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The boat moved across the calm, still sea, carried by its gentle breeze to a small island. They stopped there and entered, only to find themselves in front of a building resembling Greek temples, as if it were a place of worship. They entered it, and it turned out to be a vast library filled with books that had clearly never been touched. The moment one brushed their hand over a book, it crumbled and lost its cohesion, scattering into the air. Strangely, Adam was drawn to one book, managed to hold it, and began to read. Its contents were as follows:
Nivida, the wife of the Lich, learned of her husband's actions, which were a grave mistake that could bring doom to people. She went to her father inside his palace. Her father was a man who didn't live to eat but treated cooking as a pastime and slept every night inside a giant water jar, which kept him young for as long as possible. Nivida told her father what her husband had done. He demanded the sacrifice of their children, and she witnessed him kill them before her eyes. He brought black stones, created a playroom, and placed a gem inside Nivida's navel, turning her into a giant statue. The stone drained the life force from living creatures in this world.
Her father's last words were: "This energy is the greatest I can offer humans, but true power lies within their hearts. I don't believe humans will transcend their animal instincts to reach angelic heights. Yet I have done my duty!"
Adam burned the book because some lines felt threatening to his life and hid it from his friends. They, satisfied with their search in the place, left and continued onward, eventually reaching a statue with a mirrored surface and a gem at its center. The sight enchanted everyone. Adam lifted the child Jonathan onto his shoulders to bring him closer to the view, and they continued on toward an unknown destination.
After an hour of walking, they arrived at a vast village or city of stone houses, empty of inhabitants. Adam ordered Ziad to shoot arrows that could detect living beings within a hundred units. Ziad distributed his arrows around, revealing several frightened humans hiding. Adam approached one house and knocked on the door, calling out, "Is anyone here?"
He repeated the question until he kicked down the door, revealing a girl hiding behind her mother, saying, "Please don't kill us! Are you one of them?"
Suddenly, an old man lunged at Adam from behind with a forked arm. Adam swiftly drew his sword and, with lightning speed, cut the fork into several pieces. The old man fell to the ground, terrified, as the group approached, intensifying his fear. Adam sat cross-legged, resting his chin on his hand, and said: "What I understand from this scene is that you are threatened by something, but that command doesn't concern us. Friends, let's continue!"
The girl said: "Don't go! You are strong and the only ones who can help us. What do you want?"
Adam: "What do we want? We want to reach Nemo Point!"
The girl: "Good. This concerns you. There's a kind of being that feeds on humans, especially those who release Nivida's energy. You are threatened, and we are turned into dolls by them two or three times a week."
Adam: "And that doesn't concern us? We just want to reach Nemo Point!"
The girl: "On your way to Nemo Point, they have a dam or wall they guard. Behind it are their colony and underground homes. Beyond lies a great secret related to Nemo Point and Nivida. You must confront them if you wish to proceed."
Ziad asked: "Isn't there another way?"
The old man: "No, they block all passages to isolate us here," he cried.
Omnia urged: "Friends! Adam, show some humanity; we should help them."
Adam turned: "They are weak humans; they mean nothing to me. If I wish, I can use them as bait for the monsters to pass their borders."
Omnia shouted: "I hate you! What are you trying to do with this talk? You want more to die!?"
Adam replied: "You saw in the Playroom that people had to kill and sacrifice themselves to survive. This is the law. We deal in coins, life deals in souls. Both are symbolic, except for things of value like Bitcoin. I seek freedom from all constraints and to become a unique, solitary currency soaring freely like a dove."
Omnia was speechless. "We will face the monsters anyway. Forward, friends, to the monsters' borders."
Everyone followed Omnia, ashamed of Adam's words, feeling both fear and awe at his radical transformation. Adam's eyes now reflected the summit of power, separating him from his friends.
Adam took a shining white horse, mounted it, and followed the group until they reached the massive dam. A group of monstrous beings with arrows and weapons guarded it.
Malah: "Friends, shall we return to the first city by boat?"
Amin: "Don't worry. If anything happens, I have diapers in my bag for you."
Malah: "Thanks, leave it to your mother!"
Ziad: "Stop arguing! I'll place my arrows along the bottom of the dam to count the monsters."
Ziad's arrows revealed thousands of monsters, uncountable. The group slowly sneaked through the grass, climbed the dam at a blind spot, and entered the guard area above the bridge. Amin took aim at a monster's heart, pierced it, and repeated with each guard, killing them all. They freed Omnia and Amin from the monsters' grip and threw them into the arena, annihilating the surrounding monsters.
Ziad then checked the other side of the bridge, revealing an entire village of monsters. That section of the bridge was dark, relying on artistically generated light. The group descended carefully into underground corridors lit by lamps, while growls of monsters echoed around them. From behind wooden barriers, Adam saw monsters smashing walls with hammers to extract precious stones.
Suddenly, Adam fell into a pit by accident, warning his friends: "Don't fall behind me! Keep going!"
The group continued, sliding down to a stone courtyard. Ziad pinned his arrow to the ground, watching his friends surrounded by monsters and their huge leader overseeing the gem excavation. The monsters took Omnia and Amin onto a platform while clearing the arena for a duel between Malah and the massive monster with its huge hammer.
Ziad: "What should I do? I hope Malah wins to distract them from guarding Omnia and Amin."
Malah leapt and struck the ground, shouting: "Running is half manhood; to hell with all manhood!"
He dodged attacks, became precise, and broke the monster's hammer. Using his boxing skills, he struck vital points, bringing the giant down. Meanwhile, Ziad shot arrows freeing Omnia and Amin, who hurled the monsters into the arena like bombs, destroying them.
Adam, inside a chamber, found a painting of an old mirror, appearing Christian with statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. He touched the painting, and the old woman entered the room: "I was waiting for you, Prince of Light. I know what you seek, but there's a condition."
Adam: "What is it?"
She whispered her condition. Adam removed his clothes, and she guided him to a glowing white bed. They engaged in an intimate act that led to a shocking transformation: Adam's body became skeletal with white hair, and the old woman became younger and stronger. He pierced her with a poisoned needle, killing her, and found a necklace called the "Healing Cross," which emitted strange life energy.
Adam wore the necklace, regaining a stronger body though his hair remained snow white. He defiled the old woman with his disdain, took a map and manuscript behind her painting, dressed, and left. The structure trembled due to Malah's earlier strikes.
Suddenly, all underground and above-ground monsters stopped. Ziad, Malah, Omnia, and Amin noticed this. The monsters screamed and cried, heading toward a single location—the mothers' rooms in the village. The entire structure collapsed, forcing the group to flee. Adam awaited them on the ceiling, laughing: "The instinct of love feeds on what it adores. Unfortunately, they love their mother. Ziad destroyed the dam. You and Malah!"
Adam took the white horse and returned to retrieve Jonathan from the family. He reassured them: "You will not be attacked again, but evil still lingers here. Overcome your fear!"
They camped in the forest beyond the monster village, sitting around a fire. Adam fell asleep leaning on his sword. Malah spoke nervously: "Friends, don't you feel like we're living in the shadow of war? At any moment, we could die. Aren't you afraid of losing yourselves and your families?"
Omnia: "At least we'll try and die honorably in battle. Don't be pessimistic; there's hope to return."
Amin: "Malah isn't pessimistic; this world itself is pessimistic."
Later, Adam and Omnia shared a tender moment in a pond, confessing love. They returned to the camp, feeling lighter and closer.
After hours of walking through the dark forest, the group reached a huge stone palace, seemingly abandoned for centuries, with flickering lights from the upper windows. Adam stood before the door: "This place reeks of deception."
Omnia felt a strange shiver in her heart, as if something inside called her. She stepped closer and touched the door, which opened to reveal a vast hall filled with mirrors. The floor was covered in colored square tiles, like a giant game board.
On the front wall, glowing writing read: "The Sacred Playroom: Those who play with sincerity gain the light; those who cheat vanish..."
Omnia smiled: "I feel this is my room. I know how to handle it."
As she stepped in, the door closed behind her, separating her from her friends. A ghost of a young girl in white holding a wooden doll appeared: "You will not leave until you complete the game with a pure heart."
A giant board game appeared with 30 squares, some glowing blue, some red. The girl explained: Blue squares grant blessings; red squares test your heart.
Omnia moved across the board. On a blue square, she found a hungry child with poisoned food. She shared her bread, and he smiled, disappearing, leaving a golden key. On a red square, she found a bag of jewels with a warning: You will never see these again if you take them. She resisted temptation and moved on.
With each step, moral and intent tests increased. Every decision raised or lowered the light shining above her head.
At the last square, she faced the girl again, now crying: "You passed the test, but one of your friends is trying to force their way in, which will cause this room to collapse."
Omnia looked through the mirror and saw Adam trying to break the barrier with his sword. She shouted: "Adam! Stop! This room opens with the heart, not force!"
After hesitation, she placed the golden keys she earned into the board's slot. White light spread throughout the palace, opening the doors.
She reunited with her friends, holding a small box. Inside was the Karma Stone, radiating warm light. She smiled: "The game was the path… but virtue was the key."
Adam, despite his usual arrogance, gave a small smile: "Perhaps not everything can be taken by force."
The group continued on their journey…
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