Chapter 155 - Torri

Cheng Xiu killed off the last of the Slimes and looked around for more.

"That was it," San Zhe said to her helplessly. "You killed them all, Sister Xiu."

Cheng Xiu sheathed her sword back into its red and white casing. "That is too bad. I wanted to burn a few more-I mean I thought there would be more."

San Zhe gave her a look. Do you think I did not hear that little slip of yours?

Cheng Xiu smiled sweetly at him, giving him a sense of danger. Just ignore it or face the consequences.

"Let's go then," San Zhe said with a smile and walked away.

Cheng Xiu looked around once more to make sure that there was nothing else and then followed him.

[Ding!]

[Player Selafia Veritas has cleared the Nothern Slime Meadow!

Reward: +1 poison resistant potion.]

San Zhe took out a purple bottle from his storage ring. It had a wooden tag with the letter 'E' etched on it.

Cheng Xiu's eyes widened and looked at her own storage ring. She closed her eyes and thoought of the Reward that she just got.

A purple appeared in her hand as well. It had a tag hanging from its neck as well. The letter on it was 'C'. She got the better reward. Which made sense as she was the one who killed all the Slimes.

"I got this too?"

"Why do you seem surprised?"

San Zhe scratched his cheeks. "I guess I got it because we are in the same party."

"We are?" Cheng Xiu asked. "You didn't invite me nor did I invite you…is it because we are doing the Rat Pit quest together?"

San Zhe nodded. "The AI will treat people who are doing a mission for the Adventure guild together to be of the same party."

Cheng Xiu nodded. "Good to know I guess."

"Let's go then, Sister Xiu."

"Mm."

They began walking again.

After a few minutes, they finally reached the foot of the hill.

The place was covered completely in greenery. Cheng Xiu noticed a single cement brick that was placed a few steps away from her. Did it have something to do with the tower?

"You know what, Sister Xiu?"

"What?" Cheng Xiu asked as she looked at the stone for some markings.

She was surprised to find one at the bottom. A black circle.

Cheng Xiu recognised this as the game symbol for the White Room. Did that mean she was at a place like the White Room? Was this a place she can access the White Room from?

"I think it is unfair to a beginner to force them to fight walk this long."

Cheng Xiu blinked. She would find out more about the circle soon enough. "Well…most people have easier time. I just happen to have a bad luck with Quests in every game. It has been happening for a long time and I am used to it. Sure, I swear and curse a lot about it in my heart every time, but I am used to my shitty luck in general."

San Zhe was unsure how he should react to that comment. She really did seem to have bad luck in general. Really, ending up fighting with an Emperor Spirit and then fighting with experts, and then being forced to play a game that made her go into Deep Dive for too long, going into a coma, only to return to find herself being faced with NPC enemies.

He should probably tell her that the NPC that kidnapped him was someone who worked for an NPC that wanted to bring her harm.

But San Zhe couldn't bring himself to say it.

She deserved to not to worry about things for a bit of time at least.

"Take out your Player Card," San Zhe said to her.

Cheng Xiu frowned. "What is that?"

"The regitration card that you got from the Adventure's Guld?"

Cheng Xiu's eyes sparkled with understanding. "That!"

She took it out of the storage ring.

San Zhe nodded and then pointed towards the only concrete brick that stood to her right. "Place your card on top of that stone over there, your name side up.

Cheng Xiu's eyes widened. It was the same stone that she had seen earlier.

Cheng Xiu did as he instructed her.

The Stone glowed golden and then the card disappeared.

Cheng Xiu panicked and took a step forward.

San Zhe held her back. "Stop. It is registering your Quest with the Clock Tower. The Tower will ensure that there is a record of you reaching here and doing the mission when we return to the Adventure Guild. You will the card back after you leave the dungeon."

"How?"

"It will return to your storage ring on its own."

Cheng Xiu nodded in understanding.

The glowing stone elongated and shone brighter until it nearly blinded them.

When Cheng Xiu looked the stone again after her vision had returned, there was no longer a stone.

There was a golden archway in front of them instead.

The style of the archway was similar to the red torii gateways that Cheng Xiu often saw on the Internet.

"This is called as the Tower Torri," San Zhe explained. "It is a special pathway that leads to the Clock Tower."

"How can people be sure of what they are supposed to do?" Cheng Xiu asked in frustration. "Why is the beginner tutorials of this game so bad?"

San Zhe looked at her with guilt. "That might be because you haven't yet completed the first Quest yet. You are not qualified enough I guess. I know it because my own AI System informs me of the route that I should take."

Cheng Xiu looked at him in disbelief. "I need to complete my first mission to access the Torii, and I need access to the Torii if I want to complete the game? What? What would I have done then if you weren't here?"

San Zhe blinked. "If you stay in this area for a minute or two, the stone would start to glow and the System would give you the instructions again."

Cheng Xiu relaxed. "Oh."

"Let's go in then."

"Wait!"

San Zhe looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Yaksha?"

San Zhe bite his tongue. "Oops. Sorry."

Cheng Xiu shrugged. "Happens."

Just as the two got ready to wait for him some more, Cheng Xiu saw a figure walk towards them from the east.

He wore a simple black robe and a plain black mask. But the way he walked and the wayhe held himself gave away the clue of who he is.

"Brother Yaksha!" Cheng Xiu called with a smile.

"You actually recognised me," the man said with a laugh.

Cheng Xiu nodded, ignoring the way that the sound of his laughter made her feel. She knew she could be such a voice-con sometiems, someone who liked someone immediately because of the sound of their voice.

"It was not obvious, but I do recognise your gait."

San Zhe was surprised by her words at first until he thought of her amazing IQ. Remembering something like that must be very easy for a genius like her.

"Shall we go in then?" Yaksha asked her.

Cheng Xiu nodded. "We were just about to wait for you."

"I was lurking around," Yaksha said. "I just thought it would be best to meet you after you have activated the Torii."

"Why is that?" Cheng Xiu asked in confusion.

"You might have met with some more trouble along the way," he said in a teasing tone, "After all, you seem to attract the aggression of the sentient beings around you very easily."

Cheng Xiu felt like her heart was demolished my a wreaking ball at that moment. "So cruel?"

"Isn't it the truth? Why are you reacting like I am being delibrately cruel to you?"

Cheng Xiu glared. "Let's just go in!"

"As you wish," Yaksha said with a soft chuckle.

San Zhe felt like he just became a thrid wheel.

He suddenly felt something warm wrap around his palm.

San Zhe blinked and looked at Cheng Xiu's masked face in a daze.

"Let's go!" she said as she pulled him along.

Yaksha stood at the foot of the gate, waiting for them.

The tree stepped over the threshold.

From the outside, it seemed like they had teleported, and the golden Tori gate returned to its previous shape as a stone.

Inside the gate, Cheng Xiu and San Zhe were looking around in awe.

"I have never seen a Clock Tower entrance like this one before," San Zhe whispered.

Cheng Xiu observed the place around them.

They were in a rock-cut passage that had intricately designed vines and flowers on the walls and ceilings.

The area was cool and a sweet smell filled their noses.

There was something divine and mysterious about the passage way.

"Let's continue to walk," Yaksha said. "The passage will lead us directly to the level in the clock Tower that your mission is at."

"I see," Cheng Xiu said. "Have you seen things like this before? You don't seem surprised."

"The Vixia Clock Towers are all like this. They are the oldest standing Clock Towers after all."

"Longest standing?" San Zhe asked. It was the first time that he was hearing this.

Yaksha nodded. "It has been in the storyline of The Other World before the Reincarnations, that is, the advent of the players."

"Wow," San Zhe said.

Cheng Xiu felt like she should know this place all of sudden.