"The neighborhood are talking about a guy with a tortoise giving fifty goblins to the Adventurer's Guild and is now wandering around town for a place to stay. You've become quite famous, well, thanks to this scum.
"Did he bothered you? I can remove him at once."
"No, that would be alright. I still need him."
"I see."
Shun nodded, "Do you have any business with me, Miss..."
"Vili. I'm Vili Regzedda." She straightened her arm for a handshake.
Shun accepted it, "Osamu Shun."
After two shakes, they let go, "I have a place for you to stay. Are you interested?"
"I'm okay with that, but why are you helping me?"
"You've killed a lot of goblins. That's testament that you're a skillful fighter. Having one more in the city wouldn't hurt."
Shun observed her longer, knowing she didn't tell him the whole truth. Not long after, she succumbed to his gaze as she spoke with eyes lowered, "It seems you noticed something. I guess that's as expected."
"What are you hiding?"
"It's nothing important. I simply see value in you. I want you to do something for me."
"A job? Why me?"
Shun find it suspicious. He's new to town and if the reason she wanted him was because he killed fifty goblins, there are more powerful adventurers that has killed dragons in this city.
"This turtle trust you."
Shun shifted his eyes to Ladev and observed him for a while, before looking at her again, "Let me hear it first."
She nodded and got up. As she did, she put Ladev on his shoulder, "Follow me, I will give you the detail. There are many ears here."
Shun followed her with caution.
"There's no need to be so tense, she doesn't have any plan to hurt you," assured the tortoise on his shoulder.
"You say that, but how am I supposed to calm down when we're in this kind of place? Where on earth are we going?"
After following the girl into the basement of an abandoned cottage, they ended up in a complicated underground maze.
A two-by-two narrow, dark pathway that was covered with mold and filled with cracks. The only thing that illuminated the path was the torch in Vili's hand.
Vili opened her mouth, "You will know once we get there. Also, I don't have a reason to hurt you."
Shun simply nodded and followed her. After taking a few turns, she stopped.
"We're here yet?"
"Yes."
Shun peeked as Vili stood in front of him, blocking his view. He was curious about what kind of place she led him to.
The sight before him confused him. "What is that?"
Huge cables lay like sleeping snakes, attached to a podium that held steel frames forming a circle. The steel frame was big enough for an adult to pass through it.
Nature seemed to take interest, as vines clung tightly to the steel frame and cables.
Vili didn't respond as she walked before the device and placed her arm on a tablet near the machine.
The tablet exuded a soft blue glow. Then, the soft light spread to the cables before it ended on the podium. Following that, the entire room illuminated with a beautiful blue light akin to the ocean.
The steel frame then trembled intensely. As it occurred, blue sparks could be seen forming in the middle of the circle.
It wasn't only once the spark appeared, but again and again, as though it tried to achieve something.
Its continuous effort was rewarded when the last spark filled the steel frame with blue, and one could no longer see what was on the other side.
"Follow me." She didn't look at him and walked into the blue circle.
Shun looked at Ladev, and the latter nodded. He took a deep breath to contain his nervousness before stepping in.
The scenery changed almost immediately. What stood before him were mountains circling him and trees as far as the eye could see.
"Where are we?" Shun looked back and saw a floating blue circle. Then, it shrank before vanishing.
Shock momentarily caught him when, all of a sudden, she said, "Don't worry, I can bring us home."
He felt relieved. Just as he was about to speak, she added quickly, "Welcome to my hidden domain, Shun."
"Hidden domain?" He paused in shock before adding a light joke, "Why are you showing your secret lair to me?"
Before him was a five-story mansion with transparent energy surrounding it. Not only that, Shun could feel his skin crawl as he noticed vicious energy from somewhere hidden, ready to explode.
She chuckled, amused. "Secret lair? I'm not some kind of villain. This is where I live. That machine you saw is a creation of my ancestor. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Only those who carry the Regzedda blood can control it."
"Right."
"For generations, the Regzedda family has been preserving information all over the world. Many sought the knowledge that we preserve, and we keep it from the wrong hands.
As a descendant of the Regzedda family, it is my duty to protect it. However, the unfortunate has formed."
She paused for a moment before continuing. "The maze earlier was built to confuse enemies. Even if they somehow manage to find the teleportation machine, unless you carry the Regzedda blood, you won't be able to activate it.
For the maze and the machine to stay active, it requires an energy source, and it has been running low."
"I think I know what you want me to do. So you want me to get an energy source?"
"Precisely," she nodded. "It is inside a trial chamber. Clear the obstacles and exterminate monsters that come in your way.
The more powerful the participant is, the more powerful the enemy will be. You are perfect for it."
"I see, so that's why you want me."
"Yes, you're perfect for this task. Your strength might be questionable, but your fighting skill is above your strength."
"You have too much faith in me, exaggerating me even."
"No, you've shown your worth with those corpses you gave to the Adventurer's Guild." She shook her head and continued, "If you manage to get the energy source, I will reward you with one dream coin."
Shun's breath paused almost immediately. He looked at Vili doubtfully, yet her expression didn't seem like she was lying.
"Why don't you take it?" suggested Ladev. Shun shifted his eyes to him.
Ladev continued, "You're more than capable of clearing the trial chamber. I've seen you fight."
"You talk as though you know the chamber."
"Vili and I have tried to clear it before, but we..." Ladev paused and looked at Vili.
Noticing his gaze, her brows lowered slightly and her eyes moved to the left, avoiding eye contact. Her arms crossed over her abdomen.
With a low voice, she said, "I hate to admit it, but we lack the expertise."
Shun took a closer look at the two of them. From the energy they leaked, they were powerful enough to beat fifty Shuns!
The thought made his face scrunch in doubt. Could he complete a challenge that raised the white flags of two powerful people?
He then felt a soft blow on his neck. It was Ladev. The green creature opened its mouth. "The chamber is about wit, not strength. As long as you remain focused, you will be alright."
Shun processed his words before nodding. "I guess you're right."
Shun didn't wait for them to speak as he said, "Where is the trial chamber?"
"Before we get into the details, let's get inside. I'll prepare the things you need."
Shun nodded.