[ I’m sure something very important happened when I lost my consciousness too. ]

Rosoa held his head tightly as if trying to squeeze it like a fruit for anything more. Of course, it didn’t help at all so he stopped.

[ You want to leave this city Izo? ]

[ Yes but there’s this magic barrier covering the city. ]

[ Oh, it covers aboveground and below. I watched as it was tested. But you are very lucky Izo to have found me for I know where it operates from. ]

Rosoa described a building to the south near the fort.

[ I was the architect with the Demigods as the builders. The stones were laid by common men but the heart of this barrier was made from the fifth Demigod. ]

[ What? ]

[ You heard me. ]

Rosoa laughed only a hollow one.

[ They promised one of the strongest adventurers to become like they were. When the lengthy tournament was won, they all travelled to the depths below. The five journeymen returned as four, seen by bystanders in the middle of the night. ]

[ Doesn’t this sound like a rumor? ]

[ It is but a likely one. The champion never returned. The family never mentioning it once.

A month passed and the nights seemed darker and artists began making their work out of this obtuse dream. Like a shriek in the night they couldn’t ignore, they were asking if everyone else saw it in their minds. Knowing so many others experienced it too didn’t soothe them so a lot of people began leaving the city.

I was planning to leave too, begging the Guardian to come with but she didn’t want to. My lovely wife for some reason didn’t want to leave too. Maybe because of me. No, it was me. ]

They both sat in silence. Both felt the city nightscape ominous.

[ To get inside the barrier’s building, I don’t know. I tried entering once to fix some issues that were left for later but simply couldn’t. I knew the Guardian entered it and that was the last time I saw her. ]

Izo didn’t want to disturb Rosoa’s mind since it was not at all fine but he had to ask something. Something that his heart was refusing to say.

[ Do you think the Guardian is also connected to this? ]

[ … ]

The man probably was thinking it in his subconscious, finding the conclusion unacceptable. It was only a while later when Rosoa sighed, head hung.

[ I think so. I believe so. She- she founded this church you know? ]

Izo looked at the bloody book with the knife in between.

[ She was a kind recluse who helped me when I was down. My name became important because of her. Yet I knew there was something off about her when she reads a book. No, she was devouring the contents within, inhaling the soul of it.

If we want to turn off the barrier the most probably is her. To find her I don’t know. ]

Rosoa stared at Izo with a gleam in his eye.

[ Izo, the Demigods states are unknown. They are however almost beyond human and should’ve been able to survive. We might face them. ]

Izo tried to imagine his plan of action.

‘If I want to know where to find the Guardian, I would have to consult her notes and books. After that, the other Demigods notes and books. He would have to ask the Demigods face to face if the above couldn’t help him.

There was a lot of uncertainty in the future. He might have to face all the horrors hiding in the city to escape.

Izo doesn’t know if he was cut out of the cloth that could rub off the black stain that had sullied this city but he could only try.

‘I don’t want to live here forever. This sound so stupid but I’m still haven’t had sex still.’

He wasn’t thinking of the bodily release but the true embrace from his love.

‘I just want to love and be loved back.’

And it seems this would be far harder task than he thought since arriving here.

‘Fine. I’ve beat that soul prison; I’ll also triumph over this.’

[ Rosoa, we should begin scouring the Guardian’s notes for clues. ]

[ Yes but also may I suggest something. ]

[ ? ]

[ In my house are a few gifts from Guardian. She gave them for my protection. Also below are people like me. A hundred souls that would be glad to regain their thinking. ]

[ Ah, I just remembered. What did you guys eat down below? ]

Rosoa began describing a weird mixture of plant and animals who were grotesque from Izo’s Earth standpoint. They were described as delicious however particularly ‘hard meat that has really soft ones hidden’. Their safety for Izo’s personal consumption was very unlikely so he thought about assigning the orb to the task.

They then decided check all of the storage locations of the Guardian for her notes.

[ Is this all? ]

[ No. There should be a lot more but they’ve disappeared. ]

In front of them was a small pile of books just enough for one school backpack.

[ All of this are… unimportant. Orphanage adoption list, temple budget. Nothing much. ]

[ Izo, is there a secret compartment here? I know I have one in my house. ]

Saying that Rosoa began removing books then moved the furniture around. Izo copied him but found nothing as well. They even resorted to knocking on walls to hear if they were hollowed out to no luck.

[ I guess let’s check the library again. ]

When they got out of the office, Izo saw the statue of the man who placed his legs over his head like a scorpion.

[ You never really told me who the Demigods are. ]

[ Oh. Must’ve forgot. That’s Renegade Kassim, a funny and charismatic man they say. I’ve had little contact with him except a few banquets. He seemed too dangerous anyway since there are rumors that he runs the gangs of the city and other thief organizations in other places.

Then there is the Guardian of the Gleaming Horizon, the Black Marshal that leads the city’s army and Academic Vhakin who inhabits the towering spires of his school up north. ]

[ They seem very human despite being called Demigods. ]

[ Now that you think about it, yes. Only the Guardian had this feeling of being mythical. Others were just incredibly powerful people. ]

His curiosity sated, Izo walked back to the temple library to search for a secret compartment of sorts. Since there were too many books, they decided to simply move away the bookshelves themselves.

Now, Izo saw just how improved Rosoa’s strength was since the bookshelf was moved by him with not much difficulty. He had to exert strength of course but Earth humans wouldn’t be able to drop it on themselves if they pulled hard.

[ Nothing again. ]

[ It seems that it’s too hard to find or there isn’t one Izo. ]

Rosoa cupped his chin.

[ Maybe she doesn’t have one because I’ve never seen her note anything down. I’ve written a few books and shared to her. She would ask me about a certain section then would recite word for word the content. Most of the time I’ve forgotten that I wrote those sections. ]

[ You’re saying she has photographic memory? ]

[ Photographic? ]

[ She can remember every thing that she has ever encountered. She might not need to write a diary or anything if so. ]

[ … ]

In the end, failing to find anything, Izo decided to leave the temple. Not before taking this wheeled carriage of sorts that had no walls or roof. Rosoa told him it was for buying from the markets and was pulled rather than horse driven. Even the famous artist that he was didn’t want to waste money on a horse it seems.

The both of them pulled the open carriage with its books going south. Since they were close to Rosoa’s house they might as well go there and take the items that the Guardian had given to him.

-4, 0 along the road was this manor. Not too big that it was ludicrous but the size was used for actual comfort and convenience. There was a plaque on the gate saying ‘Luck and Persistence is key’.

[ A very good saying. ]

[ It’s what made me, me. I was hardworking enough to develop skill that when luck finally came, I could grasp it. You need both to succeed. ]

They entered the main door when Rosoa stopped.

[ I knew it would be like this. ]

Rosoa sighed.

[ It hurts to see it like this. I built this place up. Each item having there memories. ]

Izo sympathized as he saw the vandalized interior with the toppled tables and chairs.

The home followed the philosophy of “pragmatic then elegance’. There was a chandelier that had the just the right amount of candle holders but was still made of silver. A few black handwoven rugs to clean the feet. The dark color makes it so it doesn’t have to be cleaned often.

Rosoa led Izo to a large studio area where a few busts and statues were there. A full set of tools to sculpt and maps lined the place.

[ Follow me. ]

Further across was an office area with books.

[ This is where I write and read. It’s very important to separate these things you know. The house is for every day me. My work area is for creative me. This setup enables me to flip the switch every time. ]

Rosoa moved his hands to this cabinet, opened it and pushed the panel inside. It opened like a small door.

[ Ah. This is the problem. Neither of us fits. ]

Izo could if he removed his armor. However, he wasn’t alone at this moment and once out he was a defenseless human. Does Izo trust Rosoa enough to enter this secret room? What if it was a trap?

[ I could if I removed my armor. ]

[ So, you aren’t a metal monster after all. I was thinking you were somekind of alien lifeform. ]

Izo had to decide now however.

[ Rosoa, would you mind me breaking through this wall instead? ]

The lanky man clapped as if happy.

[ This is it. You shouldn’t be too trusting. Don’t just believe other people’s words you know. Please, be my guest. It’s just a wall anyways. ]

Having gotten permission, Izo punched the center of the wall.

The space revealed was the same size as the office. There was a book titled ‘How to Win An Argument With Your Wife” and “The Embarrassing Life of King Vortgen”. There were wines, a comfy chair and a few swords.

Rosoa scratched his head awkwardly.

[ This is my relaxation room that doubles as a panic room to hide in case of attack. I like to rest here for a while and even practice swordsmanship. Trust me. I can duel a drunk knight if he used his off hand. ]

He says as he grasped one of the swords, only for his hand to be much bigger than its hilt.

[ Is this the item you talked about. ]

[ No, its this two. ]

A ring and a 1 by 1.5 meter rectangular object covered in cloth was shown to Izo.

[ The ring was given during my wedding. This painting however. When I submitted the crazed artworks from the dreams for explanation, the Guardian gave me this canvas instead, calling it an "accumulation of knowledge". ]