Chapter 81. Strange encounters

After barely getting out of the Pink Palace without having to cook breakfast for the girls, Michael rubbed his full belly and sighed.

"To think that the kitchen staff became so proficient in such a short time. Impressive! I can count on them for my future meals. *Sigh* I'm walking further down the path of a kept young man. I have nothing but my pale good looks to blame!"

Realizing he was getting strange looks, Michael closed his mouth and cursed his stupidity. It wasn't early enough for the streets to be empty! 

How embarrassing!

Increasing his speed, he quickly crossed the plaza and made his way toward the Eastern Gate.

On his way there, he noticed that most people in the surroundings had disappeared, sending shivers down the Necromancer's spine.

'This setting... fuck! Don't tell me I'll get attacked in the city!? Maybe it's Lilith? Usually, bigshots can clear the crowd without others noticing!!!' 

Panicking internally, Michael looked ahead and tried to maintain his composure, at least on the surface. After all, making a good impression on a bigshot was paramount.

Sure enough, he suddenly saw a beggar appear in front of him. The man appeared old, with a hunched back and covered-up face.

'So it's this pattern! My horizons have been truly broadened! What should I do!? Ignore him? Walk forward and offer assistance?'

Unsure of what action to take to avoid offending the potential bigshot, Michael decided to go with the safest course of action.

He took a gold coin from his inventory and tried placing it in the alms bowl the man was holding.

Unsurprisingly, as soon as the coin touched the bottom of the empty bowl, it bounced back into the Necromancer's hands.

[Keep it! I am not after your money. Just your ear.](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

Hearing the words and seeing the display of power, Michael felt disdainful toward this posturing old man.

'You claim to be a beggar, but your bowl is empty. You claim to be old and hunched over, but you use your magic to make coins fly. Old man, you need some training in acting!'

"Please speak, Sir. If I can help, I'll do my best."

[*Sigh* I can feel it... a great calamity is about to unfold in the northern reaches. The door is in danger!](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

Hearing the words, Michael almost peed his pants in fright.

'Fucking hell, old man! Can you not talk like that!? Also, who the fuck picks a low-level Wanderer when you could visit the people in power to deal with the matter!? It's illogical!'

"Old Sir, I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning."

[It was sealed for a reason! And now, the pig-headed beasts are trying to force it open!](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

Michael continued listening, ignoring his gut feeling, which was yelling at him to run away and ignore the old man.

'Of course, there's a sealed door... there's always a fucking sealed door of doom! And even more important, there's always that one idiot looking to open it. Fuck me sideways! I should've stayed in bed with Helen.'

[Heed my warning and stop them! It must remain sealed!](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

"Old Sir, I'm only a Level 18 Wanderer. I don't think I can withstand such a heavy burden. Wouldn't it be better to find someone stronger?"

[Don't worry. The Sanctuary will help you suppress the enemies. As for finding others, don't mention it.](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

Yelling internally, 'Why the fuck not?' Michael continued prodding the bigshot.

"Old Sir, how do you know of the events around the sealed door?"

[Hehe. Perhaps a better question is, why are you the only one to take it seriously? I once... ahh, that was a long time ago, I suppose.](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

'There we go again. Posturing, not finishing his sentences, indeed the annoyingly mysterious bigshot scenario! *Sigh* Something tells me this guy is either Inarius or some third party wanting to stay neutral. I'm starting to understand why Wanderers love and hate the preferential treatment.' 

"I understand, Old Sir. Is there any timeframe in which I must travel there?"

[Three days. If you don't get there in three days to stop them, there won't be any reason to go anymore.](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

"I see. I will make it a priority. Are there any other details you can give me, Old Sir?"

[Huh!? What are you saying, lad?](Strange Beggar/Potential Bigshot)

"Eh? Old Sir?"

[Can you spare a coin for this old man?](Beggar)

Michael looked at the gold coin in his hand and placed it in the alms bowl. He left without looking back at the old man, thanking him profusely.

'So, in the end, it was possession, huh? That doesn't narrow the list at all - not that I would know most of the 'suspects' anyway. Also, three days. How does that even work? Do I go there and whack the ones responsible for trying to open the said 'door'? What if the beggar suffers from schizophrenia? Or has multiple personality disorder?' 

Looking at his Quest list that stayed the same, Michael had a strange look on his face.

"Sanctuary, does that not count as a Quest?"

[ New Quest issued - Sealed Door

Objective: Search for the Sealed Door

Time remaining: 71 hours, 59 minutes, and 58 seconds. ]

'So you were just lagging? Or was it not initially considered a Quest until whoever possessed the beggar reached out to you? Why are things so damned complicated!?'

Opening the MAP and checking the Quest's general location, Michael realized it was in the same area where he completed the Sealed Exorcist's Cache Quest. 

Slightly annoyed that he couldn't have gotten this damned Sealed Door Quest yesterday, the Necromancer glanced around the previously empty street and noticed people trickling in again.

Grumbling at the bigshot, disgustingly powerful enough to affect the perception of the people and Wanderers in the area without them noticing, Michael finally reached the Eastern exit.

[Here again? You're certainly working hard.](City Guard)

"Can't help it. When your girlfriend is so much higher level than you are, the pressure is immense."

[Tsk! Get lost!](City Guard)

After appeasing the jealous guard, Michael gave a full account of where he was going and why. 

The City Guard even went as far as sharing his MAP and asking him to point out the route he'll take. Apparently, they've been doing that recently to increase the chances of a successful rescue.

'Makes sense. The search area decreases considerably if they know your exact route. Still, the fact that they only implemented it now, coupled with the Ossuary and the Nevesk incident... the bigwigs of Kyovashad are probably finally taking things seriously.' 

Based on what Helen told him, the situation in the continent is pretty grim, with demons and monsters wreaking havoc everywhere. 

The Wanderers are short-staffed and, even worse, decreasing considerably in numbers due to many unexpected Events popping out everywhere in the Wilderness and Dungeons.

'There's definitely interference from Lilith. However, Wanderers are her 'children.' Given how she used the Altars to increase everyone's strength, it doesn't make sense to create chaos everywhere and murder them indiscriminately.' 

It only later dawned on him: the law of the jungle!

'The strong survive while eating the weak. I've already seen two Events, and the rewards they give are always good. Coupled with the experience gained, it could rapidly increase the general strength of those participating. However, deaths and injuries are to be expected. Only those with strong wills can carry on.'

Shaking his head and wondering how long until Lilith reached out to him, Michael continued walking in the general direction of the Sealed Door Quest while following the route he mentioned to the City Guard.

Just as he reached a bridge and was admiring the unfrozen river, he noticed a man talking to himself ahead. Well, yelling and crying was a more apt description.

Unable to avoid the man unless he wanted to take a quick swim through the amazingly cold water, Michael sighed and approached him.

"Sir, is everything alright? What are you doing here?"

[Do--do you see him too? The ghost of... Corik, my son. When he was a boy, he was taken to the Black Asylum, and now he haunts my every moment. Calling to me... begging that I...](?)

The Necromancer was stunned at the sudden exposition, wondering who the hell starts a conversation like that.

Furthermore, Black Asylum? Was it a coincidence? He only talked this morning with Helen about it, and now he meets a random stranger who sees the ghost of his son, who was taken to the Black Asylum.

'There's no way in hell that's a coincidence. Furthermore, the fact that the way he's talking makes me think of an NPC. He likely has a Quest to hand over...'

"I'm not able to see anyone, Sir. I am Michael. Tell me more of the situation, and maybe I can help."

All said and done, only an idiot would refuse a Quest. Therefore, dealing with a Dungeon Quest should make things rather interesting for him. 

After all, every Dungeon he visited so far had a Quest attached to it.

[*Sigh* The name is Vendral Trost. I don't know how much more I can stand. Please, I'll pay you. End his torments. Please see that he is laid to rest.](Vendral Trost)

"This... Alright. I was planning to head there today anyway. I'll look into it, Sir."

[Thank... No! No, no, no, no! You're dead!](Vendral Trost)

"Sir?"

[Father? Won't you come visit me?](?)

A ghastly childish voice appeared behind Michael, sending goosebumps on his hands. Turning his head almost mechanically, he saw the figure of a child, probably no older than 12-13. 

The child was wearing a hoody, making most of its face unable to be seen. However, it was plenty obvious to a Wanderer with high attributes that only a skull was under that spectral cloak.

'Holy fuck! I have already killed plenty fucking ghosts. Why the hell is this kid so fucking creepy!?'

[No! They took you away for what you did! You--](Vendral Trost)

[Father, please visit. I'm waiting at the Asylum...](Child)

[Be gone! Be gone... please be gone!](Vendral Trost)

The child vanished just as he appeared in thin air, sending shivers down Michael's spine.

Turning around to the downtrodden Vendral, Michael took a deep breath and started questioning the man.

"What can you tell me of your son?"

[Cortik was taken away for murdering a child his age. He... he got what he deserved, I suppose... but now his spirit cries out... he calls to me. He won't leave me be!](Vendral Trost)

"I'm sorry to hear that."

[It's alright. When they found out what he did, they put him in irons and carried him off to the black Askylum.](Vendral Trost)

"I see... What can you tell me of the Black Asylum?"

[I don't know much. All I've heard was that years later, the asylum was abandoned and purged. The lucky ones are said to have starved, while the rest escaped their cells only to fight each other.](Vendral Trost)

"That sounds... horrible."

[It was a cruel death. It's no wonder some refused to pass on.](Vendral Trost)

Taking a deep breath and departing after verbally comforting the man, Michael was in deep thought.

'It's undoubtedly the preferential treatment at work, but why? And who's behind it? Is it the Sanctuary? And if it is, would it cause grief to others just to strengthen a Wanderer? Because if it is, that puts into question where the Sanctuary stands in this feud between Heaven and Hell, Inarius and Lilith. Is it truly a neutral party? And if it isn't, does it have its own intentions?' 

The more he thought about it, the more terrified Michael felt. If Lilith and Inarius were considered godlike beings, the Sanctuary was the personification of a god. 

It was the will of the world, something that gods and other powerful beings could only influence but not force. It is the world which appeared after a shard of the Worldstone was used.

Add sentience to such a marvelous creation, and voila! You have a terrifying entity on your hands.

'It's not like I can do anything about it, in any case. I am simply a pawn in the game between ridiculously powerful players. As for jumping out of the board and becoming a player myself... There's a limit to how delusional one might get!' 

Bitter and annoyed, Michael decided to vent on whatever idiots were messing with the Door of Doom.