Skyler absentmindedly traced the crimson gem set into the chain around his wrist. His gaze sharpened as it fell upon the towering tortoise statue, which marked the path to a structure hidden deep within the tall trees.
The tortoise’s eyes were closed as it sat atop the entrance of the marble structure, largely concealed by the towering foliage.
"Hah."
Skyler scoffed. He didn’t even need to dig through his memory to recognize the place.
It was one of the hidden areas in the Battle Royal, holding a mission to earn points that Max had uncovered in the original story. He had completed his first mission and gained a significant number of system points here.
However, this time, thanks to him, Max and the main characters’ very first mission had been to find and return the Dragon’s jewels.
Yep, the crimson jewels he stole and presented as a peace offering to Riruru.
Skyler glanced at the tracker in his hand, which showed Yuris, Austin, Charles, and Zack inside the structure, and let out a tsk.
"That disciple of the Keeper of Time is one step ahead of me. He knows the story, so he’s stealing the good things before I can?"
His gaze was sharp and gloomy.
"Impressive. Very impressive, Zack!"
Behind him, Isaac stood panting, glaring in his direction. Tired as he was, he failed to catch the faint murmur Skyler had let slip.
Skyler slipped the tracker into his storage ring and stepped into the quiet structure.
It wasn’t cramped but stretched out like a vast expanse, dimly lit by the glowing stone walls. He moved straight ahead, careful not to touch anything. Isaac hurried after him.
Only a minute later, they spotted the four familiar faces they had been searching for.
All of them stood in the center of the empty space, staring at a white-haired man with a beard, seated mid-air with his eyes closed.
Zack’s face was twisted into an ugly look as he called out to the white-haired man.
Yuris and Austin, on the other hand, were focused on figuring out how the man was suspended mid-air and whether they could make him fall, since he was clearly just an ordinary mortal with no elemental power.
Charles stood behind them, frowning.
Suddenly, he stepped toward Zack.
"Are we done? This place has nothing."
Zack pressed his lips together, his eyes lingering on the silent white-haired man.
"Let’s wait a little longer. I am sure this place is special... especially that man."
Of course, he couldn’t tell anyone that the man suspended mid-air was a fallen spirit, bound to this place to assign a mission to the people who arrived here. Max had been the first, but now that they had discovered it, Zack was eager to claim the mission for himself—it seemed far too easy to resist.
And the reward was 10,000 points!!
How could he let it go?
Zack and Charles snapped back as a familiar voice echoed behind them.
"I also think this place is not ordinary."
Austin and Yuris turned back as well.
They weren’t particularly shocked to see Skyler—after all, even without a tracker, it was possible for someone to locate them, since everyone from the same planet was teleported to nearby areas upon entering the Battle Royal. What truly stunned them was the figure trailing behind him: Isaac!
How had he cleared the 1st level of Battle Royal when not even a day had passed??
Charles was the first to rush toward the two, surprised to see them so soon. He nodded at Skyler before nudging Isaac.
"Come on, tell me—how did you clear the first level so fast and meet up with Skyler?"
Skyler cast a quick glance at the pair—one recounting the events and openly accusing him of psychological damage, the second offering consolation. His brow twitched.
Damn, the last thing he remembered, they both had met him first... just when exactly had Charles and Isaac grown so close??
He drew a sharp breath and ignored them, his gaze fixed on Zack, Yuris, and Austin.
"Why have you all decided to tag along?"
Austin smirked, giving him a light pat.
"I had nothing better to do, that’s why."
Yuris, who was the only one capable of matching Skyler’s current height, quickly draped an arm over his shoulder, smiling.
"Same here. Don’t worry, I won’t be a burden. I’m going to make this journey more thrilling for you guys. Like..."
He waved his hand, unleashing a sudden, powerful space-element spell toward the white-haired man suspended mid-air. The man trembled because the attack actually crossed the invisible field around his form and struck, though it was absorbed before it could even slightly damage his robe.
Skyler and Zack stiffened in shock.
And why wouldn’t they? Unlike the others, they both knew the white-haired man was an old fallen spirit—strong enough to send them flying with just a flick of his finger!
But Yuris just laughed, turning to Austin.
"See! I told you there are openings in the barrier around that suspended old man! I finally discovered one of them! Haha!"
He failed to notice how eager Zack and Skyler were to beat him up. Before Austin could reply with a grin, a sudden pressure spread through the space. It wasn’t strong enough to harm them, but enough to make them stop and notice that the suspended white-haired man had opened his eyes. He silently scanned each of them, his eyes rippling with a gentle glow as he smiled.
"This one would like to know why he was attacked just now without any reason?"
His gentle eyes locked onto Yuris, who gasped and then dropped to his knees.
"Indeed, the lower beings have become far too unreasonable. I have seen much in my time, yet mortals still surprise me always."
Skyler noticed Yuris Yu’s face paling and quickly stepped forward, cursing inwardly, though he remained composed outwardly.
"Please, don’t get the wrong idea. We just wanted to get your attention! That’s all!"
The white-haired man raised a brow, and then his gaze flickered with realization. He lifted the weight off Yuris before sighing.
"Leave. This one does not desire help for the time being. A good youth has already helped this one get what he wanted."