The way back was exactly like the way in. The void surrouding the path, that probably was very unlikely to exist to begin with, was extremely unsettling. Kaden made sure to make a mental note to avoid such things in the future. Though, luckily, voids such as the one he was passing throug, should be extremely rare. Kaden was pretty sure conditions where one would form were extremely rare.

He was very happy to step out into the entrance area. It didn't seem like anyone else had discovered it yet. There were no soldiers.

"Looks like we are clear", one of the elves said and quickly went further to check the way back up.

This was good. Even if the bubble had not been part of the void, it had been extremely difficult to say how much time actually passed now that he thought about it. Yet, as far as he could tell it was not long. At least not long enough for someone to search the area.

In fact, the first thing Kaden saw outside was indeed soldier from Sacronan... just quite dead. It was a zombie.

"Nosran is here too I guess?" Emina said and looked at Kaden.

"Obviously", Kaden replied. "There is no way someone like Nosran would ignore an enormous burst of mana."

The zombie turned around to face the group, groaned and then continued shuffling about. Kaden wasn't sure what the zombie was doing, but now that the zombie had seen them, Nosran had seen them too. They were still at the cracks.

"I don't care, if Nosran wants to search the place too", Kaden said to the elves. "I doubt Nosran is going to be a problem. I actually doubt he cares what is down there."

Kaden turned to the zombie again.

"If you want to search down there, you may do so", Kaden said to the zombie expecting Nosran to hear it too. "Know that its something that might attract problems to you and won't be useful to your research as far as I can tell. We are going to hide it unless you object now."

The zombie turned its head, twisting it slightly in such a way that a living person might not be able to do. Then turned around a few more times and observed the area.

"Do as you wish", Nosrans voice sounded from somewhere within the zombie. "Be aware. My wraiths spotted large group of forces wearing Saint Empire uniforms very near. They will be here very soon."

The zombie then quieted and rotated its head back to more normal position and continued shuffling about.

"That would explain why Nosran is messing with Sacronan's troops", Kaden said. "Saints are going to butcher everyone from Sacronan. It is better to aid them. You elves do what you want. I want to go kill some people too."

Emina nodded and had the elves conceal the entrance quickly. Kaden left them behind.

As it happens, Sacronan had got the mana creatures in control. Kaden wondered why they even bothered. Regardless how much they remembered why they were there, they surely should have known that Saint Empire would have detected their mess up and was going to come quickly. It would not have been even a slightest surprise to Kaden, if they had just immediately given orders to abandon everything and escape.

"Oh well, their lives are probably considered worth less than what Sacronan's church wanted from there", Kaden muttered to himself. "It is also possible their leading officers were consumed by the void and no one was around to give orders while everyone were scattered around and had to deal with mana creatures."

Kaden stopped thinking of it. It didn't matter. Once the saints came, they would kill everyone. Anything beyond that point was nothing to be concerned about.

The mana around the void, while still a mess, had been balanced enough that only few mana creatures were popping into existence. It also probably extended communications. Kaden wondered for a moment whether he should relay information to the incoming troops or just join in once they arrived and say that he had been lurking nearby.

Finally he decided it would sound better that he had been scouting over the Sacronan camp and whatever they were doing.

Kaden went to hide. Since most of the soldiers were still concerned more about their surrounding than explore the area for things such as intruders, it wasn't difficult for Kaden to hide among some boxes and tents.

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He felt it was a slight shame that he couldn't go butcher the soldiers right away, but he expected to get more favorable opinion, if he said he had been scouting. Saints soldiers would come soon enough. Then he would do a surprise attack. This would disorient Sacronan's soldiers even more.

Just as Nosran had said, it did not take very long for soldiers from Saint Empire to appear. They did not waste time. While they were rushing to attack, Kaden blasted a soldier for Sacronan in the back with a Fire Beam, causing the man burst into flames and basically burn a hole in his back.

Despite the chaos, Sacronan's soldiers quickly moved together and seemed to prepare to retreat. Kaden continued blasting Fire Beams at them to slow them down and be showy for the saints. Kaden noted despite the quick actions, Sacronan was somewhat disorganized. It seemed they had lost some if not most of their leaders. Perhaps that too caused the everything Kaden did earlier to succeed as he had thought.

Saints were not having any of that. They moved to prevent the retreat, but small group separated from the main group and came towards Kaden. It was time to identify himself. Kaden took out his phone. It could be used to identify himself. As for external view, Kaden still had, though quite worn, Saint Empire uniform though it was somewhat difficult to indentify as such considering the damage, bleeding, etc, that had happened to it.

It seemed the officer who led saints was in the group. As far as Kaden could say, someone at Condensation stage. Saints were throwing power at this problem, it seems. Would make sense considering what Kaden had just discovered about the area and the remanant.

"Hmmm? A soldier? Here?" The officer said as he started to inspect Kaden's phone. Once he had seen it, he decided to ask questions. "What are you doing here, mutant? As far as I know no one else was supposed to be here."

"That is exactly why I was here. I'm was hiding here for a time", Kaden replied. It was time to spin a little tale. "I was originally among team led by inquisitor Weils to investigate a sect among other things. At the end of that mission, a beast killed everyone except me and a mercenary. We separated and once I was intending to return back to Corand to report, I was attacked by none else than Captain Nelsen, my commanding officer."

The saint officer frowned.

"If you know about the recent purge of cultist in Corand, apparently one of their higher ranking members was a friend of Nelsen. It seems he believed I had something to do with his discovery", Kaden explained with somewhat lower voice to make it seem he was telling some kind of dark secret. He had essentially described the same thing to Nosran few months earlier. "Even if I did, I would have merely exposed or got rid of a cultist! High rank one! For this reason Nelsen sought vengeance against me!" Kaden let the words sink for a moment. "I have a personal suggestion that I request forwarding on. Inspect Nelsen's dealings again. If he wasn't a cultists, he was at least a heretic! Things could be found..." Kaden almost hissed the last parts.

"I will add that on my report", the officer nodded. "Still, you didn't explain why you are here? I happen to know Nelsen. I'm surprised you are still alive, if he came after you."

"He did almost succeed in killing me!" Kaden said and nodded a few times. "I was heavily injured and barely survived. If Nelsen was up to something bad, I could not tell who else was involved. I decided it to be better idea to hide myself and heal. I hid here, on Brit, at far edges of human territories, where I could stay hidden long enough. I'm basically healed by now and was intending to return soon, but then I sensed a mana blast and came to investigate. I found Sacronan here. I decided to watch and then return to Saint Empire and report it, but it seems it was noticed far enough that you were sent here."

"Fine then, report", the officer said.

"I'm not sure what was here, but Sacronan had heavy tools here", Kaden started. "There is also too much supplies here. There might be extra troops somewhere, but I have not seen them. They didn't at least appear as they were fighting with mana creatures that seem to still be popping up, but not as much as earlier. There is also... void. Nothing else I can call it. It may be difficult to see even if you look at it directly, but look carefully and you notice it. Anything that goes it, disapears and it seem you also forget about it."

That was as compact as Kaden could put it. With right words in place, he concealed his own knowledge of matters he didn't wish to spread. Arranged reasoning why he was there and what he had been doing. Also possibly be able to cause investigation among saint officers, possibly causing damage. Basically the way that was most beneficial for him.

Kaden wasn't sure what the officer thought about his report, but he didn't really care. There was nothing really bad and at most that he had disapeared was questionable. That had good explanation, though. It wouldn't bring any troubles he couldn't handle.

There was no way to refute anything he said. Kaden merely smiled and waited for a reply.

The officer looked around. Sacronan was basically driven out and whatever straglers were around were quickly being butchered.

"Until further notice, you are under my command", the officer said. "I am Commander Trian. For now join the rest and get rid of what remains of Sacronan in the area. Not that there are many left."

"I shall do as you say", Kaden replied and left.

The less he had to talk to this Trian, the better.

As Kaden was charging to join with rest of the saint soldiers, Trian frowned.

"Does the connection back to mainland work yet?" He asked some the soldiers that had followed him. "Mana in the environment is still a mess."

"With the boosters we placed along the way, it should as soon as we place one here", the soldier replied. "At worst we have to balance the mana a bit. It should not take long."

"Hmph", Trian snorted and looked around. "This place is a mess. Sacronan messed up. Then there is that ... void. Send some people to explore around it. As for this mutant, Kaden. His the report is acceptable ... for now."

The soldiers nodded and left to gather a few more people.

Kaden looked behind him and noticed everything happen. Everything was going fine.