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Chapter 552 - Challenge number 3
🕑 Added 2022-11-09 13:00:08 +0000 UTCHera's Status
Leaving the challenge, Hera found Alex, Helena, and Shane outside, already waiting for the rest of the group.
"Hey, guys. How did things go?" Hera smiled.
"Pretty well for me. I could take all of the other statues' senses, and with my shadow tendrils, it was easy to pass the obstacle course since that doesn't work as a mount," Helena smiled.
"Yeah. I should've tried that. I used my legacy to enchant myself with speed and agility and just blazed through it. It was way too easy, and it's giving me bad ideas," Shane had her tablet in her hands. She was noting down some ideas and things to do with her legacy in the future.
Alex rolled her eyes, "I didn't have to cheat like those two. I got second place fair and square. My one issue was the panther statue. That thing was way too quick. Even if I used my Wind Chaser spell, it wasn't enough to beat it."
"Nice. I got third place, but it still worked for me. And I solved any issues we might have with water," Hera showed everyone the portable cup she got.
"That's great! I got a hint for one of the next challenges," Helena pulled out her tablet and showed a picture to everyone. It was a small terrarium of sorts showing a forge and five different objects on top of the anvil. Several tools were hanging from the walls, and there was a box filled with different scrolls that looked like blueprints from the outside.
"Me too," Shane nodded before pulling out a particularly large gold coin. It had engraved a set of eggs on one side and some waves on the other.
Hera looked it over, but her [Inspect] didn't trigger a response. Confused, she turned to Shane, "Is that it? Just a hint?"
"Well… According to the notification, this will help me complete one of the challenges. It didn't say which one and the notification was sketchy at best. So I have no clue what is going to happen when I find the right place to use this," Shane explained.
Hera nodded and turned to Alex, knowing how it was likely something the guides told Shane, "How about you?"
"I got a flower sticker that can help me cool off if it's too hot. It has five petals, and I can share them if I need to, but if I put the entire thing, it will help me deal with the cold instead," Alex explained.
Helena frowned, "You know, I saw something like that in the showcase in the middle of a store. They sold similar ones there, but they were expendable and kind of pricey. It was… 10 thousand a pop, I think."
Shane sighed and shook her head, "I think that's because of who made those. I've seen others that were just a few hundred bucks."
"Were those multiple uses? Because the ones I'm talking about had a few charges," Helena turned to Shane.
"Oh? No, I think those were one-and-done. Then I don't think those are that expensive. If they are like 20-30 charges each, it would already be a deal."
Hera started rubbing her eyes, "I think the two of you really need to spend some time outside the MAZE. You know that you are talking about the price of like two or maybe even three ACs, right? Like not just those portable ones that are cheap, I mean full-blown Air Conditioners with part of the installation to the outside," everyone stopped to stare at her with an expression of disbelief, "I know, I know. I have a lot of money right now, but still. I have an idea of how expensive things are here."
Alex laughed, "It's okay, Hera. We get it. It's just…."
"This isn't exactly the best place to talk about the cost of things. Anything that we buy here can help us survive," Shane added.
"I know. It just feels really weird, especially when I used to live with a thousand gold a month," Hera sighed.
"Really? That little?" Shane gasped.
Almost as if to save her from the conversation, Adriel and Mylo came out of the challenge. The two walked toward the rest of the group, who were closer to the water. Staying on this low ground when there was an ocean right by their side didn't feel right.
"I didn't make it. Got seventh," Mylo said as he sat down and took off his shoes. He walked a few meters into the water and sat on a shallow part of the ocean.
Everyone looked at each other, but Hera was the one who walked closer to the fighter, "What's wrong, big guy?"
"They cheated," Mylo replied while still staring at the God of Water sculpture.
Hera raised her eyebrows, "Excuse me?"
Mylo blinked a few times, "Yeah, they cheated. I timed them, and they didn't move or use any spells for about forty minutes. I thought I had to wait for them and stay by their side. Then they all started running and doing the obstacle course. I was going to follow them, but I was stopped, and it said I lost because I 'failed to overcome any obstacle within the minimum time frame.'"
"Oh man, that sucks. The notification really wasn't that helpful. But now you know what will happen the next time," Hera tried to cheer him up.
"I guess..." Mylo continued staring into the distance.
Hera glanced back, asking for help with her eyes, but Shane waved her off. No one else had any ideas, and the Empress just ended up turning back to Mylo, "Can I do anything to help?"
"No. I just need time," Mylo replied before being left alone.
Adriel had finished his challenge in first place and got a tack box for the item he already had. It had no special attributes or anything of the sort.
"Damn, you can get a dud even by getting first place?" Alex asked.
"Yeah. But I think it's kind of a punishment because of how I won," Adriel explained.
"What did you do?" Shane turned to him, still playing with her coin.
"I used one of my drones as mounts to run, but here is the thing: unless someone pulls them or they work together, each drone is super slow. So while the statues were dragging their feet, I just climbed out of the drone and ran."
"You are joking," Hera stared at him in disbelief.
"I'm not. When you said my mount would dictate what the statues would have, I figured this would be a good way to cheese it," Adriel opened a large smile, "Also. If anyone is having problems. I could let you borrow the drones as long as you promise to be careful with them."
"That works? I thought they were part of your relic," Helena asked.
"One of them is. The one that can make the barrier, the rope, and stuff. The others are just to carry things and work with an app. Or I link them to my relic and let it control them. That is much easier, honestly,"
The group talked a bit more and watched Mylo's mood continue to deteriorate. They probably wouldn't be able to cheer him up until he processed his emotions, according to Shane. Everyone agreed to give him some time after that. It took another twenty minutes for Bonnie to come out, with Blue being the last. Both of them failed to complete the challenge. Bonnie faced an army-like training course, and completing it was already a challenge in itself. When they asked Blue, she was a bit embarrassed to reply. She didn't notice the checkpoints and tried to just rush to the finish line. That ended up being her doom. Using her flying cloud, she got lost in the challenge, and it took her ages to find the start of the race again.
"Also, while I was there, I had an idea," Bonnie started speaking but looked towards the ocean, where Mylo was sitting without moving or speaking, "Mylo? Can you come here? I wanted everyone's opinion on something."
The fighter nodded and got up, walking towards the group. Everyone waited for him, and when he joined the party, they all turned to Bonnie.
"Ok, like I was saying, during my obstacle course, I kept thinking about how we are doing this. Every time, some of us manage to win right away and just stay back waiting for the rest, and I don't think that's the best use of our time. I agree that we should have someone here to help in case of emergencies, but instead of waiting for everyone to finish the challenges, we should split up."
"Isn't that dangerous? What if something happens or a monster shows up?" Alex asked.
"I don't think any of us is reckless enough to put ourselves in danger," Bonnie glanced at Hera, "At least on purpose. And unless we find something like what Hera found, I'm positive no one would be in a situation where they would be in serious trouble if the rest of us didn't show up to help right away. Also, this is why I would say we should split into groups. I want to say groups of three, but Hera would technically count as two, at least, so she could go with just one more person."
"If possible, I think Hera, Blue, and I should all be in different groups then. That way, each group would have at least one legacy with them. It might be stupid, but there are things we can do that maybe others can't," Shane added.
"But that would only work if one of you beat the challenge. Otherwise, you would be without anyone on the outside," Helena looked at Mylo, worried that this could make him even more upset.
"So we split into two groups, for now. I'll stay here with them, and you guys can go ahead. I was going to offer my drones to two of them anyway," Adriel smiled and pulled two of the three disk-like cases that were his drones in their rest mode.
Everyone else accepted Bonnie's suggestion, which made Mylo look really unhappy. Trying to support him, Hera turned to him, "You could just leave it for later. Then we can split up into groups of three."
Mylo looked at the group, "Would that be ok?"
"I don't see why not. Just remember that you have to complete this later. It also helps since I only have two drones to offer," Adriel smiled and patted Mylo's shoulder, trying to cheer him up.
Mylo nodded, "Next time, I'll get first," he turned to Hera, "Mind if I go with you?"
"Sure, Nimbus, do you mind?" Hera called the Sentinel to her side.
"Of course not. It will be a pleasure to have you accompany us," Nimbus nodded to Mylo.
"Actually… Do you have a rope or a way to drag something? We could do that thing where I'm skating behind you while you carry someone else," Hera turned to Nimbus.
"It is a good idea, and I don't think he will be too heavy for me," Nimbus noticed how Mylo frowned at that comment, "I mean no offense about your weight, but compared to Hera, you are much more muscular."
Mylo showed a confused expression for a moment before slamming a fist into his open hand as he realized something, "Oh, right, muscles are heavier. I don't have a rope, but I can do this," he took his staff from his back and cast a spell, it soon turned into a long snake plushie, "This is technically an illusion, but it's one so good that it can actually affect things."
Hera reached out and tried to touch it, and to her surprise, it was somewhat solid. Not like Daskka in her mist snake form, but when Mylo pulled it back, she could feel the staff-made-snake being pulled. Enough to make her arm move forward.
"I think this will work. How about it? You guys take the next island, and we go to the fifth. On the way back, we meet up and bring everyone back to the doorway," Hera turned to the group. Everyone accepted that suggestion, and soon, Shane, Helena, and Alex got in a group heading to the fourth island. At the same time, Hera and Mylo, who was riding Nimbus, sped through the area, skipping the fourth and going straight to the fifth island.
Comments
Perizou
I'm glad it helped! Remember that a bad day is just a bad day, not a bad evertyhing.
Gail Burke
Snake plushie, that's awesome! Thank you for the great chapter, totally needed it today.
