END Initiated...

Entering via a window on the second floor, Kiel slowly made his way downstairs to see what was emitting this hue. In his search, he came across a hole on the floor. The glow was coming from here. Looking down he could see a small room dimly lit in blue colour?

"Should I jump in to check if this contains any secrets? Or is it a trap?"

Kiel wondered for a bit. But eventually decided to jump in. He could procrastinate and debate all he wanted but nothing could beat a first-hand experience of the unknown. And his instincts which had become much clearer in this world was also not signifying any danger. 

<Beep… Miss Shade Heath is the first to reach the second level of the Dungeon Tower. 

Congratulations! 

Time taken: 83 minutes>

'Huh, she got there already? So fast! Is she the one with the shadow powers? Well, that figures, but whatever. There were no time limits anyway. I will take my sweet little time.'

Entering from the hole, his gaze falling on a certain spot of the room. This particular room was in a hexagonal shape, which was quite strange in itself; and there were six strange orbs on each of the six faces demarcating the walls. Five of them were shining with dim blue light, while the last one was dimmed out. The glow commutating the walls were coming from these orbs.

"This room is quite odd isn't it Azrael? Notify me if you get any odd mana signatures"

[Acknowledged]

"Hey Azrael, are you scared by any chance?"

[...]

Not getting the reply he wanted, Kiel slowly stepped on the floor making sure to look out for any traps. He was ready to enter battle mode at any moment while trying to figure out what these crystals were and could he touch them and take them home with him? Why was one of them dimmed? Did it imply something? 

"Isn't this meant to just test my patience? Heck whatever, I die, I will just ask that freaky God to revive me again." Kiel touched one of the orbs. But nothing happened. "huh?" Seeing there was no reaction, he tried touching the others too, even pulling and pushing and destroying. But simply nothing happened. Neither the orbs nor the walls budged one bit.

Tap Tap Tap

In the midst of his confusion, a series of faint tapping sounds of boots sounded. Although they were faint, for Kiel who had opened his Root Chakra, which primarily screamed about instincts, it was loud enough to alert him. The taps sounded like someone walking faintly, however, the rhythm and the sound it produced were quite different from the slow walking zombies, however not quite like a normal human foot... piquing his interest. And once something piques Kiel's interest it is partially over. 

"Who is disturbing my frustrations? Hehe"

Activating his Gravity Manoeuvre, Kiel just shifted twice and the next moment he found himself behind the culprit who was totally insight of him; his right hand in a shopping position on the neck in front of him. 

"Don't move or no need to move at all!"

The sharp voice of Kiel stopped the culprit in its track and even seemed to have scared him a little.

"Phew, so it is you. So is this a humour where I need to laugh?" Came the reply from the front.

"Hmm? so it's you Green-Wood. And I thought someone came to challenge me"

From the voice, and a wood chip on the right side of his neck proved that he was one of the bronze cards. Seeing that it was just Green-Wood, Kiel backed a little. 

"Nice reflexes, by the way, greenwood. The wood chip on the right side of your neck appeared just before my hand touched your neck. It seems you are not half bad!"

"Of course, otherwise how could I be a coloured invitee. Huh? Wait I am not Greenwood. I am Neel Holland."

"Oh ok. nice to meet you then. So what brings you here. And why are you alone? Where are the other kids? If I remember correctly, you were with them right?"

Seeing Kiel not into violence anymore, relaxed Neel. But he was still waiting, looking at Kiel like asking for something?

"Huh? what is it?"

"You will not threaten me to leave right? Or kill me here to loot my valuables?"

"Pfftt… am I some gangster? By the way, I am not a sadist so you can relax and I don't think you have enough valuables to risk looting you or Do you?" Kiel deeply stared at home for a moment with a weird grin.

*Gulp* The last stare from Kiel seemed to really have stunned the guy. 

However, the next moment Kiel walked towards the small hole leading to the special room.

So Niel too followed from behind.

"You know for a moment I thought you were really gonna kill me. But seeing you like this, you are not that bad. Well if you don't feel comfortable with me joining you, just say so. I will leave you alone in peace."

Kiel didn't reply to such retorts. There was no point. He just kept on walking when suddenly another notification rang down on his ears.

<Master Astrid Gardener is the second to reach the second level of the Dungeon Tower.

Time taken: 92 minutes>

'Huh, a second one? He got there too? Fair enough. Let's see if the Gold one can go there before me? '

It seemed that Neel also perceived it from the badge, as he stopped for a moment. However, that didn't stop THE Neel to relinquish his mouth box.

"Hehe wait up. You got that notification too right. There were already two who had reached there. Dude, I thought you would be one of them too! So when are you leaving?"

A series of chatters followed, however, Kiel replied to none of that. He just kept on walking. But Neel was not one to take a hint.

"You wanted to know about the others right. So why are you alone? Hey… you know I was never with them. I was just working with them in the auditorium. And I even separated from them before they left for the desert path. Leon said that he got something from the Guide which let me know that the desert path was the shortest one to the destination. Oh, by the way, will you believe that there is a desert to the west here. Of course, you wouldn't. Who would actually? But you gotta trust me in this! 

Can you believe that! They would go over some shortest path over some desert sand rather than come through the city. I mean it may be the shortest path, but obviously, it looked like it would be full of a hassle. "

"Hmm, you are right! Shortest doesn't always imply the most efficient way. But I think you should have been with them. I don't think you are the lone wolf type guy right?" Kiel grinned and shrugged it off.

"Nah, man. I couldn't tolerate them ordering others to do this and that. I am a free bird dude. Free! You listen! And the heat and dryness in deserts is not something I can cope with. So I came up this route. And from the looks, I was not wrong at all. Haha. Also the last time, he led us, there was a disaster. So I think I'm good. Not only me, even a few other kids left on their own. I thought I would be alone next. But it is unexpected meeting you here."

Tap Tap Tap

Kiel could feel the eight-year-old kid flowing within this person. That's what a kid should be. Not some chakra pervert like me.  But the chatting started to annoy him a little, as they neared the hole and jumped in it. 

"I was here in the afternoon. This place looked a little odd and how with the zombies only surrounding this place, I came to take a look inside. So you are the second one here. Hey, so you too found the Special Room huh?" 

Both of them came up with the same view of the hexagonal room again.

Tap Tap Tap

"Huh? you know about the room?"

"Obviously I know. I even..."

Tap Tap

"Damn could you please stop the f.u.c.k.i.n.g tap sound with your shoes. And why the hell are you wearing wooden logs under your feet?"

Neel seemed to have been stiffened by the sudden outburst.

"It-it is so that I can better cope with the life energy coming from the ground to sense any abnormality. Sorry if it disturbed you"

Kiel could feel a headache coming. 

"Well whatever, add a layer of a bush to your feet or something! The tapping sounds are way too disturbing"

"Huh? You are right! Why didn't I think of it before?"

As soon as his voice came out, a small layer of soft leaves appeared on the hind of the small wooden log he had as footwear. 

"Huh? You can really do it?"

"Of course I can. I am a wood Elementalist"

Kiel was a little amazed at the versatility of the magic this kid was using.

"So you were saying about this room?"

"Hmm oh ya... I was saying dude it was too much work hard just to find this floor. And the hole was not even there. I could only see a blue hue around here, and if coming from the other side, you notice the bloody footsteps that led here, and there were so many of them that even I got scared…"

Kiel was really getting annoyed now. "Get to the point already!"

"Yikes. Ok ok. No need to scare me, dude. You just need to drop a little of your blood on one of the orbs. And you will get a gift. As simple as that"

"Hmm as simple as that?"

Seeing Neel nod, Kiel could feel awkward. 'Damn Why didn't I think that! We are in a fantasy world! Blood it is!'

" Lemme try then"

Kiel quickly came in front of one of the orbs and bit his thumb. Biting one's finger was a whole new experience for him. These things were totally unnecessary in his previous world. A small needle did the job much better. But whatever. 

Seeing a droplet of blood form on his thumb, he quickly pressed his thumb against the orb. For a moment he felt a s.u.c.k.i.n.g force on his blood and then just as Neel told him, his silver badge started to glow. And when he removed his hand, the orb in front of him also had dimmed out.

[Beep... The host received a new notification from the silver badge. 

Welcome to Lucky Point 777

Your luck will be your own trial here. A blessing or a curse? What will you get?

Beep...Received SURE-FIRE DICE x1

Description: You have the surety to roll a fortune. Roll the dice before attempting any luck-based game. You are sure to hit the jackpot. 

Use: One-time use.

Warning: You can only use this item inside the Forgotten Ruins]

"A pretty good object to boot huh?" Kiel thought he had to pass some trial for these objects and maybe he was being fooled? But reading the description, he knew what a great escape he got. 

"Did you get it?" 

"En…"

But getting the taste once, left him wanting for more. It seems Neel was telling him something, but Kiel just muted his voice in his ears. This guy had been speaking almost nonstop already f.u.c.k!

He moved to another orb, created another scar and dropped his blood again while waiting patiently. He waited for a moment, two but nothing happened. He tried another orb again but to no outcome. And it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

"One person can only have one gift it seems. If your luck is good you get a gift. If not maybe something hehe! The gift will then be transferred to your badge and the light will stop shining. " Kiel nodded to himself after making thag deduction. 

"Pfft! Dude, you look like an idiot, going to every orb with such desperation. That's what I was trying to tell you! Why didn't you listen to me? Are you treating me like? fool?"

"Huh? Even a fool like you could figure it out?"

"Hey, how rude! What do you mean by that? Are you implying I am a fool or I am a… fool? The f.u.c.k, doesn't both of them mean the same thing? Hey dude, for your information, I am no fool. I am the son of the Glide Sea Marquisdom and a renowned junior scholar at that for your information."

Neel looked quite proud but this was of no matter to Kiel.  He didn't even listen to it.

As the annoying voice reached his eardrum, Kiel could tell it was time to leave. He wanted to know what this guy got too, but it didn't matter. And if he knew, maybe he would also want it. and this guy also never mentioned the d.e.s.i.r.e to know his gift. So it's better to move on. 

Curiosity and Greed should both be exercised within great caution.

Kiel walked up to the hole and just jumped out of it. 

"Hehe! wait up! I wanna talk."

Neel was also not too far behind him. He was standing on a wooden ledge as it expanded vertically taking him out of the hole. Convenient magic isn't it?

Just as Kiel was about to walk out Neel came in front of him. 

"Do-do you mind if I tag along?"

"..."

Seeing no answer, Neel became a little fl.u.s.tered. Now that he found someone, he didn't want to venture out into the creepy night alone. 

"I bet you my abilities can come in pretty handy. So how about I tag alone? But, I'm telling you this right now, I'm not planning to leech off you or anything like that."

"..."

When Kiel remained silent, Neel became more anxious than before.

"Alright, let me say this out loud. I can endure unfairness, but I can't stand losing out."

Kiel stared back somewhat confused by this statement.

As if perceiving Kiel's confusion, Neel continued "What I meant was you can be my boss for the rest of the journey. And I can be your perfect shield too!"

Kiel could understand what this fella wanted actually. Although he seemed a little courageous and got headed from time to time, he was still a kid. Being a lone wolf in such an environment may be the romance of many, but it is actually a deep nightmare of those who experienced it. Kiel had learnt this the hard way. So he could relate where this kid was coming from. 

"So what do I need to do as a boss?" Kiel queried with a straight face.

"Huh? This…. Eh-lead the way?" Seeing the confused look on his face, he could very well imagine that this kid had never ever thought about it, despite blurting out his thoughts. 

Kiel studied the guy in front of him for a while, making the guy fidget some more.

"If-if you're a lone wolf, I-I will respect that. I also don't want to force the issue. I-I told you this before, didn't I? You don't want me, then I'll quietly go away."

"Well, whatever!"

Thinking this guy may be quite useful, Kiel offered his hand, which the guy grasped quite quickly, shaking it vigorously with a genuine smile on his face.

"Nice, excellent. Now no one can stop us from winning this trial and become the heroes of the future!"

Seeing the enthusiasm, Kiel even wondered if the guy will start dancing if left alone for more than a minute?

'Heroes of the future huh? I wonder if I was called a hero too? Earth, how are you?"