Game of chance and skill

It's been three weeks and I still haven't gotten to the edge of this realm. I have seen many strange things during my travels, like fields of weird looking flowers with part of the field missing in a square formation, giant wooden ducks, pointy hills and some pits in random places. It has been quite hard to travel this realm thanks to the pits and the wildlife that is trying to kill me. Most of the wildlife tries to trick you into some trap, but once you know there is a trap it's easy to avoid them.

Another week has passed and I crossed a small desert. Now I'm on the edge of the realm but I've yet to see the rook tower or the town Palsu. I decide to follow the edge to the north-west-west, hoping to find what I'm looking for.

It has been a couple of days and I finally see the tower of rook and what I presume is the town Palsu. It is hanging on the edge of the realm and it looks like it should fall to whatever is in the depths after the edge of the realm. There seems to be a small but tall castle on the end of the town's edge. I think that is the castle in which the demon prince of this realm resides.

I get to the town gate and I'm stopped by some demon guards. They say I need to pay 1000 lux to enter, which is even more than my ransu was, which cost 840 lux. A loaf of bread costs around 2 lux on average. I would maybe pay a 100 lux fee, but 1000 lux is ridiculous. I try my luck in bluffing that this is a scam and they sigh and let me pass. Lucky me.

I brought my ransu to a "stable" and let her rest. She has done a great job carrying me here. I might even bring her back to the overworld and name her.

Now to the castle. Obviously I'm stopped at the gate. I try to pay my way in and they refuse and they start to get agitated. I decide to try to bluff my way in yet again.

- The great Kiat is expecting me to arrive. Please hurry and let me pass.

- Oh yea? Then why did you try to pay your way in first?

- It was merely a thoughtful gift to two hard working guards. But it appears my intentions were unwanted.

- Then what is so important that the great Kiat himself has summoned you to this castle?

- Do you have any idea how many times he does things like doing something on a whim or just because he felt like it? Surely you two have noticed this.

- He sure does do the most random things at times.

- Right!

- But how can I know...

The other guard stops him.

- Wait. I think it is best to just let him pass. For all we know, the great Kiat just didn't inform us for his amusement.

- Hhm... You are right. Hey you! You may enter! Don't mention us if he gets angry.

- Honestly, when have you ever seen him angry?

- You may be right, but I don't want to be the target of his first outburst.

I go on into the castle and I try to follow the path laid ahead of me. It sure is a strange looking castle. Lots of colors, but still keeping that demon prince vibe.

Then I finally get there. The throne room. I see a figure sitting on the throne with hooded figures on his sides. The man had a weird outfit. His skin was black on the right side and white on the left. His right eye was golden yellow and his left eye was purple. His left ear was an elf-like ear and his left hand seemed to have six fingers. His hair was bald on the left side and on the right he had long gray hair, almost silvery. He seemed to be a bit taller than me but not much. He smiles and starts talking

- Oh, how boring it is to see a fellow like you coming here. You barely got in with your lies and still you persist on coming here. Let's hope this won't be as much of a bore than the other one who came an hour ago.

He gives me a terrifying feeling. Like I could die at any moment. I need to be careful.

- I came here for the issue concerning Sario Arca and the whispers you've been telling him.

- The Sario fellow? Oh I remember him. It was a boring task that was asked of me a while back. What do you want me to do about it?

- I wish for you to stop controlling him on the side. I also wish to know your intentions.

- What a very boring statement. Tell you what. You play a little game I've come up with and I tell the honest truth about this matter. How is that?

- What if I lose the game?

- You simply leave this realm with no strings attached.

- Right. Then what is this game about?

- Simple. You and my servants here will throw a dice. The number you get is the number of attacks you can do to your opponent. You can only try to defend yourself and dodge when you are being attacked. If you try to attack on your opponent's turn, you get one attack from me. The order is you, servant 1, servant 2, servant 3 and servant 4. The last one standing wins.

- So it is four against one?

- Of course not. While it would be interesting to see if you persevere, I think it is less of a bore to see a free for all. Of course, if my servants try to team up, it's their choice. Their reward will be a gift from me. Something that might make their life easier.

I see the servants looking around each other. It seems like it truly is going to be free for all.

- Do you accept these terms?

- I accept.

- Interesting. Now begin!

Suddenly a dice size of myself appears in front of me. The servants start to scatter. I roll the dice and I get 2. Not a good start. I charge and strike one of the servants twice. The first one gets deflected and the second one hits her torso. She starts bleeding heavily. She is the servant 3 so her turn might not even come.

Then it is the servant 1 turn. He gets 4 and strikes at the servant 2 and 4. Both of them get flung to the wall with severe injuries. Then he strikes me. I barely dodge the first attack and then he strikes the second time and I block it. I get flung to the wall and I feel an immense pain. I can still stand but it is hard.

Now is servant 2 turn she barely gets the dice rolling and she gets 5. She attacks servant 1 with a thunder spell. Servant 1 dodges the first one and deflects the second one. The third one manages to hit him and he falls to his knees. Then she does another two thunder spells and directs one of them at me and one of them at servant 4. I managed to dodge it somehow but servant 4 couldn't and fell to the ground.

The servant 3 has been trying to heal herself and she rolls the dice. She gets 2. She tries to hit the servant 1 with her mace but he manages to block most of it. She decides to attack him again and this time he wasn't so lucky and gets his arm broken.

Now it would be servant 4 turn, but he isn't moving.

- Servant 4 is out!

Now it's my turn. I manage to roll 3 and decide to attack the servant 2. She Blocks my two of my attacks but the second one sends her flying to the wall and falls to the ground. She is still moving but barely.

The servant 1 tries to roll the dice but barely gets it moving and gets 1. He decides to attack me and I easily block him. Then he decides to try a second one and I block it as well. Then in a sudden flash of light he gets flung to the wall and is stuck there. He is not moving.

- That was one too many attacks, so it's an out!

It is now servant 2 turn. She is barely moving towards the dice.

- Countdown has started. If dice is not rolled by the count of zero, servant 2 will be out. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6.

She is trying her best to roll the dice, but her strength is too weak.

- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Time is up! Servant 2 is out!

Now there is only servant 3 and I. She has stopped the bleeding and she rolls the dice. She rolls a 5. They are all going to be targeted towards me now. She swings her mace around twice and I dodge them. She tries a third time and it hits me badly. I think some of my bones have been broken. She charges at me as I lie on the ground and she attacks. I manage to dodge both attacks just barely.

It is now my turn. The pain is slowing me down as I walk towards the dice. I hit it and I got a 3. My strength is all but gone, but I must persevere. I cast a couple of strengthening spells and I charge at the servant 3. My first strike was blocked but the second one hit her throat. She is now bleeding badly and about to die. I finish her off with a stab to the heart. It is now over.

- Splendid! You managed to not entirely bore me and gave me quite a show. You will get what you wished for. Now as for the losers.

He casts some spell with his hands and the servants suddenly get healed and stand up.

- You will now get to eat the fruit of lies. It will render you unable to tell any truth for the rest of your existence.

Suddenly a fruit appears in front of the servants. Servants 2 and 3 eat it without hesitation and then servant 1 asks.

- You said we get to eat them, not that we must, correct?

- Correct.

- Then I choose not to eat it.

- As you wish.

The two servants who ate the fruit look dumbfounded. They didn't think that there was a choice. Then one of them says.

- This is wonderful! I would have never given up the offer to eat this fonderfull fruit! Wonderful lord Kiat gave us a gift yet again!

- Thanks, my dear subject. Thanks. Now be on your way to attend to your other duties.

- I Fucking love this job!

The servants leave the throne room.

- Now then. What did you wish for again?

- I wish to know why you speak to Sario's mind and influence him to religiously turn other races to demon races.

- Oh that is quite simple. I was asked by a certain god to influence poor Sario's mind.

- A god? Was it the demon god?

- I do wonder now.

- Tell me!

- All I'm going to say is that it was a god. Nothing more nothing less. Do tell me, do you believe that demon god is real?

- According to a good source I think that there is a god who is being worshiped as a god.

- You should treat him as a god as well. How powerful do you think the creator of all demons, including the demon princes, would be?

- He must have been quite powerful then.

- Exactly! Now would you like to see him?

- You can do that?

- Of course I can! All I need to do is to turn you into a demon and you will be able to see him by yourself.

- I think I passed on that.

- It is your choice. Poor Sario would've had a great addition to his race. The spreading has gone quite well if I do say so myself.

- Then can you stop doing it?

- It has been quite an interesting experience so far, so I reluctantly promise to stop.

- How can I trust that you keep your promise?

- You can't and that is the best part. Even so, I think I've done enough to satisfy the god itself.

- What was this god's plan then?

- Probably to bring order to the demon race. I don't know.

- Then I guess my purpose for coming here has come to an end.

- Oh. Before you go, I have a message I wish you would tell my twin sister.

- Sure. What is it?

- Tell her that "The god of time has grown bored, the god of life has begun to fade, the god of death has made a blunder, the god of magic has forgotten her duties and the god of mind has started to walk away".

- What does any of that mean?

- That is something for her to decipher. Now go. As much as I enjoy your company I have other boring things to attend to. Toodaloo!

Suddenly I'm teleported to far up in the sky. As I'm falling, I see the edge of this realm and I begin to think of my option. First thing that came to mind was Lex and his teleportation, but I don't know if he can teleport me across the realms. So my second option was to call for Siel'Kel for help.

- Hello.

- I need you to transport me to somewhere safe, now!

- Somewhere safe? I think I can do that. But what is up with that wind?

- Hurry!

Then I'm suddenly transported somewhere bright. I feel strangely comfortable and I try to move. It is like I'm floating on the clouds. Then I'm transported next to the great soul tree. I see Siel'Kel.

- What was that?

- I transported you into the tree so that all the causality of whatever was happening there would disappear. The safest place for anyone to be in.

- Being inside the great soul tree disturbs causality? How is that even possible?

- It is something that came with the sacrifice. I don't know entirely how it works.

- Great. Now I need to go to where Crimson Ruby is. Then I need to find Tur, but that comes later.

- Did you find what you were looking for in there?

- I did. Though I don't know how much of it is true.

- That is to be expected. Now call Lex and he will teleport you to this Crimson Ruby.

- Why can't you?

- My transportation works only in places where I set a marker. Lex's teleport lets him go anywhere he pleases, though teleporting across realms is a bit more difficult.

- I see. Well great thing I called you first. Now let's call Lex.

I call Lex and he teleports me to Crimson Ruby's palace. But not without a bunch of questions first.