My Dearest Reader-Chapter 13: Map

Finding treasure is a fun job if you know where it is. But aimlessly traveling looking for something you don't know if it even exists can be exhausting. Unless you are idiotically optimistic.

In life most of the things we need to find, we don't even know we need to find them. We stumble upon it by chance. Or was it fate.

The point being life is made up of clues we don't know how to read. So we end up going the wrong direction then find the right path somehow. Life is a game of chances, the chances being failures. So when you fail, you carve. You carve your own path.

And sometimes you end up going the wrong path, but that is beside the point.

The actual statement being that humans are strong enough to carve their own path.

But a few directions could help get them into an easier path. Because while the readers enjoy characters that have suffered, the readers would kiss a zombie to death before they suffer like that themselves.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

But now that the readers were in the story, seeing the characters suffer felt a bit off.

It was not like they were suffering by much either.

At least not right now.

Ananika was confused as to if she should tell the others about what the map said. As to what should be done. But as the reader, watching the story unfold was the greatest joy.

But the story was over, and Ananika was just as much a character. It did not matter if she had been the reader. She was now living under the whims of the story. So if the characters could meet God and gain powers, turn the system and become stronger.

Just a little sooner.

Rather than wandering about the forest for months on.

Would the story change for the worse?

Or would the normal life be closer?

No one could tell.

So instead Ananika chose to believe the present rather than the consequences she might or might not meet.

So as they were walking around the forest. Lae and Niko trying to figure out a map. Kleuren walking beside them. Ananika walking with Era and Nequam.

They had not told either of them where they were going, but upon Era's insistence they agreed. She probably planned on feeding them to some magia.

Ananika suddenly yelled out, "I think I can read that language."

Everyone turned towards her. She could feel them staring.

Kleuren raised his eyebrows and she subtly nodded, both actions being keenly noted by the others around them.

"But, you guys will have to trust me." Ananika said softly, knowing well enough how little they trusted the two. Not like they had any reason to.

"Why, you seemed so clueless yesterday?" Lae tilted his head.

"I just said I can help you." She stared back at him.

"It is suspicious how you know about this map." Niko raised his voice, cautious and sharp.

"I know a lot of things you guys don't." Ananika's voice was confident. Confident enough to convince.

Lae handed over the map, "Then show it."

She took it and tore it once. Era caught onto her arm. Then let go when Lae glared at her. Ananika held onto the paper and tore the two pieces into four. Then into eight. Just like how Era had done in the story. Tearing the paper into eight pieces, in anger.

"Can anyone light a fire?" She asked, fear of whether her actions will work, lighting up inside her.

"I thought you were going to read it." Nequam said, walking over towards the black haired girl, and looking at the torn papers.

"Please." She begged.

Lae sighed.

He took some rocks, wood and dry leaves from the surroundings. Lighting up a fire, as quick as it was humanly possible.

Ananika stood in front of the fire, "This is the only time you guys will be able to see this."

"Not like we could see it anyway anymore." Niko scoffed.

She burnt them in the fire.

Then the fire remained the same for two minutes. The silence weighed heavily on Ananika's chest.

Then the fire rose, she backed away.

The fire turned pink, showing some words.

Thou shall find God where the deepest part of the valley.

Ananika could feel tears in her eyes. Relieved at her actions showing some result. She licked her dry lips.

The rest of them were surprised, at the beautiful fire, at the words. It was written in a language everyone could read, at least that is how the story goes.

"The deepest part?" Lae asked.

Kleuren being the other to break out of the splendor said softly, "Don't bother with all that."

"Couldn't you have straight up told them where to go?" Kleuren asked, walking towards Ananika.

"They would not have trusted me." She rubbed her tears, glad that she was done.

Era leaned on Nequam, "How do you guys know where we want to go?"

"We–" Ananika started, confused as to what her next words will be.

"Are fortune tellers." Kleuren continued.

"Who came to help you guys?" Ananika added, proud of herself.

"What even is going on?" Niko scratched his head. Confused as to what would happen next.

"We don't really know either." Kleuren said.

"But you do know a lot." Era's smile was completely wiped off of her face.

"Well, yes but no." Ananika voiced out.

"So what do we do next?"Niko asked the two outsiders.

"Well for starters, you guys are trying to find God right?" Ananika asked. Her at the centre, surrounded by the others.

"Yeah." Nequam nodded.

"To summon him, you guys need to sacrifice something." Kleuren added.

"And to find him, you guys need to go to the middle of this place." Ananika finished,

"And how do we get to the middle of here?" Era asked, her eyes sharp, pointing towards everywhere with her hands.

"That is the point, you don't." Kleuren said softly. His words get a rise out of everyone.

"In the human body, the middle is the abdomen." Kleuren said confidently.

"Basically the stomach." He pointed towards his.

"The stomach?" Niko questioned. Curious as to how to get to God?

"Yeah!" Ananika exclaimed.

"How? What?" Lae was very confused.

"You see, the stomach is the digesting place, more accurately the protein digesting place. And protein is power. So the place we have to find is the place with the most power." Kleuren explained.

"What are proteins?" Nequam asked no one in particular.

"The place we have to find is the deepest density of magic." Ananika stated

"How...will we get magic?" Era rubbed her eyes.

"We won't, we will bring magic to ourselves."

"I'm sorry but what?" Niko got more and more bewildered with each statement made by the outsiders.

"Magia." Both Ananika and Kleuren stated at the same time.

Then there was silence.

All of them understood what they meant.

In the real world the characters figured it out on their own and planned it all on their own.

But Kleuren and Ananika had fastened the plot.

"How will we do that?" Niko asked, frantically rushing his hands through his hair.

"Don't know." Ananika smiled awkwardly.

Ananika did know what they did in the novel, but she did not want to follow their ways.

So she remained silent.

She did not want innocent people to end up dead.