Introduction

'This place hasn't changed at all... But it's nice to be away from that rotten forest.'

Henriksen casually strolled along a lonely hallway. The sound of his boots hitting the wooden floors echoed in the eerily quiet hallway. His eyes shifted between the crystals illuminating his path and the blinking rocks decorating the walls. Unlike the ignorant youths, he knew a lot about their current location.

'Should I go over there now? Or should I visit my room first?' Henriksen suddenly paused.

His eyes lingered on the parting hallways ahead. Towards his left, the illumination crystals emitted a blue hue while the path towards his right had a brighter and warmer hue. Apart from the lights from the illumination crystals, both pathways looked identical.

'There's no point rushing. Waiting one or two hours more wouldn't change a thing.' Henriksen thought.

Having decided, Henriksen walked towards the hallway to his left.

At that same moment, however, Henriksen's body disappeared into thin air. A moment later, he reappeared in front of an ordinary silver door.

Without hesitation, Henriksen pulled on the knob of the door. Within seconds, he made his way into the room. Just then, a slight rotten stench assaulted his nose.

'It's still the same. Even the unwashed plates are still there.' Henriksen's lips suddenly curved into a slight smile while he causally observed the familiar location.

To his left was a large bookshelf which had books of distinct colors. A large broadsword hung from the side of the bookshelf. A large cupboard stood next to the bookshelf. A foot away, five mold ridden plates lay on the surface of a wooden table.

Henriksen's smile brightened as he stared towards his right. There, a large but messy bed stood. On the walls above it hung the painting of a beautiful meadow. Meanwhile, about two feet away, Henriksen could see a wooden door. Surprisingly, a sparkling white towel hung on the knob of the door.

'Hahaha... I can't even remember what a bed feels like anymore. It's great to be back. First, let's get cleaned up. Then I'll go see the others.'

***

Twenty minutes later.

Henriksen lay on the bed while causally fiddling with the broadsword. He had changed into a pair of fresh robes.

'It smells so much better in here...' Henriksen thought. Causally staring at the clean plates on the table.

'If my guess is right, they should wake up in an hour or two. I guess it's time to talk to those bastards.' A dazzling grin bloomed on Henriksen's face.

Saying nothing further, he rose to his feet before exiting the room. At that same moment, his body once again disappeared. Returning to the point before the diverging hallway.

This time, Henriksen took the path to his right, and again, his body disappeared. This time, however, he reappeared in front of a majestic golden door. At that moment, several inaudible chatter reached him.

'Are they having a party? Those bastards sure know how to live it up.'

Henriksen's beaming smile contradicted his thoughts. Without hesitation, he pushed open the door. And a magnificent hall came into view.

The hall was at least twenty meters wide in either directions and it's ceiling stood ten meters above the floor. Dozens of beautiful chandeliers illuminated the beautiful hall. Which had hundreds of seats arranged along a long and massive table. Like the doors of the room, everything with the room was draped in gold. From the walls, to the ceiling to the furniture and even the plates and cutlery.

"Look what the cat dragged in. Henriksen, you actually survived? There goes my bet."

Henriksen's smile brightened as he heard the brooding voice. His gaze instantly shifted to the dias in the room. There, he could see three figures staring at him with equally beaming smiles.

'As expected. They all arrived before me. Cefero is still has loud has ever. Did this bastard actually get bigger after going to the Odon Tundra?' Henriksen mused.

His gaze lingered on a man with a hulking physique. Despite being seated, he was at least fours heads above his other companions. The size of his arms were at least twice the combined size of Henriksen's. Unlike Henriksen, he had a lush golden locks. With an equally flamboyant curly mustache.

He wore an amiable smile which didn't fit his intimidating frame and brooding voice.

"How long are you going to stay there? Don't complain if we finish all the meat. Hahaha..." Cefero quipped. Taking a large bite from a roasted beast thigh.

Without delay, Henriksen walked in hurried steps towards the group.

"What took you so long, Henriksen? You had has worried for a moment," Bena said.

She looked as beautifully as her pleasant voice. She waved gently at Henriksen while wearing a sweet smile.

She wore a unique robe which only covered the most sensitive parts of her curvaceous body. In between waving at Henriksen, she fiddled with her silky smooth hair which had a deep charcoal hue. Two nose rings decorated her nose while a golden piercing decorated her lower lip.

Unlike Cefero who was giant of a man, she had a slender build and an average height which highlighted her body.

'Bena's style has only gotten worse. She's doing this on purpose, right? Who would believe she was once a reversed girl.' Henriksen wore a wry smile as he stared at Bena.

"Going to that place is never an easy task. A lot happened this this time," Henriksen said waving back at Bena.

"Hahaha... I can't wait to hear all about—"

"Stop talking while you are eating, Cefero." Bena interjected.

"But, babe. It's—"

"No buts!" Bena insisted. Her hazel eyes slowly narrowed while a frown formed on her face.

Cefero's mouth opened several times, however, he said nothing. He meekly lowered his head, taking even larger bites of meat.

'Hahaha... she does know how to push his buttons.' Henriksen could barely stop himself from laughing at the comical scene.

Based on their physique, Bena stood no chance in front of Cefero. However, his submissive nature would leave most people scratching their heads.

"What exactly happened, Henriksen?" Boufal asked.

Unlike Cefero and Bena, he had a pale white complexion which made him come off as sickly. Further enhanced by the thick dark bag below his eyes. He had an unnaturally skinny physique which would make one assume he suffered from a rear form of disease. If anything, he looked liked someone had worn flesh over a bag of bones.

Henriksen slowly turned his head towards his direction, saying, "I thought you said you wouldn't use that spell anymore? Did someone really piss you off that much?"

Boufal said nothing. He only coughed slightly while scratching his messy brown hair.

"Sit. We'll talk about that later. Tell us what happened on your end. Or, would you like to eat first? Cefero, don't you dare finish all the meat. Give some to Henriksen." Bena ordered. She gestured towards the only empty seat.

Without delay, Cefero placed four large grilled ribs on a plate, before presenting it to Henriksen.

"Leave some for me, buddy." Cefero mouthed. Using his hulking frame to block Bena's view.

'This glutton...' Henriksen couldn't help but shake his head.

Saying nothing further, he gnawed on the ribs. Everything from the tenderness of the meat, to the spices and even the oil felt perfect.

"Don't keep us waiting, Henriksen. Tell us about your experience in the Odon Forest," Bena said.

She couldn't hide her curiosity and excitement.

"Babe, you said no talking while eating. Let's wait for Henriksen to finish his..." Cefero's voice suddenly trailed off. Bena's eyes had fallen on him once more. He didn't dare to finish his statement.

"That rule only applies to you. The rest of us know how to swallow before talking," Bena chided.

"To be honest, not a lot happened. I would advise you not to have high expectations," Henriksen said. In less than a minute, he had devoured two of the four ribs.

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure it's better than that boring desert," Boufal said.

Wordlessly, Bena and Cefero nodded in agreement. None of the other sites could match the terror of the Odon Forest.

"Ummm... okay, then. Where do I begin? Oh. I know..."

Slowly, Henriksen recounted everything he experienced during the selection. Since he spent most of his time on the boat, he emphasized on the experiences of James and the other survivors. He also recounted his encounter with Piri and the Caretakers. Stressing that he would have arrived at a much later if they hadn't used instant teleportation.

"Hahaha… The Oden Forest lives up to its reputation. The survivors are not even up to ten… Hahaha…" Cefero said.

Meanwhile, Bena and Boufal both had solemn expressions on their faces.

"Why did Piri and the Caretaker's come? Could they have figured out our—"

"Don't overthink it, Bena. I doubt that's why they came. If my guess is right, they came because of the beast horde. Since she questioned us individually, I believe they hoped someone saw something or someone. That's just my theory, though." Henriksen interjected.

"Let me guess, you can't remember what she asked you, right?" Boufal asked from the side.

Saying nothing, Henriksen nodded.

"They used a Moonlight Stone…" Bena muttered.

Having spent a considerable number of years in Kynar, such an item and its effects wasn't a mystery to them.

"Those pansies from the tundra would have died if they had gone to the Odon Forest. They have been acting so smug because they survived," Cefero suddenly said. He paid no attention to Moonlight Stone.

"Oh? How many survivors did you guys have?" Henriksen asked. He reached for a large jug of wine.

"A hundred and ten survived on my end. I think over a hundred survived from Bena's, too, right?" Cefero asked. Turning towards Bena.

Bena, however, said nothing. But she affirmed Cefero's words with a nod.

"Over a two hundred survived from Boufal's, too, but there was a slight accident…" Cefero said. He couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"Boufal, don't tell me you—"

"Those fuckers wanted to steal the ship. I had no choice. You of all people should know I hate using that spell." Boufal interjected. He signed helplessly while reminiscing of the cause of his current condition.

"So, how many of them did you leave alive?" Henriksen asked. He stared intently at Boufal. Subconsciously, his breathing quickened.

"I dunno… maybe forty of fifty. I didn't bother to count." Boufal nonchalantly declared.

'Of all people, they had to piss him off… it's even a miracle fifty people survived.' Henriksen swallowed hard as he heard Boufal's declaration.

Just then, Cefero's voice reached him again, "So? Were you able to find one?"

At that same moment, Boufal and Bena stared at Henriksen with an expectant gleam in their eyes. However, Henriksen said nothing. He wore a faint smile while drinking from his cup.

"Come on, Henriksen. Don't keep us waiting. Did you find one?" Bena asked. She had shortened the distance between them.

"I found one…" Before Henriksen could finish his statement, his companions bursted into excited cheers and laughter.

Bena couldn't stop herself from hugging Henriksen while Cefero continuously patted Henriksen on his shoulders. Boufal, too, wore a rare smile while drinking from his cup.

"When they wake up. I'll introduce you guys to her," Henriksen said. With Bena hugging him tightly, he couldn't help but smile sheepishly. While recounting his experience in the Odon Forest, Henriksen had purposely omitted mentioning about Lilis.

"A female. That's even better. But why wait? Let's go retrieve her. She's one of us now. It's better we give her a proper introduction. Which vault did you arrive in?" Bena asked. Unlike the others, she couldn't wait to meet Lilis.

"Let's not rush. We still have a lot to discuss. We might not have another opportunity to enjoy such a peaceful meal among friends," Cefero said. He slowly patted Bena on her head while facing Henriksen.

"By the way, is there anyone noteworthy among them?" Cefero added.

Just then, Henriksen's countenance changed. However, it quickly reverted to normal.

"Oh? That look tells me you met someone worthwhile. Come on, tell me about him, or is it a lady?" Cefero asked.

None of them missed the minute changes in Henriksen's expression. In fact, his reaction stirred curiosity. They knew him better than anyone. That he wore such a thoughtful expression only meant he felt someone had the potential to be something in the Village.

"I don't know what will happen to them, but I believe three of them could survive here. In fact, one of them could become someone comparable to Laxgar—"

"What?! Are you sure of what you're saying?" Boufal interjected. He had lost all traces of his calm demeanor.

Bena and Cefero too could not believe what they heard. However, they blankly stared at Henriksen, waiting for him to finish his statement.

"Although she is no way near being as powerful as Laxgar, she's someone I believe has the potential to reach his level. She is just as crazy as him, that's if she isn't crazier," Henriksen said.

"What about the other two? Tell us more about them," Cefero said. His eye shown with a mysterious light in them.

"One is an ambitious prince who looks down on everyone. He has quite the rotten personality, but he has the potential to survive in the Village. As long as he doesn't let his greed get to him." Henriksen suddenly paused. He met the gazes of his friends, then he continued, "The other one, I know absolutely nothing about him."

"What do you mean? How can you say after saying he had the potential to survive in the Village?" Bena asked.

Boufal and Cefero were just as confused.

"That's the scary thing about him. He doesn't look powerful neither does he have any distinguishing ability. For him to have survived until now is nothing short of miracle. We have seen a lot of fucked up things over the last couple of years, but I have never seen someone so out of place. I believe a terrible monster is hiding behind that facade," Henriksen explained.

He couldn't forget the overwhelming sensation he felt when he stared into James's eyes. However, he couldn't bring himself to admit James's gaze terrified him. Cefero would never let him hear the end of it.

"Hahaha… Forget what I said earlier. I want to see those little bastards."

Before Henriksen could say anything, Cefero, Bena and Boufal walked towards the exit of the room. They could barely contain their excitement.

'These fuckers, couldn't they have waited for me to finish my meal?' Reluctantly, Henriksen followed the trio.