We landed on a mountain plain.
Mountains stretched in every direction, their peaks hidden behind the thick white clouds above. Somehow, the moonlight managed to seep through the gaps, spilling down and bathing the landscape in a pale glow.
We were far from civilisation. If I recalled correctly, this place lay near the northern border between the Kingdom of Hellgra and Friscus.
Lycrane set me down. I sat on a large boulder, touched my aching knee, and looked at her with a piercing gaze.
"Why are we here?"
"Can you use any simple healing spells?" she asked, ignoring my question. "You'll need to walk from here on."
I looked at her, exasperated. "Yes, I can. Give me a moment," I said, my shoulders drooping.
I did know a few elementary healing spells, but they could barely mend scratches or sprains. I was just about to cast one when she showed up earlier.
Focusing, I channelled mana from my core into my left hand, hovering it over my injured knee. An incantation of half-formed murmurs and barely audible whispers slipped from my lips.
A pale green light glowed from my palm, spreading a soothing warmth through my battered body.
"Are you done?" Lycrane asked impatiently.
"Yes, yes. Just a few more minutes," I replied irritably.
After cancelling the spell, I stood and tested my leg. There was still a faint stiffness, but it was negligible.
Lycrane scanned me up and down before saying, "Okay. Now, follow me."
I obeyed.
We walked through the mountains like lonely phantoms seeking shelter from the moonlight.
Before long, we stood before a small tunnel carved into the side of a nearby mountain.
Lycrane flicked her wrist, and a flame sparked to life. It grew, casting light across the tunnel's interior.
We walked forward, our steps crunching against the stone floor.
It felt like a maze—occasional left and right turns, winding endlessly—until finally, we arrived at a large cavern hidden within the mountain.
At its centre was a small pond, glowing with a greenish-blue radiance. Looking up, I saw crystals jutting out from the cave walls, shimmering faintly in the light. It was a sight to behold.
Just as I was losing myself in the otherworldly beauty of the place, Lycrane called out.
"Come here."
When I glanced at her and saw what it was, I drew in a sharp breath.
At first glance, the first thing that would come to mind after seeing it would be a "teleportation portal."
It looked like a bluish-black distortion, circling with streaks of green and grey, resembling tree bark.
"What is that?" I asked.
Lycrane did not answer. Instead, she walked forward and said, "Come on."
I stammered, "C-come on? Come where?"
She stopped, looked back, and replied matter-of-factly, "Through this gate, of course."
"Gate?" I repeated, noting her choice of words.
Her brows knitted together in genuine confusion—perhaps the only genuine expression I had seen from her.
"You don't know what a gate is?" she asked.
"No, I don't. Is that a common term?"
Though I wasn't the type to boast, I considered myself fairly knowledgeable about most things. Yet I had never seen or even heard of something like this before. Perhaps it was something only people of her status understood. But would I be fine knowing it?
She stayed silent for nearly half a minute, only speaking when I prompted her with a small, "Hm?"
"It doesn't matter. Just follow me," she said, resuming her steps as if the conversation had never taken place.
"Wait, wait. Hold on."
Without turning back, she asked, "What?"
"I'm not going."
She stopped and turned around, her midnight-blue eyes scrutinising me, brows slightly furrowed.
"Why?" she asked.
I closed my eyes. "That should be my line. Why do I have to go, anyway? I don't owe you anything. And this looks dangerous."
Lycrane looked at me, exasperated, as if she had never met anyone like me.
"Come with me. I'll protect you."
"No."
Her expression shifted to irritation.
Even with her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed, her beauty remained undeniable. Still, I had no intention of being dragged into something dangerous just because a beautiful woman asked nicely.
After a moment, she said, "Look, I need your help to get in. I can't enter without you. There's a barrier. To enter, I have to…"
"You have to… what?" I pressed, narrowing my eyes at her sudden silence.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is, I need you to get through the gate. So, come." She took a step toward me.
I stepped back. "No."
Looking at her flawless face, I finally asked after some thought, "I never really had the chance to ask—why did you act that way during the House Selection Event, recruiting me in front of everyone like that? What's so special about me?"
This question had gnawed at me for a long time. I wanted to ask it from the very beginning, but one thing after another kept getting in the way, and I missed the chance.
As she looked at me, a strange sense of anticipation crept over me, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.
Lycrane's alluring red lips parted, and what she said was something I never expected.
"I will give you five gold coins if you help me get inside."
I raised an eyebrow, scoffing at her blatant attempt to buy me off.
"Money isn't the issue here. I just want—"
"Ten gold coins…"
I blinked, "What…?"
"Twenty…"
"..."
"Thirty."
"..."
"Fifty,"
"Done."
…
After some serious negotiations and self-contemplation, I had finally come to the conclusion that going through the gate wasn't such a bad idea.
'Just think about it. The strongest person in the Kingdom will be right by my side. What's there to be afraid of? If anything happens, Lycrane will protect me.'
Satisfied with my reasoning, I made my way toward the portal.
Standing beside Lycrane, I met her gaze, and she gave me a small nod.
But before we could step forward, I suddenly grabbed her hand.
She looked at me, startled.
"What if we get teleported to different places? Safety measures," I said, chuckling as I shook her hand lightly. She stretched her brows and nodded, as if it had made so much sense.
With that light exchange, we both exhaled slowly, then stepped forward in unison, entering the gate.
My mind buzzed as the sensation of descent overtook me; falling into the unknown, swallowed by darkness.