Chapter 434: Scared?

Alex wasted no time in heading over to the Town Hall along with Claire. The Core was waiting for them when they arrived. It looked exactly how he remembered it. A black orb with faint silver lines running throughout it, floating like a storm that had been crushed into a gem.

“Okay,” Alex said. “Give me a second. I’m going to see what we got for this.”

Claire nodded, and he set his hands on the Town Core. Tendrils of smoke slithered out of it and wound up his arms. Words shimmered into being in the air before Alex, unfolding to form a wall of text so quickly that he couldn’t even keep up with it.

Mirrorwane

Buildings:

Warped Embassy [Dual Reality Obelisk, Shroudmaker]

Vibrant Garden

Forsaken Grounds

Teleporter

Veil of Stolen Confessions

Warp Relay

Town Ability:

[Labyrinth]: A twisting maze grows beneath the grounds covered by your town. It will continue to grow so long as the town remains. Magical energy wells within its depths, empowering the monsters that are born within the Labyrinth’s halls. The Labyrinth will adapt to attempt to ensure suitable challenge to any who enter its depths.

At will, the town leader can expunge all the monsters from within the Labyrinth and release them to the area surrounding the town.

[Trial: Heavy is the Crown (1/???)]

Objective Completed. Rewards Earned.

Accept Rewards [1/1]?

“Yes,” Alex said with a grin. He doubted the rewards for the very first trial were going to be anything too crazy. The whole point of the Bleeding Crown was that it scaled aggressively. But even still, this was going to set the tone. That wasn’t to mention this was the first Town Trial they’d completed since the town’s inception. “Let’s see what we got.”

The words shimmered and vanished. No sooner than they had disappeared did new ones scrawl across the air to take their place before Alex.

Two Legendary Boons Acquired.

Withered Spider Lily Acquired.

“Whoa,” Alex said. “Two Legendary Boons?”

“Two?” Claire asked. “Seriously? That much for just one Trial? The first one?”

“Yeah!” Alex exclaimed. He let out a delighted laugh. “That’s insane! I would have been happy with one! Why are the rewards for this so damn good? I think we still had like 5 or so from before as well.”

“Well, yes,” Claire said. She shook her head in disbelief and ran a hand through her hair. “This is ridiculous. We were saving them up because Rhyss said they were very difficult to get our hands on. If the Bleeding Crown is going to hand them out so easily… well, we still shouldn’t waste them. But this means we might be able to start looking at some very powerful buildings or blueprints.”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed. “I wonder why we got two. That really does almost feel unbalanced. You think it’s because we have two towns, technically speaking?”

“Probably,” Claire said. “It’s twice as hard as a normal trial. I suppose it stands to reason that we’d get double the rewards as well.”

Alex nodded absently. He looked back over to the rewards glowing in the air. Then a small frown creased his brow.

“Actually, we got a bit more than just the Boons. We also got something called a Withered Spider Lily.”

“A what?” Claire asked. “What is that?”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t have the faintest—”

The air shimmered before him. A small slit cut through reality. Alex’s hands shot out, cupping below it just as a small clump of dirt and gray shoots dropped into his palms. Then the rift vanished as quickly as it had appeared. It left Alex and Claire staring at the admittedly withered mess in his palms.

As best he could tell, it was a flower… or it had been.

Dry roots were wrapped around a bundle of dirt and grew up in a dried out stem, ending in a very wilted-looking flower. Its petals were grayish brown and blackening, portions of them already rotted away. The whole thing looked so brittle that Alex didn’t dare move too quickly out of fear of it disintegrating in his hands.

Neither of them said a word for a long moment.

“You’re kidding,” Alex said. “Seriously?”

“That is… insulting,” Claire said. She peered closer at the remains of what had once been a flower. “Did the System just give us garbage?”

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“There’s no way, right?” Alex asked.

But it was a bit hard to deny. There was no golden text appearing to identify the flower. If the System hadn’t told them it was called a Withered Spider Lily, they never would have known its name. Calling this anything but a random piece of scrap from some dead garden felt like it would have been an exaggeration.

“I suppose we’ll have to show Orchid,” Claire said. “Maybe she can identify this.”

“She’s decent with plants, but she’s not a wizard,” Alex said. He squinted down at the flower. “I’m pretty sure that’s going to be like asking an IT guy what a random defunct site you found on the web is.”

Claire looked away from the flower to send a confused glance at him. “What does that mean? It didn’t translate at all.”

“Oh,” Alex said. He grimaced. “Never mind. Just suffice to say I’m not particularly optimistic about Orchid’s chances of identifying this. I’m sure it’s got some use, though. Maybe Mite can do something with it. I’m not gonna throw it away or anything. Who knows. Maybe the next Trial will have something to do with it.”

“Better hope we don’t have to grow it,” Claire said dryly.

They both looked back to the very dead-looking flower.

“Yeah,” Alex said. His nose scrunched in distaste. Some bullshit like that was exactly the kind of thing the System might have enjoyed. “I don’t get the feeling that’s ever happening. We’ll deal with that if it comes, though. For now — why don’t we see what we can do with seven Legendary Boons? I’m sure Rhyss will have some stuff for us to look at.”

Claire grinned and nodded. “Let’s.”

***

Mite drew to a stop just a few feet outside the Veil of Stolen Confessions and did is absolute best not to look too nervous as he squinted into the forest in the not-so-far distance. His puppet, draped in its tattered cloak, stood at one side and Vil stood at the other.

He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.

“So,” Mite said. “Come here often?”

“No,” Vil said. “This is the first time.”

“Oh. Right,” Mite said. He could have sworn that the forest was looming over him even though it was nowhere nearby. His teeth gritted. “Mirrorwane. Nice place. Good walls.”

“You made them,” Vil said.

“Yeah,” Mite said. “They’re good walls.”

“They’re unsettling,” Vil said. “Why did you fill them with eyes?”

“So they could watch,” Mite replied. A flicker of indignation cut through him and his jaw set. “And because eyes are cool. You got a problem with that?”

It was a moment before Vil replied.

“No. I don’t. That doesn’t make them any less unsettling.”

“Good,” Mite said. “Maybe that’ll stop anything from wanting to attack them.”

“Maybe,” Vil allowed. The two of them were silent for a moment. Then she stepped forward and into Mite’s field of view. “Are we waiting for something?”

“No.” Mite shook his head. He dragged his feet forward, forcing himself to start toward the forest. His puppet ambled alongside him and Vil caught up with just a single step.

“It looked like you were,” Vil said. She threw a glance over her shoulder. “Are you nervous about something?”

“No,” Mite said. “I am not.”

“You looked like you were.”

“Well, I wasn’t,” Mite snapped. They drew up to the forest and came to a stop at the edge of the treeline. “These monsters aren’t the ones from the Mirrorlands. They’re not as strong.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself more than me,” Vil observed. She nodded into the darkness. “The guy we need to find is in there, right? I don’t want that bomb to go off. I’m trying to set a good precedent right now. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ve got the best standing with the town. Blowing up part of it would not help that.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Mite said. He hesitated for a second longer.

“You’re scared,” Vil said flatly. “Have you ever even gone outside the town?”

“Yes, I have. And I’d than you not to patronize me,” Mite snapped. “I’m not scared. I’m… checking. The woods. For monsters.”

“Right,” Vil said. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Well, are you done? Because there is a bomb. Ticking. With the power source that you seemed quite eager to get a few moments ago.”

That was before we went out into the forest without anyone else from Mirrorwane. I don’t know where Derek is. I can’t remember the last time I fought a monster without backup. And Vil doesn’t really look like much of a fighter…

“Yeah,” Mite said. “I’m done.”

Vil arched an eyebrow and nodded into the trees. “Go on, then. Lead the way. I don’t know who we’re looking for.”

Mite ground his teeth.

It’ll be fine. These are just normal monsters.

He directed his puppet forward. Then he stepped into the woods alongside it. Vil followed after them as they continued deeper into the darkness. Mite’s head turned on a swivel as he searched for any signs of either Derek or a monster. He could feel his stomach somewhere in his throat.

A stick snapped somewhere behind him.

Mite spun toward the source of the noise, his hands shooting up defensively as his puppet lurched to defend him — only to find himself face-to-face with Vil.

She stared at him. As one, they slowly looked down to a brittle stick beneath her foot.

“Just checking,” Mite said.

“Right,” Vil said.

Mite sighed. He turned back, his shoulders slumping slightly.

Another stick snapped.

A blur of green shot out from the foliage. Mite caught a glimpse of ravenous mandibles splitting open as a massive mantis monster leapt at him. He screamed, throwing his hands up defensively. His puppet lurched forward.

There was a loud, wet crunch.

Fluid sprayed across Mite’s face.

The mantis jerked to a stop a foot away from him — but his puppet was still at his side.

Vil stood before Mite. She’d driven her hand straight through one of the monster’s eyes and deep into its skull. It hung suspended upon her arm like a puppet with its strings cut, ichor flowing freely from the brutal wound. He hadn’t even seen her move — though that was definitely because he’d squeezed his eyes shut for a second.

“Holy shit,” Mite said, his heart hammering in his chest. “Thanks. That was a good save.”

Vil turned to look back at him. Coils of angry red lightning crackled through two seas of purple mist hidden behind her eyes, and the corners of her lips were pulled up in a cruel smile.

The mantis slid off her ichor-soaked arm to crumple to the ground.

An uneasy pit formed in Mite’s stomach. He swallowed, resisting the urge to take a step back. “Vil?”

Vil didn’t reply. If anything, the storm in her eyes seemed to grow thicker.

Then there was another crunch.

Vil’s head snapped to turn toward it.

“Mite!” Derek said with a wide grin, ducking under the branches of a tree. The exposed edge of a large sword lodged in the back of his shoulder carved right through the branch he’d ducked, severing it and dropping it to the ground with a thud. “Good to see you!”

“Derek!” Mite exclaimed, relieved. He took a step away from Vil. “I—“

“This is Derek?” Vil asked, turning back to Mite. “That’s convenient.”

Mite blinked.

Her eyes were normal again.

“Convenient?” Derek asked. “Were you looking for me?”

“Yeah,” Vil said, before Mite could say anything. “I just joined Mirrorwane. We’re going to go dismantle a bomb in the Mirrorlands, and Alex told us to bring you along.”

“Oh,” Derek said. He shrugged. “Sounds fun. I’m in. I just wrapped up here. Let’s do it!”

Mite stared at Vil for a second. His heart was still beating faster than normal. The look on her face just a few moments ago hadn’t been normal. It had been murderous.

Vil tilted her head to the side. For a moment, Mite could have sworn the corner of her mouth was still pulled up in the faintest of smiles. Then she arched her eyebrow.

“Something wrong?” Vil asked. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“No,” Mite said. “Nothing at all. Let’s go.”