Inside the room that was given to Lux as his temporary residence…
"There's only the two of us now, so why don't you tell me the real reason why you've come here?" Baronar asked with a smile. "Although you introduced yourself as a Summoner, both of us know that you only spoke half-truths. Isn't that right, young Necromancer?"
Lux returned Baronar's smile because he already knew that it was impossible to hide his true profession from someone who had mastery over the Shamanic Arts.
—--------
< Baronar >
– Orc Great Shaman
– Peak Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monster
Health: ????????? / ?????????
Mana: ????????? / ?????????
Strength: ?????????
Intelligence: ?????????
Vitality: ?????????
Agility: ?????????
Dexterity: ?????????
—--------
Lux had attempted to check Baronar's stats earlier because, unlike Humans, Orcs were Monsters.
When Lux met Baronar for the first time in the Dungeon of Dominion, the Orc Shaman was only a Rank 4 Alpha Monster.
Not only was the Orc in front of him an Argonaut Ranked Monster, but Baronar's profession was also upgraded to Great Orc Shaman.
'I already expected this, but it seems that my assumptions were still a bit off from my estimate,' Lux thought.
As one of the Commanders of the Orc Tribe, it was impossible for Baronar to have a low Rank because their clan was fighting against invaders that were coming from the Haca Dynasty.
If the Great Orc Shaman's Rank was similar to what he had back in the Dungeon, Orc Dominion, where Lux had met him, they would have long been wiped out by the Humans who tried to invade their lands.
However, what astounded Lux was that the Blackrock Clan actually existed in the real world, which made him wonder how the dungeon of Orc Dominion came into being.
Baronar, who had asked Lux his true reason for visiting their lands, simply waited for the Half-Elf's answer. He was more powerful than the Half-Elf, so he didn't mind having a private chat with him.
Besides, he was still trying to figure out why he was feeling a strange connection with the Half-Elf, whom he was meeting for the first time in his life.
"The truth is, I came here to try my luck in taming the Transcendent Flames," Lux replied.
As someone who communicated with Spirits, it was as easy as breathing for Baronar to tell whether he was lying or not. Since that was the case, there was no point in hiding the truth. Lying would only lead to suspicions and confrontation, which was something that Lux wanted to avoid at all costs.
"Mmm, so you are one of them," Baronar commented. "One of the Fools who think that they can take our tribe's Flame of Origin for their own. You people really don't learn do you?"
Baronar's voice didn't hold any semblance of anger. In fact, it was filled with amusement.
Lux even thought that the reputation he had with the Blackrock Clan would immediately decrease as soon as he mentioned anything about the Transcendent Flames.
However, he didn't hear any notification sounds inside his head, which made him feel relieved internally.
Baronar took out a jar of fruit juice, and two wooden cups from his storage ring, and put them on top of the table. He then unceremoniously poured Lux a cup and handed it to him with a smile.
"Don't worry, it's not poisoned," Baronar stated with a fiendish smile. "It will be a great dishonor to poison a guest I had personally invited. Don't worry, I have no quarrels with you right now. At least for the time being."
Lux understood Baronar's subtle hint, so he decided to just drink the fruit juice that was offered to him as a sign of goodwill.
After emptying his cup, the Half-Elf immediately felt a surge of heat rise up from his chest as if his throat was on fire.
Half a minute later, he collapsed on the floor unconscious.
—----------
By the time Lux regained his senses, he found himself floating in space.
His body felt as heavy as lead, but he still managed to stand and look around his surroundings.
It was at that moment that he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Well, you recovered faster than I expected."
Lux immediately turned around to look behind his back, and saw Baronar standing several meters away from him.
"What did you make me drink?" Lux asked. "I thought you weren't going to poison me?"
Baronar chuckled as he wagged his finger at the Half-Elf, who still didn't have full control of his body.
"I didn't lie," Baronar replied. "I didn't poison you. What you drank was a concoction that I use whenever I want to travel in the Spirit World. It's called Ayahuasca, and it's a good drink to help increase the spiritual senses of a person."
After answering Lux's question, Baronar waved his hand and the scenery around them changed.
The Half-Elf found himself staring at a familiar wooden cottage. A few seconds later, he saw himself, Eiko, Colette, and the others walk towards the cottage and then open its door.
'Wait… could this be?' Lux's eyes widened in shock because he finally understood what was happening.
The Half-Elf once again shifted his attention back to the smiling Baronar, who winked back at him, making him subconsciously shudder.
'Sh*t!'
That was the word that popped up inside Lux's head the moment he realized what was happening.
Just as he was about to ask the Great Orc Shaman his reason for reading his memories, a loud roar reached his ears, which made the Half-Elf smile bitterly.
Heaving a sigh of helplessness, Lux turned around to find his previous self inside the wooden cottage.
He then stared at the Half-Orc, who was looking at the Dwarf children with blood-shot eyes, holding a greatsword in his hands.
'Barca…' Lux sighed for the second time as he gazed at the Half-Orc, who clearly didn't look happy at seeing the uninvited guests who had trespassed inside his home.
"Who are you lot, and what are you doing inside my cottage?!" the Half-Orc shouted as it threatened to brandish his sword towards the Dwarves, who had taken a defensive stance against it.
This was how he, and his friends first met Barca, and also when they had helped the Half-Orc accomplish his wish for Dominion.
