The start of the Wanderer and Preserver's journey was only a speck of what they'll unravel in the future.
"Can you not accept the truth?" the Joker asked, wickedly.
'I believe you.'
"Oh?~ At least SOMEONE finally gets the hang of it" said the Joker, with its visible sarcasm, before adding to his sentence, "What about you Preserver?"
"You are the ■■ re■■■■■■■■■ for ■■■■■■"
'What are you saying?'
"Kekeke…~ don't worry about it."
"So what are we going to do now?" the Preserver finally spoke up.
"I was about to make you two's lives more.. Easier~. But I want you to solve all 5 of my favors — if you manage to complete them within the time limit I'll reward you!"
"What the hell will the reward be?" asked the Preserver —ignorantly.
"Well that is the most exciting part! You won't even know what the reward is! It's a surprise don't you two just love surprises?" the Joker replied—amusingly.
'I won't take part in your schemes until you tell us what the reward will be—'
"HahHhaH?! Do you really think you have the RIGHT to say that, huh? You two have nothing else to do right? Would you rather stay in this confinement forever and ever or follow what I have to say?"
The Wanderer felt a shiver going down their spine at the sudden change of tone from the Joker.
"Fine we'll partake into your schemes."
"Excellent choice.~ Now the rules are simple —just follow my directions and if you don't you're out, got it?" said the Joker—threatiningly.
<....>
"I'll take your silence as a yes!"
"Let's first start with riddles!~"
"Ugh, really? Riddles, I suck at those." the Preserver complained.
'We have nothing else to do anyways, let's just give it a shot.'
"Are you folks ready?"
"No—"
"My final act is one of grace, though I perform no funny face. I make a king a common man, then offer up a second plan. The knife I hold is not a prop, for when I fall, the curtain drops. W h a t a m I?"
"Are you seriously? Trying to be poetic—"
"Time is running out~"
'.....'
"Uhh!!! I don't know! An end of a play?" the Preserver guessed.
"Nope!"
'The knife I hold is not a prop, for when I fall, the curtain drops…' the Wanderer repeated the exact same words more than 3 times.
"Hey idiot, how do you think reciting the exact same words give out fucking answer?"
'A Sacrifice.'
"Ohho? Lucky guess I see." they applaud.
"Wait– how—"
'I don't know…that just popped out of my head.'
"Now~ onto the the second riddle"
"Wait there's two?!"
"I am a king, I am a clown, I wear the crown. Except the face in the glass doesn't reflect me, for in this realm, I am still they. My true self waits, a spirit in white, awaiting dawn, and awaiting light. What aM i?"
<........>
"Eh? Nobody going to talk? Nobody? Anybody?"
'I can't seem to identify the answer to this….'
"Nor do I."
"Haha~ predicted. I'll give you folks a chance. Now then let us move on."
"Whatever you'll be facing from the whirlpool you have to survive within 10 minutes!~"
Abominations rose up from the whirlpool—geugruebrjw eruhf refegreedgeuhdhf
'Wait– are you not going to give us any sort of prop or weapon to defend ourselves!?'
"Damnit! Why do I have to be in this weak body of yours!" the Preserver blurted, "Just run away from them! If you die, I'll die as well!"
The umbra was no longer quiet, it turned into chaos. The sounds of the abominations roars, war cries, and growls echoed. A cluster of them chased after the Wanderer.
'Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.'
"You fucking Joker do something give us a weapon or some shit! Are you seriously going to let your own play things die?"
"Nah~ this is quite entertaining—"
'Wait what?.. Where did this come from?!' the Wanderer immediately
took the sword in their hand and gripped onto the hilt of the wooden sword tightly. Turning around and jabbed the sword at the cluster of abominations that kept coming at them.
"Huh? Now where did you get that sword? Don't tell me it's—"
<10 minutes have been up and all abominations that chased after the Wanderer withered away>
The Wanderer stood exhausted, falling down to their knees—with trembling fingers still gripping onto the broken sword that withered soon away.
"What was that just now…" said the Preserver confusingly.
'I dunno..'
"Hey now, don't tell me you're just going to dip out after you've just helped them?"
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
"Oh ~ Master of Mysteries?"