Chapter 789 Camping
The road back to the Kingdom of Tretidian was quieter than Kaizen's group had expected. Unlike the day they went to the Kingdom of Mibothen, the road was not in chaos, nor was there a fire on the borders. On the contrary, people were happy and nostalgic.
'This event was definitely a milestone...' Kaizen thought as a group of players on the side of the road waved to them.
Of course, Kaizen returned the gesture, and a few seconds later the players lost sight of the carriage on the winding forest road.
Even though there were no people traveling to Tretidian, there were still many people traveling to Mibothen. There was a lot of work and service, and therefore money waiting.
On that late afternoon of Rise Online, the sun's rays were beginning to dance among the leaves of the trees on the road that snaked through the forest. Kaizen watched the peaceful landscape from the carriage window, lost in thought. The memory of the event in Mibothen still echoed in his mind, even almost two weeks later, except that contrary to what he and Bloody Lily had expected, those two weeks had been peaceful. No Evolved or God confronted them. Everything was peaceful and everyone was feeling it, because he could see it in the eyes of the companions next to him - the mage Alina, Andrew, Xisrith, everyone.
A cool breeze caressed Kaizen's face, which almost made him fall asleep.
The carriage rattled gently over the stones in the path as the group moved forward. If they kept up this pace, it would only take a few more hours to get home.
Alina, who was sitting next to Kaizen, looked at him with a quiet smile. "You seem calmer than usual," she commented, her eyes fixed on him.
Kaizen was surprised. "What do you mean?"
"Um..." She put a finger to her lips, thinking. "The impression I had recently was that you were anxious about something, apprehensive in a way. A goal perhaps? Or were your instincts telling you that something like what happened in Mibothen was going to happen? I don't know, but it seems to me that that black cloud over your head disappeared after you returned from the Capital."
Her analysis made Kaizen smile. It was impressive that she, an NPC, had realized how apprehensive he was to reach level 200 as quickly as possible.
"I will neither agree nor disagree." He said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, as if he was ready to go to sleep.
While they were talking, the carriage began to slow down, approaching a sunny clearing, and with a jolt the carriage came to a complete stop.
"Guys, Blackcloud's a bit tired and it's getting dark, shall we stop here and set up camp?" Og'tharoz asked.
Kaizen looked at the others and they nodded. Stopping now and waiting for dawn meant that they would have to spend the night playing or log on early to complete the journey.
"Yaw!" Xisrith stretched. "It's good to stretch my legs at last... I wonder if there are any monsters around."
"I'm dying for some fresh meat and not this inventory meat, so let's hope so," said Andrew.
The group descended from the carriage, feeling the relief of stretching their legs after hours of travel. The clearing, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, was surrounded by a forest of tall, leafy trees. The sounds of nature mingled with the gentle rustling of the wind in the leaves, providing a serene and welcoming atmosphere.
Og'tharoz, now known as the oldest of them all, began to give instructions for setting up camp. The players hurried to unload their belongings from the carriage while Alina cast a spell to create a magical barrier around the area, ensuring the group's safety during the night. Andrew, always eager for adventure, decided to explore the surroundings in search of ingredients to cook with.
While everyone was busy with their tasks, Kaizen moved away from the group, walking to the edge of the clearing. He watched the sun slowly set, dyeing the sky orange and purple. A sense of tranquillity enveloped Kaizen, a remarkable contrast to the tensions and challenges he had faced in recent weeks.
Alina approached him, keeping her gaze fixed on the horizon. "Sometimes peace comes at the most unexpected moments," she commented, her voice as soft as a night breeze.
Kaizen agreed, reflecting on her words. "It's true. It seems we can finally breathe a little."
The mage smiled, looking at the rest of the group, who were moving around the emerging camp. "We're all in this together, Kaizen. You know that, don't you? When you get worried about something else, you can talk to me."
Kaizen nodded. Although he didn't intend to tell her about his brother, it was good to know that she was willing to listen.
Logop, night began to fall, and stars dotted the dark sky.
The aroma of the campfire began to fill the air, courtesy of the group's cook, Andrew, who was skillfully preparing a comforting meal of Crystal Deer meat. The dancing light of the fire highlighted the players' faces as they gathered around it, sharing a laugh.
However, in the midst of this peaceful atmosphere, Og'tharoz, sitting by the fire, announced: "Tomorrow, we will finish our journey back to Tretidian, but it will also be the last day I can be with you for a while."
Everything quietened down around the fire, letting only the sound of its crackling echo across the illuminated clearing.
With a frown, Kaizen was the first to speak. "What are you talking about, Og?"
The demon took a deep breath and looked up at the stars above him. "As you know, I'm not from here, I'm from hell and for a long time I was Surtr's most faithful servant. And when I decided to leave hell forever and live in Midgard, I thought I would never return, that I was truly free, but I never was. Somehow, Surtr got the soul of my old wife, the woman of my life. An ordinary human."
"What?" everyone asked in unison, shocked.
"How did you know?"
"Belial told me."
"And do you believe him?"
"No, of course not, it's just that when he spoke about it, it was the first time I felt truth in his words. Belial may be everything, but he's no fool to try to motivate the enemy with empty words. He knew that what he was saying was real and he wanted me to know it, to throw in my face how much leverage Surtr had over me, to show me that I could never be truly free." He took a deep breath and continued: "And now that Surtr knows that all the demons in the circles are dead, he must be furious. He'll definitely take all his anger out on Luna, tear her apart and reassemble her as many times as he likes in his throne room."
You could see the hatred and despair reflected in Og'tharoz's eyes, as if he was actually seeing everything he described happening.
Xisrith remained calm and asked directly:
"And what do you intend to do? Go to hell to get your beloved's soul and come back?"
"No, I'm not an idiot. I know that if I tried that, I'd end up dead. The only thing I can do is offer myself as tribute to Surtr, try to redeem myself. He needs officials to run hell, otherwise Muspelheim will become chaos, and that might be the only situation in which he would take me back."
"That would mean that you..." Andrew was about to speak, and Alina complemented him.
"You'd be trapped forever, or worse, you could become a victim of his." The sorceress said, looking into the fire.
Og'tharoz nodded. "In either case, my wife would finally have peace. If I die, he will no longer have any reason to torture her. If I work for him, she can be spared. And if I become his victim, I'll be the focus of his anger, which will make Luna no longer the target."
"Or Surtr could torture her in front of you, making you both suffer twice as much..." Kaizen said, looking Og'tharoz in the eye. "That possibility crossed your mind too, right?"
Og'tharoz, trying to remain calm, nodded in agreement. "I know, but what choice do I have?"
The clearing was immersed in a heavy silence after Og'tharoz's words.
Kaizen stared at Og'tharoz, pondering the words he had just heard. His thoughts raged as he searched for a solution to the demon's dilemma. Finally, he stood up, breaking the tense silence.
"Og'tharoz, I know you believe there is no other option but to surrender to Surtr. But what if I told you there was an alternative? A way to confront Surtr and save your wife, without having to surrender completely to hell?" Kaizen suggested, maintaining a serious but determined tone.
Og'tharoz's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you suggesting, Kaizen? Nothing in hell is simple, and facing Surtr is practically a death sentence."
Kaizen paused dramatically before revealing his plan. "If we take on Surtr as a group, we might have a real chance of winning. Besides, if he's so busy trying to subdue all of us, it'll give him the opportunity to rescue his wife."
The group around the campfire looked at each other, absorbing Kaizen's words. Og'tharoz, initially skeptical, began to consider the proposal. A spark of hope shone in his eyes as he imagined the possibility of not having to face Surtr alone.
"Kaizen, you're suggesting that we all face a hell lord as if it were something easy..." said Xisrith, almost laughing. "Ouch, but I'm up for it."
"Face the devil? I'm in!" Andrew said and stood up.
"I've never been to another world. I think I'll enjoy the trip." Alina agreed.
Jayaa, the bard, played a soft note on his lute. "Imagine the songs an adventure like that could generate! I'm going too, of course!"
Kaizen looked at Og'tharoz seriously. "So, Og'tharoz, what do you say?"
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