Cosmic Ruler

Chapter 42 This is....

Observing the A-rank individual bowing before him, Dio couldn't help but think, "Please, spare me."

"There's no need for formalities," Dio reassured the village head before accepting the invitation inside.

Identifying himself as Rey, the leader of the small village extended pleasantries as they both settled in for discussion.

"I'm Dio. It's a pleasure to meet you. Let's not beat around the bush; let's gather your people and head to our territory," Dio proposed straightforwardly.

Rey, however, sought clarification. "But what are the terms?" he inquired.

Dio paused, considering his response. "Conditions? Well, they're still in flux. How about you wait at our location? Our leader will provide all the details," Dio suggested.

Rey expressed skepticism. "We can't commit without proper assurances. What if it's a trap?" he voiced his concern.

Dio shook his head, revealing the truth. "No traps, I promise. Actually, our territory is on the brink of war, and we need reinforcements," he disclosed.

"Ah, now that's a reasonable condition," Rey acknowledged, offering his village's support. "We'll fight alongside you, provided we can relocate to your territory."

"Agreed," Dio accepted the terms, sealing the agreement with a smile.

Having secured their allegiance, Dio directed them towards their destination, then set out to recruit additional villagers

"Huh, With this rank people, we can't possibly fight ourselves" Dio mumbled and started thinking of a plan to recruit more villagers. He knew that with just a few A-rank individuals, they wouldn't stand a chance in the upcoming war.

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As Mark and Emily journeyed westward, they encountered a winding river cutting through the landscape.

"We should follow the river. There might be a village nearby," Mark suggested, and Emily agreed. Together, they decided to trace the river upstream.

"What if we split up and search in different directions?" Emily proposed, but Mark shook his head, expressing concern. "Jake, Dio, and Jimmy can handle solo missions due to their high ranks, but for us, it's different. We could be in trouble if we encounter someone powerful," he explained.

Emily accepted his reasoning, albeit reluctantly. "We just need to train more. We won't go down without a fight," she reassured herself, and Mark offered her comfort with a reassuring smile.

After some time, their journey led them to a village nestled along the riverbank.

"This must be a fishing village," Emily remarked, observing the surroundings.

"It's odd that there are no protective walls or barriers," Mark commented, noticing the absence of defenses.

Their questions were answered when they stumbled upon an abandoned settlement nearby.

"This is too well-made for an abandoned village," Emily noted, puzzled by the sight.

"Perhaps it's used seasonally or as a fishing base," Mark speculated.

"The villagers who constructed this place might be nearby," Emily suggested, and they began their search.

Eventually, they found a bustling settlement, and as the sun began to set, Emily pointed out the silver lining: "We found this settlement, so the day wasn't wasted."

"It's true, but will they agree to join us?" Mark pondered aloud.

"Let's find out," Emily replied, and they approached the guards stationed at the village entrance.

"Who are you two?" One of the guard frowned and asked.

Upon being questioned by the guards, Mark and Emily explained their purpose. "We're here to recruit your village," Mark stated honestly.

"Recruit us?" one guard asked, puzzled by the proposition.

The other guard, however, seemed to understand. "You're from a territory, right?"

"Yes, and we're inviting your village to join us," Emily confirmed.

The guards, satisfied with their response, escorted Mark and Emily into the village. They learned that it was called Susmi, named after its first chief, and were eventually led to a large wooden house.

Inside, they were greeted by the village chief, who welcomed them and engaged in conversation. After a brief discussion, the chief agreed to consider their proposal, and Mark and Emily were shown to explore the village.

As they were shown the village, the guide let them to their temporary houses.

Mark and Emily stepped into the house, only to find the door closing behind them with an ominous click. Mark furrowed his brow and attempted to reopen it, but it remained firmly shut.

"It's locked," Mark muttered in frustration, his hand still gripping the doorknob.

"We're trapped," Emily concluded, her voice tinged with resignation.

"Damn it," Mark cursed under his breath, feeling the weight of their predicament settling over them.

"Let's explore this house. What else can we even do?" Emily suggested, her determination cutting through the tension.

Nodding in agreement, they ventured further into the house, the narrow corridor stretching out before them.

"It's bigger than it looked from the outside," Mark remarked, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

"It's either space expansion magic or we're trapped inside an illusion," Emily surmised, her voice echoing off the walls of the corridor.

After 15 minutes of fruitless exploration, Emily and Mark resigned themselves to their fate.

"We are definitely trapped inside an illusion," Emily concluded, her voice tinged with frustration as she sat down on the side of the corridor.

"And it's powerful—our basic runes aren't working," Mark added, joining her on the floor. They both understood that there was no point in futilely attempting to escape.

"Now what should we do?" Emily asked, her smile bitter with resignation.

"We can do nothing," Mark replied, his tone resigned.

"We are just dead weight, right?" Emily remarked in a despondent murmur.

But despite the narrow and quiet surroundings, Mark heard her words clearly. He shook his head. "We are not. It's just that our luck is rotten."

As they sat in silence, Emily suddenly stood up. Drawing her bow, she summoned a small fraction of her energy to create an arrow. "Sitting won't help us. We might as well wreak havoc here," she declared, releasing the arrow with a swoosh. But to their surprise, the arrow vanished into thin air after traveling only a short distance.

"Huh?" Emily exclaimed, her disbelief evident as she watched her arrow disappear.

Mark chuckled at Emily's perplexed reaction and suggested, "Let's use our ultimate arts."

Emily nodded in agreement. Standing side by side, they extended their hands forward, channeling 50% of their core energies. "Black Nova," Emily called out, while Mark invoked "Cerulean Nova."

Their combined efforts resulted in columns of black and cerulean energy surging forth, bombarding the corridor. The force of their attacks shattered their surroundings like a mirror, and when the chaos subsided, they found themselves in a dirty prison cell.

"Huh? What is this? From one prison to another?!" Emily exclaimed in frustration, bewildered by their predicament.

"SHUT UP!" A tall figure wearing a boar mask bellowed, slamming his sword against the bars of the prison cell and threatening them.

Emily and Mark gulped in fear upon seeing the figure, not because of the mask, but because he was S rank.

The Boar-masked individual glanced at them, and seeing that they were now quiet, he resumed his patrol.

"Who was that?" Emily muttered under her breath.

"Probably a prison guard," Mark replied, attempting to survey their surroundings. Using the spear blade as a makeshift mirror, he looked outside of their prison cell and observed that some cells were occupied by other participants.

"It seems like we're not the only ones who got trapped," Mark remarked, and Emily joined him to inspect the blade's reflection.

"Yes, there are other participants like us," Emily confirmed, recognizing a familiar face.

"It means this is part of the test, but how can we get out of here?" Mark pondered, turning to Emily.

"Dunno, even Jake can't help us. With all his powers, at most he can fight C rank, while being E rank, but S rank is totally different," Emily sighed, expressing her uncertainty.

"Let's wait; maybe another announcement will explain everything," Mark suggested, and they both settled on the bed.

"By the way, it was my first time seeing you lose composure like this," Mark chuckled, teasing Emily.

"Not my fault. First, we were trapped in a never-ending corridor illusion, and now in this stinky prison," Emily retorted with a snort.

"That is true. "They should have made clean prisons," Mark stated, nodding. And after a while, when the walking sound of the hulking boar masked guy stopped echoing, he stood up and approached the bars.

Mark glanced around the prison, noticing the other participants confined in nearby cells. Determined to find a way out or gather more information, he decided to attempt communication with them.

"Hey, anyone there?" Mark called out, his voice echoing faintly in the dimly lit prison corridor.

A few heads turned in his direction, and Mark could see the weary faces of the other trapped individuals. Some looked defeated, while others appeared to be contemplating their situation, much like himself and Emily.

"I know we're all stuck here, but does anyone have any idea how to get out of this place?" Mark asked, hoping for a response.

One of the prisoners, a young man with disheveled hair and tired eyes, approached the bars of his cell. "I've been trying to find a way out, but so far, no luck," he admitted with a defeated tone.

"Same here," another voice chimed in from a neighboring cell. "Seems like they've got us trapped pretty tight."