From southeast to the northwest, jogged a merry band of variant misfits carrying their luggage.
In the most front, was a ferrakhian holding a map with an oversized backpack strapped behind.
"The White Tiger and the Black Tortoise must've really meant the northwest," The ferrakhian flapped the small wings on her head. "I'm sure of it!
Ragoni Cruten was prepared to deal with all kinds of problems from being trapped in an avalanche, to being suddenly mugged in their journey as her oversized bag was filled with decoy and all of her prized belongings were stored within her spatial pocket.
Behind her was the one horned chimaera with scaly plated arms and legs, donning an adventurous leather equipment and a cloak. "These grandiose invitation scrolls are filled with riddles, thank goodness that they weren't meant to destroy our brain."
The next one in the line was a muscular tall and thuggish man, wearing a mildly tattered leather jacket. In contrast to the former usurper and the pretentious ferrakhian, held one of the straps of the backpack that held some of his few belongings by the shoulder.
Silent without any unnecessary words, he, Carla, and his brother only stayed together with each other because all of them knew one another quite well after some large project they contributed to the Ouranos Citadel back then.
Likewise, Jaro mirrored her big brother with the vagabond get up. Carla with her usual hooded cloak offered a luggage storing service with her pocket space storage, but both of them declined.
Despite being able to fly, Carla chose to stick with the group because she didn't want to go alone.
Ragoni with her wits and initiativeness, Elon with her abusable transmigrator background, Jaro and Jojo with their great potential, and Carla with her decoding skill.
Those five were the primary target of Ouroboros from the start.
But there was one more unexpected candidate.
A slender body that could be fit into a wooden barrel. Blonde shoulder-length hair that partially covered her face, topped with a pair of fox ears. A sly smug and laidback gaze. She had a big fluffy foxtail, wagging left and right as gracefully as she walked. She wore plain white, one-piece clothing, with green bands at the hemming.
The fox woman hummingly approached Carla. Carla was rather tall in comparison to her, but it didn't make her give up leaning as closely to the silver-haired woman.
"Psst! Psst! Don't you think that you might be rewarded for arriving sooner than everyone else?" The fox whispered.
"Eh… If you look at it, there must be a reason why they give riddles instead of the location... Hmmn, I think you do make some point."
Carla gave it a second thought. She slowed down her jogging pace to isolate herself and the fox behind the parade. Jaro noticed and looked back, both of them only exchanged their friendly smiles.
"Carry me with you!" The fox enticed. "My name is Guda Kuromaki, I can help you play through the possible test with ease if you follow my guidance!"
"Eh? The scroll didn't say that there will be a test there."
"Big sister seems to be rather meek. When there is a sect, there will always be a test! The beast that was sculpted in the scroller was a serpent. Now what is the most known serpent other than the Ouroboros, the Director of Ouranos Citadel, kon~?"
Guda then told her everything about the heavenly banquet that Carla and Jaro had missed. She illustrated it in a very grandiose way while gesturing all of her body like storytelling in a theater.
"There are more than just the heavenly fruit such as the Madra, Bina, and Apore trees that we planted!?"
"Yes! More nutritious and tasty! There are sooOOOoo—MANY of them! To the point that a whole 1,400 citizens couldn't devour them all until sunset! In fact, I have some of them in my spatial pocket, I can give you some if you pick me up~"
"Uuuh, someone who could waste that abundant amount of resources must be really generous in their disciples' development."
"Exactly! Now we're on the same road!"
"Hmm, can I trust you though?"
"You can! After all, fox is the most trusted animal of them all~"
Guda put on a sly smirk. Carla felt like this fox was extremely suspicious but there weren't any questionable things in her offer. It was a win-win situation for both of them. Seeing that the fox had a silk pocket that was said to be a spatial storage, strapped in her waist hemming, it seemed like this blonde youkai was not as simple as her plain white clothing.
Carla walked faster to keep up with the gang. "Guys! I'll go ahead first with the foxy over there, I'll see you all at the destination!"
"Sure!" Jaro replied. "Make sure to keep your eyes to the front in case of any aerial Calamities nearby!"
Elon had already appraised the fox from the start. There were many questionable abilities that the fox had that made the reality-bending luck owner shudder in fear and disgust.
'On whatever they are up to, I'll just let it be. Those two probably ended up exterminating a few Calamity which is good for me.'
And so, Elon nodded. "Be careful on the flight." Her eyes stared intensely at the fox.
Maintaining her sly smugness, the Guda replied to the ill gaze with the same intensity in her gaze.
"We'll be going first!"
"Konnyaaa~"
Off they go to the bright sky! Ragoni glued her gaze onto those merry birds with dropped jaws. She knew that those two would probably be getting some good first impression for arriving sooner, that thought gave her a mild frustration. Pointing at them, she shifted her gaze to Elon.
"Let's do that."
"No, I prefer walking."
"Aww."
As they arrived at the feet of the mountainous domain after hours of walking.. What greeted them was a thousand vibrant mountain staircases, accompanied by an eternal black and white flame from a bowl torch alongside the hike.