DISCOVERY PART 5L

Day 451; 0950 (Morning)

Focus: 513

The Protector glared at 513 with hostility for a brief moment. It was the first time she had been treated in such a way by anyone aside from Protectors of other regions. As the ruler of the land, she felt complicated.

Eventually, she settled her emotions and nodded, agreeing to 513's suggestion. If not for him catching on to her schemes, she would not have readily complied.

Rather than sit, however, she continued to stand in place, clearly showing her defiance and stance as a being of a higher level.

This prompted 513 to mumble in resignation. [Well, that works…]

He wasn't sure what the outcome of his actions would bring, but it was worth a try.

[Hmm.] He pondered, unsure where to begin.

Unfortunately, due to the Protector reading his thoughts in real time, he could not extend his plans far into the future. So, his intention to get her to see him on the same level did not go beyond shutting her up.

Noticing his indecisiveness, the Protector took the initiative.

Protector: "Reckless; no regard for self preservation; discourteous.”

Her eyes twitched once more as she continued to stare at 513, who sat with one leg laying flat on the ground and the other, bent at an angle where the knee pointed towards the sky; the posture of his back was at a slant as he supported the weight of his upper body with one arm planted behind him, while the other rested on his raised knee; to finish his ensemble, he sported an ambiguous look that was a mixture of boredom, tiredness, lack of interest, and attentiveness…

It was a complex look; one that could easily anger the recipient.

[What is this bi...ahem! AHEM! Hello. As far as introductions go, I do not refer to any particular name, so you may call me ‘Guest’ for reasons that are self-evident. It is leagues better than what your ‘pup’ named me...what was it again? Ah yes, ‘Trespasser’.]

513 casually remarked as he noticed the intense glare from his counterpart. Luckily, he managed to salvage his initial absentminded comment before finishing.

Protector: “That attitude will birth many enemies; it is an invitation for great danger. Do you not know fear? You are my first and only encounter with a lower being that does not immediately cower before my greatness.”

Curious of 513’s response, the Protector probed once again.

[What a cun...ahem! Okay…]

While letting another of his true thoughts almost finish, 513’s complexion subtly changed. His back was now soaked in sweat, but miraculously, he kept his outward appearance unaffected.

As if waiting for the other to continue the tense conversation, a long moment of silence ensued.

During that time, the Protector’s serene smile started to unsettle 513 for reasons he couldn’t quite describe. The smile went beyond the realm of someone putting up a simple facade.

He was convinced that the level of trickery and danger behind the Protector’s smiling face was bottomless.

After blankly staring at the Protector for some time, he awkwardly continued.

[So….uh, yea. Fear. I know fear.]

Protector: "Elaborate."

Closing his eyes, 513 took a deep breath, collected himself, and proceeded.

[Rialla alone is enough to eliminate me. Yet, you bring…] He paused and looked around at those surrounding him. [...all these fellows along. What is the point of showing fear when I already know the outcome? Such excessive intimidation would make anyone laugh when facing such odds. Fear? That feeling was swept away -- along with what remaining logic I had -- the moment you revealed yourselves to me.]

Protector: "There is no need for such unnecessary inclusions. Your answer is underwhelming."

Retorted the Protector, clearly not moved by his reply.

[Fine. Honestly, I'm not good with expressing my thoughts, especially when holding a conversation with someone who reads minds.]

Protector: "Noted."

513 balled up his hands into a fist. He wanted to smack the haughty woman standing in front of him, but decided against it for good reason.

Reeling in his feelings, he continued.

[...in any case, the answer is that, while I may not show it, I truly am afraid...as for being reckless, well, I took a chance based on belief.]

Protector: "To gamble your life on such a trivial matter. You must have great confidence in that belief of yours."

[I won't deny that. Afterall, I gambled on the belief that you wouldn't harm me after causing a minor inconvenience.]

Protector: "Oh? Is that your reason?"

Her response was uncomfortable to the ears.

While not robotic, the Protector's speech had turned unnatural.

Protector: "Understand this; flattering me will not save you."

[It is not flattery. If you wanted me eliminated, you would have given the order well before I knew of your existence. The very fact that we are carrying a conversation right now, means you have no intention of taking my life. Besides, you claimed to have watched me from afar, so you should know of my unique disposition.]

The Protector was silent for a moment. She decided to choose her words carefully before she replied.

Protector: "It is lacking, but I can accept that answer, for now. In the meantime, explain to me the purpose behind your interruption."

[Alright. Hypnosis.]

His answer was curt; to the point.

Protector: "..."

[It appears my guess was correct.]

Protector: "My lack of response is not an admission."

Ignoring her, 513 continued.

[I wondered why I was always in a rush to exterminate the spiders. The more I thought of it, the more irate I became. Honestly, I did plan to confront the spiders again, but only to establish terms. I've never once considered eradicating a species for my own benefit -- until I was hypnotized by your rules, that is.]

Not wanting to give a concrete answer, the Protector changed topics.

Protector: "I'm curious, why act so casually around me? You admit you fear us, yet your actions counter your words. I question your sincerity."

Hearing this, 513 was reminded of Rialla. Her words were rather familiar in that sense.

Although he understood that the Protector was avoiding his question, he didn't mind. Her non-answer was not a form of denial, but proof of admission in his eyes.

[Hehe. I don't blame you for glossing over the uncovered truth. It appears that even almighty beings are willing to lower themselves to-]

Feeling the temperature in the surrounding area drop considerably, 513 put a stop to his shameless chiding.

[-ahem! To answer your question, I would rather act in comfort than in fear when facing certain death.]

Protector: "A moment ago, you exuded bottomless confidence in the idea that you would not be killed. Why the sudden change? Your words and actions are inconsistent."

[Gambling has no guarantees, which is why I loathe it.]

513 found it increasingly difficult to answer normally. With the Protector reading everything on his mind, he had no opportunity to sort through his thoughts. Thus, he answered with the first thing that came to him.

Protector: “...”

The conversation between the two continued for a while.

As 513 adapted to the conversational format, he took liberties in adding contradictions, lies, misdirects, and embellishments within each of his answers. This caused the Protector great displeasure.

However, from their talks, the Protector was able to grasp 513's true essence. Based on her current impression of him and his past exploits, she categorized 513 as a highly adaptive, but incredibly disappointing idiot. He was one who wandered aimlessly in life with no clear goals in mind; a dunce who only moved to guarantee his own survival.

[Amusing. Perhaps this was the reason Rialla mistook his scent for an oncoming tempest.] She secretly mused.

While being far from ideal, if given an objective with ample rewards, he could be used to great effect. Moreso if his ideals aligned with hers.

After a few back and forths, the Protector was finally fed up with 513’s method of talking in circles.

With a lengthy sigh, the Protector took hold of the conversation and steered it towards a more productive direction.

Protector: "Haaah. You are an exhausting and troublesome individual. Enough with the idle talk. I have a proposal that will benefit both of us. Would you like to hear it?"

◊◊◊◊◊◊

Day 451; 1143 (Morning)

Focus: 513

Surprised by the details of the proposition, 513 could not help but react in astonishment.

[You want me to do what now?!]

Protector: “It is as I had said. What say you? Will you commit to this proposal?”

[I am on the losing end of this deal…]

Protector: “Would you rather wander my lands until you reach senility, never to interact with civilization; that which you long for?”

[You have no idea what I long for. So don’t start.]

After having conversed for a prolonged period, the Protector had given up all forms of pretenses and acted normally.

Hearing his retort, she chuckled in amusement. She felt like teasing him a bit more.

Protector: “Fufufu. You would be surprised. There are many things I know about you.”

513 narrowed his eyes, wondering what the woman in front of him meant.

Her response could easily be misunderstood, depending where the mind wandered. Regardless, 513 decided to 'punish' her for her loftiness.

Several dozen lewd images simultaneously appeared in his mind. He consciously cycled through each image, intentionally highlighting the most perverse and questionable details; it was like a tornado of lust.

Protector: “This...this is rather unpleasant.”

She waved for 513 to stop his antics as she hid her flushed face from his gaze.

Imagery that would normally not make her budge, had caused her to feel embarrassed. She had not expected 513 to think so crudely in the midst of serious talks. It was too random and abrupt; completely unexpected.

Several followers in the background twitched in reaction, and Rialla started to growl at 513 once again.

With a trembling smile on his face, 513 swallowed down a nervous cough. He felt that the situation had become complicated due to his ploy.

Finding no reason to continue his form of 'punishment', the lewd storm was cut away from his mental space, returning his mind to a level of calm.

Although he had likely just insulted a great being of the world, he could not help but poke fun.

[You are more 'human' than you make yourself out to be. At least your pretenses are gone. Young. Maiden. Lass.]

He truly was an idiot.

Protector: “...the rewards for the proposal are adequate and match my expectations of you.”

She ignored his mocking words and replied calmly.

With the images now gone, her normal, ethereal complexion gradually returned.

[Your expectations, is it?]

513 wanted to deliberate the merits of the deal internally, but found discomfort in it. He didn’t want to leak his thought process to unwelcomed eyes.

Pretending as if he had done nothing wrong, he continued.

[Hmm...these red crystals. You mentioned that they are the source of corruption in your lands, altering the psychology and bodies of the natives that come in contact with it...why not take care of it yourselves? Why do you need me to do this for you?] He questioned.

Protector: “The Corruption Pylons will not affect you in any way.”

Now back to her original self, she replied confidently.

Raising a brow, 513 threatened the Protector with another lewdstorm, prompting her to proceed.

Protector: “As for the deal, I am willing to amend the rewards. In addition to giving you a personally curated map of my lands and a direct path to reach a small settlement in the fringes of my territory, I will disclose the reason why the red crystals will not affect you. If you exceed my expectations, bonus rewards will be given.”

[How will learning more about the crystals after I’ve done the work help my situation? It is not enough.]

He was unconvinced that the remuneration matched the amount of work involved. Aside from the bonus rewards, the current proposal did not seem at all worthwhile.

Protector: “Disclosing the reason is beneficial to understanding what you are, not as a person but as a being of this world.”

[...a being of this world…] He echoed absentmindedly.

He was curious about what he had become after experiencing drastic changes to his body and mind. He wasn’t sure if he could still be considered ‘human’ or in his case, ‘terran’. If he could gain some knowledge or key insight into those aspects, he would be able to understand not only his origins, but his place in the world.

He meditated, stewing on a decision for some time before finally giving his answer. The thought process was difficult in the presence of the Protector, but he decided not to hold back. Afterall, he didn't know the extent of the Protector's mind reading ability.

[After considering the pitfalls of your proposal and weighing my options, I am willing to accept. However, before we proceed forward, I need to ask: what would you have done if I had rejected your proposal?]

Protector: “Coercion.”

[Fhoooh. I figured as much.] He sighed internally, before continuing.

[Now that I’ve formally accepted, what guarantees will you give to ensure that neither party is left unsatisfied by the arrangement? I would suggest a legally binding contract, but that has no power in this world, nor does it have a method of being enforced.]

Protector: “A Contract, is it?”

She asked 513 meaningfully.

513 stared blankly at the Protector, confused as to why she had put so much emphasis on the word 'contract'.

Meanwhile, behind the Protector, a riot was breaking out amongst the followers.

Several jumped forward with intent to harm.

“Young man, you dare ask for such a thing?!”

“How shameless!”

“I admit, you are bold. But you are taking things too far.”

“You shall die this day!”

“Ara ara!”

Witnessing the event, 513 grumbled to himself. [What the hell? Why are these bastards so furious over a signed piece of paper?]

While he didn’t understand them, their actions spoke volumes. He knew that the followers could only listen to one side of the conversation since he had communicated with the Protector using only his thoughts. He didn’t expect such a hostile reaction when she mentioned ‘contract’ out loud.

Understanding their intentions, the Protector raised a hand, causing every last one of her followers to stop in their tracks. She then scanned the group and gave a nod.

The incensed followers reluctantly obeyed and dispersed from their attack formation.

Once her followers had calmed down and retreated back to their previous positions, the Protector resumed the conversation.

Protector: “I am willing to conduct a Contract.”

Rialla: “Protector, you must not!”

Rialla yelled in protest.

The Protector turned around once more and spoke.

Protector: “No need to fret. It will be limited to the terms I had already proposed.”

Hearing this, her followers’ level of anxiety lowered considerably. Still, there were a few that continued to fume.

Meanwhile, 513 was utterly lost and tilted his head in confusion.

Turning back to face 513, the Protector ignored the dumb look he was giving her and initiated a sequence required for the Contract to take effect.

Protector: “I, the Protector of the Land, shall bestow the > upon you, Guest-"

She gave 513 a meaningful look, then resumed.

Protector: "-the new |Contract Holder|. This Contract is limited to the contents held within the proposed agreement. This includes any and all conditions, requirements, and rewards stipulated by said proposal. There is no set time limit, and a breach in the agreement will result in severe penalties. Are you willing to accept these terms?”

As she asked for confirmation, the Protector’s eyes glowed in a brilliant pink hue that threatened to devour her delicate and fair skin.

[...yea.]

With his acceptance, 513’s body was surrounded by the pink light and encased within it. He felt an oddly familiar sensation as he was engulfed by the phenomenon, and was surprisingly comforted by the feeling.

[Why does this feel so familiar?] He wondered while thinking back to his first days in the forest.

He distinctly remembered that a similar sensation had enveloped his body when he slept inside a crevasse on a rocky hill countless days ago.

When the process had finished, the brilliant light dissipated, leaving 513 to check his body for random changes. Once he had confirmed everything was still in its proper place, he faced the Protector.

[So, this ‘severe penalty’ you mentioned. Does that mean death?]

Rather than give a verbal response, the Protector mischievously smiled.

[...I take it, we have been bound together until the contents within the Contract have been fulfilled, correct?] He prodded once more.

Protector: “That is one interpretation of it.”

Regardless of what the Protector said, 513 could only take her word at face value. Whether the brilliant light was just for show or an actual method to enforce the agreement, he wasn't willing to test it; he still valued his life.

In the end, he fell into a situation where he could only accept the word of a stranger; without truly knowing how the > worked, he found himself in the same position as being coerced into accepting the agreement.

[Is there anything else you need from me?]

He asked, after being silent for some time.

Protector: "I've already accomplished what I had set out to do here. We will take our leave shortly."

She looked beyond 513 and glanced at the pile of spider bodies still burning in the background, then added a few more words to her farewell.

Protector: "However, before that, let me aid you in cleansing this mess."

---Chapter End