A scroll with a golden ribbon and a red scratch on that ribbon. It read:
-Year 5438 of the Northern Calendar, Emperor Thyn Oft Greyserf’s record of battle: “Descendant, son, or whoever is allowed to read this record, know that my insane ramblings of battle are not of my own volition. This might be my last semblance of sanity in history. I wish I never battled those barbarian heretics. They caused this… INEEDMOREWARMOREMOREmoreSolteqSolteqyouarethechosen…”-
More ramblings continued from there on. I already guessed Solteq and Zothozeft had followers or ‘forced’ followers in these kingdoms. They were of no concern to me until I find how to get the rest of the ingredients. The description of the ingredients was exact to the ones here on this planet… They weren’t them though. The ones here had no mana or spirit energy in them.
I couldn’t tell my previous self to work on this first, even if I wanted to, so I’d need to deal with the consequences. I kept reading the records and substantial rumors.
I opened a scroll that had the date 5521. Fifty-three years ago.
-Year 5521, Request from the Kingdom of Heft. It stated: “Honorable and Respected Empress Hel’n Oft II Greyserf. This king has a favorable request for you. I must ask for aid in the western mountains. There have been reports of strange types of beasts that blades cannot cut or touch. We ask for a few of your great magicians to enchant us and allow us to defend the western mountains. We will pledge allegiance to the empire even if we are successful or not.”-
‘Heft… They must have accepted their request and probably merged their families. The important part is the beasts that cannot be touched… They might be beasts of another dimension if there are many of them of the same characteristics.’ I thought. I drank a cup of tea that a servant made which I only drank after making sure I watched the whole process and deemed it safe. If I died even after that then It’d be easier to just get rid of the servants in the next loop.
***
After spending weeks reading and days sleeping, I read a total of 205 scrolls which led me to an event where a noble’s son and wife in the 3000s were allegedly stolen by a door of blueish and black haze. That was the only lead I had. It lined up with the beast sightings. The noble’s carriage was passing the western mountains through the town ‘Heft’s Mound’ where it later became the Kingdom of Heft.
I had a lead, location, and a side-journey to start. I left the manor after preparing and ‘borrowing’ things. It’s been some time since I saw an item that was enhanced by crude magic. I could probably make a better item if I studied the techniques again. With a dark brown cloak that had shining blue interconnecting lines with minuscule symbols that I hadn’t noticed before on enhanced items.
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I took gloves which seemed to grip onto things easily by barely merging with surfaces. It didn’t work with living things sadly.
The boots were normal. There weren’t any enhanced boots. The trousers were normal as well. The shirt though was enhanced with mild damage absorption. The multiple jars that I made myself after a bit of research on etching symbols onto glass materials could store way more than they let on. It was my main form of storing things from now on.
With myself kitted out and ready to venture out to the western mountains, I exited the manor and went past the huge manor entrance and then past the metal gate which led right into an expanse of land that had a road leading into the capital. I didn’t need to go there.
I didn’t need to bring many bags to store food and water. The manor had many things that made life and travel convenient. I took three pouches that were way bigger on the inside.
Water wasn’t a problem due to spells that created water. Food was the main issue and would take up most if not all of the storage in those pouches.
They were heavy after being filled but it was bearable.
***
(Merlin needed to get Solteq to the trap. ‘Easy, I just need to feed his hatred of me, and he’ll fall for the trap. Hyftri, you can set a link between a follower of Solteq and me. Right?’
“I could, but are you sure the trap is enough? It’s been three hundred years since, as he thinks, you got him exiled. He might have advanced above the plateau.”
‘I’m sure, and haven’t you noticed that the Jolt he put on this body is different than before? It’s more refined than when he was only on the ninth Jolt. I’d guess he’s between thirteen and seventeen Jolts. It’s an obvious observation; He got past the plateau, and he’s most likely as strong as I am.’
“I’ll start now. Get ready, Solteq’s followers are all fanatical about him. Kind of like how pious your followers were.”
Merlin felt a connection being made with a lesser being. Solteq felt his follower’s connection; Merlin was sure of it.
He didn’t have much time. He drew elder spirit symbols of Dhyr, Kelios, and the Eclipse. The symbols took a lot out of Hyftri’s energy and his mental power.
*Crack* The walls of reality began to crack as the symbols lit up. The corpses of elder spirits were powerful, to say the least.
He heard the swooshes and strides of Solteq getting closer. He saw the alternative to this chosen avatar.
It was a large man with a multitude of arms and many eyes replacing his nose and ears. His linkage between spirit and avatar wasn’t perfect; The extra appendages were proof of that. It didn’t matter though, an imperfect link allowed for more spirit power to seep through. He knew what Solteq was thinking.
“You fucker… Don’t you know this ritual will cause HIM to reprimand us? I can’t afford you to ruin my chances for a second time.” Solteq warned……)
I rewatched past events in the mind palace while traveling. I tried to learn what I could and understand more about how Zothozeft, Solteq, and Hyftri used mana. Out of all of them, I knew the most about Zothozeft’s way of using mana. The rest still had blanks on the specifics. After I become a spirit, I’d need to learn even more.
I was currently in the Kingdom of Heft and was close to my destination. The equipment helped. Some pointers here and there were needed but it was an unnaturally smooth journey. It felt like the calm before the storm. It probably was.