Chương 65: Ghost Castle

[Hidden objective discovered: War-torn criminal] [Slay the criminal inside to receive a 1. 5x multiplier on all consolidated rewards] I look up from the blue screen. Staggard sees my expression and gives up the ruse, rushing at me again. Expecting it this time, I easily escape his grasp and step backward. The sudden movement surprises me, but I throw on confidence.

"So, buddy. Mr. Guide. My most special friend. Wanna tell me why the system just called you a criminal and placed a juicy bounty on your head?" He sneers.

"The system calls things whatever it likes. It means nothing." I give an obvious look of skepticism.

"Uh-huh? The jumping and grabbing don't really support your argument."

"Tell me what you know about Straff." I frown. Killing this guy sounds better by the second. Shaking my head, I turn and walk to the door leading down from the castle.

"Answer me!" he says in an authoritarian tone. I continue unbothered down the hallway. He yells more, but the sound fades as I move. Why did the system put him there? What's his purpose? Placing someone there, blatantly calling them a criminal, and adding on a massive reward. Why does the system want me to kill him so badly? Is it to get me used to the idea of killing? It is a tutorial. Considering the size of the universe, do warring species get the same opportunity, getting free rewards for basically nothing?

I take another bend and make it to the second staircase. Shrugging, I decide to ask Brax. He might know this guy. Might know if he's worth killing or not. Hallways, staircases, and rooms pass by, each one familiar from my trip up. It's strange how easily I navigate through the maze, and I chalk it up to my rising wisdom. Empty. Everywhere is empty. There's clear evidence of where large squads of guardsmen passed by, so where did they all go? Did they figure out the king died and all jump ship?

It makes sense the more I think about it. That thing was a full tier above anything else I saw in the castle, walls and all. And its skill… Even with two working arms, I doubt I could have landed a blow. The baron with the rapier bested me in speed, but the king bested me in technique. Stasis. Without that skill, I would be dead. A skill I acquired less than a day before the fight. I peek into all the noticeable rooms as I walk through the castle. Armory, kitchen, dining room. All devoid of life.

Dipping into the kitchen, I remove my armor and wash away the sticky blood covering every inch of it. Along with the clothes underneath it. Don't want Brax questioning why I have blood leading from my mouth to my chest. The door leading outside hangs open, the pillars I built to barricade it reduced to rubble. The lack of hobgoblins becomes even clearer once the sun shines on my face. Sparse guard posts dot the landscape, this time without any figures surrounding them. Even near the farther reaches of the wall.

I lengthen my stride, the narrow corridors no longer inhibiting me. The front gate stands open wider now than it did when I arrived. They're really all gone, I think, looking around the entirety of the gate. Past the walls, I break out into full speed. The deafening roar of air fights against me as I speed through the cavern. Curious, I leap and look inside one encampment, but it's also empty. Greed shines in my eye, and I run into a random cabin.

I kick the chest open with a smile on my face, but it fades once the telltale chime doesn't come. I was hoping to get some free rewards, but it looks like the system thought of that little loophole. Vaulting the wall, I head back to my home. Stone brick, cobblestone, wood. I look inside a few different encampments, but they're all empty. Disappeared into thin air. Would that have happened if I hadn't cleared all the enemies in the free roam area?

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The thought leaves my mind as I slow to a stop and pull the door open. My lips pull up when I see Brax sitting in the same position, holding the staff in his hands. He looks up in response to the door opening.

"Took you a while this time, huh?"

"Yeah, fought some of the big-wigs. You still on that staff?" I walk in and grab some meat out of the corner.

"If you had any idea how special system-made enchantments were, you wouldn't be saying that." My heart grows warm as I lie on my bed and start chewing. Talking to Staggard wore me out.

"Maybe, maybe not," I say, looking at the ceiling.

"Definitely," he says with certainty.

"What kind of big fight did you have? Did you fight some variants of orcs or something?"

"Not orcs, no. I killed a hobgoblin king and his royal cohort."

"What!?" He looks over with wide eyes.

"Didn't you just get your first tier-two skill? Hobgoblin kings and royals are tier three!"

"Pshh." I wave.

"It wasn't that big a deal. Only thing I lost was my arm, but I got it back." After a few seconds of silence, I sit up to see him staring in astonishment. He shakes his head, rubbing his eyes.

"No, I gotta remember what kind of enigma you are," he says, mostly to himself. I chuckle and grab my fifth stick of meat.

"Anyway, I'm back to tell you it's time to pack up." He looks at me, distraught.

"Are you kicking me out?"

"Hah! No, of course not. Now that I'm at the next area, I'd prefer not to make the round trip here constantly."

"Oh." His expression makes me bark out another laugh.

"Anyway, pack it up." I wave my hand around for emphasis. His eyes light up, and he hurries to his feet, running around the room like a kid on Christmas. I watch him pick up all of his loosely placed rocks before tossing them all in his satchel and standing at the door. He stands at the door with a beaming smile. Nodding and affected by the infectious joy, I push the door open and we both head out. The sun feels as good as usual.

"What kind of weather did you have on your planet?" I ask.

"Mostly cloudy." He takes a deep breath and enjoys the sun as well.

"It didn't rain often, though. I once visited a solar observatory in the capital city, this reminds me of that."

"Solar observatory?"

"Yeah!" He spreads his arms in a spherical shape.

"It was basically this enormous ball made of glass on a really tall spire." I imagine a lollipop the size of a skyscraper and snicker.

"So the whole thing was just for looking at the sun?"

"Mhm, a bunch of nobles had parts of it rented out and everything." Back and forth we go, speaking about the differences between our worlds. His, a world of magic, wonders and nations. Mine, a world of technology, innovation and countries. After about thirty minutes, the exhaustion starts to wear Brax down.

"Alright, we've had enough fun. I think it's time to pick up the pace." Nervousness grows on his face.

"I'm getting tired. How much farther are we going?" I point to the castle, still about ten miles away, and speak.

"All the way to the end." He follows my finger and frowns, clearly dreading the journey.

"Are your physical stats really that low?" I ask.

"My strength is eight." He looks downcast and embarrassed.

"Oh." I'm surprised, both by the number and his honesty.

"Well, I have an idea." He looks at me curiously. I hold out my hand.

"Here, hand me the staff." He gives it over, and I grip it and my axe together with both hands.

"It wasn't that heavy. I don't think it's going to-" Smirking, I sweep him off his legs and pick him up in a princess carry.

"Wh-what are you-" he stutters, eyes flicking left and right.

"Hold on tight." An evil smile pulls my lips up. One Mind/Two Bodies"Kevin, move perfectly," I say under my breath.

"What?" Fear grows on his face. My legs bend and tense. I explode into motion, launching off the ground and flying through the landscape. Brax screams and grips the staff and axe in my hands. Every kick off the ground pushes the speed further and stabilizes the next movement. It continues until I'm leaping a dozen feet high and bounding three times as far. He yells something, but the wind smothers his voice. I laugh, intoxicated by the feeling of power in my legs.

It doesn't take long before he stops yelling and focuses on breathing. Encampments grow and shift material as we speed by. I thought Brax would be tougher to move with, but I've held heavier kittens before. Every time I land, the command assists my movements, buffering the landing so well I can barely feel it. The transition into the next stride is so seamless that it feels even better than running. A few minutes later, the gate in the castle wall comes into view. I slowly put less power into my stride.

Speed lowers as I transfer into a normal walk and release Brax, lowering his legs to the ground. He stumbles with shaking legs and bends over against the gate.

"Ugh…"

"You alright, buddy?"

"You should tell me what you plan to do in advance," he remarks, defeat clear in his voice. I smile sheepishly and scratch the back of my neck.

"Sorry, we're still in the tutorial, so I'm on a bit of a timer. We would have spent the whole day walking." He takes deep breaths, attempting to stand straight and recover himself.

"There you go!" I say with a smile, patting him on the back. The impact nearly knocks him off his feet. I step forward with quick reactions, catching him and setting him back on his feet.

"Oops, my bad," I wince.

"Gah, how do you move like that?"

"The leaping… I've seen tier fours move with less stability than you. Not to mention the absurd reaction time."

"What do you mean?" I ask innocently. He narrows his eyes. Waving me off, he walks to the opening in the gate.

"Nevermind, I don't want to hear your secrets." I chuckle and follow him.

"Very well." He stops right before entering.

"Wait, are there any monsters inside? I'm an engraver. I can't really fight well." I walk past him.

"Nah, they left when I killed the boss. Probably sensed my awesomeness or something." He rolls his eyes and smiles, causing me to chuckle. We walk through the gate and traverse the courtyard filled with what I think are garrisons spread over the area.

"A bit eerie, isn't it?" He asks.

"Yeah, they were swarming like ants when I first got here." Silence falls as we walk through the courtyard towards the castle door. Brax peeks through the opening at the side, grimacing at the bookkeeping guard's corpse. I walk through the opened door and retrace my steps. Brax looks around nervously as we turn through the various hallways and stairwells. When we reach the dining room, he speaks.

"Are you sure they're all gone?" I shrug.

"Mostly sure." His looks of worry transform into wonder when we make it to the kitchen. He wanders away and starts exploring the room without a word. I watch as he makes his way around the room, examining different appliances.

"The system really is amazing. I can't sense any of the formations on these things."

"Oh, those don't have formations. They're from my world." He opens the industrial refrigerator, shivering as cool mist flows onto him. I chuckle.

"We can take a look later. There's someone I want you to meet first." He turns and raises an eyebrow.

"There's someone else here?"

"Mhm." I nod.

"Do you know someone called Ranway Staggard?"