"Do you sell teleportation scrolls that lead to Destiny Road?"
"No."
"Do you sell teleportation scrolls that lead to Destiny Road?"
"No."
"Do you sell teleportation scrolls that lead to Destiny Road?"
"No."
"..."
I asked multiple stores, but none of them sold a teleportation scroll. They were sold out, and I couldn't help but curse my luck.
I sat down on a nearby bench and sighed. Should I go to a different town? Or try to blackmail any rich person I see?
That was the only way I could see myself finding a teleportation scroll, but the risk came along with it. Before I could do something stupid, someone called out to me.
"Hey, I heard you're looking for a teleportation scroll to Destiny Road. I have an offer; are you interested in it?"
What appeared before me was an angel. No, I meant what I said—the girl before me had silver hair and bright yellow eyes. Her wings and halo were quite eye-catching.
"If it isn't anything too stern, then I hear you out."
"Well... The request is pretty complex. But you might as well hear it."
"In four days, a space fissure would open. The reason why you want to go there is because of that fissure, correct?"
Was it that obvious? I nodded, confirming what she said. There was no reason to lie, as that might result in me messing up this opportunity.
"What I want for you is to assist me in entering."
"Why me? There are many people competent enough. You don't even know who I am."
"Let's just say intuition plays a big part in it. What I say may sound ridiculous, but I trust my intuition."
Looking at the angel, I couldn't tell if she was highly confident or stupid. In the end, it doesn't matter. The angel in front gave me a chance.
"So you want to enter the fissure?"
"And I feel like you have some kind of power to keep me safe."
"Is that all is needed?"
She gave me a gentle nod. I then came to a realization, what made this part hard? For me, surviving the fissure should be the easiest part.
"I know this is late, but could I ask for your name?"
"Ah. I'm Joanne. An explorer enthusiast!"
Explorer? I never expected an angel to be an explorer. Looking at her, she didn't have that look of being an explorer. She was more like a playful caretaker.
"Since I said my name. What's yours?"
"Charles."
"Do you do anything in particular?"
When Joanne asked, nothing came to mind. All of my answers were bound to be terrible in one way or another.
"Me? I'm someone who does stuff on a whim. I rarely decide on what to do."
"Then, did something happen for you to want a teleportation scroll?"
"Yes. This is an exception, but I thank you for your help."
I quickly skipped over my reason for being in the world of the Unknown. Joanne shook her head and gave a bright smile.
"You're also helping me. There's no need for an excessive thank you."
"Since you're going to help me, could I have your contact information?" It won't be funny when you aren't there when it is time."
What she said was correct. I could have put a tracker on her, but I decided against it, as it would seem weird if she found out.
"Charles, was it? Since we're going to Destiny Road together, why don't we visit a place together?"
"Sure."
I had already tired out the girls. I had no reason to come back immediately after bidding them farewell.
"Then do you have a place in mind? I'm not well versed around these parts."
The market here was vastly different from the one I usually go to. I had already gone everywhere to my usual place and found nothing.
"I don't know much about this place. I had only come here to rest for a few days. Why don't we go around together."
With that decided, Joanne and I walked around the town. Joanne walked happily, observing everything in sight.
"Joanne. Do you mind if I ask a question?"
"Go ahead. I will answer anything I can."
Earlier, I had wondered what the hard part of my assistance was. Since we were now taking a stroll, I might as well ask.
"You said the task is complex. Which part of it was it?"
"Do you know the chances of survival when being sucked into a space fissure?"
I shook my head, telling her I didn't know. Joanne gave me a sad smile as she told me about the chances.
"Less than one percent is confirmed to survive. And that's from entering the fissure alone. The space fissure will shred apart anyone that comes close to it. And once you enter it, mental and physical damage will be applied. Even those at the top would have to be careful of it."
Wow. The chances didn't look good for those who weren't prepared. I had no problems with my overpowered abilities.
"You have too much trust in me. If it was as hard as you describe it, then why are you willing to take so much risk?"
She said her intuition had led her to me earlier, but for you to rely this much on intuition meant that she was always accurate in her guess.
"As an explorer, having a strong intuition is a must. You wouldn't survive a minute if you couldn't decide on your path."
"I heard many people try to enter the fissure. If the chances are low, why are there so many people trying to enter?"
The way I see it, only people who were either confident or suicidal would try to enter this fissure.
"Did you know? The fissure is a treasure trove. Those that return will either gain strength or wealth. And as an explorer, it's not too hard to figure out what I want, is it?"
If she claims to be what she is, her objective should be exploring the unknown. It was obvious that I didn't know much about the place except that it was where Constance was held.
"Then, can you tell me everything about the place?"
"Let's see..."
Joanne stood still and collected her thoughts.
"What I know about the world of the Unknown isn't much, but it should be plenty enough."
"Inside the unknown, you will find yourself in a shrouded fog. Most monsters there are mystical beings such as ghosts, dark spirits, and undead."
"Those who don't die from the fissure would have to struggle in a place like this. If you can't heal from the fissure, then there was no point in entering."
I listened to what she said and learned something about the place where we were going to go. If most negative creatures were active in the world of the unknown, my power there would be at its peak.
"There are those that go in the fissure hoping to be lucky, but I doubt you can survive due to luck."
"That's all I know about it. I hope our adventure will be exciting!"
"We're going to travel together?"
"Are we not?"
Joanne looked shocked when I asked her that. Her mood had dropped significantly, seeing that we probably would not travel together.
"It's not that I don't like you, but I have something important I have to do."
"Important? Do you mind if I follow? It's not like I have a path in the unknown."
"I'm doing something dangerous. You coming might be the cause of your death."
"The place where we are going is already dangerous. You don't mind more company, don't you?"
What she said was correct, but with what I was doing, I wouldn't be surprised if something went wrong.
"I may not look like it, but I'm pretty strong. You might need an extra pair of hands."
Why was I hesitating? While I will feel bad if she dies helping me find Constance. I needed to prioritize finding Constance by any means.
"Since you insist, I won't tell you to stop."
Joanne smiled brightly, seeing that I had accepted to be her travel companion. She hugged me tightly in public, which got us some glances along the way.
"Joanne, please stop. You're gathering attention toward us."
"Sorry about that, but I got over-excited. Now that I'm going to follow you, do you mind telling me what you hope to find in the unknown?"
"My lover."
A surprised expression came from Joanne. She closed her eyes and nodded before speaking.
"Are you sure your lover is there?"
"Yes."
"Then I hope we can find her."
Joanne had gotten too comfortable with me in this short time. She prayed for my success, which I appreciated from her.
Hearing how dangerous the unknown was, I wondered if Constance's sanity would be intact. What I do know is that my anger toward the vampire will continue to burn. They better hope they can run away from me as fast as possible.
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