Arex was taken aback when he turned around and saw that it was none other than Leomold standing there.
"You manage to be here rather quickly, huh?" Immediately, he inquired of Arex.
Arex felt a sense of relief when he realized that Leomold was the only person who had appeared, which alleviated some of the anxiety that he had been experiencing earlier.
"I had the feeling that you'd show up sooner or later." Arex eventually replied.
"A place like this is like a sanctuary to me." Leomold's delivery of that statement sounded like a breath of fresh air at that very moment. Irrespective of the other lords, Arex determined that being by Leomold's company was relatively light in comparison to the others.
The fact that Leomold was the only person who had been treating Arex in the most civil manner possible could have been the reason for this. The other lords, on the other hand, only treated Arex with a great deal of disdain, as if he were some kind of a pest that they needed to completely eradicate, if it were not for Grecko's warning that they should not harm him.
"Have you found the healing item?" Leomold abruptly came to ask.
"No, I just so happen to have just found myself in this area at this very moment. Therefore, I am still having a hard time locating the whereabouts of the healing item." Arex replied.
"To tell you the truth, I imagine that it will be very difficult for you to locate something like that here, especially when it is no longer available." Leomold eventually provided a response.
The statement made by Leomold caused Arex to look at him in a sudden and unexpected manner, and he immediately understood what Leomold had just meant with his statement. He never considered the possibility that the thing he had been looking for could no longer be found in this location.
And that came to Arex all of a sudden.
"Of course. It is for this reason that the majority of you did not even bother to look for a weapon in the first place. It was because you all had the intention of acquiring all of the healing and shield items in order to prevent me from acquiring anything, right?"
"Well, in a strict sense, you are correct, but you are still incorrect. At one point in time, the majority of the unique items, such as the weapon, healing, and shield items, were distributed to each player in a balanced manner. Under normal circumstances, it was necessary for each of us to complete a set of those three in order to assist in the defeat of the blind. Without any item, our success is still crucial."
Regarding the explanation that Leomold was providing, he seemed to be giving off an eerie vibe for some reason. Arex was only doing his best to avoid questioning it because he was still waiting to hear whatever Leomold had to say to him after that.
"The reason why I was saying you're wrong was because of your assumption that it was because of you. You have to believe me when I say that it wasn't so that you could run out, Arex. but because we've all noticed how the healing and shield items appeared to be limited. Even lady Merfestina didn't get one."
"You mean, there's a shortage of special items? But when I got this sword, there was so many weapons inside the cave. I could even barely pick which one to choose." Arex said.
"Yes, Because we don't need any of it, Arex."
Leomold was taken aback when Arex finally responded, "I am aware of that."
Somehow, Leomold never expected Arex to catch on so soon.
"I figured you'd eventually discover it, but not anytime soon. I'm really impressed." Leomold commented, speaking in a way that seemed to be complimenting Arex on that aspect.
"It wasn't particularly noteworthy. What can the fact of discovering that do to me when I couldn't even find a single clue here that leads me to find the special item." Arex said instead.
It left Leomold feeling somewhat startled. "Of course. We're still inside the game." he eventually admitted, turning his back. "However, as mentioned before, it would be highly unlikely for you to come across something of that nature in this place as it no longer exists."
"Are you saying there's no more left? Did you all hoard it now, huh?" Arex was starting to sound a bit restless.
"It would seem you're not really paying attention to what I just told you earlier, did you?" Leomold asked out of the blue.
He felt let down that even after discussing it with Arex, he remained resolute in his quest to locate the elusive herbal item, which now seemed unattainable since it had there was no more left.
"Sure, you all may have gathered up all the herbal items, but who's to say if there's anything left?" Arex was determined, his gaze fixed on the bushes as he searched for any sign of the elusive herbal item.
After a few minutes of searching and exploring the area, Arex took a moment to rest on the side, fanning himself. He was already perspiring heavily and, simultaneously, too drained to take any further action.
It wasn't until Arex lay down that Leomold came back by his side, reminding him, "I've already mentioned that there are no more herbal items left in this sanctuary. Most of the lords had already taken them due to the information I shared earlier. Well, that's assuming you were paying any attention to what I was saying."
Leomold eventually proceeded alongside Arex. As soon as he had moved a few steps ahead of Arex, Leomold swiftly pivoted to face him directly.
Following that, he took out a compact bag from his inner pocket and passed it over to Arex.
"I think you'll find this more useful than I will. This was the last one I saw upon my arrival, guess the other lords failed to see that as a herbal too. But I am confident that it surpasses the collections of the other lords. It appears that this particular one was overlooked, as it was hidden beneath the river. So it would only be me who would certainly discover it."
Arex found himself suddenly filled with confusion. He couldn't grasp the reason behind Leomold's decision to hand over his herbal item to Arex. Arex wondered, shouldn't Leomold even be competing with him like all the other lords?
Even though Arex was aware that Leomold had already sworn to ally with him in this game, Arex couldn't shake the thought that they were still players whose lives were in danger of being hunted down by Roxina.
"And what about yourself?" Arex quickly inquired of Leomold, who had yet to relinquish the pouch in his hand.
"I would be perfectly just fine. Perhaps it would be wise to focus on your own concerns. Especially considering that Roxina has already been set free by now." Leomold quickly responded.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of that woman, Leomold?" Arex playfully teased Leomold with that question, hoping to provoke a playful response.
However, Leomold's demeanor took on a more grave tone. "If we were up against the usual Roxina in this game, it might have been a much simpler task. However, given her current position in the game, it's highly probable that she will receive even greater power enhancements compared to the rest of us. And honestly, she would become too difficult to fight for a while."
"So since she is this game's blind, she'll definitely become incredibly powerful, huh?"
"Exactly, also, we mustn't overlook the fact that she possesses the ability to see into the future. Didn't I already explain it to you?"
"Yeah, I understand," Arex replied.
Leomold sensed a peculiar shift in Arex's response, as if something was amiss. Leomold was determined to uncover the mysterious truth that eluded him.
"That's why I gave you that herbal item. You'll find it more useful than I will in the upcoming battle, Arex." Leomold's words carried a cautionary tone that started to give Arex a sense of unease.
Leomold seemed to be subtly hinting that what lay ahead was of utmost importance, as he offered Arex some early caution.
"Can Roxina truly become a formidable adversary?" Arex couldn't resist the urge to inquire. He was filled with an insatiable desire to uncover Leomold's thoughts, to discover any knowledge he might possess that could be shared with Arex.
"It's a unique occurrence to have the seven Lords from the black parade taking part in the shikari games, especimaking it difficult to gauge the blind's power."
And that left Arex feeling a sense of emptiness, as if he had suddenly lost his confidence in achieving victory. It was making him a bit nervous.
"Should I begin to worry about my life now?" Arex suddenly posed a question to Leomold, causing the lord to swiftly pivot and direct his gaze towards Arex.
With a gentle smile appearing on Leomold's face, he eventually responded, "Nope. You should rather prepare yourself to retaliate instead."