Chương 78: Secrets of the Sect

As they reached their third target. Joe felt something different in the air. He paused, scanning the surroundings intently, but saw nothing unusual with his Mana Sight. There weren't even any of the faint mana streams that had pointed northeast earlier. Still, an ominous weight hung over the area, subtle, but undeniable. The group crouched, hidden in the shadows, as Kila's scouting walruses scurried off in search of an entry point into the next tower.

This one was shorter than the first, Joe estimated five floors at most, compared to the ten-plus levels of the tower they had previously infiltrated. They waited in silence until movement at the tower's main entrance caught everyone's eye. Another group had arrived, and they weren't sneaking in. They were storming it.

'Mother slug, they are claiming our tower. Let's stop them,' Like'Me said, rising to his feet. Moons held out a hand, stopping him.

"No. Look." She pointed to the front of the charge, where a single figure had just dispatched a group of cloaked guards and was rushing inside. It was the number one ranked Askari, Tar'Hou. His eyes scanned over them briefly and he tossed something their way. Moons caught it easily. She scanned the message, then passed it to Kila and Like'Me. Finally, it reached Joe. It was a single slip of paper. The message read, 'My tower. Move along' written in an unusual script.

Fortunately, Joe's translation skill worked on text as well. By the time he looked up, Kila was already leading them off to the east. As they ran, Joe began noticing more of the faint mana streams again. They were changing direction, curving from the northeast to north. He stopped abruptly and crouched within a patch of shadow, watching one of the streams more closely as it shimmered faintly against the dusty ground. The others didn't immediately notice and kept moving, leaving him behind.

'Keep up, newbie, what are you doing?' Like'Me's voice echoed sharply in his head.

'Come back, I think I found something,' Joe replied, eyes fixed on the subtle flow of mana. A moment later, the rest of the group melted from the shadows and appeared beside him.

'This better be important,' Like'Me barked in Joe's head. The mental voice still made him wince every time. Joe shook off the reverberation and gestured toward the faintly glowing lines of mana on the ground.

"Do you see that?" he asked. All three turned their attention to where he pointed, trying to decipher what he was getting at. Moons was the first to react.

"I see it. It's incredibly faint. I only picked it up because I was looking at it directly. How did you notice that while moving?" she asked, her shadowy voice sounding genuinely curious. Joe just shrugged, unsure how to explain it himself.

"Lead the way," Kila said simply, nodding at him. Joe glanced at Moons for confirmation. She gave a nod. Again, he shrugged, still surprised they were so willing to follow such a tenuous lead, and began jogging along the subtle trail of mana. They didn't have to travel far. After about five minutes, the stream ended at a circular clearing with a small, isolated house standing at its centre. Joe scanned the area, frowning. No guards. No patrols.

Just the house sitting there like it had been placed in the middle of the village on a whim. Something about it unsettled him.

'No guards, let's move,' Like'Me said low to the ground as he crept forward. Moons and Kila followed behind. Joe hesitated for a moment longer, unease prickling at his instincts, but then followed them in. Inside the house, they found a single open chamber, no hallways, no stairs, no other rooms. Statues lined the walls, forming a circular pattern that faced inward toward a second group of statues at the centre of the room. Moons and Kila were already inspecting the strange figures.

Joe looked up at the low ceiling, a few feet above his head. The interior was as unadorned as it was puzzling. No paintings or furniture. No bookshelves, cabinets, or even signs that the place had ever been used at all. Just cold grey walls, muted brown paint, and a quiet, eerie stillness. And statues. Dozens of them, each carved in the likeness of creatures Joe didn't recognize. Joe began walking the perimeter of the chamber, eyes lingering on each statue in turn.

The first one he approached was an unnerving fusion of a bull and a scorpion, four sturdy legs, six muscular arms, and a long, curled tail ending in a sharp stinger. Beside it stood a sea creature with a squid-like body and wings jutting out from what he guessed was its head. It had no visible eyes, only folds of wrinkled stone where a face might have been.

Each sculpture appeared more bizarre than the last, as though someone had cobbled them together from the wild dreams of a mad artist with a flair for the grotesque. As he moved along the outer wall, he caught snippets of Moons and Kila's conversation from the centre of the room.

"No barriers anywhere. The floor also has no cracks or hidden compartments that I could find," Kila said.

"The ceiling seems whole, too, but it doesn't match the building's dimensions from the outside. There could be a hidden floor," Moons added. She latched onto the ceiling with her shadows, probing silently. They continued their meticulous inspection while Joe kept circling. He had Mana Sight active, scanning each statue for signs of hidden wards or magical interference. Yet, after completing a full loop of the chamber, he had found nothing, and neither had the others. Like'Me was the only one not investigating.

With no scouting skills to speak of, he just lay there grumbling about the lack of action.

'Just break the statues. Maybe something's hidden inside,' Like'Me suggested, his mental voice tinged with boredom. Moons shook her head without looking down and continued her ceiling inspection. Joe was just about to give up the search when a subtle tug brushed at his senses. He stopped, eyes narrowing on a statue that looked… different. He could've sworn it was a pig-man-beetle hybrid before, but now, something about its posture, its lines, felt altered.

He approached it, cautiously and ran his fingers along the textured surface. When he reached the centre of the torso, he felt something shift beneath his touch, then heard a soft click. He jumped back just as a rush of smoky air blasted from the wall behind the statue. Cracks spidered across the surface before the wall groaned and swung open, revealing a narrow stairwell descending into darkness.

'Newbie did it again.' Like'Me grunted. Kila stepped forward, summoning his walrus scouts and sending them down the stairwell. Moons moved beside Joe and gave him a subtle nod. He returned the gesture, but his smile was hollow, devoid of any amusement. The moment the stairwell had opened, that uneasy feeling within him had only intensified. Whatever waited below, it wasn't good. They stood in silence as Kila listened to the reports from his scouts.

"Single room," he said, closing his book.

"One chained captive and a series of plants in containers. No traps detected. Should be safe to proceed." Moons turned to Joe.

"Your detection skill, how good is it? Do you see anything below?" Joe peered down the dark stairwell but saw nothing that explained his growing sense of dread.

"Nothing that I can pick up," he admitted.

"But I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe we shouldn't go down."

'Newbie is scared,' Like'Me said with a deep, rumbling laugh.

'Let's go.' He started down the stairwell. Kila followed close behind. Moons remained still, eyes locked on Joe. He still couldn't see her face, only the two glowing orange eyes peering from within her shadowed cowl. She lingered for a long moment, then turned and descended the steps without a word. Joe exhaled slowly, tension bleeding from his shoulders. A single bead of sweat traced its way down his temple. Whatever Aura Moons had radiated just now had weighed on him like a lead cloak.

Without another thought, he followed in silence. At the base of the stairs, the room opened up before them, cold stone walls slick with a film of oily moisture. The stench of mildew and stagnant air hung thick. Joe wrinkled his nose at the heavy musk and dust-laden dampness. It was clear no one had entered this place in a very long time. There were no lights, but once again, Joe was thankful for his spidersilk sunglasses. His gaze landed immediately on the chained figure slumped in the corner.

The man, if he could be called that, was still breathing, chest rising and falling in slow, shallow rhythm. His head hung limply, tongue lolling from a bovine snout. He had the hooved legs of a beast, and his arms were shackled tightly behind his back, bound in thick metal cuffs. The chains rattled softly with every faint movement. Joe turned to inspect the opposite wall, where several plant containers rested on a crumbling wooden cabinet.

The cabinet doors were broken, and the wood was half-rotted, pieces littered across the floor. Dust blanketed every inch of it, except for the containers. They were pristine. Clean. Untouched by time or decay. And that, more than anything else in the room, made his skin crawl.

'He's alive and moving. He knows we are here; his mouth is uncovered,' Like'Me said, but Joe hardly registered the words. His focus was locked on the containers lining the cabinet, specifically, the strange plants housed inside them. Only three of the glass containers held anything; the remaining three were empty. Joe stepped closer, examining the green, red, and yellow plants within. Each looked like a miniature tree wrapped in twisting vines and blooming with strange buds.

The air inside the containers shimmered with a smoky, swirling haze that felt wrong, unnatural, alien. Joe narrowed his eyes, trying to understand what he was looking at. The plants practically pulsed with quiet energy. Whatever they were, they didn't belong here. A low growl snapped him from his thoughts. Chains clinked against stone. The cow-headed man in the corner raised his chin, a grin spreading across his face. Then he spoke, and a system notification flashed across Joe's vision.

Hidden Quest Found"Welcome, strangers. It has been a while since I have had any visitors." His voice was dry and cracked. He coughed violently, slumping against his chains. After several moments, he regained enough strength to speak again.

"Forgive me. I'm not in the best of conditions."

'What is this? Can we kill him?' Like'Me asked with his usual bluntness.

"No," Kila and Moons answered in unison. The chained man gave a slight nod, as if acknowledging their restraint, and then continued.

"I would like to tell you a tale." Like'Me groaned and flopped onto the dusty floor, kicking up a small cloud as he closed his eyes with exaggerated boredom.

"You have all been sent on a quest that is nothing but a distraction," the chained man said, his tone heavier.

"Reaching this room means you will now be given the true quest of the GoldRu Forsect Donrathy." Joe caught a glance Moons shared with Kila. Whatever this man was saying, it wasn't part of the plan they had been given.

"The Morse Cad did not steal any artefacts. Those artefacts were offered willingly, in exchange for a marriage alliance with the GoldRu sect. The bride was to be Ching Go Lodri, daughter of the sect leader." He paused, his breath rattling.

"But on her journey to the GoldRu homeland, she was taken. Kidnapped, the alliance fell apart. Trust collapsed. The GoldRu blamed the Morse Cad, and now war simmers beneath the surface. I ask you now, strangers, retrieve Ching Go Lodri. Restore the bond between the sects. Do this, and you will be rewarded beyond measure." Hidden Quest Reward - Class upgrade and Legendary Skill Orb"If you choose to accept the quest, the location of Ching Go Lodri's kidnappers is on this map."

A glowing projection appeared before Joe and merged with his mini-map.

"This shows Ching's location in a forest far north of the Sect," the chained man continued.

"Thank you for listening, Strangers. I hope you accept this quest. All hope rests on your shoulders." He slumped forward against his chains and stopped breathing. __'Let's go. What are we waiting for?' Like'Me said immediately.

"I agree," Kila added.

"We have to move now. The quest reward is far too great." Moons looked between her two group members. She was hesitant. The quest sounded too convenient, too perfectly timed. But the reward, it was system-generated, and as far as she knew, there was no way to fake something like this. A class upgrade. That alone made the quest worthwhile. And the added reward of a legendary skill orb? It was an opportunity no Askari would walk away from. She gave a nod.

"We proceed." She pulled up the quest panel and silently read through the full text. The quest details were clear. But there was one significant issue. Each of them needed one of the special plants to enter the hidden camp of kidnappers, and there were only three plants. Her eyes turned toward the last member of their group: the man called Joe. She studied him carefully as he read the quest details himself. The moment his expression shifted, just slightly, she knew he understood. He knew what was about to happen.

She walked over to the containers, touched one, and deposited it into her storage ring. She turned and headed toward the stairwell. Kila and Like'Me followed suit, claiming the other two plants. It was done. There was no other way. As she passed him, she watched Joe. He stood in silence, eyes fixed on the now almost empty cabinet. There was no outburst, no protest. He simply stepped forward, collected the empty containers, and tucked them into his own storage.

Then, still without speaking, he followed them up the stairs and into the main room.

"We head north; it should take us no more than an hour to leave the sect from here. And we proceed to the forest. Any complaints?" she asked. All three shook their heads in assent. She nodded once and activated her shadow cloak. In a blink, the group was concealed. With a flick of her fingers, they slipped from the house and darted straight north, leaving the sect behind. As they ran, Moons extended a shadow behind her, leaving a veiled note hidden in the darkness, meant for the group trailing them.

Plans had changed, and so too must their target. __ Joe trailed silently at the rear. It was the third time he'd seen Moons leave behind a note in that strange manner. He had no idea who the messages were for. But he kept his eyes ahead and said nothing. The further they went, the more his unease grew. After about an hour, they vaulted over the northern wall and ran into the dense forest beyond. Kila signalled for them to stop. He twindled with his storage ring before turning to the group.

"I can't access my skyship. Can any of you?" he asked. Moons and Like'Me both tried briefly before shaking their heads. Joe stepped forward, suppressing a grin.

"The one I took from that first tower works. I guess it was a good thing I took it," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Moons cowl turned towards and shook in what was clearly exasperation. He ignored her and pulled out the miniature skyboat. It expanded in the air above them, sleek and armed to the teeth. The group boarded.

"I'll fly," Kila said.

"I should be able to get us to the forest. My memory is pretty good." He waved a hand, and a crude, hand-drawn map appeared mid-air. It showed a winding route through the forest. Joe stared at it in disbelief. That's not a map. That's a drunken sketch, he thought. Still, no one complained. Joe shook his head, then sent out three party invites. All eyes turned sharply toward him.

"I have a map skill. Join the party, and I can share it with you."

'Why didn't you say so sooner?' Like'Me grunted as he joined the party. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"You didn't ask," Joe replied with a casual shrug. Once all four were in the party, Joe shared his map, which gave them a much clearer route through the forest than Kila's sketch. Kila raised an eyebrow, but smiled and moved to the controls. The skyboat surged forward at breakneck speed toward their objective: Ching Go Lodri. As the skyboat sliced through the air just above the forest canopy, Joe wandered toward the back and noticed a circular pane of glass built into the floor.

Curious, he stepped onto it and looked down. A strange sensation washed over him. It felt as if his foot was touching the ground far below. His eyes widened as he felt Nature's Touch activate, and to his amazement, blades of grass sprouted on the forest floor directly beneath them. His pulse quickened with excitement, he could use his profession's skills while flying. He sat down cross-legged and began gently pulsing out Nature's Flourish.

Greenery bloomed beneath the boat in streaks as they sped forward, and Joe smiled to himself. This ride wouldn't be a waste of time after all. He closed his eyes, focused on his breathing, and continued to flourish, hoping to squeeze in a level before they arrived at their destination. About thirty minutes in, a subtle ping drew his eyes to the mini-map. Four dots trailed their path from the south. He frowned slightly, glancing at Moons, who stood silently at the boat's edge, scanning the forest ahead.

She didn't turn his way, and he chose not to mention it, just yet. He closed his eyes once more and resumed his training. Ding! Profession Nature's Halo has reached level 101 - stat points distributed. Time passed. A full day melted away in skybound silence. Then a shared system notification appeared in everyone's sight: The first Artefact has been retrieved by Tar'Hou. Ten remain. Joe glanced at his mini-map.

The four dots were still following them, but had fallen far behind, clearly moving on foot or by slower means. He guessed they didn't have access to a skyboat. That would give his group a substantial head start once they reached the forest. Maybe ten to twelve hours. Still, the lingering question gnawed at him: What did that group want? They couldn't attack each other, at least, he thought they couldn't. Were they planning to rob them of the reward? How much did they know about the hidden quest?

How much information had Moons fed them? He pushed the thoughts aside. There was still time, maybe enough to reach one more level in his profession. Just as he was about to resume using Nature's Flourish, a shadow fell across his face. Like'Me approached, teeth bared in what might've been a snarl.

'You, Newbie. What skill are you using? He is leaving a trail behind us!' Like'Me's voice bellowed, making Joe wince.

"I'm just levelling my profession while we travel. It's just some grass." Joe replied, glancing toward Moons. She stood rigid, staring at him with sharp intensity, which Joe matched unflinchingly. After a moment, she stepped forward.

"What do you mean just some grass? Explain," she asked, her tone neutral but tinged with caution. It seemed like she was slightly taken aback. Joe decided to take a chance.

"My profession is nature-based. I level it by promoting growth. I can grow nature around us as we fly and keep an eye on our travel. You know, in case anyone was after us or following," he said, meeting her stare head-on. Like'Me took a step back and flicked his eyes to Moons. Joe had no idea what was going through the alligator's mind, but even he had to recognize the obvious implication. The atmosphere aboard the skyboat grew tense. Then, Moons turned her cloaked head away.

"Keep us informed if you see anything strange," she said at last. Like'Me narrowed his eyes at Joe and growled telepathically, 'Did you?'

"Not yet. But I'll keep my eyes open," Joe lied, choosing not to reveal everything just yet. The tension on board slowly faded, but even as he resumed his meditation and continued using Nature's Flourish, he could feel Moons' gaze fixed on him. Something soft brushed against his hand. A thin strip of fabric slid from a nearby shadow. Moving carefully so as not to draw attention, Joe unfolded it and read the short message inside before storing it away.

'You are not the target.' His jaw tightened slightly, but he said nothing. A few hours later, they descended as the skyboat reached the edge of the forest marked on the quest map. Joe returned the craft to his storage ring and sniffed the air. There was a strange scent hanging over the trees, thick and metallic. A sense of foreboding sank into his gut. He looked at the others and spoke up.

"Am I the only one who smells that?" he asked. Kila turned to him with a grin.

"That, newbie, smells like a whole lot of web. It seems the kidnappers are spiders." The second Artefact has been retrieved by Tar'Hou. 9 remain. Joe swiped the notification away. They had been walking through the forest for a couple of hours before they arrived at the entrance to the kidnappers' caverns. A massive boulder stood before them, its centre carved into a dark tunnel that led deep underground.

The entrance was completely overgrown with red, green, and yellow vines-almost identical to the plants his three teammates had taken earlier. The group exchanged a knowing look before Kila turned to Joe.

"Sorry, newbie, but this is where the big boys take over. You wait here while we complete the quest. You will probably still get a reward. If you're lucky," he added with a smirk. Kila pulled out his plant and strode confidently toward the entrance. The vines parted for him without resistance. Joe watched silently as Like'Me and Moons followed, the vines shifting aside for them as well. In seconds, they vanished into the darkness below, leaving Joe alone in the forest as a notification flashed.

Party Disbanded He let out a long breath and shook his head. Truthfully, he was relieved. Whatever that gnawing feeling of unease was, it had everything to do with that tunnel. Pulling up his mini-map, he checked the location of the group trailing behind. They were still far off. He had time before things got chaotic. He sniffed the air again. That overpowering scent of web and rot still dominated, but now, beneath it, he caught a faint, sweeter smell. Something gentler. Almost floral. His head turned west.

That new scent tugged at his senses, soft, alluring, strangely euphoric. He took a tentative step in that direction. Something about it called to him, deep in his bones. He kept walking, drawn forward by the whisper of something just out of reach. __ Lara Field grabbed the Artefact before her, and the retrieval notification flashed. She swiped it away and turned to her group.

"Good Job, everyone. Let's go," she said, leaping from the top of the tower as the rest of her team followed, gliding toward the northern edge of the sect. Their goal had always been to retrieve one artefact and then rendezvous with Sharn's group beyond the northern perimeter. The artefact they had secured marked the fourth notification; Sharn's had been the third. Lara grit her teeth. Beaten by Sharn again. Her team moved swiftly through the final stretch, entering the forest beyond the sect's walls.

There, just as planned, they met Sharn's group waiting in the shadows of the trees.

"Well done, that was fast. Did you get what was needed?" Sharn asked.

"Yes. Everything is set." Lara replied with a nod. They had spent a full year preparing for this. There was no room left for mistakes.

"Great. Let's move out. The sooner we get away from the Sect, the better. I don't plan on being anywhere near him… when it begins." Sharn turned her gaze north as she ran, leading the way toward their final target.

"Why did Joe have to be placed in her group? The Mistress will be furious," she muttered. Lara grimaced. The High Human was the one uncontrollable factor in all of this. If he someone how survived all this… there would be repercussions __ Joe emerged into a small clearing in the forest. He paused at the edge and crouched low, scanning the area with both Mana Sight and Dao Sight. Finding nothing, he closed his eyes and focused on the air around him. Still, nothing stirred. Yet, something felt off.

Grass spread quietly beneath him as his passive continued to flourish, but the unease in his chest remained. It felt like something had been watching him, maybe for a while now. No matter how hard he searched, though, there were no traces, no sounds, no mana signatures. That left only one explanation: whatever was watching him was far stronger than he was, hidden beyond the reach of his senses and skills. When his passive reached its growth limit, Joe took a single step into the clearing and froze.

He waited for a full minute before moving again, then began to jog lightly toward the tall grass ahead. The clearing was broad, he could barely see the tree line on the far side. Most of it was covered in thick grass that reached up to his shoulders. He crouched again, listening. Nothing but the chirps of birds and the clicking of insects greeted him. Again came that prickling sense of danger. He felt an urge to turn and flee… but beneath the unease, another sensation called to him. The smell.

The same one from earlier, fragrant, rich, unmistakably floral, yet reminiscent of mangos. It was so strong now that it drowned out every other scent. He was sure it was something special. And it was somewhere inside that grassy expanse. His body hummed with a strange joy just being near it. He couldn't explain the feeling, it wasn't logical. Then, without warning, the sensation of being watched vanished completely. Startled, Joe's head whipped around as he searched for movement. Still nothing.

But his mini-map told a different story. The other group had just entered the forest's edge. And whatever had been watching him, it had stopped the moment they arrived. That couldn't be a coincidence. It had to be heading for them. He seized the moment. While its attention was diverted, he dashed into the tall grass, chasing the intoxicating scent that pulled at his every step. Joe had been running for about ten minutes when the mango-like scent intensified.

The wave of aroma hit him like a wall, making him stumble and collapse to his knees. His eyes began to water uncontrollably, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. He grimaced, forcing himself upright, and pressed on. Now walking slowly, he focused on his breathing technique, trying to centre himself and suppress the swirling haze clouding his mind. Vague images flashed through his head, strange, shifting impressions he couldn't hold onto. His vision blurred, his limbs turned heavy.

He dropped to his knees again, unable to keep steady.

"I should go back," he mumbled, trying to turn around. His head swam. The world tilted, and he fell forward, collapsing face-first into the tall grass. For a long while, he lay there, unmoving, thoughts slipping through his grasp like water. Where was he again? What was he doing? What was that amazing smell? These questions drifted through his fogged mind as he stared blankly at the blades of grass in front of him. Eventually, he forced himself up. He had to move. Had to get away, though from what, he wasn't sure.

His legs trembled as he stood, and he stumbled forward, blinking away tears. A moment later, he stopped and crouched. His stomach heaved, and he vomited onto the grass. He stayed there, retching until nothing remained inside his stomach. When it finally stopped, his world was spinning so hard he could no longer tell up from down. He was in hell. But still, he moved, one unsteady step at a time, eyes fixed on his feet, willing himself forward. Time and distance lost all meaning.

There was only one truth in his mind now: if he stopped, he would perish. He took another step, and something grabbed his foot. He fell hard to the ground and lashed out, kicking at whatever had grabbed him.

"Let go!" he shouted, clawing at the ground, desperate to get away. He didn't care what it was. He just had to move. Had to keep going. Had to escape. Joe opened his eyes. He was lying on the grass. Where was he? What time was it? What was that smell? He sat up, confusion thick in his mind, and began crawling. Anywhere, he just needed to move. A pulse surged through his chest, and suddenly, Uriel's light filled his body. Most of it, at least. His left arm remained empty, untouched by the light.

For a brief moment, his mind cleared. Just long enough for one thought to rise above the chaos. Run. He scrambled to his feet and took off at a sprint. The sky above had turned dark. Still, Joe ran. He tripped again, something grabbing at his legs. He crashed down onto a patch of flattened grass. Someone, or something, had been here before. The area was trampled in all directions, disturbed by movement. Run! The thought roared in his head. He turned and fled again.

The mango scent surged like a physical force and struck him hard, knocking him off his feet. It felt like he'd been punched in the chest. He gasped, staggered, and clawed his way upright. Why is it getting stronger? Where am I? Help. His mind raced in circles, panic surging as he turned and ran once more. He stumbled through the tall grass and dropped to his knees again. As he stood, he didn't realize he had changed direction. He simply ran, eyes blurred, no longer certain which way was forward or back.

He was in an ocean now. Swimming. A shark glided silently beside him. He jerked right, heart pounding, as the shark brushed against him.

"No, No! Stay away!" he shouted, kicking furiously to escape. He swam with burning arms until he reached a sandy shore. Dragging himself from the surf, he collapsed, gasping for air. Something dropped into his mouth. It was chewy and sour. He swallowed it down, tasting the rich, mellow flavour. Strength surged back into his limbs. Rejuvenated, he rose and ran once more. Now Joe was flying in the clouds. A yellow-feathered bird soared beside him. It turned sharply and crashed into him, sending him tumbling.

He rolled head over heels through the open sky, spinning with no idea where or how he was falling. As he plummeted, he caught one last glimpse of the bird. Its eyes glinted with eerie intelligence as it watched him descend. He jolted awake, groaning as he rubbed his head. What was that dream? It had felt too strange, too vivid. He looked around at the tall grass surrounding him, familiar, yet not. He leapt to his feet and ran. Then came the pain. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head.

Something sharp and foreign was trying to dig into his skull. He slapped wildly at his temples, shrieking as if it would dislodge whatever was burrowing into his brain. The air vibrated with his scream. A wet splat sounded behind him. Joe twisted around to see a lumpy blue puddle on the ground. Without thought, he reached down, scooped the strange sludge, and shoved it into his mouth. It was squishy, cold, and as something crunched between his teeth, he swallowed it all. Reinvigorated, he rose and sprinted forward.

Then… Slam! He hit an invisible wall.

"Ouch!" he yelled, staggering back. He stumbled for a moment, shaking his head, before he reached forward until his palm touched the barrier. There was nothing to see, yet it was undeniably there. He followed it cautiously, walking the perimeter, searching for a way through. One full circle later, he paused. Why am I doing this again? There was no entrance, no crack, no doorway. But he had to get inside. Monsters were out here. They were coming for him. He had to escape!

He slammed his fists against the invisible wall. Nothing. Again, Crack! His hand broke. Bones popped. He roared and slammed his forehead into the wall again and again, until darkness claimed him. He awoke with a start. His body was whole again, fully healed. He didn't question it. He jumped to his feet and threw another punch at the wall. Still nothing. So he pressed both palms flat against the surface. Annihilation! The thought thundered through his mind. A pulse rippled from his left arm.

It was wrapped in a strange material. Why was that there? He tore the wrap off. Much better. He pressed his bare left hand against the wall. The world trembled. A manic laugh bubbled from his throat as a vine erupted from the void in his arm and struck the invisible barrier. It vanished. The wall was gone. Joe tumbled forward and blacked out. Again… he awoke with a start.

"Ha! I beat the wall!" he shouted, laughing as he staggered upright. His limbs ached, but he didn't notice the two empty mana bars flashing red at the bottom of his sight. Joe stepped into a clearing overflowing with flowers, as slowly… ever so slowly, his mind cleared. The shock of the last few days hit him gradually, a chaotic swirl of forgotten memories crashing back into place. He collapsed to his knees and vomited. Had he really eaten that thing?

He gagged again, his stomach emptying onto a yellow flower at his feet. When the retching finally stopped, he sat back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, disgusted. Something had drugged him. He didn't remember anything specific that had triggered those days of madness. Maybe it was something in the air, or had he stepped on something? He pulled an orange from his storage and ate the delicious fruit, trying to cleanse his body of the filth he had ingested. Three days. That much he remembered.

He'd been running in that grass for three full days. A small cluster of notifications blinked at the edge of his vision. Only two artefacts remained. The rest had already been claimed. Slowly, Joe stood and pulled out some cooked meat this time. He ate hungrily, chewing as he looked around, and nearly dropped the food in shock. He was surrounded by flowers. A million different kinds. He gasped between mouthfuls. It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. Roses so red they looked like they were bleeding.

Tulips so blue they rippled like waves in the wind. Lilies so white they nearly vanished into the air. Every flower he could name bloomed here, alongside thousands more he couldn't begin to recognize. Carefully, he stepped forward, making sure not to crush anything. After swallowing his last bite, he knelt to gently touch a small flower near his ankle. He tried using Identify, but the skill fizzled out. He frowned and checked his status. Both mana bars were empty.

He pulled one of Corel's mana pills from his storage and popped it into his mouth. As his mana bar filled halfway, the pounding headache that had gone unnoticed began to fade. He gave a silent thank you to his Volduran friend for her magnificent pills; he should pick her something. He crept through the field of serenity and came upon a small flower that caught his eye. He used Identify, which worked this time: Ventoflora Fig Centy. Highly hallucinogenic. He couldn't help but laugh at the result.

Even though a quiet voice told him this was a bad idea, and he would live to regret it someday, he knelt down and gently plucked about twenty of the flowers. He grabbed a couple more from nearby while he was at it, all of differing colours, placing them in his storage. He smiled faintly and moved on. There were too many flowers to track them all. Instead, he wandered, letting his eyes, and his nose, guide him. He tried to isolate individual scents, but the task was hopeless.

The fragrances were overwhelming, layered so thick he could barely distinguish one from the next. So, Joe let his thoughts drift and walked, no destination, no goal. Just moving through the sea of beauty, letting it carry him. He had been walking for about an hour when he finally stopped. One flower stood out from the rest. It rose from the ground on a long, thick stem, flanked by four distinct leaves-each a different colour: one purple, one pink, one black, and one green.

Joe's breath caught, and his eyes began to water. His heart skipped a beat as Uriel's light pulsed through him, his bloodline flaring in response. For the first time he felt an emotion from the light, one of… maternal happiness. He stepped forward and knelt beside the flower, awe silencing every thought. From his storage, he retrieved one of the empty glass containers and placed it gently beside the flower. The glass door opened to his touch.

With slow care, he scooped up some of the earth and packed it into the bottom of the container. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached out, brushing each of the four coloured leaves in turn. The top of the flower blossomed in his vision, a swirling mass of multicoloured petals spiralling into four distinct points, each marked by a single vibrant petal. One purple. One pink. One black. One green. Joe extended a hand and gently touched the stem.

To his astonishment, the flower pulled itself free from the ground, its roots coiling into his palm without resistance. He carefully nestled it into the container, where its roots sank into the soil, anchoring the flower once more as it stood tall and unbending. He closed the glass door, and the container shimmered before vanishing into his storage. The flower had a name, Euphemora Eulogy, and it was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.