The Guardian

Chapter 249: Are You Ready?

Alice looked at Auroara seriously.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’ll be careful and cautious,” Aurora said as she felt the look and giving a soft smile, she murmured. “You have to take care of yourself too. Try not to cause trouble.”

Prudent... Honestly, Alice thought that word was not in her sister’s ‘dictionary’.

When some things happened or she found something, for which to move, nothing and no one could stop her and prudence quickly turned into recklessness.

That was why Alice didn’t hesitate to look at her strangely.

They were about to start their missions and they needed to split up, having a complicated and hard battle ahead.

There were many problems, monsters and abominations being the main force, but they also didn’t know if there were more of those green creatures and if so, things could get complicated.

After all, one monster was unreasonable and while there were many, they were not of high intelligence.

There were some creatures that could stay ‘alive’ and be corrupted, but while they used some tactics in the end, they were driven by strong emotions.

That was why the goblins in her eyes were what were dangerous.

“Then we’ll see if I make you a delicious meal,” Aurora added with a smile, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Alice tried not to smile, but she liked her sister making her food, so she couldn’t hide her smile for long.

“I understand. If you need a snack, eat chips,” Alice said earnestly, as she had spent part of her supply, and then leaned close to her ear and murmured. “Ask your ‘system’ for help if you need anything.”

Her tone was slightly distrustful.

Aurora’s expression quivered into a combined smile and seriousness.

System... That was what her sister said she had and while it was too questionable and too many points could be doubted, in the end, it didn’t matter.

Aurora did not wish to question and search for the answer, the reason and everything that could be behind something as fictitious as a system, and that meant Alice would not pry into the subject.

She did not wish to pressure her sister to look for secrets and now all she could say she knew was that this system was within everything, it was reliable.

As for the others, it was something her own sister had to look for and that she would only help her when asked for help.

“I understand,” Aurora replied and seeing that she was more relaxed, her expression became serious and she murmured. “Don’t take any chances and don’t look for trouble. Do what you think is necessary. I’ll be there for you.”

To normal people, it would look like she was being treated like a child, but Alice’s expression quivered.

While one part of Aurora’s words pointed to her personality that could become very contrary to the values her sister held, it also pointed to another part.

To the subtlety of having spent years in S rank... Her sister had as her excuse, having stopped training with her sword and not having developed her art as it should have been, but Alice was different.

Developing an innate skill had its own methods.

One example was her father, who grew taller, stronger and more powerful through battles, fights and constant confrontations that pushed him to the limit.

The problem was that change went hand in hand with its respective consequences and for many, problems.... Her case would be no different.

They were both in a dangerous place, and Aurora was pointing out to her that the important thing was to survive.

“Likewise, don’t worry, just do your best. You’re perfect for these situations,” Aurora commented, giving her a big smile to cheer her up.

Alice could take down many creatures if she used the darkness at her feet and the damage when she spread the shadow was unquestionable.

As for her warrior form, it was versatile, tough and powerful for direct confrontations.

Alice gave a soft smile and looking that it was time, they approached the group that was ready.

The first group was Alice, Amanda, Theodore and Alros... Who was leading was going to be Alros.

The second group consisted of Urfin, Meden, Siba and Adala, with the first one taking the lead.

At the end was the fourth group, Aurora, Cedric, Dan and Marius, led by her sister.

The first groups had the heaviest tasks, as they had to bear the brunt of bigger confrontations, but the third group also had their tasks.

“I will only say one thing... Take care of yourselves,” Urfin said, and looking at the group, he pointed. “Everything else has been taken care of, but the main thing is to take care of yourselves.”

Leaving this place was important, though they didn’t need to risk their lives in major battles.

The group members were worried, anxious and wondering too much about what was going on outside, but Alice agreed with Urfin.

“It is useless to succeed in the mission at a high cost.” Urfin announced in closing.

Urfin had demonstrated his experience as a leader by not losing his cool in the face of the situation and keeping his priorities straight.

Even though the doubts were too heavy and the questions about the outside caused some to have their nerves eaten away, Urfin understood that taking reckless risks solved nothing.

They had a healing mage, but this world was unknown and so were its dangers... So one had to think that there were things that a healing mage, a potion or a scroll could not cure.

The main idea was to finish this mission in one go. However, depending on the problems and difficulty, they could repeat it for a while, reducing the number of monsters without taking so many risks.

The groups said their goodbyes and left for their respective directions.

The imperial team had communication crystals and even though there were three crystals, at this point, it was enough for all three groups.

Alice flew away, allowing herself to be carried away by Alros’ magic.

As a Terranovian, Alros was not only a dual swordsman, but he could also use magic and, in this case, air magic, just as Meden used earth magic.

“Alright, so everyone feel comfortable with the plan we had proposed?” Alros asked as they flew off hiding like a blizzard.

Their speed was fast, and they were heading to the first point near the abyssal portal to attract as many creatures as they could.

In the distance, they could see the huge dark pillar that was now immense to them and that was the way to guide them through this place.

The goal was simple...

“Yes, I will pray to the Goddess of Order to attract the monsters,” Theodore replied with a solemn expression.

Everyone else nodded, including Alice.

They had proven that method worked, and it was quite terrifying because praying to the Goddess of Order as a sacrifice purified the surroundings, just as the God of Time and Space devoured the magical energy to then respond.

In this case, that purification given by the Order of such primordial existence clashed with Chaos, causing creatures, monsters and abominations to come after them.

However, none of them were worried.

Amanda was a paladin and could use ‘Space’ to a great extent, allowing her not only to help them escape but also to cause great destruction.

Theodore was a psionic focused on Pyrokinesis and was considered very strong thanks to his ability to generate instant combustion on weak creatures or even have a concentrated strength greater than fire mages.

For his part, Alros was a dual swordsman and focused on speed, but being a Terranovian, his air magic could be quite fearsome when combined with his own sword skills.

In the end there was her... Alice knew very well what her advantages and disadvantages were.

In this case, slaughtering numerous creatures would not be too difficult.

Arrogance or confidence?

Only she knew.

******

Urfin, at the back of his group, watched his companions seriously.

Meden and Siba were on either side, and in the center stood Adala.

Those two Terranovians who had been his companions for more years than he could remember had relaxed expressions and were even joking about sightseeing around.

If Alice and her group were taking the left side to take care of attracting the monsters around that area, they were taking the center, leaving Aurora and her group the right side.

The black pillar overhead was large and close... Or close enough for a pillar that towered tens of kilometers high, towering above the clouds.

Urfin didn’t know what it was and although his limbs joked that it was a sword and even said it was a building, the reality was that it seemed more unreal when they were closer.

The abyssal portal was further along at the top of a cliff surrounded by a plain and when he had gone to see it to check its condition, he had noticed that the pillar was deep through the black sea that some had seen.

“There are more and more creatures and more green trees. It’s impressive how Chaos is shrinking,” Siba said curiously.

“Well, already in a few moments everything will be a burnt desert,” Meden replied with her big hammer on her shoulder.

Siba laughed at that comment.

They both looked relaxed, causing Adala to lower her guard at the prelude to battle, but unlike that young woman, his companions were alert.

Both had spells prepared and their artifacts were ready to respond to surprise attacks or any desperate situation.

Urfin also kept a watchful eye on everything with his two axes in his hands, in case an enemy attacked him.

Among all those who had arrived from the abysmal portal, Adala was the most inexperienced.

In her twenty-two years, she was what many called an ‘urban’ heroine, one of those individuals who only stayed in the cities to get around.

They killed monsters that appeared in the cities, participated in natural or temporary dungeons and even sometimes solved conflicts and stopped crimes, but it was all done in the cities and often in front of the cameras.

That meant that, although they were of S rank, they did not have the experience of complicated situations, at the same time they could not withstand environments like this.

Not everyone had nerves of steel to resist dangers like this and she wasn’t indifferent enough to travel as some kind of creature in the middle of monsters... Although comparing her to Alice or Aurora was too much.

Adala was strong and very useful for the mission, that was why, if they needed to devote an effort to sap her nerves before battle, the group was willing.

And more so in this mission that required their help.

Urfin scanned the surrounding green forests and through the lush leaves and branches he couldn’t notice well enough the monsters that stood in their way.

Although it was a pity, they would burn most of these lands with the monsters inside.

Generating a massive fire was going to attract many monsters and to put it out, Adala was important.

Still, before that, they had to do something.

“Adala, had you mentioned that you had research notes?” Urfin asked seriously.

“Yes, but will it work?” Adala asked and with an odd tone, muttered. “They’re notes from a party spell... And it’s only the modification to one. I don’t think the Goddess of Knowledge would respond to using it as a sacrifice.”

What they were about to do was a ritual to the Goddess of Knowledge.

To connect with such a deity, they not only needed to know her ‘honorific titles’, but it was also done through a medium and a sacrifice.

The titles were known and the medium of the ritual was created by Meden, leaving the sacrifice being what was missing.

“It will be perfect.” Urfin replied with a smile.

The Goddess of Knowledge required them to sacrifice research notes and even spell notes to receive her answer, and that was what the group was missing before and why they couldn’t pray to the goddess.

Now it was different. After advancing for a while, the group descended as they noticed it was close.

As they descended, Siba took it upon himself to eliminate the hidden enemies with Adala, and Meden took out a book carved in stone.

It was created with earth magic and was a stone book depicting the image of the Goddess of Knowledge.

The carvings also had some engravings to identify the Goddess, including her true name engraved in an ancient magical language.

They had received no response before and now they were simply trying because they had sacrificial material and a halfway decent altar, which they could not afford before.

With guards around him and with a water barrier Adala erected surrounding the group, Urfin prepared the altar with the spell notes and then prayed to the goddess.

He was not a devout believer, but as a member of the Falion Empire, he knew that there were times when he needed to pray to that deity for help and, as the Guardian of the Falion Empire, that goddess answered.

Terra nova was a world where the presences of terrifying deities were normal and where ritualists and cult members sought to cause destruction on a regular basis, so special team members were asked to pray to the deities.

‘Praying’ according to theologians, was a means to engage in a connection with the gods they believed in, but mortals did not know if those entities were watching them or not, until they answered their prayers.

“...”

However, at this moment, Urfin felt it from before without saying the titles of the goddess or praying aloud.

He could feel a gentle breeze that made Meden’s stone carved book start to shake its leaves as if it became real and in the midst of that anomaly, Urfin could see how some words came out of the book.

Had Her Highness Cithrel asked the goddess to pay attention, or did that entity get wind of what was going on and move in search of knowledge?

“...”

Urfin did not have the answer and could not get it.

The letters entered Urfin’s mind and he could feel how that goddess was asking him to surrender his recent memories.

Obeying and handing over his memories since he came to this world, that entity took it as payment.

“What do you want my help for?”

The letters came out of the book that had become real as it cracked with subtlety.

Urfin had doubts, but he was a member of the Empire and a very loyal one. He knew that deity was very connected to the Royalty of the Falion Empire, just as the Moon Goddess was connected to the Royalty of the Lunar Empire... And that meant they were connected to Her Highness Cithrel.

“I understand. I will help.”

The letters changed immediately as Urfin reported his plan mentally and the book turned to stone again, shattering to pieces.

The notes were gone, as was the altar, but the words floated into the sky and Urfin could also hear the orders of the future ruler of the Falion Empire.

Surprised, but determined, Urfin stood up again, looking at those letters.

The future Empress of the Falion Empire had ordered him to see to the care of her friend and close friend.

******

Aurora drew her sword, calmly observing.

Her sword aura began to surround her blades, and she began to run with her group.

They advanced at high speed until they reached the designated point, which was near some hills.

Her side was more mountainous and she would take advantage of that to complete the mission.

Turning back, she could see a red light in the distance and noticed that many monsters were starting to head towards the area.

Surely it was Urfin who had started his plan to attract as many monsters as possible.

“Are you ready?” Aurora asked, looking at her group.

She had been given less work because her group had a healer, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to give it their best.

“Yes. We’re all fine.” Marius replied as he looked at the others.

“Well, this is the first point and the hardest, but then we have others. Don’t let your guard down and stay sharp.” Ordered Aurora as she saw them nodding, she signaled Dan.

That archer took an arrow from his quiver and shot it into the sky at a high speed.

*BOOM*

When it reached the top, it exploded, releasing a thunderous noise and at the same time a sphere of white light that remained for several seconds.

That was enough to attract creatures in this place... Starting the battle.