Wizard World Irregular

“Dear me, this is why you should never anger ladies,” Fortis Dud said in an exaggerated tone. “They tend to make life a bit more difficult than it already is. I mean, there is a saying that behind every successful man is a woman holding a whip…”

“I can't say if I like this guy or not,” Sebastian commented. “He’s really interesting, but the trials he designed for his successor are a pain.”

Out of nowhere, four doors appeared in front of Ethan, making the young man narrow his eyes.

“You are halfway done with the Trials,” Fortis Dud stated. “But things will only get more difficult from here. However, since I am satisfied with your previous performances, I will give you a little freebie.

“One of these four doors will lead you directly toward the exit.”

“One of them will lead you to the father of the Minotaur you killed.”

“One of them will leave you back at the entrance.”

“And the last door will bring you to the place where you want to be.”

Ethan frowned after hearing the last thing that Fortis Dud had said.

‘The place where I want to be?’ Ethan thought. ‘Even I have no idea where I want to be.’

Fortis Dud didn’t know what the young man was thinking, but even if he did, he would just smile mischievously and urge him to hurry up and make his choice.

The four doors had different colors.

Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green.

He approached the four doors and pressed his hand over them, trying to see if he could sense anything from them.

But just as he expected, none of them showed any clues that would let him know which door was which.

“Time’s up,” Fortis Dud stated. “I’ll count to ten. You should pick one of the four doors by then. If you don't pick any doors by the time I finish counting, you will be sent back to the entrance.”

“One.”

“Two…”

“Three…”

Ethan had no intention of waiting until Fortis Dud had finished counting. Because of this, he turned the knob of the green door and opened it.

A moment later, he was engulfed by a flash of white light, illuminating his surroundings in its radiance.

When the light receded, Ethan found himself on a small deserted island. However, the island wasn’t as deserted as he thought it would be.

Lying down on a hammock that was connected to two palm trees was a handsome man, whom Ethan had seen in the past.

“Oh, who do we have here?” The handsome man with short silver hair, and red eyes looked at him with a smile. “Why if it isn’t Ethan? We haven't seen each other for a while, but you decided to visit me again?”

“Sir Vincent,” Ethan muttered. “What are you doing here?”

“Hmm? Isn’t that the question that I should be asking you?” Vincent smirked. “What are you doing here, my boy? Also, did you do what I told you last time? How is your relationship with Chloe now?”

He wasn't sure earlier, but Ethan was sure now. The person that was talking to him was indeed Vincent Valentin.

The person who gave him his X-Vision, which he was still not able to control fully.

“I’m doing a Trial, and after I entered one of the doors, I found myself here,” Ethan explained.

“Oh, let me guess…” Vincent gave Ethan a mischievous smile. “It’s one of those gateways that brings you to the place you want to be, right? It seems that on a subconscious level, you are looking forward to meeting me again. Well then, since you are already here, please take a seat.”

Just as Ethan was about to ask “sit where?” a chair with a cushion suddenly appeared in front of him.

Since a chair had been prepared for him, Ethan sat and waited for the man in front of him to talk to him again.

“Well then, now that both of us are comfortable, tell me—how are things with Chloe?” Vincent asked.

“I decided that the two of us should spend some time away from each other,” Ethan replied. “Just like you advised me to do.”

“Good,” Vincent nodded. “Giving advice is one of my strong points. At least, that is what my wife told me. Now, let’s set aside your relationship with Chloe for now. How have you been lately? Can you tell me some of the adventures you’ve experienced before you came to meet me again?”

Ethan thought that this wasn’t a problem, so he told the handsome man everything that he had been through since they met.

He told him about Henry’s Trial and how they managed to clear it using the power that Vincent had given to him.

He narrated the tale about Dawnbreaker Academy and the Elder Dragon Eizenth, who had her Dragon Egg stolen from her.

He spoke about the Dungeon Outbreak which happened recently, and the invitation from the King to attend a Ballroom Party, forcing him to learn how to dance.

At this point, Vincent laughed out loud as if very amused about finding out everything that happened to the teenage boy, whom he hadn’t seen for a while.

“Dancing is a very important skill to learn,” Vincent stated. “Of course, not everyone is privileged to attend grand balls, especially ones that are hosted by a King. However, since dancing is a skill, it will allow you to gauge whether the person you are dancing with is competent or not.

“My wife is a good dancer, and I met her at a ball. Of course, she wasn’t the only lady I had met and danced with during that time. However, she was the one that stood out the most, so she caught my attention.

“I like competent women, you see. When I was still a bachelor, I had a lot of fun with the ladies. I was wild back then, and I would always sleep with a beauty beside me after we danced on the bed, if you know what I mean…”

Vincent winked at Ethan, but the smile on his face instantly disappeared when he sensed his wife looking in his direction.

“Ethan, remember this, us men must be loyal to our wives,” Vincent said like the most righteous man in the world. “Cheating is a bad thing, so you must never cheat on your wives, okay?”

“Okay.” Ethan nodded.

“Good!” Vincent said while laughing nervously.

Although he tried his best to cover it up, the handsome man would glance in the west from time to time as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

A few minutes later, he raised his hand, and a handkerchief appeared out of nowhere.

“I’m glad that you’ve lived an exciting life since the last time I met you.” Vincent wiped the sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief. “Although I wouldn’t exactly say that you’ve proven your worth to appear before me once again, Fate has brought you here for a reason. Because of that, I will tell you a little tale, which will save your life in the future.”

Vincent then pointed at the sea on his right.

A moment later, a projection appeared, showing monstrous giants that seemed to be gathering in a place that looked like a barren desert.

“When we parted ways, I told you that the next time we meet, I would tell you something about the Tuatha De Danann,” Vincent said. “But since you still haven’t proven yourself worthy yet, I will tell you something else that is just as important.”

Vincent’s playful look turned solemn as he stared at the young man, who was seated in front of him.

“Tell me, Ethan, what do you know about the Fomorians?”