A long valley stretched between tall, black rocks. At its center lay a broken, incomplete railway. Scattered haphazardly around the tracks were a few trees, sparsely distributed.
The railway led directly into a long stone tunnel. One of the strange things they noticed was that there were no tracks on the other side… the railway entered the tunnel but didn't come out.
The lower the house descended, the clearer the view became. The soil was black and cracked.
There were no signs anywhere, no markers—only iron, silence… and a heat radiating from all directions.
After the group jumped near the entrance of the long tunnel at the center of the valley, Elena noticed the tips of the iron rails. They were burned and twisted, as if something massive had crushed them.
They cautiously approached the mouth of the tunnel, where small plants grew between the cracks.
Tulip tightened his grip on the stuffed bear in his arms when his eyes fell on the musical instrument Meryl had mentioned minutes earlier back in the house.
An old, worn-out white piano with golden ornaments. A few vines had climbed up its legs and stretched upward.
They all looked at the girl standing behind the piano, trying to play a melody, but always ending up with disturbing sounds.
She adjusted her round glasses on her nose after turning to look at Alvin and the others.
She smiled at them kindly before rising from behind the piano and stepping out. "Welcome. I'm Vinia. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Now, Meryl could see the girl's features more clearly. She had the form of a human, but everything about her was purple—her skin, her eyes, her lips, and her hair. She wore a light green and gold dress.
"Your face isn't unfamiliar… I think I've seen you before," Vinia said, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Alvin.
"Were you with her too?" Meryl asked in surprise, only to be met with an annoyed glare from Alvin. "Do you think I'm some sort of womanizer?"
— [You've misunderstood, hunter. She's not guessing you're a womanizer—she's certain of it.]
Message from 'Salty Marshmallow' in the public chat.
— [Can you really blame her?]
Message from 'The Chatty Ant' in the public chat.
"I remember you now!" Vinia said, a cheerful smile spreading across her lips. "You came here several years ago, but you didn't enter the tunnel… You had someone with you at the time."
Alvin had been alone when he came here—he was sure of it. Zalia once said that Mr. Pie was with him when he visited Lady Grace's castle. If this meant anything, it meant Mr. Pie had been with him on all his journeys.
Alvin wanted to ask about Mr. Pie, but there were too many planetary cameras around them. In the public planetary chat, over 5,000 planets were currently watching.
Yesterday, Mr. Pie had refused to reveal his real name—which meant he didn't want anyone to know his identity. Vinia might end up revealing something he didn't want others to hear.
"Since you're all here… could I ask something of you?" She looked into their eyes pleadingly and continued in a sorrowful tone, "Someone stole my sheet music and took it into the tunnel. I can't play without it!"
"We can't. We don't have time for you," Alvin replied coldly.
Meryl nudged him on the shoulder and whispered reproachfully, "Be a little nicer to her."
"Please, don't reject my request! I promise, in return, I'll give you hints about the crystal's location." Vinia pleaded, her eyes shimmering with tears.
"I don't want to—and you'll give us the hints, or I'll tear your throat out with my sword," Alvin said in a sharp, icy tone.
— [You have no manners.]
Message from 'The Sad Clown' in the public chat.
"I won't take lessons in manners from creatures who enjoy watching others die," Alvin said, staring directly into one of the cameras.
Then, turning his gaze back to Vinia, he added, "So, will you share the information you have—or should I kill you?"
— [It's great to be a fool. If you weren't, you'd never dare insult someone stronger than you.]
Message from "The Chatty Ant" in the public chat.
— [Do you guys think 'The Sad Clown' will kill him?]
Message from "The Womanizer" in the public chat.
— [I think he took that as a compliment.]
Reply from "The Pink Widow" to "The Womanizer" in the public chat.
— [Alvin, don't hurt her.]
Alvin glanced at the chat for a brief moment, reading the last message before typing a quick reply: "Why not?"
— [Vinia belongs to the 'Ophia' race. They're peaceful beings who never harm anyone. What you see now—the sad expression and the pleas—are completely genuine.]
— [Killing her brings death. Everyone who has ever killed an Ophia has died within a week—in the most gruesome ways.]
— [Also, the Ophia are bringers of good fortune. If you agree to help her, luck will be on your side.]
Meryl, who had remained silent, was now receiving information about Vinia and her race from her planet, Mr. Elior.
The same was happening with Tulip, as Lady Ivara informed him, alongside Bluebell whispering in his mind.
The only one who knew nothing was Elena. To her, getting hints seemed tempting. That way, they could save their time and effort and obtain the crystal quickly.
"Have any hunters entered the tunnel before us?" Alvin asked cautiously. This tunnel was originally built for the passage of the first train made in the empire. But when the train entered, it never came out!
The emperor was forced to send search teams after the train, and none of them returned.
This incident happened thousands of years ago, and afterward, entry to the tunnel was forbidden by imperial decree.
Unlike Lady Grace's palace, this location is well known in Noxara. So, it's not unlikely that some hunters decided to enter the tunnel after acquiring supernatural powers that could enable them to make it out.
"Yes. I asked them for help, but they refused," Vinea replied in a sad tone. "I couldn't tell them about the hints because they entered the tunnel immediately."
— [I hate seeing women sad!]
A message from "the womanizer" in the public chat.
Elena ignored the planetary messages and walked quietly to stand near Meryl. Then she whispered, "Shall we accept her offer? It seems like a good deal for us."
"I agree," Meryl replied briefly — this was what Elena wanted at the moment.
She looked at the quiet Tulip and asked for his opinion as well. The boy smiled before giving a thumbs-up, happy that Elena had asked for his opinion.
"I agree too," she finally said, loud enough for Alvin to hear.
Suddenly, a tab appeared in the system interface for all four of them, displaying the following:
{Side Quest:
Help the musician Vinea find her lost music sheet, and you will receive a generous reward for your assistance.
Possible Rewards:
Hints about the location of the crystal (provided by Vinea)
An item of Excellent rank
A random product from the shop worth over 5,000 coins.
[Accept] [Decline]
}
Alvin lifted his eyes from the quest to look at the sad Vinea, and quietly asked, "Will you come with us?"
The young woman shook her head, then walked back toward the chair behind the piano.
She gently ran her fingertips over the black and white keys, feeling their texture. "I can't. I'm afraid someone might damage the piano."
Alvin ignored her and turned to his group, asking, "Did the side quest appear for you too?" The three of them nodded in confirmation, so he said as he got ready to press the button, "Accept it."
"We agree to help you," Meryl said kindly to Vinea. The latter smiled happily for a moment before her expression fell and she began to cry. "Will you really do it?"
She's… way too emotional!
Elena walked toward the tunnel entrance while Meryl spoke with Vinea.
It was impossible to see inside due to the pitch-black darkness. Her body shivered for a moment at the sudden feeling of a touch on her back.
It was Alvin, who looked silently into her eyes for a moment, then turned around when Meryl, who was holding Tulip's hand, said, "We're ready."