He was a little afraid, but he couldn't let it show. He was the first to cross the threshold. He felt as if he were diving into water. He opened his eyes only when he felt different air. It was definitely fresher than the air in his world. The light of day blinded him when he tried to look at the nature surrounding him. Trees as tall and wide as skyscrapers let the sun's rays through their branches. The path in the grass was barely visible. Still, it stood out from the crowd of wild plants. He sniffed a nearby bush. The flowers were completely different from those on Earth. The petals changed color depending on the distance from nearby creatures. When a human was close, they gave off a nasty smell, but when a bee flew by, the stench turned into a wonderful fragrance.

  "Everything okay?" His companion was standing right behind him. She immediately noticed the change in his attitude. He couldn't contain his excitement about exploring a new world. "What's wrong?"

  "I've been here before." He crossed his arms. Lying came as easy as pie to him now.

  "That's just like you!" She smiled. "I should have guessed. After all, you've explored countless worlds." The boy just nodded and then walked along the path.

  "It's the other way." She pointed behind him.

  "Yes." He turned around with a stony face.

  They walked for a good few minutes. Fortunately, the portal had taken them to a correct place. Calculation errors were common, and a longer journey was necessary. They saw a hut that seemed to be submerged in nature. Half of it was in a tree, and the other half was under a hill. It would have been difficult to notice the building if it weren't for the window frames made of light birch wood. All around was a beautiful meadow full of all kinds of flowers.

  They were all arranged by color and formed beautiful patterns. The fruit trees could provide food for the whole year. Apostle approached a peculiarly bent apple tree. As he tried to pick a fruit, something hit him in the knee. A little lamb rang its golden collar. It watched the intruders with its harmless eyes.

  "How cute!"he exclaimed."What do you think it's doing here?"

  "Probably protecting the fruit from thieves,"she guessed."

  "I doubt anyone would be scared of it," he said, petting the animal. After playing for a while, they decided to approach the door. It was slightly overgrown, but not from neglect, more from unity with nature. After knocking, they heard prolonged sobbing. It took the host a long time to open the house. The silver-haired woman's eyes were red from crying. She blew her nose into a green handkerchief. Seeing the guests, her face contorted in anger.

  "Hello, Vacti,"he greeted her.

  "I'm not Vacti," she hissed. "My sister isn't called that either." Apostle looked embarrassed. Since they were identical, he had to guess a name. He didn't expect her to choose one that didn't exist.

  For some reason, she doesn't like me very much. She thanked me recently...

  Her unpleasant attitude bothered him.

  "Is something wrong?" he finally asked.

  "What happened?!" she snapped."My sister left me. Because of you!"She started crying again.

  "First of all, I literally did nothing. Second..." He had to explain quickly, because he had no plans to end up with a criminal record."You wanted it yourself!"

  "No... Yes... I don't know anymore!" She hugged Lestera. Perhaps the presence of another woman reminded her of Vecti. They had to wait patiently for her to finish sobbing.

  "That is indeed unfortunate... I hope you find her someday." Apostle of Destruction did not show much empathy. After all, his future life was hanging by a thread. "Now you have to come back to our office, where a sad man will interrogate you."

  "I don't want to!" She wiped her eyes. "Maybe I'll go if you help me find my sister." She suggested.

  "Please! If you don't come, I'll go to jail." Hearing this, Victi's face changed beyond recognition. The dismissive smile she gave the boy sent a clear message.

  "I'm not the best at negotiating."

  "They're both on the document anyway." Lesteria took the piece of paper out of her pocket.

  "Fine..." He sighed heavily. "Where did she go?"

  "I have no idea." The race against time began. The fairy could be anywhere, and they only had 24 hours. They started their search in the nearby forest. The place was huge, and the work was tedious. They had been at it nonstop for five hours. Victi asked the forest animals for help, but it wasn't much help.

  "We're not even close..." The fairy sat down on a rock. Her telepathic connection only worked within a certain distance. If they were close, she would surely know. She stared into the distance as if trying to see the desired location.

  "Has she ever run away from home?" Apostle was crouching down, searching the bushes.

  "No. We've never been apart." She replied sadly.

  "In that case, I think she went to a place you haven't been to yet," he shared his idea. The fairy froze in thought.

  "We always wanted to go to the nearby village, but we couldn't."

  "Why?"

  "The sorcerer's castle." She trembled with fear. "If she were to go towards the town, she would have to pass this place."

  "So we can conclude that the sorcerer kidnapped her." Lesteria had just returned from her part of the search. "What are we waiting for? Let's go rescue her."

  "I don't know if that's a good idea..." Victi thought for a moment. "We don't even have proof that she's there. The sorcerer is powerful..." She fluttered her butterfly wings nervously.

  "Have you forgotten that we have the Destroyer of Worlds with us!" Lesteria smiled from ear to ear.

  "Indeed..." The fairy had already forgotten about the Apostle's power. With him, they could easily rescue her sister, or at least find out where she was.

  I'm already dead...

  Nature seemed to disappear, replaced by dark soot. Barren earth formed hills that became the foundation for a gloomy fortress. The castle was built of dark stone, and its towers reached up into the thick clouds. The air seemed darker, and the landscape seemed gloomier. Around the structure was a moat filled with hot lava that lit up everything around it. The Apostle of Destruction struggled to hide his fear. The place looked like the hideout of the greatest villain. To his surprise, the pink-haired girl didn't seem to care.

  He had seen castles like this before. She took a pink ball out of her pocket, which immediately turned into her favorite shotgun. The boy just nodded, each step becoming more and more difficult for him. They entered a swaying bridge, which was the only way across the fiery lake. The fairy could easily fly over the mountain, but the others were not so lucky. One wrong move and they would end up in hot lava. Apostle gritted his teeth. He decided not to look down.

  "I think we're looking for her in vain..." Halfway across, his legs were shaking like aspen trees. He desperately searched for an excuse to take to his heels.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "I can feel it!" Hearing Victi's words, he knew there was no turning back. "She's here." Their telepathy was disrupted by the castle walls. Despite everything, she knew her sister was inside.

  When they reached solid ground, the boy lay down on the ground. Lesteria looked at him questioningly, then did the same. Apparently, she thought it was some kind of meditation. In a way, she was right, because he was trying to calm his nerves. A huge gate stood before them. The steel grate could only be raised at the sorcerer's command.

  "Will you take care of it, assistant?" He looked at his companion imploringly. She just looked sad and looked away.

  "Unfortunately, it's too strong for me in this form" She turned toward the castle. "Even its aura alone terrifies me."

  "Aura?" He frowned.

  "Typical you!" She smiled. "Even such a powerful opponent is nothing to you."

  I guess this is the end for me...

  He was afraid that he would not be able to deceive the sorcerer. However, pressure from his companions forced him to push forward. He swallowed hard when he saw the huge gates. After all, he was the Destroyer of Worlds, one of the leaders of Sphinxphere. He had to face the villain. He stood right next to the wall.

  "Unfortunately, it won't open... We can go back..." He turned around, and a creaking sound came from behind him. The bars were rising. He watched them as the entrance opened. The host invited him inside.

  The interior of the castle was even more terrifying than crossing the bridge. He walked forward, passing dozens of turns. It seemed that something was lurking around every corner. Terrifying sounds and rustles reached his ears. Fortunately, things brightened up a bit when he reached the first stop. The corridor widened, and in front of him, inscriptions in a foreign language were engraved on the floor. The runes seemed to glow with a faint light. He realized that this must be some kind of test. He touched the ground slightly and felt as if an electric current had passed through his entire body.

  "Traps?" He sighed. "Perhaps it was a riddle."

  Unfortunately, he couldn't play along because he didn't know the language. He couldn't go back either. His assistant was counting on him. The only option was a foolish leap of faith. Maybe it would kill him, maybe not. Sweat ran down his forehead. He didn't expect to have to risk his life in such a stupid way. He closed his eyes and took a small step. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was alive.

  "Probably just decorations." He concluded, stepping into the shadows.

  Finally, he saw his opponent. The sorcerer Asterlay sat on his impressive throne. The seat seemed to be flowing lava. It was interesting whether it was an optical illusion or not. He had goat horns on his head, which grew out of his dark hair combed back. His robes were dark, but inside they were red. The man must have liked these colors very much, because the whole room was decorated in this way. Despite everything, the Apostle noticed a vase of flowers, which did not fit in with the decor. The red eyes of the lord of the castle met the boy's gaze. He sincerely envied him for not having to wear contact lenses. The stare-down lasted only a moment, and the silence was broken by the Apostle of Destruction. All the way there, he had been thinking about what to say to his enemy.

  "We meet again." He scratched his red hair. He tried to look bored, because arrogance is the domain of the strong. The plan was simple. He would tell the sorcerer that he recognized him. The man would feel stupid to say that they didn't know each other and would also pretend to know him. In such a situation, the false acquaintances would resolve the situation peacefully.

  "I don't know you,"he replied with a straight face.

  Damn it!

  "We met here a thousand years ago." He didn't give up. A distant flashback might prove beneficial. Since the alleged meeting took place so long ago, he would surely believe in their acquaintance. Even if he didn't remember it.

  "I'm a little over a hundred years old" he replied, surprised.

  Im dead...

  "You probably knew my father." We look quite alike. Despite his ominous appearance, he seemed nice. "Unfortunately, he died ten years ago. I'm sorry." He rose from his throne.

  "..." Apostle should get an Oscar for his wonderful performance. His face contorted in pain. He imagined all the happy moments he had not experienced with the sorcerer's father. Now his friend was dead.

  "How did he die?" He dramatically held back his tears.

  "The Eltreigi killed him." Asterlay took a dark signet ring out of his pocket. He stared at the object sadly."This is all that's left of him."

  "I told him not to fight them!" Apostole of Destruction fell to his knees, not knowing what these creatures even were."Fool!"

  "That's how it goes." Sorcerer approached the mourner. He offered him his hand."I can see you are a friend of my father's. You passed the trial unscathed."He smiled.

  "Of course."

  What trial?

  "The runes on the floor are incredibly powerful. Theoretically, they would be able to defeat a person posing a threat of "S"rank entity. Even if they are only a replica and do not work, it is enough to read them, and any weakling would know that his soul would burn..."

  The Apostle swallowed hard. He was glad that he had no idea what those writings meant.

  "You passed through them without much thought. You must be powerful. What is your name?"

  "Apostle of Destruction." He introduced himself.

  "Mag of lava, Asterlay." He thought about something for a moment. "How can I help you?"

  "I'm looking for a silver-haired fairy."

  "You mean my fiancée?" Sorcerer raised his eyebrows.

  Fiancée!?

  The room was dark, and the only light came from the fireplace. Everyone was sitting at the table. The sisters had already hugged each other and were now sitting opposite each other. Victi was cuddling up to her chosen one, and the other twin didn't know what to say. The others didn't know how to behave either.

  "How did you meet?"Vecti asked shyly.

  "When I ran away from home, I was walking through a meadow. Then I saw Aster picking my favorite lilies."She patted him on the shoulder. "They say such terrible things about him, but he has a big heart. He's very sensitive."

  "That's not true... I was just studying nature..."Powerful sorcerer blushed.

  "I approached him. He has horns like our lamb, doesn't he?" She grabbed them and showed them to her sister. "It turned out that we have a lot in common and..." She looked her sister straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

  "No, I'm sorry. We're identical, we have similar names, we have a bond, but we can't always be together." She smiled grimly. Then they hugged each other tightly again.

  "I can help you with one of those things,"offered the Apostle of Destruction. He decided to do his first job properly.

  The next morning, the doorbell rang. A gloomy man kept glancing at his watch. He was supposed to be here at exactly the same time, but he was a little late. It was difficult to get here because cars were prohibited. He didn't have to wait long, as a young assistant with pink hair opened the door. She was wearing a gray skirt and a suit shirt. Apparently, they wanted to make a good second impression. Connor had seen situations like this before, so he didn't even blink.

  "Mr. Connor." He was greeted by a boy named Apostle of Destruction. This time he was wearing a burgundy jacket that matched his contact lenses and hair. "Please come into the office."

  He opened the door to a cozy room. The wallpaper depicting galloping horses added a sense of space. However, it was the center of the room that caught his attention. Three unusual guests were standing right next to the tabletop. Without a word, he sat down in a giant armchair. A document lay in front of him.

  "Mrs. Vecti and Victi..." He looked at the two silver-haired women. One had her hair tied in a huge braid that reached her hips. The other had short, curly hair that reached her shoulders. However, it was not this that surprised the man, but their pointed ears and butterfly wings. He shrugged. Apparently, cosplayers were becoming more and more talented. For example, he could have sworn that the horns on the man's head were real.

  "And you?" he asked, confused. The women's dresses were unusual, but acceptable within social norms. However, the dark robes of the sorcerer bordered on the absurd.

  "Magus of Lava, Asterlay." He shook hands with the official. He was firmly convinced that the person sitting in front of him was also a wizard. Connor's attitude and demeanor alone were impressive. He was sure they could organize a pretty good spell duel.

  "Did you pay for services at the Sphinxphere office?" He began the interrogation.

  "No" they replied.

  "Did you gain anything from the meeting?"

  "We learned that being different isn't bad." Victi fixed her new short hair.

  "Even if our paths diverge, we will still be sisters." The other one continued.

  "Always." They shook hands.

  The official sighed and got up from his seat. He asked the owner of the establishment to talk in private. The apostle was smiling from ear to ear. Despite this, his happiness evaporated immediately. Connor fined him five thousand for not registering his business. The boy fell to the ground in despair when the man left. Sounds of joy came from the office. Lesteria celebrated with the others the saving of the business. After a moment, Asterlay approached him. He took a black signet ring out of his pocket. Up close, you could see small streams of lava flowing over the bizarre material. He handed it to the Apostle.

  "You'll need it more." The mage seemed certain of his decision. "You were my father's friend. Now you're mine. It was his ring." The boy had helped the sorcerer greatly. Until now, his fiancée had seemed troubled by something. Now she was finally completely happy. The Apostle of Destruction's eyes widened. It was the first time anyone had called him a friend so directly. Even though his whole persona was a pile of lies, it made him happy. Unfortunately, now he was tormented only by the bill for five thousand.

  Selling it to a pawn shop was out of the question...

  He put on the ring. It suited his style quite well. Seeing his satisfaction, Asterlay began to speak.

  "Only an experienced mage can use it. You will certainly be able to use its maximum potential right away." He lowered his gaze. "Every weapon will be worth its weight in gold to you..."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Sphinxphere is an offshoot of the Executors. They are currently waging a great interworld war. Who knows when they might need another World Destroyer. You will be worth your weight in gold to them. To be honest, I envy you. You will fight alongside legends such as Abbysal, Crowler, and Diablo... Even so, I wouldn't survive ten minutes in Risengard."

  What the hell is he talking about?