Into Xela Valley

-29th day of AC, 29.04.1052-

-Time: Around 9:30-

-Location: South of Tylened-

"What the hell is this?" Aria exploded, her tone disbelieving. Nearly tripping on a rock, she leaned on Travis, who held her by her elbow as the two made their way downhill.

"Told you," he shrugged. "Rimel's book, written by him."

The Mage sighed, a deep frown gracing her face as her emerald eyes ascended toward the path they took. Seemingly failing to notice what she looked for in the distant peaks visible from the gravelly path, she returned to inspecting the pages in her hands.

"This... I don't know those characters. This isn't the Slyvin I've ever seen. No, it's probably pre-Congregation Slyvin," she wondered aloud, voice drifting as it intermingled with a breeze that picked up around them.

"Congregation?"

Aria looked at him, noticing the tone of his question. Then, she nodded. "It happened centuries ago. You've worked in Silvana's library, no? Haven't you read about it?"

"Not exactly," the man rubbed his scalp briefly. "I didn't spend every day reading. Many times, I was categorizing books and helping Jocelyn clean the place. Grabbed a book now and again, but none of them were about history. What is that Congregation?"

"Well, to put it simply, back a few centuries, there was a big war between elves and dwarves. After the war finished, some of the elves left their sacred forest and went into the world."

"Oh, I've heard of that, at least," he chimed in, a slight nudge tugging at his lip as he reminded himself of Leaf. "The Joixallar war. After it finished, the Nyxli and Dommin clans left Minnael, while Avallia seized the entire forest. The Congregation happened after that, I take it?"

Aria's ears nearly perked up. "Yes. Actually, it was two Congregations, but most people don't treat the first one as an actual event."

Travis hummed, his gaze escaping forward as a momentary silence fell on them. Yet, as he watched the sloped road before them, he took immediate notice of a forest they were about to enter. Casting a glance behind, he could just barely make out the walls of Tylened far in the distance, the town perched on a peak like a gargoyle statue in some castle.

Then, he turned to Aria, nodding to let her know she could explain further.

"When the two clans left the safety of Minnael, Avallia began opening its borders to the other races. That was the first Congregation. But the second one was far more important, and the reason this book most likely predates those events. Rather than people, it was a process that facilitated the connection between languages. Sometimes, when being distinct, people refer to it as the 'Language Congregation of the seventh century'. For many countries, it was the first time they'd centralized their own speaking and writing cultures."

"So, that was why it was so important?"

"Not just that," Aria replied, opening the book. "See those? After the Language Congregation, Slyvin took on the same alphabet Palli was based on. But these are nothing like that. That's old Slyvin. And I mean old Slyvin."

Travis squinted, watching the squiggly lines of ink-like substance on the pages. Symbols that looked more painted than drawn, with exquisitely looking lines that appeared to mimic vines and leaves, all woven into what was undeniably text meant to be read.

'Understand, I barely read those in the first place.' he sighed internally, his eyes finding it difficult to follow the places where words stopped cleanly and the next ones started. 'I am really grateful Aria is here.'

"So, can you translate it?" he asked.

"Not a chance," she shook her head, closing the book and putting it in her bag. "I'd have to transcribe this whole thing into a comprehensible alphabet first. For that, I need a library and some knowledge of Slyvin, and I have neither. And it can't be just any library, either. I think something on Slyvin could be in Ulm, but I wouldn't put my money on that. We might have to go to Poiri, or maybe even to Minnael itself."

"Hmm, looks like we'll have to tackle it over time," Travis nodded with a light smile. Though inside, he felt a little disappointed, he knew this was a natural outcome.

The white-haired woman shrugged. With a stretch, she bounced lightly in her step. Half a yawn left her mouth as she looked up. Rays of sunlight pierced through the canopy above, littering the surrounding ground in a myriad of spots. The leaves were in full-growth, much sooner than one would've expected, but Aria could chalk it up to a very mild winter that had graced these lands in the last months. On some of the branches, she noticed small stubs in various stages of transitioning to a full white flower. A momentary ponder on the species of the trees entered her mind before Travis's hum took precedence.

She raised an eyebrow, seeing him with his typical 'RALS-reading' expression, before his golden eyes shimmered and a smirk graced his face.

"Something happened?"

"Just got a quest. We're not the only ones who want us to translate that book."

"?"

-Travis's POV, just now-

As their brief discussion finished, Travis gazed ahead. Ignoring the vast leafage above and the dense roots below, the brown-haired man guided his entire focus to the path that led between the thick forest, descending slowly as it went down the side of a nearby mountain. Now and again, he'd see a tiny glimpse of light at the far end, where the trees gave way to some space.

For a moment, he looked sideways, seeing a few small beasts creeping between the thick trunks. From the rats that lurked in the hollowed-out trees, through some arachnid-esque creatures that gaped at everything around with their numerous eyes, to the casual forest life, consisting of small bugs, mice, squirrels, and the like, the entire ecosystem didn't so much as blink at the two traversing it. A small veheron or two lay on the exposed stones here and there - not a rare sight, albeit slightly unusual - while birds chirped, flying between some branches.

'Well, expecting anything was just building castles in the air.' he conceded to himself, his mind drifting. 'Though, I wonder. There were stances in the book that weren't within what Rimel used, nor what I can do. Does it mean the skill is still incomplete? Is that where the 'Degraded' part comes from?'

Suddenly, an all-too-familiar sound rang in his mind.

*Ting!*

[You have received a new quest!]

"Hmm?"

[Quest: Successor of the Hyllen Clan

You have obtained the signature technique of the Hyllen Clan, Hyllen Sword Dance, after being acknowledged as a suitable successor to their techniques.

However, do you know what the Hyllen Clan truly was? Do you share their values, and can you prove your merit in continuing their legacy?

Learn more about the Hyllen Clan. Follow the clan's history, tales, and traditions. If you manage to do that, you will be no different from their people.

When that happens, a new legend will be born.

Objective: Complete all linked quests successfully.

Reward: Unknown

*First Linked Quest: Lost in Translation]

[Quest: Lost in Translation

The book from Rimel is written in a language centuries old. At its current state, it is completely unreadable to you. However, it contains the narrative of the Hyllen Clan. To you, who follow in their steps, it is indispensable.

Objective: Translate the first chapter of Rimel's Notebook and read it completely. (0/1)

Reward: 12 stat points. A linked quest. Something special will happen.]

As Aria took note of his humming, he explained the contents of the quests to her.

The woman's reaction was an immediate frown.

"Strange... you're already won a quest in the Tower, and now it births another? And what is 'linked quest'?"

"It's just a quest that continues the previous one."

"Like chapters of a story?"

"Exactly."

The white-haired woman sighed. Travis could imagine the gears of her mind rapidly spinning as she digested the information fully.

"So, now we're getting pressured to translate it," Aria's expression turned queasy, the idea weighing on her.

Travis sighed, rubbing her shoulder tenderly. The woman immediately leaned on him.

"It'll be alright," he reassured. "There's no time limit on that."

"Even so, leaving it on the shelf is a fool's mistake," she objected. "I mean, think about it. It's a book from a clan that's been gone for centuries. That's not something we can sleep on. We'll have to buy anything we can to help with that and do it on the way. Though, learning Slyvin is going to be a nightmare..." she sighed.

"Is it difficult?"

"For someone whose first language is Palli, extremely. It's a phonetic language, there's an entire cultural aspect to it, not to mention that it has probably about three dozen dialects, HALF of which do not even originate from Minnael but from tribal elves," Aria huffed, swiping her brow as though to hide her exasperation at the points she'd listed. "And even that could be useless. For all I know, this book could be written in a Hyllen-exclusive vernacular I won't find in any book. Gods, I'm getting a headache from this..." she nagged, rubbing her temples gently whilst sighing.

"Say," Travis nudged. "Maybe we could get help from an actual elf speaking Slyvin?"

"Who do you mean?"

"Leaf. I told you about her a few days ago."

"...that Necromancer?" Aria whispered, looking around to make sure they were alone.

"Yeah. She's from the Nyxli clan, but she stays in Midriff most of the time. I'm sure she'll be open to helping us," he said. 'Let's be honest, who wouldn't?'

"Midriff... gods, that's in Chis for crying out loud!" Aria raised her voice in exasperation. "We're going in the opposite direction! At this rate, it'll be autumn before we get there!"

'Well, so much for brightening the mood.'

Travis's lips tightened. Without thinking much, he pulled Aria closer, hugging her whilst they came to a halt. Gently stroking her arm, he said, "I'll help you as much as I can. That's what we agreed on, right?"

"...yeah."

"So, how about we leave this issue for now? Let's focus on what we have to do today."

"Mhmm."

Noticing her slightly grumpy expression still, Travis sighed internally. 'Well, I have one more thing in my jacket.'

"Hey."

"?"

Suddenly, he leaned forward, pressing his nose against hers. "Boop," he made a sound.

Aria looked at him, stunned. Her white brows twitched, confusion evident as she visibly processed his action. After a protracted moment, however, she snickered.

"Gods, that's your way of cheering me up?"

"Looks like it worked to me."

Aria shook her head, but a tiny smile graced her pretty face. Her emerald eyes glimmered for but a blink before she sighed. "Let's go. We have to cover quite some distance today."

-Late evening-

Travis raised Thunder Blade to his eye level. The sword's surface gleamed in the campfire's light as he made a thrust motion, striking between some trees beyond the light's reach. Then, rapidly, he turned around, taking care to trace down the footwork before mockingly using Unity.

Releasing a whiff of hot air from his lungs, the Apostle slowly relaxed his position. After sheathing the sword, he swiped the beads of sweat that trickled down his temples. Looking across the embers, he saw Aria lying on her side, slowly munching on a piece of fried meat whilst she wrote something on a small parchment. The lines made by charcoal had a nice, refined style to them, the kind that immediately told him of countless hours she must've spent perfecting it.

'Still not the time for Rulebreaker's Piece.' he mused, taking a towel from a nearby branch to dry himself off better. 'Well, I think I can manage the time in another way, then.'

"Hey," he called out, approaching the woman. Lying next to her, he let out a heavy sigh. "What are you writing?"

"Just a small report on the local activity," she shrugged. "The road so far is peaceful. No unusual sights, monster nests, or rogue dungeons in the vicinity."

"Aside from that one goat herd we encountered," he responded bitterly.

"Please, it wasn't that bad. They even let me pet them."

"They chased me for nearly twenty minutes."

"You must've done something to upset them. Mountain goats are generally passive."

'Not from my experiences, they are not.'

But despite the thought, Travis opted against arguing. His mind briefly surged with the memories of what transpired around noon today.

They had just resumed their journey after taking a longer break. Sated with some dry rations they'd packed (mostly made of beef jerky, which Travis found Aria loved, and salty bread - a thing that he always liked) and freshly gathered water, the two descended further down the valley. However, as they approached a relatively flatter area, they met them. The group of young mountain goats, herded by a young pair from a nearby village. At first, Travis thought nothing of them. Even by an estimate, their levels were barely reaching Aria's - only one or two of the horned beasts were past level 30. More importantly, they were the domesticated variant, not the type of wild goat that roamed the mountains by themselves.

Aria took the lead. The white-furred undulates barely reacted to her. With permission, she gleefully approached the horned animals. They didn't so much as flinch whilst she rubbed her hands on their fur. All they did was munch on the grass without a care in the world.

But all Travis had to do was just approach.

Less than a minute later, he was chased by thirty-odd goats, the horned bastards not relenting in their chase until twenty minutes had passed, when he managed to find a place they couldn't reach him in. Then, with the help of the shepherds, he made his way away from their sight while Aria stayed behind to resolve the situation.

'Rectangle-eyed bastards.' he sighed. The very memory of their strange pupils made him shiver. He was glad to say the hatred they felt for him was mutual.

Travis closed his eyes, wiping the remembrance. Placing a hand on Aria's back, he gently rubbed her skin through the shirt, feeling her respond by scooting closer with a content hum. A gentle smile entered his face; the petite Mage's behavior reminded him of a cat.

"Well, I'm done with the Daily Quest," he eventually said, bringing his motions to a halt.

"Hmm?" she tilted her head, supporting it with her arm whilst her other hand traveled up to rub his shoulder. "What're you thinking of?"

"I wanted to attempt Trial Tower. Wanted to see what's going on with you meeting Rimel and all that."

Aria's brow raised. After a second or so, she sighed. "Well, that was strange," she admitted, slowly rolling on her side.

"And you're sure you didn't see anything?"

The Mage frowned. "I'm telling you again, I didn't see a single panel as you've described them. And despite everything, nothing really pushed me to fight Rimel. It was a miracle I stalled him out for three minutes before we began (only two were spent talking, though...)."

'And even then, Rimel didn't really say anything useful.' he nodded silently, reminded of when Aria spoke of her encounter with the Swordsman. His answers were terse and vague, she said. Nothing concrete about himself or where they were.

"I see. Sorry."

Aria's expression softened. "No, It's alright. Just... Gah, never mind," she sighed, reaching for her bag. Within seconds, she held the black key in her palm. Looking at him with brief hesitation, she extended her hand. "Be careful."

He nodded. "I will. Stay safe here," he approached her, giving her a light kiss.

Aria blushed, visibly startled by his action. However, she smiled tenderly after a moment and gave him a curt nod.

Travis stood up. Without waiting for anything, he took a few steps away from the campfire. The key in his hand almost pulsed as he lifted it, almost immediately inserting it into the now-material lock. With a thud, the door unlocked.

He turned around, seeing that Aria kept looking at him attentively. For the briefest of moments, he took in her image as a whole. The casual way she lay, dressed in her favorite blue shirt that sagged on her and the gray pants that covered her to her feet, gave her a touch of sexiness that the orange light bathing her further accentuated.

A smile tugged at his lips. Then, he turned around and stepped through the door.

As the gateway closed and he felt himself moving, Travis's mind wandered back to the issue at hand.

'Then, let's see...'

[Entering the 2nd floor...]

[The 2nd floor's trial is 'Agility'.]

Travis frowned. This time, the trial spoke of something he knew.

'Agility... the trial will have something to do with speed.'

[The 2nd floor's environment is generated.]

Almost immediately, Travis felt soft ground under his feet. As he stepped a little forward, he noticed he was in a grassland, the short grass waving as wind raced through it. To his right, about a hundred meters away, was a thick forest, its trees towering toward the sky like mighty towers. About three hundred meters leftward, obelisk-like structures of rocks stood, many of them over thirty meters tall, though some peaked at about fifty. Up ahead, the plain extended, dividing the two biomes. Behind him, Travis noticed a massive river, nearly one hundred meters wide.

[The 2nd floor's trial is generated.]

*Whish!*

The soft sound reached his ears, immediately accompanied by a silver hue passing by his leg. Suddenly, the object stopped, exposing its round shape. It was a ball roughly 2 cm in diameter, the smooth silver littered with several crystal-like protrusions. Before Travis took in more details, a colorful spray of light emanated from the ball, and it flew away into the plain.

[The 2nd trial's mission is revealed.]

[Numerous magical bullets fly erratically in the area. They are impervious to all forms of damage. However, hitting them will stun them proportionally to the amount of damage the strike would've dealt.

Objective: Catch at least 100 bullets (0/100)

Time remaining: 30:00

Reward: Depends on your performance.

Failure penalty: A random penalty depending on the task's difficulty.]

Travis sighed.

'Not a fight this time... well, that's good. Thunder Blade could use some time off. It's nearly a fourth of its durability already. I need to get it fixed soon. Tylened had no repair packs to buy.' he thought whilst doing a quick stretch. Numerous sounds informed him that more of the magic bullets appeared, confirmed when he saw innumerable different colors flash all around.

[The 2nd floor's trial is starting.]

[30:00]

[29:59]

He bolted forward.

However, as he dismissed the panels cluttering the corner of his vision, it felt as though something was amiss.

A thought appeared in his mind.

'I wonder... where is Rulebreaker?'