Chapter 9: The Miniature world
The beast was defeated and the very blade I had snapped into two at the battle, rendering it into nothing but a piece of metal junk. But compared to the rewards that await us inside the cave, all the experiences and losses were worth it.
"N-no way…" I gasped as a small pile of gold coins and equipment was stacked on the cavern ground, surrounding a pedestal that held a levitating light green orb the size of a palm.
** Notice! **
You've found a world orb.
***********
** Item Classification **
Name: World Orb [Calliope]
Allows the user to create a portal to the world of Calliope.
Requirements: Rank D privilege
*********************
"So this is the world of Calliope…" The orb was like a pocket version of the world, having the markings of the whole forest and the number of living creatures in it, while the pocket globe was encased with an outer layer of a glass sphere.
Even we were shown as black dots in this miniature version of this world and as I touched the surface of the orb with my other hand, a small screen appeared with the magnified live surveillance we were currently at.
"This is amazing! Ellie, check this out!" I called her and we both marveled at the map, but our amazement turned to horror when we spotted the sheer face of the mountain.
Not far from the hole we crawled out from, a giant gate was open and the vehicle of the abductors was parked near it, along with those fiends. They manage to find a wide area to drive their truck out into the plains and they've even brought another batch of children to torture.
"What now?" Ellie questioned.
"We haven't recovered yet. I'm freaking wounded and you roasted all your mana along with the wolf. It'll be just a joke if we come out now." I implied, scrolling through the map once more.
"Oh, I know what we should do! Let's eat the wolf. I bet it's yummy!" she suggested as she drooled.
"We could if I hadn't used a poisoned blade and didn't inflict poison on it," I claimed. "And the fur is no longer usable too."
"Then what should have I done? Left you get eaten alive for the sake of the fur!?"
"I'm not saying that! I'm thankful you saved me. It's just… the fur could have been useful for us to fight against the cold nights…" I claimed, leaving her pondering and scratching her head in thought. It was truly a waste, yet I'd rather be cold at night than cold dead. "Let's just take its mana stone and bury the corpse for now."
Somehow, stronger creatures have larger mana stones and in the case of the white wolf, it had a mana stone as large as the of a child's palm.
But no matter how many stones we had, it's still useless if we couldn't use them. Only the greatest mind is able to use these stones and they've never once shared that secret, even in my previous life.
"Luckily, those goblins had sacks with them." The limit of the storage per item hindered me for a minute as it couldn't store more than 99 numbers of coins and the pile was larger than a couple of hundred.
Each sack contained an approximate number of a hundred coins. More than enough to get us a new life away from the slums.
But money alone won't save us from the incoming threats of the future. As long as the players exist in our world, our future is unsure.
** Item storage **
1. Abyssal Dragon orb
2. Broken handgun
3. World orb [Calliope]
4. Makeshift bow
5. Jester wood bolt 15x
6. Sack of golds 4x
7. Barbecue container
8. Mana stones(s) 40x
9. {empty}
10. {empty}
***************
"I think that should do…"
"Stop staring at blank spaces and look at me. How is it?" Ellie asked, wearing a little loosed white robe as she exited the cave. It was one of the few pieces of equipment found in the piles of gold and the only one near her size.
Only a few were in usable condition. Some had already been ruined from old age, some were too small or big as if it wasn't even made for humans, and the others were too heavy for us to carry.
"Ever thought that it might be from an old perverted man who hadn't had showers for days?" I jested before being smacked by a leather vest she had in hand.
"Stop messing around and wear this. It's too heavy for me and it's a waste to throw it out," she replied, slightly sniffing the robe. "Also, it doesn't smell."
** Item Classification **
Name: Nemean Lion Vest (D)
Made from the leather of the Nemean Lion.
Effects:
1. Increase armor by 30
2. 50% chance of blocking range attacks
*********************
"Can we eat now?" she grumbled as she held her grumbling stomach.
"Fine, let's eat," I claimed, taking out the container but to my surprise, only one piece of meat was left. "Here!"
"Isn't this the last one? What about you?"
"I'm still good," I claimed, but she didn't believe me, and instead, she split the meat into two and offered the other half. "… thanks…"
And just when we were about to eat, something rustled within the bushes and drew near. We already knew the forest was out of goblins after scouring the map on the orb, yet something was coming.
"On your guard," I said to Ellie as I retrieved a makeshift bow from the storage and prepared to aim.
Closer and closer, the bushes shifted and a small child wearing a cap tumbled to the ground.
He stared at us, seemingly crying then a familiar sound echoed in the forest. The siren of the kidnappers' truck and soon, the frantic laughter.
"This is bad. She's coming…"
"Let her come. I'm tired of hiding." Ellie was infuriated, grasping a book she found in the cave. As she opened the pages, the book levitated in her hands and mana suddenly engulfed her. "Hey kid, move aside if you don't want to get hurt!"
** Player Information **
Name: Elizabeth Hunters
Class: Mage
Level: 7
HP: 75/100 MP: 200/200(+200)
********************
"Y-You're still alive!?" the bitch questioned but before she could even respond, magic spells bombarded her. Fireballs, lightning, and ice, all three simultaneously and repeatedly cast until she was no longer describable.
** Player Information **
Name: Rosalind Byers
Class: Assassin
Level: 5
HP: 1/300 MP: 10/10
********************
"... kill…" it groans, still trying to advance like a snail before collapsing with an arrow piercing its chest. "Y-you… regret this…"
Just like how all players die, its body becomes bits of light evaporating into thin air and leaving all objects lying on the ground.
** You've slain a Player **
** Receiving 0.5 Abyssal Points **
** Item rewards **
1. Pouch of gold (5g)
2. Iron dagger 2x
****************
"S-she's gone?" the kid asked.
"She is for now. It takes a whole day for a player to get revived in the cathedral so we better take this chance and escape." Ellie claimed.
"But there are more of them waiting at the exit!" the boy claimed and with the world orb of Calliope, his statement was proven true. Men with hatchets stand before the portal and no more children are left alive.
"Don't worry. We'll make it out alive." Ellie claimed as I nodded in agreement.
At the gate in the rock mountain, the men guarding the entrance to the cave noticed our presence and started advancing, but what met them were arrows from my bow and icicles from Ellie's magic.
One by one, they collapse into the ground before bursting into bits of light, and from the sight of their falling comrades, the others retreat back inside. Deep inside the large gates connect us back to where the portal floats.
"There's the exit! We're finally getting out of here!" I screamed.
"What if something is waiting for us out there? A trap or maybe more enemies" she asked.
"Then let's greet them," I replied, switching from a bow to a dual dagger then jumped into the rift. Darkness then a bright light, and I dropped into crouching with my left hand supporting my fall. "Bring it!"
There was nothing. No trap or extra men to apprehend us. Just an empty building and flickering light on the ceiling. And it was already night.
"Where are we?"
"An abandoned warehouse in the mountains, just outside the city," Ellie replied as she descended from the rift along with the kid who instantly ran out of the building. "And there he goes… So, this is it. The end of our agreement."
"Oh, yeah. I guess this is it." I said. "By the way, I still hate all players to the core."
"Yeah, I know. But my father is a player as well so just shut it"
"But I like you."
"Argh! What are you saying, you idiot!" she shouted, turning red while she threw tantrums from that teasing. "I'm returning back to my father, inside the city. What about you? What are you planning now?"
"Get my family, pack our things, and leave this place before things get worse. All these crazy things happening in this place are sickening." I was finally at peace, thinking that the three of us would be able to leave this place but fireworks soon set the city sky to light and my fears only worsened. "N-no… it can't be…"
"Oh, looks like the festival for the goddess. Guess the months ending already" she claimed.
"N-no, that can't be right. We've only been in Calliope for 15 days"
"There are rifts where time passes slower or faster than our own. To us, it may be just fifteen days but in this world, it had already been long enough to reach the last day of the month." She reasoned.
"The heck!?" I ran outside, gazing at the calm sea. It was still silence, devoided of any danger. "There's still time..."
"Where are you going!?" she scowled, following me outside. "I know the agreement ended but you can't just ditch me here!"
I grabbed her shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes. "Ellie, I don't have much time. Something is happening as soon as the sun rises and you better be behind the walls before that. "
"W-what are you talking about? You're scaring me."
"Just trust me and go. Now!" I claimed as we went on our separate ways. The time was ticking and monsters were coming.
I just hope I'll be able to get the others away on time.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
YajImagination
YajImagination After some thought and rough calculation, I estimated that 1 Calleopian hour is equivalent to 1.7 earth hours, give and take.
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Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone