The question made Ryuk’s eyebrow furrow.
When he had reviewed the plan in his head, it sounded so solid.
But when she had asked him...
It made him look dumb instead.
"Well, everything sounds dumb when you ask the question like that," he said, to which she replied with a matter of factly.
"No. Your plan is indeed dumb."
"Well, you got a better plan, Miss Smart?" he retorted, as she scoffed in pride.
"Of course I do. One much better than returning to what almost killed us," she added, reaching her palm outward.
Just a moment later, and four artifacts appeared, floating in the void.
One was a brush, the others were three types of liquid—one black, one white, and the last golden—held in cone-shaped glass containers.
Apart from the brush, Ryuk couldn’t say he exactly knew much about any of them.
"I can open a portal back to Ammamora by drawing a re-summon ritual, which the Royal Elders in the palace can sense and use to open a gate for us to return," she explained—something that made Ryuk’s heart beat faster.
’A way back to Ammamora?’
’Was that why she was so confident in coming here in the first place? Because she knew she could always open a portal back?’ he thought.
"What’s the catch?" he asked, as her eyebrow knit for a while before she eventually replied.
"This technique of mine is rarely used. And the last time it was used, the one who came back to the palace brought with him a person who at first looked like a friend—but in the end was an enemy that dealt the family quite the damage."
"Ever since then, there’s been a rule: no one is allowed to bring back any other person." She explained, but continued before he could utter a reply.
"I will be bringing you with me, though—since you also saved my life," she said.
"Oh, really? That’s so sweet, except that I don’t know what will happen to me when you break the rule," He replied pessimistically, and she shrugged.
"I don’t know. Maybe you’ll be imprisoned a couple of months or so..."
"Once I convince them that you saved me from certain death—which I will do by showing them this armor."
"The armour?" Ryuk asked.
"Yes."
"They know how strong it is, and they know someone like you can’t hope to put a dent in it."
"That’ll prove I really was in a precarious situation, and if I say you saved me, then they can be more lenient—shortening your sentence to just about a month," She explained it flatly, like it was just another fact.
But Ryuk wasn’t having it at all.
"One month imprisonment at least? That truly sounds like a good plan," he said, as Orrelith turned to look at him.
"Well, is your plan of dying any better?"
"Huh?"
"We get to live here and go back to Ammamora—and even though you might be imprisoned for a month or two, there’s still a 100% chance of not dying, at least." She explained.
"No matter how many weapons or artifacts we wear, our chances of surviving in a battle against that monster aren’t close to 20%—talk less of 50% or 100%."
"I don’t know if you noticed or not, but she wasn’t going all out."
"She was messing with us and finished us in seconds, all with nothing but claws and kicks, while grinning in amusement?"
"What will happen if she grabs a real weapon? Or gets serious?"
"We’ll both die in a blink." She concluded, something Ryuk couldn’t refute.
"So, which is smarter to you? One month imprisonment or certain death?"
The panel flashed after:
[Her plan makes more sense.]
’WHAT!?’ Ryuk thought in disbelief.
[I’m not saying it makes sense for you to get imprisoned, since your imprisonment won’t be simple.]
[You will most likely have every one of your moves watched by her royal family, even after being ’freed’ or being given strict orders on who you’re allowed to meet and who you aren’t, to safeguard their secrets or something.]
[Royal issues are nothing but a headache.]
’I agree,’ Ryuk said, nodding internally.
[But a headache is better compared to death, Ryuk.]
[That Nihil woman isn’t going all out and seemed to be playing with both of you.]
[She could’ve killed Orrelith, but she simply grabbed her by the head and dragged her unconscious body everywhere while she destroyed you.]
[If she wanted her gone, she would’ve done it since, and sad to say, but you’re not that much better yourself, Ryuk.]
[Three simple strikes and your endurance came down to zero.]
[If she gets serious, I’m guessing one strike from her should be enough to kill you.]
[If you have a choice to pick between a royal headache or certain death...]
[I’m thinking a royal headache is much smarter.]
The system explained lengthily, as Ryuk hmmed, silently turning away, to the sight of Orrelith already opening the cubes and drawing an image in the void with the brush.
Her eyebrows were knitted in focus as she continued, slowly drafting out the image.
’So... I have to run, huh?’ Ryuk thought silently to himself.
[It’s not running. It’s a temporary retreat, just like you did before, when you came to this place.]
[The quest doesn’t have a time limit. So, it will always be available.]
[Now that your comprehension of the Hurricane energy has increased, you can quickly improve your cultivation.]
[And when you’re strong enough, you can complete the quest.]
The system convinced—and Ryuk silently hummed.
That really was a logical plan.
Silently, Orrelith continued drawing—and just 30 minutes later, she had drawn a runic image into the air, and soon enough, an absorption force began to bloom.
An hour later, and the absorption force became incredibly powerful.
She stepped back, a small smile of relief blooming on her lips.
Before her was a vortex of white and white, along with dots of gold at its center.
"The Elders have received the signal and opened the gate. We can go in now," she said, turning to Ryuk, who floated down the platform.
"You sure this goes back to the place—to your Royal Castle?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. The golden dots of light are my family’s vortex signature."
"If we step in, we land back in the castle," she said, as Ryuk nodded before he added—mischievously.
"Well then... ladies first," he said, with a princely bow and his hands stretched out toward the vortex.
"You have some serious trust issues, don’t you?" she said, with an obvious expression as she slowly stepped into the portal.
She didn’t completely disappear immediately, but was slowly fading, and she turned back to Ryuk.
"So? You coming or what?" she asked.
But shock covered her expression when she watched Ryuk’s mischievous look fade into one of serious focus and conviction.
A 180-degree change to his previous expression.
"What... what are you doing?!" she screamed.
"Goodbye, Orrelith," Ryuk said.
"No! Wait! Have you gone Insane?!"
"You’ll die if you face her!" she screamed in anger, as she threw her hand outwards to grab him, but failed.
The portal spun faster, and moments later, she was forcefully dragged and disappeared.
Now, all that was left in the void was Ryuk, and his Nexus Legion hanging around him.