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A Hero Tale {Complete}

"I don't know.." Luke said to Bruce. "It's not that simple," Luke sputtered. Suddenly, a small boy wearing minimal clothing walked into sight, scanning the entirety of the wide open plain. Luke lowered his head and pulled his rifle out. "We don't know how, but if one of those kids even gets a whiff of us, those assholes can activate their secret weapon." Luke nudged Jenso and pointed up at the massive dome on top of the temple. "That thing opens up, and there's this... Crystal inside. One zap from that, and it's goodnight moon. We need to get inside without being spotted at all." The child looked around, eventually sitting in the dirt and drawing signs with his fingers.

"The worst part is, there isn't a single opening in their wall of surveillance. Which is why, as unfortunate as it may sound," Luke paused, lifted his gun, and took aim at the child, "We're gonna have to make one."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

"That's cuz it is," Luke blurted out angrily, "We've known about this place for a long time. It's occupied by some freaky tribesmen, tunnelers, just like us." Luke paused and scanned the surrounding area carefully. "they lay down tunnels that are easy to traverse, but when they met with us, they were immediately hostile. They don't have much in terms of tech, but they know some weird voo-doo magic shit... They've come into the paradise at night and stolen some of our men and women in the past. Don't know why, or when, but when we found out, we posted guards on this tunnel around the clock." Luke waited patiently, as if he knew something was coming along.

"They use their children as scouts."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

~ Chapter 95 ~

_{A Child's Scream}

Luke lead Bruce and Jenso through a tunnel that was comfortable carved, and lined with a few watchmen. The walls were lit with more torches than usual, and the floor was plated with tiling and wood platforms to make traversing the area easy enough for a child to get through. Luke seemed awfully anxious despite his confident demeanor. His breathing continued to shift erratically as he trudged on, but calmed for several minutes at a time.

They came to a large forested area, where the mountains surrounded, large enough for a miniature jungle to grow freely. At the center of the large bowl, stood a massive temple, carved into the side of a small mountain. It had a giant dome on top of it, and several large pillars lining the front wall, with a single entranceway door, that had smaller doors for people to get through. It seemed like it was meant for something much larger than a normal human.

Luke guided Jenso and Bruce through the brush quietly, demonstrating his surprising expertise in jungle subterfuge. He lead them quietly around the trees, until they were just in front of a massive clearing outside the temple steps, a large row of stairs that covered the entire width of the mountainside, and lead up to a balcony-like area at the foot of the massive door. Luke peered through the bushes and nodded. "Ok, we can talk," He whispered.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

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~ End Of Chapter 94 ~

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Luke nodded and hefted his gun higher on his shoulder, heading out of the eye with a bright smile. "Things will be different when you've got the power of the amulets Jenso, I can guarantee it!" He nodded to himself and continued towards a larger tunnel to the northeast. "You'll kill those murderous bastards without breaking a sweat!"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Luke sighed deeply and stood up, walking over to where his rifle was rested. "It's not yer fault, Jenso. It aint Lark's fault either. Poor guy sounded a lot like me, but uh... Stronger," Luke admitted, humiliated, "I don't actually hate the guy. I was just speakin' outta spite. It was all my fault, either way." Luke picked up his lightning Rifle and strapped it over his shoulder. He stretched his body for a few seconds and grunted, shaking himself into a better state.

"Nevermind all of that, we've gone one last mission. And this time, I'm coming with you- A father-son expedition, eh?" He peered around Jenso and caught the tip of Bruce's sheath in the doorway. "Bruce has to come too, of course. If anything, he's proved that he can hold his own better than any one of us Divers. You guys are like angels, y'know? Fuckin' swoopin' down with all kinds of mystical powers and stuff, hah.." Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out the small artifact guide, written by Bobba.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Luke was resting on his sofa, sprawled out with a serious hangover. He looked in Jenso's direction and snickered before closing his eyes again. "What, Booze doesn't affect Heroes like this at all?" He groaned, referring to his headache, "You guys are somethin' else."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

~ Chapter 94 ~

_{Three Men And A Mission}

Jenso and Bruce returned to Diver's paradise with little in terms of resistance. The road back was short and safe. The third temple seemed unguarded, and with only one amulet left to retrieve, their quest was almost complete. It seemed too good to be true.

Now they had to meet with Luke. He had the location of the final temple in his possession. But how would Jenso approach him? How would Bruce act when face with such conflict once again?

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Gol-Ino successfully re-attained the stray cores within his body and made a sluggish salute in Jenso and Bruce's direction. As he hobbled away into the crevices of the mountainside, he garbled something to himself under his breath.

"Squishies... Intriguing.."

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~ End Of Chapter 93 ~

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Gol-Ino rolled his transparent eyes, "Really," He gasped, "I wouldn't have gathered... The sages were a collection of humans who used an ancient blade to foresee the many futures. The Yin-Yang Katana," Gol Ino dropped the golem cores again and sighed. "The blade depicts the hundreds of trillions of possible outcomes every action can have at any point in time, but with proper age, training, and magical influence, it is possible to narrow the options down to a select few. With the Yin-Yang Katana, they were able to avert several disaster for their people." Gol-Ino bent down and began gathering his cores again.

"Satisfied? May I go?"