-chapter sixty-two-
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"We still have to go to the Western Continent to fetch the second key."
THREE DAYS have passed and we still don't have any idea where the key in the Western Continent is.
"Parang nagbabakasyon lang tayo..." sambit ni Feyre habang nagsu-sunbathe.
We're in a beach-like place. Nag-effort pa ang pusa namin at bumili ng isang lounge chair para makapagsunbathe. The kids are playing in the water habang nakabantay si Hex sa tabi dahil baka malunod ang isa sa kanila. Vesta is practicing her shooting skills by firing a water gun to Voldmir who was just standing. At himala na hindi man lang ito nabasa.
I exhaled a long sigh and stared at my profile again.
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Name: Solace
Level: 44
Class: Fighter
Job: Warrior
Strength: 609
Endurance: 477
Perception: 310
Dexterity: 358
Intelligence: 402
Charisma: 477
Luck: 465
HP: 9500
MP: 9250
[SKILLS]:
Circled Slash Lvl. 4 (12 mana points)
- The fighter is able to deliver a blow to enemies encircling him. It creates a 'wind effect' and makes the enemy takes a step back. Cooldown of 20.0 seconds.
Frenzy Lvl. 3 (8 mana points)
- Greatly increases attack speed, accuracy and damage by 12.0 seconds. The fighter lands forceful strikes continuously while advancing towards the enemy. Cooldown of 1.0 minute.
Thunder Lvl. 3 (16 mana points)
- The fighter jumps up and lands with its weapon hitting the ground, knocking the players within his round range. Cooldown of 30.0 seconds.
Whip Slash Lvl. 3 (22 mana points)
- Delivers a vertical sword strike at a wide range using the player's maximun damage amount. Cooldown of 30.0 seconds.
[TITLES]:
Slayer
- The player with this title has the most boss monster kills. Effect: Damage to monsters increased by 53%
King of Cobras
- The player with this title has killed King Cobra alone. Effect: Immunity to poisons.
Panther of the Forest
- The player with this title has killed the Raven Panther of the Sierra Mountains. Effect: Can make monsters flock to you by using the Panther's teeth.
Governor of Takara
- The player with this title has owned Takara City as Guild Territory. Effect: Rights for passage inside the city, Guild Hall, Access to Fees made by players who will enter the city.
Governor of Lunaria
- The player with this title has owned Lunaria City as Guild Territory. Effect: Rights for passage inside the city, Guild Hall, Access to Fees made by players who enter the city, additional 1000HP.
Tower Conqueror
- Increases attack speed and power to monsters once inside a tower.
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"Wala ba talaga kayong alam kung nasaan ang susi dito?" tanong ko kay Cord. "We've been here for three days. The announcement for the Workshop War was already done."
Umiling siya. "I have no idea but we've searched the whole land. There's only one place left."
Napatingin ulit ako sa karagatan. We are planning to venture the sea today with no equipments at all. I can't understand what we're supposed to do, hindi ba kami malulunod diyan?
"Should we dive and have a contest kung sino ang mas matagal?" suhestiyon ni Feyre.
"What are we looking for anyway?" sumipsip ako sa watermelon juice na nabili.
"Pirates... maybe. Or mermaids."
"Cord~!" tawag ni Aisling habang tumatakbo sa'min. Yes, she's one of the kids. "I have news, you know~"
Hindi sumagot ang lalaki.
"It seems like the pirates found some treasure, you know~ And that could be the key!"
"Saan mo naman nakuha ang impormasyon na 'yan?"
She gave a cheeky grin before stepping aside. A cage with water inside appeared before us. Sa loob nito ay isang sirena na may takot ang mukha.
"Woah, ano 'yan?" ibinaba ni Feyre ang sunglasses niya.
"That's a bird." sagot ni Hex.
Umarteng nagulat si Feyre. "Nasa may paa na pala ang pakpak nila ngayon. The world here sure has evolved."
"Oo naman. Just like you who's using my money for your own benefit."
"Walang connect pero alam kong galit ka lang kaya," nagthumbs-up siya. "Pass baby."
Umirap lang si Hex at hindi na sumagot.
Tumikhim si Aisling. "Anyway! Tsa-ran! I used my powers to get us a mermaid who'll give us in-for-ma-tion~!"
"Powers? What powers?" tanong ni Vesta. Mukhang tapos na ang watergun fight nila.
"Her game master powers..." sagot ni Cord.
Ngumiwi ako. "Is that alright?"
Kinamot ni Aisling ang ulo. "Hehe. Hindi ko alam? This is the first time I did it."
I don't know whether I smiled or grimaced after hearing her answer. Baka both. Lumapit ako sa sirena, her cerulean eyes quickly meet mine. Napakaganda niya, like the perfect woman to bewitch men. Kinuha ko ang susi mula sa bag at ipinakita sa kaniya. She leaned forward to take a closer look.
"Have you seen this?"
"Are you looking for the key who will open the castle doors too? Yes. It was in the hands of the pirates. The king gave it to them."
Kumunot ang noo ko. "The king?"
Tumango ito. "The one who controls the world. The king- awa- o-" gumalaw ang bibig niya ngunit walang salitang lumabas. Then her cerulean eyes went dull. "Why did you trespass the waters, player?"
"What?"
"Why did you trespass the waters, player?"
I blinked and took a step back. This is almost similar to what happened to Aeron. Napapitlag ako nang tapikin ni Cord ang balikat.
"That's the result of a reset. Or Father's way of normalizing the NPC's again. Because as what you've seen, they're capable of making conversations, like they're human and not just pieces of data."
"Which means that Tito must have contributed to the disappearance of the key, you know~" dagdag ni Aisling. "He's moving so that we could not get the key and interfere."
"Paano niya naman nalaman iyon?" tanong ni Voldmir.
"Because he can see everything," sagot ni Cord at tumingala.
However, another thing is bugging me. Tinanong niya ako kung hinahanap din ba namin ang susi. Din. Too. Which means that... someone other than us is looking for the key too?
If their father was the person behind the key being on the pirate's hands, may iba pang humahanap dito mabilan sa'min. Who? And for what? Nalaman niya bang ito ang makakapagbukas sa castle kaya niya ito ginawa?
"Sol," tawag ni Feyre. "Ayos ka lang?"
Tumango ako at ngumiti sa kaniya. She sighed.
"I wished for the greatest adventure but this," she gestured at Cord and Aisling who were now busy looking for a boat. "Is so confusing. What are we going to achieve after all this, Sol? Why can't you just give them the sword and be done? Let's just find other things to do. This whole interfering with their personal problems, at kung totoo man ang makipagaway sa gumawa, won't it affect us in the real world too?"
Naalala ko ang Feyre na may kinang sa mata habang nakipagpromise sa'kin na gagawa kami ng isang legend - a myth that will forever live. But now all of it was gone and was replaced by worry and anxiousness.
"I don't know what we're going to see at the end. Pero... I know what I want to see. And it's the image of Hiraeth waking up and enjoying his life. It's the image of us making the greatest story."
"You're not afraid?"
Mahina akong natawa. "You should know that I'm trembling terribly inside. Natatakot ako sa mangyayari at ang resulta nito. Sometimes I wish this was just a dream and I didn't take this sword."
Napakurap-kurap siya at tumingin sa espada na hawak ko. Bigla na lang siyang tumawa ng malakas, with the most joyful tone, na nagpakuha ng atensiyon ng mga kasama.
"Right! If you think about it, it's your fault for taking that sword!"
Sumimangot si Hex at tumabi sa kaniya. "You really laugh like this when it's Solace. Pero kapag kami ang tawa mo nang-aaway."
Feyre immediately stopped laughing after hearing his words. "Oh tapos? Maging funny kasi kayo."
"Wala ka sigurong sense of humor."
"Ako? Ako pa talaga, sandali lang ha," tumingin si Feyre sa'min. "Alam niyo bang nag-attempt na magjoke si Hex sa'kin?!"
"Hindi at wala kaming paki-alam," sagot ni Voldmir.
"Ito, ito. Sabi niya," tumawa siya at hindi napagpatuloy ang sinasabi.
"Akala ko ba hindi nakakatawa po?" nakakunot noong tanong ni Minerva.
"Hahaha! Sandali- ang lame talaga, hahaha!"
"We found a boat," malakas na tugon ni Cord.
"Oh. Okay," binalingan ko sila. "We should go now then-"
"Wait! Sandaliii, hahaha!"
"Ano ba kasi ang joke?" pagod kong tanong.
"Sabi niya alam mo ba na ang justice mas mabuti kapag ni-serve ng cold kasi kapag warm, justwater na lang 'yon. HAHAHAHA!" napapahampas pa siya sa balikat ni Hex dahil sa sobrang tawa, habang ang binata naman ay ngumingiti nang marinig ang joke niya.
I buffered for a few seconds. Ilang sandali ko pa bago nakuha. I scoffed a laugh and boarded the boat while shaking my head. That was so lame.
"Lame," sagot ni Voldmir.
"Kaya nga! Hahaha! Walang'ya, ang pangit niya magjoke!" natatawang sang-ayon ni Feyre.
"Bakit ka tawa ng... tawa?" Vesta asked the question we were wondering.
Umirap si Feyre. "Siyempre tumatawa ako hindi dahil sa joke pero dahil ang pangit ng joke."
"I think that's still about the joke po..." wika ni Minerva.
"Tumahimik ka, asul. Sa hindi nga."
"Okay~"
"But she did laugh when she heard my joke," tugon ni Hex. "She laughed really hard after fifteen seconds while continuously shouting lame."
"Kaya nga! Kasi lame siya!"
Kumunot ang noo ni Priamos. "Pero hindi po ba hindi dapat pinapansin kapag pangit ang joke?"
Tumango kami bilang pag-sangayon while Feyre looked like she wants to murder us all. However, she only rolled her eyes and didn't answer back.
"Ako po may joke!" itinaas ni Minerva ang kamay. "When Ate Vesta found out po na nilagyan ng harang ni Ate Feyre ang gun niya kaya hindi niya magamit, she made me cast a spell that makes Ate Feyre trip every five step po!"
"I don't think that's a joke, you know~" pakantang tugon ng nakangising si Aisling.
So siya pala ang tao sa likod ng pagkakatapilok ni Feyre noong isang araw. Sa isang iglap ay gumagalaw na ang barkong sinasakyan namin dahil sa habulan nilang dalawa.
It was day with the scorching sun but it only took a moment to change the whole sky. Instantly, the clouds above the clear sky was replaced with thousand of stars. The moon appeared in the spot of the sun, singing an evening song. The wind became even colder as it blew my hair and the sea a little more vigorous than before.
"Woah. Gabi na po," manghang sambit ni Priamos habang nakatingin sa langit.
"Baka isa ito sa mga lugar... na gabi parati?" ani Vesta.
"Maybe..." mahinang tugon ko.
"Ano 'yon? A festival?" tanong ni Voldmir.
We followed her gaze. On our far left was a large ship with lights everywhere. Kahit sa distansiya ay naririnig namin ang ingay nila. Nagsisiyahan at para ngang may selebrasyong nagaganap.
"Should we go closer?" tumingin ako kay Cord na tumango.
He reeled our boat at the ship's direction, constantly tumbling with the rough waves. Napahawak ako sa gilid nito dahil sa lakas ng tama ng mga alon. Going nearer, the noise grew louder. They sang joyful songs of celebration. It didn't take us long to recognize them. The black boots, pointed hats, faded and worned-out clothes with their loud voices and horrid laughs. Yes. It was the pirates.
We silently docked below their ship, unknown to the festival above. Naging maingat kami at tahimik. Thankfully, no one was at their chambers. They were all up there, celebrating.
"Should we try to find them here?" tanong ko. "Check all the stuff?"
Tumango sila at nagsimula kaming maghanap. It was supposed to be an easy task since we're looking for a gold and shint thing. Pero wala pa kaming nakikita ilang minuto ang lumipas.
"Hmm..." nakatayo lang si Feyre. "I've once watched this movie and don't the... captain usually have his own room?"
"Are you saying the key might be in his room?" tanong ni Cord.
Tumango siya. "Yes."
"Guys~" mahinang tawag ni Aisling sa'min. She was on a ladder and looking at to the festive pirates. "I think I found our key, you know~"
"Nasaan?"
She gave a lop-sided grin. "In the middle of the ship? They're celebrating for the key, I think~"
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-chapter end-
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[UPDATE!]:
1. Make a legacy with the Oddcredibles.
2. Show Hiraeth his real path.
3. Kill the king.
4. Take the Western Continent key.
5. Make a wish to the magus.
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[NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW]:
Naramdaman ko na lang ang matulis na blade sa may tiyan ko. I stopped especially from the aura the person behind me has.
"Are you here for the key as well?"
Nanlaki ang mata ko nang marinig ang isang pamilyar na boses.
"What... are you... doing here..."
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