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~~~(POV: Cera Adamo)~~~
~~~(Location: Crossing Safari, The Continent Of Alforza)~~~
~~~(Time: 1:23 PM)~~~
We've been traveling for 4-days straight. However, tonight is the night we set up a temporary camp for a 3-day rest. Then we'll be back on the lonely road to wherever we're heading. That is when tonight comes. It's still midday, after all.
Sally and I are actually in the back of one of the carts. It's open and lets the air through it. The person sitting across from us has been bothering us for the last 4 days. Xilo has been trying to worm her way into our good graces again.
There is something sincere about how she's doing it. She's not actively speaking, only staying in our general orbit. This is actually the closest she's been since Sally told her to give us space.
She's not a bad person. Just one that's part of a far more different culture than ours. Their customs would be foreign or wrong in our eyes. The three-way induced with drugs being one of them. That wasn't something we'd do. But it's regular for the Des'merta.
"How big are the Safari lands of Alforza? We've seen some of the desert, but we know it's much bigger. Is all of Alforza considered a part of the desert we were in, or are only some parts considered part of the desert?"
The person asking these questions isn't Sally or myself. It's actually another Player we've come across on the road. The Des'merta has allowed the man to come along. He's aware of who I am, but he wasn't all that surprised or starstruck. It was nice for once.
Xilo has been kind enough to answer any questions he has that don't reveal any of the Des'merta secrets that she has been sworn to protect.
His name is Giovanni Lepore. We talked a little and he's from France back on Earth. It's nice to talk to another Player for a change. I haven't talked to many Players. It was never necessary, but this has been a nice change.
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"You're a long way from anywhere you'd consider familiar. Alforza is the largest known Continent of Gaia. It has vast jungles and huge deserts. Almost all environments for life can be found on Alforza."
Giovanni looks at me with an amused look. While I'm somewhat lacking in specific knowledge, I know some general knowledge about Alforza now. I've learned a good deal in the time we've spent here. But not enough to say I know a lot about it.
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"I was asking Preistess Xilo. I respect your knowledge about where you're from, Angel Zern. I know that you don't know nearly as much about this place as she does."
My fellow Player is quick to redirect the controller of the topic back to himself. He looks at Xilo and waits for her to speak.
"There isn't much I can tell you. You'll have to become Des'merta to answer any more questions I haven't already answered. You haven't proven yourself worthy. You were almost dead when we found you. You would've died."
While he would've respawned back at the last Player Cathedral he was at, to the Des'merta. That still counts as death and failure to survive the desert.
The man asking all these questions doesn't look all that pleased, but he accepts the rejection of the question. There really is much that I want to ask Xilo now that things are starting to slowly smooth over. But I don't want to ask them in front of Giovanni.
He's a Lore Junky like I am. If there is something to be learned, he'll want to know it. I can respect that part about him. But we share one of the bad characteristics that come with that drive. We let it control us sometimes. I've been working on it, but he's fully consumed like I once was.
"Fine, I respect your ways and laws. No matter how inconvenient they actually are."
His eyes shift from Xilo to Sally, and I can see that he's only interested in what she knows. It's something that I'm happy to see. Most men who look at Sally see her as a piece of meat. Something to possess and use.
Giovanni has the look of someone ready for information. Completely unaware of how feminine Sally actually is. It's curious to see, but it's a breath of fresh air.
"Miss Orvello. Surely you know information about The Elven Kingdom that no one else knows. No Player outside of Angel Zern and his group of friends have ever set foot in the place."
The legends of my exploits with my family have circled around the world. The public sees them as my friends when they're actually my family. It's a nice misdirection. There are only a couple of Players that know the truth, and that's because they found out on their own.
Sally looks at the Player with annoyance. It's funny cause, at one point, I was just as thirsty for knowledge as he is now. While I didn't speak that way to people, it's the same principle. He's more polite about asking for information. His french accent helps.
"There isn't much to tell. I wasn't in The Elven Kingdom. I grew up outside of its borders. While I'm the Princess and heir, I gave that up. Those aren't my people."
It's common knowledge that the girl who travels with Angel Zern is the Elven Princess. She's pretty popular in some parts.
I'm just guessing, of course. But who wouldn't like Sally after getting to know her? After seeing how much she's grown.
"That's unfortunate. Looks like I'm back to talking with you, Angel Zern. Tell me, have you ever been to the mysterious Overworld?"
That's not a question I was expecting. It's not a place I think about a lot, but I suppose that I have the right to go there. I only need to know how to reach the place. Even in the future, there was no known way to enter Overworld.
"There isn't much I know about Overworld. Only the Gods of The Ancients World reside there. The way to get to that plain is also unknown to me."
I see no reason to lie to Giovanni. It's not like this information is dangerous.
"Tell me, Gio. What's Edaero like?"
That's the name of the Continent all European Players spawn for the first time. Most remain in their spawned Continent. But The Collision changed that. Eventually, everyone got back to where they originally started, but some Players have ventured out.
Players like Giovanni and me. My family are some people who are leaving their original Continents.
"The Continent of Edaero is a beautiful place. I would've never left if not for my curiosity. Gaia is a big place, and I don't want to stay stuck in a single location. I want to see everything this world has to offer. No matter how long it takes. Us Players have all the time in the world, after all."
Edaero has always been a place that interests me. While it's similar to my own Continent, it has distinct differences in its power structure and pecking order in Gaia. It's one of the strongest Continents in all of Gaia.
"It's too bad a huge rebellion against the Nobles has tossed the place into war. It was one of the reasons I left. I don't recommend going there any time soon. At least not until the war is over."
Another war has sparked in a different part of the world.
"Would you tell me where you're from?"
Xilo looks at me as she asks this.
"You'll have to be more specific. I'm from a lot of places."
I'm sorta giving her the run around right now, but I feel like if I start talking to her like nothing is wrong, she'll think everything is okay. Sally and I aren't ready to forgive her. But it's not like it's impossible. If Xilo weren't who she was, we wouldn't.
But she's a good person and someone who did what their cultures and customs required.
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A/N: Below this line, I'll be keeping Cera's player information. That way, I won't have to place it into the story above anymore. It takes about 180 words up.
[Slayer (Zern) Lvl.237][Tier-4]
[Exp: 72/100%]
[Title: The Son of Arch-Angel Michael (Hidden)]
[Stats] [Strength - 7095][Endurance - 7045][Dexterity - 7215][Speed - 8240][Focus - 19,660]
[Mana aura control: 6/100%]
[Health: 76,560,000,000/76,560,000,000] [Mana: 216,600,000,000/216,600,000,000]
[Stat Points: 440] [Armor rating: 500]
[Inventory] [Dice of Wayland (Divine)] [The Witness (Legendary Sword)] [Fenrir's Whistle (Divine)] [Camping gear] [Fishing poles 2x] [Festival Garbs 2x] [4x EXP Boosts] [Princess Saliandra's Panties (Black Lace)] [Desert Warrior Nomad Set (Rare)]
[Passive Perks]
[Inheritor of the Sword] [Son of Heaven] [Slayer of Evil] [Holy Willow Trees Savior] [Finder of Legends] [The Divine who has Legend] [Destined for Greatness] [Dungeon Diver] [An Overachiever]
[Active Skills]
[Heavens light Lvl.74 325/7400] [Protected by Heaven Lvl.74 225/7400] [Slash Lvl.92 4600/21000] [Parry Lvl.68 85/6800] [Double Strike N/A] [Kingslayer N/A] [Raging Machine N/A] [Winged Glory] [Angelic Flight] [Divine Pressure Exertion] [Divinity Pulse] [Controlled Fun] [Aspect of Transportation (Legendary)]