Chapter 220: Childhood Hero

In front of the gate of Strand, Dorbish approached Moon, helping him put down Raiju. "What did you bring?" he asked.

Moon decided to sit down first. "Ugh!" he groaned like an old man while his butt travelled down.

"Where’s Talia?" Moon asked, not seeing her among them.

"We have a few who wanted to join our side but wanted to meet you before making up their minds," Dorbish explained.

Before long, Boa took her place with the possible allies, and Talia came to see Moon.

She studied him, then Raiju, who was still unconscious.

Moon raised his hand. "Yo, I’m late," he greeted.

Talia nodded. "It’s good that you still made it," she said.

In a hurry, "While everyone is here, I’ll say it once and for all." Moon raised his finger in urgency. "The rift was fucked from the beginning. I had no idea how many hours before I was thrown in an underground cave in that direction." Moon pointed in the direction he came from.

"How did you get out?" Nola asked with a hint of concern.

Moon patted Raiju, who slept beside him. "Raiju dug me out," he said.

He proceeded with his story as it went, the quest he deemed fine to let them know about. He left out the part where he got the hidden quest and the new ring on his finger.

He also left out the crescent mountain.

Basil crouched near Raiju. "How’s he out cold like that?"

Moon pursed his lips, not sure how to respond to this. The entire ordeal with Mishu was still vague, and he had no idea what to tell them.

Talia, on the other hand, asked, "Why is Mishu on the grid?"

She was checking the members, searching for Raiju, but there she also found a cat everyone knows.

Moon rested his forehead in his hand; his bag started rattling before something jumped out.

"KYAAA!" Lexia screamed and jumped back away from the sprinting cat’s path.

Moon put on the most helpless face he could muster. "As you can all see, he followed us here."

"How is he a second floor ascender?" Talia asked, unable to take her eyes off the grid.

"Hell if I know; ask the administrator." Moon shrugged.

Either way, it was time for him to meet those who were waiting to meet him.

As well as time for Raiju to wake up. "Ugh. "

Moon spent whatever time was left for the barrier to open, meeting newcomers.

Markala, who has yet to make a stance, and Orin, who joined their faction but never got to meet before.

These two were in the intel report, so Moon expected to see them.

Yet, he met a few more who he had not heard of, or didn’t even know existed.

Before long, the barrier was finally gone.

Ding!

Fate Alert30% -> 43%

Meanwhile, in the Control Centre, guests started making their way in.

"Sir Lucen, thank you for your hospitality." A very old-looking man who had a crown over his head and looked too old spoke in a hoarse voice. He had rather majestic white attire with strokes of gold and emerald. He also had a beard that wasn’t very long, yet was very white.

His eyes were cloudy, carrying the vicissitudes of life evidently.

Next to him followed a man who wore a brown scapular; his eyes were closed and seemingly damaged. His body was too muscular and heavily toned.

"There’s no need, Yutian." Lucen dismissed.

Ed blinked. "Yutian?" he asked, studying the old man he had seen a while ago. "Are you Yutian, that Yutian?"

The old king looked back at Ed. "That Yutian?" he asked. "Have we met before?"

Ed didn’t answer; instead, he spent a long moment studying him.

"Edmond, don’t make him uncomfortable." Lucen interrupted.

Ed shook his head. "It can’t be; it’s really you. Didn’t you have a partner whose name was Yujian?" he asked, trying to confirm something.

The old king looked startled for a moment before a bitter laugh escaped his lips. "It’s been long, too long, since I heard that name." He shook his head.

"It’s really you. When I was a kid, I always heard tales of your adventures." Ed’s eyes showed a new emotion; he was talking as if he had finally met his childhood hero.

Yutian also had a complicated look in his eyes. "It’s just a tale for kids from a long time ago."

"What happened? Why did you two break up, and why did you come here...?" Ed asked slowly, but with many questions.

"Where did Yujian go?" Ed dropped another question.

Yutian found a seat; he sat down and exhaled. "Yujian was killed, and I was reduced to this state," he said briefly, without going into further detail.

Listening to his answer, Ed shut his eyes.

So many words left unspoken. Was that the fate of whoever shone the brightest?

Ed exhaled, "For hundreds of years, your activities were the topic of the middle floors without exception. I find it hard to believe."

"When I ascended, I wanted to meet you first and foremost, but then by the time I finally reached the middle floors, you were gone, and the tales were no longer told."

Yutian patted Ed’s shoulder. "You’re still young; leave this bitter yearning for the old like myself."

Ed froze. For a long moment, he looked deeply into the old king’s eyes. "I expected anything but being called young at this age," he chuckled.

Yutian smiled; his hands ran down his beard. "You look a few hundred years at most."

Yutian didn’t seem to recognise Ed, or maybe he couldn’t connect the dots since Ed’s rise to fame was after his own fall by some decades at most.

Or maybe he just wasn’t bothered by anything but his small kingdom now. Just an elderly man minding his business.

The old king turned to the blind monk following him; he pointed to the chair next to his own, on the other side from Ed. "Sit down, Bol."

The monk nodded and sat down.

"Yutian, you’re not bringing anyone else here?" Lucen asked.

"No, they will get angry easily; Bol is the most collected one," Yutian denied.

Lucen nodded; soon the door opened again. The leading newcomer had a long vertical crown and a haggard black beard.

His attire was mostly blue with a few white accents.

Following him was a woman who seemed middle-aged; her clothes were lighter blue. Her hair was deep black, and her face seemed to be buried under thick layers of cosmetics.

Her face was angular, and her neck seemed too stretched.

Fable Emperor Hugh and Fable Empress Kolee. "Thanks for the invitation, Sir Lucen," the emperor said with a wide smile and not the slightest hint of gratitude.

Lucen nodded; his eyes didn’t leave the screens. "Sit," he said in a firm tone that left no further space for discussion.

The moment Hugh sat across from Yutian, the atmosphere in the room started to grow tense.

Yutian’s face was getting heavier with each passing second, while Hugh’s smirk was stretching further to his ears.

The two seemed to be waiting for something.

"Ehm." Yutian broke the silence first. "Sir Lucen, would the forces’ announcement take much longer?"