Chapter 3 – The journey and the new housemate

You’ve been guarding the world tree well Bolus; For thousands of years, you’ve been keeping these ruins secure and protected. Have you ever thought of going out of the island if your duties as a guardian is gone?

“…”

“I take pride in protecting one of the pillars of Asgrea, making a journey outside these ruins haven’t struck my mind, not even once, but now that you said it, I’m wondering what I would do if I wasn’t a guardian Ancient.”

“Hmm, is that so...”

After a short talk, Cillian looked around the ruins

“Did I place it up there? I can’t remember where the exact location.”

“Are you climbing the tree? Should I accompany you?”

“It’s fine by me if you want to come but are you climbing the tree in your beast form? You should change your form first because you might damage-”

Bolus started to change into his human form, he was a large person, his form looked like he was a man in his 20’s and his belly was big.

“That’s more I like it, I forgot that you looked like this when you’re in human form.”

“I like my human form, it really represents my looks but I prefer being in my beast form, it’s more comfortable.

When they reached the top of the tree, there was a huge crystal in the center. It was large in size and was bright even though there were no sunlight reaching it. The mana it possesses was powerful enough to sustain the whole island for thousands of years.

“We’re here, I can’t believe how high I needed to climb though. This tree is like 300 meters high, I think? Is it as tall as the Tokyo tower?”

“I only climb up here whenever I check the crystal so I’m used to it by now.”

“Ugh, this kind of lifestyle is still new to me, can I really keep on doing this.”

“How am I tired from climbing this tree when I was jumping through the forest with ease earlier? Did I use all my mana when I was removing the needle earlier, but I did it easily back then so what is happening to me right now? Let me take a rest first.”

“Ummah!”

“Ah, I’m fine, let’s continue.”

“What are we looking for in here?”

“There are so many things I made hidden when I was going through the process of making the ruins in each place where the world trees are planted. I think… Ah, here! The statue of Nefelinn and the other gods, I hid artifacts and treasures in a room behind this so maybe I can find it there.”

“This is the first time I’m seeing something like this in here.”

“Of course, I made it hidden to everyone except maybe… Nefelinn since he was the one who created this.”

“What is it that you’re looking for in here?”

“My body now isn’t strong enough to take on this world, I’m still weak if I’m compared to the races on the continent. I need something that will help me until I can handle it without relying on my abilities.”

“What are you-”

“I found it! Ah, the treasure that I need the most at the moment.”

“A ring? I feel an incredible amount of mana inside it, what is that?”

“Haha, this… It’s a ring that’s been filled with mana of the 9 gods, its existence is only known to gods and the 4 Ancients who are guarding the first world tree ‘Gilfok’ in Eldonia. Supposedly, this was actually planned to be one of the four keys in opening the doorway to God’s realm but it was too powerful to remain as a key so it was hidden here.” 

“What does it do?”

“It’s used as a mana storage, whenever the person wearing this is exhausting his mana, the mana inside can be used as a backup. It doesn’t just act as a storage but it can also improve your own mana capacity and better control and stability when you are using it, a great tool for mages if I’m not wrong. But not everyone can use it, you need to fill some requirements before you can wear it or else it will suck all the mana inside you.”

“It’s a scary treasure indeed…”

“Well… I don’t have to worry about that since I’m already worthy to wear it.”

Cillian then wears the ring in his middle finger in his left hand. When he was wearing it, the mana was somehow leaking out but he managed to suppress it easily.

“There… It doesn’t look bad on me.” 

He took some relics displayed and puts it inside Cotton’s space storage. He didn’t take everything but only took what was necessary for him.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“I’m thinking of exploring the island a bit more and then I’ll start on going on my adventure to the continents. I’ll be staying here for a couple more days before I head out.”

“Is that so...”, Bolus gloomily replied.

“Do you want to come with me, Bolus?” 

“…”

“I’m sorry but I can’t, I have a duty of guarding Semelera and the island, I can’t just abandon the duty I have been entrusted by for a thousand years now.”

“You do know that I was the one who made it like that, right?”

“…”

“I didn’t invite you to join me without thinking of your position, I’ve already considered that when I made that invitation for you.”

“How am I going to come with you while I’m guarding Semelera?”

 “You don’t.”

“!!!!!”

“Huh? I’m confused.”

“You don’t have to stay here; I can create a powerful barrier with this ring I got. With the barrier in place, you don’t have to worry about the world tree or the island. You can always come back and check the place with me using a portal and about the order among the monsters in the island I’ll make a copy of you and leave it here. It’s all taken care of, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

The look on Bolus’s face, he was so thankful for Cillian that he bowed down on his knees and expressed his gratitude. He didn’t imagine that he would be able to take a rest from his duties; He was glad that he could experience a journey throughout the continents with Cillian.

“I’m forever grateful for this being able to have meet you God Cillian-”

“You don’t have to call me that, just call me Kayne it’s sounds much better and doesn’t get attention much.”

“Ah yes, Master Cillian!”

“It’s Cillian, not Master Cillian.”

“Yes, Master!”

When the night was closing in, both Cillian and Cotton didn’t return back to Earth.

“We’re staying here for the night, it’s our first night sleeping here.”

The next day, they explored the whole island while riding on Bolus’s head. They circled the whole island and saw almost every monster that was living there.

“Even though their species are known to be aggressive they don’t act that rashly when Bolus is here, Ancients are that scary huh. The only monster that acts like this are monsters that have been living in a territory of an Ancient, the ones on the continent are much scarier than them since no one is keeping a check on them. Monsters on the continent doesn’t care if what they are facing is an Ancient or not. I think that each country in the continents is having a hard time fighting off against them.

There are quite many strong individuals in the continent but they are not enough for the quantity of the monster. The monsters are not their only problem, some countries are not on friendly terms on each other too.” Cillian murmured to himself while riding on Bolus.

“Hey Bolus, I’m changing our date of departure, we’ll be heading out tomorrow since I’ve already erected the barrier. We already finished exploring the island, I think it’s time we go and start our journey!”

“Oh, is that so… I’m already prepared for the journey so…”

“Okay then.”

“I’ll be going somewhere first and return tomorrow, so see you later then.”

“Uh, what…”

Both Cillian and Cotton disappeared from Bolus’s sight and came back to Earth.

“It’s almost noon already, I’ll prepare our lunch then, do you want to help out?”

“Ummah!”

“Okay then, let’s start cooking!”

I still have other things to do here on Earth, I need to manage my time wisely. Tomorrow we’re finally going to the continent but we need to have a boat or something to cross the ocean. What should I make with my ‘creation’ skill then?

*stares at the outside

He saw the sea and the boats and the yachts.

“!!!!”

That’s right, I’ve been saying it since earlier but it hasn’t gone to me! The transportation that is mainly used in the western and northern continent, the air ships! I should make a our very own sky ship. The protagonist of the story in my novel actually has a sky ship as well. I wonder what point in the story are we currently? Wait, is the story currently happening now or Bathala just made the world in my novel and didn’t follow the plot of the story? If that were what is happening then I can do whatever I want.

[Air ships – public large transportation ships that is used to travel long distance and is used to reach the float islands in the continent.

Sky ships – mainly used for exploration and is mostly custom build by its owners. It is smaller in comparison to the Air ships.

Float islands – islands that are located up above the sky and stays afloat because of the rich mana in them.]

*knocking sound coming from the door

While Cillian was in the kitchen preparing his lunch, someone was knocking on the front door. Kayne was surprised of the knocking because he’s living alone and had just move.

“Is there someone on the front door? Who could that be?”

*knocks again

“Coming ~”

*opens the door slowly

“Hello? Who is it?” Cillian asked.

The guy outside boringly said, “Hey it’s me, open the door.”

As Cillian opened the door, he saw his best friend standing at the entrance carrying a large bag and two suitcases on the side.

“Heyyow!”

“Ahk, what are you doing here, Kayne? Did you follow me?” Cillian asked surprisedly.

Kayne, a long-time friend since elementary school, he is the quiet and composed best friend of Cillian who treats him like his own brother.

“Huh, didn’t you say that you were coming back to your old house, Auntie was the one who mentioned where your house was but it took me an hour searching for it. Let me inside, I’m so tired.”

“What are you doing here, you didn’t answer my question?”

“Mom and auntie were having lunch the last week. They were talking about how you and I got to the same university and she somewhat mentioned that you’ll be staying here at your old house; Auntie then suggested that I should also just stay here with you since we’re both going to the same university and my mom supported it.”

“Eeehhh?!”

“Auntie said that it’ll be hard for you to live alone in this big house all by yourself, so she and my mom suggested that they could split the expenses and stuff. So, starting today I’m your housemate, you idiot.”

“Is that so… My mom should’ve at least mentioned this to me, ugh. She didn’t even mention a word about it.”

“Do you not want me to stay here? If you don’t really like me staying here, I guess I should probably go somewhere else then.” Kayne sarcastically said.

*hits Kayne’s head softly

“Are you an idiot? I didn’t say anything about that. I’m just saying that mom could’ve at least said something to me.”

“So where am I staying at? Where’s my room?” Kayne asked.

“Ow, the rooms are already cleaned so I think the room upstairs on the right side is okay. My room is in the farthest left so… just so you know.”

“I’ll unpack my things then.”

“Um, hey, is your sister also going to stay here?” Cillian shyly asked.

*Kayne smirks

“Yeah, she is, She’ll be coming here a week later after she finishes her part time work. Don’t look too excited when you see her, okay?” He replied.

After Cillian showed Kayne his room and around the house, he went and continued making lunch.

“Wait… If he’s here then, how am I going to hide Cotton then? Should I just tell him then? It’s not really a problem with him knowing about it really. Aah, I’ll just keep it as it is, if he asks me anything about it, I’ll just tell him then.”

Both Cillian and Kayne ate lunch after he finished cooking.

“!”

“Ow, Cil, what’s that? Is that your pet of something? You have a pet… Goat? Sheep? It’s a sheep, right?”

“This is Cotton, he’s the first housemate, he’s my pet sheep, I guess with his fluffiness that is.”

“You have a pet sheep? When did you ever had the time to adopt him?”

“Just yesterday.”

“Ahh you… Cotton, you want some?” Kayne said as he offers his hands with food to Cotton.

“Ummah!”

“He likes you huh, here Cotton, come up here.”

Hours after they finished their meal, Cillian went to his room with Cotton while Kayne borrowed the car to go to town to buy some stuff for his room and the house.

“I’ll be going now.”

 “Okay, bye.”

“We have everything prepared, let’s go! I tried to speed up time in Asgrea earlier and it somehow worked but not that much. I only speed it up for a few hours but it still is the next day there.

 Bolus must be waiting for us, but before all that I’ll be making our ship first.”

…

“Bolus! We’re here!”

“I’ve been waiting for you, Master. Is that what we’re riding?”

“Uhuh, it’s beautiful, isn’t it? I made it a bit large since we’ll be using it quite often,” Cillian replied.

“Everything on the island is all in place, the barrier, the double, and even the monsters. There’ll be no problem with us departing now.

The interior of the ship is quite cool looking, where did you find these, Master?” Bolus added.

“I made it.”

“Really? You’re amazing Master, is this also a skill of yours?”

“Yeah, it’s my first time ever making a ship with this skill.”

After going around the ship a few times, they finally took their leave. The ship started its engine and ascends itself, after the mana engine which was controlled by Cillian started to use its charged energy and moved forward.

“So where are heading first? What continent are we going to first?”

“Ummah!”

“That’s right Cotton, we’re going to the largest continent first where most human kingdoms reside, the north continent. Even though the central continent is much closer, I want to first see the human countries and visit the world tree that is hidden in a dungeon, the third world tree ‘Terpetios’.”

“I believe we would be passing the Kingdom of Elysia and many other counties before we reach there.”

“That’s right, we’ll go to every country in the world and make this adventure the best!”

Chapter 3 ends~ to be continued