Chapter 177 - Cap 176: Mountain Danger

As I was already awake I decided to distract my head with something more productive, first I went to the bathroom to take a shower and brush my teeth. 

Then I went to the kitchen to make some hamburgers for everyone to eat when they wake up, by this time everyone should still be asleep since I didn't see anyone. 

I want to wait for everyone to wake up to discuss the nightmare I had and the possible secret room in the mansion, I want their opinion on that, but I'll also want your help when I go there. 

I'm not an idiot going in the direction of a mysterious skeleton point into a nightmare without making preparations for a possible trap, nor am I an idiot to go it alone. 

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After everyone woke up and went to eat I explained to them about the nightmares I've been saying for the past few days. 

I spoke from the first nightmare to the last in the most detailed way I could think of, everyone was surprised by what I said and said they didn't have any nightmares. 

Just as I imagined, I was just having these nightmares for some reason. 

Of all those who realized something from what I told, some gave their opinions that made the most sense. 

"As the master already knows, I have been studying curses, because of the power you granted me."  (Érica) 

"From what little I know, it seems to me that it's not a curse, you haven't been harmed at all, the dreams the master is having seem more like fragments of memories than nightmares."  (Érica) 

"The way the Father describes the dream environment and also the way you only have it when you sleep could mean it's some kind of forced telepathic link."  (Irina) 

"What is a forced telepathic link?"  (I) 

"It's when someone tries to force a telepathic connection with another person, it's usually difficult, but if the target person is unconscious or asleep it's easier."  (Irina) 

"You mean the nightmares was someone trying to communicate with me?"  (I) 

"I don't think they were nightmares."  (Érica) 

"What else could they be?"  (I) 

"Kira and Diana told us what happened at this mansion in the past, didn't they?"  (Érica) 

"His dream corresponds to the state in which the Duke found the mansion in the past when he came to visit his friend, destroyed with claw marks and blood everywhere, also the mutilated bodies of all the people who were inside the mansion at that time. "  (Érica) 

"This means that Father saw in his nightmare it could be that person's memories or fragments of those memories."  (Irina) 

"That's a consequence of forcing a connection between two people's minds, I don't think this person showed that to you on purpose."  (Irina) 

"You're being optimistic sister, we don't know what this person or creature wants, let's not rush into our judgments until we know all the facts."  (Irius) 

"I agree with Irius, I didn't feel any kind of murderous intent or malice, but I won't let my guard down until I know the reason for all this."  (I) 

"From the information we have, we can assume that this person is Prince Trigan."  (Kira) 

"From the conversations the master overheard, if this was indeed fragments of his memory, then it appears that he and his wives tried to do something to save his daughter."  (Nira) 

"It was probably what they did that got everyone killed that day."  (Nira) 

"But it looks like not all of them died."  (I) 

No matter what we say I still have to go to this "secret room" to confirm what's there, if the person responsible for the nightmares is there then I'll have to find out what he wants with me, I just hope it's not a trap. 

"Thanks to you guys I have a little clearer idea of ​​the situation, but we're still going to need to go to this supposed secret room."  (I) 

"That's why I want those who can fight to get ready for combat, the others wait in the second building where it should be safer."  (I) 

"The master is right, we better get ready soon to resolve this today."  (Diana) 

With that everyone went to their rooms to prepare including me, after that we gathered in the ballroom. 

Once everyone was ready we went to the stairs that lead to the basement where the basement is, I had left the basement as a storage place with several rooms, but I never put anything here, I had even forgotten about it, we have a lot of items from storage, but we don't need to keep everyone busy, I think we can store monster stuff here. 

After walking down a hallway that should have been dead-end with only a rock wall I stop in front of the wall. 

"Kira, can you see if there are any traps on this wall or somewhere around it?"  (I) 

"I will try master."  (Kira) 

Kira starts checking the wall from various angles for a few minutes, then she scans the hallway and side rooms before talking to me. 

"I didn't find any traps, but it seems that this wall has a secret door, I also looked at the side rooms and the hallway, but I didn't find anything."  (Kira) 

"Thanks."  (I) 

"(So there really is a secret room.)" (I) 

"Get ready, back off a little too."  (I) 

I tell everyone to stay a little away from me and get ready for combat, so I walk to the rock wall, and following the information in my head I touch ten rocks in the right order, but no kind of reaction happened until I finish. 

When I touched the last stone all the stones glowed blue then the stone wall started to enter the ground showing a completely dark passage with a green glow at the end. 

A musty and dusty odor comes from this passage, but I can't see anything in this darkness until I activate my night vision ability, so I can only see a few meters ahead, where is a hallway full of Spider's webs and dust. 

From within this darkness comes the voice of the mysterious skeleton from my dream. 

"Please come in, I've been waiting for you."  (mysterious skeleton) 

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Pov of a ghoul mage: 

I'm on one of the border mountains that divide the mountain range from the forest of blood, I'm here with my Familiar, a shadow-element fairy that I named Dora. 

I'm here because of the village guardian, she said what we need is here, I was one of the strongest in the village was sent ahead to search, but I still don't know how I'm going to do it. 

Sigh 

"Why are you sighing again Jana, we've only been traveling a day, you're lucky the guardian helped us get this far so quickly, otherwise it would have taken us five days just to get here."  (Dora) 

"I know that, but I still think it's absurd, I'd rather stay in the village and help train newcomers, we don't have time to waste on a mission like this."  (I) 

My Fairy has the appearance of a black-skinned woman with Gray hair and eyes, she is 25 cm tall, she has bat wings and a pair of purple horns. 

She is very bossy and short-tempered. 

"You know we don't stand a chance, so shut up and get back on your feet, we have a long way to go."  (Dora) 

"What are we going to do if we need to enter the human city?"  (I) 

"You won't do anything, I'll go in and look if I find what we're looking for so let's think of a better plan."  (Dora) 

This whole plan is ridiculous, we're just wasting time here, but what Dora said is true, fighting head-on is not a good idea either. 

No type of training will help in the situation we are in, maybe the guardian is right and this is our best option. 

No matter what or who gets in my way, I will kill and destroy them all to fulfill my mission. 

"Do you even know which direction we have to go?"  (I) 

"This forest is very big, I also don't want to venture into the city, let alone let you go there if I don't have to."  (I) 

"I don't know, I can't feel anything so I don't know where to go."  (Dora) 

"Then we should only get to the forest of blood first, maybe when we get closer you'll be able to feel something."  (I) 

"Yes."  (Dora) 

We started going down the last mountains, from now on we'll have to pay close attention to our surroundings as we won't have any help here. 

"How much time do you think we have?"  (I) 

"Two months maximum."  (Dora) 

"..." (I) 

We have little time, I hope those who stayed in the village can prepare. 

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Pov Mari: 

I was at the Guild with Carlos in his room once again helping with the paperwork, following Diana's advice I went to her group's mansion and had fun with Carlos, then we went home to get a good night's sleep. 

It really helped with our work, we are doing everything faster than yesterday without losing focus, I think I was demanding more from me and my husband before. 

"I was very surprised to see so many people evolving in a single day yesterday."  (Mari) 

"Me too, I didn't expect to see another High Elf beside you in town and now there are three others."  (Carlos) 

"You're the only one who knows I'm a High Elf, that reminds me I forgot to tell them to hide their races."  (I) 

"Kira will be fine with the Illusion Spirit Ring I gave her, but the other two also have to hide the jewel on her forehead."  (I) 

"You can tell them later, we were so mentally tired that we didn't even notice Diana's evolution when she was in the Guild."  (Carlos) 

"Truth."  (I) 

I found everything very strange yesterday, but I won't investigate anything, Diana is a friend I trust and knows how to judge people, from what I've seen of Zenos so far, he seems to be someone I can trust. 

Everyone has their secrets and I won't invade their privacy.