More than a tutorial, more than a game (part 2)

- Exactly what you heard, leave the Tower as soon as possible. You've had bad experiences with her haven't you? I don't think it takes much effort to distrust her.

- Wow wow wow… wait a minute!

- Is there a problem, Mr. Lyunil !? I thought you let me be frank with you!

- That's not it, first let me understand what's going on! Can I ask you some questions?

- I don't think we have much time, despite enjoying good and long conversations.

- How come we don't have time?

- From the moment you enter this place, your monitoring as a player has disappeared from the Tower, it will soon start taking action to find you and find out what happened.

- What do you mean it disappeared? You mean this is not a game event ?!

- I feel like telling you this, but it was never a game. Someone evil has taken over the Tower and it has not been the same for a long time.

- So it means that ...

- Neither! You have not been deceived and it really fulfills people's wishes.

If I was still understanding something, now I'm sure I don't understand anything anymore.

- Unfortunately we don't have much time, just follow my warning, I won't gain any benefit by deceiving you and your friends, otherwise I wouldn't be hiding!

- No! I can't just leave after everything we've done, we are about to enter the first floor and I need to help them achieve their wishes!

- You must understand that….

Suddenly he interrupts his sentence and is immobilized! As if he was paralyzed by something ...

- Father ?!

-…

-…

-… I don't think we will get anywhere with this discussion, even more without time.

He then comes back from nowhere. Every second something strange happens, it is difficult to follow ...

- Let's make a Deal ?!

- An agreement?

- That! The next time we meet, I will talk a lot with you and your friends. I will answer all your questions until I am satisfied. In return, I ask you to keep this place and us a secret until that moment arrives. I promise that I will explain even the doubts that haunt your heart, both about me and about you.

It looks like a very promising deal and it looks like he's really in a hurry.

- Deal closed ?!

He extends his finger to me.

- … Closed!

I put my hand on his finger. There are still a lot of things I want to know and I can't miss this opportunity.

- Great, I look forward to it…

- But how can you give me a guarantee that you are not deceiving me?

Athenim seems mad at me for asking this question, but I can't do anything if the deal I'm participating in is with the Titan who attacked the village. Just as he suspects the Tower and the village, the village and the Tower must suspect him. At this point I can no longer believe in anyone ... Whether this is really a game or not? Whether it is the Titan or the village that is wrong? At least with this guarantee I will be sure that I will be able to have my questions answered ...

- I understand…

- Lyunil! You cannot understand that my father does not gain anything by trying to cheat. He just wants to help you! You do not…

- Sorry, Athenim, but I noticed that you used a magic of spatial disorientation so that I didn't decorate the way to those trees!

- You! ... realized ...

- I do not want to accuse anyone unfairly, so I just want a guarantee that shows me that they are not really bad people.

…

- Right! You convinced me… I will give you that as a guarantee!

Then he handed me a shiny green stone, a very beautiful type of emerald.

- NO, FATHER! DO NOT DO THIS!

I noticed the despair in Athenim's voice! She came flying towards the rock to try to catch me, but before she could…

- Stop! Athenim! Is it by any chance building my choice? Can't I choose who I want to deliver my Sacri to?

- But dad! Without that you ...

- Enough! Do not worry! And you, Lyunil! I hope this serves as a guarantee!

Now I feel that I am being unfair in this negotiation. Athenim seemed extremely desperate for me not to keep the stone, she seems to be extremely important to them.

- Now go! There is no more time! Athenim, take him to the exit.

- Okay, dad ...

Then she led me to the trees again and the leaves surrounded us again ...

- Athenim, I don't want to ...

- Listen, Lyunil, for me nothing matters more than what happened, but the only thing I expect from you is that you protect this Sacri more than your own life!

- Yes, I'll do it!

I responded seriously without hesitation.

-… Huhum, right! Then that's it! We'll see you again soon, Lyunil! See you later!

- See you, Athenim!

The princess flew away through the trees and I managed to find the forest trail. I returned to the village with even broader expectations, in the hope that now the pieces will start to fit!

Point of View (PoV) - Athenim

After saying goodbye to the boy, I flew right back to where my father is ...

Why did he have to do that ?!

That boy may even be the boy my father used to comment on, but still trusting him with a Sacri is a lot of smugness!

When I returned, I saw my father still sitting, but he looked very happy.

- Dad, why did you do that? Why did you change your mind?

- Athenim, my daughter, you will find out soon. The Tower is already aware of me and it is a matter of time before they find me, but it was in time that he appeared, the boy of my Father's prophecy! The one who will restore the order of the Universe and who will bring salvation to everyone, even the Imeruanis!

- That boy again?

- You also felt the potential of his gift, right?

- Hm ... You're right ... He has something that is different from everyone else ...

- He will be the one who will carry everyone's hope, so giving my Sacri to him was not at all difficult and I don't even regret it, because I know he will come to see me again. Besides, the Tower has already determined their first floor, so I won't be able to postpone the end any more.

- You mean the moment has come? ... Is there no other way to ...

- Athenim… Don't cry! Remember, you are a strong woman and a determined princess, a happy face with a bright smile is your most powerful weapon! And know that I will never leave you alone, because I will always be watching you, wherever you are.

I start wiping my tears away with my hands ...

As much as it is a sad and inevitable destiny, I cannot just give up everything my father has entrusted to me ...

- Yes, father! ... I hope you look at me a lot, because I will fulfill everything you entrusted to me! ...

I give a sincere smile, the happiest and most sincere I could, because I want this last smile that my father will see to be the best of all he has ever seen!

PoV - Lyunil

When I left the forest, I found Kartaju sitting by the road, I think he was waiting for me. Now that I noticed, the sun is setting and this scenario is very striking. Kartaju got up and looked at me. Before he noticed, I hid the jewel in my pocket.

- Did your exploration take a long time, did something happen?

- Nothing much happened, I ended up meeting some very strong monsters on the way.

- And did you get any clues about the Titan?

- Actually I wanted to ask you before, but you ended up going too fast the other way!

- Hmm?! Like this?

- How is this Titan? With no clues about him, I don't know how to look for him!

- What do you expect from a Titan?

- Hmm ... someone big and powerful?

- So I think you would have no difficulty in identifying him!

- But the forest is so small, how could a Titan be lost here?

- You happen to be deviating from my question with other questions?

- I am? Hmm ... Sorry, I didn't notice! ... I can't remember any clue about the Titan. I think I ended up distracting myself ...

I scratched my head as I smiled, trying to look pretty flustered. What I said is not a lie, since I don't really remember where that passage is because of Athenim's magic. As much as I realized, I am not able to do anything to stop it.

- Ah ... No problem, I'll try another time then ...

He sighed heavily. It seems that he is very tired of today ...

- I need to go back with my team! I hope you rest well, Kartaju!

- I say the same for you, Lyunil, it must have been difficult for you to defeat strong monsters without your sword ...

Damn, he noticed and I didn't! I'm without my sword!

- Hehe, it was, but those slimes are no longer a match for me unarmed now ...

I kept walking forward, but the way he just looked at me froze my heart a little. For a moment, I thought he suspected something. But he asked no more questions.

After saying goodbye to him, I went straight to the inn where we are spending our days and equipped myself with the rest of my equipment. I took that stone, tied it on a string and equipped it as a necklace on me. If you ask, just say it was a gift I got!

***

As soon as I was ready, I ran to the meeting point and the three were there waiting for me.

- Sorry for the late!

- It's long overdue, the moon is almost reaching the top!

- Hihi ...

I tried to answer Raild with a "do what, right?" Face, but it looks like he was more irritated than before.

Kaule then spoke again, as he did all those nights.

- As you already know, we will enter the Tower and check if the new floor is already available, if we are not going to just do another round of training and night quests, if you have one.

- Right!

- Understood!

- Okay!

Then we entered the Tower and went to see if the first one had started. Before we got to the monolith, Raild ended up speaking faster than I thought.

- By the way, Lyunil, where did you get this new necklace? Do you happen to be able to complete difficult quests alone? You mean you already got your class?

- Not yet, that necklace was a gift I got!

I took the necklace out of the shirt and left the sample.

- Uuuuuuuuuu… So it means that you are seeing someone ?! And you didn't even tell us? I thought we were friends! ~ Does she happen to have friends? ... ~

- This is not what you're thinking and go with that face there ... I got it from a male friend!

- Ahhhhhhhhhhhh ...…

You could hear him sighing with disappointment on the other side of the forest.

- It looks like an important gift! This type of stone is very rare!

Adrick made an observation that impressed me a little.

- Do you know about precious stones, Adrick ?!

- Where I come from, my brothers and sisters and I are responsible for collecting these types of stones straight from nature.

- Wooww! I didn't know you worked with something so impressive.

But it was only praise, that he began to feel proud until he was born, while laughing loudly.

We arrived at the cube again and once again went to check if there was a new floor ...

And to our surprise, the challenges are released!

[Evolving the Tower level!]

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.

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[Level 1 - Village]

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.

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[Floor 01 available!]

[Floor 01 is a floor of conquest]

[Do you want to enter?]

We will finally begin our journey through the Tower floors!

I confirmed with them that they were all ready and immediately replied that:

- Yea!

Then the lighting in the room changed to yellow, which means that we started the conquest type floor and that we have to get something out of the Tower to complete the challenge.

[Level 1 - Floor 01]

- The goal of the floor is ...

It can not be…

No

No

No

No

It can not be!

- Lyunil? Why don't you tell us what the goal is? And what face is that ?!

Even though I don't know exactly what this is, I'm sure I know who this is with! Not only do I know, but I also think he knew it! That's why he wanted to change his mind at that time!

It was precisely because I found him that the floor appeared!

But I can't just do that!

- Let me read what you have to do! If you'll excuse me ...

Raild took my place in front of the monolith with the mission.

- The objective of this floor is ...

[Getting the Earth's Blessing]