Chapter 1229: Request and Compensation (2)
Chapter 1229: Request and Compensation (2)
Chapter 1229: Request and Compensation (2)
?
...!!!
Replicus was the first to get smacked with shock by the Deitess' words.
"Amanas?!" he exclaimed.
Yuyui almost yelped at his sudden cry.
Elita belatedly remembered what Amanas was seconds later and she gaped, her brows rising.
"Wait. Isn't Amanas Aigas' fourth and smallest continent? The one no one knows anything about?" she said.
<Indeed.> Suzamete confirmed.
Replicus felt strength gathering in his toes, but he hardly gave it much attention.
"What do you mean you will let me borrow Amanas? Isn't it just some mysterious piece of land? And how could it possibly be something with more value to me?" he questioned the Deitess.
Replicus had been surprised when Sause had failed to give him any information about Amanas at all. Apparently, no one knew anything about it, and this included the early dragons.
According to the known history, the Giants, when they travelled around the world with the message of the Deities, their attempt at reaching Amanas failed. There was some extremely powerful barrier around it that resisted them.
Replicus hadn't bothered with guessing what could be on the island after leaving Edagon days ago (months ago to him), but now, he was learning more about it when he least expected or even desired it.
Suzamete seemed to shift from her original position and float higher up into the 'sky'. Her attention was then focused on Replicus.
<I know your end goal. You desire to leave Aigas and confront the Arch Lich, no, the High Lich who enslaved you for many years, do you not?>
Replicus gnashed his teeth and swiped a glance at Elita. She didn't flinch.
This confirmed his suspicion that she knew what he was now, or perhaps what he had been. <While your goal is extremely treacherous, perhaps even suicidal for the current you, the journey to reach your goal will perhaps be even more treacherous. I'm sure Elita can tell you how dangerous the great void is to traverse for great distances on your own.>
Elita wore a strained smile and Replicus could have sworn he saw her instantly start to perspire.
"That's right," she said. "The void is rather dangerous, especially when you're far away from any world and are stranded in the depth of the darkness. I didn't have to travel too great a distance to get here; Void herself made sure of that. Even she can't control everything that spawns inside her vast body, much less understand the nature of every little thing in it."
Replicus breathed out a harsh breath.
For real?
The void was that perilous?
Well, this wasn't exactly the first time he was hearing something like this. In fact, even without a warning, the notion that the great void was dangerous could be deduced just by looking at events that plagued Aigas before.
When its Rules were disturbed, many horrors from the outside had invaded, some Undead, some of other natures. And considering that there were realms beyond just worlds in the great void - in this reality, as Serenity had said - perhaps bumping into a hostile Divine being wasn't something unusual.
"Alright. I admit I hadn't given this matter that much thought," Replicus said, surprised (and just now realising) that his phantoms and Serenity were suspiciously silent.
For the former, Boron's suppressive pressure, which was likely the reason why she didn't come up when he was in danger earlier, was gone, which made her absence now strange.
But this was of no consequence at the moment.
"So how does Amanas solve this issue then?" he asked.
Suzamete churned again.
Elita pricked her eyes. She and Replicus were already getting suspicions as to what this repayment would serve as for the Warmoth's Progeny.
<Some time ago, Quintess, Listafelle and I made a pact together. In all truth, I merely hopped onto this pact. We vowed to help each other accomplish each other's dreams, and we ended up doing that through Aigas. After that, desires were fulfilled, at least for Quintess and Listafelle. My goal, however, has no defined end.> Suzamete said. <Many years after creating Aigas, Quintess and Listafelle's dreams evolved, mostly because the organisation we are a part of became... unreasonable. And thus, we three created Amanas.>
Replicus and Elita frowned.
'Organisation?' they wondered.
Suzamete continued.
<Amanas is a mobile miniature world. We created it using the knowledge we extracted from the organisation we work for. It is quite special. It is perhaps one of the safest vehicles one could hope to use on a lengthy journey through the void.>
...!
And there it was, just as Replicus and Elita had been guessing.
Amanas was actually a vessel to travel through the great void, but wait...
"You Deities are powerful enough on your own. Why would you need a vessel to traverse the void?" Replicus asked.
Elita seemed to want to ask the same question, but she wasn't nearly as rude and free as
Replicus.
<I shall reserve the answer to that. All you need to know is that I am willing to allow you to borrow Amanas when such a time you desire to use it comes.>
The Warmoth's Progeny sighed.
He didn't push his luck this time.
Indeed, the whole situation was fishy. The little background to Amanas Suzamete had given barely cleared up much about its existence.
She said it was a mini world. How did that even work? What were its finer functions?
What exactly was this organisation Suzamete was talking about?
One look at the Deitess and Replicus knew she wasn't going to answer these questions, which was fair. The relevant subject here was Replicus' reward for helping Suzamete out of another
rut.
"I'll admit again. This just might be the best offer you could have made me. But how do I know there's full good faith in this transaction? This... mobile world seems very important to you and the others. Why should I believe you're willing to part with it, if only temporarily?"
Replicus said.
Suzamete didn't answer immediately. She seemed to consider her next words quite a bit.
<The reason is simple. As you do not plan to head over to the world of the living dead at once, I imagine you want to elevate your strength, primarily ...> she pointed at the stationary Hybrid Luman <...through merging with that. I hear everything you say while in this world - don't forget. As such, I know much about you even though you are not a native.> Replicus hadn't really been surprised by how much Suzamete knew. He was more unsettled
than surprised.
"So?" he asked.
<So, the power you will acquire after the merge - and believe that I say this unwillingly - will not encourage me to toy with or lie to you.>
"Huh..." Replicus raised a brow.
Was that so?
How interesting. Suzamete was actually saying Replicus' future strength was a deterrent for her being
dishonest with him?
Well, well, well...
Even Elita found herself amused. She didn't fully understand what was happening between
Replicus and Skullius, but she had a fair hypothesis.
This merge Suzamete spoke of seemed promising.
"Fine. I accept the compensation then," Replicus said.
<Good. Now I hope you will make haste. I don't suppose either or us has much time.> she said,
mostly to Replicus.
Indeed. He didn't have a lot of time.
His timer for Doom Factor 2 was fast approaching, and sadly, the prelude to his madness
would soon catch up with him.