The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

The next day Rep and Zalan made their way toward Madam Hikma's building to ask for her advice on finding Zalan another Elemental. Restless, frowning sleep had done Zalan no favors. If anything, it exacerbated his worries.

As Zalan walked through the city, a looming dread fell over his heart. He wondered how fast Morloch would travel and kill off Elementals. Would he try to destroy Oriton in search of Rep and Zalan? Zalan witnessed how fast he could move when he used his Elemental Air at full power. He caught up to Rep and Zalan even after they used the Belt of Bolt. It felt like an existential threat to both him and the people of the realm.

They got up early enough that they were able to get to the front of the forming line ahead of Madam Hikma's place. Zalan wondered how this line continued to be so long day after day. There was never a lack of people looking for sincere advice. He wondered how many would still be around if they knew about the Guidance Gem in Madam Hikma's eye. Would they call her a fraud, or would they see her as someone sacrificing themselves for the good of others? Zalan, himself, didn't have a good answer to how he felt about it. But he was leaning towards her not being a fraud.

Rep seemed to read the stress on Zalan's face and smiled at him.

"Madam Hikma has always been able to guide us. Even if it has led to difficulties, we have never been truly lost," Rep said.

Evidently he was trying to assuage Zalan's concerns about not being able to find an Elemental. His answer was vague enough that even if there weren't any Elementals left, he would say the same thing. Somehow, even after analyzing the words said, they still made Zalan feel better. His body relaxed as they stood waiting to be called forward by Madam Hikma's assistant, Sholou. His stiffness and impatient fidgets were quelled for the moment. Not that the serenity lasted long.

It took only a few short minutes, but Zalan was bobbing up and down by the time they were at the front of the line. Every second he was left to his thoughts brought up several different ideas and anxieties of what might go wrong in the future. Rep tried to calm him down with kind and comforting words, but he could only say so many unique assuasions. Zalan was starting to tune him out.

"Madam Hikma is ready to see you," Sholou peeked her head out of the door. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Rep! It is always a pleasure to see you! And… Zalan."

Zalan could see the energy she expended not to glare at him. Zalan remembered that he had terrified her in a fit of rage in the past, threatening to burn down Madam Hikma's building when Sholou was still inside. He didn't blame her for not forgiving him, even if it had been at least a few weeks. He had given her no indication that he had changed since. And while he wanted to apologize, a pit in his heart made him feel he didn't deserve forgiveness.

They were led within and allowed into Madam Hikma's chambers. When they entered, Zalan immediately went about scrutinizing the weathered woman's face. She had one eye closed, looking as though she was worn from the few pieces of advice she had delivered that morning. Zalan couldn't remember which eye was supposed to be the Artifact and openly stared at her uncovered eye. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he couldn't be certain.

The more he analyzed her face, the more he started to see little things he didn't notice before. She looked different than the memory stored in his head. He was almost certain there were more wrinkles at that moment than the first time they'd met. Her smile was waning in fatigue and her body seemed stiffer than before. He couldn't shake the idea now that Rep had entered it into his mind. She was aging at an alarming rate.

"Rep. Zalan. Please, sit down," Madam Hikma invited them to two chairs across the table. "How can I help you today?"

Before sitting down, Zalan placed a gold coin on the table as a donation for the time Madam Hikma was granting them. From her corner, Sholou seemed impressed by the high price of donation.

"How fares the search for Captain Buttonwillow McKittrick?" Rep asked.

Zalan turned to him, stunned.

"When you were sitting around moping in the guild, I asked Madam Hikma if she could organize a search party for Captain Buttonwillow and his crew," Rep explained.

"Which was terrible of you to do," Sholou said suddenly.

"Sholou," Madam Hikma warned.

"She is not some delegator of armies! She wants nothing more than to offer advice, but you asked so much of her!" Sholou said.

"I apologize! I had no idea I would cause you problems," Rep stammered.

"The truth of the matter is a bit worse, I am afraid," Madam Hikma said sullenly. "No one is willing to travel to the Island of Remains."

Rep bit his lips, but nodded with understanding. Zalan felt terrible for not even having thought about Captain Buttonwillow being stranded. Running his hand through his hair, he didn't want to volunteer to go, himself. He had no idea how to travel overseas safely and only returned home with the Homeseeker. But if he could make his way, he might be able to save them with the Artifact. Madam Hikma read his expression, and smiled slightly.

"We should not fear too much. I have been inspired with the idea that the Captain lives, as do some of his crew. They are not desperate or starving," Madam Hikma said, tapping the side of her head with her Guidance Gem.

"That is good!" Rep sat up. "Are they safe? Will they be saved soon?"

"I do not know," Madam Hikma replied. "But I am also acutely aware of the fact that you came to discuss an entirely different topic."

"We're looking for any nearby Elementals," Zalan said. "Actually, they don't even need to be nearby. What are all the Elementals you can tell us about? Near and far."

"We may also be looking for another way for Zalan to get home," Rep added.

Zalan threw him a glance, clearly not interested in the second topic. Madam Hikma smiled graciously, looking between the two friends.

"I recall you in search of Elementals the first time you visited me. You had one in the Elemental Rage Tournament. What brings you to search for another creature of power?" Madam Hikma asked.

"Morloch took my Elemental Lightning on the Island of Remains," Zalan said bitterly.

Madam Hikma's eyes shot open in shock. Zalan could definitely see the hint of an unusual look in one of the eyes. The bright green had an unnatural shine, emanating a slight light from it. Where Zalan might have been convinced before that it was just a piercing gaze, he could see the supernatural essence within it. The Artifact lodged in her face was scanning him, pulling information from him with its power. Zalan looked closely at the eye as it ran him up and down. Madam Hikma closed her Artifact-laden eye suddenly, looking slightly embarrassed.

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"Oh, dear, it looks like you told him of my eye, Rep," Madam Hikma said. Though she sounded disappointed, it didn't feel like she was admonishing him as much as pointing out a fact. Rep squirmed in place.

"I apologize, Madam Hikma. I felt there was no other choice," Rep said sincerely.

"No need to apologize, I see some of what Zalan has been through. I had no idea that I had sent him to…" Madam Hikma stopped herself mid sentence, her eye ablaze with movement. Suddenly, a tear brimmed the bottom of her Artifact-powered eye. Zalan blinked in shock.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"It pains me to see you like this," Madam Hikma said, brushing away the tear as another took its place. "You have lost so much already. People you loved and now a power you held dearly. There is also a lack of general trust in people after what Nold had done. It is as though the world has conspired to maximize your misery."

Zalan shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Madam Hikma was crying over things he never shed tears for. He always felt odd around people who were crying in the realm. He didn't feel that way until Gorb pointed it out to him long ago.

He couldn't remember the last time he wept. At the time of receiving the question, he thought it was an absurd thing to wonder about a fellow man. Now he felt differently. People could express emotions in what seemed like natural ways, but he was stunted. No one ever asked him why he wasn't crying, but he felt broken around those that could cry. Like some innate aspect of being a human was missing.

"Do you know where we can find any Elementals?" Zalan pressed the point, hoping to be out of the building soon.

Madam Hikma pursed her lips uncomfortably. Zalan sighed and lowered his head, resigning himself to the idea that Madam Hikma must not have known anything.

"I only know of a single Elemental that has not yet fled. The others have begun to migrate, causing immense stress on the good people of the realm," Madam Hikma said.

Zalan shot his head up, interested.

"Elementals are migrating in large numbers?" Rep asked. "That has never happened before. Are they fleeing their killer?"

"I do not know. Whatever the case, the consequences are devastating. They could awaken Beasts of Slumber," Madam Hikma said. Rep shuddered.

"But you know one that's sitting in place?" Zalan asked.

"Not quite an Elemental sitting in place. I only know where you can gain power," Madam Hikma informed him.

Zalan looked at Rep, wondering what the difference was. Rep shrugged, seeming to read his expression.

"So, you know where I can get power," Zalan said, encouraging Madam Hikma to continue.

"I do. It lies very close to your encounter with the fourth Monster of the Mindscape."

"The fourth? What about the third? I never defeated Morloch! How can I move on to the next Monster of the Mindscape without taking care of the previous ones?" Zalan asked.

"You have defeated the first three. That, I can see clearly," Madam Hikma replied calmly.

Zalan furled his brow in confusion. Wasn't Morloch the Monster of the Mindscape? Or did he just assume that? And who were the first two?

"And where do you see us next?"

"You must travel to the Depths of Despair. There, you will find what you seek," Madam Hikma informed him.

"What?" Rep jumped out of his chair urgently. "No! That is the Mind of Madness's home! There could not be a worse place to send Zalan!"

At first Zalan was going to say it was fine, but he quickly realized he wasn't totally comfortable with that kind of quest. The Mind of Madness was a monster like no other. It floated above the world and could render monsters and people catatonic simply by gazing at them with a beam of pure darkness. He had no interest in going through an experience with the Mind of Madness again, especially not on its home turf. Zalan nodded ever-so-slightly in agreement with Rep's outburst.

"I apologize, but that is the path to what Zalan seeks most dearly," Madam Hikma said.

"I'll get a power if I go to the Depths of Despair?" Zalan asked.

"I can not promise it. But I see that it is your best chance to find one," Madam Hikma nodded.

"What is the next best chance?" Rep asked quickly.

Madam Hikma stared for a moment in thought.

"I do not know," she answered.

"Well then I will take anything!" Rep pleaded. "Is there anything else that we can do that does not require us to travel to the Depths of Despair? Is there an Artifact out there? Even an Elemental in the middle of migration? I can take on a storm, but do not send us to the Mind of Madness! There has to be another way!"

Madam Hikma shook her head gravely, understanding the serious quest she set out before the duo. Zalan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He threw his hands up in a passive shrug, and nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, fine, Depths of Despair. Whatever. So long as it gets me a new Elemental Power," Zalan said. "Come on, Rep, I don't want to waste anymore time here. Morloch might be on his way to kill the Elemental in the Depths of Despair."

"Morloch is the one killing Elementals?" Madam Hikma asked, suddenly on alert.

Rep and Zalan tilted their heads, not having realized that she didn't have that information. Zalan assumed she would have gleaned it using the Artifact by now, especially talking to so many people that had problems involving Elementals.

"Yeah, ever since he got five Elemental Powers," Zalan offered.

"Five! He has become an Ascending Being, capable of interacting with Elementals!" Madam Hikma said with a hint of awe.

"Yeah, we kinda already figured that out," Zalan nodded.

"Do you know how many he has killed?"

"We know of two. A Flame Elemental and a Nature Elemental," Zalan said.

"This is terrifying news. Morloch must be stopped," Madam Hikma said with utmost importance. "Elementals are an essential part of our realm. And if they know they are under siege, they may do more than their already intense movements. They may decide to offer some counter attack toward humans and cause unspeakable catastrophes across the land."

"Yeah, terrible stuff. Morloch's gotta be stopped by anyone but us," Zalan said, hopping out of the chair.

"But I know you can take him down! With your friends!" Madam Hikma insisted. "The Guidance Gem offers nothing but certainty on this matter!"

"We already tried and failed," Zalan opened his palms in a shrug. "I'm not trying to die. And I'm not gonna fight him again without Elemental Power. Let's go Rep."

Zalan began to move to the doorway, but Rep stayed seated. A question was burning in his mind.

"Just a moment, Zalan. I wish to ask Madam Hikma a question in private," Rep said.

Zalan looked at him, several thoughts running through his mind. He glanced once between Rep and Madam Hikma. Then, he exhaled loudly.

"Fine, I'll be at the guild. Hurry up, I don't wanna wait around too long."

Zalan walked out the room, leaving Madam Hikma and Rep alone, aside from Sholou who stood silently in the corner. Zalan closed the door behind him loudly, taking a few stomps away. Then, when he was sure they would think he had exited, he quietly moved back to the door. He wanted to eavesdrop in on the secret conversation. He placed his ear up against the wood, listening intently for the rest of the conversation.

"Madam Hikma, I think it is imperative that we get Zalan home. He is on the brink of collapse, I can see it in everything he does," Rep rambled. "I fear for his well-being. This realm has been eating away at his fragile mind. How do we get him back to his world?"

Zalan would have rolled his eyes if not for the concern in Rep's voice. He wasn't ready to go home, but he didn't want to tell Rep as much.

"I fear that Zalan will need to go to the Depths of Despair regardless," Madam Hikma said. "The means to overcome the fourth Monster of the Mindscape is in the dark mines. And the fourth monster is the most difficult of the five Monsters of the Mindscape."

"This monster… is it the Mind of Madness?" Rep asked, his voice quivering.

Zalan listened closely with wide eyes, cupping his hand against the wooden door. Madam Hikma said nothing. By the lack of response on Rep's end, Zalan knew that Madam Hikma neither confirmed nor denied the question. She must not have known.

"God help us," Rep whispered, then stood to leave for the Depths of Despair.