(Shwing...)
"'Pretty Ji-soo is back!"
Pretty Ji-soo said aloud after she opened the door and entered, interrupting Skylar and Ila's moment. And with quiet steps on the glass floor; her figure- graceful and confident, walks towards them with rhythmic steps, just like that of a performing runway model.
"Handsome lord what's the deal with your box. No one could open it... They say they have never seen a lock like it before."
Pretty Ji-soo said this when she reached right in front of them and as she dragged the other footstool beside Ila's chair and sat on it.
I have never really tried opening those things. Skylar stood up. And from his cloak he brought out another chest that look exactly like the previous one.
Then he sat down and placed the chest on the space on the crystal glass floor which is between the three of them.
This is clearly black gold. But why will that crazy fellow carve this rubbish on them.
Skylar starts to feel the top of the chest with his hand. Then after about a minute of examining every corner of the chest diligently and thoroughly, he chuckled- straightening his bent back, and turn to look at Pretty Ji-soo.
"What do those guys say about the carving on it?... Did they say anything about it being something that shouldn't be there, something like its too intricate to appear on a black gold?"
"Hmm..." Pretty Ji-soo with one of her fingers pressed to her lips and her eyes to the left, took her time thinking. Then she brushed her ashy pink hair backward and focused her eyes on Skylar. "They said nothing about it actually. But whenever those vendor people saw it they always reacted strongly like they saw something abnormal. And before they could say a word about why they reacted like that, that crazy lavender that was following me everywhere will always stop them... She will flag them with caution... She was so annoying."
"Oh!." Skylar chuckled, his eyes on Pretty Ji-soo- whose voice expressed subtle irritation at the end of her narration.
"Lord, is there something special about the chest."
Ila's soft and soporific voice like a primordial chant snatched Skylar's attention. And as he turned to face her, In response, he chuckled.
"Do you know about black gold and its characteristics?"
"..."
"..."
To Skylar's question, Ila responded with silence and Pretty Ji-soo shook her head, both showing they have no idea what he is talking about.
"What's it? Is it a gold that has been painted black?"
At Pretty Ji-soo's words that sounded like a kid's retort, Skylar chuckled. She is very cute in a unique way.
"Do you players engage in mining activities by any means?" Skylar threw a question in response.
"Of course we do, but only the top factions though... Its the 'M' in 'GHM'... Gathering, hunting and mining. The three major source of income in BRAVE... way more profitable than tower quests." Pretty Ji-soo replied matter-of-factly as she crossed one leg over the other.
Then Skylar nodded in acknowledgement at her, and turned to face Ila. "What about you guys, do you mine?"
"No." Ila replied, her unique voice crisp. "Although mining might yield the greatest profit of the three, starting it cost a lot of money, and the manpower to sustain it is not a thing most faction can afford."
"I see!" Skylar leaned forward, then he lifted the chest and placed it on his knee. "If you guys will possibly engage in mining in the future, you are bound to encounter it... Black gold is a natural mineral that has infinite resistance to all form of energies and is also one of the hardest mineral in the cosmos... It also has one of the highest melting point ever... So handling it is incredibly difficult"
"..." "..."
"You two place your hand on it and channel your energy."
As Skylar instructed, Ila and Pretty Ji-soo placed their hand on the chest. The pretty hand of Pretty Ji-soo on it emit an ashy pink light, and Ila's hand sheathed by her glove and placed on it has no shine or glow that is visible to the naked eye, but not an eye under hyper sense or spirit vision.
"Hmm!" Skylar's eyes under hyper sense, narrowed slightly. She also manipulates natural energy like me. But her own is clearly different. Its like the one of that crazy serpent.
"Its really bouncing back my energy." Intrigued, Pretty Ji-soo remarked.
"Ila, what about you?... Do you feel your energy penetrating its lattice?"
To Skylar's question Ila did not respond as all her attention was focused on the chest she is trying to infuse with energy.
She is really giving it everything. Skylar smiled. Then i should be the strange one if a player of her talent and calibre can't do anything about it.
But why did that bastard have to seal it with crazy cosmic codes no one understands. Skylar looked down at the chest on his knees. Yes, the parchment.
With a look of realization on his face, he dipped his hand into the mysterious pocket space in his cloak and brought out from it, a black parchment with patterns etched in red ink-like substance on it. And at the same time Ila withdrew her hand from the chest and joined Pretty Ji-soo in watching Skylar who is engrossed with the patterns on the black parchment.
This thing is exactly a copy of what was on that door. But to completely understand it will take years... Maybe forcing my way through was a bad idea then. I should have studied it at that time since the time flow was infinitely dilated.
Skylar turned the parchment to the other side and his eyes caught fine characters at the bottom of it written in ancient language.
[Idiot what is in those chest is wealth of an entire era i collect and i know black gold won't stop your greedy claws so i expect you to study well my invention you called unnecessary you arrogant prick you are angry right you have riches but can't enjoy it...]
"Crazy bastard." Skylar blurted and scrunched the parchment, his perfect set of teeth bared and tightly pressed together as he try to hold back a snarl.
"What's the matter lord." Ila inquired, her soporific voice like the song of Enri a bit softer and gentle.
"Its nothing." He replied, then he turned to face Pretty Ji-soo. "So, where is the chest."
"Yes, the chest." Realization dawned on Pretty Ji-soo. Then she smiled "Its with this vendor that offered us a strange deal handsome lord... They say they will loan us fifty million for the custody of the chest for two years without charging us interest, only on the condition that they can't open it within that time period. But if they are able to open it within that two years, if what is inside is more than fifty million they will keep it, we don't have to repay the fifty million loan. But if what's inside is one gold less, they will also keep it but we will have to repay the fifty million loan..."
"You mean they will loan us fifty million gold for one chest right?" Skylar asked, almost breaking into a smile.
"Yes, and that's if they are not able to open it within the next two years real time." Pretty Ji-soo answered then she arched her body, emphasizing her smooth belly and her vertical navel.
Fifty million gold for one chest, not a bad deal. But there is no way they will learn a thing from those sword carving on it, the foundation of that crazy cosmic code is on the parchment. Skylar smiled. Then he passed Pretty Ji-soo the chest on his knee. "Here take this... Go get us a loan of hundred million."
"Eh!" Pretty Ji-soo who collected the chest exclaimed.
"Lord, is that okay?... There is a possibility their worth is far beyond fifty million gold... Generally, there is no concept of money lending in the tower... This should be the first ever and an exception. And i think the tower approves it because they have an understanding of what's inside them... Something they are willing to keep by bending their own rule rather than having a player posses it..." Ila chimed in with gentleness in her voice.
Then Skylar looking at her, chuckled. "Its fine, no one should be able to open it... After the two year time period i will just pay them back their money and take them back. Very easy." He reassured Ila with his smiling face brimming with confidence and certainty. Then Pretty Ji-soo who clearly has no objection or addition, stood up and proceed to leave the room with the chest.
...
"Ila, when are you going to show me your face?"
Skylar called and asked, breaking the silence that has endured in the room for the past several minutes since Pretty Ji-soo left.
And at this point, the stained crystal glass wall facing the wooden door, and which is to the outside of the building and is also beside both of them as they sit face to face, has become transparent like it is no longer there and because of this, one can see clearly what is outside of the building through it- the view of what is going on beside the cathedral-like building to be precise.
"..."
In response to Skylar's question, Ila didn't reply but lowered her head. Then after Skylar waited few seconds for a response, he chuckled then shifted his eyes that was on her to the crystal glass wall beside them that display the peculiar night view of Lavender
"What's with this glass thing that can change as it like?" Skylar asked then he nodded towards the glass wall and when he did, a large rover the form of a sail-boat outside the fenced territory appeared, flying slowly across in front of it as seen inside by Skylar.
"They call it 'Chameleon screen'... Its like a smart glass but in addition to being able to go from transparent to opaque at any of its two side at anytime we choose, it can also display chosen images at any of them like a stained glass." Ila raised her head and turn to look at the transparent glass wall like Skylar is doing, then she continued in a gentle manner. "Right now, if someone is looking at it from outside what they will see is a bright image of a flower garden... They can't see in here like we can see outside."
Skylar pressed his lips together and shook is head in acknowledgement.
Make sense.
"But Ila." Skylar turned to face her. "When i came in, there was clearly an image on it. So, how did it turn transparent if no one has done anything to it?"
"Lord, Its fully automated and has been earlier preset unlike the common types... It can also react to illumination from both sides and adjust..."
"When you say common type, you don't mean common buildings also use this kind of sophisticated glass for their walls, right?"
Skylar asked, interrupting her careful narration. Then she continued in a gentle manner like she was doing earlier.
"That's true, its the only type of material the tower privides, and they make sure everyone uses only it." She paused a bit, then continued. " All safe zones are like this... They all have a unique architectural style and cultural background we players and users are practically forced to abide with."
"Hmm... I think i get it." Skylar changed his seat, retiring to the plushy barrel chair, plopping in it. Then he asked.
"So Ila. What will happen if someone refused and build what he wants?"
"They are not necessarily against building something different. But in this case, someone should be ready to pay a hundred times the land rent... This is the only condition they gave to build what does not align with what was chosen..."
She replied. Then Skylar whom she expects to follow up with another question looked straight at her colossal chest and stare at it for a short few seconds.
They are way too big. Maybe they are fake. Nah... Its clearly natural, i can sense the potent energy it contains... Fuck! That's definitely lots of milk...
"Ila your back... How do you cope with it?"
"I..."
(Shwing...)
Before Ila could answer Skylar, the wooden door opened, and from it Pretty Ji-soo entered, interrupting her response.