"Now then, this little girl doesn't belong in a place like this. She's far too young to be a prisoner. Heh... heh... heh..." The old man chuckled softly, "I have one more favor to ask of you.Please take her with you to the outside world. She belongs there. She should be living in the Earth Realm, pursuing a brighter destiny. I would be deeply grateful if you could do this for me."
"Ah, Oldman, we're not exactly going on a sightseeing trip," Akane groaned, "And now you want us to take a little kid with us? What if something happens to her? What are we supposed to do then?"
"Excuse me Sir," Fatheema said gently, "I don't even know whether I'll survive this place myself. Wouldn't it be dangerous for her to travel with us? I'm afraid I won't be able to protect her if we run into danger."
"I'm asking you to help this child because she can protect herself. Do not worry. Whatever happens to her is part of the path she is meant to walk. It is the will of Gusti Allah. If you perform a good deed, you will never truly lose anything. Any act done with sincere and pure intentions will never be ignored by the Most Merciful. By helping her, Gusti Allah will also help you and make your own path easier. Remember, What brings no benefit to the beehive brings no benefit to the bees." Duratara patiently tried to persuade them.
"Fatheema. Didn't you say you were going to rescue your friends? Then what difference is there between saving your friends and saving this little girl?She also deserves to be rescued. She deserves a better life."
Fatheema lowered her head and remained silent for a moment. Finally, she nodded, "All right, sir. I'll do my best to bring her safely home. But I still don't understand something. Where exactly is this enormous cave? You keep talking about the Earth Realm.Doesn't that mean this isn't Earth?"
"Heh... heh... heh... You still haven't realized it, have you?" Duratara laughed. "You are in another world. A forgotten world, A discarded world. An empty world... A place known as the Oblivion World. Those who arrive here are the forgotten... and the castaways."
"The Oblivion World? So not everyone here comes from Earth?"
"Exactly. Haven't you already encountered countless creatures that don't belong to your world? Including the narrow-eyed girl traveling with you." Duratara pointed toward Akane.
"You mean...Akane isn't from Earth? Then where is she from?" Fatheema asked, even more bewildered.
"Ask her yourself. Heh... heh... heh..." The old man chuckled again.
Hearing herself become the topic of conversation, Akane pouted. She twisted her mouth from side to side in annoyance.
"Do you know how to leave this place and return to Earth?"
"I'm not entirely certain. But the one who brought you here certainly knows. She must has her own method." Duratara paused briefly. "You will discover the way from the very person who brought you here. Remember this. Every person who has done wrong still deserves the chance to change and make amends.Do not let hatred or vengeance consume your heart. If possible, guide even your enemy toward the path of goodness. Holding onto hatred is like gripping a burning coal with the intention of throwing it at someone else.In the end...It is your own hand that gets burned."
"Now then...Nyx Merry. It's time for you to leave this miserable prison. I hope you find a happier life out there." Duratara sighed deeply. Sadness filled his face.
"Grandpa... Thank you. Thank you for taking care of me all this time. And for protecting me while I was here." The little girl bowed respectfully.
"Fatheema. My kind little girl. I wish I could help you more. I truly do. But there is one thing I can give you." The old man reached into his robe and produced a small dagger with an L-shaped handle—a traditional weapon known as a badik.
"I give you this Semar Pointing Badik. It is destined to belong to you. May it serve you well on your journey." He extended the dagger toward her.
Its wooden handle and sheath were carved from yellow wood. It was a remarkably plain weapon. There were no elaborate engravings. Only a single black ring-like mark encircled the handle, while a small green bead decorated the base of the hilt.
Fatheema accepted the dagger and carefully placed it inside her backpack. "Then I'll be going now, Mr. Duratara. I need to continue searching for my friends."
Duratara nodded.
Fatheema and the others left Cell Number Seven. As she stepped outside, a voice suddenly echoed inside her mind. No one else heard it.
"The Semar Pointing Badik may have a blade only ten centimeters long, yet it can cut as far as one meter."
"Its name reflects its nature."
"Semar means indistinct, elusive."
"It points far when the true target is near."
"It points near when the true target is far."
"Its path cannot be predicted."
"Your enemies will never understand its true reach."
"They will be deceived by its strike."
"It also possesses a consciousness of its own."
"Very well. I can send you directly to the Demonic Laboratory through one of my portal gates. I wish you success." The Prison Maiden pressed her palm against the prison's stone wall. Ancient symbols resembling cuneiform rapidly appeared across the surface. Moments later, a glowing portal opened within the wall.
The three of them stepped through. Their next destination was the Demonic Laboratory. According to the Prison Maiden, the map they needed to reach the Dead Star Tower was kept there. The moment they emerged from the portal, they found themselves inside an enormous chamber.
The floor, walls, and ceiling were all constructed from polished white marble.
Brilliant white crystals embedded overhead bathed the entire room in bright light. Along the left side stood rows of worktables.
Dozens of glass tubes and flasks of varying sizes contained liquids of many different colors. An assortment of surgical instruments lay neatly arranged. Scissors, Small knives, Large butcher blades, Handsaws, Medium saws, Even chainsaws.
But what truly sent chills down their spines was the right side of the laboratory. Large transparent cylinders stood in orderly rows. Inside each floated preserved specimens suspended in yellowish liquid. Humanoid creatures with bizarre animal heads.
Strange beasts, Dwarfish humanoids.
Detached limbs and organs from unknown creatures. Thick hoses connected the tops of the cylinders to massive pipes running along the ceiling. At the far end of the chamber stood a large control console covered with buttons and levers. The entire place resembled a research laboratory dedicated to grotesque experiments on living anatomy.
"My God... How horrifying. What happened in this place? What are they trying to create with all these specimens?" Akane stood frozen in shock.
"Akane... What kind of place is this? What do we do now?" Fatheema asked, equally stunned, "They're performing experiments on living creatures. They're trying to create weapons... Or perhaps something even worse...
"They're using living beings as test subjects."
Akane growled in anger as she surveyed the horrific laboratory. Carefully, she inspected every corner of the room. Then she pointed toward a door at the far end. "Come on. Let's check the next room."
Just as they were about to approach the door,
It suddenly began to open from the other side.
***