Chapter 120. Decisions

While Michael gave up on the woman, her daughter couldn't do that. 

[Mother... I don't care what she showed you. Please, let's just get out of here. Okay?](Neyrelle)

"Neyrelle, get back!"

Unfortunately, he was too late. When she touched her mother's shoulder, the latter quickly turned around and grabbed her hand.

"Vhenard, let her go!"

[Oh, I see. Yes... Clever magpie. Trying to lead me away so you can take all this for yourself? Hmm?](Vhenard)

"This crazy..."

The knife fell before Michael could reach out to grab it, cutting and spilling blood from Neyrelle's left forearm.

Smearing the blood from the blade and the ground on her fingertips, the woman turned back to writing with it.

[This is my discovery. Not yours! I will finish these runes with your blood.](Vhenard)

A strange barrier made out of blood and... darkness surrounded the woman. It seemed that Lilith showed her more than just the ritual.

[Mother, you must stop this!](Neyrelle)

[Look at the gifts she's given me!](Vhenard)

A portion of the runes lit up, forming summoning circles. Out of them, two Elite Succubus appeared in the room, directly attacking Michael and Nyerelle.

"Stay behind me."

[Michael, please. She's my mother...](Neyrelle)

"I know... but I can't let you die. Let's deal with the Elite demons first."

It didn't take long to kill the Elites. They were slightly stronger than average, as they were connected directly to Vhenard through a strange red string.

Her barrier disappeared as soon as the monsters fell, and she kneeled on the ground, coughing blood.

[Mother, no!](Neyrelle)

[You won't take what's mine!](Vhenard)

As Michael held Neyrelle in place, the woman used the blood she coughed to light up even more summoning circles, this time bringing over three Elite Succubus.

He realized that the demons summoned were linked to the woman's life; however, he couldn't just hand over his life and Neyrelle's. 

'Worst comes to worst... I'll kill her. Even if Neyrelle will hate me for it...' 

The Elites summoned the second time were even stronger, taking Michael longer to finish them. Just like before, after they died, the woman fell to the ground, blood dripping from her mouth and nose.

[Mother, please! I don't want you to die.](Neyrelle)

The woman didn't listen, though. Even as her daughter was sobbing uncontrollably, she was using her blood to further awaken the runes on the floor.

With five Elites joining the fray, Michael realized that after killing them, Vhenard would die.

Three Succubus and two huge winged Demons charged at the duo. Because three of them had the Summoner modifier, the fight was supposed to be more challenging.

Unfortunately for them, they were facing a Necromancer. Using the Corpses, he ended the fight swiftly.

And indeed, once the demons fell...

[*Shriek* Arrrrrrgh!](Vhenard)

[Mother, no!](Neyrelle)

Rushing to her fallen mother, this time Michael didn't stop her. Judging from her waning life force, he knew she had seconds left at best.

She died in her daughter's arms moments later. He approached silently and wanted to pat the girl's head but stopped his hand before making contact.

"I'm sorry..."

[You were... you were protecting me. I don't want to hate you. I'm trying... I really am...](Neyrelle)

"...I'm sorry."

[*Sob* We're going to make Lilith pay for what she's done!](Neyrelle)

"That..."

[So we need blessed blood. Go back to your Prava. Get that blessing. Beg if you need to. Whatever it takes.](Neyrelle)

"I..."

[Please. My mother started this damn ritual. I'm going to finish it. Meet me in Mistral Woods.](Neyrelle)

"*Sigh* Why there?"

[The Horadrim hid a vault there. Finding it was her life's work. So much for that... Maybe the knowledge there will help with the ritual. If not, at least I can bury her where she'd want.](Neyrelle)

"I see. I'll do what I can."

[I... I need time. I'm sorry. Just leave me...](Neyrelle)

"...can you return without having to face the demons?"

[Yes. I'm a Wanderer myself. Find me in a week's time with the items.](Neyrelle)

"Mhm. Good."

The Quest was completed at some point, but Michael didn't see it happen. The only proof was a Rare item box sitting on the ground.

'The inventory's full again, huh?' 

Putting the item box in his pocket, Michael took one more look at the girl and used quick travel to return to Kyovashad.

Passing through the portal and seeing the familiar square, he felt tired.

Making an effort, he asked Raskya to send a message to Helen that he was fine and resting in the Inn, after which he headed straight to bed.

Once in the room, he unequipped everything and fell into a deep sleep.

Plagued by odd dreams and hunger, he woke up sometime later in the presence of a familiar scent.

[Hey.](Helen)

"Hey."

He realized he hadn't used a Cleaning Marble before sleeping, so he instantly brought one out of his inventory. After all, the sweat caused by fighting continuously for a full day might've done a number on his body and clothes.

[Don't. I already used one when you were sleeping.](Helen)

"Ugh... Did I stink that badly?"

[Yes. What happened? You always come first to see me.](Helen)

"Well... One way or another, I ended up in Yelesna."

[Meaning... the Main Quest?](Helen)

"Yes. It was..."

[Stop!](Helen)

"Huh? What's wrong?"

[Well... it's already time for dinner, so let's go to my place to eat. You can tell me the story there if it's alright with you. The girls would love to hear how a Main Quest works. If it's not an issue, of course.](Helen)

"Eh? Sure... Actually... Wait! Dinner time? I've been sleeping for a full day!? I'm pretty sure I got back in Nevesk at twilight..."

[Two. When you didn't return yesterday, I came to check on you. Seeing as you were still sleeping even after I entered the room, I sat beside you and waited for you to wake up. And since you were stinky, I used the Cleaning Marble. When you didn't wake up even late yesterday or today by noon, I was starting to get worried.](Helen)

Michael felt stumped as he hugged the pretty tigress. He's been sleeping regularly after each day spent Dungeoning or Questing in order to maintain his bodily and mental health. 

To suddenly sleep two days straight after a more intense 'workout' didn't make sense.

"Just to clarify, I wasn't gone for more than a day, right?"

[What? No... A messenger from Raskya came by to let me know two days ago that you returned to the Inn safely and were planning to rest.](Helen)

Seeing the incomprehension on her pretty face, Michael's own confusion increased exponentially. It was only speculation on his part, but he likely spent more than a couple of days fighting in the mines.

'A body accustomed to a certain workout and diet wouldn't get THAT tired after pushing yourself slightly. However, if you do exaggerate, there's a strong possibility of a backlash. Like sleeping for two days for the brain to rest and the body to reset.' 

[Are you okay?](Helen)

"Hmm? Yes. I was thinking that the time inside the Dungeon could have been warped... We thought only some hours passed, but we might've been there fighting for more than a day."

[It wouldn't be unheard of. But wouldn't you have noticed?](Helen)

"Worried about Lilith popping up, as well as mystery after mystery being solved in front of our eyes... plus some influence from Rathma..."

[Rathma? Who's that?](Helen)

"Hmm? The first Necromancer. A really strong guy, it seems."

[Wow... the girls would be very excited to hear the story. Let's go?](Helen)

Chattering with her on their way to the Pink Palace, Michael kept verifying the validity of the time-warping theory in the mines. 

Considering how the trio went from one Dungeon into the next, similar to opening up a nesting doll, it was likely that his sense of time became skewed.

[Oh! The dirty couple are finally here? Tsk, tsk, tsk! To think you locked yourselves in for a full day.](Hella)

"Huh?"

[Michael, Helen... that... sort of thing... should be done in moderation.](Mina)

"That sort of thing? Oh, you're thinking of sex! No, I was out cold for two days, and Helen stood by my side to make sure I was alright."

Seeing the girl's faces become red at the misunderstanding, Michael and Helen chuckled. Furthermore, he was surprised to see Helen's skin thicken to the point where she would poke fun at others on this subject. 

If it were in the beginning, she would've blushed furiously, just like the others are doing now. From the looks of it, his shamelessness rubbed on her.

[Are you alright?](Evelyn)

"Mhm. I was just tired. I ended up completing some Main Quests."

[What!? 'Some Main Quests'!? As in, more than one?](Tia)

"Possibly. I'm not sure if it should be considered a single one, but the Quest interface changed multiple times, and I was issued multiple Quests after finishing the previous one. It was a sequence of Quests."

Seeing the girls buttering up Helen after realizing that she had brought him here for them to hear, Michael couldn't help but laugh aloud. Unlike the intrigue and the decaying human nature he encountered in the mines, these girls were still pure.

Even after walking through ink daily, they maintained their clean appearances. 

With large doe-eyes filled with curiosity and expectations, the young Necromancer had to backpaddle slightly.

"Uhm... can I get something to eat first, please? I haven't had anything in over three days."

Snacks were served as dinner would take at least another hour to be prepared. So, without an option, Michael began his story.

"Remember how I had a Quest to complete for Priest Matvey?"

[Mhm. The Brazier, right?](Evelyn)

"Yes. Fortunately, after I returned to hand in the Quest, he didn't have any more to offer, so I could get out and do some exploring. But I only had two routes to take: the Stronghold or explore Yelesna and try to find out more details about the Main Quest."

[Choosing to explore Yelesna was a good decision. Strongholds are difficult to capture even in high-level parties.](Mina)

Seeing how invested the sisters were in the story, Michael tried his best to restrain his facial expressions. He couldn't help but complain internally about the lack of entertainment in the Sanctuary.

"So, I took the Western Tunnels to Yelesna. I was close to Level 30 and wanted to finish that small goal before ending the day."

[The ones where you killed the bandits the day before?](Helen)

"Mhm. But that's where things got weird. There were bandits in the tunnels again, and there were even more than the previous day. After encountering an ambush and finding a strange Quest item in a random chest. I also found a weird altar."

[Lilith's?](Tia)

"No. However, I did find one in the tunnels the previous day."

[That explains the extra experience and stats. And?](Tia)

"Well... the altar was more like a statue, really. But it was glowing, and a weird magical fog hid its face. Definitely an angel. And on its plaque, though faded, were words that said something like 'embrace death.' Any idea? Is there more than one angel in Sanctuary? Beside Inarius?"

The girls went silent and were obviously thinking. In the end, they had no clue about it. Michael did have a general idea.

'While I didn't have time to play the game, I did see the cinematics... Tyrael, was it? I didn't recognize it initially, but it should be the angel the statue represented. However, what it did there is beyond my comprehension. I'll need to ask Lorath...'

[Were the bandits worshiping that statue?](Hella)

"I'm not sure. But, as soon as I returned to the place of the ambush, the same bandits attacked me again. Same numbers, same 'people.' Furthermore, I was about to leave the tunnels when I heard a voice telling me to go back and explore some more... Fortunately, I did."

[A Dungeon!?](Helen)

"Possible. After clearing the bandits in the tunnels, I encountered a World Event where more bandits ambushed me. It wasn't that hard dealing with them, so after wrapping that up, I reached Yelesna."

The girls were quiet, but Michael saw the shock on their faces. Preferential Treatment or not, the high frequency with which he encountered all these strange events was ridiculous.

He was aware of it, of course. But didn't complain much since it helped him grow faster.

"Luckily, the guards were helpful, and someone guided me to the Church's garrison, where I was sent away to the mines to continue my Main Quest. Fortunately, with the first part of the Quest completed, I gained experience and leveled up to 30. I had higher confidence in completing a Main Quest and even clearing the Stronghold."

[Why?](Tia)

"Because of this guy."

Using Golem, Michael called Quarterback to the field. The girls gasped with amazement while some terrified squeals came out of the servants working near the house.

After pacifying the servants, the girls curiously inspected the small giant. Apparently, neither had seen one before, though they heard stories about it from Aylin.

When the excitement died down, Michael remembered the three Side Quests he took, and his face paled slightly.