Chapter 131 New Mission

The uncomfortable road made Lucas sleepy. He looked around to see if anyone else was sleeping, but no one was. They kept driving through the forest, and Lucas felt like he was in his own world. The forest looked so beautiful and so calm. No one else was around, and the scenery was so quiet that Lucas could hear the birds chirping.

Suddenly, he remembered the voice he heard in his dream, "are you okay?"

He opened his eyes and looked around. "Where am I?"

"Don't worry," Kali was looking at him, "we're almost there."

[System Activated]

The notification appeared in front of him, and he saw a map that showed them where they were going. Soon, they arrived at the place that was written on the map. Lucas got off the carriage and looked around.

"Welcome," a man's voice called out. "Are you here to see Avanti?"

Lucas looked at the person and saw that they were a middle-aged man wearing dark clothes and a turban. He was carrying a wooden stick in his hand.

"Yes," Lucas answered.

"Good, good. Please follow me."

The man led them into the woods and they walked for a while until they reached a small cabin. After entering the cabin, Lucas couldn't help but look around. Everything in the room was decorated with gold. There were golden plates on the table and a large bed in the corner.

"Please sit down," the man said as he pointed towards a chair.

Lucas sat down and watched the man. He was tall and had long hair that was tied in a ponytail. He wore expensive clothing and a pair of glasses that covered half of his face. "Can I ask your name?" Lucas asked.

"My name is Ali," he said while offering his hand.

Lucas shook his hand and said, "my name is Lucas."

"I see you have a lot of questions, but let me begin first by telling you that you have been chosen."

"Chosen?" Lucas asked.

"You have been chosen by Avanti," Ali repeated. "Now, I'm assuming that you don't know about him. To answer your question, yes, you have been chosen."

"Chosen to what?" Lucas asked.

"To become a part of the Order of Avanti."

"What is the Order of Avanti?" Lucas asked.

Ali smiled and replied, "it is a group of people who are trained and prepared to fight against the Dark Ones."

"Dark Ones?" Lucas asked.

"Yes, the Dark Ones," Ali replied. "Do you know anything about them?"

Lucas thought for a moment and said, "they're supposed to be evil creatures that want to kill the good ones."

"Exactly!" Ali replied. "This is why Avanti has chosen you."

"How can I help?" Lucas asked.

"In order to save the world, Avanti needs people like you."

"But how can I help? I'm just a student."

"A student who has been chosen to be a part of the Order of Avanti," Ali replied.

"But why me?" Lucas asked. "I haven't done anything special."

"Not yet, but that will change," Ali replied. "You have the potential to be great."

Lucas gazed at the ground in silence. He knew that this man was programmed to talk like this, so he didn't bother to get into many details. Lucas looked at Haya who was just standing there with his arms crossed around his chest, hoping for an answer or something else.

"Well, thank you for your time," Lucas said.

"It was my pleasure," Ali said. "You may leave whenever you want."

Lucas stood up and walked towards the door, "thanks again."

When he was outside, Lucas saw that everyone was waiting for him.

"Did you get a good idea?" Kali asked.

Lucas nodded and said, "he was lying about being a messenger."

"Of course," Kali replied. "Why would he tell us the truth?"

Lucas looked at the group and said, "this guy wanted us to come here because he wants to use us."

"Use us?" Kali asked. "How do you mean?"

"He wants to control us," Lucas replied. "I don't know what he plans to do with us, but he seems to be very powerful and rich."

Everyone looked at each other and then walked away from the cabin. They tried to find their way back, but it was easier said than done. After walking for hours, they finally found their way back to the carriage and continued their journey.

After a couple of days, they arrived at a place that was surrounded by trees and grasslands.

[System Activated]

The notification appeared in front of Lucas and showed him where they were. This place was called the Forest of Eislandia, a place where most of the people lived. It was a huge forest with several cities surrounding it. From far away, Lucas could see the buildings and people moving around.

"Do you think we should go there?" Kali asked.

"I think so," Lucas replied. "We can check it out and see if there's anything interesting."

[Retrieve The Purple Gem]

Lucas looked at the notification on his screen and saw the location of the gem. It was hidden somewhere in the forest, which made it hard for them to find.

"We should split up," Kali suggested. "That way, we won't lose anyone."

"Sounds good to me," Lucas nodded. "We'll meet in one hour."

Kali turned around and left, while Lucas and the others went in different directions. Before leaving, Lucas said, "we need to take this seriously, Kali."

"I know," Kali replied. "I just don't want to lose either of you."

"Me neither."

"Is everything okay?" Haya asked.

"Yeah," Lucas replied. "I'm just worried about finding the gem."

Kali nodded and said, "me too."

They continued to search for the gem, but after two hours of wandering, they weren't any closer. Suddenly, Lucas felt a presence behind him and turned around. In front of him was a man in a black robe. His skin was pale and his eyes were blood red.

"Who are you?" Lucas asked.

The stranger looked at Lucas and said, "don't move."

Lucas took a step back and said, "why?"

The man moved faster than expected and grabbed Lucas by the neck. Lucas struggled and tried to free himself from his grip, but he couldn't. The man started choking him.