Chapter 196

196 A Treasure?

(Jane’s PoV)

My eyes twitched in disbelief. Bumi was still a human, I knew that for sure. The tiger was still the same one; a spiritual tiger. Why did they end up as the guardians of this portal?

“What are you doing here?” I asked stupidly, even though I had already guessed the answer.

“It is what you think it is.” Bumi said indifferently.

Was it easy to read my mind? Why was the person who I had just met once able to see what’s inside my mind or what question I had inside?

“You’re getting more expressive after our last meeting, Miss Harris.”

See? He did it again! What did he mean with me getting more expressive? What’s wrong with me? Should I bring a mirror with me and use it whenever I was about to talk?

“What are you doing here, human?” The tiger growled. It only repeated what I said.

I grinned. “It is exactly what you’re thinking about.”

.....

I watched as Bumi and the tiger’s eyebrows arched in surprise as they heard my answer. They were really so funny!

“Don’t be ridiculous!” The tiger shouted with a low growl escaped his lips.

“Well, a human could be appointed to be the guardians of this portal. Why couldn’t a human enter the portal?” I said casually.

Both the tiger and Bumi couldn’t retort back. I smiled as I walked towards the open portal to take a look. That magical door was still attached to the trees and even though I couldn’t see anything or anyone coming out from the door anymore, I could still feel that there was something inside that was far more powerful than the others.

“I want to get inside.” I said, full of determination.

“No!” Both Bumi and The Tiger shouted loudly. The Tiger even leaped and guarded the door so tightly, made me took two steps back in the process.

I eyed the two of them suspiciously. Their reaction was so strong I was almost tempted to force my way through only to see what was inside the portal. I didn’t think the reason they denied me entrance was because of the rules; instead, it was all because of that powerful figure inside.

“Will it come out?” I asked them.

See? Both of their eyes were widened to the point I almost laughed my as* out since the tiger looked so funny that way.

I chuckled. “Do you think you can hide it from me? Just pick, I force my way in, or you two bring me inside by yourselves?” Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I put a smile on my face and gave them those two options. Whatever it was, I was telling myself that I was going inside no matter what.

Maybe they saw the determination I had in my heart, or maybe they realized how stubborn I could be. After a few seconds contemplating about the options I had given to them, both of them gave up and gestured at me to follow them in.

I smirked. I won!

Human’s world and ‘their’ world were only separated by a thin but super sturdy silk-like curtain. If I wanted to get to my house in the other dimension, I needed to open through the crack in the curtain and cross over.

However, in this portal, there were no such curtains. It was like an open door, big and wide. The only difference was this portal felt like a never ending cave with dark interior. It was so dark that I could hardly see anything. If it wasn’t for the presence of Bumi and the tiger in front of me, I couldn’t be so sure where I was.

“Don’t blindly walk inside even though you have two guides. You are now experiencing what those poor people experienced before they were lost.”

Ah, I still had Siji with me.

Even though what he said was still baffled me, but I didn’t say anything and did what he told me. After focusing myself, I finally saw my surrounding. Instead of dark place, I was actually walking in a big garden. Despite the slightly gloomy atmosphere, this garden was still beautiful.

My attention was slightly divided ever since I saw the garden. If it existed in human’s world, I was so sure it would attract some youngsters who were always looking for beautiful, unique, or even scary places to take pictures and upload it in their social media.

All for the sake of ‘like’.

Well, that was not the problem here. The real problem was I was getting closer to the source of the power. My curiosity was picked. What was this thing, actually?

“We’re here.” Bumi stopped and my eyes landed on a small hut in the middle of a pond. The pond itself was so big, probably half the size of a soccer field. In the middle of it was a small island with a hut made of woods and bamboos on it. There was a flickering light inside, but I couldn’t feel the presence of anything from it.

My eyes scanned the place, trying to find the way to reach that hut.

“Miss, don’t even think about it. Many had tried to get there, but no one succeeded so far. You can’t find the way in.” Bumi said casually.

I knew that he didn’t mean to show his disdain, or to show that I was too careless. He was only reminding me just in case I would just waste my time trying.

But, I ignored him. I really wanted to go there. If scanning casually wasn’t enough, then I would walk around the pond until I found the way to get there.

I was that determined to get there that I left Siji with Bumi and the tiger unknowingly. My eyes were opened wide. I made sure not to miss even just a tiny spot. There must be something here that could help me gained the understanding to reach that place.

After a careful inspection, I finally noticed something strange. I raised my head and saw Siji was talking seriously with Bumi and the tiger. Bumi had even got down from the tiger’s back and stood face to face with Siji with a frown on his face.

What were they talking about? Why did Bumi make that expression?

I shook my head and focused on what I had just found. There was a way in, of course. How could it not be there? It was just, the location was really... hidden. From the place I was standing on, I couldn’t see Siji and the others, which meant, the reason I couldn’t find the entrance before was because it was hidden from my eyes.

However...

I put my hand on the bridge that connected the island to where I was standing. It wouldn’t shake, right? I hated it when I walked on a bridge and the bridge was shaking!

Especially when I couldn’t see the appearance of this bridge clearly for some other reasons that I didn’t know.

No, I must be strong. I wanted to go there, right? I needed to be strong and BRAVE!

Walking on the bridge slowly, I found that it was pretty solid. Therefore, I hastened my steps. Why did I feel like the hut was still far away?

Eh? Was it just my feeling or this stupid bridge was starting to shake?

“You’re here.” A familiar voice greeted me.

My head turned to the source of the voice and saw a man that I couldn’t forget his face, stood effortlessly on the bridge. He didn’t even need to put his hands on the safety rope! How did he do that?

No. I shook my head quickly. That was not the point for now.

What was this man doing here? What did he want?

He chuckled. “Don’t be so wary of me. It’s not like I want to attack you.”

“Haha, said the one who threw me around like a rag doll on our first meeting.” I let out a dry laugh with my eyes still locked at him.

He chuckled again. “My bad. Please, forgive me.” He said. I didn’t know whether he was saying it sincerely or not. But, I didn’t intend to find out about it.

“Like I would trust the words of a Devil.” I snorted.

“Well, to prove that I’m sincerely offering my apology to you, I’ll help you to get into that hut. You want to go there, right? I can help you.” He said calmly.

He wanted to help me? A Devil wanted to help me? At what cost? My soul? No, thanks. Was it too late for me to turn around and run away?

He might have sensed my hostility towards him or even my intention to run away. In a blink of an eye, he had disappeared and appeared behind me, successfully blocking my only way out.

Damn Devil! Black hearted! I curse you to the deepest hell and rot there! Damn you!

“Are you sure you want to go back? The thing inside, it might be useful for you.” The Devil’s ability in coaxing was really top notch.

Why was I suddenly interested in what he said? I should have struggled to break free from him, not to let him lure me into that isolated, secluded hut in his dimension where he was obviously stronger than me?

Well, not that he wasn’t stronger than me in human world either.