CHAPTER 49: | THE MINIATURE WORLD OF THE FIRST SEGMENT | 5
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CLACK... CLACK...
In an unknown place, within a room opulent with luxury, figures with elongated horns rising from their foreheads sat around a massive roundtable.
A voice, as calm as the deepest sea, echoed through the chamber.
"Another invader has arrived..."
Its blue eyes, serene and steady, surveyed the powerful beings seated around the table.
"The chance for us to be freed has come, my brothers and sisters."
Another voice, sharp with anticipation, responded, its fiery red eyes gleaming.
The blue-eyed closed his eyes for a moment, then pointed his clawed hand at the map spread across the roundtable.
RUSTLE.
It was old and tattered at the edges, its surface worn smooth.
His index finger traced the map's contours.
"The Titans have moved, for the invader killed his son."
His hand then moved, tapping a specific location marked.
TAP. TAP.
'Swamp of Despair.'
"A few hours ago, someone annihilated the lowly swamp trolls, the bottom of the hierarchy."
The red-eyed gaze sharpened on the blue-eyed one.
He snorted.
"What are you trying to tell us?"
The blue-eyed calmly raised his index finger, silencing any nascent protests, as he fixed his gaze on the map.
WHOOSH.
"The invaders should head to this place next."
The yellow-eyed gaze hardened with contempt, suspicion lacing his tone.
"Tell us, why would the invader go there?"
The blue-eyed looked at the yellow-eyed for a moment, then sighed, his patience thin.
He pointed to a prominent landmark.
"It's obvious, isn't it? Right now, the invader must be on his high horse, full of arrogance. Now, let me ask you, what would you do if you found a map revealing this expansive forest's geography?"
The red-eyed pondered for a bit, while the pink-eyed shook her head, a mischievous glint visible in her gaze.
"It's obvious, Blue Eyes, that the invader would try to fight that thing."
The blue-eyed nodded at her answer, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes, as he gazed intently at the map.
"And that's precisely why we need to stir trouble in the forest."
The pink-eyed gaze was alight with excitement.
CHIME!
She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes, then pointed at a specific location on the map.
TAP.
"Let me handle this, Blue Eyes."
WHOOSH!
Her light giggles were audible as she vanished into a swirling pink mist, completely disappearing from the room.
The blue-eyed sighed at his mischievous sister's antics.
He then looked at the yellow and red-eyed, pointing at two distinct locations on the map.
"You two handle these. And Green Eyes, you go here."
Then, a subtle smile touched his lips as he pointed to the very middle of the map.
"And I take this."
Red-Eyed and Yellow-Eyed exchanged quick glances as Green-Eyed transformed into a gust of wind before vanishing.
FWOOOSH!
Red-Eyed exploded into a burst of flame as he shouted.
"The one who finishes his task last will serve the winner for a year!"
CRACK!
Before Red-Eyed could vanish from the room, a massive hand made of earth surged from the floor, clutching his fiery form, while Yellow-Eyed simultaneously melted into a shimmering cloud of dust.
Red-Eyed screamed with anger as bright red flames erupted from his form, melting the earthen hand with ease.
SSSSSSS!
"You damned bastard, wait for me!"
SHHHK!
Blue-Eyed gazed at his siblings' banter, a faint sigh escaping him.
He looked at the map one last time before he, too, vanished into thin air.
FWIP.
---
I gazed at the ground where two objects lay flat on a stone platform.
THUMP.
"What should I do..."
I contemplated my next move, unable to read the strange language etched on the map, unsure of which direction to take.
My gaze lingered on the map for a moment, then shifted to a journal, strikingly similar to the one Liora had given me before leaving.
The reason I hadn't read the book she'd given me wasn't because of laziness, but because I simply couldn't decipher its script.
"..."
RUSTLE.
A deafening silence pressed in as I stared at the map before me, attempting to comprehend my current location.
I let out a sigh and stored both items in my inventory, a feature I'd unlocked at the castle by storing Liora's 'Golden Maiden Scripture.'
Only when one decided to store an item would the system activate an individual inventory, almost as if one had to prove oneself worthy.
The logic seemed to be that you needed to demonstrate the intelligence to imagine storing something in a subspace, a fundamental test of sentience.
Why else would the dimensional record bother with a survey to confirm you're a sentient being?
Asking questions about whether you have the brains?
That would be dumb and ineffective, so setting it up this way saved it the hassle.
CRACK. CRACK.
Letting out another sigh, I stretched my body, feeling the satisfying release in my limbs.
It had been a few hours since I'd stretched after feasting on the trolls.
I gazed at the calm, forested swamp before me, a relaxed smile on my face.
The smell of blood still lingered, a stark reminder of the ruined troll village.
"I guess it's time for me to go."
SPLASH. SPLASH.
The swamp water stirred with my every step as I leaped forward with increasing speed, eager to digest my recent meal.
I used the opportunity to practice my footwork with 'Quantum Displacement,' to further familiarize myself with a skill I hadn't used in quite a while.
WHOOSH!
Like a wraith lost in the forest, my form moved with wraith-like speed.
I vanished and reappeared tens of meters away, almost as if teleporting.
The swamp water didn't splash from my steps, as I outright walked on the surface with the subtle use of mana.
ZSHHH!
Like an eerie spirit, my movements generated no ripple, my speed gradually increasing as I grew more familiar with the technique.
The scenery shifted.
The level of the swamp water now reached up to my torso if I walked on the ground.
The lack of visibility within the immediate perimeter suggested that this place was the undisputed territory of something monstrous.
Eyes watched my every movement.
I could feel their gaze, but even with the enhanced perception of 'Gaze of the Fallen Omniscient,' I couldn't catch a glimpse of my unseen observer.
"Quite an intriguing lad we have here."
WHOOOOM...
An enchanting voice echoed, soft yet resonant, as a figure began to walk directly upon the water.
Its mere presence alone stirred the surroundings.
RIPPLE... RIPPLE...
The water generated undulating waves and ripples from her movements, the tree leaves shook violently, and the lotus blossoms, scattered everywhere, trembled from her oppressive aura.
She walked with an almost ethereal grace, her voluptuous figure and generous assets clearly visible beneath her loose clothing that swayed with the violent gust of wind.
Her black hair draped down to her hips, and her blood-red lips gleamed with a lustrous sheen.
Her eyes, a deep purple amethyst, gleamed with curiosity as she gazed directly at me.
FLAP. FLAP.
Her loose clothing parted, revealing her lustrous pink nipples, but she paid no mind to her exposed form.
It seemed she was far more interested in me than in me seeing her naked.
Her voice echoed, soft yet enchanting, as she gently creased her chin.
"So, what have you come here for, handsome?"