"The ones who saved Loro. The heroes."
The young prince stated with almost complete certainty.
I replied him with an opposite gesture. Skepticism.
"What makes you say that, Your Highness?"
"There were rumors. Stories spread by the refugees of the invaded border cities. They mentioned tales of brave people who helped defending Loro as it was on the brink of collapse."
He said.
This was not news to us.
We had heard about such rumor in the Exploration Dungeon.
Our acts of intervention in altering the history of Dunia did not go unnoticed.
Even so…
"There are billions of people in all of Dunia, Your Highness. What makes you think we're the same people as the ones mentioned in those rumors?"
The young prince was not quick to answer this time.
He immediately bore a troubled look. Struggling to find words as a reply.
Just when I was about to discard His Highness's assumption and went back to planning our escape, the imperial royalty spoke up in whispering, confused tone.
"I dreamt of you. All of you."
All my three comrades and I immediately turned to the young prince. Shocked.
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness?"
The imperial royalty suddenly bore an even more troubled look than before somehow.
What he was about to say next likely had been disturbing his mind for quite some time.
"Lately I have been having nightmares. Terrible nightmares. They always kept me up at night. Leaving me trembling in my bed."
The young prince said agonizingly.
He went on.
"I dreamt of horrifying disasters. Monster invasions and plagues. All across Dunia, not just the empire."
"The border cities invasions. You dreamt of them too?"
I asked him.
He nodded slowly.
"Those invasions were in my dreams a week before they happened. Back then I did not know those nightmares were foretelling the future. At least not until it was too late."
"That was how you saw us?"
I asked again.
"I remembered seeing glimpses of you folks fighting monsters in Loro's central square. I could not see your faces in the dreams, but after meeting you now and seeing you clearly like this, I know it's you. Though I don't remember seeing the Tsahanam woman with you earlier."
Interesting.
So the young prince had the ability to foresee the future.
I never knew of this.
Prince Radjah was never said to have special ability or skills.
Was the fact hidden in the past or was this related to the forged land's power in altering the history of Dunia?
Nevertheless, this boy in front of me was able to predict what was going to happen in this new alternate timeline. If he was telling the truth, that was.
He claimed he knew about the eastern border cities invasions ahead of time. And even foresaw our intervention.
Did he know everything that was about to happen from this point on?
"How about what is happening right now in Tsuchi, Your Highness? Was this disease outbreak in your dreams as well?"
I asked once more.
"I dreamt of many tragedies. Often only incomplete glimpses of horrid sights. It's hard to know what was going to happen until it's right there in front of me."
He said.
The young prince then directed his saddened gaze to the window, toward the grand city of Tsuchi that was being devoured by evil.
The boy ended up nodding.
"Now that I'm seeing what's happening to Tsuchi, I think I remembered seeing something like it in one of my dreams. In my nightmares."
['Devisha (★★★)'s Stealthy Movement has levelled up to level 2!]
Suddenly his face turned determined.
Still stained with worry and fright, but determined nonetheless.
He continued.
"But all my dreams made one thing very clear to me."
['Devisha (★★★)'s Dagger Throwing has levelled up to level 3!]
"And what that would be, Your Highness?"
"That the world is ending."
['Devisha (★★★)'s Basic Dagger Technique has levelled up to level 5!]
His words made me raise my eyebrows in interest.
The end of the world.
That was a topic well-known to the heroes of the forged land.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Nimble Movement has levelled up to level 4!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s Switching has levelled up to level 3!]
I kept on listening to the young prince.
"The invasions on the border cities were just the beginning."
['Devisha (★★★)'s Basic Dual-Swords Technique has levelled up to level 6!]
His knuckles were turning white as he clenched his hands.
"Something must be done. Because worse things will happen throughout the world. Like this one disaster in Tsuchi."
His last sentence invited a frown to my face.
This disease outbreak in Tsuchi.
From what I remembered of the original timeline…
[Serafina?]
Devisha's voice suddenly interrupted my thought.
The prince's story would have to wait.
"Yes, Devisha? Did you find something?"
[I managed to reach the vantage point. I can tell you what I see, but I think you need to see this yourself.]
The scout reported. She sounded troubled.
Whatever Devisha discovered must not bode well for our endeavor.
"Very well. Stay where you are. I'll come to you in a moment."
I replied the woman.
My other comrades and the prince looked to me with worried gazes.
"What's the matter, Fina?"
Jonah asked.
"I'll have to go outside for a bit. Devisha wants me to see something."
I told them.
I then noticed the bare-footed prince and his modest clothing.
"Get His Highness new clothes and boots suited for travelling. There should be plenty in this attic. I won't be long."
Seeing my comrades nodding back to me, I traced Devisha's presence through the mana wave amplifier from her enchanted ring.
Once I pinpointed her specific location, I weaved the threads of space and time, casting a dimensional spell.
Since I would be travelling alone this time, teleportation would be more suitable.
Teleportation was a more complicated spell than portal-making. But it was actually more mana-efficient since I would not need to maintain a portal open, which depended on the size of the portal and the distance it covers.
In seconds I completed the runes necessary for the spell and a bright light immediately engulfed me.
In a fraction of a moment, my environment turned into a blank shining dimension and shifted into the interior of a tall watchtower in the middle of the Second Wall district.
Devisha was already there waiting for me.
Ten corpses of Jherendal soldiers were lying bloodied on the floor. Most definitely the Tsahanam assassin's handiwork, given the notifications I saw earlier.
The door which led down the tower had already been sealed with spears and other form of barricades. Likely set up by the soldiers to prevent the undead from infiltrating the structure.
Either way, nobody would be coming up here and interrupt us.
Devisha did well taking down all these enemies by herself and securing this watchtower. Though I hoped she would warn us first before engaging in a battle alone.
"What did you find?"
I asked the Tsahanam mercenary.
"It is as you predicted, Serafina. The infected have immediately taken over both the First and the Second Wall district. The rest of the districts are being overrun as we speak."
She proceeded to head over to the ledge of the watchtower, which provided us sight over the city.
Devisha picked the right spot.
Located on a hill, this watchtower allowed us view of the entire five wall districts of Tsuchi and beyond.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x379,932]
All the major streets on both the First and the Second Wall district were flooded with corpse-looking infected.
Each of the dark back-alleys were swarmed by at least a hundred of such rabid creatures.
The rest of the city districts were continuously being flooded with hordes of infected. Threatening to envelop the entire city before the hour was out.
Even from afar, I could see on the three outer districts of buildings getting destroyed, people running and screaming, overwhelmed by the waves and rabid shouts of the infected.
It would be suicide to openly traverse the grounds now.
And if only the infected were the sole threats in this Quintal Trial.
"What about the bulk of the remaining Jherendal soldiers? Did you manage to locate them?"
I asked our scout.
"Look over to the walls, Serafina."
Devisha told me.
Earlier I was focusing on the city districts themselves and what was on the grounds. So I did not pay much attention to the walls.
Hence I did as she said and casted a silent spell on my eyes.
Magnifying lens.
With improved eyesight I observed the walls fortifying the grand city of Tsuchi.
Thanks to my spell, I was able to clearly see what was on the distant battlements.
"What in the Goddesses' names?"