The reality Cole averted slapped him across his face.
It was a strong possibility; the deity he made a contract with was responsible for everything that has and will go wrong in his life. The way she described the "venerable" made it sound like he wasn't going to survive, but her expression said otherwise.
Before him was a long road occupied by a vast desert. The sand blew from all angles, making the path difficult to see.
Cole simply wore his glasses and carried on; something so small couldn't bother him.
The path he was traveling on was practically abandoned since the construction of the main bridge, then again the powerful sandstorms made it quite hazardous. It was the shortest route to the next city but also the most dangerous.
However, Cole had long since been acquainted with danger.
The dust particles climbed his clothes and hair as he walked; the heavy breeze was ferocious but couldn't push Cole back an inch. Though he did find the constant loud howling quite annoying.
His destination was Sant Flores, the city of tradition and culture!
According to the deity, the venerable was somewhere deep in the city's heart. On a normal basis, if Cole heard such, he'd laugh it off as brain rot, but after all he'd been through, this much was nothing special.
Cole arrived at a spot where the lake was covered in a large fish net, separating the previous city from Sant Flores. Across it was a wide fence-like wall; everything else was obscured by the sand.
With gracious steps, Cole walked across the lake. Arriving at the front of the large fence he moved toward the gate a few meters from his right. Since it was unguarded, he walked in.
Instantly, he was hit by the scent of fresh herbs and spices.
Cole took off his glasses to properly appreciate the structures. From the rural homes made of copper and bricks, to the street sellers sitting on mats as they demonstrated their products, everything about the place was pleasant to the soul.
Not to mention, Sant Flores was calm despite the crazy dust storm just a step out the gate.
'The sets must have been a revolutionary breakthrough when they were invented.'
The warm, scorching sun that sizzled the ground didn't bother him either, unlike the citizens who seemed to be on the verge of dying from dehydration.
'It's not really disturbing to me, but...' Cole's eyes surveyed the area's condition. 'Why is it so hot at this time? Don't the Red caps here follow the same season schedule?'
'Doesn't matter, it's probably just a bug. I hope they fix it soon.'
From the entrance, Cole went deeper into the city. He'd only been there 1 or 2 times for work purposes, because of how strict his employers were, Cole didn't really have the privilege of sightseeing.
Even today, he was here on an important task, still, it was nice to see more of the city than he did previously.
The clothes were hung at the top corner of building tops like lamps, which dripped water on the streets.
Cole saw an elderly woman grinding herbs with a small pistol and decided to ask her for directions. He second-guessed a bit because of his last interaction with an old woman.
In the end, he calmed his nerves, straightened his face, and walked towards her tent.
"Good day, ma'am!" He greeted with a warm, friendly smile.
The old woman responded with equal positivity.
"Forgive me for taking some of your time," he spoke sweetly with a tone of respect, "but do you know where the Sail Aden Shrine is?"
The old woman furrowed with a steep voice, "Who's asking?"
'The hell?!' Cole exclaimed.
Her sudden change in demeanor left his nerves tingling, his teeth chattered within his cheeks as his gaze weakened; he couldn't help but take a few steps back.
Cole parted his lips, trying to utter a reply, "I...I'm...I'm...an...indul...ger," he spoke faintly.
"From?" The woman asked, giving him a strange yet ominous look.
Cole's mind flashed with different ideas, trying to formulate a decent lie. Something told him if he uttered a single wrong word, death was certain.
"E...eerie go...the...l," Cole clenched his shirt like he would rip it as he spoke.
The place felt heated, but not because of the sun's rays; somehow, the air was thick to breathe, and the woman exuded a dense aura.
"Name?" She asked with a firm tone.
"Sni..der?" Cole curved his lips as he spoke.
The old woman pressed her fingers together, "Your Snider? Wow, I've heard so much about you!" Her voice eased back.
'Oh, thank goodness,' Cole was washed by a sense of relief.
"Yes, ma'am, by the way, I'm sort of in a hurry," he quickly answered.
"Oh, do forgive my insensitivity," she responded warmly.
The old woman scooped out a portion of herbs from the small mortar, "Have a taste, son."
'I should probably tell her no.'
"Yes, ma'am," he obeyed.
Cole tasted the green paste and found it delightfully sweet.
He grinned with a satisfied look, "It's delicious, ma'am."
The old woman pointed in the opposite direction, further into the city, near the memorial. Cole gave her a confused look, but she turned towards her herbs and continued grinding.
'Oh well, no point trying to drag this out any longer. My head's still attached after all,' he scratched his head in frustration.
Cole went towards the memorial, and as he got deeper, the amount of people gradually reduced abnormally. Not just the people, but the overall vibe of the area.
The screeching birds sounded amplified and somewhat similar to a crying baby, the sun dimmed considerably, and Cole's footsteps became louder with each step. Even the shadows cast by objects were larger, and the buildings seemed to zoom in contrast to each other.
BADUMP!
Cole felt his body grow heavier, and his sight thinner; eventually, he tripped and gripped onto the grains of sand on the ground. The screeching of ravens increased until it became all he heard as hundreds flew in circles around his body.
And then...he heard nothing but a high-pitched ringing, accompanied by a dead silence.
Cole's vision was black, but when he felt his body reverting back to its normal weight, he opened his eyes and raised his head.
At first, a blur was all he could gaze, but as the hazy view cleared, he was flabbergasted.
'Well, this is surprising...'
Cherry blossom petals danced in flocks as the harmonious breeze whistled at the peak of a tall mountain surrounded by angelic mist.
"I really hope I get used to this soon," Cole shivered where he laid.
He was on a long flight of stairs that led to a temple-like place above.
Cole managed to force himself up, after which he went towards the stairs' side to have a better glance of the overall topography. Apart from white mist, a long, cylindrical object stood steadily in the distance.
Due to the large gap, Cole couldn't decipher what it was, but regardless, that didn't matter. His goal remained the same, and that was the venerable.
"All I have to do is reach the top? Is it really that easy?"
Cole recollected some of the deity's words.
"It's not really describable; you have to see it yourself," she explained.
"Oh? But will it be difficult?"
"Not difficult, per se, however it's more of...you either succeed or die."
"That's nothing special to me."
"And if you die, you get sent to a torture dimension worse than hell."
Cole was too stunned to answer back.
"The venerable is a 'purity,' and humans are naturally born impure. Either you get attacked by its guardians, die from its rejection, or make a mistake trying to acquire it, you'll die," she spoke in a threatening tone.
"If you do acquire it but touch it the wrong way, you die; if you interact with it wrong, you die; if you speak to it wrong, you die; if you look at it wrong, you die - that is, if you survive the guardians, which I highly doubt you will," she concluded.
"So I have no chance?" Cole narrowed his eyes with twitching lips.
"You are my MC, and I am your plot armor. You will succeed, but I can't guarantee just how and when."
Cole chuckled, "Alright then, I'll leave everything to you."
"I don't recommend you do that, but you'll see what I mean soon enough," she giggled.
Cole returned to the present and shook his head.
"This is no time for reminiscing. Do the job like always."
Cole clenched his fist as he gritted his teeth and climbed the stairs.
'Keep looking forward as always.'
"AAAAAAAAAAH!" A loud cry echoed like a bomb went off.
Cole froze.
From below the mist, he heard constant loud bashing and scratching. When he turned back to catch a glimpse, a flower-like face as big as a war ship, shining a wide grin and malevolent eyes, dug its head out.
As it dug out its hand from beneath the mist, its length far superseded where Cole stood, despite the distance from the depth, though it didn't reach the temple above. From Cole's perspective, its hands were the length of 2 skyscrapers.
And from the continuous loud banging, more were on their way.