In a vast expanse of green grass surrounded by pine trees, dozens of military troops stood guard around a dimensional rift. It had been two months since this gate had appeared, and Captain Guzman and his troops had been on constant vigil. Dozens of awakeners from America had been sent to conquer the dungeon, but only two had returned.
Inside the tent, Captain Guzman sat at his desk, lost in thought. The long wait had deepened his anxiety. The survivors of the first expedition into the dimensional rift had not provided a clear report, stating that their comrades were still continuing their mission inside, even though they had not returned until now.
He had briefly wondered if they had perished. However, Captain Guzman received information from his superiors indicating that the dimensional rift was beginning to show signs of closing. It suggested that the awakeners inside might have successfully defeated the alpha within the dungeon.
"They're back! The American awakeners!"
Upon hearing this information, Captain Guzman rose from his chair. "Get the medical team ready!" he exclaimed.
One of the soldiers furrowed his brow. "But they are all in good shape."
"What?" Captain Guzman raised an eyebrow.
Perplexed and surprised, Captain Guzman hurried out of the tent to meet them. He wanted to see their condition with his own eyes.
Normally, awakeners who came out of the dungeon were often injured or badly beaten. Some even lost limbs. Hearing that the American awakeners were unharmed was hard to believe, especially since the last two survivors were severely injured and could barely walk. One of them was even on the brink of death.
When he arrived at the gathering place of the awakeners, what he saw was astonishing.
The awakeners were indeed in very good condition. Not a single one of them appeared wounded, and they even looked healthier than when they had left. However, there were a few things that struck Captain Guzman as odd. Their numbers had increased significantly from the last time he saw the American awakeners enter the dimensional gate.
He remembered that there were about 65 awakeners who went in, but now their numbers had swelled to nearly 200. Moreover, their faces appeared foreign. Some had facial features resembling those of people from India, some like Hispanics, and others akin to East Asians. They seemed to come from various parts of the world.
As Captain Guzman tried to make sense of this odd situation, a young man with emerald green eyes suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Captain Guzman, I am very grateful for your help. But we need more tents to accommodate all the people who have returned with us."
"S-sure," Captain Guzman replied spontaneously. He then immediately ordered the soldiers to set up more tents.
As the young man turned to leave, Captain Guzman stopped him. There were many questions racing through his mind, and he felt the need to get answers right away.
"Are you Klaus, right?" Captain Guzman asked.
"Yeah. Did you forget my name after a month of not seeing me?"
"Of course not. How could I forget? You and the white-haired lady saved us. I'm very grateful to you. I just have a few questions." Captain Guzman took a deep breath through his teeth. "What happened inside there? Why has your number increased so much, and who are these people?"
Klaus furrowed his brow. "What are you saying? They are the awakeners who have been missing inside the dungeon all this time. Did you forget them?"
"No, no, Klaus. Listen to me," Captain Guzman gave him a serious look. Then, he whispered, "I may be getting old, but my memory is sharp. The awakeners who helped us were from Europe. Mostly white or black. We never asked for the assistance of awakeners from India or China. Who the fuck are they?"
Klaus squinted his eyes as he listened to Captain Guzman's words. Then, he smiled.
"Yeah, you're right. They're not human," he replied.
Captain Guzman widened his eyes.
As the leader troop was trying to grasp the meaning behind these words, Klaus snapped his fingers. Instantly, Captain Guzman felt a headache, and not long after, he forgot what he had been thinking about.
"What am I doing here?" Captain Guzman muttered to himself.
Klaus touched Captain Guzman on the shoulder and said, "Are you okay, Captain Guzman?" he asked with concern.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Captain Guzman nodded, but his face displayed confusion.
Klaus patted Captain Guzman before he left the old man. As he walked away, a smile appeared on his face.
Klaus entered the tent, and inside, he found a beautiful woman with black hair sitting on a chair. This woman was wearing a dress with layers of armor protecting her chest. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Klaus as he stepped inside.
"You can drop your disguise inside the tent," Klaus said.
The beautiful woman nodded and gracefully removed her gold earrings. With that, her appearance changed instantly. Her black hair turned golden, and her sharp ears reappeared. It turned out the woman was Rosaline.
Rosaline looked at Klaus with a disappointed expression. "How long do we have to disguise ourselves as humans? Didn't you promise to give us a place in the human world?"
Klaus sighed. "Yes, that's true. But I never said that you would be welcomed with open arms here."
Disappointment was clearly written on Rosaline's face as she heard his response. "I don't know why, but I feel deceived," she said sarcastically.
Klaus immediately responded, "I'm not deceiving you, Rosaline. The decision is yours, and I'm just trying to give you a chance to protect your community."
After a brief exchange of words, Klaus sat down in front of Rosaline. He leaned closer to her and gave her a reassuring look.
"I know you're disappointed. What you hoped for doesn't match with reality. But please understand, the situation in this world is different from yours," he explained gently.
He told her that this world is inhabited by only one race, humans. Human society considers any other beings as monsters. Klaus tried to assure Rosaline that one day there would be a time when the elves could live openly without hiding their identities.
Rosaline listened with mixed emotions. Though she felt disappointed with the reality she had to face, she also felt relieved that her people didn't have to go through battles to find a place to live.
"I promise I will provide a forest where you elves can live peacefully and undisturbed. You can trust my words," Klaus said.
Rosaline didn't immediately respond when Klaus said this. She remained silent for a while, gazing into his eyes as if reading his mind.
"Alright, I trust you," Rosaline said.
Hearing the desired response, Klaus grinned.
...
A young man with curly hair walked down a corridor surrounded by walls adorned with paintings. He opened a door at the end of the hallway and entered a luxurious room.
Inside, three people sat around a polished brown table. A man in a suit sat on one side, a blonde woman sat on the other side, and in the middle of the table was an elderly man with gray hair. A powerful aura emanated from them.
The young man bowed to those three.
"So, what business brings you here, Edward Lee?" the elderly man, Mr. Neil O'Brien, said with authority.
Edward raised his head. "I come with a request."
The blonde woman snorted with a sarcastic tone. "You still have the audacity to seek our help after you got one of our friends killed," she rebuked.
Lowering his head with deep remorse, Edward said, "I apologize if I've disappointed you, Miss Elizabeth Jung."
"You know how grave your mistake was, and you still come here," Elizabeth clicked her tongue.
lightsΝοvεl ƈοm "Enough, Elizabeth," the man in the suit interjected. "Let the young man speak. Besides, he is one of the Lee Family's heirs."
Edward gave a small smile to the man. "Thank you, Mr. Musgrove."
Mr. Neil O'Brien sighed, "So, what brings you here, young man?"
Edward clasped his hand. There was a hint of hesitation from behind the look in his eyes as if he needed to muster up the courage to reveal it. Meanwhile, the three powerful guild masters waited for his answer.
"I want to become a part of the Five Pillars."
Instantly, they were taken aback at his request.
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