Ruler Vol 3 Chapter 36
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Author: Anit666
Editor: Weasalopes
【Chloe’s POV】
I was currently in the dungeon, probably, and had been separated from my friends due to the impulsive actions of one of my comrades. But that wasn’t the biggest problem right now. Yes, the biggest problem lay in front of me.
The large double door blocking my way. It didn’t have any handles to pull or levers to turn which could have let me open it. In their place was just a depression the shape of my hand. In fact, that depression resembled the shape of my hand so perfectly that I had second thoughts about putting my hand in it.
What if there’s a monster on the other side and it is waiting for me to put my hand inside the depression so that it could gobble it up? Or worse, what if the door itself is a monster. I had heard about some monsters which could change their shapes to fool humans. In fact, I did sense some kind of mana in the door, but I didn’t feel the presence of life coming from it. The door seemed to be inanimate.
I didn’t want to risk my life, but going back wasn’t an option either, and I desperately needed to get out of this god forsaken place. After all-
“Save me!”
“Stop it!”
“I’m sorry!”
“Save me!”
“Save me!”
“Save meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”
The unknown voices shouting right inside my mind were still tormenting me. So, mustering my courage, I put my hand in that depression. And nothing happened.
“Eh?”
But the next moment, that door started shining with a bright golden light which caused me to squint my eyes. I swiftly removed my hand and stepped back while taking out my sword, but the door didn’t stop shining: in fact, the light got even brighter.
So bright that I had to shut my eyes and cover them with my hand lest my eyes burned due to the blinding light.
Finally, after some time when I peeked through my hands, the light was no longer there. But what had replaced definitely wasn’t something I was ready for.
It was a large lake.
“Hueh?”
There was a lake all around me, with nary a piece of land in sight. In fact, I also was standing on that lake. I wasn’t using my mana to be able to stand on the surface of the lake, so I didn’t know how that was possible. Was it an inherent feature of the lake?
Don’t tell me……… is this heaven?! So that door really was a monster! But how did I even die? I don’t remember being eaten up and chomped, and I didn’t feel any pain either. Was my death instantaneous?
No wait, if I am dead then what will happen to Sam and Jack? I’m sure they would be saddened at my death, especially Sam.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuu………”
What do I do? I wasn’t expecting to die so early! I really shouldn’t have put my hand into that clearly suspicious place!
But…. where am I?
I looked around once again. There was a lake all around me and a clear blue sky above me, both of which met at the horizon. Despite there being no clouds, I couldn’t see any sun, but there was still light all around me. All in all, the scenery was beautiful and peaceful.
Did I……. really die?
I looked over myself. My body didn’t have any wounds. I still had all of my equipment, including my sword. Even my pouch which contained my provisions I had prepared for this journey was there.
I could move. I could feel everything. I could breathe. I could hear the rumble of my stomach it made due to being empty.
“I guess I should eat…….”
I won’t be able to think or do anything on an empty stomach.
I took out the food from my pouch and ate it while standing. After being full and gaining the energy to walk once again, I decided to explore this place.
Just like the ice cave from before, this place was also trapping me: maybe it was a different dimension altogether? The only difference was that the voices tormenting me had vanished. I couldn’t see anything resembling an entry or exit which meant I had been teleported here by some means. And that means was definitely related to that damned door! And so, I started walking forward.
I walked and walked. I kept walking. In this place without any landmarks, I had no sense of direction or time. And even after walking for what felt like hours, the scenery around me hadn’t changed much.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, I finally gave up in fatigue and plopped on the ground.
Except that it wasn’t a ground but a lake, so the moment my butt hit the surface it went inside it and I fell backwards into the lake.
“Wh-mufgupufgufpu!”
I gasped for breath while panicking, but I regained my sanity in a bit and turned around to be in a position to swim properly.
That’s when I saw it. Beneath me in the darkness of the lake, a large number of eyes, of various shapes and sizes and ablaze with hunger and bloodlust, were glaring at me.
Shit!
This made me open my mouth and water entered my lungs, thus making me lose my breath.
T-This is bad!
And so, with my lungs aching for breath, I hurriedly swam towards the surface of the lake and finally came out.
“Phuaah! Khak khak!”
I coughed to let out the water from my stomach and lungs.
“Those eyes…… just what were they? They are not coming after me, are they?”
Just then, something lightly hit the back of my head.
“Hiii!”
I hastily turned around, but to my relief, it was just a small empty boat. There wasn’t anyone else in sight.
“W-What…. How did it get here?”
I looked around once again, but still could not see anyone. Having no other choice, I got on the boat. But the moment I did, the boat started moving.
“Eh?!”
It moved slowly at first, but then picked up speed, and soon enough we were going as fast as the bullet train I had once travelled in. I was forced to use body strengthening magic to hold the hull of the boat with all my might and not be blown away. I contemplated jumping off the boat, but doing so would have meant being dinner for those monsters lurking in the depths of the lake. Not to mention that I wasn’t really sure whether I would escape unscathed after jumping at such high speed. I had read somewhere that water when hit at very high speeds could feel as hard as concrete.
Just then, the boat suddenly came to a halt. Unable to handle the momentum, I was sent flying forward.
“Fuck!”
I was expecting to be plunged into the lake again, so I took out my sword to make one final stand against them! I wasn’t going to die so easily! Instead, I glided on the surface of the water and came to a stop after traveling for a large distance. My body once again floated on water just like it was doing in the beginning.
“Ouch ouch ouch….”
“Are you alright?”
“No I am no- huh?”
A sweet voice had spoken to me from somewhere in front of me. I raised my head, and there she was, a woman with a transcendent beauty, her hand stretching towards me.
“Shit!”
I swiftly jumped back by doing a backflip, took out my sword and brandished it at her.
“Who are you?!”
The woman took back her hand and lightly giggled. Her voice was charming, and overall she seemed to be so harmless. But the overwhelming mana overflowing from her body told me otherwise.
This is, like, seriously bad! I’m going to die.
Her mana was even greater than my teacher Liera! Just then, that woman opened her mouth
“Fufufufu, there’s no need to be so scared of me, Chloe Evans.”
What?
“How do you know my name?”
“Hmm, I don’t know how I should answer that. How about this?”
She simply snapped her fingers. But what seemed to be such an unnecessary action had some clear effects. After all-
“Save me!”
“Stop!”
“I’m sorry!”
“It hurts!”
“Save me pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee!”
The voices that had been tormenting me had once again returned. But they were much louder this time, and each of that word was directly affecting my consciousness: I was beginning to lose it.
“I-It was you! Are you the one who had been asking for my help all this time?!”
Did she summon me here so that she could make me help her? Then this sure wasn’t how one should treat their helper!
The woman’s eyes widened in shock, as if she had discovered something new.
“Ah, now I see. I just remembered that our voice when we listen to it while speaking is completely different than when we listen to our recording! No wonder you couldn’t recognise it.”
She snapped her fingers again, but contrary to my hope, the voices didn’t stop. Only the sound changed: the voice became a bit more high-pitched, and the despair in the voice was more apparent.
Why, it was my voice.
Unable to handle it anymore, my hand let go of my sword and I fell on my knees.
“W-what have you done…?!”
This time it literally hurt to listen to the voices.
“Chloe Evans, you asked who I was, didn’t you? But the question you should be asking is: who are you? Now, go and find that answer for yourself. Go and unravel the truth.”
My body, unable to handle the excruciating pain, fell forward, and I began to lose consciousness as well. And as I began sinking into the lake, I could make out the final words the woman had said.
“The hands of your time which had been forcefully stopped by those men, have started moving once again. The rest depends on you. I wish you the best of luck, Chloe Evans.”
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