Parallel Vol. 5

Chapter 35: PRIDE!

"Enough chit-chat. They are about to embark on the final floor." Rider stopped his companions' bickering, as he focused on Oni Hill. At this point, the other battlefields showed no signs of major change, so he surmised that these last few minutes hinged on their performance at Oni Hill.

Dududududu! But then, just as he spoke, gargantuan amounts of mana and ki poured out of the forest in torrential droves. Rider and several others' attentions snapped to the forest, where a pivotal battle had suddenly entered its climax.

At the same time, Brilith walked through the portal without acknowledging anyone at the interim waiting spot. The young woman was deathly focused, pressured by the knowledge that the entire expedition rested on her shoulders now. Victory was not the goal. If she wasted too much time in securing said victory, all of their efforts would go up in smoke!

This kind of pressure would have crushed the vast majority, but if Brilith felt it, she certainly did not reveal any nervousness on her face.

The portal's disorientating void quickly gave way, revealing a world that left Brilith wondering if she was still stuck inside the portal. What appeared before her was a vast empty white space as far as the eyes could see. The only 'stain' in this white world was a woman who sat on the back of an Ephrium, observing Brilith with a stoic expression.

Brilith naturally did not recognize the woman, Myra Lock

Brilith returned the woman's piercing gaze with a languid, belittling sneer. However, she did not speak, choosing instead to spread her mana to probe her surroundings. She was not foolish enough to act when she had not yet ascertained the rules of this realm.

Fortunately, as if to answer her doubt, a dark blob, like a drop of black ink stained the world between the two women. The ink bloated for a bit, before exploding to reveal an aged skeleton in tattered robes. The strange, humanoid figure stood at almost nine feet tall, with four arms that each held brushes of different sizes. On its hunched back lay a canvas roll, or perhaps an extremely large scroll. It was hard to tell.

The skeletal figure's head was covered in an iron, dragon-shaped helmet, but four will-o-sips burning in the eye sockets flitted between the combatants.

Brilith immediately used [Identify] and was instantly stunned speechless. The skeleton was actually named. Keeper of Scrolls. Furthermore, its level and HP levels were filled with question marks. The guildmaster instantly raised her vigilance to the max!

As if understanding that time was precious, the Keeper of Scrolls only glanced at the two women before reaching for the scroll on its back. With one swift motion, it pulled the scroll loose and then tossed it into the air.

The scroll unfurled without fanfare. Brilith, who had prepared herself for an attack, was shocked to find thousands of small paintings on the gigantic banner. Before Brilith could identify the paintings, the Keeper of Scrolls, tapped one of the paintings with a brush.

The selected painting burst with a bright light and then transformed into a furled scroll that shot out of the painting. Fortunately, the Keeper of Scrolls was prepared. It grabbed the scroll out of the air, and then returned the large scroll to its back.

Only after securing the large scroll did it toss open the furled scroll.

Whoosh! Brilith took a step back as a bright light poured out of the scroll, nearly blinding her in the process. She shut her eyes, and only opened them when she felt the intensity die down. When she did, she was shocked to find that the room had not changed much. However, she then noticed another 'stain' in the white world: A row of blue shimmering characters hovered in the air between both women.