Chapter 77: Chapter 61 – Tackling a Rift (Part 1)

As soon as Kanae and Edina concluded their 'business dealings' with Renya, they hurried over to the meeting place just outside the western gates of Lograin. At this time of the late afternoon as the sun was beginning to set, the Carnal District would be bustling. But after a series of underhanded tactics by Bishop Rudo, many of the brothels and clubs were closed. The difference was night and day compared to when they first arrived.

"Damn, it's deader than a graveyard! Where is everyone?" Edina asked as they passed by an outdoor tavern.

Only an empty potion bottle rolled by as if to answer her question.

"Look!"

Kanae pointed to an upscale brothel in which Arenade was standing at the bottom of the steps, alongside half a dozen other priests of the One. They waited patiently as Bishop Rudo argued with someone inside the building.

The elven demigoddess seemed neither happy nor sad, but there was an air of indifference to her posture, one hand to her hips and foot tapping impatiently on the cobblestone. She glanced their way and immediately brightened up, but just as quickly wiped the look away and replaced it with a neutral frown.

"Arenade!" Kanae greeted as he normally would.

"You guys… I-I'm kind of in the middle of working?" Arenade whispered to them, then turned to her fellow clergy who were staring daggers at her. "Excuse me for a second! Just little lost lambs in need of guidance!"

Arenade pulled them off to the side under an awning of a general goods store.

"You're really going hard on the whole finding god thing," Edina said.

"I'm doing something useful, being of service to the Supreme One and a force of good for the citizens of Lograin. If you two would expunge the sins from your heart, you would see the same way." Arenade huffed.

"Eugh… Drown me in sin before I turn into you." The squirreling shuddered.

Both of them folded their arms and turned the other cheek at the same time. In doing so, Arenade faced Kanae directly.

"Are you going to patronize me, too?" Arenade asked.

"No, I'm not… Honestly, I'm just… glad to see you're doing well." Kanae smiled, causing Arenade to clear her throat and fiddle with her hair.

"I'm… The feeling's mutual," she said.

Come on. Say it, Kanae. Invite her to the damn Rift. Arenade was right there, but the words were caught in his throat.

"Arenade, uhm… Would you…"

"By the flames of the three hells!" Edina groaned out loud. "We're hitting up a Rift. You wanna tag along? Could use your help— Not me though. I can do without you."

"A Rift? No kidding?" Arenade gasped.

"Sister Arenade!" One of her fellow priests hollered from afar.

"Quit dawdling with these sinners. We're leaving," Bishop Rudo ordered.

The owner of the brothel spat in the bishop's direction as he stormed away, and a couple of prostitutes came out to flash the priests in retaliation.

Unlike last time, Arenade had a hard time leaving. She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed.

"I'm sorry, guys. I told you before I left the adventuring thing behind. You go on ahead, those riches are yours," Arenade said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Kanae grabbed her hand. "We discovered there were Outriders stowing away in the Church of One. After kicking them out, we interrogated one and… it might prove a connection between them and Bishop Rudo!"

The priest frowned.

"You guys are still on about that, huh? I've been with Bishop Rudo the whole time. There's no way he's roped up in whatever you're thinking."

"But it's the truth!" Edina exclaimed.

Arenade brushed Kanae's hand off. She shedded the enchanted Multi-Spell Satin Gloves and extended them to him.

"Here, I'm sure you two can make better use of it."

"No," Kanae said, reaching out to close Arenade's fingers back onto the gloves. "At least keep that to remember us by."

When Kanae let go, his arms pulled taut as Arenade held his hands a little while longer. For the briefest of seconds, he had hope that she would come back to them. Unfortunately, Arenade released her hold and hurried after the other priests.

Edina patted him hard on the back to snap him out of it.

"We just need to find solid proof and Arenade'll come back around. Until then, let's get some loot, yeah?"

"You're right," Kanae said, pumping his fists in front of him.

By the time the party of seven reached the Rift, night had fallen and dire beasts awakened to prowl the forests for unsuspecting prey. Talis led the way with his elven groupies. One of them raised her stuff to create a barrier around them as they trekked through, which had a repelling effect on any monster that tried to attack.

"Is that Talis?"

"About damn time!"

A couple of guards waved to them from a campsite surrounded by spiked wooden palisades. Kanae immediately recognized them by their armor as guards from Lograin.

"Hold up. We're going in with more?" Edina asked.

"Hah. You can't pay us to dive into those suicide portals," a guard seated on a crate next to the campfire said.

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Kanae gulped. Suicide portals?

"Since Rifts spawn at random, they are most often found by patrolling city guards or other adventurers. I paid these kind gentlemen handsomely to watch over it for us," Talis explained.

"And watch you go in is all we'll do. Good luck in there. Hope we don't have to report you dead to the guild." Another guard grunted.

Three guards led them up to a tree, which had a glowing white portal opened in front of the base of the trunk. The light cast by it was so bright that Kanae had to shield his eyes walking up to it.

"Before we go in," Will began as he adjusted the buckler on his left arm, "I think it's best if everyone introduces themselves?"

"I agree. Particularly the elves whose names we still don't even know," Kanae said, throwing a look their way.

The one who casted a barrier for them groaned like it was a burden.

Kanae squinted at each of them. For whatever reason he couldn't figure out, they kept giving him a dirty look. Like he was intruding on their date with Talis.

"Come now, ladies. We should be working together with our new allies!" Talis encouraged them.

The three changed their tune in an instant.

"As expected of Talis! Always thinking for the good of the group! This is why you're our leader. Isn't that right, girls? I'm Jannie. Sage. Level 56. My talents are in group support with spell buffs."

The first to speak up wore her blonde hair long and straight, draping down her back. She was dressed in forest green robes bound with a leather corset.

"Clara. I'm an Elementalist. Same level as Jannie. You three better stay in line and follow Talis' orders. If you try anything, I'll be the first to throw a fireball up your asses." 

This one introduced herself without even looking them in the eye. She flicked her shoulder-length, but wild silver hair in contempt and scoffed. Clara didn't have a staff like the other two. Her most defining characteristic was a ring on the index finger on each hand. One beset with a sapphire jewel and the other with ruby. They seemed to glisten with magic. The sleeveless, dark navy robe Clara wore revealed a toned midriff, and the skirt was split into four ways going down her legs.

"Now, now, Clara. We're supposed to get along with them!" Talis patted Clara on the head, drawing a deep red blush and made her catty demeanor falter.

The third one, the shortest of the trio and possibly just shy of beating Edina in height, needed a little push from the others. Two thick brunette braids which fell over the front of her chest swayed from the tiniest of movement. She clutched a wand with a crystal tip with two delicate hands. Her mode of dress was much less intricate compared to the other two, wearing a woolen cloak over her leather tunic and pants.

"M-My name is Shatiel. Level 49 Spellbreaker," she mumbled so inaudibly that Talis had to jump in.

"Shatiel is a little shy, but I hope you three will treat her as well as your own. She excels in countering enemy spells and is the reason why we've come so far as a group," Talis said.

Will extended a hand towards Shatiel.

"It's nice to meet you—"

Jannie put her staff between them and Clara clenched her fist with the ruby ring at him.

"I just wanted to say hello…" Will mumbled, slowly backing away.

Their group's class make-up was pretty solid, if not a little bloated in numbers. The only problem was the lack of cohesion…

"Why's it feel like those broads got a thumb stuck up their asses?" Edina whispered.

"Let's just try to get along…" Kanae sucked in a deep breath to steel himself.

"I'll lead the way," Talis announced, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Taking a deep breath of his own, Talis walked forward fearlessly. He passed right through the portal and disappeared. The elven ladies followed after him in haste.

Kanae and Will stood at the edge of the portal, both a little scared of going in.

"Loot's waiting! Get in there already!" Edina tackled them from behind.

The three of them fell through the portal, smacking face first into the hard ground on the other side of it with Edina on top of Kanae.

"Damn it, Edina… You're too excited when it comes to loot," Kanae complained as he rubbed his head.

The shadow of a hand fell across his face.

"Are you alright?" Talis asked, pulling Kanae to his feet.

"Yeah…" Kanae answered, casting a sidelong glance away from the trio of burning glares behind the human vanguard.

In doing so, Kanae was breathtaken by the sight before him. A gust of wind scattered leaves past their feet and shaking loose ones off the branches above them. They were standing on the edge of a stone bridge, blocked by golden gates, leading to a series of winding stairs and walkways built onto an ungodly gargantuan tree. Behind them was a steep drop shrouded by drifting clouds

"Where… are we?" Kanae gasped.

"This is a Rift, and riches and powerful enchanted items await us at the end of it," Talis said, grinning up at the tree.

"Brave champions," a voice echoed, ringing with familiarity in Kanae's ears and made him shudder. "Uh… Brave… champions… One moment…"

The seven of them stood there awkwardly as the sound of papers being ruffled, wooden cabinets being opened and closed, and a whole lot of stumbling filled the space.

"Oh, god…" Kanae muttered, realizing full well who this was.

"Ah, here we are! Ahem. Brave champions! Welcome, one and all, to a trial unlike anything you have faced before. Take heart! Boons have been prepared for those triumphant, but be warned: for the great prizes that await, an equal measure of danger awaits. Navigate your way through the Lepidtree and seek the three trial chambers, complete them to gain access to the crown chamber to claim your reward. Go with the Supreme One's grace, for he is watching!"

The golden gates opened inwards to allow them through.

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