Throne Room
Tongqiu and Yunalesca were calmly looking up ahead to the mountain that was so ordinarily looking that there wasn't anything any living being would care enough to take notice of. It almost resembled a hill instead if it wasn't because they had to go through a 30 meters high long, wide stairs made full of black, obsidian-carbon-like material.
As the two of them were standing on the last step of the stairs, Yunalesca gave Tongqiu a quick and tighter grip to his hand before guiding him forwards. As they both began to step toward the seemingly empty space in front of the last-top step on the stairs which was as big as 30 meters in diameter at the very least, Yunalesca spoke to Tongqiu softly: "Here it is, there is a need for a Light Builder here to open up the gate. Listen to me very well, Beishang, okay?"
After 'feeling' Tongqiu nod through the movements inside his body from his hand alone, Yunalesca continued without looking back: "This person should be able to create a powerful attack capable of killing us 'Journeyers' even though we're already close to LV80. As I said before, only if I was to have my third volume unlocked would I then be able to fight this person equally, but I can't and time is running out already. That's why, today we must do more than our best to take this person out!"
"Ah..." She became aware of how into it she got just now and blushed in embarrassment a little, after all, the fact that this was just a game but she treated it as the most glorious of acts and of great virtue made her feel slightly dumb. She then continued in a mosquito voice that only Tongqiu could hear even without his great observant skills; "We have to do it today, even if we have to fight for more time than necessary, I'm afraid. This powerful attack can be blocked by me and I also know how to identify it, so if I tell you to, just leave it to me."
Finished saying that, Tongqiu noticed something strange when he was about to make another step forward, as he ignored and made that foot go down to the ground he was then able to finally see that 'gate' that appeared nowhere to be seen.
Bleb-gurgle.
A weird sensation went through his body with his stomach feeling empty yet moved at the same time and his limbs slightly numb for a little period of time. When Tongqiu no longer felt those changes, he opened his tightly closed eyes and relaxed his furrowed brows to the sight of a majestic, 10 meters tall and 5 meters wide gate that was made from the same material as the stairs yet it had a couple of decorations that not only made it look ancient and overtaken by time, but also even scary and austere.
With a pair of pikes going from the top corners of the gate and from the middle of its body that went all the way up to the sky in a way that not even Tongqiu could calculate how long they reached with his Mental Power stat.
Looking back down again, he saw the confused, frowning and worried gaze of Yunalesca only to relax when she noticed that Tongqiu was already looking at her.
Kindly smiling in return to his curious gaze, she told Tongqiu with a slightly exasperated voice: "I'm afraid this place has already been taken by that person and should be inside right now, aware of our presence or rather, 'intrusion'."
With that, Yunalesca made her way to Tongqiu so as to hold his left hand with her right, her eyes darted from that hand of his all the way up to his very own broken eyes whose black color was so diminished that they even seemed somewhat grey. Having slowly lifted her head up, Tongqiu was already tempted with only the sight of her nape and her beautiful wavy hair from before; as such, he immediately dived in to take her lips and grasp her left shoulder with his free right hand.
Mwpoh.
After separating from each other with a little smacking labial sound and looking at each other in a half-serious and half-affectionately manner, Tongqiu was the one to take her right hand with his left one instead, as they then moved directly towards the gate with him at the front.
"Ah, ah, ah. Wait, Beishang, wait." Stopping once there was only two steps from the gate, Tongqiu turned back to look at Yunalesca, waiting for her to speak up in complete silence yet with a pair of serene and charming eyes.
Gulp.
Slightly taken aback from this sight, Miriam only awakened up after gulping down naturally out of instinct before opening her meaty pale-orange and rosy lips up to speak: "This place defense system should be activated. Can you take your pet out?"
Nonplussed by the unexpected petition, Tongqiu called his Little Rosey out, waking her up in the process.
"Brr..." A sound that seemed to come from the void sounded out in mostly an echoing effect, before a little head went out from Tongqiu's right shoulder in a still sleepy but wide-eyed manner, looking between Tongqiu and Yunalesca over and over again as if saying 'Big Bro, just what the fuck?!'.
Smiling a bit grimly in return from seeing Rosey act naughty, Tongqiu lifted his left hand to pluck her out of his Great Petal Suit Thorax. Now sitting on his left palm, Rosey rubbed her eyes lazily while being pushed in front of the completely-taken-over-by-adorableness Yunalesca who couldn't take her dilated eyes away from Rosey.
"Eh-ahem. Miriam~."
"Ah! Hehe, sorry..." Waking up to an embarrassing situation, Yunalesca composed herself after giving the little thing on Tongqiu's left palm another sweet look before continuing informing Tongqiu: "Okay heh, sorry. Ahem! As I was saying, since the defense system should already be activated, then, there might be a few 'moves' that Beishang nor your pet would be able to use. In that place, besides your own class's skills and item's effects, you won't be able to use anything else so, don't try to use something extraordinary if you don't want to be all spent up and even receive a backlash."
"Huu~... Everything good, then? All understood?" Now, as if some of her previous hell of a worried expression finally eased up, Yunalesca turned once again towards Tongqiu.
Smiling at the cute-looking woman as she was reacting, Tongqiu then nodded with a 'Mn.' before proceeding to indicate for her to open it up.
Understanding his meaning, Yunalesca finished preparing herself before stepping forwards once to place her right palm on the gate's center whose design was all messy and without making any sense.
Cl-tunk!
As soon as she landed her hand on the gate, the gate's mechanism activated and sounds of gears working started right after. Yunalesca's right palm was now emitting a beautiful white glow, it was as pure as the heavenly snow and as striking as a source of light in a 10 km deep pond. Meanwhile, the design, shapes and unintelligible marks on the gate were slowly moving in a dynamic, ending up finally making a sense after a good entire minute passed by yet it was not completed.
Tongqiu's brows furrowed at the half-done 'real' design on the door. There were 4 sections on which each section was differentiated by a group of silhouettes that were either dancing, in a battle stance or simply standing still altogether, with each group consisting of a total for 4 silhouettes.
The first group to the utmost left were two seemingly beast-shaped silhouettes. Namely, a long and feral being that was levitating around the entire group of its own section, a bird whose wingspan was extremely large and majestic even with it being just a silhouette, a hidden, extremely heavy-looking and wise shell and finally, the shape of a tiger whose size was 'diminute' compared to the other 3 yet was also seemingly the most resilient than the other 3 as well as even more pure and true to its heart. Again, this was Tongqiu's interpretation just from looking at them.
The second group to the left was a group of even more shadowy silhouettes that did nothing to conceal themselves yet were seemingly invisible if Tongqiu's wasn't directly and fully concentrating himself on them. They were both, uncaring for their images being seen and arrogant for not caring whether they were seen or not.
The third group to the left was consisting of differently shaped and unique beings whose form or origin was just not for Tongqiu to decipher. He could only tell that each of them were like precious gemstones and that the fall of one of them could instead mean to be the rich of an entire Region.
The fourth group to the left consisted of a representation of four different things; each 'thing' was being amassed and manipulated with yet in a respectful, worshiping and venerating manner, instead of a wicked, corrupted and lost-foregone manner. The first 'thing' was the astounding amount and quality of a flame-like silhouette that was all around the beings working with it yet they were all happy, joyful and satisfied instead of hurting, terrorized and in despair.
The second 'thing' was the subtle, always flexible and gentle body of water that was being handled in a manner that it seemed to be used for creating wonders in a world or civilization where only pain, hunger and hopelessness could be cure with the passing of water. As there were drops of water coming down onto that world or civilization from up above where the body of water was being worked at by those beings manipulating it, there were other huge currents of water that traveled from where those in that world or civilization couldn't see, as those currents spread all over the entire world.
The third 'thing' was the ever-present, most respected and motherly factor for not only all living beings but also undead beings as well. It was a representation of the earth, and as it appeared to be the land were every single existent being placed their foot on since birth, there were also other beings using the earth to create walls, spheres, weapons and buildings with it. Though it could be manipulated as they wished, their hearts were as pure and as loving as how the mother of the planet feels and weeps for each existence stepping on her that are either living or dying, or dead. Yet, Tongqiu could 'feel' a sense of warmth at the end of his thoughts, as though the suffering that 'mother' has to go would turn into loving affection once 'her' eyes opened to gaze at 'her' children.
The fourth 'thing' was the component with the most immediate destructible nature of everything that exists. There was speed, there was power and there was immense pain. As the being silhouetted in the representation were many, there were all yet- oh so distanced from each other. But, if they were to join together; as soon as they willed it, the slightest of callings to their worshiped 'thing' would come forth to do both, create and destroy at the same time. That was how powerful it could ever be.
Clank...
A heavy sound went out at this moment, it seemed to be signaling for an end to come and as Tongqiu woke up from losing himself to the last 'thing' and as he gazed to the right side of the gate, he noticed that Yunalesca was starting to be engrossed on the very first group to the left instead.
"Hmph~." Snorting involuntarily in a cheerful manner through his nostrils, as in habitually, Tongqiu then turned back towards the right side of the gate to look towards it properly.
The right side of the gate had 3 sections; 3 groups.
The first group at the right side of the gate starting from left-to-right consisted of 4 different figures of humans that, in contrast to the rest of the previous sections gave Tongqiu a totally slighted feeling. Yet, Tongqiu also felt some inherent fear from a being that could squash him with but a thought as he looked at each of them and their weapon of choice.
The second group consisted of a one sole existence that had no shape, form nor physical body. It was more like a representation in of itself, acting as a cloud or a fog, it seemed to be all over the entire universe yet concentrated at one sole point in that entire universe, appearing to be both; majestic, grand and sophisticated and humble, polite as well as... caring.
The third, and last group and section of it all, consisted of four different 'places' where tons of roots where firmly grabbing on to the earth itself, as if the moment they let go just a little they would start to float into an unknown distance up in the sky. It didn't had much to offer for the very observant Tongqiu yet, he could one way or another, sense an unknown meaning that riddled his brain, veins and heart as one while also bringing him the need to go in a search for the truth, and power.
"Hah." Sighing out an extremely short and brief puff of air, Tongqiu stepped back once before turning to look at Yunalesca, seeing her about to finish examining the gate in itself soon, he chose to wait for her to finish before proceeding.
"..." With his eyes closed, he waited and waited until the a little giggle emanated from her throat, unintentionally.
"Eh? Ah, sorry for making you wait. Let's go." Yunalesca said in a sweet and adorable voice with a little tear being cleaned up right after she spoke by a wisp of light.
Step, step.
Standing beside Tongqiu, Yunalesca took once again his left hand with her right one before flashing him a smile and walking to the gate, pushing it with her free left hand.
Tum~~~.
The echoing sound of the seemingly extra-heavy gate moving went out as Yunalesca didn't stop moving forward for a moment, yet the gate was still extremely slowly moving.
Pa-.
A sudden, cut off sound of flesh hitting the ground sounded as Yunalesca opened her eyes to see Tongqiu helped her with the damn heavy gate.
Whoosh!
At once, the gate opened more than half completely as Tongqiu put strength onto his right hand, similarly a powerful gush of wind threatened to tear their bodies and clothes to bits as soon as it opened. Only calming down after 3 seconds, the previous gush of wind now seemed rather illusory and inexistent. As the two of them looked at each other with a bit of stern and their awareness guarding up, they then relaxed their unnecessarily tightening and stressing out muscles before continuing with their walk. As they started to resume their little exploration, Tongqiu couldn't help but set his eyes on the exceedingly beautiful, flawless back and shoulder blades from Miriam, his breath was similarly taken away by this mere sight.
"Uh, ehm... Beishang? Stop staring~... not here." Waking up in embarrassment and feeling quite absurd, Tongqiu flashed a grim smile before taking the lead on their little exploration. Meanwhile, Miriam was thinking to herself that it was impossible for her not to genuinely feel his hot, burning gaze landing on her and for a very long time, shaking her head as she quickly hid the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks.
Step, step, step.
Taking more and more terrain after going through the gate, Tongqiu and Yunalesca saw how there seemed to be an initial 'small hall' which extended to almost 20 meters long in around 7 meters of width. Quite big for a 'small' hall, yet after going through it, reaching the end; Tongqiu found himself in a huge throne room.
With a colossal design around a human-sized throne at the middle and to the opposite extreme from where the gate was at, was a similarly black throne made of that obsidian-carbon-like from before. Yet, the floor was a mere dark grey colored floor with pentagonal flooring, while the walls were similarly designed with simple rhombus all over the walls with the same dark grey color as that of the floor's. Besides that, the ceiling had the same color as that of the gate's and the stair's behind and outside.
Likewise the gate, the throne had strange and thicker pikes coming off from the back and from the top of the throne, there were numerous of such pikes that seemed to go up into the air until touching the wall behind the throne which would then merge with the wall leaving not a single trace of being two different types of sources joining altogether.
Other of such pikes would act as pipelines that moved towards each angle of the wall behind the throat, similarly, Tongqiu felt that the entire throne room resonated with that of the throne's intentions. It was a strange and impossible matter to explain, but he knew it and even Yunalesca seemed to recognize this strange irregularity as soon as they crossed the room.
Yet, looking at the throne, it wasn't until Tongqiu noticed an extremely diminute and almost non-existent movement that his eyes widened in complete surprise, terror and shock!
"Beishang, I don't seem to be able to contact my mentor, this place has been fully activ-" Yunalesca was suddenly interrupted from speaking and walking forwards by the right arm of Tongqiu that has had just accidentally touched her better-than-modest chest, after making a little exclamation in an 'ah!', Yunalesca embraced Tongqiu's arm out of reflex before looking up at him in wonderment.
"Beishang, what is it? Is there something wrong, eh? What did y-GASP!" Yunalesca, who had been about to slightly blush and ask tenderly to Tongqiu, froze on the spot to the sight of a man -a human male- turning around to look at the two of them. His clothes had the exactly same color and even material from that of the throne, but only from the back, which was why he wasn't spotted on at once.
Yet, that wasn't anything terrifying or the like; it was the fact that Tongqiu's Mental Power and Yunalesca's Heart Connection were totally useless in discovering this man!
Tongqiu, more than anything, felt like so as he accidentally formulated the method teached by Mr Crestfallen out of reflex to try and get a clear sight of the man in front of him, but the only thing that he could take in was the man's information.
...
V2: #6 5/10
