Kneeling in front of the queen like a child that had done some wrong, the Queen only stared at me.
It was strangely awkward and unsettling with how quiet things had become ever since the battle where I was able to land a hit on her.
I would've most definitely been turned into roast ash later but since I could respawn I guess I could call it a pyrrhic victory.
Staring at me unsettlingly, the Queen opened her mouth and a sonorous voice flowed outwards.
"You are worthy to inherit my legacy much like how you have inherited my husbands."
'...When did I do that?'
She turned around and held her rapier lightly while pointing it at the sea. "As you have inherited the Golden King's Legacy, now you are to inherit the Silver Queen's Legacy."
She slashed outwards at a nearby stone leaving behind visible afterimages on the path of the blade.
Something I didn't even know was possible.
And even more impossibly enough, when it struck the stone, instead of the single expected attack, the afterimages which were supposed to be intangible struck the stone as well.
Staring at the devastated stone that turned into nothing more than dust, the Queen turned to face me with her silver halo idly spinning above her.
"Now then, try and copy what I just did."
"...Excuse me?"
"Just do it."
Staring dumbfoundedly, I found I couldn't resist as I stood up and held my balanced blade over my head and struck downwards.
"That's now how you do it--"
Calmly speaking, she swung the blade once again and left behind various afterimages that now seemed even more threatening.
But no, if you just say and fo it like that, I don't think I'll be able to learn anything no?
Slightly confused, I copied the Queen until the sun and moon switched places.
And just like that, as the sun and moon switched places several times i the wide open sky dyed in a myriad of colorful blues, oranges and blacks.
Time passed with the passing of seasons.
---
'...It's been quite the ride.'
After training underneath the Queen for nearly two months, time had seemingly passed like a breeze.
And as time reset every end of the month, it was a surreal experience to see time reset everything.
I mean, when I was just walking around the island during my rare breaks, it was coincidentally the time for the great reset.
Seeing the corpses of all the beings that were there just disappear like the wind save for a few spots, the island suddenly became less stifling with the disappearance of the corpses.
And apparently those caught in the time shenanigans usually revived later or they were left behind by the blind spots.
One of said spots was the place upon where I was standing.
But nevertheless, it was a surreal experience.
"...Are you leaving?"
Surreal enough for me to have thoughts about leaving the time looped place.
"Yes"
"...That is fine since you already learned everything that you needed."
Hearing those words I nodded, but for some reason... they seemed melancholic.
Seeing my response the Queen nodded and revealed the item behind her back.
It was a weapon that was eerily familiar to the one that I got painfully acquainted with during the long weeks of the Summer days.
A rapier.
Made with a silvery metal that I didn't know the name of, a series of flourishing decorations decorated the head of the hand guard while several intricate carvings made their presence known on the guard.
The blade itself was very thin, but due to previous experience, the blade itself was both incredibly light (As was expected) and was incredibly strong (As was not expected).
I wouldn't like to be on the end of a larger weapon if the rapier itself was already enough to send trembles throughout my body.
Receiving the blade with gratitude, I held it up and watched how it gleamed in the sunlight.
Sheathing it on my waist alongside some of the other weapons alongside it, the Rapier threaded through the belt.
Looking at the Queen that was still taller than me, I bowed.
There were no grand farewells that were to be given as was expected of a Queen, if anything it was rather bland.
But nevertheless, I felt like the Queen preferred it that way.
Shaking my head, I thought about all the things that I had received in my time here.
Or rather my reset time here.
Besides the Golden King's Legacy which was apparently an all master in terms of weapons.
I gained the Legacy of the Silver Queen, a legacy that had me drooling in terms of power as it quite literally allowed me to attack anything I wanted.
A distinctly aggressive power that allowed me to attack whatever, whenever and however I wanted.
I mean, you couldn't get better than just slicing through matter and splitting monsters apart until they couldn't even be called that.
The spatial cuts still lingered in the air however and I still need to watch out for them.
But besides the attacks that lingered in the air for a set amount of time, I really didn't gain anything else...
I shouldn't call becoming the Avatar of the Malaise nothing else should I?
But still, that collector wasn't really someone that I thought would be an evil entity that was dead set on killing the King and attaining God hood.
Still, thanks to the God of Fun, the malaise was basically sealed for now and I could unlock all of the seals to unleash the full might of the malaise which grew as I killed.
But since mana was much more versatile than the incredibly aggressive malaise, I was more inclined to keep it sealed for now.
Having those thoughts.
Soon enough, I reached the harbour upon where the Queen had made me go.
And since I reached there...
Nothing was happening?
Staring at the empty harbour enshrouded in a thick mist that was just nothing but green, it was strangely eery as the quietness assaulted all of his senses.
Quietening down, he tried to pin down what that strange feeling was as nothing but silence prevailed.
And as he did, he finally realized why it was so eery.
Nothing.
That was the problem.
There was literally nothing.
From the creaking wood and moving waves, you would at least think other sounds would accompany them.
It just was that there was nothing.
None of the monsters that I had gotten so used to or any of danger that accompanied it was anywhere to be seen.
But putting aside the eeriness that was the empty harbour, it was rather peaceful as well.
Shaking my head, my footsteps creaked across the dock as my eyes scanned the surroundings wreathed in fog.
Good thing to, otherwise I wouldn't be walking around here.
'Holy!'
Crouching to avoid the large tentacle that suddenly whipped overhead, my sword instinctively slashed out and attacked the tentacle.
Sadly, it was to abrupt and thus I missed, I did leave a scratch behind though.
"Who's ere!?"
A rough heavily accented voice came out of the mist as the mist split apart to reveal a gigantic figure from within.
Wearing a yellow rain coat with its hood up, a white and blue striped shirt stretched across the wide body that belonged to the man who just shouted.
The most notable thing I should've noted first was the fact that tentacles were coming out of the holes in the clothes, most definitely not something I would've expected when seeing a person.
All the monsters I had seen so far couldn't speak, but it was technically possible now that I think about it."
Staring at me with the one pink cyclops like eye, The [Tentacle] that seemed to flail with my own will appeared in my hand.
Like an extension of my own body, I slipped it forwards and the tentacle cracked across the ground, leaving behind a large gash in the wooden planks.
Slapping it forwards, the words that the 'thing' spoke stopped me right in my tracks.
"Ye got Big eyes arm eh?" The large tentacle arm stopped the [tentacle] in its tracks. "Are ye the wun de queen sent?"
'So this is why' Blinking in realization upon the reason why she sent me here, I still nonetheless, didn't understand how this would work.
I mean, he was a tentacle man thing, and a majority of the creatures using tentacles lived underneath the water, so it was a definite possibility that I would leave the island surrounded by water by sea.
But I half expected the solution to be more complicated than it really is, otherwise how on earth were all the people here trapped without a single ray of hope dotting their faces?
If there was an obvious way out, why didn't they take it?
Of course, the fact that they were surrounded by nothing but seawater and a majority of the people living on the island didn't know how to sail.
But that didn't mean they couldn't seek out people who did know it.
The problem was how dangerous such a venture was.
So the question lingering in my mind was, how was I going to leave this island?
Turning around, the [Fisherman] manipulated its myriad tentacles across the shattered and rotten boardwalk.
It didn't really look safe as a healthy helping of algae and other plant life had made their homes on the wood.
Following the giant creature, the plants moved with the vine rune and subtly strengthened the wooden boardwalk.
Holding a torch up to light the way, the Fisherman spoke.
"Ye must be wundrin"
The one pink orb for an eye flicked around to look at me.
"Huw we must git off de island rite?"
I nodded.
"Wel I donts know ether" A gigantic shrugg followed by my dumbfounded gaze stared at his back.
"The Queen just tuld me to set sail ans I dunt ask queshuns"
"And since de Queen tuld me to take car uf yu, dunt queshun me ans follow me orders."
Layered in an incredibly thick accent, the fisherman turned back towards the dock where he moved to someplace enshrouded in fog.
'But, wait, are we just going to ignore the fact that you don't know how we're going to leave either???'
+++
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