He doesn't know exactly what she is hiding, but he is certain her words were lies. He is sure Ivan didn't receive a direct hit from the spirit and that something else had happened. If that were to be the conclusion, it would mean Thea had betrayed him. He doesn't want to believe that, with her being the only person he trusts besides Johannes.
Trying to push his thoughts away, he glanced at his watch. Thankfully, not much time had passed since they entered the ruined building, but they still needed to hurry as time was ticking.
He avoided the nasty pile of flesh, stepping over to Thea and Scarlett. Whilst the chasers are far away, it would only be logical for them to use it as a chance to reach the dead oasis, the gateway.
With some resources to spare from Ivan, Zena and Dominik, the group headed for the dead oasis.
They had to make use of any oases they found on the way to keep themselves hydrated.
The heat was scorching, it felt as if they were being grilled alive in this endless landscape of dunes.
Though they encountered three oases in their journey, it wasn't enough for everyone. It was especially bad for Ivan who was still unconscious.
Latio felt a growing burning feeling on his back. Looking past his own shoulder, he sees Ivan with bright red flushes all over his skin.
"Guys?" Latio spoke, placing Ivan down on the sand surface.
"Hmm?"
"I think we might lose one."
Scarlett's head twisted in a cranky manner. There she saw Ivan on the ground, his face bright red. She cursed, realizing the situation. They were going to lose him if they don't find another oasis.
When Thea checked the map on her screen, the nearest oasis is the same distance—as far away as the dead oasis. They were in a tight spot.
Latio suggested perhaps they could just leave him behind, but Scarlett was agaisnt it, ready to go for Latio's throat if he did that.
Then a thought crossed Scarlett. She turned at Aksel with hopeful eyes, "Aksel, your ability."
He was momentarily confused but quickly grasped Scarlett's intent.
It was difficult as he was still new to the game. It already took enough of his strength to generate a huge snowstorm to blast the chasers away. Though he had enough time to recover, the heat was no joke.
He activated his ability, focusing hard to conjure up a huge cloud above them. Delicate snowflakes painted the scorching desert to a serene winter landscape.
Scarlett breathed a breath of relief, feeling the soothing breeze agaisnt her skin.
Soon, Ivan began showing signs of waking up. His eyelids fluttered open to an ethereal scenery, indifferent to the scene before he passed out.
Ivan felt disoriented, clutching his head. Scarlett noticed his distress and asked about his well-being. Ivan confessed that he couldn't recall anything from before he passed out.
No, it wasn't just the events that took place in the ruined building, but even before that. The moment when he grouped up with Zena and Dominik. The moment when Aksel's group ran into them. He cannot recall a single detail of those events.
It threw Aksel back into his thoughts, once again suspecting Thea, despite not wanting to. The harder he thought, the less conclusions he got. There was no other outcome other than Thea having done something to make Ivan lose his memories.
If he recalled, her ability gave her absolute authority over everything and anyone.
Could she have…? He shook his head, shaking off those thoughts.
For now, Ivan seemed alright, not panicking but slightly disoriented from a headache and unable to recall anything.
Not wanting the chasers to catch up, they continue their journey towards the dead oasis.
Though Ivan was alright now, his state of disorientation is making it difficult for him to keep walking. Resting would be the best option for him, but considering the current scenario, a chaser could appear anytime. Ivan would need at least two people by his side if he were to rest.
Thea decided the best way to solve the problem was to offer to carry Ivan on her back. Latio was agaisnt it, but Thea insisted. In the end Ivan ended up on Thea's back. He apologized profusely, feeling like a burden not only to Thea, who had taken on the task of carrying him, but also to Latio, who didn't seem pleased about his little sister carrying a guy.
While there was an ongoing tension going on in the front row, Scarlett slowed down her pace, falling behind to the back of the group where Aksel was walking slow and steady.
He wondered what she wanted as she nudged his elbow. His eyes widened at her words that followed. Scarlett had asked whether he also found it suspicious—the reasoning Thea gave when she asked what happened within the ruined building, why Ivan was out cold. It was a question to which she needn't a verbal answer, as Aksel's expression said it all.
"So something else happened," Scarlett spoke in a quiet tone.
Aksel gave a silent nod.
"Do you think… It was her ability that did that?"
"I'm… not sure," Aksel went silent, not willing to continue his sentence.
"Aksel. Though this only a game, I hope you do remember the game creator's words."
The game rules had changed. No longer were the players given the choice to decline the invitation as they pleased. Only the victorious will be honored.
Though they're doubtful about Thea's loyalty to the runner faction, they know well she is a runner.
Scarlett game him two choices: continue to trust naively, or fight for his life by facing the truth. He needs to accept it—that Thea had betrayed them.
This awoke another thought in Aksel, when they were inside the ruined building, besides him, Thea and Ivan, there was another person.
Aksel met Scarlett's gaze, "Wouldn't this make Latio equally suspicious?…" he whispered.
It took Scarlett aback, not expecting their faction to have that many betrayers.
"First Nadia and now those two?" Scarlett sighed.
Continuing to discuss as they walked, Aksel bumped into Zena who was standing still.
"I think we're done for."
"Why?"
Zena pointed into the distance, and Aksel and Scarlett followed her finger with their eyes. Something appeared to be approaching. As it drew closer, they realized it was a chaser.
Aksel immediately alerted the others of the chaser.
While the others were devising plans, some preparing to fight, Thea handed Ivan over to Latio. Latio supported Ivan without hesitation. Ivan felt uneasy, noticing how Latio seemed less gloomy once he was no longer being carried by Thea.
Thea activated her ability. As the chaser approached, a sudden shockwave immobilized them.
Aware of the limits of her ability, Thea urged the others to go on ahead while she stayed behind.
Aksel argued that it was too dangerous.
"Dangerous?" Thea repeated.
As Aksel was about to answer "yes", Thea stepped towards the immobilized chaser, putting a hand over the chaser's face, uttering: "Fall into eternal slumber for the rest of the round," Upon her word, the chaser who was just frozen in place, dropped on the ground.
Ivan considered to offer to stay with her, but the scene unfolding before him said she needn't help. Even if he did offer, it was clear he would be a nuisance in his current condition.
Something about the scene that just unfolded gave Ivan a headache, faint memories piecing in his mind. Faint memories that seemed to be from before he passed out. The way she grabbed the chaser's face, he felt like he experienced the same some time ago, but he cannot recall.
Thea insisted she could handle it alone from here. Reluctantly, the others moved ahead without her.
From the distance rapidly approached two familiar faces, the Card emperor chaser and the chaser with the biwa.
A cherry blossom storm was unleashed at Thea, it barely scratched her, fading to dust at her command. The chaser with the biwa hissed, frustrated her attack did no damage.
Strangely enough, the card emperor chaser told her to stop whatever she was planning to do. Their target was Aksel for a petty reason. They didn't like the fact that they sweeper away by the ability of a mere newbie. It was shameful in their book.
Thea laughed at their remarks. It ignited rage within the card emperor chaser who had great pride.
An arrow, fired by the card emperor chaser, currently possessing the hunter card, sped towards Thea. With ease, she deflected it, treating the attack as child's play.
As long as she possessed this ability of hers, even the most powerful ability is insignificant in comparison.
He roared indignantly, "That dammed ability of yours…What the hell is it?" He questioned, annoyance hinted in his tone.
Thea shrugged, as if to imply she herself didn't know, but it came off as provocative to him.
The chaser with the biwa asked why he would even pose such a question, to which he replied that an ability like Thea's does not exist in the ability store. Unless another player was favored by the game creator, there would be no explanation for her possessing such an ability.
Authority. Such an ability does not exist unless Thea is more than just favored by the game creator. He speculated that there is more to her than meets the eye.
Nevertheless the case, he'll just crush her here.
***
Aksel still couldn't help but worry that Thea might not be managing well.
Whilst Scarlett still can't help but suspect Thea.
There was something else about Thea that she found strange, not adding up to the logics and rules of the game. Something was amiss, yet she couldn't bring herself to point it out.
"Aksel?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you have great memory?"
It was an odd question, but he answered either way. His memories weren't exceptional or anything, but he had a knack for recalling details others might overlook.
The ability store had countless abilities, one will not recall them all, and some might not even know some abilities exist.
"Aksel, do you… recall any abilities named authority?"
His voice caught, "You don't mean?…"
"There's no such ability as authority."
Scarlett could see the confusion and panic on Aksel's face.
"For now I'm not sure either, but if it really is an ability… It should wear off at the end of the round," Scarlett reassured.
"But… What if it doesn't wear off?" Aksel asked.
It took her by surprise. Some abilities were exceptions, bypassing the rules of Domain of Greed. Abilities that do bypass cost a lot and without a doubt become well known.
If an ability like authority really existed, it would've been well known already. This made Scarlett doubt that Ivan will recover his memories. She hopes that will not be case, after all, if Ivan were to permanently lose those memories, it would pose difficulties. The events that happened after Aksel passed out would be buried.
Scarlett groaned in frustration, sighing deeply.
Aksel thought maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that possibility, but Scarlett said it's alright. If that were to be true, they can at least prepare beforehand.
Zena's voice echoed from the front, informing that they've arrived at the dead oasis.
Under a worn out shack sat several players, the other half that solved the two other monuments.
Aksel sulked, knowing they had to only solved simple puzzles while his side had to fight for their lives.
One of them stood up, strode his way to the other group. A hand waving upwards.
"Give us the butterfly."
A blood vessel popped, "Hah, why should we do that?"
"To open the gateway."
Aksel scoffed. His team could have simply used the butterfly, so why go the extra mile?
He pulled out his inventory, to his surprise, it was empty. A drop of sweat rolled down from the side of his face.
Scarlett who noticed, asked: "Is something the matter?"
Aksel began sweating, "Umm… The thing is… Thea is the one who has the butterfly…"
Their faces went pale at his words.
"Say what," Scarlett stared blankly in disbelief.
At this point, they think they might as well stay in this scorching desert for the remaining three hours.
A player of the other half had a different opinion, he said it wouldn't be a good idea. The game creator must've been bored out of her mind, because for the three hours they had spent within this round, the game creator had been on a rampage, making updates nonstop.
Following his words, the others quickly opened their screens, scrolling through the notice page. To their dismay, every rule they had once known about the game were changed drastically.
Scarlett called it bullcrap and unfair, changing the rules while the players were in the middle of a game, especially since the new rules were put into effect immediately.
She cursed at the game creator. Instead of the round ending at the sixth hour mark, it will continue endlessly until the objectives are completed.
The pressure and hope weighed heavily on Thea, who was nowhere to be seen. With the final butterfly in her possession, the fate of their escape rested on her shoulders. Should something happen to her, they risked being trapped here indefinitely, as that butterfly held the key to their only way out.