[Exploration Mission: Get a World Map and explore at least 0.005% of the world.]
[Rewards: A – Rank Summoning Scroll.]
[Duration: 79 days]
Three days had passed since they all left Rune City. Their trip had been calm yet full of stories. Most of them came from the party members, and Leonard enjoyed listening to them. He learned more about the feats of this world from the various perspectives of the party.
Jane came from the north of Rune City but outside the walls. Her village resided just behind the walls. Despite the suspicious and seemingly unwanted location of their village, it held importance to Rune City, which served as her motivation to enter the tower.
Brian, a warrior from the south, accidentally arrived at Rune City as a child with his family. They came from across the sea, and his journey from their land fueled his love for exploration. His homeland was a magnificent place where fireflies lit up every night in a majestic view. There were more stories from him about places that couldn't be found in the Zack Republic.
Fred, whose roots were of barbarian descent, was a mountain man. He had lived half his life in the woods, hunting animals and monsters for food. It wasn't until his late twenties that he decided to climb down the mountain to learn more about the world.
Liam, the assassin of the party, didn't speak much. However, Yuna was the one who shared his story. Among them all, he had the saddest tale, as he came from an orphanage hidden in the woods between the majestic great mountains of Eliza and Lux. Essentially, Leonard and Liam came from the same area but at different times. His orphanage was destroyed by bandits, and he took the path of revenge, which turned him into an assassin. Repenting for his sins, he met the rest of the party and lived to protect them from the shadows.
These stories sparked Leonard's interest in people. Despite their obvious differences in origin, they were bound by their bond and the motivations that brought them together.
Being with them, Leonard found it not difficult to have a party along on his journey. Zeus alone wasn't enough to keep him sane. He had a different personality that strayed from his majestic character in Greek mythology—something Leonard couldn't describe in one word. Zeus had changed.
However, during their trip, Zeus had become the object of admiration for the party. His mature presence, far superior to what Leonard emitted, was eye-catching. He acted as their guide, as if he knew everything about the place.
Leonard couldn't help but wonder as well. How could Zeus learn all of nature's hints with such ease on his first time here?
Zeus only explained that it was the nature of a god to easily connect with the surroundings, especially when there was life in it.
"I really can't understand it. Even if you word it that way, I still suspect that you've been here before," Leonard whispered to Zeus, who was busy clearing obstacles from their path in the uneven terrain of the woods.
Currently, they had arrived at an uncharted area north of Rune City, possibly a path to the next town, though the usual road veered away from this dense foliage.
"Now I understand why people didn't bother making a road through here. It's such a hassle. The ground is soft and uneven, making it undesirable," Brian commented. Fred, who was carrying everyone's heavy belongings, nodded in agreement.
"But that's beneficial to us since this place is still uncharted," Jane added, her focus fixed on the direction ahead. Her eyes were the sharpest among the party, and just a few kilometers ahead, she could see signs of a lost civilization. "We've been traveling for three days. I can finally say that we've found a clue to The Lost Treasures of the Zackarious Empire."
"Don't get too excited," Leonard cautioned. Yuna, beside him, nodded but lost her balance, almost falling to the ground if not for Leonard catching her immediately.
Leonard's hands wrapped around Yuna's waist, his chest pressing against her as he lifted her up. Yuna blushed deeply.
"Are you okay?" Leonard asked, noticing her reddened face. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Yuna lowered her head, shook it, and answered, "I'm fine. I just slipped."
Leonard smiled and let go of her waist. Even though his hands were no longer touching her, Yuna could still feel their warmth, as if the sensation had been permanently etched into her skin.
Brian, Fred, and Jane, noticing Yuna's reaction, could only shake their heads. It was a youthful experience they couldn't take away from her. It seemed this was her first time feeling such strong admiration for someone.
Liam, oblivious to what had happened, was focused on scanning the area, making sure no monsters were lurking nearby.
"Hold up," Zeus suddenly alerted, stopping in his tracks. "I sense someone."
"Do you think it's a human?" Liam finally spoke, concerned about the potential threat ahead.
Zeus looked at him with indifferent eyes before shaking his head. "No. It's not."
Everyone raised their guards as well. Leonard, who didn't have any weapons on hand, prepared himself despite feeling weak. He knew they couldn't afford to let their guard down.
The party fell silent, their eyes scanning the surroundings for the creature lurking in the shadows. Fully aware of the potential threat, their weapons were ready.
A minute passed, the tension unbroken, until the sudden rustling of leaves came from Leonard's direction. The sound was sharp, and before they could fully react, a huge rock, the size of Leonard's head, flew straight at him. Zeus caught it just in time.
"A golem?" Leonard muttered in confusion, finally seeing the creature that had launched the rock.
"You know that creature, Leonard?" Zeus asked. The others were equally puzzled, as it was their first time seeing a humanoid with a gray, rocky body. Its bulky form was made of stone, and it stood about the same height as Zeus.
"It's at least six feet tall," Liam observed, scrutinizing the golem. "I'm afraid my physical attacks might not work."
Zeus shook his head. "Leave it to me." In an instant, he vanished from his position, dashing towards the golem with a clenched fist. He struck it on the neck, causing the creature to lose its balance and crash to the ground.
Leonard and the others watched in stunned silence as the golem was defeated in a single blow.
But that wasn't the only thing to surprise them. The golem's body slowly disintegrated into dust, vanishing into thin air, leaving behind a trace of magical essence.
Zeus noticed this, as did Leonard.
'A summon.'