Reign of the Hunters (200+)

Chapter 264 & 265

Chapter 264 Stuck (Part 1)

Ye Ci stood at the bottom of the stairs leading into the Shrine of Sha'gar, and looked back at Mark, "Are you sure you saw those things entering this place?" she asked with a low voice.

"Yes, my friend. I swear to the Gods and all my lost wealth that they've entered this place." came the reply from Mark who was shaking with here as he was reminded of the horrifying scene, "It's so scary! They do not have their heads! They have no heads!" the man shivered.

Ye Ci motioned with her hand to quiet Mark down when she noticed that Alaunar's already pale face had turned a shade whiter, "Alright, I get it." She then turned to face the towering shrine, "Do you want to enter the shrine with us?" she asked.

"NO NO NO! I DON'T WANT TO! I'll wait for you two here." Mark furiously shook his head. He cleared his throat when he noticed Ye Ci's darkened expression, "Actually, my friend... My body is too weak... I'll just be a burden for you. I do not wish to drag you down, which is why I must remain here."

Ye Ci nodded at the NPC. She knew that the absence of an NPC like Mark would only serve to benefit her as she proceeded with the quest. The presence of Mark would only degrade her quest into a tiring escort mission. Settling Mark down outside the shrine was a very wise choice, "Alright, be careful out here."

"My dearest friend, if it's of convenience for you..." Mark rubbed his hands together as he stared at Ye Ci with a glint of greed in his gaze, "If it's of convenience for you, can you please bring my lost cargo along with you as well? I promise that I will make it worth your while."

Mark's request elicited a snort from Ye Ci, who promptly ignored the man and spoke to the pale-faced Alaunar, "Let's go."

Alaunar's grip on his staff tightened as he glanced at Mark. He then nodded at Ye Ci and followed after her. Mark sighed as the duo headed into the shrine, "Don't blame me if you die in there. This is not what I want... Of course, I'll be happy to see the two of you walking out of that place alive. My goods... My precious goods...."

Of course, Mark's words were lost to Ye Ci and Alaunar, who were already ascending the stairs to Sha'gar's shrine. Wind bellowed past the duo, peppering the duo with golden sand. Alaunar's eyebrows were deeply furrowed as he walked behind Ye Ci, "Hey Elf, what are the headless monsters that the merchant was talking about?"

"I have no idea. We'll find out when we see them." replied Ye Ci truthfully. There are many types of headless monsters in Fate, I wonder which of them will we be going up against.

"Why do I have a feeling that we should not trust that merchant, Elf." Alaunar spoke up carefully, "If those monsters are as formidable as he said. If they're capable of slaughtering each and every one of the members of his caravan... Why is he the only survivor?"

Ye Ci was shocked by the boy's words. She stared at Alaunar, an NPC like him is capable of such high order thinking? It seems that Alaunar will soon evolve into a higher level NPC. "He is not trustworthy at all." Ye Ci confirmed Alaunar's suspicion. To her, Mark was a mere quest giver NPC, and it mattered not to her if he was not speaking the truth. The man's job was to grant her access into the temple. After all, Ye Ci wanted to leave the place as soon as possible, and entering the shrine will unlock the map. She knew not what awaited ahead, but it was something that must be done. To Alaunar, however, Mark was an outsider that could not be trusted as his treachery will threaten his life.

The differing opinions between Ye Ci and Alaunar regarding mark was something that was well within her expectations. But to help with the boy's growth, Ye Ci placed herself in the shoes of Alaunar, and analyzed the situation from his point of view, "He must've had an agreement with the monsters. That was why he appeared before us. Besides, his appearance was so sudden that even I was unaware of his presence. Of course, this fact alone was necessarily an indication that something is wrong with the merchant."