Chapter 4: The Prophecy (1)

Lily and Eamon stood before a magnificent city with white buildings reminiscent of the spirit realm but with a captivating twist that left Lily astounded and excited and the harmonious atmosphere with people warmly greeting one another made her think of her previous encounter with the group and the skeletons. In the heart of the city there stood a massive, towering white tree that seemed to house buildings within its branches.

Curious about the remarkable tree she pointed at it and asked, 'What kind of tree is that?'

Eamon replied, 'That's Arral, the largest library in the world holding the oldest books and manuscripts,'

His gaze also fixed on her red staff, 'your staff appears to be of Mythic tier and its connection to something demonic is evident.'

Looking at the staff in her hand Lily shared that she had stumbled upon it during her earlier encounter with humans and creatures. She had no intention of dealing with demons aside from having a demon guide, which was an entirely different matter. Nevertheless, she decided to keep the staff for now uncertain if there were better weapons she could acquire and being of Mythic tier meant there might be information about it or at least something related.

Curious about the staff she asked, 'Could we find information about this staff at Arral perhaps?'

'Arral possesses all the knowledge in the world so most likely.' Eamon replied and they proceeded towards the grand city gate.

Upon reaching it Lily noticed a massive white wall several meters high which seemed peculiar for a neutral zone.

Recalling the term 'pvp' she had heard in her head she inquired, 'What's pvp?'

Eamon looked surprised and explained, 'It stands for player versus player where individuals fight against each other. I'm surprised you're not familiar with it.'

Hesitating to reveal her mysterious arrival Lily chose not to explain her situation and instead she said, 'I've never ventured outside the pvp zone before.'

Eamon nodded understandingly taking the time to explain the basics of the world and its interconnected realms. Lily learned that there were four main realms: Kahrlin Sanszhin Amenale and Labunagaan each with its unique characteristics however access to these realms required an access token from a token master making it challenging for everyone to travel freely but she had no desire to visit the four main realms now given the challenging environments they offered.

Kahrlin boasted a beautiful but harsh nature that was constantly changing, Sanszhin was under the dominion of dragons, Amenale was plagued by malignant spirits and Labunagaan delved into dark magic controlled by a select few known as guardians. The guardians akin to magicians strictly governed the populace yet Labunagaan was considered a relatively haven for humanity compared to the other realms making it a desired destination for many. People here were referred to as players as if they were in a game or an unfamiliar realm, which only added to Lily's confusion. She was determined to escape this game-like world and find her way back home but first she needed to address her appearance.

Suddenly she recalled something and questioned, 'Why are you speaking to me even though I look like an orc?'

Eamon answered honestly, 'You seem weak, and I thought you might need someone to protect you.'

Feeling offended Lily pouted, not believing she looked weak and inquired further and Eamon explained that her beginner's clothes and lack of any indicators from a start zone made her appear vulnerable. She noticed the guards at the gate giving her surprised looks particularly directed at her face and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were staring at her peculiar appearance, but she brushed it off and asked if everyone here was beautiful and surprisingly Eamon replied affirmatively.

As they entered the city Lily was captivated by the bustling stalls giving the place a market-like atmosphere with a diverse mix of races and the air was filled with delightful aromas and her sensitive nose detected spices like cinnamon and chili. The wooden stalls with overhead covers showcased various items including fruit stalls where the scent of oranges delighted her as she loved the fragrance of citrus, and she couldn't help but marvel at the kindness displayed among the people here which starkly contrasted the warring nature of the four main realms.

Suddenly someone bumped into Lily, and she exclaimed, 'Ouch! Watch where you're going.'

She looked up to see a large green lizard wearing a gray cloak with horns on its forehead.

The lizard blinked a few times before mocking her appearance saying, 'You look like someone who's been thoroughly beaten up.'

His scornful laughter drew the attention of others around them and soon voices of astonishment and ridicule filled the air.

Ignoring the hurtful comments Lily pointed at it with irritation and retorted, 'You're rude. Haven't your clan taught you any manners?'

Unaware of the danger she didn't understand Eamon's quiet warning that the lizard was a pureblood crocodile from Kahrlin.

'How dare you talk to me like that!' The lizard snapped growing angrier.

Unfazed, Lily continued to berate him undeterred by his status and compared him to a mere ant in comparison to a dragon sparking further rage in the lizard who clenched his fist and struck her with a powerful blow that felt like being hit by an elephant and she felt her nose crack and some teeth break as she fell to the ground in pain.

Clutching her bleeding nose and noticing the missing teeth Lily couldn't hold back her fury.

She picked up her fallen teeth and threw them at the lizard shouting, 'You're a disgrace to your creator!'

The surrounding people began talking about her calling her crazy for arguing with one of the Heaven's folk and their laughter stung. Eamon rushed over helping Lily to her feet and apologized to the lizard for her behavior claiming that she had a difficult upbringing.

Surprisingly the lizard's anger softened, and he said 'Tch. Keep her in check and teach her how to behave in Elysium.' Before walking away.

Confused by Eamon's actions Lily was about to continue her confrontation but then she felt the pain around her nose and gums. Spitting blood and some teeth onto the ground, she realized she had several gaps in her gums where teeth were missing, and she asked Eamon if there was a way to regrow teeth to which he replied that as a cleric she could heal them herself.

Excited by the prospect she smiled only to see Eamon's expression change and he cautioned, 'Don't smile with that face.'

They stood before Arral the enormous white tree they had seen from outside, its ancient oak-like appearance captivating with a magical touch. The tree's crown appeared to be showering white dust like snow and small white fireflies illuminated the trunk resembling snowflakes. The library was housed within the thick roots which curved like a round house and further up the trunk treehouses and walkways bustled with people giving the place a vibrant feel. This city was called The Free City because of its lack of racial discrimination. Eamon had provided her with a black hooded cloak to conceal her face and she hesitated to heal herself fearing the return of the perverse skeletons she had accidentally summoned before. She realized those skeletons were her own summons but the mystery of why they turned perverse remained and concerned that her mythical tier staff might have worsened things she decided not to fix her teeth and considered finding another weapon. They approached the entrance which consisted of two medium-sized roots and Eamon entered first without a problem but as Lily attempted to follow an invisible wave forcefully threw her back several meters shocking her.

She exclaimed, 'What the heck?' And felt the lingering impact of the wave in her stomach.

Eamon scratched his head apologetically admitting, 'Sorry I forgot that you need an access token to enter.'

He helped her up and Lily replied with a hint of annoyance, 'Thanks for the late information.' brushing off her bottom.

Amused onlookers including a blonde-haired girl with her mother noticed Lily's struggle and commented on her previous incident with the Heaven's folk.

Unfazed Lily looked at Eamon and asked, 'Where do I get an access token?'

A while later they found themselves in front of a brown building with a black roof and a light brown sign reading 'Token Master.' Inside the room was surprisingly like a tavern filled with people eating and drinking and as they walked towards the counter Lily realized that these were the people who worked there.

At the counter stood a robust man with light brown skin, short black hair, and prominent cheekbones and despite his stern appearance he seemed approachable and wore a light green hanfu with a square hat.

Lily straightforwardly stated, 'I need an access token.'

The man smiled kindly asking, 'Welcome traveler. What can I help you with?'

Growing irritated Lily repeated herself, 'I said I need an access token.'

The man continued undeterred, 'We have many types of access tokens. For realms, cities, private...'

Frustrated with the unnecessary details Lily interrupted, 'I need one for a library.'

The man responded, 'Good choice. We have many libraries here such as Lunarfen, The Holy City, Codex Celestia, The Undead Library...'

Cutting him off again Lily clarified, 'I need one for Arral.'

"What a splendid choice. Arral is the oldest library in the world and houses all kinds of knowledge, such as..." Lily interrupted him again and said, "I said I need a token for Arral. Why are you introducing me to it? Are you deaf?" And got very annoyed because she had already wasted valuable time here.

The man's demeanor changed and he turned angry and snapped, 'You rude person. Go away.' Before focusing on his work.

Unfazed Lily persisted, 'Give me a damn access token now or I demand to see your superior.'

The man's eyes flashed with fire as he retorted, 'Tch. The rude person is you. Who the hell raised someone like you? The person must be turning in their grave in regret now.' He continued with his tasks.

Hurt by the insult to the oracles who had raised her Lily angrily shouted, 'You damn asshole!'

Mocking laughter from a woman nearby only fueled her frustration.

She turned to Eamon and asked, 'Where else can I get an access token?'