Chapter 198: Prophetic Vision

Chapter 198: Prophetic Vision

It was dark by the time Tony finally begged for a halt to their training. Bee wasn't even winded, but he looked like he would find sleeping comfortably in the dirt at their feet. Everyone else had long since gone to bed, so it was just the two of them as they slowly walked back to the castle.

Typically, Tony wouldn't have let them walk in silence. He was both too good at conversation and too talkative. Yet now he was breathing so hard that mustering words took effort. Bee didn't mind, though; this allowed her to delve into her thoughts about how strange things had been lately.

Something was definitely happening. It wasn't just that Tony had claimed all her time for the next week. No, what really made her suspicious was the sudden brevity or altogether lack of reports from Trent, Mary, and the others. The usual deluge of people asking for her opinion and permission on every little thing had fallen silent, too. Not to mention that she'd caught more than a few people darting around corners and out of sight at her approach. It was all very strange.

Even when she asked whether her assistance was needed anywhere, she was met with emphatic reassurances that everything was alright. Her only solace was that Void was just as busy with... whatever it was up to. If her master were involved with this new state of affairs, she would just have to trust that everything was taken care of. Void would see them through. Still, it didn't mean she wasn't curious.

She and Tony parted with a grunt as they each headed off to their respective rooms. Not quite ready to go to bed, Bee drew a bath to wash off the filth of the day. She didn't need that much sleep anymore, but it was still pleasant to enjoy, so it didn't take long for her head to hit the pillow after she was clean.

A few minutes before she finally drifted off, the door cracked open, and a soft whirring noise made its way under her bed.

—

When I got back, Beatrice was already asleep. Still, I did my best to not wake her as I crept under her bed. Time was somewhat limited as I was carrying all the prizes. While my Limitless Dustbin was great for holding waste and disposing of it, I was starting to realize it wasn't a good long-term storage option for much else.

I had several examples of why, but its tendency to change things in unexpected ways was worrying. It worked out well for a lot of mundane objects like Beatrice's broom. But the injuries that Daedalus received went to show that those capabilities were best in moderation. If that much power could really be released at once. Well, I didn't want to think about that.

Well, I didn't want to risk anything with the prizes that I had received. Daedalus told me that they were powerful magic artifacts. Who knew what effects I would have on them? And if I couldn't keep them with me, I needed to keep them somewhere else safe. And the best place I could think of doing that was underneath Beatrice's bed.

So I carefully folded the cloak of invisibility and stacked some of the other items on it. A few of the larger ones needed to go off to the side, but I was able to arrange everything so they fit underneath the bed. They would be safe here for a few more days until I was ready to hand them out. The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.

Then I settled down on the nice rug that Daedalus had included in the prizes and slowly, quietly did my best to clean it meditatively. I dedicated 90% of my processing power to the task. It was important, after all. It had to be in perfect shape for my dearest friend and human. I'd never gotten a birthday gift for anyone before, but I hoped she would appreciate it.

Still, it was different from how she remembered it. No longer was it dark and dirty and dank. It was still very dark, even with the torches and lamps they carried for light. But the layer of dust that had coated everything was simply gone. Even the stale air didn't smell stale anymore.

The steps and the slanted path stones had realigned into neat order. She could barely tell where the seams between the placed stones were, especially on the upper levels where it had been an especially rushed job. Bee had a pretty good suspicion of what had happened to it. But Void neither confirmed nor denied his involvement in the upkeep of the catacombs.

Tony didn't know anything different as he hadn't been here before. But she had. It only took them half an hour to reach the first tomb.

They waited a second for Tony to take in the sight. With their improved vision, she was able to see much farther into the darkness, and it no longer felt nearly as oppressive. Even with her improvements, she still couldn't see to either wall from the center pedestal. Not wanting to take chances, they quickly looked through all the empty beds where the skeletons had rested.

The plinth reminded her of the book she still needed to translate. There had been a few slight hints about what language it might have been in, but really she had made no progress. She was just too busy. Maybe Void would have better luck at it, and she should ask him for help. Still, for now, they moved on.

Bee felt they were all awake enough this time that she could move at a slight jog. Well, it was a slight jog to her. It would have been faster than her sprint the last time she was here. Again, in about ten minutes, they traversed to the second chamber that rested right beneath the first. It was a relief to reach this point without constant fighting.

She resisted the urge to explore through all the side passages again. There was still a lot she hadn't found down here, corners that threats could lurk behind. But judging by its cleanliness, she figured that anything dangerous would have long been taken care of by Void. Her curiosity lingered, but she didn't have time for it right now.

They moved quickly through the second room and continued toward the bottom level. Where the companion lay.

All three of them paused to admire the beauty of the slightly curving floor of white glass and the surrounding dome that encased the entire room. The white room wasn't much different than Bee remembered it. That didn't make it any less breathtaking, though. The pure white interior made the slight bit of color in the statue appear even more stark in comparison.

Slowly, she walked towards the statue. Before she reached it, she could tell that more had changed than the color. The statue emanated a presence that she had only felt from a few other powerful entities, but all of the beings were above level 50. She wondered if she, too, now had such an aura.

As she approached, she studied the man with more focus than she had the last time they were down here. If it truly was the dragon's companion, there had to be much more to the story. She would have to go check on the paintings in the upper caves. She might get something more out of what she knew now.

She was surprised to get a result by running a Scan on it. Last time, the Scan said almost nothing. Judging based on Scan's result, though, there definitely was a lot more to it.