Zectas Volume VI: The Delusive Realm of Mictlan

by John Nest

  “Yup, just the books,” replied Smoke with a straight face.

  “Good, because I’ll know,” she said. “Anyway, the Guards have secured the oracle for you.”

  “Thanks, I really appreciate this—” replied Smoke but was cut off as Eleve had already teleported him towards the oracle.

  With Smoke out of the Magietrois Tower, Eleve then turned around and lowered her head. “Well, Master? What do you think?”

  A few of the floating flames merged and formed into a young girl and spoke when she fully materialized. “Hm… he didn’t try to take any of the items. But I wasn’t sure if that was because he was honest, or just plain dumb not to recognize their powers.”

  “Master, please! You’re talking about Smoke here! He even became an Emissary to the MaduHai Orks,” reasoned out Eleve.

  “Fine! He’s got my approval,” said the young girl.

  “So, you’ll meet with him?” asked Eleve, hopeful.

  “Huh? What now?” asked the fiery young girl, taken aback. “Oh, what I meant to say is that he almost has my approval. He just needs to survive this next trial.”

  * * * * * *

  Smoke hurriedly put on his Paradox Mask as soon as he materialized in front of the oracle. Yet, he was surprised to see that the city square was completely deserted.

  ‘Of course, it is,’ he realized as Eleve had the place secured for him for the next hour. He turned to face the white marble circular structure lined with azure designs. Its Corinthian columns were over three meters in height and one meter in diameter, with an equal space of one meter in between them as well. Walking around the edifice, he found that there were no visible entrances of any kind.

  “Hey, you think you can help me figure this one out?” Smoke asked the little gray mouse inside his pocket.

  “Sure, I need to burn some of the cheese anyway,” replied Daga. She leaped out and scampered around the oracle. She carefully inspected every single detail of the building, but even after ten minutes, Daga still found nothing. “Sorry, Boss. It doesn’t look good,” she reported, twitching her nose along with her whiskers.

  “If you can’t find it physically then I’ll try from another perspective,” said Smoke.

  Smoke activated the second ability of his Cunning of the Dire Fox – Extrasensory. A surge of mana shifted from within his entire body. At the cost of 90,000 mana points, his eyes turned golden and become that of a dire fox’s. His view became filled with a spectrum of lights. Yet, what was clear to him was the distinct lines in some of the Corinthian columns. He began to shift the lower columns, which revealed a space behind it. Limited on time, he forcibly pushed himself into the tiny opening he managed to create.

  “Aaaiiee!” screamed a wide mouthed Smoke as he fell into a cavernous space. He tried to open his cloak and glide, but not before his back smashed into the ground.

  THUD

  – You received a fall damage of 10,000 points.

  Massaging his back, Smoke ignored the damage window as his eyes darted around the cavernous chamber he fell into. The ceiling was natural, made out of stalactites. Yet, the floor was made of the same marble as the edifice above, only that it was covered in sand.

  “Boss, you alright?” squeaked Daga from above the small opening he created. “Don’t know why, but I can’t seem to enter this hole.”

  “That’s fine. Just stay there. Don’t worry about me. I don’t sense any monsters down here anyway,” replied Smoke. “I think,” he added in a whisper.

  After acclimating to the underground lighting, Smoke found another temple in front of him. This time, it was an octagonal-structure with a dome for a roof and a sand covered stairway towards its wooden doors.

  Needing better visibility, Smoke was inspired by the lighting in the Magietrois Tower. He launched four fireballs and manipulated them to hover near him. With the underground cavern illuminated, he found a pathway opposite to the octagonal-structure, but it only led to a dead end as a cave-in blocked its path.

  Before heading for the door, he decided to try and move the rocks with his Earth Manipulation but found an irksome notification window instead.

  – Cannot control this Earth with your current level of Earth Manipulation ability.

  – Cannot control this Earth with your current level of Earth Affinity.

  ‘Fine!’ he thought and headed back towards the door. The floating flames gathered toward him as they illuminated his way on the steps.

  Smoke leaned into the wooden door as he pushed with all his might.

  CREAK

  Sounded the rusted joints of the door.

  + Entered Oracle of Aphend

  One of the eight oracles of Aphend. These temples were lost during the great war against the Reptilian race. It has been said that it was because of the power of the oracles that the new age of Zectas has come to be.

  While Smoke was still reading the information on the Oracle of Aphend, another notification window popped up without warning.

  + Achievement Unlocked!

  *** CONGRATULATIONS SMOKE!!! ***

  > You are the first Sonstwelter to enter any of the Oracles of Aphend!

  > Your achievement has been broadcasted throughout the world!

  + You’ve gained the title: Chilanes

  + You’ve gained the book: ‘Chilam Balam : Chism – Myths of the old World’

  + You’ve gained one level

  + Title Unlocked!

  >> Gained Title: Chilanes [Seer]> You are to be the messenger of the gods and speak directly to their people.notes:

  > Title grants you +5 to all stats!

  > Title will be removed if someone else acquires more Chilam Balam books than you!

  + Level UP!

  You have 10 stat points ready for distribution.

  Your HP has increased by 9,100.

  Your mana has increased by 9,100.

  Fame has increased by 1.

  He was overwhelmed by the series of notification windows. A beaming Smoke placed all of the windows side by side as he took his time reading all of them.

  Then, an ancient leather-bound tome was floating in front of him. Yet, something felt wrong as soon as he touched the book. It took a few seconds for him to realize what it was that was missing – the blue progress bar when he was acquiring the knowledge of a book.

  ‘Is this thing broken?’ he wondered.

  He gathered the four fiery flames to take a closer look at the Chilam Balam. He tried opening it and found symbols written on the book.

  ‘Hm? I’ll just put this away for now,’ he thought, placing it inside his inventory window.

  Suddenly, a bright light from the center of the room blinded him.

  – [Blinded] You see nothing but white light!

  “Huh?” asked Smoke, covering his eyes with his hands. Despite this, he could still see a strong glare. “What the hel—”

  “Language!” reprimanded a female commanding voice. “You shall watch your mouth while you are in here, Young Man.”

  “Who is that?” asked Smoke, squinting but seeing nothing but pure white light.

  “I am Aphend, the wisdom of this world and a direct messenger of the gods,” answered the female voice. “Which you will also now be!”

  “Eh, say what now?” asked Smoke, confused.

  Then, a quest window popped up.

  + Quest: Ways of the Chilanes

  Global Quest

  Level: S+

  By the will of the gods, you are obliged to spread their words!

  Reward: The Smoking Mirror of Tezcatlipoca

  [Quest Forcibly Accepted]

  “As the Chilanes, you are compelled to tell the world of what is coming,” explained Aphend.

  “What if I don’t? Do I receive some sort of punishment if I don’t finish this quest?” he asked, making sure of what he got himself into.

  “Not receiving the reward shall be punishment enough,” answered Aphend.

  ‘Smoking Mirror? What does that do?’ he
wondered, intrigued. “That sounds great,” he said but still slightly skeptical.

  “Now, remember these words well,” began Aphend. Her voice became louder and modulated. “Today, the world has become complacent about its situation. It has forgotten the tribulations of the past. Soon, it will experience the terrors that are written in the forgotten books. When the Sonstwelters reign will begin, so shall be the precursor of the end.”

  “Huh? That’s kind of a lot to remember,” said Smoke. “And how am I supposed to tell this to the world? And where do I go once I’ve completed this quest? Do I return here?”

  “No! Your heart shall tell you whether you have accomplished your divine task,” answered Aphend. “Once you have done so, the reward shall appear before you.”

  “That sounds convenient,” said Smoke, his hands still covering his blinded eyes. “What’s next?” he asked, excited.

  “Now, I shall return you to the land above,” replied Aphend. “Remember to spread the words of—”

  “Wait, wait, wait a minute,” interjected Smoke. “That’s it? Aren’t you supposed to be an oracle? Aren’t I supposed to give you a problem, and you tell me the solution?” he exclaimed, hoping to find the answer that he had been searching for in the Sawtorn continent.

  Aphend did not respond. A few more seconds passed and there was nothing but silence.

  “Fine! I shall answer one question,” she replied, albeit sounding annoyed.

  “How do I get to Mictlan?” instantly asked Smoke, hopeful.

  “Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha!” chuckled Aphend. “This is my first time talking to someone who willingly wants to go to that place.”

  “Laugh all you want, but just answer my question,” said Smoke with a louder voice.

  “I do know the answer but it is not my place to tell it to you,” said Aphend. “Fear not. In time you shall know.”

  “Pfft! Some oracle you turned out to be,” said Smoke out loud.

  “You question my ability?” shouted Aphend. “Let me show you what kind of oracle I am!”

  “Sure, sure,” replied Smoke. “But let me tell you right now, you’ll only impress me if you tell me the way to Mictlan.”

  “Stop your idiotic attempts of getting information on the land of the obliterated,” commanded Aphend. “Instead, let me tell you how to get rid of that pain in your heart.”

  “Huh? What are you talking about?” asked Smoke, confused.

  “You have lost someone from your world, correct?” said Aphend.

  “What are you doing?” asked Smoke, peeved. “How do you know that? What is this? Is this some sort of joke?” he asked, looking everywhere but seeing nothing but the same white light.

  “I told you, I am the oracle, the wisdom of this world!” answered Aphend. “I can see what is in your heart, into your soul.”

  “This is bull!” said Smoke, hurriedly accessing the menu to logout.

  – Cannot log out during this event.

  An error notification was the only thing he could see aside from the white light.

  “Aphe— whatever, can you just send me back already?” asked Smoke, irritated.

  “I will, but you have to answer my questions first,” said Aphend. “Tell me, can you do something to bring back this person that you have lost?”

  Although pissed at how the game somehow managed to read his mind, he remembered how he had been traveling back and forth from the hospital, police station, and their home but all of to no avail.

  “No!” replied Smoke, frustrated.

  “Does it benefit you or anyone else, for you to continue acting this way?” asked Aphend.

  This time, Smoke remembered how he took out his frustration on his girlfriend. How he neglected his brothers and even himself.

  “No!” was his reply again.

  “Do you think the person you’re missing would want you to act this way?” asked Aphend in a softer tone.

  “No…” replied Smoke, falling to his knees. His eyes turned watery.

  “Then why do this?” asked Aphend.

  Smoke could not utter a single word in response.

  “Change. Instead of holding on to this resentment, remember her. Remember the things she has taught you,” went on Aphend. “There is no standing still because time is always moving forward.”

  When he heard this, Smoke felt his insides twinged. It was the same thing that his Mima said to comfort him when his parents died.

  “How do you know that—” asked Smoke but was cut off as he was forcibly logged out of the game.

  * * * * * *

  Covered in sweat, Nash stepped out of his game pod all confused but with a wide smile on his face. ‘What was that?’ he wondered. ‘How could the game know all of that?’

  He scrambles for his computer and checks his email. Nothing. There was still no updates on finding their missing Grandmother. Yet, somehow he felt lighter, like a thorn stuck in his heart had been removed.

  Clicking on a picture of his Mima on his hard drive, Nash said with conviction. “We will find you, and I’ll always practice the things you’ve taught me.”

  After taking a deep breath, he clicked on the Zectas website and searched for any videos or anything related to the oracle. As he scrolled through the website, he found a several of them. Yet, all eight sites of the oracles only contained images of the circular structure from the outside.

  Then, it hit him. He realized that he left the oracle in Votl City wide open. He wanted to log back into the game but a newly created forum thread entitled ‘Smoke the Seer’ rose to the top of the page straight away.

  DetectiveRonan: Okay, okay, so let me share my hypothesis. I think that Smoke managed to get into one of those oracle buildings when that global notification popped up in front of everyone.

  DMX: Wow! Great job, Detective! (I was being sarcastic in case you didn’t deduce that!)

  Earat: Woohoo! This is awesome news for my guild. Too bad I just got banned from the game.

  Emagine: My two cents, I think a new major patch is coming.

  DMX: Did you just say patch? You, Sir, have offended me!

  Emagine: Oh, shut up, @DMX! And get back to finding a way for us to get into that Longana Cove!

  DMX: You have offended me again! @DMX disappears into a corner searching for clues.

  FastInFastOut: But what does this mean? I’m sure that Smoke just got an S+ Quest, I just wish he’d share with us.

  Atiman: Isn’t it funny that people get offended by everything right now. Like me, I’m offended that Smoke got a global notification while the Decane Guild has never gotten one of them!

  Purrfect: Meowk! For the glory of the Lioumerean Race!

  Eyerate: Shut up with that cat talk! I told you to stay in your cat forums!

  CatatonicKing: Meoow! You have the right to be offended, as we Lioumereans have the right to offend! All Hail the claw!

  DetectiveRonan: @DMX, I know how to get to the Longana Cove but I’m not telling you now!

  CatatonicKing: Alright, alright. I’ll tell you what that global notification is all about. The next patch is going to be a flood of events especially catered for the Lioumerean Sonstwelters! Ha!

  TriTank: Forget about all that crap! Who cares if Smoke got a global notification? What you should all check out are the Sawtorn continent’s Events! I promise it will blow your mind!

  …

  Nash smirked. He shook his head when he read Tritank’s name. ‘Guess it really is him,’ he surmised. Then, he remembered that Eleve had locked down the area near the oracle. So, he took a few more minutes and enjoyed the sandwich he had prepared earlier. After wolfing down his meal, he drank a full glass of water and stepped back into his game pod.

  ‘Got to make a video of the oracle after I close its entrance,’ he reminded himself as he closed the lid.

  * * * * * *

  When he opened his eyes, Smoke saw his worried Flame Master pacing near the oracle.

  “Smoke! You’re back!” she exclaimed and
hugged him, relieved. “When I suddenly felt your presence disappear, I thought something powerful got to you. I tried entering the oracle you opened up but I think only a Sonstwelter can enter it.”

  “Oh, really?” said Smoke, fascinated. He looked around and found the area near the oracle still deserted. Thankful that Eleve had locked the place down.

  “Boss! Boss, you’re back!” exclaimed Daga.

  Smoke looked around until he looked up and found the little gray mouse on top of the marble edifice. She leaped and landed on his shoulder.

  “Good to see you too, Daga,” said Smoke and placed her inside his chest pocket. “Could you give me a second? I’ll explain everything after this,” he said to Eleve and Daga. He moved with purpose as he resealed the entrance to the oracle. He then turned to his Master. “Actually, this building leads to something bigger below. It’s some kind of ancient temple…” he began, and updated Eleve on what the oracle told him, minus the part where Aphend advised him on his personal problem.

  “I see. So, you really are a Seer now?” said Eleve, nodding her head. “No wonder your ‘Gahum’ has changed.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, checking the mana flow of his body. “I don’t feel any different.”

  Eleve kept nodding her head and said. “You definitely have. In fact, I think you can almost conjure your own Automaton Knight now.”

  “Really?” said Smoke. He quickly opened his Status Window and checked his mana bar. She was right. With the ten stat points left over from the last level up, he could indeed conjure his own self-thinking soldier. “Wow! You’re right,” he said and allocated all of the needed points into Intelligence.

  “So, what do you plan to do now?” asked Eleve. “We still have a few days before we face the Ork Horde, but does being a Seer prevent you from fighting against them?”