Deal

I sat down on the other open bench as Yao Ya came towards me. She sat down next to me eloquently, her legs were together as she had her hands placed on her lap. She had good posture too with a straight back as she looked over to the other side of the room. The two kids sat on the floor with their backs against the bench which had the man lying on it.

I didn't think about it much, but then I realized.

'Where is the light in the room coming from? There wasn't much indication for it, but the room was just bathed in a low light. There was enough to be able to clearly see, yet still able to sleep in.'

"So do you know hat kind of material it is?"

"Well.. no. I'm only a janitorial disciple after all. I don't get told much of anything, once I prove my worth they said I would become an outer disciple. But it had already been a year, at least I had the privilege of reading through the first floor in the library.

I was actually thinking of leaving in a week then this whole thing happened. These two kids also happened to be nearby when I was getting in. They are real disciples raised when they were really young, they were here long before I was.

Only moments after did we hear fighting outside. The room itself may be able to deflect Qi senses, but sound still permeates through it."

"Do any of you know another way out of here besides the front entrance? They've blocked it off and it'll probably be guarded as well."

"T-That's the only way I know out. I don't have access to the entire stronghold, so that's the only way I enter and exit this place."

'Hmm, I wonder if the kids would know anything? No! That's too much to ask of a child. The little girl could barely hold a sword and the boy.. well I don't know much about him, but it looks like he relies on the girl.

Would they even know of any other exits? Actually they might, considering most kids are curious and probably adventurous as well. I might as well ask first.'

"I kn-" The little girl was about to speak before I unknowingly cut her off

"Hey, miss do you know any other exits from this place?"

"Why are you asking the little girl for any passages?"

"You said that they were 'real' disciples, so they have probably been to more places in the stronghold than you have. I mean it's worth a shot right?"

"..."

The little girl broke the silence "Um.. I know another exit."

I was slightly surprised that my theory came true. The trope of small kids knowing secrets that even some adults didn't was quite common, but I didn't expect that it would happen here. On second thought, I probably did expect her to say something though.

"I-I have a condition though."

"What is it? I'll do whatever I can."

"Can you... I lost my jade pendant somewhere in the library, could you return it to me? I'll tell you everything I know about the other way. It has a red string that holds the jade in place."

'Ah! A fetch quest! Should I accept of decline this quest? I could imagine the interface already.

===

Accept:

Reward upon completion

- Girl's knowledge of another possible exit

- + 10 Exp

Decline:

- Death (Probably)

===

Decisions, decisions... well it's not like I really have much of a choice if I want to leave that is.'

"Alright I accept, where did you last see it?"

"Um... the library?"

'Well I didn't even think about that possibility, but at least I know it's not outside. I was thinking more where in the library really.'

"Anywhere specific?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Okay then, I guess I'll just go an look for it then, bye bye." I gave the little girl a small wave

"Bye Bye Yao Ya." I gave a wave to her as well

"En" Her simple yet slightly cold affirmation stung a bit as I left the room.

'Have I really fucked up? Her attitude has changed drastically, it's like someone flipped her personality or something.'

Upon existing the room darkness once again filled my view. It seems that the low light talisman from earlier finally burned out. I didn't want to chance tripping down the stairs and possibly breaking something so I searched my robe once more for another light talisman.

All the ones in my possession were made by Yao Ya when I taught her what little I knew of making human-grade talismans or early level inscription training I learned from the manual.

Pulling out a light talisman I activated it immediately and the surroundings gradually lightened as well. Once the light stabilized I looked down the stairs, the edge of my light didn't reach the bottom.

The stairs beyond my light looked like an abyss. It reminded me of a horror story I read online about an endless U-shaped staircase, that went on forever. The only light was a weird glow you emitted walking down it and eventually you'd start to see things, such as a white face with a red smile or two white dots as eyes and a eerily wide reddish toothy smile right below it.

'Man this place sucks! I'm starting to remember why I was so scared of the dark as a child.'

After thinking about one of my pass phobias as a child I went down the steps.

'Where am I even supposed to go? I have no starting point, just 'the library' in it's entirety. *Sigh* Well might as well start walking.'

I walked through isles and isles of shelving, mostly looking on the ground as that was the most probable place it could be.

*tat* *tat* *tat*

The only sound I heard for minutes on end. The sounds of my own shoes hitting the ground. At first it was completely fine, yet as it continued the monotonous sound slowly took it's toll on me.

The entire library was way too quiet for me. Shouldn't the other's in our group be exploring this place as well? Where are they?

I kind of felt like I was losing my senses this place isn't somewhere you should be alone.

'I wish Yao Ya was with me. I should of asked her, but what if she said no? *Sigh* Maybe I'm just over thinking things. It's like when something unexpected happens, I'd always think of the worse possible outcomes.'

Soon I reached a small opening, a few tables were around the area with chairs scattered around. The area was was fairly pristine relative to the rest of the library. I stopped just to look at the new scenery, the rows and rows of shelves repeated too much.

*tat*

Sounds of another footstep, ones that weren't my own appeared on my left. I was excited for a moment before remembering our original objective of searching the area to clear it.

Turning towards the noise I saw another bright light shine at me. I reached for my sword in defense before a familiar voice was heard coming from it.

"Hey, Brother Ip is that you? Man you don't know how long I've walked without seeing anybody. This place is massive."

"Brother Chen? Where's your partner? Aren't supposed to be with some one?"

"I could ask you the same thing, where's Yao Ya at huh? No one picked me as their partner so, here I am. But uh.. could you do me a favor? I kinda lost my saber scabbard, could you find it for me? I heard yelling earlier and I thought someone was in trouble so I dropped it and ran towards where it was heard. Actually it kinda sounded like you."

'What is this another fetch quest!? I'm already on a quest! *Sigh* For a friend, besides I was probably the one that made him drop it in the first place..'

"Alright I'll see if I can find it."

"Thanks man, I'm going to see if I could find it for a little bit more, then I'll come back here to wait for you if you find it."

"En"

He headed off in another direction while I was about to go to one as well. Before I saw a glint near a table. As I walked closer it looked like the pendant I was searching for. It had a red string that connected a circular jade through the hole.

The pendant was a familiar one. One which I had almost forgotten about. When I was still a child the same jade pendant was given to me by my grandmother, before she died from cancer. If memory serves me right then the pendant's string became too small for me at one point growing up, which at that point I had to remove it by cutting the string. The jade should still be at my grandfather's home in The Middle Kingdom.

I need to retrieve that at some point. After this adventure I'll go back visit my grandfather, I'm sure he'd love the company.