Few days later Kaden was flying together with a group of phoenixes. The destination being Madakar.

All of the group members were of Lower Cari stage, with mid Lower Cari leader, but apparently they were supposed to meet up with some True Cari at Madakar.

There the current plan was to join with some Cari that worked for phoenixes and the allies, the firefoxes. Kaden wondered what the foxes wanted there or if it was just to maintain their ties with phoenixes. Maybe at some point, phoenixes would work for them. It didn't really matter. Kaden mainly wanted to find opponents he could kill and consume.

There were no real conflics along the way. Cari were smart enough to not bother a flock of phoenixes. Kaden did observe some appear to see as they passed by, clearly prepared for a fight, but none would start anything.

"I wonder if that is normal?" Kaden pondered to himself. "I don't actually know the way phoenixes gather all those resources. If they need something, will they simply send a group such as this and take what they want? Passing group of phoenixes may as well be random chance to be buthered?"

If that was the case, it wouldn't likely be just phoenixes. Any group of Cari passing by might mean the same to others. There was always the aspect of strength tied to everything and everyone wanted to get more at the expense of the weak.

Kaden had to yet again wonder how Cari society stayed together at all. The whole thing was just ... normal. It was to be expected that you get taken advantage of, if you show any weakness.

In many ways, Kaden felt such way of living was wonderful and brutal. Each time he ran into another example of it, he cared less and less about it. It started to feel normal. Human's usually at least try to scheme a bit and cover their actions. Cari did not. At least not much.

By the time there was part of the sea to be crossed, everyone got a bit tense and kept an eye on the water. It seemed yet again the sea beasts were a problem. Kaden didn't ask, but he believed they might be stronger ones too since it was still, after all, Cari territory. Even if the sea beasts didn't involve themselves with Cari on the land.

Yet, nothing happened on the sea, but as soon as they reached the shore, there was a fight. There were already those waiting.

The phoenixes rained fire down onto the attackers who in return shot whatever they could back at them. It wasn't a large group, but they were prepared. Kaden watched as some of the defenders built earth walls to block explosions and fire while others shot up spines, balls of acid or whatever was their prefered type of attack.

These were just mercenaries. There were no major Cari types among them as far as Kaden could tell. He wondered for a moment what they had been offered to become target practice and then he tossed a ball of Devouring Flame among them.

The fire spread and chaos ensued. Some of the defenders caught on fire. Rest of the phoenixes took a chance and swooped down to tear the rest into shreds. Kaden followed too, he wasn't going to let all the resources go to others.

While some of the defenders escaped, the defence point became a bloody feast. Kaden was able to secure himself two cores, but to do so he had to let most of the meat go to others. They didn't object. That Devouring Flame had shortened the fight quite a bit. Death affinity, the other side of life affinity, was not something all phoenixes had.

"I hope this sort of contributions get noted somehow", Kaden though to himself as he crunched a core in his beak. "I have some special talents that aren't common."

After consuming the reward for their victory, the phoenixes didn't waste time. Kaden observed his gains. It wasn't enough. Even after the second core, he still had not advanced to mid Lower Cari. More would be needed. That seemed to be the general problem with Lower Cari and Condensation stage. Not enough mana. More was always needed.

After basically all was eaten or at least stored away, the group quickly continued on their way.

Kaden noted that there were signs of combat basically everywhere. He realized Madakar had seen near constant battle for a long time. It seemed the randomly appearing remnants were very lucrative. Perhaps Madakar even served as a general battlefield where different groups of Cari fought for suppremacy. Whoever held most resources would likely see great progress.

"It is strange, though", Kaden pondered the matter. "While remnants do pop up in human territories too and contain resources, the way they do here is odd. Why is this the case? I would assume most of them are some distortions and not hidden remnants from during the times of cataclysm."

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

While for sure even the remnants that were remains of ancients could and would refil sometimes, even duplicate or even form random variations, they were generally limited in how many of them existed. As for the ones that simply formed from whatever random concepts just happened to come together, they could be anything and not limited by anything. These likely existed only a short time until they probably just blinked out of existence only for something else for elsewhere.

Why was this specific island such an unstable and volatile? What caused such continuous distortions? Knowing the way remnants functioned, it might just be random chance.

Then again, at the time it mattered very little. Kaden himself was merely going to take advantage of it just like everyone else.

Eventually the group landed near what was clearly a remnant. There were already signs of Cari going in and out gathering whatever they found.

Surrounding area was occupied by Cari, some very strong. There were even a few more phoenixes, but also others, such as a few firefoxes as Kaden noted. There was also random assortment of many different Cari, likely mercenaries.

The phoenix who led Kaden's group went to meet one of the phoenixes around, clearly one more powerful.

"That is the True Cari leading all this here", Kaden thought to himself as he followed everyone.

"Ah, the reinforcements", the True Cari phoenix said. "I expected you sooner."

"There was small scuffle on the way", the phoenix explained.

"We should send some forces to clear the way here", one of the more powerful firefoxes added in. "It wouldn't do well to have the way to mainland blocked. Specially now that my operatives have confirmed newly forming remnant in the area. This will not remain secret to our enemies. It might draw too many here for us to keep things in order"

"Yes, I agree", the True Cari said with a nod. "As for the remnant, did you not send our mercenaries there yet?"

"We did, but they got hit hard", the firefox replied.

"We need to split forces then", the True Cari said. Then he turned to face Kaden's group. "Fly up the mountains, find the whatever remains of the mercenaries and fortify. For success there will be extra contribution points." Then he turned back to the firefox. "Do you agree Fyer?"

"Indeed, Kraad, extra resources for extra work", the firefox, Fyer, replied. "As usual split will be as is stipulated in the accord."

"In that case, Fyer, seek out enemies between here and the shore. If you can, annihilate them. Slow down and prevent enemy progress while we fortify and clear what is already here." Then the True Cari, Kraad, looked around a bit. "This place will be valuable once that remnant appears. Expect strong opposition. Any surrounding areas must remain in our control."

Kaden listened everything.

"It seems there is much to do here", he thought. "At least contribution will be good. Also exactly the way I need it. Is this merely coincidence or just how far can the black fragments affect things? Some Archmagus or Higher Cari must have made them, but why would they lose or discard such objects, even if it is some test."

It wasn't anything definite. At Kaden's level he couldn't say anything, but coincidences seemed to just come together. He couldn't even tell the extent of the effect, if the effect even existed. Kaden knew he had been tied to some pretty extreme things, like the remnant in Murika. That by itself was already some causal certainty. Yet, he had the black fragments. Was the causal effect still going on afterall?

"It shouldn't", Kaden thought as he followed his group towards the nearby mountains. "That should have ended with the remnant. If its real, this is another effect which seems similar. It has probably gotten stronger over time as I collected more fragments."

Kaden wasn't sure if he should be happy to be entangled with some strange mana that changed how things around him worked. It might as well be negative effect just as it could be positive. So far, as far as Kaden could tell, the things had been relatively positive.

"I need to do good work here and then hope I can just pick up the frament or fragments that the firefoxes have", Kaden though to himself. "I have nearly all fragments. One or two more. I can only hope that I can solve this mystery once I have them all."

He also wondered, if he could get the fragments without anyone making note of it. As far as Kaden understood, no one else had seen the fragments even do anything. Some unknown items. It would be strange, if he suddenly spent his hard earned contributions to pick such a reward for himself.

"If the fragments themselves arent considered too valuable, I can try to pick up some random minor things along with it", Kaden continued his thoughts. "I could try to pick some materials for formations and then choose it and say I want to see if it is some formation? It might even just be one."

It was at least one passable excuse, but Kaden thought several more depending how the situation turned out to be. If the firefoxes had marked fragments as objects of interest and wouldn't easily give them, even if they were among the treasures they were willing to hand out, Kaden was going to as last resort speak with Kranor. Then again, that would reveal existence of the black fragments. He would rather avoid that.

The more he knew of them, the more concerned he became. Yet, what he knew was next to nothing. It was rather enticing. Would it be some world shattering truth? Another discovery such as the godless mana system? Someone had clearly made the fragments before so it wouldn't be a new discovery at the very least.

"As long as things continue as they are, I should get all the parts", Kaden told himself. There was no need to get too excited before he actually had every fragment in his posession.

Kaden stopped his thoughts about the fragments when he noted, just like everyone in his group, that there was yet another fight going on the ground level, or rather, the mountain side.

"I wonder, if randomly created remnants are truly worth all this", Kaden pondered as he unleashed a rain of fireballs. "Perhaps the forming of these remnants in uniform enough."

It was time to get those contribution points.