"Hehehe. . . hahahaha! How long has it been since I lost a bet?"
Akiol sighed in relief, he would have to repay the masked individual someday. After all they saved his account.
Quolith had a grin spread across their face, "Ah, I suppose the odds have been against me from the start. Such a wager wasn't something I could pass up. I will fulfill my end of the bargain, however there will be some time between your revivals. It could take between fifteen minutes to an hour, but I will send you back first."
Quolith was about to make a motion before hesitating, "Take this too, it has been far too long since I have suffered a loss."
Akiol was interested in what a god could give, "What is it?"
"My blessing, you should find that your luck is better upon reviving. However I am a firm believer in balance, so if you get too lucky, then be wary of misfortune."
"Can a god even believe in something?"
"We were all once human, some belief stuck with us."
"I see. . ."
"I shall be sending you off now, do be wary. Though I wouldn't mind making another bet if you still wager that strand."
Before Akiol could even say thanks his vision quickly faded.
Akiol felt odd, like his body was slipping away. He forcefully dragged it back, the slime made sickening sounds as it snapped back into place. His senses slowly returned to normal. Akiol stood up as the slime finished returning.
A voice called out, 'Akiol!'
Stars shot into Akiol's hand. Akiol caught him and gently touched the blade.
'I thought you died!'
Akiol could tell from Stars voice that he was nearly crying. He comforted, "I'm here now, don't worry."
Akiol picked up the sheath and slid Stars into it. He put it back on and adjusted the strap. He then turned to the mask individual, "I must thank you. It is because of you that I still live."
The masked individual spoke, "How are you alive? Those killed by Immortals have their accounts deleted."
Akiol showed a small smile, "I made a bet with a God."
". . ."
Akiol looked over to the dropped chest, "So that's what they drop? You're welcome to keep it, though it is technically yours to begin with. I don't care."
The masked individual hesitated before responding, "No, keep it. I originally came here to challenge you, but it seems like your current strength isn't high enough. Hopefully this gives you something to fix that."
Akiol raised an eyebrow, "An interesting reason. Are you sure?"
"I did the same before, I have no issue doing so now."
". . .With the artifact. A shame it no longer exists."
"Grow stronger slime, so I may challenge you again."
The masked figure began to walk away. Akiol called out, "Never got your name. Mind telling?"
The figure stopped for a moment, "It seems like people have taken a liking to calling me Dot. You are welcome to do the same."
Dot vanished without a trace. Akiol shook his head, "A strange player, I suppose there will always be bigger fish."
Akiol sat on the chest, he would wait for the party before opening it.
~ ~ ~
Travis traveled abnormally quickly through the land. As he traveled Abe spoke up, 'Phew! I almost thought I was noticed.'
Travis frowned, "What do you mean?"
'Didn't you realize? The sword the slime wielded.'
"What about it?"
'That is one of the Upper Four! Breaker of Stars!'
Travis stopped in his tracks, "Really?"
'I felt it, I am extremely confident in my claim. After all only the Upper Four can be so dominant by just being there.'
"Is the slime their wielder?"
'Woah, you better not be getting any funny ideas. You're stuck with me remember?'
"That's not what I meant, I simply wish to know if the same slime I wish to battle against is the wielder of an Upper Four sword."
'Yeah, didn't you see how it ran to them as soon they came back? I never seen him so attached to someone.'
Travis grinned, fantastic! This slime guy kept throwing everything he knew from his past life through the window! The sword that was never found in his past life was in their hands! They were a slime, a race that was an incredibly difficult one to obtain, in the early stages of A World's Legacy!
He murmured to himself, "Who are you exactly?"
~ ~ ~
The developers were silent. Although no sounds were made they all were thinking something similar.
What a development!
The player they were wary of had saved the team's lives somehow. Through a battle of constant fighting, such a peaceful ending occurred?
A developer commented, "This ending isn't cinematic at all!"
The developers looked at him strangely. They immediately explained, "There was no final push for victory! They all died, then some random guy comes over and cleans up? How is that a satisfying ending?!"
"This isn't some novel, such endings won't always happen."
"Bah!"
Desk Guy sat silently, his brain working. How had they revived? What did they do?
Such thoughts coursed through his head...
~ ~ ~
"Oh, that's seventeen minutes. Sorry Yielya, but you lose."
"Psh, the game was rigged."
Wrock sat up dazed, "What game.?"
"I was timing everyone's revivals to see who came back the fastest. I bet you would revive before the twenty minute mark, and Yielya bet on it being after.."
Wrock looked at Akiol with a puzzled expression, "What?"
Akiol waved away his concerns, "Something to pass the time. Now come, everyone gather up. I have some explaining to do."
Akiol sat back on the chest and the party sat in a half ring in front of him. Akiol observed this and commented, "I feel like I should be telling a story like this. How about the tale of the Red-Horned Boar?"
Akiol didn't bother waiting for an answer and he began the story, "Once, in a village that lay hidden in a forest-"
Yielya groaned, "Just tell us the important stuff!"
Akiol frowned, "That's a horrible way of story telling. How would you know about the events leading up to it?"
Kan'na formed a magic circle, "It looks like this guy wants to die."
"What guy?"
A lightning bolt shot forward. Akiol quickly drew Stars and absorbed the spell with a small blackhole, "Haha, your witchery does not work on me."
An orange-brown shield pointed at his core. It hovered threateningly in front of him. Akiol sniffled, "Fine, you win."
Tilia made the shield disappear, "Now. . . our explanation?"
Akiol held up two fingers, "Short or long?"
"Short."
"I made a bet with a god."
". . ."
". . ."
". . ."
". . ."
Akiol felt some displeased glares. He held up his hands defensively, "You said short!"
"Debrief length then.", Yielya said.
"Oh. Upon our deaths I met a god. The one named Quolith. Through a strange screen I saw that a certain individual was approaching the Immortal. So I made a bet with Quolith, if Rygeth dies we all get revived. If the other person dies then he gets a Strand of Existence. The rest you should be able to put together."
Kan'na sighed, "That's all you had to say, why did you make it more difficult?"
"There was a bit of a gloomy mood I needed gone."
Yielya cut in, "Sorry, but what is a Strand of Existence?"
Akiol shrugged, "No idea! Something I came across whilst preparing for this fight. Quolith seemed interested in it though."
Tilia piped in, "Is this the same strand that removed your game interface?"
"Bingo, extra snacks for Tilia."
Wrock rubbed his head, "Alright. . . I think I understand. So what's this you're sitting on?"
"The thing that dropped from the death of Rygeth."
"A chest? I don't think I have ever seen a chest in this game before.", Kan'na mentioned.
Jarvis finally spoke up, "It looks like this needs something though?"
Akiol snapped his fingers, "Bingo, extra snacks for you. Whilst waiting for you all I began wondering how to open this chest. They would award something you couldn't open right? Then it struck me, that mysterious reward we got for the Survive quest when we first met Rygeth! You all have this right?"
The party all pulled out a small piece. Akiol held up his own, "Pieces to the puzzle. I hope so at least."
The party stuck them together. A golden light formed across the cracks between the pieces. After a second the light faded. Akiol inspected the object, it was an octagon coin with detailed engravings. He flipped the coin in his hand, "This looks like it will fit, shall we see our rewards?"
Akiol slid off the chest and crouched in front of it. The chest was red, white, and a bit of gold. The lid was outlined in white, separating it and the chest body. In the center of the white line, on the front of the chest, an indent was visible. An octagon shape was evident, so Akiol pushed the coin into place.
The chest lid slammed open and a beautiful set of lights exploded from the inside. The party squinted to prevent being blinded.
The light faded and the party saw the contents inside.
Akiol couldn't help but murmur, "What is this?"