01.08.1642

The Southeast Military Base

13:59

Now in the early morning, few of those present in the base are waking up, while others have chosen to sleep for just a bit more. From those that wished to wake up though, we can see the Great Leader ending His rest with the help of an alarm that He now closes while He puts Himself to stay on His bed, facing the other side of the room, watching the dark space in which He stays alongside His brother. It's funny though the fact that the alarm only managed to wake Him up but got completely ignored by RY4N, who is still sleeping. It would explain why on his part of the room there is another alarm set for later, standing next to him.

Even so, the ruler now stands alone on His bed to clear up His mind before He reaches for something from His drawers. It's the map drawn by IZUK1 which copied the one got from His father. But now it seems as the map has suffered a few changes, having notes marked by CHE5TER with a few calculations of how long should the road be towards their destination with the help of the way the City of Perfection's area was drawn and how such a big city should be seen on a tiny map. Even though the shape of the city drawn on the paper doesn't really match the actual shape of the present. And it's not an error coming from copying the map, it is just the way it was drawn originally.

By the looks of it, the road seems to be pretty long, considering the length of the city and the distance shown between it and the destination. Taking into consideration that there is also the threat of "demons" which these people fear and the hours spent only on the road itself, it would mean for them to leave the city as soon as the suns rise in order to not catch the nightfall and fight the issue of the demons. It would explain why the ruler has chosen to wake up so early. He needs to prepare everything for their leave before the dawn ends.

Once He has checked the map for one last time to make sure everything is okay, He tends to stand up from His bed and leave the room. Yet something stops Him, making Him look back at the drawers and then going towards them. It doesn't take long before He starts searching for something in them again, taking out the original map given by M4TTH3W, folded so nicely and taken care of as if it is such a precious item that should not suffer any kind of bad events that might damage it. It's not like He can use it though since His eyes cannot see the same thing we can, but He still cannot let go of it since it is the very last legacy He has left from His father. Be it as useless as it is now.

He decides in the end to take it too, just to know that it is close to Him and not lost, and maybe to find a better place for it to stay where it can be protected rather than just staying in some random drawers full of items which CHE5TER uses on a daily basis. If He left it there, He would've feel guilty if anything happened to it for the rest of His life.

16:44

[CHE5TER]-...Mr. D4NI3L, did you make sure everything I ordered to be taken is packed up?

[D4NI3L]-Yes, I did.

[CHE5TER]-What about the people I've told you to inform on the matter?

[D4NI3L]-Only a few didn't get the information yet, Master. But it shouldn't take a lot of time to do so, really.

[CHE5TER]-Okay, then who are those left?

[D4NI3L]-I believe Mr. J4CE, Mr. ER1C and I think--

[KYR4]- --Master!

Whatever is happening now, it sure causes a lot of chaos around the whole base. It's not even the chaos similar to when they get ready for their missions at night, more like worse than encountering a new important assignment. A lot of people seem confused on what's happening at this hour as well, and from those it seems like KYR4 is also expressing her perplexities, coming to ask the Great Leader alongside LUK3, who was being his usual, N04H, who was initially training with him, and C0NNER, who was also pretty puzzled on the whole atmosphere.

[D4NI3L]-...Yeah. Her and Mr. LUK3.

[KYR4]-What's happening? Why is everyone hurrying for no reason? We are about to leave for the Council meeting too, yet I can't find RY4N anywhere!

[CHE5TER]-Don't worry. You won't need to go at the Council meeting today, KYR4.

[KYR4]-What?

[CHE5TER]-You heard me. You and RY4N have something else to do with me. I've spoken to Officer CYRU5 so that he will go to the meeting this time to make sure we don't miss anything important.

[KYR4]-*sigh* As grateful as I am that I do not have to go to that battle ground, I still do not understand your decision...

[CHE5TER]-D4NI3L, can you let us speak alone for a moment? Make sure in the meantime that the others know about what I've told you.

[D4NI3L]-Alright, Master. I will do as you said.

Officer D4NI3L then leaves at the Great Leader's command, remaining the confused group of friends to speak with CHE5TER.

[KYR4]-Okay, so what's the deal here? What do you want RY4N and I to do?

[CHE5TER]-Nothing special. We are just going to do a mission in a few minutes when RY4N comes back from the small request I gave him this morning.

[LUK3]-A mission? At this hour? I thought that we are doing them only during the night!

[CHE5TER]-This is not a simple mission of ours, LUCAS. As you can see, I am coming too, unlike the previous missions from the past months.

[C0NNER]-So what's the mission about, Master?

[CHE5TER]-How can I explain it... You see, the mission of today won't include us going to the City of Above as you might have thought. Instead of doing our ordinary routine or investigations, I've told everyone involved that we will change our objective and do something new. Completely new.

[KYR4]-You said that to the investigations around the Great Walls too. What makes it so "new" this time?

[CHE5TER]-Well... how exactly would you describe a mission outside the Great Walls if it isn't something new to you?

The group got paralysed from His words not long after they were heard. LUK3 got terrified for sure knowing that the outside is a real threat to them, but the others simply got surprised for good.

[KYR4]-...What do you mean outside the walls?

[CHE5TER]-Exactly how it sounds. No other meaning.

[KYR4]-...Y-You've gone insane, CHE5TER! You are not thinking it straight!

[CHE5TER]-Hm?

[KYR4]-Y-You know the best from us that outside the Great Walls are wandering those creatures that are so harmful to the point that they can kill us without anything more than their own limbs! Why would you even think of doing such mission in the first place!? We even told the EZR4H Clan to stop the missions just because of this problem! Now you want us to go instead of them so we can get ourselves killed!?

[CHE5TER]-But I am aware of that matter. If I wasn't, then I would've not come with you all to make sure nothing goes wrong. And it is the same reason why we are doing it during the day, or "this early" as LUCAS said.

[KYR4]-Then why!? From all the possible missions, you want us to go there and risk it all??

[CHE5TER]-We won't risk anything, Officer KYR4. I gave my word to everyone that we will not have anything to do with those creatures at all. We won't go near their places, nor where there is no light, and we will come back before the suns set.

[LUK3]-B-But why?? Can't we do something different? L-Like, like--

[C0NNER]- --Oh, dear. If even LUK3 is this scared of the outside...

[LUK3]-I-I'm not scared, alright?? I-I'm just... concerned! Y-Yeah!

[C0NNER]-Mhm...

[CHE5TER]-Well, there is nothing that should concern you, nor scare you. RY4N was alright with the plan after all. If you do not trust my word, then trust his. After all, him and I stood the whole night to plan everything out so that nothing will go wrong.

[N04H]-But why did you decide to do this mission though?

[CHE5TER]-I am afraid that you won't be able to understand like they do, Mr. N04H. Few people know exactly what I've been doing in my office recently and I hope that nobody spoke too much about it. But just let's say... it has to do with my legacy.

[KYR4]-You mean that...

[CHE5TER]-Yes. I found the answer I've been looking for. But I still have to search deeper to find it as a whole. And it seems as... it leads me to the outside of our area, outside both of our cities, for whatever reason. Yesterday, Officer RY4N and I went to some people in order to speak about the letter and see if we can get some help from the former soldiers of our father. We did get what we wanted, but not exactly how we expected. And it turns out that this small problem that I've been trying to solve all this time was nothing more than a map. A map which... leads outside, as I said. As to where exactly it leads us... I'm not sure myself. There are some symbols here and there that we might recognise when we arrive in those specific places, to know how and where to navigate. I've told RY4N earlier this morning to speak with Mr. EZR4H about what they use when going outside, a reason why you didn't find him, KYR4. He went to the clan's residence to see if he can get some equipment from them, since the Central Base will take a while to make the equipment and also time for it to be delivered and registered in the data. We hope that EZR4H can borrow us a few things that they've been using those years, just this time.

[N04H]-So I don't come this time either, I suppose.

[CHE5TER]-Yes, but you are not the only one, so do not worry. When you will get enough experience, maybe you will be able to come.

[KYR4]-What do you mean he is not the only one? Isn't everyone coming with us?

[CHE5TER]-Unfortunately, no. I demanded only for 15 people to come in total, and the rest shall stay at the base.

[C0NNER]-Oh, it is new for sure... I would've not even dream of such mission to be a part of my work.

[CHE5TER]-Well, worry not, 'cause you aren't included in the outside mission team either, C0NNER.

Yet when hearing that last sentence, it seems as C0NNER got rather shocked, even a bit mad, but not showing it yet. He looks at his master in the eyes with such betrayal hidden in his heart, before speaking again.

[C0NNER]-W-W... What do you mean I'm not included!?

[CHE5TER]-C0NNE--

[C0NNER]- --I've been your soldier for so many years, Master! How could you tell me right into my face that you do not trust me to be one from your team!?

[CHE5TER]-I did not say anything about years here, C0NNER. I just say tha--

[C0NNER]- --Then why!? I've worked so hard my entire life, how can you simply say that I'm only worth being left behind??

[CHE5TER]-Let me finish my sentences, C0NNER!

Of course he is a bit mad, assuming that his own master doesn't trust him at all. But he calms down in the end and looks angry at Him, yet also appearing as if he respects every decision of this man. Even if he does not agree with them all.

[CHE5TER]-...I do not take you with me not because I do not trust you, little one. I trust anybody in this base no matter their actions. But you are not ready to leave the outside of the walls just yet. Simple weapons won't help you with anything in case of an emergency, and I do not want any losses during this mission. When you will learn to control your powers and rely on yourself only, I will be able to accept you and say that you are ready to take part into such missions.

[C0NNER]-...But it's not my fault that I do not know how to use them! It's not my fault at all!

[CHE5TER]-I know, but it shouldn't mean that I can let you come. Those that remain have the same problem as you: they depend on their weapons but not on themselves. Those that do come know how to protect themselves no matter the case. Take the example from those that are next to you. Both KYR4 and LUK3 know how to survive without anything at hand. KYR4 is a good wielder of her powers and LUK3's fighting techniques are very helpful since he adapts to the situations he is in, even if he fights most of the times with his weapon. I did not choose blindly for this mission, C0NNER. I want you to understand that.

While mentioning them, LUK3 stares for a few seconds at KYR4 with a look that... you can't really tell what was its purpose. He smiles with such a face as if he wanted to show her that he is either as good as being compared to an actual Officer or as if he wanted to simply show off without saying anything and letting CHE5TER speak about him. KYR4 didn't give a damn, she only rolled her eyes and tried to ignore him completely after that gesture.

As for C0NNER, the response seems to have gotten on his nerves. Since it is about his powers that he cannot control, he is left out from the mission this time. So, without any word added, he leaves the base mad without looking back, while CHE5TER remains to watch him leave out of anger just for a second, before He continues talking to the others.

[KYR4]-...Okay, I understand why you didn't choose to take him, but what makes you think that we are ready? Demons can kill us easily, remember? With or without weapons, and with or without experience in fighting or surviving.

[CHE5TER]-Well, I trust that you both will be able to escape from an emergency. LUK3 did it so many times, proof being his scars, and I believe for someone that has such a great knowledge on using her powers will be able to do the same. Besides, we will try as much as possible to stay only in the light, remember?

[KYR4]-*sigh* Alright, alright... Then what would we do exactly? What's the mission about?

[CHE5TER]-Simple. We will try and search for whatever the map leads us to. We will separate the teams in three people, so five groups in total, searching for whatever we need to find. The teams will be decided by you if you wish so, I do not mind. I already have chosen which people will come with me. And right now, RY4N is trying his best to get some vehicles from the EZR4H Clan, being a part of their equipment, so that we will be able to move faster and not waste too much time on traveling.

Though the explanation of the plan has only begun, we can move our attention already to when it is executed. RY4N did manage to get the equipment needed, one vehicle for each member that comes in the mission being a part of it. But of course, since they do not use such things, they are not fully adapted to how they work yet.

"Once he gets them, he should instruct us on how to use them with the help of the instructions given by the members which I have told him to ask for. Since we have never used this kind of a device, I cannot simply give them the second they arrive and trust that they will not get damaged because of our own mistakes. We do need to get them back as a whole after all. But when the instruction ends, we should be able to make our ways outside the Great Walls quickly and arrive at the location of the map."

During the road of the tunnels, they are trying to get used to these vehicles while following the instruction, learning how to control them better and how to move even faster. The vehicles themselves are something similar to what we would call "motorcycles", but they do not have wheels or anything to that kind. Instead, they float above the ground, having a more complex form than what we know, since the lower side of the vehicle is almost completely flat so that it can balance perfectly while floating above, and with a design of it that could captivate your eyes pretty easily.

So, moments of them getting used to the vehicles pass, finally arriving at the moment when they understand almost fully how they work and what they should do. The vehicles do have a thing with handles that control the way of where the vehicle goes, similar to ours, yet what they have a bonus is a small advantage for those that are C borns. There is a small screen on the controller of the vehicle on which you can put your hand and connect yourself with the vehicle so that you do not need to do anything more than just to watch where you are going, controlling it with your own mind. And another bonus is that you can adjust very easily where the connection can be set, making it even where you sit if you feel it more easier to handle. So of course they try it too and use it for a few moments to get used to it as well. I mean, just the C borns. The R borns have to use it normally without any kind of a helpful connection.

But it sure takes more for them to get used to this technique. Even CHE5TER has some difficulties at first controlling it, alongside all the others that try it. But when they do manage to get better, they find it pretty fun to use. LUK3 for example gets so excited, screaming out of pure joy with his hands up and moving around where he wants while his C colour lights up because of the connection. All the other C borns' colours also light up during the process. The only disadvantage of this function is that it was originally made for emergencies in case of a battle.

If a C born uses this connection, then he directly uses from his energy since connection means consumption. Any device that uses a connection like this one also has the same issue, even the devices that C0NNER uses as a Defender, being the only thing he has control over when it comes to his power. They are easy to learn as a C born, but they are also as harmful if you rely on your energy in that moment. So because of this C born - vehicle connection will use too much of their energy, the time on this technique is limited. They can use it now for a few minutes to get used to this control function too, but they will later be obligated to use the vehicles in their traditional way.

The first destination for them is the area of the Great Walls in the City of Above. In order to get out, they program their equipment to take the form into a tiny gadget that is easier to carry, being also a function added for easier navigation while on feet. The only thing left to do is to find a good opportunity to leave the city. Now that they are on the walls themselves, being vanished from the naked eye, they look around to make sure when they disable their invisibility, no soldier will be able to see them. And when they see the opportunity of leaving the area, they jump from the walls safely, quickly activating their vehicles and rushing towards the unknown as soon as possible in order to not get detected by any M soldier nor camera installed on the walls.

"...And when we get outside the walls, we shall use the other equipment that they've given us, managing to make ourselves a road to not get lost. We will put some location trackers wherever we go and supervise our ways on our devices. So I do hope that none of you gets lost from their team, 'cause we will be completely disconnected by those from the base and we won't have the chance to know where you are."

The Outside World

20:31

The road takes some hours as expected. Even though nobody actually knows when they should stop since everything looks the same outside the walls. They have stopped at CHE5TER's command though, when He thought that they have arrived based on His calculations. After that, the groups got separated to search the area and to cover a larger part of it at the same time. Because of that, no group is actually able to see each other without going a bit with their vehicles.

RY4N seems to have sticked with LUK3 and KYR4, yet the Great Leader chose to be with Officer D4NI3L and His personal Defender, Mr. N4THAN. All the others just chose based on their preferences as well, be it friends or simply colleagues that they get along the best with. All the teams set themselves a location tracker where they are, as well as one tracker where they have separated themselves in order to get back to it when the ruler commands. After all, these devices will be one of the most used ever since they left the area of the Great Walls in order to know how to get back home.

RY4N's team seems to look around one of the areas where the map shows, having with him a small copy of the other copy drawn by IZUK1 which is currently in CHE5TER's possession. All the other teams have one copy as well in order to look for clues on their own. As for what the outside world looks like... it is more like a desert. There is no sign of life whatsoever wherever you look. There are no trees, no plants, no animals, nothing. Maybe one of the reasons why these beings do not know anything about other life forms is because there are none to begin with. But you cannot say it's only sand everywhere either. There are different rocks with such strange forms around, hills made out of them or out of sand, and the sand itself has rather a grayish brown colour.

[/CHE5TER]-Anything at your positions?

[/J4CE]-No.

[/B4S7IAN]-Negative.

[/ELL1OT]-Nothing.

[RY4N]-Nothing here either.

[/CHE5TER]-*sigh* Alright. Just be careful and stay focused so we don't have any unpleasant surprises.

[RY4N]-What exactly are we suppose to find here anyway, Ches?

[/CHE5TER]-Well... the paper shows a weird symbol of a rock or a hill with a strange form. Maybe we need to find that as a start?

[RY4N]-Is it like a huge rock or a tiny one?

[/CHE5TER]-I'm not so sure. It doesn't say anything. Maybe it is suppose to be huge.

[KYR4]-Yeah, huge rock. No shit, man! There are rocks everywhere!

[RY4N]-Okay, calm down KYR4.

[KYR4]-RY4N, don't even start! This is not what I've expected to do today and I am not even prepared for such missions at all! I have sand all over my clothes and my hair and I can feel it getting into my eyes already! *sigh* I swear it will take me months to clean everything up...

[RY4N]-At least you have the chance to see the outside world, right?

[KYR4]-Yeah, yeah...

Even if she is not so pleased with this mission, LUK3 seems pretty joyful even with his fear. Seeing the outside world is something new for all of them. So of course he wants to play around, taking some sand in his hands and looking at it dropping uniformly between his fingers, before he gets another idea and gets closer to KYR4, letting some of the sand he has taken to drop right onto her hair to mess around with her. Which, of course, gets her mad.

[KYR4]-HEY! LUK3, YOU WANT ME TO BEAT YOU UP RIGHT NOW??

[LUK3]-What? I'm playing around! Come ooon! How many chances do we have to see the outside of the Great Walls?

[KYR4]-THAT'S NOT A REASON FOR YOU TO DO SUCH A THING, DIPSHIT!

[LUK3]-You sure don't know what's fun, girl!

[KYR4]-OH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S FUN?? LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT'S F--

--This has been going for a while. All the teams have been wandering around to find what they think they are supposed to find. Minutes pass, then even hours, but still no team manages to find anything. CHE5TER's team for example is still investigating the area while the Officer sets another location tracker since they have distanced themselves from the last one in order to not meet any unpleasant surprises. The Great Leader looks at the map He has in the meantime, while His Defender stands by His side but keeping a small distance in order to cover a larger area. On the map, based on how He moves His finger around on it, they do seem as they are close to the area where that rock symbol He says they need to find is though.

[CHE5TER]-Any luck, Mr. N4THAN?

[N4THAN]-*sigh* No, not really. There are some weird hills over there, but don't seem to be what we are looking for.

[CHE5TER]-Okay, then we will look closer to the area if needed. Look around for anything that might seem out of place. Let's just hope we find what we need.

[D4NI3L]-Are you sure we will be able to find this secret item though? It's been hours since we've arrived outside the walls. The Great Wind comes every year after all, who says that it didn't cover that rock you told us about with sand centuries ago?

[CHE5TER]-Is it a bad thing to hope for something, Officer?

[D4NI3L]-No, but I was just saying what I know.

It does seem like the sand annoys all of them since it gets into all of their clothes. So while the Officer sets the tracker, he does seem to struggle getting rid of the sand he has in his shoes while also trying to not lose the tracker in the sand as well by putting it in a wrong way. Even the Great Leader seems annoyed by it, but that's how this planet is after all. What can He do about it?

[N4THAN]-What exactly do you hope to find when we arrive at the final destination, Master?

[CHE5TER]-To be honest, I'm not even sure. I don't know anything about the outside world rather than the creatures that live here. So for what am I suppose to find... it is simply hard to say. Maybe it is another box? Buried into the ground?

[N4THAN]-Then it will be even harder to find what we need...

[CHE5TER]-I know, but I simply want to find out what He wished for me to discover. Even if it takes me more days than planned...

Yet it seems as after taking some more steps around the area, the Great Leader has stopped and looked unwell. He was putting His hand around His head, almost seeming as He tries to get rid of some pain that annoys Him. It doesn't take long before His Defender also notices this fact, getting confused and getting closer to Him in order to know that everything is alright. CHE5TER looked to feel dizzy though, almost as if everything spins around Him and even near fainting.

[N4THAN]-Master? Is everything okay?

[CHE5TER]-...I-I'm fine, N4THAN. It's just a small headache...

[N4THAN]-Headache? Why a headache all of a sudden? Is it because of the powerful light from the suns?

[CHE5TER]-I don't... think so. Maybe because I barely slept the previous night to plan everything out. But it may be because of the light too... I-I'm not... used to it.

[N4THAN]-Put your hood on. We don't want you to make a sunstroke now, you know? And sit down and rest for a bit if you feel the need.

[CHE5TER]-Alright...

So He does. He puts His hood on and sits down for a little to take a small rest, closing His eyes while His head seems to hurt even more. It doesn't take long before D4NI3L leaves the tracker and gets closer to their location once he has heard their conversation. He wasn't far after all.

[D4NI3L]-*sigh* Disadvantage of us being used to the shadows... It is true that we don't have missions during the day and we don't see the sunlight very often, but such an effect this quickly?

[N4THAN]-Compared to us, Master CHE5TER didn't see the sunlight at all, D4NI3L. We had missions in the City of Above in the past before even during the day. Of course, being a child of the shadows, it is very possible for Him and RY4N to get affected easily. Not to mention that it has been a few hours since we've left the city.

[D4NI3L]-If you say so, N4THAN. If anything, it's true that I didn't see the suns myself for so many years. I do hope we don't stay too much though, 'cause all of us will start to feel unwell. We want to get back until the night falls, remember?

[N4THAN]-Mm... Alright, what say I take the map while you rest and try to find what we need, Master?

[CHE5TER]-Do as you please...

So, Mr. N4THAN takes the map from the Great Leader and begins looking around once he analyses the strange symbol. The view doesn't help him much since, again, it is only sand, rocks and a few hills here and there. But knowing that the symbol is looking like a hill, he begins to look at all the hills around them and tries to see which one matches the one in the symbol. No luck though.

In the end, he decides to go towards one that looks closer to the shape of the one in the symbol, even though it is still not the same shape that they need. By going towards it, he hopes that by investigating the hill itself, he might find something that they need, maybe another clue. But once gets a bit further from the ruler and the Officer's location, an unexpected issue now begins to confuse him. He set foot on an unstable area by mistake, which caused for his foot to get buried a bit in the sand and harder for him to move. Yet once he removes the leg out of that area, his other foot gets stuck too, until he becomes unable to move from that area at all.

[N4THAN]-...D4NI3L?

He shouts one time the Officer's name in order to get his help, yet avoid getting the ruler involved since it is, at first glance, just a small issue that can be solved. Even so, both of them looked confused at the Defender who didn't seem to move. Officer D4NI3L decided in the end to go and see what's going on while also leaving the Great Leader behind for a moment. But it doesn't take long before N4THAN begins sinking for good while trying to escape on his own which alerts the Officer and makes him run to save his colleague. Even the ruler got a bit shocked and decided to move quickly and help out once seeing that the issue isn't as small as they thought.

[D4NI3L]-What the hell are you doing, N4THAN!?

[N4THAN]-I-I haven't done anything, I-I was just walking! I swear!

And if we are to say the truth, the Defender seemed a bit scared once he too noticed that the whole situation wasn't so innocent either. D4NI3L was the first to arrive and get him by an arm to try and pull him out, while the ruler was still on His way. The only problem is that the unstable area was getting bigger because of N4THAN triggering it, so the Officer was also facing the problem of moving harder than before. While trying to pull him by his hand, he was also trying to walk away from the area which was almost impossible considering the bonus weight and the problem of the sand that sinks his feet.

CHE5TER managed in the end to arrive too, starting to pull His Defender out of the unstable area alongside His Officer. They still struggle though, but manage after some time to pull him out by raising him in the air and throwing him behind them on the more stable area. The only one left to help was the Officer, but it wasn't as bad as how it was for N4THAN. The ruler only needs to help him a bit to get out of the unstable area he stepped in by pulling him away and they are again in the safe zone.

Once it is over, the Officer goes next to the Defender and begins scolding him like a child that just ran away from home, even though they are almost the same age. CHE5TER, on the other hand, chose to stay still since His headache got a bit worse from the whole stress He just lived for a few minutes.

[D4NI3L]-What was in your mind!? Can't you look where you are going?? We don't even know what would happen if the ground consumed you for good! Do you wish so badly to be the first to find out!?

[N4THAN]-How am I suppose to know that there are areas similar to this one!? Do remember that this is our first time outside the walls too!

[D4NI3L]-Still, can't you look where you put your feet next time??

While they were arguing, the ruler was only watching. It's not like He can do much though and even if He intervenes, He might just get a greater pain than He already has. Not to mention that He would also intervene between two people that are technically much older than Him and it has no point in Him trying to solve something that He is not related to, nor which affects Him, the work or His people's safety.

But even so, it seems that all of them forgot one problem. N4THAN did trigger something when he stepped in that area, which means that until it doesn't stop on its own, the area will grow bigger and bigger. And at CHE5TER's stupidity of trying to get rid of an issue faster, He only got a bigger one on His shoulders. He too started sinking, but He remained clueless, ignoring everything that happens around to Him.

[D4NI3L]-...*sigh* Alright. Master, we should move to the next area and mark this one as dangerous for the time being. We won't have enough time to complete our mission if we keep--

--Yet when His own Officer looked back at Him, he was the first to notice that the area grew bigger and is now consuming the ruler Himself who still had no clue on the fact that He is in trouble.

[D4NI3L]-...Master?

At first, He had no idea what His Officer's confusion and worry was all about, but once He looked at the ground Himself, He did notice in the end that He remained in the same spot for too long. What is strange though is that He doesn't reach for safety at first, He actually looks to see what's the cause of the problem in order to find another solution and not bring His own people around this area again. The problem though is the fact that the sand seems to fall somewhere down, since the layers of sand look to have lowered compared to the other areas and in the center of the whole trigger being the lowest level.

"...What the hell?"

[N4THAN]-...Master! Get out of there! Now!!

In the next second, He wakes up to reality and looks back at His Defender, who was already trying to help Him out by giving Him his right arm while also being pulled away by D4NI3L in order to not get into the unstable area again. Since CHE5TER wasn't moving at first, the sinking was pretty slow. But once He tried to reach His Defender's hand and get His right foot out of the sand that was consuming Him, He felt as if suddenly the ground under Him has crashed and made Him sink even further, way deeper than before, getting even to His stomach level.

Even so, He managed to reach for the Defender's arm. The only mistake done is the fact that N4THAN has given Him his right arm, obligating Him to also use His right hand as well. Hand which, of course, might still hurt because of the previous wounds even if healed by whatever caused the new skin to appear. At first He didn't feel much pain, but once the area got even deeper, the pulling got more aggressive and it sure caused Him a discomfort. He did try to hide the fact that this was actually more painful than the headache from before, but He was already showing it. And because of this issue alone, it didn't take long before He let go of the hand because of His pain, sinking completely into the ground.

25:48

Even so, it seems like CHE5TER didn't find His end yet, only waking up into a dark area, with half of His body buried into the sand while standing on the ground. At the same time, some more sand was falling from the above, slowly appearing a small light into the ceiling of the area. An old cave in which He now is present. He tries to get up immediately once He regains His power, even if His body began hurting badly from the fall and from the whole action back there. Not to mention the headache that He still didn't get rid of. Yet all He can do now is to hear the voice screaming His name from the above in panic.

[N4THAN]-Master! Master, can you hear us!? Master!!

[CHE5TER]-...Yeah, I can hear you, N4THAN!

[N4THAN]-Oh, thank M1NERV4, He is alive...

He tries to look above at the small light in order to find His people's faces, yet all in vain. The darkness makes this tiny light one that could blind you, so it is impossible for the ruler to see anything outside.

[CHE5TER]-Can you see me, N4THAN?

[N4THAN]-No, neither of us can! We can't get close to the area in which you fell without us falling as well! Can you get back to us??

[CHE5TER]-I'm... afraid I can't.

[N4THAN]-Then do you want us to bring help?

[CHE5TER]-No need... I will find a way out on my own. Don't get close. Stay up there and wait for me to come above.

Not long after, He starts looking around but since it is so dark that you cannot even see a meter in front of you, He fails in finding out what exactly this place is. In the end, He starts creating a small mist around His arm, lighting up His C colour and going forward. Still, His light isn't enough. A C born's light barely does the job of a flashlight, so being lost in the dark with it won't get you anywhere. And even worse is the fact that it also affects His headache, stopping Him from going anywhere further from the actual source of light in order to not get lost.

...I smell something, Little Ruler. Something that I cannot describe for sure... Something that I've never sensed before, yet feels more familiar than everything I've met so far. Something like a...

Not long after, CHE5TER feels something strange that gets closer to Him, yet such a weird vibe that He gets which He cannot describe either. Because of the pure darkness, it is impossible to see what that "thing" is as well. Yet something is certain. A weird, corrupted and distorted growling starts to get closer to Him each second, which paralyses Him the moment He hears it, knowing damn well from who it comes. Or rather from what it comes... The demons are here too.

His adrenaline rises when He realises, getting so panicked that it is maybe the first time He would ever seek help from His people. If even the Great Leader fears them, then you know for sure that these creatures are the most terrifying beings alive in this world, unable to do anything against them at all no matter who you think you are.

[CHE5TER]-N4THAN! Can you hear me, N4THAN??

[N4THAN]-Yes, what is it?

[CHE5TER]-Stop the research and gather everyone back, now!!

[N4THAN]-What? Why?

[CHE5TER]-I said do it! NOW!!

Yet the growling gets closer and closer to Him, but also a whole new view appears in the meantime. So when He looks at the location of the growling, He sees the glowing, white lights that stand there, watching Him from a distance, completely shocking the Great Leader. Tens of lights that stare at Him, appearing even more by each second He waits. He searches for His weapon in a moment, making it less obvious to not attract any attention nor any unpleasant movement, hoping that the demons won't attack Him any sooner, at least not until the moment He is ready to defend Himself.

Yet He does in vain. The demons have already started coming His way quickly, making Him realise that He now has no way of escaping this tragedy. He gets into His defensive position to try and save His butt even for a bit, putting His sword in front of Him as a shield, closing His eyes to not witness the horror He is about to live and praying to get out alive...

[CHE5TER]-...Forgive me, Brother.

...Or at least for His sins to be forgiven.

So, in just a few seconds, the demons made their way towards Him even closer, ready to attack this man that has the guts to stand in front of them all. Or... well, that's what He thought.

As He opens His eyes, feeling the demons near Him, He would expect to be already dead. Yet He does not see them attacking Him at all. Rather, they avoided Him completely and went quickly towards the hole above CHE5TER from which the light comes, trying to cover it as soon as possible, even hurting themselves while doing so since they get touched by the light. They take the sand that falls into their hands, lick it with their glowing mouths and stick the wet sand on the ceiling to make it stable and unable to open any new way for the light to come in.

It sure... got the Great Leader off guard, looking at these creatures covering the only source of light that exists in this cave. His heart was beating fast without Him even realising it and the whole thing made Him almost faint from the fear He had to battle. But while His adrenaline was ending, He took His only chance of analysing how these creatures really look like.

They look almost exactly like these beings, but having their whole body covered in a dark and corrupted skin. The "lights" that He saw were also their eyes that glow in darkness. Their height is around two meters and a half, so much taller than a simple being. Their hands have fingers so sharp and long, like real blades coming out of their arms. Their ears are sharpen too, even able to move them towards the sounds they hear like an animal from our world. They are indeed no simple beings at all, but for whatever reason, they do not want to attack the Great Leader even if He is not one of them, at least just yet.

So while they struggle to get rid of the light, CHE5TER stares at them to learn more and more about these creatures that they fear. They are corrupted, yet don't seem to have bad intentions either for now. But what gets Him by surprise is the moment He turns back to continue searching for an exit, noticing one of the demons simply standing and staring at Him, completely paralysing the Great Leader.

This demon though is shorter than the others, around two meters and a tiny bit more, almost to a normal height of a very tall being. It doesn't seem as it is young or anything like that, just a different breed from the others, the only one interested to analyse the man that just entered their territory. Both of the breeds have a chaotic breathing though, way faster than ours or these beings' one. Probably even the heartbeats sound different too. Who knows?

The demon seems actually pretty curious about this weird stranger, beginning to sniff around His area, a way of theirs to analyse the environment and the things present in it. But when it tries to get closer to the man, CHE5TER simply threatens it with His sword, pointing at it as a defending mechanism. Maybe because He was acting on His own instincts, wishing to survive. But the demon doesn't seem scared, rather more curious about this stranger. So it tries to get closer again, but this time, CHE5TER gets dead serious out of fear.

[CHE5TER]-...Any more steps and your head is mine, demon! Stay away! I warn you!!

But yet again, the demon doesn't seem scared at all, rather... confused from what the man said, tilting its head a bit to the right while looking at the Great Leader. Of course it confuses CHE5TER too since He knows nothing of these beings, letting His sword on a weaker position to analyse the creature, but still remaining on guard. Yet by doing so, when He lets His hand down, the demon does a movement too, showing its hand with his sharp fingers, almost imitating the man and His sword, which, again, puzzles CHE5TER a lot.

[CHE5TER]-What do you want from me!? Talk, you miserable creature!

Yet again, the demon seems confused, but does another movement. It seems as if it plays in dust for CHE5TER since He doesn't understand what the creature wants at all and it's hard for Him to see anything since the light is almost gone. But after a few seconds of the demon doing its thing, it looks back at the Great Leader, pointing at the dust, shocking Him for good. Because when you look at the dust in front of it... it looks as if something is written down. Similar to a name... "Danny".

...Something like an ally.

26:05

[CHE5TER]-...Danny? T-That's your name?

It seems as the question caught the demon's attention too.

[CHE5TER]-...But how can you have a name? Do you have the intelligence to name yourselves?? All we know about you is that you act out of instincts, so how can you have a name!? Do you understand what I'm saying too??

...But got back into confusion in just a few more words. The demon doesn't say anything, it just stares at the eyes of the ruler, staying on the ground and looking at Him from below. It doesn't take long before CHE5TER realises that He actually talks in vain.

[CHE5TER]-You don't... understand what I am saying?

It tilts its head once again to the Great Leader's question, answering His perplexity for sure. Of course it's a shame that He can't get an actual answer, but the more He analyses the strange creature, He notices that something is attached to its body with the help of a cord tied to it. As for what that is... it looks like a small book.

He looks at the creature in the eyes, which was still staring at Him deadly not understanding a word. This time though, CHE5TER does the first move, getting a bit closer to the creature, trying to get the book it has, yet the creature starts growling at Him the moment He does so as a threat. It backs off with a few steps, while its expression gets rather serious. So, He lets go of His weapon, putting it slowly on the ground to mean no harm, then getting even slower closer to the creature.

This time, the demon seems more peaceful, but the moment He tries to catch the book again, the creature backs down quickly and growls again, letting Him understand for sure that this item is its and its alone. So, He gets another idea once again. To get it, He tries at first to calm the creature down, putting His right hand on its head, moving it slowly, and when the creature is distracted, He takes the tiny book and hides it quickly in His clothes.

Yet it seems as this action of distraction got the demon even friendlier than at first, closing its eyes and getting closer to the man to feel the touch of His hand, almost as if it feels... protected? Yet a weird way to say it this way... Maybe only feeling something familiar to it. But the more it gets closer to His body, the more it forces Him to sit on the ground, staying on His lap while not letting go of His hand.

So it sure is something that no word can explain. The ruler's mind is now puzzled, from the demons He though they were, to simple creatures only surviving on their own, even friendly to those that they want to be at. He pats it a few more times while trying to process this new information, yet the creature simply continues begging for more. As for the reason behind it... is still unknown.

Then, some smaller growling appear from the back of the demon, being even what seems to be newborns of their kind, scared of the unknown creature they are witnessing now. Yet the demon that sits with its head on CHE5TER's lap gets up and goes towards them, growling back. Their growling isn't as a threat, only some simple communication they use. So the younger creatures start sniffing the area of the man too, getting a sense that annoys them about the smell they feel, going back to where they came from because of it in order to get closer to the older demons or even behind the friendly demon's back... almost as if they fear this smell at all costs. The smell of a normal being.

Compared to the taller demons, those that are the same breed at this demon do seem to be interested on what this "creature" does in their area, while those that are taller don't seem to give a damn, ignoring CHE5TER completely. As if a breed does not care and the other one does. So it sure is fascinating for Him to see something like this with His own eyes.

[CHE5TER]-...Can you speak, demon?

It seems like the creature understood this sentence a bit this time, getting closer to the ruler once again and raising its hands very high above. But He doesn't understand this movement, so He tilts a bit His head, the demon copying Him. It's rather amusing knowing that this creature copies what it sees at the ruler sometimes, so He tests this out for a little fun.

He raises His left hand high, confusing the demon for a bit until it puts his right hand down, continuing copying the ruler. Then he makes a step back, this time making the demon simply not do anything since it did not understood His movement. Then He puts His left hand down, making the demon copy Him again.

[CHE5TER]-So you like copying me, I see?

Yet again, the demon doesn't understand. So, the Great Leader shows it His right hand in hope that it will copy Him again. But instead of copying, the demon analyses the hand where the finger is missing, bandaged as it always is and hiding the new skin He now has, smelling that part and starting to look behind the ruler, moving towards an unknown destination. Almost as if it responds to a command.

It leaves the Great Leader behind, going a bit far, but stops when it sees that the ruler doesn't move, CHE5TER only watching its movements. In the end, the ruler takes His sword back and starts following the weird creature, getting in a dark area where He cannot see anything at all, forcing Him to make another mist to activate His natural light. It attracted the creature's attention too, getting back to the ruler and starting sniffing Him again, looking at the weird light which seems... to not affect it at all. The only light that it can touch.

But then, it gets back to its road, making the ruler follow it into deep darkness, not able to see anything at all. And minutes after, it seems like the light from its eyes stops moving in that darkness, making the ruler realise that they've arrived. But since it is so dark, the Great Leader is unable to see what the demon wants to show Him, only noticing a simple wall made out of rocks. So, in order for Him to see, He uses the mist to create a gun which He uses to shoot at the ceiling a few times to make a few holes in order for the suns' light to enter the cave.

But when the light comes, the creature gets affected, almost as if the suns burn it completely, rushing towards the spot of darkness and staring at the ruler standing in the light, looking like it calls for Him. Yet the ruler's attention is taken by a strange rock wall, seeming as if it was created because of an avalanche. He shoots again at the ceiling, trying to create a single hole that should cover Him a large area of light to see but also create an exit at the same time. Because of that, some of the sand falls on the rock wall which stands more as a platform than an actual wall when looking at it better.

He gets closer to this wall and takes a seat on the ground, starting to get the rocks one by one from that area to find what exactly does the demon want to show Him. Minutes after searching and giving His energy away, He gets progress. On the ground, buried under the rocks, was a simple sword that belonged to a person. Seeing it makes Him continue His search, finally revealing the real treasure. It is a dead body, way older than all the bodies He ever saw, as it does not have any flesh anymore, remaining only the skeleton and surprisingly the clothes in which the person was. For sure, the material of the clothes they use can survive for many years...

He has rather a moment of hesitation discovering that this is a place in which someone found their eternal rest in this horrific way, but He gets interrupted by the demon, who was growling louder at the ruler, calling for Him over and over again. So, CHE5TER gets up and goes to the terrified creature who was staring at Him while moving chaotically next to the area of light, getting closer to it and looking it into the eyes. Then, He gives it a simple smile, sincere this time, and starting to engrave something with His sword on the ground present in the dark area. It is His name, "CHE5TER", facing the demon in order for it to read it.

[CHE5TER]-...CHE5TER. My name is CHE5TER. And I give you my sincere gratitude for your action, Danny.

The creature doesn't really understand what He said, but it looks down at the name, sniffing again, then putting its arm on the ground to erase the name, almost as a sign for Him to understand something similar to the sentence "I will remember". Then, CHE5TER looks one more time as a goodbye at its eyes, before He finally goes back to the corpse, while the demon stands, sitting on the ground as if it waits for Him to come back, watching the ruler from afar, growling.

When He arrives, He starts analysing the corpse in more details. The clothes seem pretty torn apart, and the old sword that was in front of it was almost broken. So, to get an answer, He starts searching in the fallen one's clothes for something in its pockets, being stopped by a weird and painful feeling. And no, I do not mean regret or any feeling similar to this. I mean a real and physical pain, which shocks His right hand, forcing Him to back off in the next second.

He waits for a few moments to calm down after the shock, then tries again to search for whatever is in the pocket that caused Him this pain. This time, there is no shock, yet He finds something that He does not recognise at all. It is an ore with the colour red, an ore that we do recognise for the first time in this entire world: a ruby. He analyses this strange ore He found for some seconds, watching how beautiful it looks and how the light travels through it. But He puts it in one of His pockets, in a safe spot, and continues to search further, since His initial plan was to find something else. But yet again, He is stopped.

[N4THAN]-Master! Master, we are here!

It seems as the gunfire He created attracted the people He came with, as a signal for where He currently is. So, He looks at the hole from which the light comes and sees all the people there, watching Him from above.

[N4THAN]-Master!

[CHE5TER]-Yes, I can see you, N4THAN!

[RY4N]-What the hell happened, Ches? How did you manage to fall?

[CHE5TER]-Oh, so you want to start with a mocking now, RY4N??

[RY4N]-I was just asking...

[CHE5TER]-Better than making fun of me, come down here! I found something while I was on my own!

[D4NI3L]-...Found something?

So, the team gets down towards Him, looking at the ruler confused. Some remained up there to supervise the area, only a few stood to see what the Great Leader found.

[RY4N]-Okay... what did you find?

[CHE5TER]-You want me to explain everything on my own? Look for yourself.

He points at the dead body that was still a bit buried in the rocks, giving them all rather a chill down their spines looking at the fallen one in front of them.

[D4NI3L]-...So what does this have to do with what you wanted to find?

[CHE5TER]-I just think that we are not meant to find something like an object, rather... just a location on the map, which it seems as we have found. There is something about this area that we might need to know, but what...?

[RY4N]-How did you come up with that conclusion from just a dead body?

[CHE5TER]-Well... with its help.

Then, He points back at the demon that was still waiting for Him, which shocks the whole group and makes them take a huge step away when noticing the creature waiting. Yet it seems like the Great Leader got used to its presents already, being the only one that does not move.

[LUK3]-...W-W-What d-does that c-creature w-want?

[CHE5TER]-Surprisingly... nothing actually.

[RY4N]-H-How so?

[CHE5TER]-I'm not sure either. But let it be. It is not a threat, at least just yet.

[N4THAN]-H-How are you so sure of it, Master? It is a demon in flesh!

[CHE5TER]-Maybe because I feel like... it wants to tell me something that I can't understand.

While the others stare at the creature in fear, the Great Leader gets back to searching around the corpse's clothes, finally managing to find what He wanted in the first place. And it seems to be another tiny book, which is something similar to an identification card. It shows some information of the deceased person as well: the blood code which the being had, the name it used and a small space under these details that was meant to be its testament or last wish. Strangely enough, that space meant for the those things is empty, as if the being didn't have time to write it down before it died. The name, on the other hand, is what interested the ruler the most, with the blood code just being a backup plan in case the name is useless to Him: ALEX4NDER HAYATO, E24FU72NL.

Meanwhile, LUK3 got a bit curious of the creature that was looking at the ruler this whole time and decided to get closer to it, just to take a small look and analyse this demon. But when the demon noticed him and started sniffing again, it seems as if something was awaken in its instinct the moment it found his smell, trying to attack LUK3 as he was getting closer with its sharp fingers, scaring the soul out of his body. And from the friendly creature that it was... it looks as if it got into a wilder one, screaming at the terrified young man that was looking at it, opening its glowing mouth for the first time as a threat.

And by that action alone, the Great Leader remains confused again when looking at His soldier and the creature that helped Him. Not only that, but it seems as all the other demons were on their way too, looking at all the people that were standing in the light, growling and screaming, and some even moving around to find a way to attack them once they arrive.

[LUK3]-Y-YOU SAID IT ISN'T A THREAT! YOU LIED, CHE5TER!

[CHE5TER]-...B-But it wasn't. I-I don't--

[RY4N]- --S-Shouldn't we get out of here as soon as possible while we still can? What is for us to find here? Our own death?

The ruler looks at the demon so confused, even a bit unhappy to know that He doesn't know the real truth behind its action, but when He wakes up from this endless nightmare, He looks back at the ID card of the person, trying to make an idea of what this area is all about.

[CHE5TER]-...Does anybody know anything about the name "ALEX4NDER HAYATO"?

[IZA4K]-Sorry, but it doesn't ring a bell.

[D4NI3L]-So you found the ID card of the person?

[CHE5TER]-Yes, and I want to know if he was related to this place in some way. Maybe he has some of our answers.

[D4NI3L]-May I see it for a moment?

The ruler gives it to His Officer, and it seems as if it gets him by surprise too.

[D4NI3L]-...Oh, he sure is old.

[CHE5TER]-What do you mean?

[D4NI3L]-Well, this type of ID cards weren't used for many years since we've changed their appearances a long time ago. I would say that not until 150 years ago, people were using this type of ID cards to show who they are, and they were pretty much obligated to write a will the moment they've got to their adult age. Pretty strange that this guy didn't write anything though...

[RY4N]-So you say that...

[D4NI3L]-Yep, the body might be older than a hundred years now. Who knows how much it stood here without anybody knowing...

[CHE5TER]-...But why here? Why did he die here out of all the places?

[D4NI3L]-Who knows... I believe that many were going outside the Great Walls back then to find more about the world. We gave up on this idea when we started losing more and more people, simply focusing on survival only. But I can't say for certain what he was doing here. Giving that he owned a sword, maybe he was a former soldier of the military during those times, or maybe a member of the EZR4H Clan who got lost.

It is a moment of silence for the fallen one that stands in front of them, before the ruler sighs, takes the broken blade, fixes it into the ground, puts Himself on a knee and closes His eyes. It doesn't take long before everyone else put themselves on their knee too, as a signal of respect for the one that found himself such a tragic death.

[CHE5TER]-...May the soul find the Light and rest that the body couldn't.

[ALL]-...And may the afterlife complete the fallen one's dreams. For the eternal peace.

[CHE5TER]-May it be...

Yet it seems that while they do this ritual for the fallen one, CHE5TER got back His headache because of the contact with the suns' light again, annoying Him once more. So He stays a bit longer than needed on the ground.

[D4NI3L]-...We better get going though. The creatures seem pretty angry on the fact that we are present and we don't want to fight them any sooner, remember?

[LUK3]-A-Agreed!

[N4THAN]-Alright then... Master, let's go back to the base and we will search further about this place there!

Yet He does not response. It takes only a few seconds before His Defender realises that something is wrong again.

[N4THAN]-Master?

[CHE5TER]-...

[N4THAN]-Master, what is it? Does the headache still affect you?

[CHE5TER]-...A bit.

[N4THAN]-*sigh* Alright, we will take it easy with the missions during the day next time until you get used to the suns.

[RY4N]-...To be honest, I'm starting to have the same pain as he has too.

[KYR4]-Me too, but just a tiny bit.

[D4NI3L]-Yep, it's starting to do its effect on everyone now. Let's get back fast so we won't get everyone sick.

[RY4N]-Agreed...

The soldiers start to get up from the cave in which they were and prepare their vehicles, but it seems as the Great Leader needs a bit of help to move since His pain is getting worse by each second. His Defender is helping Him out, taking Him by a hand and putting it around his neck to carry Him next to himself.

Yet before they leave the cave for good, CHE5TER looks for one last time at the group of demons that were waiting to get rid of the light, more exactly at the smaller demon from the different breed, who started acting the same as all the others for no reason at all, making Him have even more questions than before.

The Southeast Military Base

32:57

Once everyone got to the base, they began their routine. Well... some time ago, to be more precise. At the moment, most of them are preparing for the sleep schedule of the day. The ruler though remained in His office to get everything left done, even if He didn't get rid of the pain completely and wishes to rest too. Officer CYRU5 is with Him as well, giving Him all the information he got from the Council meeting. Nothing is new though, old problems everywhere.

So when the Officer leaves, He takes a small rest from the papers by looking around for a while to calm this pain down. Yet He cannot help but wonder what is going on with these creatures He saw, especially the one that was friendly towards Him before it went wild too. Then, He remembers the small book He stole from the creature, taking it out from His clothes and opening it to see if it has any answers.

It seems to be an old notebook, covered on a part by blood, some papers being torn apart and the writing on it being almost faded. As for what the book says in general... it explains to whom it belonged and what was it purpose. It belonged to one of the historians from a century ago, one that decided to go around the area in which the ruler's team went to record a few things about it. As for the reason why... it might be because the historian also felt like that specific area needed to be recorded for whatever reason, being none other than a tiny part of the battlefield during the war.

And when I say tiny, I do mean it. The war's areas were everywhere, and some of them are a part of the City of Above as well. Because of that fact, people died everywhere they could and most of them remaining forgotten 'cause of this matter alone. It is the same thing that the Crevaarian member explained to RY4N, and the same reason nobody knows to whom exactly does this lost body belong to. Yet the historian's research seems to have gotten stopped by the demons, since the records she tried to document herself on say of being surrounded by a pack of demons while being with that specific friendly creature before getting killed.

CHE5TER gets pretty fascinated by what she has found out though, even for someone that is not into reading at all. But RY4N enters the room, interrupting His moment of reading for the first time.

[RY4N]-CHE5TER, won't it be better for you to sleep now and recover yourself from the sunstroke, rather than be here working? You can go back to the papers once you've rested even for a bit, you know?

[CHE5TER]-...Hm? Oh, yes, sorry. I've just got captivated by a small information.

[RY4N]-Information? Did the Council say anything important while we were out?

[CHE5TER]-No, not them. Simply something that I've found.

RY4N gets rather curious and goes to sit in front of the ruler, who went back to reading the notes from the fallen historian.

[RY4N]-Oh? So you got into reading?

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* You like to make fun of me, don't you?

[RY4N]-I'm just asking because I do not know you as being someone that reads something without being obligated to do so and also get fascinated by it. What do you have there?

[CHE5TER]-Well... I found this book in the cave in which the body of the fallen person was. It was attached to one of the demons and I managed to take it and see what it has in it. Which... simply caught me off guard.

[RY4N]-What do you mean "attached to a demon"?

[CHE5TER]-Remember when I told you who helped me find that body? That was the demon who had this book.

[RY4N]-Sounds more like a dream the way you describe it, but okay... So what does the book say?

[CHE5TER]-It's not the book itself, it's the person that wrote it who caught me off guard. It's an old historian who died in that area, getting killed by those creatures. She wanted to document something about that place, but she couldn't do it because of an issue she encountered. She said something about the area belonging to the battlefield from 250 years ago, but I don't know how much this information would help us. If she did manage to get her answers, maybe we had a clue now... But she did find something interesting during her journey.

[RY4N]-And what's that?

[CHE5TER]-Well... it seems as she has studied the creatures before she died.

RY4N is rather surprised by that answer, so of course he gets curious as well, making it a bit too obvious.

[CHE5TER]-...Apparently, she met a newborn demon during her journey of finding what she initially planned, which was hiding alone under some rocks. She managed to do a few theories observing the creature, and it seems as those demons can be actually pretty friendly, at least the young ones from what she explained. Older demons depend only on their instincts, which makes them attack us for no reason, but younger ones depend only on survival until a certain age, defending themselves from what they find new.

[RY4N]-So those creatures... are not our enemies?

[CHE5TER]-Doesn't seem so... at least for those young. But she didn't manage to study an older demon to see why they act the way they do towards us. Looks like as she got killed before finishing her studying on the creature, since her writing simply stops in the middle of the sentence... explaining the appearance of blood all over this book. *sigh* What a pity... If only she could find the whole answer... But at least it proves us that there is something about that part of land if she decided to study it and gave her own life in the process. It's just that she simply didn't succeed, just like us.

[RY4N]-You sure have some luck when it comes to information sometimes, Brother. Who knows how much it would've taken us to find all of these news alone.

[CHE5TER]-You call it luck, I call it fate.

[RY4N]-Right... fate... *sigh* Anyway, I am happy that we found something, believe me, but I'd say to come and sleep for a while to get recovered from the suns' effect. It affected me too, remember? Knowing it still hurts me, there is no way it doesn't do the same to your body. You can leave it for later when we wake up.

[CHE5TER]-I will come. I promise. Just give me a few minutes to organise the papers and then I stop.

[RY4N]-Alright. See you in our room then.

[CHE5TER]-See you.

RY4N gets up from the chair and makes a quick sign as a goodbye to his little brother, while CHE5TER remains behind to do what He said. He arranges all the papers and when He is done with them, He has the intention to leave the room. But it seems as He gets stopped while searching for something in His pockets, remembering the strange ore He found. He takes it in His hand, looks at it again, as if the ore obligated His attention to be towards it.

"...Now I wonder what exactly do you hide, little thing? What exactly are you...? If I found even the smallest detail on those creatures, that means I can find something about you too, right?

Are you the thing that my father wanted me to find? Are you a part of an equipment that was lost in the past? ...Or do you even have a meaning? Your weird shape and the brightness of your colour in the light simply gives me even more questions than before. And what puzzles me the most is... how did that man find you in the first place?

I guess there is no point in asking though, is it? I'm talking to myself yet again trying to find some answers to my puzzles."

He then lets the ore on His desk, putting it on a small protective platform to keep it safe and analyse it later.

"...In the end, all I can do whenever I find something new is one thing, right? And that is simply to wait and see what happens next. After all..."

Yet when He leaves the room for good and closes the door, the ore seems to do something strange... like creating a small spark, a red lightning, that is activated for a few seconds, making the ore have a brightness on its own, before vanishing completely.

"...fate will make sure to give me an answer."