. He closed his eye for a moment, and thanks to the tranquil atmosphere, dozed off.

“-lon…” Ascalon heard a… ‘voice’ amidst his drowsy thoughts. “-calon, my beloved knight…” A warm, soothing feeling enveloped him, feeling familiar yet so distant. “No! Unhand me!” The blissful feeling gradually faded, replaced by a growing sense of urgency, but was abruptly cut off. “Ascalon!” The voice changed to a more animated one, causing him to awaken, his eye opening wide in surprise.

Before him was Lilithra, staring at him with a gentle grin, while Selorien smirked in mischievousness at her side. “You with us?” The elf asked in a teasing tone, while Lyra’s head peeked from behind Lilithra’s shoulder. Ascalon shook his head slightly, trying to shake away the drowsiness. He felt as if he had been dreaming about something, but couldn’t quite recall what it was.

“Good morning.” He said in a joking manner as he stood up and stretched his arms high. The rest giggled at his actions, while he wondered just for how long he had been asleep. It couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes, seeing the sun was still up. But still, he felt it was careless of him to have let his guard down, having fallen asleep in the middle of the street.

At the very least, it showed the difference in safety between the upper and lower districts—or so he thought, until he noticed his chest pocket felt unnaturally empty. The rest looked at him with curiosity as he patted his torso, his brows furrowing in concern. The realization slowly dawned on him—the emblem was missing.