The man, whose armor was worn and tattered, took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice, "We... We were out in the open, gathering resources." He began, taking another steadying breath, "Suddenly, the night sky was engulfed in this... this brilliant, blinding golden light. I've never seen anything so... pure except from…him. Only one person can ever give off such an aura...Golden Prince. I swear, we're not mistaking it."
Rachel's eyes darted from one person to another, absorbing their words, her mind racing.
A woman, her face streaked with soot and dirt, gestured to another group, "That's not all," she interrupted, her voice grave, "They were the ones who witnessed it closest."
Victor's head snapped to the indicated group, his piercing gaze settling on them. The weight of that gaze made a woman step forward hesitantly.
She lowered her head slightly, her voice soft yet filled with unmistakable fear, "Our shelter... It's atop a cliff. From there, we saw that same golden light, but this time, it spread from above a tall rocky structure. The earth... it trembled beneath our feet. Even though we were far, and the darkness shielded most of the scene, that aura, it... it felt like the Golden Prince. We literally felt it, and we have been near Golden Prince before, albeit from a distance."
Amelia clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm while Rachel's lips were trembling as they pressed together.
The crowd was now murmuring louder, unease evident in their eyes.
Everyone felt the gravity of the situation. If these rumors were true, then things might become worse.
Suddenly, a loud scoff escaped Victor's lips, followed by a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "It seems there's been a slight misunderstanding," he began, his voice echoing, capturing everyone's attention, "The Corrupted Prince is dead. That's a fact set in stone. Anyone implying otherwise is not only undermining the arduous efforts of our brave hunters who sacrificed their lives but also blatantly insulting our esteemed President."
The intensity of his gaze made the crowd shift uncomfortably. The man who had first spoken stammered, "We... we didn't mean to insult anyone, sir. We just... we were worried."
Rachel, seeing the distress and fear in their eyes, stepped forward.
Her soft-spoken manner and her composed demeanor instantly made the others feel a bit comfortable, especially since she was the president's daughter, "I understand your concerns," she began gently, her voice radiating warmth and empathy, "But we must be careful in how we express these worries. Panic is our enemy, especially in a place like this. If you witness such an event again, I urge you to approach any of us or our high-ranking members to discuss it further. Creating a commotion isn't beneficial for any of us, considering we all are participating in a dangerous quest like this. We have bigger things to worry about than this."
Outside the thick of the crowd, Emiko and Yui stood, their emotions palpable. Yui's wide eyes met Emiko's, the same emotion reflected in both but vastly contrasting with those of fear in the eyes of others.
In a voice barely above a whisper, Yui asked, "Emiko... do you think... he is really back?"
Her hand moved unconsciously to her chest, her heart pounding heavily.
Emiko's gaze trembled as she clutched Yui's hand, seeking and offering comfort simultaneously. "I don't know, Yui," Emiko whispered back, her voice quivering. "It seems impossible... but if it's true, then the world needs him again. We…need him again.."
After calming down the crowd, Rachel and her team navigated their way through. In contrast to the earlier agitation, a thoughtful silence enveloped the group.
That is, until Amelia broke it, her voice hushed with evident worry, "You know, my great grandparents spoke of times when they saw the spirits of fallen Hunters during this very quest. Do you think... could he really be here as a ghost?"
Victor glanced sideways at her, amusement evident in his eyes. He chuckled, shaking his head slightly, "Amelia, you're so easily swayed by tales. Even if such tales were true, remember, the Corrupted Prince didn't fall during the Quest of the Worthy. His soul can't be trapped here. Other than that," he added with a smirk, "each Quest of the Worthy is unique. Information from past quests is irrelevant here."
Amelia bit her lip, evidently frustrated by Victor's smartass answer yet again, but before she could reply, Rachel's voice cut through, "Regardless, it wouldn't hurt to be certain." She gestured with her chin, her gaze fixed intently on a figure in the distance.
Following her gaze, the group saw a man who stood out even in a crowd.
Tall, with almost eerily pale skin that seemed to glow in the soft light of the sun. His long white beard flowed gracefully down his chest, matching the pure white of his eyes, which gave an uncanny feeling.
His appearance and aura screamed of immense power while at the same time appearing mundane. It was clear from the way others cleared a path for him that they were too terrified to even catch his gaze.
"That's the Zone Master," Amelia whispered, eyes wide. She gulped audibly, her expression apprehensive, "Rachel... are you sure about approaching him?"
Amelia still hadn't forgotten what happened to those poor bunch of Hunters who decided to mess around with the Zone Master thinking he was an old and weak demon. How could they not understand that no ordinary person can be the Zone Master in a quest like this.
Rachel nodded resolutely, "It's the only way to get to the truth. As the Zone Master, I am sure he knows everything that goes on in this quest," She started forward, the group following closely, every step weighted with anticipation.
Rachel took a deep breath and approached the Zone Master, her posture respectful, "Honorable Zone Master," she began, her voice steady despite her nerves, "I've come to inquire about the rumors circulating here. Is it true that Golden Prince is present within the mini-dungeons of this quest, albeit as a spirit?"
The Zone Master, his hands clasped behind his back, didn't spare her a glance. He continued gazing into the distance, his eyes opaque and his expression inscrutable.
After what seemed like an eternity but was merely a few seconds, he uttered a single word in a voice devoid of emotion, "Move."
That single command, so absolute and potent, made Rachel and her group step back unconsciously, creating a clear path for the Zone Master.
The weight of that single word still pressed heavily on them, like a tangible force that threatened to crush their very beings.
"Oh, for the love of..." Amelia exhaled loudly in relief, shaking her head, "I knew it would be fruitless. The Zone Master will never share information, especially if it's not related to the safe zone."
Rachel stared at the receding figure of the Zone Master, her brow creased and her lips pressed in a thin line. Clearly, her thoughts were a whirlwind of contemplation and conjecture.
Victor smiled lightly, "Well, that's that. Let's not lose our heads over such tales. We need to stay focused on the next mini-dungeon," But the twinkle in his eye dimmed momentarily, his casual demeanor disrupted as he remembered the description of the light emanating from the tall structure from that woman...It sounded eerily like the place where Axton and the others were camping.
However, unbeknownst to them, the Zone Master's gaze narrowed as his figure faded away.
2 months later,
Amidst the hum of the rising sun, Asher emerged from the temporary housing, the light of dawn casting a gentle glow on his dove-gray skin.
Following closely behind were Merina, her motherly grace evident even in the way she walked; Ceti, her scarlet hair flowing behind her, her piercing dark blue eyes scanning the surroundings with caution; and Isola, shimmering in the early light, her twilight-blue skin reflecting the hues of the sky. However, her gaze seemed to avoid Asher's back as if she was afraid of meeting his gaze.
The instant Asher stepped into the open, he felt a myriad of eyes on him.
He was accustomed to the stares, many stemming from envy due to his striking appearance, his status, or the stunning companions he had and, of course, their belief that he had been having a vacation in this safe zone for a long while.
But he noticed something else, something more unsettling.
After they were done with the staring, he noticed all of their faces held some kind of tension, with some of them heartedly discussing something in large groups.
"Why does everyone seem like they're walking on eggshells?" Asher questioned, breaking the silence.
Merina and Ceti exchanged a quick, knowing glance. With a deep breath, Ceti, always the direct one, replied, "It's because of that night. Or, more accurately, what transpired with you."
Asher's dark yellow eyes fixed on Ceti, a subtle hint of confusion apparent, "What do you mean?"
Ceti paused, her gaze momentarily dropping. When she looked back up, her eyes were resolute, "The talk among the demons is that the ghost of Golden Prince might be present in this quest. You were...unconscious, for the past two months. You missed the initial uproar. And yet, even now, the panic is palpable. Even though Golden Prince was only known to us for barely more than a decade, he was a nightmare to our world during the years he was alive. And now people are afraid they have to live that nightmare again."
Isola's glowing white hair seemed to ripple, reflecting her internal trepidation, but she held her silence, awaiting Asher's response.
Asher inwardly knew why they would think, but it was not like he saw it coming, nor could he even make sense of how it was possible.
Still, a casual laugh escaped Asher, "Why would anyone think that?"
Taking another deep breath, Ceti responded, "After you invoked the power of the phoenix feather, the golden aura emanating from you was...reminiscent of Golden Prince. Some demons nearby that night saw it even if they didn't know it was you. They felt its scorching aura, and they were convinced it was unmistakably the same as Golden Prince. Honestly…we felt the same as well…" Ceti said with a look of uncertainty and doubt.
Merina added softly, "We know the Golden Prince's aura was like a miniature sun, with a reach spanning hundreds of miles without him trying. For demons like us, especially looking upon it was akin to staring into blinding radiance. Some of them actually got blinded by looking at that light that night. We are worried if the power of the phoenix did any irrevocable damage to you, Master."
"Yes, we are concerned if using such power had any untold consequences. Do you have any idea how any of it was possible? Nobody else could have survived using that…" Ceti mumbled with a deep furrow of her brows.
Asher felt both their burning curiosity and their puzzled gazes landing on him and knew he couldn't simply shrug off their doubts and give them any reason to suspect anything.
