Read Novel Full Chapter 2337 THE MISSING PIECE!
Chapter 2337 THE MISSING PIECE!
--- Kat ---
*It’s one of the stones! One of the winner pieces!* Kat exclaimed as she finally worked out what had been bugging her. The oddly coloured smooth black stone! It wasn’t just a stone, it was a relic piece for the winner thing! Kat reached down to touch it only for a shadow hand of Lily’s to smack her arms away. What?
[Kat. Think about it for an extra thirty seconds. Remember what happened last time? Not only did it light right up, but after you finished the challenge it VANISHED into your hand. What’s going to happen to the portals if you do that? Or the moss? Heck, it’s quite likely that Appoline would just fall to her ’death’ because even if I don’t get teleported along I’m just not strong enough to lift her.]
*Oh... right. Yes. That was about to be really stupid. Sorry, I just got so excited having realised what was bugging me I wasn’t really thinking. Though... why hasn’t it triggered yet?*
[Well technically the only one who has touched it is Appoline and I guess only contestants can touch it? Maybe familiars? Unclear on that and I certainly don’t want to touch it, at least, not until we have a plan. So... we need a plan.]
*Well what were you thinking because I clearly wasn’t?*
[Hmmm... I see two paths forward but involve going over to the portal. Either Appoline and I head into the portal and then you touch the rock, go through the trial whatever it is, and then hopefully have time to drag all three of us through the portal before it shuts... or we just go through the portal and hope you can either make it to the other side or fly up to us. I guess we could even check if it’s still in the clouds. That would mean you certainly COULD fly over to us at least.]
*Yeah ok that’s a fair point. Best to check the other side once Appoline is done gathering up her moss... and I suppose that if the portal doesn’t come out in the clouds that’s the big risk, we might not be able to easily meet back up. Though that does raise the question of how other people are meant to do this one... hmmm...*
[Not sure honestly. My guess is that there are at least a few different armour pieces that are meant to give flight to someone, or at least a double jump like those boots of Green’s.]
*I can believe that. Though now I’ve got a question. Why even bother to wait on this side of the portal at all? Seems better just to have you and Appoline on the other side.*
[Well, aside from the fact there might be, and likely is, dangerous monsters on the other end of the portal? There is also the possibility that I can keep it open for a short bit of time. Likely easier from this side of things because this is where it will be trying to close. I’m not saying I could keep it open forever... but we’re both pretty fast. Even just holding it for a second or two should be enough time for you to either fly through yourself or for me to pull you through.]
[But if I DO have to yank you through, then Appoline would want to be on the other side and that’s a decently big risk. We at least can find each other wherever, but if it’s Appoline finding her again might well be basically impossible unless she’s got some potion for that. Which... I could see it being a thing but not sure if it’s one she can brew. Probably some sort of tracking potion but that would need parts from us and other stuff. I think.]
"Hey Appoline do you have a good way to track us if we get separated? Either Lily or I?" asked Kat.
Appoline finished slicing off more moss before looking up at Kat with a raised eyebrow. "I mean... in theory I think I could make something but I haven’t yet. Why? Is this taking too long?" Appoline glanced over at the rather substantial chunk of missing moss she’d spent at least thirty minutes cutting up, probably longer.
"No, but we, or rather, I realised what was bugging me. Lily then prevented me from being stupid. This is one of those big stone blocks that I need to collect. Problem is... if I collect it then there’s nothing to stand on, and if there’s nothing to stand on, the portals might also leave... so..." Kat got cut off as Appoline jumped in with the answer.
"So I might need to go through the portal first but if I DID do that, we might not be able to meet up again. Hmmm... alright I see the issue. The easiest way I could manage something like a tracking potion would be to make something that tries to get closer to its ’source’ so... hmm... is hair strong enough for that? If it’s freely given maybe... blood would probably be better but I don’t know if I can use yours without it causing other issues... Lily maybe? Hmmm..."
Appoline turned back to the moss to keep cutting away. "I’m really not sure. If you two were more normal, yes it would be possible, but I’d need to test it to know for sure and I’m not certain I have the ingredients to make two batches if I fuck it up."
"That’s fine, or well, it’s something we planned for. One idea is to have you and Lily both head through the nearby portal and wait for me on the other side. That way even if it closes I can still find Lily. We’re hoping wherever you end up is in the clouds... and if it isn’t I guess you would be best to find one that’s either in the clouds or quite close to being so?" Kat offered a shrug. "We wanted to see what’s on the other side first."
Appoline nodded, "That seems fine with me. In fact, you may wish to do that now. I’m not planning to go anywhere and there hasn’t been any sign of monsters so far. I don’t mind if one of you wants to stay, or if you both go and look into things, it’s up to you two. Just seems like waiting around for me isn’t the best use of your time."
*She’s not wrong...*
[Then you should go. If I have to fight I might touch the rock here, and it’s far less likely to activate for me.]
*You don’t think you need to feel both sides of the portal?*
[Oooh... hmm... I don’t think it’ll be any different to the rest of them but you make a decent point. I’ll make sure to check it out eventually, but I don’t need to do that right now.]
*Alright then. I’ll leave you with Appoline just in case. If we get up, same plans apply.*
Lily nodded and then hopped down onto the moss... before grimacing at the feeling and glancing at the stone. Then up at Kat, then back down at the stone. Kat rolled her eyes but shook her head anyway. No reason to tempt fate. Lily did send her a mental pout as a way to complain, but in the end, she didn’t touch the stone just in case while Kat went to the portal.
It seemed like another one that was in the clouds, at least from what Kat could see of this side. The ground around it was also somewhat free of moss, right at the base. That was perhaps meant to be a subtle hint... or perhaps one of the other portals had a better one. Jumping through, Kat found herself on muddy ground surrounded by clouds. A good thing at least. She could also feel Lily... though she was quite far away without the use of a portal. Less ideal.
As Kat was considering this, something beside her moved and she turned to see a sort of alligator fish thing leaping at her. It had the face of an alligator but scales like a fish and it was trying to take a big bite out of her. Kat slammed a fist into its underside, sending it flying over her head and into the clouds behind her. Luckily she didn’t send it through the portal...
Kat watched the place it had been... but nothing popped up. Not immediately anyway. Kat didn’t FEEL like she’d gotten it either. There was some good force behind that punch but the fish thing was sturdy. Kat didn’t feel any of that notable squish when you killed something... though it hopefully still hurt the damn thing...
*Alright so there are definitely monsters here. Not sure if Appoline could deal with them on her own... but it IS in the clouds.*
[Solo adventure for you then? We can still hang around the portal and TRY to keep it open from this side, and heck, it might not collapse immediately anyway. You might have a minute or two to escape.]
*Yeah we’ll have to see. Let me know when Appoline has enough moss. I think I’m going to look into doing a bit of pest control to help you two out. Just in case.*