“The Dove, also known as the Columba constellation, is in the southern sky. The people who controlled this world had referred to someone else and came from an ark popular to all,” the figure said. “It is a symbol of peace and purity. The dove represents hope. How are you, Red Rose?”

The voice who spoke about the symbolism of the dove drawn in the sky lingers inside my ears. My eyes wandered around, hoping to find the origin of the sound. As soon as I noticed the shape, I locked my orbs ahead of me.

“The Merchant?” I gasped, and turned around.

His narrowed lips and lizard-like face gave away the answer as I continued staring at the merchant. The cloak remained on his head, hiding his presence from me and the others. He had not grown in size or shed skin. With the scales that looked rough and solid, I knew the man was the dragonewt.

The mysterious merchant that kept me alive in this world is once again in front of me.

“Ah, I am fortunate enough for you to remember my existence,” the trader expressed.

I gave out a faint laugh and answered, “How could I when you were always there when I needed you the most.”

“I am just a mere merchant,” the dragonewt replied. “Please recollect that.”

I gave him a nod and gawked back at the vast sky. The dark yet vague glimmer from the moon bathed me with its moonlight. No birds or any other creatures disrupted my thoughts as I remained calm and collected from my seat.

The wandering trader trundled in my direction and sat beside me, with his head still inclined to the ground. We abided by the silence filling our air. He slowly stretched his cloak and revealed a scroll clipped from the sides.

“I can buy your things to repay you!” I croaked.

I earned a bounty after completing the quest from the obelisk. It was the mission to kill the king and kidnap his family. These two were running around my palm without noticing my schemes. The platinum that I had was more than enough to buy an entire kingdom.

But money was my second priority.

I wanted to repay the travelling vendor with all the coins I have for kindness’ sake. I could give the merchant half the sum from what I had earned, or even all of it if I must without having in return. If the trader wished to give something back, I would gladly take what I can receive.

A soft hum came out from his lips, pondering from the words I stated. The trader rested his chin on his finger and toyed with the scaled crunching his fingernails.

After a few moments, the dragonewt turned to me and broadened his eyes. He had a deal in mind that I cannot wait to know.

“For half a billion gold coins, would you like to trade with me?” The merchant said, and grinned at my baffled face.

He morphed his eyes like a sphere resembling the shape of money. I kept my calm and listened to his every word. My word was my bond, so I shook my head up and down, agreeing to his offer.

“What are you going to provide?” I asked.

Curiosity rose from my head and stroked the slumbering excitement inside of me. My hands twitched for a complete minute, as I could not control myself from what was coming out of his lips.

The trader stared at me with his stern eyes and revealed his cloak. Much to my surprise, I saw nothing attached to his fine clothes except for an ancient scroll rolled like a tire coming from a carriage.

“As you can see, I only have this scroll as my present,” the dragonewt confessed.

He took the coiled sheet out from his patch and showed it to me. It had an otherworldly seal that represented something modern, yet recognisable in my eyes. The grey lock stood out from the designs, paired with the unique metal found nowhere from this world.

The more I stared at the item; I yearned to know it all.

“This scroll will only open to the wearer and will rip itself into pieces once an intruder grasps this item. I know the content of this unfinished scroll, and I plan on explaining the rest of the information to you, if you wish to purchase it,” the dragonewt explained.

“I will take it,” I ejaculated.

Without a hint of doubt, I bent my head and summoned my screen. My system heeded my call and projected the monitor, presenting the status information and the money I have in my account.

I waved my hands and offered an invitation to the merchant for the trade. I knew nothing about these options, but somehow, my system allowed me to control and learn such things. These were features of this game.

The merchant enlarged his eyes upon seeing the gold coins. He glanced in my direction and observed me for a while before averting his gaze back at the money. If he knew about the quest to kill the king, which was spurring a war against races, the merchant would uncomplicatedly realise I was the one behind the havoc.

However, the dragonewt did nothing to expose me. Instead, the dealer walked up and pressed the button, accepting my trade.

The system filled our eyes with glistening sparks that materialised between us. An azure link of some sort appeared in the middle and transferred half of my wealth. This event happened for a complete minute before the radiance had finally died out.

Coins clinking against each other resonated through the garden. As I searched for the sudden audio, there was nothing there to greet me but the trader still standing at my fore.

I gazed at my screen and watched the numbers disappear into the merchant. A crackling laugh fled from his lips as he looked at me in the eyes. He removed his cloak, shielding his head as the broker met my look.

“Thank you for your patronage, Red Rose. I am pleased to do business with you,” the merchant pronounced.

My eyes stared at his figure, still enveloped with awe after witnessing the event. The scroll from before hovered in the air and perched at my waiting hands. A warm sensation surged from the manuscript, as if waiting for me to open the item.

The merchant gave me a nod, permitting me to use the rolled paper. I returned his shake and shifted my focus to the scroll resting on my palm.

Before I could ask for the key from the merchant, an arcanic figure popped in front of me, telling me to use the object.

However, that was not the end of it all. This occurrence also notified my system, as it sent me tons of warning signals all over my head. But after a thorough scan, the automated voice inside my head claimed the magic as an unknown key.

The smouldering object fitted perfectly at the holes coming from the lock. I seized the piece and shoved it at the bolt. Within a second, I heard something that alerted me. A clanging sound reverberated from the scroll, telling me that the key unlocked the bolt.

Pixelated particles filled the rolled paper nestled in my hands. After a few seconds, the scroll disappeared from my sight, but the system kept the data inside my head.

Zillions of information surged through my brain as I learned all of them in a flash. The tiniest details that left me puzzled gave me all the answers that I needed to know.

The text that I had absorbed was the secret content of the game. I flicked through the pages and read the following words that took shape inside the translucent boxes. Its content was all about finishing the Code and rewarding the player with something apart from this world.

That mysterious thing was what I desired the most. It was a chance for me to walk outside of this world and meet with the game developer. It was the gleam of hope that I had been waiting for all my life, even if it was the least that I can do.

My hands quivered every time I remember that hellish day I lost my life and my sister, Clementine, who died from their monster horde. I cannot stress enough how much I bear my hatred for this game and the one who created this place.

It was more than a cage trapping me here, with the rest of these puppets obeying their orders.

I brushed my thoughts aside and continued reading the classified information.

It involved the four primary species that governed the lands and the obelisks it contained.

The pillars from each kingdom represented the entire world. These statues made by the game developers gave quests and rewards to players after accomplishing such tasks. It also served as a transportation device to send players in and out of the game.

Each obelisk had a resin attached to a wearer that controlled the specific area. These resins symbolised the ruler of each kingdom and the monuments.. Once the piece of resin detaches itself from the wearer, that creature will die, regardless of its strength or levels.