He who Bends Time-Chapter 49 - a great loss

"The wind guide should arrive shortly to transport you to the sixth floor," said the two crystal golems. After those words, they slowly started to change back into the crystal slopes they had transformed from in the first place.

In the last moment before turning completely back into lifeless crystal, their voices echoed again to the group:

"Some of your friends should know that nothing in here can be brought outside."

"What does that mean?" Marian asked, confused, as she looked back at the group. But before she could find out anything more, a slight breeze swept over them. In the next second, a massive, forceful wind dragged them away through the same path they had arrived from—the narrow, tunnel-like passage and the slight crack they had entered through in the crystal—and straight out into the open.

From there, the wind continued to descend, bringing the group along with it as it headed toward the part where the sixth layer was located.

On the way down, carried by the wind that blew steadily in its own rhythm, Auran was able to take in the beauty of the passing scenery.

Each circle was different from the others. While the first circle, at the top of all others, was indeed luxurious with golden glow shining on its own mansions and roads, the second circle below it was more luxurious in its own unique way. In comparison, the second was superior to the first—and when comparing the second to the third, the third was even more splendid.

This pattern continued for all the circles. Crowds flooded the upper levels in seemingly endless numbers, but as Auran descended, he noticed the obvious reduction in population in the lower circles that were closer to the sixth one, which held the main Bloody Arena.

On the fourth floor, Auran saw a specific hut where some delicious-looking meat was being cooked. The aroma of the food rose to the sky and could be recognized even from high in the air.

"Those must be tasty," he muttered. Starved from days of hardship and having not enjoyed a proper meal for a while, he suddenly craved something warm to eat.

Suddenly, the direction of the wind changed and turned to blow through the smoke rising from the food.

"Whoa!"

Being dragged by the wind, Auran flew through the smoke, catching a whiff of the delicious aroma that made his appetite grow.

"Can this thing actually recognize what I say?" he wondered about the nature of the wind, as it seemed to respond to his words.

However, by that point, they had already passed the fifth floor and were now approaching the sixth and final layer. But as they got closer, they noticed that the speed of the wind was not slowing down.

"This shouldn’t be safe!" Henry exclaimed, and the others instantly agreed, turning to Marian for any clue as to why the wind wasn’t slowing.

But she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and didn’t hear what they were saying.

The wind rapidly blew downward, dragging the group quickly toward the floor without any sign of stopping. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"Damn it, I’m gonna die because of a stupid wind!" Auran screamed at the last moment, closing his eyes. He was alone this time and didn’t have anyone nearby to do what he had done with Octo before.

However, after closing his eyes, expecting a painful landing, the impact never came—not even a collision with the ground. Slowly opening his eyes, Auran saw that he had been stopped just a little above the sixth-floor surface. The wind once again blew upward and spun Auran a few times before gently placing him on the ground. Then it shot upward and returned to the blessing crystal.

"Did it get mad?" Auran muttered, coming to a conclusion based on the wind’s behavior—especially the part where it spun him around before finally letting him land.

"Whatever. All that matters is I’m safe in the end." Settling down, he prepared to stand again, but at that moment, he noticed a dusty substance rising from his pocket and floating upward.

Checking his pocket, Auran saw that it was the tiny crystal he had taken from the blessing crystal—now turning to dust and flowing back toward the blessing crystal.

"Ugh!, so this is what they meant by not being able to take anything from the crystals... What a waste of a valuable resource," Auran sighed, lamenting the loss of his newly acquired treasure.

"There’s Auran!" he heard Henry’s voice as Henry spotted him near a small hut away from the group.

"Halt! Identify yourself!" Suddenly, a group of armored people came rushing in and surrounded them. They were the guards from the nearby shops, here to determine whether the newly arrived guests were good people or thieves trying to rob the stores of their goods.

"Back off, rock heads. I have no interest in your puny goods!" Marian exclaimed as she slapped aside the spear of one of the guards pointing it at her. The powerful strike sent the guard stumbling backward and made him fall to the ground.

"Ah!" Realizing that the newcomers were strong individuals, the guards quickly backed down. Now that they knew these people were powerful, the shopkeepers had nothing to worry about. After all, if someone was strong enough they can earn tons of money in the arena, why would they waste their effort robbing and shaming their own name?

After driving off the guards, Marian looked around. The place they were in was actually a road, which explained why the nearby guards had come so easily—since the shops were built close to it.

After a few moments of observation, she finally moved toward a specific spot on the road where a sign labeled "Fast Travel" was hanging from a pole.

Once she approached and stood in front of the sign, the pole suddenly vibrated, and a round eye opened from it.

"Ah! Isn’t that...!" Seeing the pole activate, Henry was both surprised and delighted, confident that even without anyone’s explanation, he knew exactly what kind of thing this was.

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