A secluded section where there were no warriors or people in the underground cave. Harley was standing, staring at the new guy he just met with a disgusted look on his face.
'Couldn't this guy be less good looking?' His lips twitched.
"What are you looking at?" Vernox snapped.
"Oh, nothing. Proceed." Harley scratched the back of his head.
Vernox only sighed. He was sitting down on a stone, so he looked up at Harley and nodded.
"This is a joint story trial, so you know what this means, right?" he asked, and Harley nodded.
"I do."
To be honest, he was hoping that it wouldn't have been how it was. Wardens who share trials and joint challenges become linked through their stories.
Although joint trials are often of the higher rank of stories, he would still prefer to be alone.
"Who are you? You look like a noble?" Harley asked, making Vernox look at him with a raised brow.
For the first time since they met, the young man smiled, progressing into a chuckle.
"I'm happy you believe that. I'm just a simple servant of a noble house, but I did receive training." He spoke, then he proceeded to explain the trial to Harley.
Back in their world, people who emerge with stories are called Wardens. Those stories are ranked by the world record itself, going like: Mortal, Heroic, Reverend, Legendary, Mythical, and Colossal. Although through research there has been one more rank above all, and no story has had this rank so far: the Celestial rank.
"I'm predicting that this is a Mythical rank story trial or even a Colossal one. It's too hard to be a normal trial." Vernox explained, making Harley put both hands on his head.
His expression was that of pure dread.
"It took a bit of madness to even pass the second scenario. What is the third scenario going to be about?" Harley looked at Vernox, expecting the young man to laugh at his behavior, but Vernox only had his eyes closed, frowning deeply.
"We're cooked, aren't we?" Harley said, chuckling like a madman.
…
A while later the both of them were out of the underground base, moving away from the camp and walking around in the kingdom regions.
"I was being offered as sacrifice to a snake that was the size of ten buildings. I managed to break the rope holding me and had to kill the monster from the inside by tearing it with my teeth. Then my second scenario, a group of people chained me and wanted to take me as a slave, and I managed to get out of their chains by stealing a key… And I killed them all. By then we were close to here…"
"So that's how I got here." Vernox finished narrating his own story, looking at Harley to explain his.
Harley only shook his head. He didn't know whether Vernox said the full story, but he had to guess that he did not.
"I was in a village filled with happy people, then a dragon commanded by a stupid pirate came and killed everyone. I disguised as one of them to survive, then I lured an ancient sea monster to their ship with blood, and when the captain was weak, I killed him and let other captives kill the pirates." Harley explained, a small smile hanging on his face.
"That was my first scenario in the village, then the second on the ship." He explained, and Vernox only had a frown on his face.
"That sounds… easy." He scoffed, and Harley only laughed hysterically, mumbling under his breath;
"Thank goodness it was easy."
'I wonder if he can say that… if he knew what really happened.' Harley's gaze turned cold.
This trial had changed him and they were only half done.
A strong hand patted his back, and he looked to the side to see Vernox giving him a half smile.
"Keep your head up. I don't know about you, but I must pass this trial." Vernox said to him, walking ahead.
Hearing that from the man around his age or even younger, Harley couldn't help but smile in realization.
'That's right. I forgot how I even got here. If I was not crazy enough to believe that I can do it, how would I have been able to do it? I would make it back, and eat the best meat the world has to offer.' He rushed forward to meet his partner now.
All of a sudden, the voice of the Oracle whispered in his ears.
{Congratulations! You have found 'Help'. Trial objective, kill the godsworn.}
Harley paused, and so did Vernox. Harley looked at the young man in front of him and walked forward, tapping his shoulder.
"Tell me all about the scenario and how to pass. We don't have much time."
"I think that would have to wait." Vernox said, looking at a wall beside them, and Harley looked to the wall of a stone building and he saw a poster of him.
Half of his face was covered, but they got his white hair and his general look.
"Hide for now. I'll come out and meet you after I get what I'm looking for." Vernox said, and Harley immediately vanished from his side, making him flinch.
"What a weird man." Vernox scoffed, walking into a building that was beside them.
…
A while later he emerged from the building with a stack of papers and Harley appeared beside him with a frown.
"What are those?" he asked, looking at the small bunch of papers.
"Missions to hunt monsters, containing location. Let's go." Vernox immediately hopped on a building and entered another alley, and that was when what the black-haired man said dawned on him.
"Hunting monsters?" He quickly followed.
It didn't take long until they were out of the kingdom. Following another secret route, they got to a place with seemingly tall trees, and Harley could hear the sounds of what seemed to be animals.
"Those aren't animals, right?" he asked, and Vernox shook his head.
"Why are you staring at me again?" Vernox asked, raising his head from the bunch of paper in his hands.
Harley had to come clean.
"Your eyes, they look yellow but darker, like gold. Are you sure you're just a servant, dude?" Harley asked again, and he saw a vein on Vernox's head and the man's eyes twitching.
"You're talking about eyes? Have you seen yours? Your eyes look like those of a god." Vernox could only shake his head, letting out a breath to calm himself down.
"I've told someone this before, but I was once kidnapped for these eyes. Hahaha…" Harley laughed. It was sure nice to have a normal person to talk to…