"Its not that bad, its just surprisingly a bit spicy in addition to its tangy taste."
Skylar swallowing the last bit of the blue apple-like fruit picked another one from the basket beside him.
The trio watching him put another one into his mouth casually gave different reactions. Shallbell broke into a wide smile, Helen shook her head buried in her work, and the expression on Seri' vaika's face turned wooden before she vanished suddenly and quietly along with her presence.
"Maybe our taste buds are fundamentally different?"
Before taking another bite of the fruit, Skylar glanced at Shabell and Helen, trying to catch their reaction to his obvious probing statement.
"Young lord, you are right. Our taste buds are clearly different... I am an angel and you are human..." Shallbell smiles at him as she speaks. Then she glanced at Helen furtively. "Maybe my lord is the only one with a different taste bud here."
Is she implying i am different or something else.
As Skylar munches the last bite of the fruit in his mouth and as his hand go for another one in the basket; Shallbell a little faster than he could, picked one of the white cherry-like fruit and placed it closer to his mouth.
"Young lord, this one too. Don't forget it."
She demands, the expression accompanying her warm smile subtly commanding compliance.
Seriously! The sour one. Skylar suppressed a frown and obediently allow her to place the fruit in his mouth as he opens it. And as the fruit lands in his mouth, natural energy gather around it wrapping it tightly, and in one gulp, he swallowed it.
"Its legal right?"
He grinned at Shallbell, showing his pearly perfect set of teeth. And in response as one of her hand undo a tangle in his wooly silver hair, she smiles at him sweetly.
"All is well, as long as the vessel absorbs it..."
"Yeah, i thought as much... Can i touch your wings?"
Skylar looked from her divine face to her brightly glowing eight pairs of angelic wings with expectation clearly written on his face.
"Not yet, young lord... Maybe very soon, i believe."
Shallbell smiled sweetly at him, her words and expression that seems to hide deep meanings brimming with confidence and certainty.
(Clang)
"!?!"
In response to Shallbell's reply that seems to have implication that is unclear only to Skylar; Seri' vaika's figure materialized as the wooden tray in her hand slipped, and the two goblets on it- one filled the other not, hit each other as they fall to the ground. Also, Helen with supressed shock written on her face, turn to look at Shallbell as her golden eyes squints.
What's with their reaction. Is touching her wings a big deal. Is it not just feathers. its not like she will conceive if i touch her. And this seri' chic ability is strangely familiar. Maybe its related to the tower. Such level of stealth...
"So, what do you need help with." Helen interrupted Skylar's thought as the holographic projection in front of her collapsed and disappeared. "Your time in the tower costs gold, if you don't know."
Upon hearing Helen's last statement, Skylar with a surprise look on his face, looked at her.
"Seriously! You people are even charging for this."
"Why shouldn't we? Do you expect us to provide you people with free accommodation after we created a safe space for you?"
Helen replied kind of jovially and irritably as she adjusted her posture on the cushion of the sun lounger, mimicking Skylar- her back leaning on it and her bare footed legs laid on it.
She is definitely angry about something. Skylar thought as he looks her.
"I want to buy a ship. A large one, very beautiful... Where can i get it?"
His voice broke the silence that emerged after Helen's strange reply.
And from beside him as he wait for a reply from Helen who has her eyes closed, Shallbell lightly gripped his arms like she wants his attention, which she gained.
"Young lord, whenever you are in the tower, you can access the market by clicking on the trade function on your interface..." Pausing briefly, she stretched her arms towards Seri' vaika who handed her a crystal glass tablet with golden edges. And giving the tablet to Skylar she continued. "Use this one my lord... It connects to the tower third floor directly..."
Helen upon hearing Shallbell's last words opened her eyes and looked to her side at them.
"Ma... Shallbell, he has not taken a floor trial for the third floor..."
"Can't we ignore that... He shouldn't have a problem reaching the third floor?"
Shallbell protested, her tone of voice, persuasive.
"No, that won't do. We have to follow the rules."
Not having it, Helen voice sounded firm and she returned her face skyward.
"Rules... I understand."
Shallbell with a smile on her face and as Skylar watch the strange unfolding thoughtfully; stretch her hand again towards Seri' vaika who has a complex look on her doll-like divine face as she stood quietly beside Shallbell, also watching.
Seri' vaika understanding Shallbell's gesture, drew out a pyramid shape object that seems to be made of gold from behind her and passed it to her.
Shallbell upon receiving the object stood up with the help of her other hand planted on the ground of golden sand, and her bountiful and voluptuous asset outlined by the folds of her garment jiggled as she did.
"Young lord, have you taken this trial before."
She asked Skylar who has his fascinated eyes fixed on the outline of her voluptuous body as she stands.
"No."
Skylar replied and he also sprang up, joining her as she tinker with the object and seeming not to mind the state of her folded garment.
"Follow me young lord."
After she was done with the tinkering, she beckoned at Skylar and starts moving towards the open space of the beach in front of them.
They are a little above Gabasile size. Skylar following behind her, has his eyes trained on her gently swaying backside.
And not long after, along with Seri' vaika that has been making faces at Skylar in front of her, they all reached a location a bit closer to the sea-size pool.
"Young lord, please move back a bit."
Shallbell requested and as Skylar heeded by walking towards Seri' vaika a few ten of meters behind them, she bent down to place the pyramid-like golden object on the golden sand of the beach.
She has been awfully quiet for a while now. His eyes on seri' vaika who has an expressionless look on her, skylar reached beside her. And as he turned around to face the same direction as her- a direction towards Shallbell, his perception suddenly picked Shallbell presence close by, beside him to be precise.
She is crazy fast and stealthy! Skylar's eyes briefly widened. And Seri' vaika beside him who caught his expression vanished as she starts giggling.
(Hum...)
About two seconds after Seri' vaika vanished; a low and deep hum that seems to come from the object in the distance reached them, and suddenly a bright golden light from the object that radiates in all direction dominates its surroundings- about a hundred and twenty meter radius of it including the figure of Skylar and Shallbell standing side by side.
"So dramatic." With eyes tightly closed, Skylar muttered.
"Young lord!"
Opening his eyes after Shallbell called; Skylar saw in front of him, a large golden structure— three flat-top pyramids with steps for thier sides stacked on one another, the one above smaller than the one below making the structure look as if it has two landings and a flat top.
Shallbell, standing about three meters tall turned to look at Skylar who is fascinated with the glimmering golden structure.
"Young lord, the goal is to reach the top. Are you up for it?"
She asked as she straightened Skylar's messy hair.
And Skylar in turn turn to look at her with a grin on his face.
"Do you think i can do it?"
"Definitely you can, young lord."
Shallbell, her face locked with his, smiled as she replied him.
"Okay then, i am off."
Skylar, receiving his confirmation did not delay a second after he smiled back at her. He turned to look at the structure a few meters in front of him, and with one step his figure appeared on the first step of the first flight of stairs like a phantom.
I don't sense anything strange going on. Skylar thought, and then with a raise of his foot, his figure appeared on the first landing of the structure.
Are they sure this thing is working. Leisurely and with slow steps, Skylar starts to climb the flight of ninety nine steps upward towards the second landing.
...
"I get it now." Skylar muttered as he stepped on the eighty eight step that leads to the second landing. "The gravitational pressure, spiritual pressure, and atmospheric pressure is gradually increasing as i climb higher."
He stepped on the ninety ninth step which is the last one for that flight of stairs.
"This is clearly a test of our fundamentals."
Now standing on the second landing, he turned around to look behind him, his eyes landing on Helen who reclined with eyes closed on the sun lounger farther in the distance.
Helen is clearly troubled with something...
Her face reminds me of a certain someone though.
Skylar halting his thought, shifted his attention to Shallbell in the distance and waves at her. And in turn she waves back at him with a faint smile.
I really want to know if she is a real angel or an administrator like Helen... Or maybe both of them are angels... Nah, that's bullshit, there is no way Helen is a real angel. She can only be an angel in the simulation if its allowed.
Smiling as he put an end to his intermission; Skylar turned around, facing the last flight of steps.
"! I am a happy boy. I follow my heart !"
"! I am a little king. I fear no one!"
Starting a folk song, he slowly climbs the steps one after the other. And the different pressures increasing rapidly as he did, did not bother him in the slightest, not to talk of slowing him down.
...
"! Stronger and faithful i return home !"
His music ending as he reached the very top of the structure, he turned around and smiled at those watching from below including Helen who has open her eyes that seemed to have regained its usual liveliness.