Kriassilis' Advanced Turf - (2)

---rattle---

After reaching the top of the building, large metal particles pixelated, henceforth forming a platform which gave the same vibe as a helipad.

---thud---

The dragon made its landing on the platform and came to a sleeping position. I exclaimed, "Looks like we reached our destination!"

Kendor sulked, "I wish we flew a bit longer!!"

---swoosh---

The door through which Kriassilis entered, paved a downward staircase. Everyone started exiting the compartment. I hopped down while my mount remained on my shoulder. A few moments passed. Everyone exited the room. Kriassilis was the last person to step out.

"Humm!!", the dragon exhaled dust out of his nose, got up and took off with a roar, "Call me whenever needed, Death Sovereign!!"

Kendor requested, "... Master, can you erase your ability to understand creatures from me?!"

I asked her, "Why?!", and she interpreted, "Just like you, I too can understand the screams of animals. It feels so weird to hear them talk origin language. Moreover, it's as if another person is dubbing their tone!"

I flinched, "Wait, you can understand their screams? But earlier…!"

She corrected me, "I said their screams were annoying. But I never said I can't understand them. In fact, all celestials can understand the screams of creatures. We're like parents to them!"

[Damn it, I came to a random conclusion again.]

"Fine!", I said and brought forth my palm. She interrupted, "But I don't want this vision to be erased. Just the understanding trait, please!!"

"I understand!", I said, placing my palm on her head and removing it after a moment. She looked here and there, "Phew, now it feels normal!!"

Kriassilis called out, "Dray, what are you waiting for? Let's get in!!"

---clang---

A square-shaped door parallel to the floor slid open, making a way to enter the building from above. Everyone walked down. Only Kendor, I and Kriassilis remained. Together, we went down the stairs.

As we walked, we reached a fascinating sight full of luxury. I found myself standing on a large circular platform with numerous doors around and a big hole in between alongside the below floors which made the view visible until the bottom-most floor.

[Feels like I am inside a 7-star hotel. No, calling it a 7-star is an understatement. Even 10-star wouldn't be enough to describe this scenery.]

Kriassilis conversed, "Stop spacing out, we're almost there!"

I snapped out of the daze and continued following him. But he stood at the edge of the gap in between the floor.

---swoosh---

A circular platform came flying from below. It then stationed itself at the centre of the gap.

---rattle---

Square particles pixelated from one of its edges, henceforth making a way to enter until they reached the edge where Kriassilis stood. He then walked past the paved way. I too did the same. My mount stared at him. I wondered why. He was looking upwards. So I shifted my gaze in the same direction as him.

---clank---

The above ceiling split into six parts and slid open. The outside view came to vision.

---swoosh---

At once, the platform which I, Kendor and Kriassilis stood on, charged upwards. It caught me off-guard. We dove out of the building and continued moving upwards. I flinched, "Wait, I thought we were going down the building. Why are we flying upwards?!!"

He chuckled as usual, "Harden your muscles, Dray!"

His smile gave me a bad feeling. Immediately, I hardened my muscles. My nerves twitched for a moment. Kendor grabbed my shoulder with a hard grip.

---flash---

The flying platform blasted upwards at rocket speed. I gazed above. There was a hole the size of a hectare. In its centre, there seemed to be a little house made of cement. Its bottom was filled with rocks.

---crumble---

After we neared it, the rocks below broke into pieces and revolved like a cyclone in slow motion. The speed of the skyrocketing platform slowed down. It flew past the revolving stones, thereby reaching a basement full of weird-looking vehicles, and gadgets.

---rattle---

The rocks that crumbled got back to normal. The levitating platform merged with the floor. A shutter in front of us slid upwards. Past that point were stairs leading upwards. Kriassilis walked forward. I followed him as usual. We then entered a large hall.

However, the infrastructure was also luxurious but not at the level of the ones we saw earlier. It seemed identical to that of a villa. It was a two-story building. In front of the villa was a swimming pool with red water in between a yard. There were purple-shaded plants in the corners. The above floor was semi-built where the topmost ceiling seemed visible. Kriassilis walked upstairs, saying, "You can wait outside. I'll go change my dress!!"

I walked to the outside yard. The red water of the pool almost seemed like blood. But I told myself with my eyes closed.

[Everything depends on your way of perception.]

I opened my eyes after exhaling a few times. The water seemed translucent. The bottom of the pool became visible. In relief, I walked to the front corner of the yard and leaned on the rails. The view of the terrain below made my day. I smiled without even realizing it.

[Now that I see it, this house seems to be rotating anti-clockwise. Although, its movement is super duper slow.]

---step---

A footstep caught my attention from behind. I turned around to only gape my mouth in utter disbelief. It was Kriassilis who came out of the villa. What made me speechless was his dressing style. He wore a black t-shirt and white shorts. Moreover, he was barefooted, with no slippers. Kendor looked away while thinking, 'I will pretend like I saw nothing!!'

[Is this okay? I mean, he's an origin entity. How could he expose himself so boldly? And that too in front of me, his rival's successor?]

Kriassilis looked at me. I shook. He made the same chuckle as earlier, "Yeah, you might be my rival's successor…!", and mocked me, ""BUT WHAT COULD A WEAKLING LIKE YOU DO OTHER THAN STANDING BY HOPELESSLY?!""

The next instant, the mood between him and me turned cold. My shoulders began emitting a dim aura which made Kendor collapse onto the floor. My eyes glared at Kriassilis. But he scoffed, ""WHAT? DID MY WORDS GET ONTO YOUR NERVES?!""

My focus glared at him for a few moments but blinked in a sigh of relief, "Sure enough, everyone has their own hidden side, may it be villainous or heroic!"

"???", his eyes widened in confusion. I chuckled, "What? Did you think I would lose composure with just that level of provocation? I didn't live two hundred thousand years all for nothing?!"

My face got inches close to his. He flinched. I continued by chuckling again, "Unlike you who lived with a different mentality for trillions of years, two hundred thousand years is nothing. "BUT ACCORDING TO ME, WHO LIVED WITH A FRAGILE HUMAN MENTALITY UNTIL NOW, THAT AMOUNT OF TIME IS EQUIVALENT TO YOUR LIFESPAN!!""

"!!!", his eyes widened in shock after hearing what I emphasized. I chuckled another time, "Moreover, your trying to provoke me seemed quite obvious. "MEANING, YOU TRIED THIS MOVE ON YOUR GRAND LAW AND HE FAILED TO MAINTAIN HIS COOL!!""

---fwoosh---

At once, his right eye exuded white fumes whereas the left eye also exuded fumes but in black. He attempted, ""YOU, LITTLE…!""

His pressure gave me a body ache. Instead of gritting my teeth, I shouted, "Yesss!!!!"

"????", Lord of Afterlife became puzzled 'cause of my sudden change of attitude. I carried on, "You started a battle of nerves. But I won in the end. I'll take that as my first time winning against an origin entity, yahoo!!!", amid jumping around like a kid. He exclaimed with a spellbound expression, "... Tch, fine. You got me. I admit it!", and yelled, "So can you stop jumping around? My house is getting dirtied by your foot!!!"

I stopped my childish act. He sighed in relief. I then attempted, "Uhm… Kriassilis, after seeing you wear that night outfit, I too am feeling the urge to change my clothes!!"

He responded, "Sure, feel yourself at home!"

---flick---

In the flick of a second, my clothes vanished. I wore nothing but swimming shorts.

---splash---

The next instant, I dove into the swimming pool. The background seemed reddish but the water was as usual translucent. I came to a corpse pose and began floating in between the pool.

Kriassilis lay on a sleeping chair. On his right was a small table having an A3-sized stone pad on its top. He put on round goggles even when the surroundings seemed dark and starry.

[Why is he wearing sunglasses? This turf lurks between an interstellar space.]

He then took the pad on the table.

---beep---

The pad at once displayed some glowing alphabets in origin literature. It said, 'Griphin!'

[Griphin…

In origin tongue, 'Gri' stands for feathers. And 'Phin' to road. Overall, it means a way imbued with feathers on both sides. That is, the gateway to the afterlife.]

I became curious, "Excuse me, Kriassilis. Pardon my intrusion but can I know what you're doing right now?!"

He wagged his left index finger. A stone pad popped out of the pool. It reached me by floating. I took the pad.

---beep---

It shone the same phrase, 'Griphin!'

Kriassilis exclaimed, "You're holding it the other way around!"

"Oh!", I turned it to the opposite side. Instead of showing a phrase, it displayed a smart screen with pictures and origin literature.

I saw a picture depicting giant meteorites floating outside a planetary system. Below the picture was a headline, 'Unknown ravager's debris spotted outside the planetary system, Kloriel!'