Solo Player Arvin

"So you are telling me that everyone out there is working so hard for a god damn bath in a pool?" Arvin asked Velma.

"It is not a literary pool… It grants you power." Velma said.

"That is a bit of a stretch… I mean come on, you seriously believe that a bath in some sort of pool will grant you the power to conquer the world… Sounds like bullshit to me." Arvin said.

"Well, it is too good to be true," Velma said.

"Or there might be another side of the story that we may not be seeing," Arvin said.

"Like what?" Velma asked.

"It is called the golden pit, right? So what the story about the sacred temple is telling the truth literally? It is called a golden pit. So diving into the pit would mean going inside it. What if the pit is some sort of water well or something in the temple wherein ancient time foxes used to grow cultivation resources?" Arvin asked.

"Why would someone grow cultivation resources in a well?" Velma asked.

"I don't know… But if that pit really contains a mountain of cultivation resources then the story would perfectly with the pit. Once you dive inside it, you will get enough resources that would help you boost your strength to another level." Arvin said.

"That makes sense," Velma said.

"Anyway, where is this sacred temple located?" Arvin asked.

"I don't know. It is said that when all the pieces of the key will be united once again the temple will reveal itself to the world." Velma said.

"So the all the pieces combine will create some sort of signboard for the direction of the temple?" Arvin asked.

"That is what the legends say," Velma said.

"Damn these legends… Cant, they just say what they want to say without twisting things according to their convenience?" Arvin said.

"Well, this is how it is…" Velma said.

Then Arvin and Velma concluded their talk and started having their dinner. While having dinner Arvin was thinking about what more information he could gather from the girls. As well as he was internally having a dilemma whether he should kill these girls or not? He didn't know whether they were of any help to him. Plus they had a piece of the key. If he acquires that then he only needed one more piece and then he would be able to get to El Dorado…

After having dinner, Arvin sat by the campfire thinking about what to do next. As he was thinking about what to do, Velma initiated a conversation…

"So what are you thinking?" Velma asked.

"Huh?" Arvin asked as his train of thought broke as Velma initiated the conversation.

"I asked what are you thinking?" Velma said.

"I am thinking about various things. Like what should I do after this? If I head towards the ascending tower then there is a good chance that I will get caught. So should I go back to the 1st or 2nd floor for the time being or should I stay hidden here on this floor…" Arvin told her his chain of thoughts.

"Well, that is a hell of complicated…." Velma said.

"That it is…" Arvin said.

"Lopt… I am sorry. Half of the things that are wrong in your life have happened because of me…" Velma said.

"Don't mention it…" Arvin said.

"So do you forgive me?" Velma asked.

"No… In fact, the only reason that you are breathing right now is because of the little girl beside you. I don't her to grow up without any loved ones. That is why you are still alive. Or otherwise, you would have died by now…" Arvin said.

"…"

"What? That is the truth…" Arvin said.

"Still I am very sorry," Velma said.

"Don't mention it…. And rather than thinking about me, think about what you would do next." Arvin said.

"Me?" Velma asked.

"Yes. You and your sister possess one of the pieces. So you will be the target of countless people. How do you plan to escape them?" Arvin asked.

"I have some contacts. They would be happy to hide me and my sister." Velma said.

"So you plan to hide?" Arvin asked.

"Yes… For now." Velma said.

"So is that temple really worth it?" Arvin asked.

"What do you mean?" Velma asked.

"I mean I can clearly see that you plan to hide the key at the cost of endangering your sister's life. So I wanted to ask whether that time is really worth it?" Arvin asked.

"For the fennec foxes that temple is worth our lives," Velma said.

"But what about your sister?" Arvin asked.

"What are you trying to say?" Velma said.

"Velma I care about Tamaria. And this is just my theory but the way that you offered me that piece on the top of that mountain in exchange for her life. That showed that you didn't care about that temple. But now rather than trading that piece to the Aurora clan for your lives you are here talking about hiding. Won't that endanger you sister? And I just can't wrap my head around why do you want to go to the temple?" Arvin said. As Arvin asked that question  Velma became silent and started deeply thinking about what he just said.

Velma was protecting the jade pieces as this was the task that her father gave him. But now his father is no more in this world. Now she was alone in this world with her little sister as her only family. Speaking with Lopt made her realized that he may be right. Her father is dead now. As for her fennec fox heritage was concerned she did not care about it.

Her fennec fox heritage made her mom an outcast. And years later her sister also became an outcast because of her heritage. So she literally has no reason to protect those jade pieces. Arvin was right. She could just hand over the jade pieces to the Aurora clan or the Grahmin and seek asylum. She could at least take care of her sister this way…

Velma then was torn between what she should do next. As she was thinking, an idea came to her. She started thinking about which person out there is stronger than the Aurora and Grahmin clan? Who is the person that can protect her but as well give her a good deal for the jade pieces? And the answer to that question was sitting right beside her right now.

"Lopt… Do you think that Bakemono will be interested in the jade pieces?" Velma asked.

"Yeah… You could say so. I mean the old lady that interrogated me said that he had some property of fennec foxes. From what I could see, she may be talking about the jade pieces… if he is in fact collecting them then there is a high chance that he might be interested… Why are you asking?" Arvin asked.

"Maybe I could sell these a jade piece to him," Velma said.

"What do you want in return?" Arvin asked.

"Protection I guess," Velma said.

"I don't think that would work," Arvin said straightforwardly.

"Why?" Velma said.

"Well based on what I know, Bakemono can cut a deal with anyone that grants him something of value. And those jade pieces are in fact valuable. But from what you have told me these jade pieces are a very risky deal. So I doubt that he would give you any protection. At best he would give you something of equal value for them." Arvin said.

"These are the pieces that uncover a rune of the age of apocalypse. How the hell is this a risky deal?" Velma asked.

"You told me all about the legend regarding the sacred temple. But you yourself are not sure that what we would find inside the temple. There is no guarantee whether you would find something useful in the temple. So there is no way in hell Bakemono will give you what you want." Arvin said.

"It seems highly unlikely. Maybe if I talk to him I can convince him…" Velma said.

"Alright think of it like this… If Bakemono agrees to give you the protection that means that The Merchant has granted you asylum. And what that means is that no power of this floor or any other floor will be able to touch you. Can you with absolute certainty say that he would find something in the sacred temple that could top that?" Arvin asked.

"....no….." Velma said.

"There you have it," Arvin said.

"Then what I am suppose to do? I don't want to give the jade piece to the Aurora clan nor to the Grahmin clan." Velma said.

"So why not get a monetary compensation for that piece?" Arvin said.

"Maybe this is would be for the best," Velma said.

"That is good. This way you would not be left empty-handed…" Arvin said.

"But there is still a problem. You cant contact Bakemono. So how am I suppose to sell this?" Velma asked.

"I may have a way," Arvin said.