Endless Journey: Infinite Realms

Like all the other beings in the Ancestral Tomb, the fairy Asteria had also been captured by the gigantic hands. Given her feeble strength, Asteria was naturally unable to free herself from captivity.

[Asteria]: ...

This had the fairy quickly worried, although the way that she moved her eyes around showed that she was not currently worried about herself.

She seemed to be instead worried about someone else, and the reason for that could be discerned from the sudden notice that rang inside her head. 𝑓𝓇𝑒𝑒𝚠e𝘣𝓷𝘰ѵe𝑙.com

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: THE HIDDEN MISSION ASPECT HAS JUST BEEN ACTIVATED. PLEASE KEEP CALM AND LET THIS HIDDEN MISSION BE DISCOVERED AND RESOLVED BY THE TRAVELERS. ANY GUIDE WHO ILLEGALLY INFORMS THEIR TRAVELER ABOUT THIS HIDDEN MISSION WILL BE TERMINAATED.

[Asteria]: Oh? So that monster had already shown itself? I guess this is the Hidden Mission that Alex has just triggered.

[Asteria]: Wait, there is a Hidden Mission here? I thought his mission is only about spreading his religion? Don’t tell me that he has to kill all these ’monsters’ too? Isn’t that too much even for him?

[Asteria]: Tsk, spreading his own religion alone is hard because of all his opponents, and now he has to do the hidden mission too? I think this is cheating!

[Asteria]: ....

[Asteria]: ...I don’t like what is happening here, but since this notice told me to stay put, then I shall stay put. That does not make me confident on staying alive here though...

[Asteria]: Meh, I think Alex can survive the additional elements in this mission. But what if this is too much for Alex?

[Asteria]: Heh, as if this can hurt him much....

[Asteria]: But Alex is corrupted now, so I don’t think he can do much against his new opponent too...

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: NO GUIDES ARE ALLOWED TO INTERFERE WITH THIS HIDDEN MISSION. ANY ATTEMPTS TO WEAKEN THE MONSTERS WILL RESULT IN TERMINATION. ANY ATTEMPTS TO HELP THE TRAVELERS ESCAPE WILL RESULT IN TERMINATION. ANY ATTEMPTS TO UPHEAVE THE ORDER IN THE ANCESTRAL TOMB WILL ALSO RESULT IN TERMINATION.

With her body unable to move at all, the despondent fairy could only hang her head as she waited for the inevitable clash. She tried to clench her immobile fists too, as if she’s hoping this could resolve her dilemmas.

A few seconds later however, Asteria found herself raising her head quickly, as she suddenly recalled another important matter.

[Asteria]: Oh right, Alex is not my only ally here. There’s Alina and the other women too... Speaking of them, where are they anyway? Are they still alive here in the tomb?

[Asteria]: Of course they are alive, coz they are strong compared to other hoomans.

[Asteria]: But this monster is too strong for them too....

[Asteria]: Tsk, so are they also good as dead already? Well maybe, but they are Alex’s companions, and I provided them with lots of new items..... Surely that will be enough to keep them barely alive?

[Asteria]: I can still remember Alina buying 2 defensive items from me, while both Queen Mother and Professor Frances availed a parasitic worm that should theoretically keep them in a semi-living state for 20 minutes. That’s not that long, but that could keep them safe in here.

[Asteria]: That should be a good thing for me, but come on. I don’t need those three to just stay alive. They should also find a way to defeat these monsters!

[Asteria]: This is a hidden mission after all, and the rewards of beating it should be just as good as the Main Mission! Heck, I can even say that the rewards should be at least a pair of Transcendence Shards!

[Asteria]: Tsk, tsk, tsk... I guess I just have to wait for a miracle to happen here. And that is the only thing that I can wish here, since death will be the end for those who fails this hidden mission.

[Asteria]: ....

[Asteria]: Oh, speaking of hidden mission, what exactly is this hidden mission about? I don’t exactly know what it is, since it is a Hidden Mission.

[Asteria]: It will only depend on the Travelers to discover it, which I don’t think will be easy for them right now...

[Asteria]: ...

[Asteria]: Ugh, so what am I supposed to do here then? Should I just wait until my allies discover that they have a hidden mission? How will that even happen, now that all of them are about to die?

[Asteria]: Argh! This is so cheating! Why did it have to happen like this?

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: COMPLAINING IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE DURING THE HIDDEN MISSION. ANY GUIDES THAT ARE CAUGHT COMPLAINING WILL RECEIVE A FINE OF 30 YEARS. MORE COMPLAINTS WILL NET MORE FINES.

[Asteria]: Hey! What the hell did you just say? You are fining us just for complaining? You little s**t! There is no way I can’t complain with this s***y Hidden Mission!

[Asteria]: Seriously, do you just expect me to stay quiet when this Hidden Mission has a high chance of killing my allies? Hmph, you can go and suck some-

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: GUIDE ASTERIA WILL NOW BE FINED WITH 100 YEARS OF HER LIFESPAN. THE NEXT COMPLAINT WILL NET HER 1000 YEARS.

[Asteria]: Wait, I am fined with what?

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: GUIDE ASTERIA. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE LESS THAN 1,000 YEARS OF LIFESPAN, WHICH MEANS THAT YOUR NEXT FINE WILL WARRANT YOUR DEATH.

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: IF YOU WANT TO DIE, THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO. YOUR DEATH WILL BE PROBLEMATIC FOR YOU ALLIES THOUGH, SO PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.

[Asteria]: You-

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: BUT IN ACTUALITY, I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH SEEING YOU DEAD, GUIDE ASTERIA. IN FACT, I THINK IT WILL BE BETTER IF YOU JUST DIE HERE. THAT WAY, OUR GROUP CAN GET RID OF THE WORST GUIDE EVER.

[Asteria]: Oi oi oi! That’s a f***king low blow!

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: WHO CARES IF THIS IS A LOW BLOW OR NOT. SINCE I SAID THAT I WANT YOU TO STAY POLITE, THEN YOU WILL STAY POLITE. DISOBEY THIS RULE, AND I WILL HAVE YOU REALLY DEAD. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, GUIDE ASTERIA?

[Asteria]: ...

[[NOTE TO ALL GUIDES]]: I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, GUIDE ASTERIA?

[Asteria]: Y-yes, I f**king understand.