Into the Unknown World

Chapter 4. In the middle of nowhere

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I decided to roam around the dark and moist cave, and this time with the help of the little light, I can determine the gems outside from here. The gems that I have since then have been in my small pocket. I can see how it also radiates tiny light. Hmmm. I know I will try to see if they have the same glow. I grabbed it out of my pocket and started looking at it a few meters away from the flower but the light escaped out from the gem the moment I tried comparing them. Is it responding to the flower?

"Are you... eating the light, huh?" I faltered.

Now, all I see are musty and ordinary rocks. Nothing much. Different from the spectacular and colourful glamour these crystals they previously were. From here, the only uncommon is the sheen of the glimmering light of the flower. The only light that is shining inside the cave. I rushed towards the blossom that snatched the light from the gems.

"You greedy little flower! How could you steal the flicker of light that these gems have? How can I trade them now? How can it support me to persuade my dreams?! You....!" I angrily pulled the flower but it unexpectedly penetrated to my hand, permeating throughout my body.

I suddenly felt pain gushing inside me. I bounced between rapture, pleasure, an increase of energy, sleeplessness, loss of enthusiasm, shivering, a racing heart and accelerated breathing, as well as fear and feelings of anguish. It felt like my bones were suffering from a violent involuntary contraction of my flesh, extremely being torn apart producing contortion of the body or limbs and that seemed to be rearranged in an unbelievably unexplainable sensation. My skin. Oh! It hurts! It badly hurt! This is uncomfortably disturbing. It's like my skin is burning and being peeled off at the same time. God damn it! I am still uncontrollably wiggling like a worm that lost its head. Then I blacked out.

"Hmmm. Am I now... dead?" Still disorientated, I asked myself.

That unbearable feeling of dying and going through that terror-stricken experience frightened the living daylight out of me. Even so, after all that outrageous sensation, if you ask me, it can be described as relaxing in your own spiritual lake of heavens. It's like 500 large barrels of black salt dissolved in an unrealistic cask of water that has been heated to the warmth of your body. As you stay down in the water, you're going to be pulled, just as if you were in the lake of heavens, feeling satisfied and secured.

The wall is completely strong, providing the single most important environments for your entire body to loosen up. As such, I gave in.

This state of being free from tension and anxiety lasted for a couple of hours, and then all of a sudden, the formerly lake of heavens started shaking. My body struggles like I am drowning, gasping for air, and feeling unable to breathe, a very bright light appears. Gradually decreasing, I began to swim towards the light to see if I can still survive. I am determined to continue to live, especially in spite of danger waiting for me. I continued to swim until I reached the surface.

This place is absolutely crammed with plants, a dense green haven. Beneath the trees thrived some kind of lush, wet, bushy vegetation with glowing leaves and huge stems here and there. I walked past them to check if I am still in the East Forest of Krane. Although I haven't explored the entirety of the forest, I know this place is different. I can see plenty of enormous animals eating the glimmering leaves of the trees.

These guys are way too huge like dragons without wings. Not that I already saw them face to face, Sir Lyol brought a book before that tells the tale of the creation of life. One of them is the creature we called dragons. Their behaviour is that they tend to be evasive, secluded in a more peaceful settlement or even in a cave, unlike wyverns.

However, this beast in front of me is different. Long neck and tail, and four sturdy legs, the large size of which may have been a deterrent to predators living in this place, and there is also that long-beaked, winged beast, and like small wyverns, they love flying around the forest. These were creatures of fantastic appearance according to human standards. Some of them are large quadrupedal plant eaters, with a massive head with two large horns, a smaller horn on the beaked snout, and a bony frill above the neck. Some of them are able to travel long distances, small meat - eating, capable of leaping, with feathers, a flat snout, short forelimbs with a large hand like talons, and a large sickle-shaped claw on each foot.

Some smaller creatures are harmless but they are also savage and wild. Thus, I continued my quest to flee from here.

In the middle of the forest the next day, I saw a hovering black box that was covered with moss, a soft and furry to the touch. It's as if a relic that stood against the test of time but it felt nostalgic and futuristic. It was impossible to read the things written on it. So, I tried many things and that includes scraping it slowly to see the little glow it emitted on the well-proportioned lines leading to the seven holes in the middle. There are seven holes in the box, which I happen to realize that I also have seven crystals that probably can open this thing.

This is such a remarkable concurrence of events. First, we were dragged inside the cave with the seven gems, then I was transported to this strange forest of dragon-like existence, and on top of that, the seven gems are now being used to open the apparently prepared beforehand box or whatever. To use it or not doesn't matter anymore. These gems might help me get plenty of bronze or even silver to aid me getting the life that I want but escaping here comes first.

In just a matter of time, after I successfully entered the gems in the hole. The box started to move afloat breaking all the stems that hang on it, erasing all the wet moss it was covered earlier. It lit brightly but enough not to burn my eyes, showing words I didn't expect.

"Welcome to Agartha." it says. It's a three-dimensional screen projecting those words, and I can read them.

After a while, other words are projected in the air. "Kindly place your right hand on the screen to verify." then another box and an arrow appeared, suggesting that I should put my hands on it. The arrow is pointing on the flickering box. Suspiciously looking at the screen, I tried poking it with a stick. It didn't react nor did the stick explode. So, I placed my right hand as what the screen told me to and then a green light started to move up and down. "Scanning user. Please wait." the letters are blinking from left to right, then it begins to prickle my skin. Finally, the result is established just like the blinking letters.

"Energy level detected. Verified: Kalpea's Flower. Initiating selection of pixie species for player support. This will take a moment to match the player's current energy level. Please wait."

Was the name of the white lady, Kalpea? That's a lovely name, though. Somehow, I kind of feel that this scene is quite familiar. Selection of species. Introduction to a game. Verifying energy levels. These odd words. Phrases that you don't encounter every day. It feels surreal. Later on, symbols are shown across the screen for selection as it says. Pixie huh. Pixies are a tiny species of fairies.

Rumour has it that they are adorable children of the forest. They come in considerable subspecies. Similarly elusive but playful creature. Of course, the people in our town believe in spirits and fairies and all of that stuff. To believe in a tale of possibilities, magic, and fantasies. To believe in something that can persuade one another. Yet, in front of me is that possibility. What am I getting into? I don't know. I stopped thinking the moment the blinking dots stopped.

"Notice: The selection has ended. Processing the birth of a Pixie called Spriggan. Hatching the egg of the pixie requires you to proceed to the Castle of Agarath. Furthermore, evolution is possible through the player's mana. Yield it with honour!"

Just like that, it disappeared like it never happened.

Castle of Agarath? Hmmm. Where will that be? Is there such a place that I could go from this forest? I felt relieved knowing that for a long time I have been running without no idea where to go. Alas, a place where I can go. People that I can talk to. I roamed around to see if there could be a hint on my way to the castle. My attention shifted to the small dark light floating, coming at me. Well, it says I am given a company and a fairy nonetheless. On the other hand, I was thinking about what kind of subspecies spriggan is. I only knew a few and it is my first time to know that there is one. As long as it can help me then that's fine.

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