Hardcore Fantasy – Chapter 25: The land of the ancients [I]

"…" – Sensing the telepathic connection being cut off, Akihiko turned his head toward Elizabeth.

The latter, however, was too busy being shocked at the portal above the center of the city.

"Tsk, tsk." – The earth dweller clicked its tongue, urging the group to move on.

Hearing its clicks of tongue, Elizabeth belatedly woke up from her daze – still not past her surprise.

However, when her eyes landed on the figure enshrouded in old cloth clothes, she unconsciously used a spell to calm herself.

"…" – Refraining from expressing any alarming reaction, Elizabeth turned to see Olivia, Nyza, and Beatrix – all still in a daze.

She then turned her head to Akihiko and saw him facing her.

As she was about to ask him what happened, she noticed the connection had been cut off.

'It's better to wake those girls up.' – Elizabeth's master advised.

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth recomposed herself and re-established the connection but only with the women. 

<Nyza, Olivia, Beatrix, can you hear me?>

When the familiar voice echoed in their mind, the three women's attention shifted to Elizabeth.

<I know that you are surprised and so I am, however, we need to focus on our task for now. will cast a spell enhance your vision, don't be surprised.>

Right after, her crimson eyes shone in the dark and both Olivia, Beatrix, and Nyza's eyes shone in sequence.

As their field of view expanded and the darkness receded, they were able to see the city better – however, their attention was still directed at the portal emitting a faint glow.

"Tsk, tsk, tss, tsk." – Akihiko clicked his tongue, belatedly answering the earth dweller after hearing the others' heartbeats normalize.

"Tss, tsk, tskk." – The earth dweller then started walking again.

Seeing that everything was okay, Elizabeth glanced at Akihiko and with an apologetic glance, connected him back to the telepathic channel.

Akihiko flinched and his skin crawled again.

His ears shot up inside his helmet and his tail stiffened.

Stopping himself from taking a step, his sense of balance went off, prompting him to slowly crouch down to avoid falling.

Akihiko's senses gradually distorted, taking away the perception he had of his surroundings and blurring them until they faded away.

A faint sense of blood hit his nose and a distant but familiar cold feeling appeared on his back.

"Where is it?" – A man's voice impatiently asked.

"…"

"I ASKED WHERE IS IT!?"

<… >

"You little shit…" 

<A… >

"Fine, if you won't tell me after all of this, I just have to force you enough until you tell me. I might break you in the process, tho-"

<AKI! >

The sensations and the voice faded away as quickly as they came, and the feeling of the cold yet warm soil, the stuffy air, and the distant clicks of tongues returned to him.

As his senses reconstructed the mental image he had of his surroundings, Akihiko shakily got up.

<… > – Elizabeth felt her chest tighten upon seeing his condition and heavily contemplated cutting him off from the connection. However, that would leave Akihiko with no way of following their conversation since the chances of the earth dwellers hearing them whispering were too high.

<I… I'm okay.> – Akihiko got his sense of balance back and got up – <Let's proceed.> – He walked with unsteady steps toward the earth dweller.

Elizabeth gritted her teeth and followed with a guilty heart.

Nyza's eyes narrowed at Akihiko's uncharacteristically wobbly footsteps.

<Do you need help, Akihiko?>

She offered to carry him on her tentacles.

<No, thanks…>

Akihiko took a deep breath before straightening his back and adjusting his footsteps, returning to his normal posture. 

He, however, couldn't solve the small, almost imperceptible trembling on his hands.

Not saying anything, Olivia changed her position and stood near Akihiko – her tail calmly swaying and her ears twitching at the slightest of sounds.

Beatrix looked at him a few times, hesitant but, in the end, she just followed with the group.

After finally following the earth dweller, the group walked through the bare ground of the humungous cave and made their way toward the city.

Without any walls and with seemingly no proper means of defense, the ancient-looking city gave the group a feeling of something akin to a ruin – a historical site like they had heard about in their classes back in the Academy.

Entering the city didn't take even a minute since almost the whole cave appeared to be a part of it, and when the group arrived, the earth dwellers around them turned their heads in their direction.

"…"

Walking through the now-dead silent dirt street, the team was faced with a tense silence as all the inhabitants of the city stared at them wherever they passed.

Their almost featurelessly appearance didn't make it better for Olivia and Nyza, who could now see things clearly, but it was even worse for Beatrix.

<W-Where is it taking us?> – A tremble started to be noticeable on her hands.

<To meet the elders.>

<Did it say anything about them?> – Olivia chimed in.

<No. >

<I see…>

Nyza quietly heard the conversation while scanning their surroundings. In the meantime, she checked her bio-system but just as she guessed, the tracking function was being hindered – her only hope was for Evelyn to at least see that their signal was still on.

She glanced at the earth dwellers all around and concluded it must be because of the malice they were naturally emitting.

"Tskkk, tss, tsk." – The one guiding them clicked its tongue as they entered what appeared to be the inner part of the city – the surroundings of where the portal was.

Seeing the thing now being closer, the group tensed even though the portal wasn't doing anything.

<It said that we're close.>

"Tss, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsss, tskk."

<And that when we meet the elders, great elder will probably want to touch us, so shouldn't be startled.>

"Tsss. Tsk, tsk!"

<The great elder is like a mother to them and she very loving of those who live with the earth.>

Walking through the surprisingly busy streets of the inner part of the city, the earth dwellers made way for them, allowing the team to quickly arrive at their first destination.

"Tsk, tss."

<It's here.>

With the confirmation of their guesses, the group looked at the building before them.

Resembling a temple from a civilization of the past of the Old World – a true relic in historical regards – the place was one of the biggest constructions aside from the pyramid trunk.

Tall and large pillars made of white rock, an open space inside, allowing the team to see the hall-like interior with an empty space in the middle surrounded by seats made of stone with several earth dwellers occupying most of them.

"Tsk, tss."

<It asked us to avoid any rude actions.> 

The others nodded and after a quick answer from Akihiko, the earth dweller took them inside.

"TSK!"

"TSK, TSK!"

"TSSS! TSSK!"

As soon as they stepped inside, a cacophony of clicks of tongues and hisses assaulted the group's ears.

Olivia frowned while lowering her ears.

Akihiko also found it annoying but less than the headache he currently has.

Inside the hall, several of the earth dwellers sitting on the stone bleachers were discussing with great fervor, throwing clicks of tongue at each other.

<What is this…?> – Elizabeth asked, baffled.

<Cussing. > – Akihiko replied in a matter-of-factly tone.

The earth dweller then guided them toward a distant couple of seats from where the cussing session was happening.

Taking a seat, the group only observed as the discussion got more and more heated.

When it reached the boiling point where some earth dwellers got up and seemed ready to take things outside, a low clicking of tongue echoed in the hall.

"Tsk."

It wasn't loud but immediately sent the hall into silence – it was so instantaneous that the group found it unsettling.

On the highest throne-like seat in front of the empty space, a woman clicked her tongue again.

With her serene white eyes, she cast a look at the side that was previously making a fuss.

"Tss, tsk." – Her body wasn't shrouded by cloth like the others, so the group could see her calm demeanor while she seemingly admonished the earth dwellers.

With her speaking, no earth dweller dared to let out a low click of their tongues, not wanting to disrespect the woman.

The men and women beside her also let her speak, just nodding in approval from time to time.

<What is she saying?> – Beatrix nervously asked.

<She is reprimanding them for making a fuss.>

It didn't take much from them to piece things together and guess that this woman must be the great elder they heard about.

After a few more clicks of her tongue, the woman deemed it enough and let the troublemakers go.

As they exited the hall, it quickly became empty apart from her and the others on her side.

"Tsk, tss." – The earth dweller who brought the group then walked toward the empty space before the throne.

<It says it is going to explain the situation great elder and when she it's okay, we will go meet her.>

"Tss… tsk, tsk, tsk." – The earth dweller clicked its tongue and gently tapped the ground a few times before entering the center of the hall.

"Tsk." – The woman gently nodded, prompting it to stand before her and the other elders.

"Tskk, tsk, tss." 

"Tsk? Tss, tskk?"

A weird and funny sensation sprouted in Akihiko and the others when the earth under their feet moved and seemingly massaged their feet like a hand feeling an object.

Olivia almost jumped but Akihiko put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from any abrupt action.

Nyza shuddered and a chill ran down her spine due to the suddenness but she bit her lips lightly and endured it.

Beatrix almost yelped but Elizabeth managed to cover her mouth with magic.

"Tsk." – The great elder clicked her tongue and the earth returned to normal, making the team relieved.

<Wh-What was that?> – Beatrix questioned after recovering.

<They were "feeling" us. Like how you see someone.> 

Nyza nodded – albeit still a bit creeped out.

<Sorry and thanks.> – Olivia spoke after recognizing her blunder.

Akihiko took his hand off Olivia's shoulder and the latter nodded at him.

"Tskkk!"

<That's our cue.>

Getting up, Akihiko walked with slightly shaking steps toward the center of the hall.

"Tsk?"

Hearing the question, he turned toward the woman on the throne before answering – "Tsk, tss."

Elizabeth and the others who followed behind saw the great elder's face briefly change into a surprised one before she recomposed herself.

"Tskk, tsk, tss?"

"Tss."

"Tsk!" – One of the elders exclaimed and got up from his seat.

"Tsk." – The great elder clicked her tongue normally and briefly turned her face to the elder.

"…" – The latter's expression turned into a frown but he sat back and didn't say anything else.

"Tss. Tsk?" – Turning back to Akihiko, the great elder got up from her seat and jumped down on the empty circle in the center of the hall.

The dirt floor raised and cushioned her fall – like a parent catching their falling child – allowing her to land softly on it.

"Tss, tsk, tskk, tskkk." – Akihiko answered while sensing her approach.

"Tskk?" – She tilted her head, making her long brown hair bob to the side.

<She is asking for permission to touch me.>

He then clicked his tongue without waiting for the others' answers.

The great elder then extended her hands toward him and gently touched his helmet.

"Tsk." – She clicked her tongue and the team's eyes widened.

Akihiko's helmet twisted and deformed before moving to the great elder's hands and coiling around her arms, making something resembling a bracelet.

'Elizabeth.'

At her master's call, Elizabeth stopped moving her mana but doubled her attention on the ongoing action.

"Tsk~" – The great elder smiled.

Veins bulged on Elizabeth's forehead and neck – her womanly instinct alerted her of danger.

"Tsk, tss?" – Akihiko asked while the woman touched everything on his face.

"Tss, tsk, tskkkk."

<She says her name is Xia.>

Xia then nodded – satisfied after "feeling" his face.

The metal coiled around her arm then moved back to Akihiko's face and reformed itself back into the helmet – the exact same as before.

"Tsk, tss, tsk." – She then walked toward Elizabeth.

<She says she wants to touch everyone.>

Elizabeth wordlessly took a step forward.

Xia smiled at her and touched her face.

After feeling her face, Xia did the same with Olivia, Nyza, and Beatrix.

"Tsk, tskk." – She then clicked her tongue and motioned for them to follow her before walking somewhere else.

'So there were really prisoners…' – Akihiko was both surprised and half-expecting it.

"Tssss, tskk?"

"Tsk."

<There are really a nun and paladin here, apparently, there more prisoners aside from them. She is going to take us see them now.>

Nodding at his words, the team then followed Xia inside.

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Akihiko's statuses

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Time: 00:59:00

Mood / Situation: Mentally tired (caused by the telepathic connection) / Focused / On guard 

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