Hall of Constellations

Back in the cosmic tunnel, the duo floated there in silence. After all, a lot had just happened. 

After a while, Elysia spoke.

"Hey… what do you think the Constellations will do to us?"

Nox frowned, he hadn't thought about that yet. If they were willing to randomly kill humans that had helped them, what was stopping them from just blasting apart the two of them with another beam of light?

"Well, they did save us. I doubt any of them would save our lives, just to kill us again."

She pondered at his response, slowly nodding. 

Finally, a familiar voice echoed in their ears.

[Welcome to the Hall of Constellations!]

[You are either here to sign a contract or because a Constellation has found interest in you. You are open to signing a contract if offered one. If not, you are free to explore.]

The two blinked and found themselves in a dining hall.

A creature approached them, wearing a black tuxedo and dress shoes. 

"Greetings, man and madam. May I interest you two in a meal?"

'A goblin.'

The figure had green skin and freakishly large ears. Carrying around a few plates of silverware, he seemed… oddly out of place.

"Sure! What do you have?"

Elysia quipped up. 

The goblin grinned and signaled for the duo to follow them.

The Mythmaker went over to his teammate. "What did you do that for? Who knows what he wants from us?"

"Who cares? I mean, I haven't had a decent meal in a while. I need a break after our most recent experience. Besides, he seems friendly enough. Take a look around, everyone's eating." She promptly responded, folding her arms.

Nox looked around him. They were in the middle of a crowded hall. The walls seemed to be made of solid gold, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. 

Beautiful elves stood on top of a floating platform, playing a variety of instruments.

On the other side, a group of orcs engaged in a dance, grabbing each other and spinning around. Surprisingly, none of them fell down.

Guests laughed as the dining hall bustled with activity.

Reluctantly, the boy followed the goblin.

As much as he hated to admit it, nothing seemed to be suspicious. Creatures from all races were happily chatting and co-existing.

The group went up a flight of stairs, heading into a more quiet room. 

'Gold-lined carpets.'

Nox noted. The Constellations seemed like the type to use valuable resources on useless things like that.

The man guided the duo into an empty table, and seated them down.

"The courses will arrive shortly, signal with your hands if you need anything. As always, please enjoy your stay here, Otherworlders."

He gave them a quick salute, and walked off.

A giggle gushed out from Elysia. 

"It's so fancy! I mean, look at these!"

The caster reached across the large glass table, grabbing a vase of flowers. She took out a thin plant with white petals.

"Pearl blossoms! Not even our family has these."

Nox shot a questionable look at her, "Really? What do they do?"

She smirked. Opening her mouth, she took a bite of the flower. Exhaling deeply, white clouds puffed out of her nostrils.

His jaw dropped as he wondered how the girl in front of them managed to belong to a royal family.

Elysia didn't seem to care, being amused at his reaction.

Just then, a waiter arrived at their table. Floating in the air, its body consisted of one large eyeball.

Plates of steaming food were delivered, being arranged in a circular shape around the table.

Utensils and silver plates floated through the air, being placed neatly at their table. It was proficient in psychic abilities.

The boy didn't recognize the type of creature it was, but it closely resembled the first beast he had killed in the Challenge. 

Feeling a little guilty, he tried not to make eye contact.

After the creature left, Nox finally took a look at what he had brought.

A large steak-like piece of meat was complimented with pieces of colorful chunks. Next to it, a massive plate of fried fish was piled high along with a variety of sauces.

Elysia stabbed her fork through the dish next to her, a mountain of yellow eggs.

She chewed for a moment, then commented with a satisfied expression. 

"Tastes like potatoes, pretty good, though"

His stomach growled as he too picked up his utensils. Digging into the steak, he was pleasantly surprised. Even though the meat was electric blue in the middle, it tasted phenomenal. He then pierced into an orange chunk, the fork easily sliding in. The fruit-like substance was juicy and packed with flavor.

'Reminds me of a mix between tomatoes and cherries.'

His action seemed to break the ice as the two devoured every single dish, leaving behind a pile of silver plates after they were done.

Lying back on the luxurious chair, Nox let out a satisfied burp. Elysia was slightly more dignified, signaling to a nearby attendant as she wiped the sauce off her cheeks.

A butler came over, an elf this time. With light green eyes and a beautiful face, she swiftly picked up the silverware. Then, with the snap of a finger, they cleaned themselves instantly.

The mage seemed surprised as she complimented her, "You are extremely proficient in mana. I couldn't even see the flow of you using it."

The elf gave a light smile, "That's because there isn't mana, miss. Every single piece of silverware and plate is a relic, created by the Constellation: Builder of Tools himself!"

"Now, is there anything else I could interest you two in? Seconds, perhaps?"

Before Elysia could say anything, Nox quickly cut in, "Nope, we're full, thank you. Do you know how we can get out of here?"

"Certainly. Just think of the word 'leave' in your brain and the System will do the rest."

"System?" He inquired, having never heard of it.

Quickly correcting herself, the butler apologized. "Oh! You're from the recently integrated planet known as Earth. You would probably refer to it as 'Phenomenon', then."

"You know about Earth?"

She gave a sad smile, "Of course. Plenty of strong Otherworlders were born there in the beginning. Although, it has been some years since I've met someone from Earth. Us attendants had presumed that something tragic had occurred."

Just then, another guest called out. Before taking her leave, the attendant leaned into Elysia's ears and whispered something.

The girl quickly blushed and covered her face. She pouted, "Let's get out of here. I want to see some Constellations!"

The elf let off a smile and left, wishing them well on their journey.

The duo concentrated on their hearts.

'Leave.'

Instantly, they teleported to a majestic temple. Appearing in the middle, they were surrounded by all sides by a circular table. Tens of figures are seated around them. 

Nox felt his knees buckled as he fell to the ground. Elysia wobbled for a little and then collapsed.

[You have arrived at the Court of Judgement.]

Some figures were massive, with heads towering above the eye can see. Others were smaller, possessing humanoid bodies. A small fairy rose from their seat and gracefully flew around them.

"How arrogant of you to come back after massacring thousands of us, human."

She spat with a voice unbefitting of her small size.

He finally realized what was happening.

The seated Constellations observed the duo with an apathetic expression.

[Hidden Quest has been created.]

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[Name: Judgement.]

[Description: After millennia, the descendent of the Mythmaker finds himself back in the Hall of Constellations. Surrounded by his mortal enemies, he must find a way out of their cruel judgments.]

[Requirement: Survive.]

[Penalty: Death. Destruction of the Planet 'Earth']

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