Like the system says, wherever he is now is the best place for him to complete his clearance method. But with him on the death row(at least from what he understands), he will die before he could get together with a girl. He is very certain to die and he does not doubt it.
How does he think he will die? It was easy! There are these bulky soldiers standing by the entrance of the luxurious version of a prison he is in. Their eyes were like a hawk, watching his every move like he is some sort of an experimental specimen that needs constant observation. It made his nerves stand on its end as he spent the night with their eyes on him.
Another thing was that the girl who was with him when he first gained consciousness was some sort of royalty. She made it a routine to check on him every few hours. The said time is when he is out cold, staring at him for the whole period until he is supposed to wake up. She is one creepy girl as he thought she was.
Kevin does not know how long he is in that room. He felt he was being conditioned by something. Evident to that was the girl appearing before him even if he is not asleep.
Like now.
The girl was standing in front of him with a bright smile that was screaming scam to him. Her delicate features cannot hide the fact that she is a scary existence to him. It does not help that the whole palace seems to be under her command.
Opening her mouth the girl was talking in a language that Kevin does not understand. He spent a long time here and he still cannot pick up the words and what they meant. It sounded simple and all, but the words they say can mean multiple things at once, therefore confusing him as he tried to learn it for a while now.
For this dilemma, he ran to his system. But his system is as helpless as he was. Although it can understand the general meaning of the people here, it is not enough for it to be able to teach the language to its host. Language is not easy to learn even with the buff they had gotten from the last game world.
"Why the fuck you don't have a translation program or something for your host!"
[Sorry but this system is still a basic one. Therefore there are many functions that it cannot provide]
The girl seemed to understand that he could not understand what she meant and sat next to him. She reached out her hands and touched his face, fingers cold yet also quite warm to his skin. Smiling so brightly the girl said a few words that got Kevin's fine hair standing up even if he did not understand it.
The girl then gestured to the soldiers to hull him. Instinctively, Kevin struggles to get out of their hold. But he is very weak against them. He might have some decent muscles in him, it does not mean it could compare to people who are especially trained to live using them. His efforts are wasted and the soldiers look at him with disdain as he understands their eyes.
Kevin is really driven mad with everything now. He meant it officially. He had gotten used with gore being with Kathrine during his first world. But being psychologically pressured? This has made him all bonkers!
Once he got a chance to commit suicide, he will not hesitate to do so. Screw his dreams and all! No amount of counseling and therapy can smooth his wrecked mind.
They brought him to a river he does not recognize. The whole area is in fact familiar to him as he has seen the same geography (with some minor difference). He remembered the same cave entrance that they entered as well as the huge land of fine grain sands.
But there was no river in his memory.
Kevin felt chill all over his body all of a sudden. He faintly knew that something was up, but he couldn't place a name on it. But he knew it might be related to the horrors all of them had experienced.
"Why is there a river here?" Kevin asked for his system as he was placed near the bank. The girl is enjoying the cool waters as he cannot stop the guesses in his mind.
[From what I understood from the murals we saw back then, a city-state grew due to the existence of this river.]
"But there was no river or any signs of such a thing when we came to explore the tomb?" Kevin was confused by such an answer as far as he knew, even if a river dries up in the passage of time there should be some signs it once existed. Like soil differences and all.
[No one knows.]
[The ancient times are a mysterious period. Many records of circumstances back then are lost in time and all.]
[Science many had gone the universal common sense of the people of your time, there are still many things it cannot explain]
[This includes this river you are seeing.]
"If this place is similar to the ones with the pharaohs and all, then this girl here is the reigning ruler right?" Kevin said with horror as the river seemed to respond to the girl's words and moods. "In what I remember, the people in power in the old times are descendants of gods and all."
[Correct]
"Then the existence of this river is connected to the ruler of the land." Kevin said as he felt so complicated at the ignorant and pure reactions of the girl who is only 13-14 years old in his eyes. "This girl is the last king of this land and the owner of the tomb we are exploring."
[Yes]
"For a young girl, no matter how creepy she is, it is sad to see her die so young."
[She is not so young as you see her]
"What do you mean?" Kevin was puzzled at the remark of his system. Is it blind to see that this is clearly an underage child who needs social service to supervise.
[She's older than you. In fact she is 20 years old at this time period.]
"How is that possible!" Kevin's eyes would have popped out if he had not taken care of his expressions.
[She is descendent of a river entity, the one who has the closest blood of her ancestor. Therefore, her body ages slower than most.]
"If that is the case, then why did she die in the peak of her rule? Wouldn't her powers or something save her from that?" Kevin ranted, not seeing a small green snake crawling nearer his feet.
[The murals say nothing as to why she suddenly died. It is one of the mystery as to why this game world came to be]
"What do you mean?" Kevin caught into a clue that has him leaning for more. "What does the game world mean?"
[Host does not have enough authority for an answer of that question]
Angry at the system's answer, Kevin randomly kicked a stone below his feet. Not expecting the snake nearby, he swept the small reptile with his foot. Feeling a cool feeling of the scales of the snake, Kevin felt like screaming when he felt it moving against him.
His abnormality was immediately noticed by the soldiers and took the snake away. Their touches to the small reptile was pious and respectful. Handling it to the little king who beamed upon seeing the green snake.
Shivers ran to Kevin's spine as the snake's eyes trained upon him. It was like a higher being was looking down at him. Criticizing and not finding him pleasing to the eye.
Kevin briefly thought of the occasional moment he had with Kathrine where he felt a similar sensation. Only that the one who might be peeping at them is more malicious and darker in nature than the snake does to him. The reptile gaze was like the river behind the girl, flowing and majestic. Although it does not like him, it did not give him any hostility other than wariness. He can live with that.
The girl gently caressed the snake and released it by the river bank. After she was done with her actions, she motioned the soldiers to take him and follow her back to the palace again. And to his horror there are great changes to the place when they return.
If he were to describe it, everything was solemn for some reason. The servants whom he hadn't seen before, religious leaders and their persons(?), the soldiers and some aristocrats were in the huge hall before the throne of the ruler.
Placing him just below the throne's steps, the soldiers took out a shackle and tied it to his feet. Terrifying Kevin out of his mind as he saw a huge fire set a blaze in the middle of the hall. Seems that he is a sacrifice of some sorts to whatever ritual they have.