Chapter 10- Serendipity Inn (10)
Glen had heard of the news that one of her teammates had brought in a person yesterday, and from the words of the one who told her about this matter, the new person seemed problematic and Clyde was likely tricked by them
Feeling somewhat skeptical, Glen decided to check for herself, it wasn't that she didn't trust Laura, who delivered the news, but Clyde just didn't seem like a person who's easy to trick and she had heard of him before
Her teacher had told her that Clyde was someone to trust as an ally but someone to dread as an enemy, she had known her teacher ever since she was first sucked into these dungeon
She was lucky on that fateful night, she had just killed someone when a blue panel suddenly appeared before her eyes and domineeringly told her to prepare getting transported.
It had given her 10 seconds and immediately transferred her using some means she couldn't understand and arrived in a dull prismatic world.
The colors around her changed and shifted, it's beauty outstanding and also dizzying.
Numerous colors constantly moved around her, some twirled, some twisted, some expanded, some shrunk, some transformed and some exploded.
That space was beautiful but it felt like something was wrong, such beautiful colors were dull, it lacked vividness and brightness, like she was watching from a faulty old tv screen.While dizzy and lost in thought a blue panel appered infront of her.
It stood out from the dull colors in the space, it's hue of blue was particularly vivid and deep.
[CHOSEN FROM THE NUMBERS, BROKEN FREE FROM THE WORLDY STRINGS OF FAITH. CHOOSE YOUR PATH]
[A GAMBLE THIS IS, IS THIS A GAMBLE YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE?]
[CHOICE ONE- THE REALM OF THE WORTHY, BLOOD AND FEUD IS A MEANS OF SURVIVAL. MAY THE STRONGEST RULE]
[CHOICE TWO- PEACE AND TRANQUILITY IS AN ILLUSION, MYSTERY IS THE TREND BUT THE UNKNOWN IS NEVER SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EASILY TAMED]
[CHOICE THREE- STOP THE BULLSHIT AND JUST COME AT ME]
Glen: "..."
Gles was stunned speechless at the words written for the third choice and had to pause for a moment.
The words written above had some sort of vague mystery in them with the choice of cyptic words but that momentum was broken on the third choice, she wondered if the one who wrote this was in drunken stupor and was in a middle of a starting a brawl, but she soon focused and continued reading.
[CHOICE FOUR- IF THE OPPOSITE OF GOOD IS EVIL THEN WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF HUMAN?]
[CHOICE FIVE- HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE SUPREME BUT WHAT IS HEAVEN IN THE FACE OF THE UNIVERSE AND WHAT IS EARTH IN THE FACE OF THE COSMOS, FACE HEGEMONY AND GO THROUGH MOUNTAINS OF STEEL AND BLEED THE BLOOD OF THE ONE WHO BRINGS SALVATION]
[THE TRIAL FOR THE NUMBER CHOSEN AMONG THE NUMEROUS, DON'T LOOK BACK ON YOUR PAST THAT HAVE BEEN SEVERED AND LOOK UPON THE FIVE PATHS TO YOUR FUTURE]
[CHOOSE]
Glen had chosen but she could no longer remember what path she took, she only knew that when she woke up, an elderly man sat at her bedside looking at her.
He invited her to join his organization and for some reason she felt immense goodwill towards this old man and she agreed, she didn't know where that goodwill came from or if the old man did something to her and manipulated her but she had no choice.
She didn't know what was going on and a group could help her navigate the new world she was thrusted upon.
If a new member was added to an organization recognized by the system, the head could have the authority to decide the first 3 dungeon of the new member.
She took the elderly man, which was the head of the organization as her teacher, and he looked after her in the dungeons, helping her survive and gave her appropriate assistance.
The suspicion and distrust she had at the beginning faded replaced with genuine respect and awe.
So when Laura suspected that a person comparable to her teacher got tricked, her first reaction was disbelief.
Arriving infront of the door, she has just thought of knocking when the door opened from inside.
When she saw the 'suspicious person' Laura talked about, her mind went blank.
Images quickly passed through her mind, but what struck her the most was laying on someone's back while the other person struggled while crawling through the dirty filth in the sewers while consciously protecting her.
The scene was so vivid liked it actually happened.
She could recall the other party's rough breathing, her barely supressed gagging and the trembling in her body.
She pushed through the dirty water mixed with rotten pieces of meat.
While in a low whisper, asked her if she was alright.
Glen snapped out of her daze when the person infront her bypassed her clearly intending to ignore her.
Without even thinking Glen grabbed her wrist trying to stop her.
"Wait"
The silver haired woman paused and turned towards Glen, her green eyes bore into her and coldly flicked her wrist causing Glen's hold to get thrown away.
"What"
Glen nervously looked at her.
She looked familiar, extremely familiar.
Just who was she?
"D-did you ever crawl in a sewer?"
"What"
The silver haired woman's expression became unpleasant.
"Do I look like I crawl sewers?"
"No wait, that's not what I meant"
***
Elaine frowned in displeasure, seeing that she already gained the trust of this player she didn't plan to continue paying attention to her.
But what she just said made her recall that dungeon from long ago she was shoved into that made her crawl through sewers.
It also made her recall the dungeon previous to this one where she also crawled through sewers.
Thinking of it now it made her mood plummet to freezing temperatures.
How could such beautiful lady like her have to crawl through disgusting places, and it didn't just happen once, it happened numerous times!
Not just sewers but also mudlands, swamps and bug-infested, excrement filled tunnels!
It was extremely unreasonable!
Why was she always given quests or thrusted into situations where she had to endure such tragic things.
If she could have a word with the system, she swears she wouldn't bother with pleasantries, she'd greet them with her fist as a welcoming gesture.
She couldn't control her expression and it twisted immediately into an unpleasant visage.
It hit too close to home.
"Then what do you mean"
The brown haired woman sweated, she looked like she couldn't get the right words out of her mouth.
"I-I mean.."
She looked left and right, seeming like it felt to awkward to look directly at Elaine.
"It's just that..."
She kept sweating.
"Nevermind, sorry for disturbing you!"
With that she turned around and left, looking like she was running away.
Elaine rubbed her chin and decided to seriously think if she had met that brown haired girl before.
Ah.
Right.
***
Parting ways with Glen, Elaine spotted the man that was missing in action yesterday, waiting in front of her room
"Clyde?"
Hearing her voice, Clyde looked in her direction
"Your brother's in the reception area waiting for you"
Listening to him, only then she realized the prop she used 'Plastic Family' was still in effect, the 'brother doll' that came with the prop came as scheduled
She nodded to him with a smile
"I'll pay you once I get my things, do you want to accompany me?"
She pushed down the displeasure brewing in her chest from the earlier encounter.
It was time for work.