Chapter 41

"Thank you so much for helping us, stranger!"

I smile at him and say.

"It is not a problem. I am glad that I arrived here just in time."

"Me too, stranger. Me too. I don't know what will happen to us if you are just a minute late. Anyway, my name is Hlurta. What is yours?"

"My name is Viserys, and I am a traveler."

"Viserys? That is a strange name. You must be coming from a distant land. What took you to this place, stranger?"

We walk to the center of the village, where we sit on a chair next to a well.

"I came here in search of a map."

"Map? What kind of map? We have a Cartographer in our village. He is the oldest one here. He is also a former traveler. Maybe he has a map you need."

"Truly? Then, do you guys have a map that will lead me to trial? I must do a trial before I can return to my village."

To my surprise, he looks at me with pity and sadness.

"What kind of person is cruel enough to order you to go to that place?"

"You know that place, Hlurta?"

"I know. That place is the place where many of our villagers die and are buried. The Trial Chamber is where the old warriors of our people want to die with glory."

Trial Chamber. Is that the name of the place? That must be it.

"Do you have a map of this location? I need to beat the trial and get something from this trial."

"What do you need? Maybe we have that item you need."

"A mace."

"Ah, that."

And his expression changed once again. If before it was a pity, now it is a downright expression you use for someone who will die soon. It is a pity, with an overwhelming sadness following that gaze.

"They truly want you to die, huh?"

"Even with overwhelming odds, I will try."

"Even the chance of you dying is over ninety percent?"

"Yes. Even then. I need to return and protect the people I love and care for."

After I say that, the people who hear our conversation look at me in a new light. The pity is still there, but there is now an awe there.

"I see. Very well."

Hlurta gets up and says.

"You do not need the map for that. Do you see the mountain over that?"

I look at the mountain not too far away from the village and nod my head.

"Yes. I can see it."

"That is the location of the Trial Chamber. Our ancestors created an entrance to the Trial Chamber."

"Will a monster come out of that place?"

"No. The Chamber will not release the monster it spawns. We don't know the reason for that place, but our ancestor says that anyone who beat the trial will be granted riches and power. While many people were afraid of the chamber going rogue and spawning monsters, it never did. All the monsters it spawns will only appear once you enter the Trial Room."

Hlurta smiles and says.

"Anyway, we should celebrate first. I will tell you about the Trial Chamber tonight. For now, we need to celebrate our victory against the Cursed Humans!"

"YEAH!!!"

I smile a little as the others cheer.

==||==

The celebration is rather humble, at least compared to the celebration back in the real world. The food consists of roasted chicken, roasted pork chop, rabbit stew, and bread. The dessert is pumpkin pie, and the drink is milk and apple juice.

The last one is the only consumable thing that is not from Minecraft. I will share some of my food that is not native to this world with them if not for the fear of not having enough food for my fight. I will do that after I finish this Trial Chamber thing.

"How is the celebration, Viserys?"

I look to the side and smile at Hlurta.

"It is great. I love stew and pumpkin pie."

"Good. My wife makes the pie, you know?"

"Really? Then please tell her that I enjoy her pie greatly."

"I will."

He sits next to me, takes a sip of his juice and says,

"Let's talk about the Trial Chamber. I promise you that, right?"

"Yeah. Thank you for helping me, Hlurta."

"Think of it, my friend. You are the hero of our village, and this is the least I can do for you. I know I cannot stop you from entering that place, so I will make sure you come out alive."

After saying that, he placed five vials full of black liquid on the table.

"To get the material to make a mace, you need these bottles. We call those things Cursed Liquid. When someone drinks this thing, it will notify the Cursed Human's Sorcerer of the location of the drinker."

So, like a Bad Omen? Something like that? A bottled Bad Omen effect. It is useful for anyone who wants one hundred percent Minecraft, but it is dangerous to drink in this world. I don't want a raid on my farm, after all.

"However, there is another effect of these liquids. They will awaken the most challenging trial, where the chamber will summon the strongest monsters in large numbers. However, the chamber will compensate you with more rewards. You need to beat seven trials and reach the deepest floor where the Heavy Core, the main ingredient of a mace, is located. The founder of this village once had the mace after completing the trial. It is a shame the mace is gone after a long time of use."

"I see. What about the monsters?"

"The Bogged is a skeleton that grows from the swamp. Their arrows were coated with poison. Watch out for them. The Stray is another skeleton, but they grow in cold biomes, and their arrows are so cold your movement will be slow after you get hit by their arrows. The Breeze is a monster made of wind. No arrow can pierce it, but your sword can hit its true body. Careful of their power as they can throw you so high and let you fall."

I know the Stray because I encountered them once in the game, but I never knew of the Bogged and the Breeze. Are they the new mob? Urgh. I need to be extra careful in this fight.

"Anything else?"

"Other than those three, there are also other monsters like regular skeletons, zombies, and slimes. Oh! I almost forget about the Spider and the Cave Spider. Be careful with Cave Spiders. They are venomous, and their venom is not pleasant. I once got bitten, and it felt like my body got burned."

I know that one. Cave Spider is nasty. When I see one, I immediately pour lava to kill it.

"I see. I will be careful, Hlurta. Thank you for this information."

"Think of it, my friend. Just make sure you come back whole, and we are even."

I smile at him and say.

"I will."