Panting and covered in sweat, Kaizen sat on the ground, leaning on the King's Sword.
"Huff... Huff... That was very tense." Exasperated Kaizen.
As the snow fell softly around him, Kaizen felt a sense of triumph and gratitude to fill his heart. He cracked a wide smile and raised his head to look up at the sky, feeling relieved as his heart beat frantically. He knew he had been pushed to his limits.
Rising slowly, Kaizen looked around the temple courtyard, taking in the beauty and grandeur of the place. Snow gently covered the wreckage of battle, creating a peaceful and serene setting.
"And now? I wonder where I am?" he asked himself, opening his map.
When Kaizen finally looked at the map and realized where he was, his reaction was one of pure surprise. Rather than what he had expected, he was not only on top of a very large mountain, but in a place so far away that his only memory of it was that he had been there in the first round of the Three Great Nations Tournament, namely Mibothen, the Snowy Kingdom.
"Shit... This isn't good and that map Alina gave me doesn't tell me the location of any town near me.... I'll have to explore to find it, and if I'm lucky I might get a teleportation crystal." Kaizen sketched out a plan idea.
He then gazed at the temple courtyard around him, noting the majestic structures that surrounded him. The walls of the temple were adorned with intricate details, carved with ancient symbols and figures of lions that were all but destroyed.
As the snow continued to fall gently, Kaizen felt a comforting calm.
"Still, it can't hurt to see what this place has to offer, can it?"
Kaizen then walked through the courtyard, admiring the scenery and moved forward with cautious steps. His curiosity was piqued by the mysterious environment around him. The thin layer of soft snow beneath his feet created a silent trail as he explored with his eyes the oriental-feeling buildings that rose around him.
The temple walls were filled with symbolism and carved details, showing a wealth of history and culture. The stone lions, even in their decayed state, held an air of majesty and power.
Kaizen imagined the grandeur of the place in its heyday, when the carved figures were in perfection and the temple was a vibrant center of devotion for some people.
As he walked through the courtyard, like Psyker Kaizen he felt the presence of those who came before him, the sages and devotees who sought wisdom and enlightenment in these sacred halls, and even he saw figures of them, but no spirits showed themselves to him, which only made him relieved.
The wind blew gently, causing the snow to fall in delicate flakes. The scenery was truly breathtaking, with the surrounding snow-capped mountains creating a majestic frame for the temple courtyard.
Stillness and peace reigned there, inviting Kaizen to lose himself in deep thought.
Exploring, Kaizen noticed a small passage between two structures, as if it were an invitation to enter deeper into the temple. He felt a growing curiosity and decided to follow the narrow path. The passage led him to an inner courtyard on a lower level, where a fountain of clear water gushed from the center. The water flowed in a gentle murmur, creating an atmosphere of serenity. The water's glow reflected the hazy sky.
Kaizen approached the fountain and bent down to touch the water with his fingertips. The water was cold, very cold.
The feel of the icy water brought a chill down Kaizen's spine, but also an invigorating feeling. He stood up and observed the cracks of ice on the surface of the fountain, like fragile webs breaking the serenity of the liquid. And in that moment of calm, Kaizen remembered that the mage he had faced in the Throne Room had left a number for him to call.
"Should I...?" Kaizen wondered. "The information she gave me was a bit confusing, but I can't say it was wrong."
Kaizen pondered for a moment, as he watched the icy water of the fountain. The memory of the mage and the number she had left him brought up memories of that night. She seemed sincere and he needed not only information that would put him at an advantage against The Eye of Hermodr, but also powerful allies.
As his thoughts intertwined, Kaizen made a decision. He logged out of the game and inside the cabin itself he typed in the number the mage had left and pressed the call button, feeling a slight tension in his chest.
After a few rings, the call was answered. A woman's voice sounded on the other end, sounding a little tired.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Kaizen took a deep breath and answered, "This is Kaizen. We met in the Throne Room that night and you left your number written on one of the scrolls."
"Ahh... You called the wrong number."
"Really?" Kaizen asked, already thinking that he must have gotten one of the numbers mixed up when he went to save it in his address book. "I'm sorry, I won't bother you then."
"Wait a minute, Kaizen! I'm kidding, it was just a joke!" The woman on the other end replied.
Kaizen let out a sigh of relief, realizing that the woman was just making a joke. A smile escaped his lips, as he felt grateful that he hadn't made a mistake dialing the number.
"Oh, what a relief! You almost scared me." Kaizen said, feeling a little embarrassed by his initial reaction.
The woman laughed softly on the other end of the line. "Yes, I'm Elara, the mage you met in the Throne Room. I'm glad you called."
"Honestly, I was hesitant to get in touch. What's to say you can't do to me what you did to your friends from The Eye of Hermodr?"
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and Kaizen could almost hear Elara's expression growing more serious.