OverXelous
patreon
Chapter 26 - Do You Accept
🕑 Added 2024-10-29 02:10:45 +0000 UTC***
Congratulations Awakened. You have found a Hidden Quest!
Continue this path to gain more information and an Accept/Deny prompt.
***
Well, that’s new. Hidden Quest?
“If you’re not a God, then what are you?”
“I was once Head of the Celestial Lotus Sect, one of the supreme martial existences on our planet. I was talented enough to gain a Planetary Title in my youth. You may call me Eura.”
Many thoughts went through Alex’s head in response.
Supreme Existence? Yet something trapped you here?
Celestial Sect, isn’t that what my Personal Quest talked about?
“I was trapped here by our mortal enemies. The Shadow Serpent Sect. Currently, we are several miles below their main training facility.”
Alex’s thoughts continued to churn, but he asked the most pressing question that came to his mind. “How could something capture a being like you? If you were so powerful… do they also have people as strong as you were?”
The multi-armed man snorted with derision. “No. They had their sect leader, who was nearly as strong as me. But the Shadow Serpents used trickery and sacrificial magic to bind me here. The one and two-star warriors of my sect united to capture and bind their sect’s leader in much the same way. With both leaders being captured and subdued, the sects have been stuck in a stalemate for the last decade.”
“You don’t seem to bothered by being trapped here.”
“Well, I know my people are mostly safe and without Rakshasi to lead them, the Shadow Serpent Sect has likely devolved into a less than organized group.”
“You’ve been trapped down here for ten years?” Alex asked, horrified.
“Oh yes. Truly, it is not so long. I’ve lived for several hundred years.”
“Are you sure you’re not a God?”
Another low chuckle answered Alex’s skepticism.
“After myself and Rakshasi were subdued, much blood was spilled, and both sects relocated their Headquarters to occupy the space directly over their captured prizes. These tunnels go on for hundreds of miles underground and make it very hard for my people to come and rescue me, especially with Rakshasi’s brood of serpents lurking about.”
Alex shivered involuntarily and stepped closer to the light being emitted.
“How were you able to get passed, human? Were you sent by my people on one of your quests?”
“You know about quests? Sorry, there are so many things I don’t understand.” Alex shook his head. “I did meet some of your people, but they attacked me. I’ve never seen humans in a Rift before, so I was caught off guard. When I jumped off of the cliff and into the river, I floated until I could enter the tunnels. We kept runn-”
We. Val?
Alex paused as he realized he hadn’t seen his companion since he’d woken up. He reached out through their bond and could feel Val on the other side of the crouching golden man.
“Val!” Alex called.
Alex walked cautiously around the bound celestial entity and saw his companion using one of its favorite abilities.
“Gah, you scared me. What are you doing?” Alex walked up and saw that the little mana wyrm was using [Mana Siphon] on the black chains.
Uhh, is that such a good idea? Val, hey. Stop that. Just wait a minute; let’s figure out what’s going on. Last thing we need is to weaken this guy’s bindings and then for him to kill us both or something.
Reluctantly, Val ended his ability and flew over to Alex with a heavy wobble. Alex couldn’t help but smirk as his companion looked to be drunk on mana and unable to fly in a straight line.
Golden-flecked eyes followed them patiently. Alex noted how odd the man looked. Eura’s skin was pale with a golden tint, and his eyes were like miniature cosmos. The sclera was black like a normal eye, but the iris was outlined in bright gold, while the center was colored black and had small spots of gold. The pupil itself was a starburst of yellow and orange.
Alex craned his neck to look up at the being. He was so large that all of his details seemed magnified. He thought for several long moments before speaking up.
“While your people weren’t really friendly toward us, you are their leader, and you’ve been trapped here for ten years. I’m assuming you want to be set free?” Alex asked.
From hearing the celestial being’s story, Alex had a strong feeling he knew what the hidden quest would be.
“Of course, I’d like to be set free. In the last ten years, my people have not been able to find me in this cavern. I can only ask that you do so and offer you a reward as compensation for your selfless act.”
“A reward?” Alex’s ears perked up at this.
“Yes, little human. My eyes are special and give me sight of one’s mana and presence. I can see the mana you possess. Despite that axe you fell in here with, I can see that you are a practitioner of the magical arts as opposed to the martial ones. You are young and have only recently started your journey, still in the Initiate Phase. We would not even give you a star ranking at this point in your journey to power.”
Alex bristled slightly, wanting to mention that he’d managed to escape from several of those beings, and even though it was an accident, he didn’t get eaten by a giant snake.
Okay, maybe not the most solid ground to stand on in an argument…
“However, I can also see a strong foundation within you. You possess a will that was once weak and has grown in strength. You’ve faced life-and-death situations and not had your spirit break. You even have a soul bonded companion, which will grow with you as you continue down your path.”
He let out a deep sigh and thought for a moment. “Seeing this, I know of one thing that I could offer you. Something that would aid you more than any of the items on the alter behind me.”
Alex tilted his head to the side.
Items?
He glanced past the large man and toward a stone altar, past the chains where Val had been siphoning the chains. There were, indeed, items piled on it. His attention was brought back to the conversation as the sect leader continued.
“I will give you a growth item. While its benefits will still be useful now, a growth item’s true power comes from its ability to grow with the user. Since you are just starting your journey, this gives you both much room to grow and increase compatibility.”
“A growth item? I haven’t heard that term before.” Alex said.
“There are other terms, but I’ve always thought that this is the most appropriate. The item is bound to the user’s soul, much like your companion there. As your soul grows in strength and power, so too does the item. Depending on how you fight and live, the item will adjust it’s abilities every evolution to fit with you personally.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing.” Alex thought of a mighty sword or staff that would grow more powerful with him as he leveled up.
While the people in this world didn’t quite seem to know the System or levels like he had been learning them the last few weeks, they clearly had some way to categorize powers. The sect leader also seemed to have some way to tell that Alex was from another world altogether.
Maybe that comes from him attaining a certain level of power. Does that mean that Rifts are parts of other worlds? Or copies of other worlds?
Thoughts for another time. Focus, Alex.
“This sounds like a good deal to me. What’s the catch?” Alex asked.
“Don’t be hasty in your decision, human. While the reward will be great, this world will go through a drastic change once again. With my release, the Shadow Serpent Sect will gain strength, and those of their sect will regain much of the Qi they sacrificed to bind me here. The Firstborn of the Shadow Serpent especially will grow in strength, and my guess is that she will chase you to get revenge for my release.”
“She’d chase me? Why not go after you? You’re the threat to them.”
“I am weakened from my original state. While I was once a peak three-star warrior, I’m only at that of a Peak Initiate while bound here. Not much stronger than you, small one. Once the chains are broken, I will begin to regain my strength, though it may take days to get back to my original state and the same goes for her. She is no match for me with even half of my power. Only her mother was my match. I will hold off the Firstborn for some time, but I’m guessing that she will use the shadows to vanish as our fight drags on and I gain my powers back. ”
“So she’s just going to abandon trying to fight you and come after me instead?” Alex asked in disbelief.
Fuck.
“Yes, they are a vengeful sect with very little honor. I will be able to hold her off from pursuing you for a time, but when she decides to move through shadows, it will be hard to stop her without the full power of my celestial light.”
Okay, so I think I’ve got a grasp on what the System is offering me here.
A blue screen appeared in his vision as if to confirm his thoughts.
***
Congratulations Awakened. You have found a Hidden Quest!
If you free the Celestial Lotus Sect Head from his chains, he will reward you and assist in your escape; however, the Rift will become more challenging, and both of your Main Quests will change.
Offered Reward: Growth Item
Do you accept this Hidden Quest? Yes/No
To Accept: Release the Celestial Lotus Sect Head from his chains.
To Refuse: Leave this place before you’re found.
***
That’s pretty much what I’d gathered. The Rift itself will change, possibly meaning that things here will be higher level than they were before. So if I accept this, shit is going to hit the fan, and Val and I need to get away from here as fast as possible.
“I think that this is something I can handle if all we need to do is run and not actually fight the serpent,” Alex said aloud. “But I don’t know how to get out of these tunnels. Can you tell me how to get back to the surface?”
He shook his head. “I do not know a direct route to the surface, though I know that there are many entrances into this Underworld. Follow trails that lead upward, and as a traveler, you should be able to feel a pull from your Qi that will guide you toward your home.”
It took Alex to translate what the man was saying. It seemed that he knew about the way Alex’s Core would gently tug toward the Rift exit, though they called this Qi.
Didn’t one of the warriors chasing me say something about Qi?
He refocused on what was at hand as his pulse quickened. The thought of being chased by the giant snake once again got his heart pumping.
“Well, I might as well see if I can get the most out of this.” Alex said to no one in particular as he walked toward the altar.
“What are you doing?”
“Going to look at some of these items. There has to be some good stuff here, right?”
The man chuckled. “Yes, they do put items of value on the altar while praying for the return of their Sect Head. Though it will likely set off some alarm if you remove those items.”
Alex shrugged in response. “They’re already going to be chasing after me if I accept your quest, right?”
“So you will aid me?” He asked, hope clear in his voice.
“I don’t see a real reason not to. If the serpents are already going to hunt me in these tunnels and I’m trying to get out anyway, I might as well get a reward for it.”
“You’re either a brave human or a very naive one. I’ve warned you of the dangers and won’t attempt to talk you out of helping me. I am gratified that you are willing to lend me aid.”
Alex nodded, trying not to think about the additional cryptic warning in that statement. He approached the altar, careful not to touch anything as he observed the items.
“I’m really not sure what most of this is. Do you know what the items are? What is worth taking?” Alex scratched the back of his head. He saw various weapons and herbs. Some rotting carcasses were there as well as a few books.
“Hmm… for you? Or in general?”
“In general, I guess.”
“You may find the most interest in the dagger belt at the back of the pile. It was given by a high-ranking sect warrior several years ago. They’re highly spirit-attuned, which allowed its users to empower them with shadow Qi. Also, the flute is a conduit for aura manipulation. The most valuable thing on the pile is the small spatial bag at the bottom of the pile. It was left in the first year of their Master’s absence by the Sect Head’s mate. Everything else isn’t very useful for you unless you want a spare sword to carry.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to have a sword, I guess. Which one should I take if I want one?”
“The one closest to you is the only one I’d recommend for your own use. It’s light and was created for the Shadow Serpents’ Shadow-Illusion style, which they teach to their initiates. The others are likely too heavy for your small frame to use.”
Ouch. I get it, I’m weak.
“What about those few books? They look like a manual I got before.”
There was another pause before the Eura answered. “I’d prefer you didn’t take those from this place.”
“Why?”
“They are training methods or manuals for the Shadow Serpent Sect techniques. I’d rather they stay here and not travel to other worlds. While they are not inherently wicked, they do allow for a certain kind of power to be born.”
Alex thought about this for a moment before deciding to grab the manuals anyway when the time came. Eura was requesting he leave them, rather than demand it.
“So what do I need to do to release you? And how much time will Val and I have to run before we need to fight.”
“I’d suggest that you do not fight under any circumstance. In your current form, you would be no match for the Firstborn. If you do get cornered, fight and hope for the Architect’s luck, but beware of her venom. To release my chains, you need to push your Qi into the rune engraved into the floor on the other side of the room. If you’re going to do so, I’d get your items from the altar before you do. As soon as the chains begin to break, flee with all haste.”
“Got it, run like Hell.”
Comments
Sam A
The sclera was black (>white) like a normal eye
OverXelous
Some decent feedback! Thanks for pointing that out. I'm not the most clever at picking names.
ALEXEI
So a dagger for the lady. He should have asked if he knew the name that gave him his trait blessing. Side note if I were you I'd stop naming the chapters, beside it Probly getting tedious to come up with on your end they are all kind of spoilery I can tell what the entire chapter is about before I read it.
