The Messenger of Death

['What the hell Xander!? Are you trying to get us killed?!'] Al complained.

Xander gave Al no reply, he was trying to see in the pitch-black darkness with his outlook still set on live video.

"System activate the night vision."

*Night vision activated.

Even with the night vision activated, Xander still couldn't see anything in the darkness.

['You freaking daredevil, can you see what you have you have put us into?'] Al blamed Xander for acting recklessly.

['I would have also done the same as Xander did.'] Alex mentioned.

['Same here.'] Lex seconded.

['Don't you have fear for the unknown?'] Al asked.

"If we feared the unknown too much we would never make it anywhere."

"Well said."

Unexpectedly he heard a voice that he couldn't describe as it didn't sound like that of a female or a male.

Xander flinched and brought his sword out. "Who's there?"

"You who have made it this far without the guidance of a seed of Midas, welcome. This must be destiny for you to be here. If what you seek to obtain is one of the petals of the Midas's flower, then you would have to pass the test that I have for you." The voice said.

Even after turning around in circles Xander still couldn't see who or where the voice was coming from.

"What test? Do I have the free will to choose if I want to take the test or not?"

"Yes, you did come here on your own after all. You have the choice to decide if you want to return, just know that if you do that you would never find this place again nor will you find this particular petal of Midas that I guard." The voice replied.

['Take the test if it's not life-threatening.'] Alex proposed.

"Is the test going to cost me my life in any kind of way, and can I withdraw from it if I want to?" Xander asked the unknown voice.

"No, as long as you do not cheat it will not cost you your life, and yes, you can withdraw whenever you want to." The voice replied.

Xander was still hesitant about taking the test.

"How can I trust you?"

"Haha, if I wanted to do anything to you then there's nothing you can do to stop me." The voice claimed confidently.

"Okay, I'll take the test."

"Very, well. Come sit with me." The voice invited.

Xander was about to ask where he was supposed to go but kept quiet when his environment changed. He was now standing in the courtyard of a small bamboo hut, with trimmed grasses surrounding it and a bamboo fountain in the middle of the courtyard with water running.

"Come forward." The voice said.

He did as the voice asked and walked slowly to the front of the bamboo hut. And stopped in front of the entrance.

"Sit." The voice uttered.

"But I haven't stepped in yet."

Just right after Xander said that, his surroundings changed for the umpteen time. Now there were two mats on the ground and two pillows right on top of the mat. There was a table in between the pillows and the game of drought neatly arranged on the table.

['I wouldn't be surprised by anything that happens here again.'] Xander made up his mind.

He sat down, without saying anything.

['This place is very complex, the illusions that it shows are both to our advantage and disadvantage.'] Xander reasoned.

['The first illusion we entered was created by hallucinogens from the weird plants, the second, well that one I don't know how we got into it; perhaps it was the mist.'] Lex thought.

"A game of draughts will suffice, whoever captures the most pieces wins, use everything in your arsenal to play." A clone of Alex appeared out of thin air, the clone had the same orange-colored uniform on.

"You look exactly like I do," Xander mentioned, he didn't flinch when he saw a clone of himself.

The clone smiled. "Don't worry, originally I am only a speck of an astral projection, but not yours. An astral projection of someone stronger than you are, in a much higher plain realm than this.

"The celestial realm?"

The clone didn't give him an answer.

"I will make the first move." The clone sat down and made the first move.

['I'm not exactly good at games like this. Al, why don't you take this one?'] Xander stated.

['Yes! Finally, something that I'm needed for.'] Al rejoiced.

['Only if Alex is okay with you taking over.'] Lex added.

['Wait, what!? Why? You know that he doesn't like me. I shouldn't have gotten excited in the first place, now I feel disappointed and sad.']

['Sure, go ahead.'] Alex agreed.

['I knew that you were going to refuse it… just let me drown in my sorrow.'] Al misunderstood Alex's reply for a while there…

['Wait, you said yes? Yes!!! Sit back and watch how an experienced, enigmatic, brilliant, young and handsome man takes down some spirit with his tactics.'] Al's usual attitude was back.

['Alright.'] Xander said. He closed his eyes and switched.

-Switch.

As soon as Al took control over Alex's body a wide smirk crawled its way up to his lips.

"Let's play," Al uttered excitedly and moved his draught piece.

"Something has changed about you." The clone said.

Al's smirk turned into a playful smile, he placed his elbow on an empty spot on the table and rested his chin on his palm. "What do you think has changed about me, Mr. Guardian? You are full of surprises and so am I."

"Mr. Guardian? I like it." The voice said and smiled. Mr. Guardian made his move on the draught board. "I am not sure about what exactly has changed about you, but your attitude is one."

['Al, ask him if he's the one that has been creating these illusions that we've experienced and if he knows what those berserkers are. Also, ask him if he can tell us more about this flower of Midas.'] Lex stated.

"Can I ask you some questions?" Al inquired as he made a move on the draught board.

"Sure, but I will only answer the ones I feel like answering." Mr. Guardian said and made move on the board.

"What is this flower or petal of Midas that you spoke about?" It was Al's turn to make a move on the board.

"You came here without knowing what you were chasing after?" Mr. Guardian arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, and also it is very weird seeing myself do that" Al was referring to the way Mr. Guardian arched a brow at him.

"The Midas flower is a flower that has been grown and groomed with a primordial QI siphoned from mythical places in the universe. It is called the Midas flower because it was created by a cultivator and runemaster called Midas."

Al made a move on the board as he listened to Mr. Guardian.

"Siphoned QI?"

"Because the density and purity of the QI come from a place where cultivators are forbidden to step foot in." Mr. Guardian moved his piece on the board.

"You had a chance to capture one of my draught pieces but you didn't, I will be huffing this piece out." Mr. Guardian captured one of Al's pieces.

['Damn, why did I do that?']

['A professional indeed.'] Alex mocked.

Al acted like he wasn't affected by what happened or what Alex had said.

"Of what use is the flower or petal for?" Al asked. He made sure to concentrate on the game while he listens, now.

"There are nine petals of the Midas flower, each of which will appear in different continents and realms. A petal of the flower has the capability to raise your cultivation exponentially. Depending on how much QI an individual requires to breakthrough each cultivation realm."

While Mr. Guardian was explaining what the Midas flower was, he and Al had made several moves on the game board.

"You are quite peculiar, you are a human but you have the bloodline of 3 dragons in you. Even in the celestial plain realm or Sovereign plain realm, you would be considered a rare type.

Dragons are proud creatures that will rather die than have a lower being inherit their blood. You must have done something quite remarkable to convince 3 to pass their bloodlines to you."

Al was stunned by what he said. He was wondering how he knew that he had the bloodline of 3 dragons in his body.

"Don't think too much about how I know. If someone of my strength couldn't find out such details, even when they're in astral projection form then they do not deserve to be a sovereign."

"What is a sovereign and is the sovereign realm below the Celestial realm?" Al shook his shock away and continued to ask questions.

"A sovereign is someone that has made it to the sovereign realm or was born in that realm. And no, it is above the celestial realm. It is the pseudo god realm…"

"Another piece captured." Mr. Guardian said.

['What are you doing Al? You are meant to be winning not losing'] Alex mentioned.

['I'm sorry, I got too deep into what he was saying.']

['Sounds like you have ADHD.']

['Maybe.'] Al said.

['Whisper to the system and ask it to show the best possible move to take next. That way you don't have to think too much.'] Xander suggested.

"System, show me the best moves to take," Al whispered.

"I see, so that's how you got here." Mr. Guardian uttered.

Mr. Guardian stretched his hand and pointed his index finger at Alex, then he started to write in the air.

"A runes master."

As soon as Al saw the yellow glow that came along with his writing he wanted to run from where he was but stopped in his tracks involuntary when he heard the guardian say; "Don't move a muscle."

['Does he know that we were about to cheat?'] Alex asked.

['We are done for.'] Al said.

Mr. Guardian stopped writing in the air and what he had inscribed in the air slowly approached Al's face as he sat there, unable to move.

['This is it for us.'] Al thought.