Mythical Artifacts

Chapter 13: Investigation

I had given up The Sword in return for information. I had given up The Sword because I thought it was the right thing to do. I had given up The Sword because the server owner, Hypixel, wanted me to.

I had given up the sword. I didn't have it anymore.

It was a weird feeling to not have it with me. I didn't even have my hands on it for a week, but those few days felt so eventful and exciting that it seemed only natural to have the artifact with me. Without it, I felt empty . . . bored . . . sad. The entire adventure with The Sword had passed, and as the days went by, it became more and more like a long-forgotten dream.

I tried to push it out of my mind. It's all over, I kept telling myself. It's for the best. But I felt unsatisfied as if a piece of the puzzle was still missing. I couldn't think of what, leaving me in a frustrated state for many days. I didn't feel like doing anything, so I never wrote and I never played games. The only interaction I had was with my team, who I felt obligated to practice and talk with.

It didn't take me long to get tired of it all. I didn't feel like doing anything that didn't relate to The Sword, but clearly there was nothing to do because The Sword was gone. . . .

As I moped around every day, I thought about all the unanswered questions: Who started the rumors? Where are the other artifacts and what are they like? Why would I give up The Sword so willingly, just for information I could've gotten by asking a veteran player?

Soon enough, as I laid in bed four days later, I concluded that I had to do something. If I didn't feel like writing, then no writing. If I didn't feel like minigames, then no minigames. If I did, however, feel like doing something related to the Mythical Artifacts, then I would just have to do that. I didn't know what that could be, but I would figure that out the next morning.

When I woke up, I felt excited. I promptly got out of bed, changed into my usual clothes, and got to work. I started looking over all of my notes, trying to figure out what I could do.

I wondered if I could trace the line back to the person who started the rumors. It seemed difficult, really, especially if it was a staff member, who would have been able to cover their tracks — and plus, Hypixel had told me that he would look for it.

Then there would be the idea of finding more artifacts. I liked this one in particular, but it would be practically impossible, as they were likely in places I didn't have access to, and I would have no idea where to look — or what to look for.

Neither of my options seemed very plausible, but they were something to do. No matter how otherworldly the ideas seemed, there was no loss in doing them, so why not? I felt conflicted, however, unsure that it would be wise to try to do either — it would probably seem rebellious to try and find another artifact.

I sighed, getting up from the table full of papers — which I had recently organized out of boredom. I walked downstairs as if I had all the time in the world; meanwhile, I thought about my options. I got to the bottom of the stairs; when I did, I was still thinking about my options. Eventually I got a bit of food, sat down, and began eating; meanwhile, I thought about my options all the more. When I finished with my food, I was also finished thinking.

But before I could do much about my conclusion, I noticed I had a notification on my compass. It was a text from Kiqy, replying to my message about what I had learned. "Sorry about not replying sooner. Anyway... thanks for the update. And of course I didn't tell Shells. That would make it much worse on you."

I quickly realized I had told her nothing about my conversation with Hypixel, nothing about me trading in The Sword, and nothing about my decision. I quickly texted her, "I actually have more to tell you. Come to my house: 726 - 14."