The Guardian

Chapter 244: Someone Very Valuable

Upon arrival, all went well.

The darkness and monsters were troublesome, but with our space mage we could rally.

Our one priest performing the first ritual to the Goddess of Order caused many monsters to arrive, but that was all.

It was the same when we prayed, as the Goddess of Order purified the surroundings and attracted monsters when she answered prayers.

When did everything change?

It was very fast... Without us realizing it, we were being watched.

Chaos made us believe that this world was one that was near its end, where everything was corrupted and there was no one left. They deceived us.

A goblin had been watching us, and then we were ambushed.

The battle... It was difficult and hectic, but the leader of the guild, The Custodians, ordered the retreat.

Unfortunately, not everyone could retreat and in this case, the leader was the one who died.

They chased us for a while, but eventually gave up.

The bad news was that we were all too spread out from each other.

You know how it is. You try to escape a monster that finds you, only to be chased by dozens of others.

We tried to survive and get together, but as I said, we were not alone and it was difficult.

Until they left... They used the portal that was under the pillar of darkness.

I know, because I was the one who was closest watching with some companions.

The safest place was the most dangerous, right?

We survived until they left, but the instant everyone went through the portal, the creatures started pouring in and flooded everything in their path.

It was as if they were occupying areas they couldn’t get near before.

One of our members assumed that the goblin army was using an artifact to ward off Chaos and the presence of the monsters, though it didn’t matter if the assumption was correct.

We looked for the others and gather, but... We didn’t manage to do much, either.

While the larger group had left for these lands, the scum of the goblins remained... The most twisted bastards among the entire race.

Their targets among us all were our female members and before we knew it, we were already marked.

We killed to survive, but in the end we lost again.

We were weak, tired and worried... We didn’t understand the rules of this place and those goblins were cunning.

They would wait for us to tire ourselves out facing monsters and then they would come in trying to take us down.

They only needed a scratch, and a cut for their poison to take effect.

What magic plants did they use?

Those goblin bastards used plants and fruits contaminated by Chaos.

Yes, Chaos... In different areas of these lands there are plants still ‘living’ or what can be said of any living thing existing after being mutated and contaminated by Chaos.

It was dangerous and more so because our priest was trapped by them and our healer was also killed by monsters.

Divided, tired and still in even smaller groups, it was terrifying once they took the lead.

Those disgusting creatures in the middle of the battle trapped their opponents and wanted to satiate their desires in the middle of the battle.

It was frightening.

Then, we found another scattered member.

The former leader of the Victrix Guild, we thought he had companions, but according to him, they had all fallen.

We knew how scary the place was and how dangerous it was to survive, so we didn’t hesitate.

Now I ask myself, why didn’t I hesitate?

Only later I found out that this man had abandoned them... Abandoned the women and men to calm those goblins.

I am not a saint and I have done bad things in my life. I will not ask for forgiveness and just take the consequences, but I think I always had some limits and I was not like those bastards.

In the end, I didn’t realize it and we went ahead with the plan.

The idea was to go through the big group of monsters and exit through the portal.

It was an idea that seemed easy, but if you had seen the abominations that were around, you would understand that it was not an easy task.

Still, we were all willing to risk it... We were few, there was no doubt about it and despite our numbers, we had a chance if we acted together.

So we did.

After preparing ourselves, we started and moved forward.

With the idea of splitting the creatures, moving them away from the abyssal portal and then moving all together, and we did well at first.

It was a pretty good plan, but everything changed when we were about to head to the abyssal portal.

We realized that the leader of the Victrix Guild had gone out on his own... And we all followed him, but it was too late.

In the middle of the creatures with the abyssal portal in our eyes, that bastard activated the abyssal portal and when he was about to cross it, a monster attacked him.

Creatures had to be eliminated, and that was not something a single person could not do, and yet that idiot tried to do it all on his own and ended up being corrupted by Chaos.

It was an aberrant abomination that devoured his lower body and wanted to assimilate with him, wanting to take control.

However, that bastard had a strong will and could maintain some rationality.

Even at that moment, it tried to advance through the abysmal portal and passed through it... It had become a grotesque monster that seemed unable to enter the portal, but the bastard continued, causing the portal to grow and become unstable.

The instability caused the giant pillar of darkness to tremble and the monsters went berserk, preventing us from crossing.

No, even if we took the risk at that moment to cross, it would have given a pitiful result.

That was all because Chaos had become dense in the area because of the instability of the abyssal portal.

Desperate, stunned and frightened... Monsters, creatures and abominations pressed us.

My companions fell one after another, eaten, chewed and corrupted by the most dangerous abominations.

We tried to escape and of the seven-member group, only two of us survived.

I lost my arm and my companion helped me escape, but we could only close the wound and then my companion was shot down after several hours.

I was left alone... Then I found out what happened with that goblin camp and I infiltrated to try to help.

However, it was too late, there was only one person left alive whom I could not rescue or help to end his pain... I was just a one-armed and weak man who could barely keep himself alive.

Before I could realize it I was running away from those creatures again.

******

In a cave created underground and inside the oversized tent-department they set up here, Cédric was telling his story.

“That was all a week ago,” Cédric muttered with a heavy expression and, giving a sigh, he stated. “I thought about killing myself, but I don’t want to end my life this way... I’m not going to say that I wish to live, but I at least want to make amends for my mistakes.”

He had refrained from telling many details and that was because it was three months that he spent surviving in these lands... At least when he counted time in this world.

It was a tragic story, but Aurora found those first words curious.

“Did it all happen a week ago?” Aurora asked.

“Yes, maybe a day or two more, I’m not sure,” Cédric answered with difficulty.

“I arrived a day or two ago to this place,” Aurora said, looking at the others.

Urfin, Meden, Siba, Alros, Dan, Amanda, Adala, Marius, Theodore and Alice were present around the apartment table.

Hearing her words, some of them frowned.

“I arrived about a week and was wandering around during that time,” Alice replied brightly.

“We arrived together and were about three days ago,” Urfin commented as Meden, Siba and Arlos nodded.

The others gave their comments.

Adala had only recently arrived as had Aurora, but the others, like Theodore, had been in these lands for a week.

Their arrival was difficult to pinpoint, as the time sense was complicated to determine, but they all arrived within a week’s time within a day or two of each other.

The holographic clocks that still worked helped determine time on Earth, but Aurora knew that here, even the hours of a ‘day’ were different, let alone ‘day’ or ‘night’.

In this place, it was common to get lost.

“The only thing we can be sure of is that he may have spent between two to three days on Earth,” Amanda muttered and with a long sigh, added. “That means we’re already in the year 2049.”

The expressions of the group changed, and some showed some concern, while others let on some seriousness.

When they decided to participate to seize the abyssal portal and confront the goblins, no one had imagined this situation... It was more, they were unprepared.

The serious atmosphere was agitated, and the tremors from above generated more pressure.

Outside this cave that Meden had created with her earth magic, it was night and the monsters were agitated as they were every night.

“We have some supplies for everyone and Adala can create drinking water. In case there is a lack of food, Cedric can also make the plants grow quickly to bear fruit,” Urfin said and with a half smile, added. “Besides, Aurora has a nice place... I think we should rest first.”

Adala and Alros, who seemed to like the luxury, nodded slightly encouraged.

The tent was an extended space containing a two-room apartment, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room.

While it was not large enough for all eleven members, with enough coordination, the rooms could be divided, giving some privacy for the female and male members.

After all, this was a large tent with the interior of an apartment.

Food was the same, while not everyone had brought a supply, Urfin was a natural cook and Meden was also similar Alice on the gluttonous level, the only difference being culinary skill.

Which meant they both had extra food.

“As for our objective it should be clear by now, right?” Urfin asked to confirm and seeing that most nodded, he looked at Cedric and added. “You’ve tried before and you know the area. Now we can try and get out successfully.”

Urfin decisively took the lead, and Aurora nodded.

Splitting the groups into factions now or being stingy in sharing supplies was foolish.

In that sense, Aurora was grateful that her group was in the majority.

Meden, Siba, Alros, Alice and she were members of the empire and that meant they would follow a high command like Urfin Jadegrog.

Adala and Dan were heroes, while Amanda and Theodore were members of two different churches.

Leaving at the end the healer Marius who, despite seeing that an acquaintance had survived, was not so excited... It was normal when one thought that Marius Posse became leader of the guild The Custodians after their vice leader and leader disappeared in the first expedition.

In the end, the main objective was clear, and that was to escape... There was no need to cause trouble, and even more so when the one who was taking command was someone skilled and professional like Urfin.

Being over a hundred years old, he also had an enormous experience that none of those present apart from the imperial group could match.

“I understand I will try to help as best I can,” Cédric replied.

While there was a need to move, right now everyone was tired after a long battle and that was why Urfin was trying to lessen the burden on everyone.

Worry, anxiety and fear... Being alone out there was overwhelming and several of those present were for a while.

Less or more, it was the same.

Getting ready to cook with what she had stored in the apartment, Aurora started to tidy up some things.

She felt the gaze of Alice, who was eating chips, perhaps noticing her expression.

Aurora was happy to have found her, but she couldn’t ignore that she was tired and exhausted by what had happened.

Leaving the preparations aside, Aurora accompanied Alice to her room.

Then, when they arrived, Aurora hugged her sister.

“I’m glad you’re okay. You had me worried,” Aurora said honestly.

It was true that she had only stayed for a short time, but Alice was different... According to her, she had been since a week in these lands.

Aurora couldn’t imagine how scary and how exhausting it had been to be a week in this place and alone, with no one to talk to.

She couldn’t deny that, without her system, she would have had a very bad time.

“It’s okay... It wasn’t that bad,” Alice replied, returning the hug and murmured. “Even though I know you’d be fine, I was worried about you, too.”

Aurora couldn’t help but smile, not only at her concern, but at her sister’s confidence... And she was similar.

The confidence she had in Alice was extremely high and her sister was strengthening it more and more.

Such as now she seemed to be not even worried about where she was.

She was the kind of person who generated enough confidence to believe that she could move forward no matter what the circumstances.

That kind of person was her sister... Someone very valuable.