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had
foundemperor''ssome kindhad probably asked
hadn''t could
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And then of course we''ll have our club activities
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Well, this is new, I thought to myself. Come to think of it, aside from that one night a few weeks ago I''d never really been away from Ariana in-game. Anhe and I swiftly and softly reached the smaller mountain, and I once again used my skill to see if there were any unpleasant surprises lurking.
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“were Sean I would be more disappointed because of the relationship status than because it was a boy.” she told me.
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Uh, huh...
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“could ask at the moment, and I wasn''t sure how I would answer. Maryn had wanted me to wait until Anhe was ready; was she ready now?
It''s only been a couple of days in the real world, after all, but I guess mentally it''s been nearly a week, I reflected.
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This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
really trims things (or do they...?) -- but hey. Anyhow.
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“is locked, that is,” Ariana said to me with a wry grin.
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“you also have a lockpicking skill? Wanna switch places?” I retorted softly.
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No, really? I thought to myself with a bemused look as I read it.
Uh-oh. If it gets too wild I might get disconnected, I recalled as I tried to calm myself down. With slow and steady breaths I managed to bring it down a bit, but there was still a fair bit of pressure. The door opened without a sound, and we found ourselves on a sort of balcony or parapet overlooking a great chamber.
It''s just a game, it''s just a game, it''s just a game, I reminded myself repeatedly.
--What''s the matter?? Ariana messaged me a moment later.
--Something about this statue; stay alert!
--Got it -- you okay?
--Just need a second or so
--Okay. <3
T-time limit...? I suddenly repeated to myself, looking up at the statue again. O-ohh, I bet that''s it; this thing might come alive or something if I goof up too many times or if I take too long to get the lock open... heh, haven''t had *that* kind of threat bearing down on me since I played “Sorrowdin''s” Thief-Master quest line... I mused with grim amusement, sending a warning message to Ari about the situation and my thoughts on the matter. She and the others agreed to keep their weapons at the ready, expecting anything to happen as soon as I began fiddling with the locks.
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“so easy!” I grunted with irritation as the second-to-last minute dwindled away. Sixty seconds were left on the clock.
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Escape the temple with the information on the Lángtou Cultists.
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“that easy, I''m sure,” I added, “But I bet it''s as simple as a boarded-up passage somewhere down here.”
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human settlement of any kind waiting up there.
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Meet with General Dai-Gong at Heaven''s Mountain to discuss your findings.
go to Heaven''s Mountain. Did that mean I was right, and we had inadvertently taken a quest altering side-quest? I guess we''re about to find out, I thought as I brushed the panel away.
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This is it, huh?
I guess so--now we find out the end of the quest!
Let''s hope we made the right choices!
I''m sure we have. But either way...
It was super fun, and hopefully we gave Ellie a week to remember!
Yes, that, that exactly! I smiled, and she smiled back. And then we looked ahead again, bracing ourselves as we began ascending the steps to the palace.