The first thing Jack did was direct his senses to his back. Probably the woman was talking to someone behind him who just happened to enter this room. 

But after sweeping his consciousness throughout the room, there was only this woman. Jack returned his attention to this woman, who was still staring at where he was floating. Her next words convinced Jack that she was indeed aware of Jack’s presence.

“You are… an outworlder… How do you get into this spirit form?”

Jack wanted to reply but he couldn’t. He wasn’t able to speak during his incorporeal state.

The woman seemed to understand Jack’s dilemma. She said, “You can focus on the message you want to convey in your mind. I will be able to hear your thoughts.”

Jack did what the woman told him. He didn’t sense any malice in her. Plus, she was also a captive. Jack focused hard using his mind and directed a thought at her, “HI, HELLO! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!”

The woman winced. “Not too loud, please,” she said. “You have a strong mind.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jack tried to tone down his focus. “I’m an outworlder called Storm Wind. Who are you?”

“It’s nice meeting you, Mister Storm. My name is Talia,” the woman replied.

“Talia? One of the divine priestesses of the Council of Charites?”

“You know of me?” Talia asked.

“I come here looking for you and your sisters. Well… I did meet one of your sisters but she wasn’t exactly friendly.”

“You meet Euphosine…?” Talia seemed surprised.

“No. the other one, Aglea,” Jack answered.

“Algea…?” Now she looked confused. “Tell me everything. Why are you here? How did you meet Aglea and what did she do?”

Jack wanted to ask her what exactly was happening here. Why one of the divine priestesses captured people and forced them to participate in a deadly game? And why was the other divine priestess chained? But since it was Talia who asked first, he had to be a gentleman and comply.

So, Jack narrated how he ended up in this place and what had transpired ever since he arrived here. Talia listened silently.

“… She said we will continue the next match tomorrow. We have been given the rest of the day to rest. I use my secret ability to send my consciousness out to explore this place. This is how I find you. Now, if you don’t mind. I want to ask a few questions myself.”

Talia had been frowning while listening to Jack. She realized Jack’s confusion after his question. “Of course. Forgive me. I apologize for the discomfort my sister has caused you. Although I can’t truly help your predicament, I can provide you with an explanation of what is happening. You see…”

She suddenly stopped.

“Yes…?” When Jack wanted to urge her for an answer, he saw her face suddenly turn tense.

“You need to leave! Now!” Talia exclaimed.

“What? Why?” Jack asked.

“She is on her way here,” Talia answered.

“She? Who? Aglea?” Jack asked.

“No, worse. You have to leave!”

Jack tried expanding his senses. This nexus world was large. The dungeon he was in was just one of the rooms in this nexus world.

“Stop! Like me, she can sense you. If she finds you, she will do something to prevent you from using your spirit form again. You have to leave, now! Come find me again right after your match tomorrow. She should be occupied for a few hours after the match. I will explain everything then. Don’t come before then. We can’t risk you stumbling into here while she was present. Now, go!!”

Jack felt the alarm in Talia’s voice. He decided to heed her warning. He went to the wall of the dungeon and worked his way through the membrane encasing this pocket world. When he pierced through, for a very short moment he sensed the presence of someone entering the room. This presence sent chills through his very being even when it was just for a brief instant. He was out then.

He turned back and watched the nexus world from the space in between worlds within this constructed dimension. He wondered whether that presence he sensed just now also sensed him back during that last second.

He decided to not think about it too much and make his way back. He was curious about the other pocket worlds. There was also the matter of Grace’s whereabouts, but he had been out of his body for too long. He would be in trouble if anything happened to his body while he was gone. Additionally, after spending a certain time in this incorporeal state, he could feel himself becoming weaker. He didn’t think it was wise to stay in this state for too long.

As for Grace, he believed in her. She was a woman who could take care of herself, not a dame who needed rescuing, as had been proven during the war with Liguritudum and Aurebor when she came to his rescue instead of him to her.

As long as he could make it to the end match, Jack believed he would see Grace there. So, he made his way back to where his body was.

—————

In a dungeon similar to where Jack and Master were chained, Grace was sitting by a corner. She was also chained, the same as yesterday when she came into this place after entering the mist.

She and the others in this room had just gone through a running match and a sacrificial round. Ten of them entered the match. Now, there were still ten of them. They had successfully saved the person nominated as the sacrifice, all thanks to two people. Grace and another person she knew well, even if he was an enemy.

That person was Spring Crown.

The sacrificial round they went through was the same as the one Jack’s team experienced. With their keen perception, Spring Crown and Grace identified the important parts of the mechanism around the sacrificial room even faster than Master. Then with Spring Crown’s puzzle gaming expertise, they figured out what to do with the mechanism.

The hole of the lava pond closed once they completed the puzzle and the chain holding the sacrifice was released.

“We made quite a team, didn’t we?” Spring Crown said to Grace with his typical smile. The two of them were chained side by side.

Grace was unsure how to answer.𝓷𝚘𝓋𝑬𝒍𝑵ℯxt.𝕔𝑜𝓂

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