Chapter Forty Eight: The Tolling of the Iron Bell
Fourth Tower Year 4776, 4.4.5
The Western Sea
“It would appear, that the problem lies with you.”
Marc scowled at the prickly old man.
“I am not saying that you are a problem, mind you. I am saying that your issues of control rest with your understanding of your abilities, and not with the abilities themselves.”
“You think that I am limiting my own power?”
“Well… Yes, I suppose that is an accurate way of explaining it.”
Marc took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. It was never helpful to argue with the scholar, even when the former librarian had a horrible way of explaining himself.
“Could you please explain what you mean by that?”
“Why, certainly. That was my intention, after all, before I was interrupted.”
Marc was sitting in the study that they had set up for Lehdze, the scholar and itinerant academic who had taken up residence in his pocket dimension for the during of the expedition to Sett.
They were now more than three days into the voyage across the sea, and so far, the journey had been mostly quiet and restful.
One piece of good news was that his access to the bus, the pocket dimension where half of the party was waiting in the virtual environment that his interface had created, was apparently unaffected by the movement of the ship. That meant that he could open up a portal and allow people and equipment to move freely between the small cabin that they had reserved, and the space and comfort of the bus.
Hee-ssu was particularly happy about this, and had spent most of the last few days at the forge that he had built, attached to the apartments in his pocket dimension.
At the same time, while seasickness did not appear to be a problem for those with Mana in their system. Simply avoiding sickness, was not the same thing as enjoyment, and Hee-ssu did not particularly care for the constant sensation of movement on the deck of the giant transport vessel.
That his access to the pocket dimension was unaffected, was a welcome discovery. It was slightly disturbing and raised more questions. His early attempts at testing had not gone well. Namely, his experiment of trying to open a portal while on the back of a moving Yakkul. In that case, the portal simply did not open. When he attempted opening the portal in the cabin, however, it opened with no issue at all.
He had discussed this with both Rynan and Lehzde and they had come to the conclusion that the reason the portal would or would not open had to do with Marc’s own perception and understanding of his powers. This led to some testing that produced some even more concerning results.
From their earlier experimentation, they had discovered that time did, in fact, move differently in the pocket dimension than it did outside. 0.00023% slower, to be precise.
This discrepancy had remained constant during the trip, ever since they left Clearwater, resulting in a loss of approximately three seconds for each week of time spent in the space. It was small enough of a difference to be ignored, but the fact that there was a difference at all was a reason to be a little concerned.
At the very least, it highlighted how much they did not understand about dimensional magic in this world, and Marc’s abilities specifically.
“The reason that you cannot open the portal while riding, but can open one while on a ship, is that you yourself believe you can do one, but not the other. Simply put, your own mind is preventing you from opening a portal where your subconscious mind thinks a portal should not exist. Whereas your mind has no qualms about opening the portal while in the cabin.”
“Then what about the time dilation?”
The concern Marc was feeling was due to something that Kira had reported shortly after they had been traveling on board the ship.
The dilation was increasing. It was very small, just less than one hundred thousandth or a percent, but it was a change, with no obvious cause. Since that change was recognized, it had stabilized again. What was another reason for his concern was that the change did not occur when they started traveling over the sea, but instead Kira noticed the change only after Marc had started to use the portal again. It was as though the actual location of the portal was not the cause at all.
“What the exact cause and meaning of the dilation effect is, I cannot say. What is clear, however, is that you seem to be the controlling factor.”
“You mean I am making it change?”
Lehdze scratched his chin while thinking for a moment, then nodded his head.
“Yes. I think that is the correct was of looking at it. Whether consciously or subconsciously, the power is simply a reflection of your understanding of your own power.”
“So if I am in control, why can’t I manipulate it? Or Kira? Shouldn’t she at least be able to control it?”
The pocket dimension had become one of Marc’s most useful abilities. Not only useful, but absolutely critical for this expedition. It allowed Enpii and Beth to join while not exposing them to the dangerous world they were traveling through, not to mention the benefit of keeping other aspects of the party from surveillance from groups like the Tower.
It was a terrifying to imagine that the time inside the pocket dimension might split away from the world outside. What if a second outside became a millennia inside? Would those inside perish before he even had time to react, or worse, suffer like Rynan did inside the Tower for thousands of years?
So far, the effect was negligible, and Kira could monitor any changes and warn Marc should a problem occur. Kira had implemented some failsafes which would expel anyone in the space if the environment became dangerous. Still, it worried him and made him reconsider the wisdom of bringing Enpii and Beth along for the expedition.
“I believe you are in control. But also, you are not in control. This goes back to my research.”
Making a face at the contradictory nature of the scholar’s babbling, Marc recalled hearing this part of the theory before. He hadn’t understood it well enough to be of much interest, but he was paying attention now.
“From what we know about previous Travelers, the powers that they manifested, as well as their development, appeared to be very different from person to person. That may not be because their actual power and potential were different. Rather, it was only because they had different levels of understanding.”
Ledhze settled into his chair for a long explanation.
“The most common pattern, of course, mirrors your own. Travelers appear in this world, often with little or no apparent abilities. Then, gradually, over time, they manifest stronger and stronger skills and powers. These powers are particularly useful to them, based on the environments that they appear in, and the speed of development also progresses in such a way as to keep up with the needs that they encounter.”
“So you think it is more than a coincidence that Travelers seem to always have the strength and power that they need, when they need it?”
“Precisely. Well, it’s not always the case. There are many examples of times the needed ability was not manifested, or not enough power was available to in time to protect or empower the Traveler to accomplish their desired goal.”
“So it’s not entirely under a traveler’s control.”
That certainly made sense to Marc. His progression in this world was hardly smooth or convenient. In fact, he constantly felt underpowered to deal with even the smallest challenges that had come his way.
“What I am saying is that Travelers actually do not get more powerful over time. People of this world, gain more power and abilities as their cores grow. The amount of Mana they can process and the techniques they can control, they increase as their cores grow and mature. But for Travelers, they should have full access to everything from the moment they appear. Their bodies do not grow, nor do they have cores that increase in size or complexity over time.”
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Marc wanted to protest, but what the man was saying made perfect sense. So much so, that it was odd that it had never occurred to him.
If that was true, then it was perfectly in line with everything he understood about his body. He did not get stronger by exercising. He was not limited by any element of affinity. Only by his ability to understand how to use the power. If there was a limiter, that would be-
《Be careful when blaming others for your own shortcomings.》
“Is what Lehdze is saying accurate? I’ve had all the power that I have now, the entire time?” He communicated silently with his interface.
《Of course, I am sure I have said so many times.》
Marc thought carefully over every conversation he had ever had with Kira about his powers. He realized that she was telling the truth.
《But to be clear, I am not limiting your abilities. I am not blocking you from using your full potential, just the opposite. I am here to help you increase your understanding so that you can more fully use your power. The limit has always been you.》
“Then when I fully understand the dimensional power I possess, I should be able to control time feely within my dimensional space?”
《Marc, when you understand the power you possess fully, you will be able to control time, everywhere.》
That admission made his heart skip a beat. Any training he had done, it was not making him stronger, it was just improving his understanding of the powers he already possessed.
He was close. He felt like the answer was at the tip of his tongue. Then he felt the hand on his shoulder.
Looking up, he saw Rynan and Hee-ssu. They had serious, but not worried expressions.
“Again?”
“Yes. It’s the third time already. I feel the season might be early this time,” admitted Rynan grimly.
He followed Rynan out of the portal while Hee-ssu went to inform the rest of the team. For now, only Marc and Rynan were equipped to deal with the situation, so the rest of the team would stay inside the bus.
Stepping onto the deck of the ship, Marc could tell that the ship had come to a stop. If this kept up, their arrival would be delayed, or worse. Luckily, for the time being, they were equipped to handle things. Well, maybe Rynan was.
Leaving the cabin, Marc and Rynan sought out the Guild liaison on the crew. This was a rather dour-looking middle-aged man named Flounder. That was not actually his name, but it was a pretty close translation of the man’s actual name in Tashtalik, so Marc had simply started calling him Flounder and letting the translation skill replace it when speaking.
Flounder was at his station as was expected during emergencies. This was at a small platform at the base of the central tower on the platform.
When he saw Rynan and Marc approach, the relief on his face was apparent.
“Again?” Marc asked.
“It really is unusual. Typically, there are only three or four of these on a single transfer. Perhaps the season is coming early this year,” Flounder said, mirroring Rynan’s earlier statement.
“Where should we go?”
“Rynan, if you could take the number one position, and Marc, the number four, that would be optimal.”
They both nodded, then headed off to separate parts of the platform.
Marc had been surprised to learn that despite being based on a warcraft, the transport vessel in its current incarnation was completely unarmed. To be honest, he had not seen any combat vehicles in his time in this world. Certainly, the warships of the Empire once had carried armaments, but there there were obviously mixed feelings about keeping armed warcraft in the current age. Consequently, the transports built on the remnants of the Imperial fleet were banned from carrying any fixed weaponry, according to Rynan.
That didn’t mean there was nothing at sea to be concerned about, however. In fact, the truth seemed to be exactly the opposite.
In order to defend the vessel in case of any crises that occurred at sea, the Guild ensured that sufficient combat power was stationed on the ship to ensure its safe passage.
When they had booked passage, As Guild members, they were obligated to report any useful combat abilities to the liaison, and aid in the defense of the ship should the need arise. If there were insufficient force available before departure, the Guild would contract additional members to supplement the defense force. Considering the amount of action they had already seen on this voyage, it was likely that they would actually make a profit from this part of the journey.
A young man waved at Marc to join him on top of the tower that he was designated to man. They had already worked together once, so he was recognized as a Guild defender.
Marc still looked at him as a youth, although the other boy looked older than Marc by a few years. In fact, the lookout was only 13 years old. When they first met, it was difficult for the boy to take Marc seriously as a defender.
After having seen him in action, however, the lookout quickly adjusted his attitude. This time, he welcomed Marc up the tower and pointed out the areas of concern.
Marc had already been tracking the problems with his mapping ability, of course.
A bed of Jaek was currently circling the platform. Quite horrible-looking monsters, these beasts were actually relatively low on the danger scale. Each around 3 meters long, they were not so large, but their numbers and annoying ability to leap meters out of the water were the biggest concerns.
Kira identified them as a type of sea scorpion, but to Marc, they looked more like gigantic shrimp with long, flat tails and two large pincers at the ends of two long, armored appendages. This time, there were several dozen, so it might be a bit annoying to take them all out quickly.
Attacks by sea monsters seemed to be common in this world, but three attacks in four days was certainly pushing the envelope. Still, with Rynan on board, there should be no problem. This was perhaps why the crew seemed relatively relaxed despite the increased beast activity.
Rynan was registered as a Master class water mage. A Master is able to use area effect magic. Not only could she project her magic, but it could affect a large space, rather than be limited to a single target. Marc had yet to achieve Master level. Still, he had no problem with high-powered, directly targeted attacks.
While Rynan prepared a large ice attack that could simultaneously hit groups of the Jaek and sink them with a single hit, Marc was sniping the more aggressive beasts as they approached, keeping the bed from swarming the ship.
Finally, Rynan seemed to be ready. As she struck, something from the discussion with Lehdze earlier stuck in his head. He focused on Rynan. Trying to use his ANALYZE ability in a new way. To understand what she was doing to power up the Master level spell she was attempting. Marc wanted to know if it was that easy, just by gaining a better understanding of the flow of Mana, to use it to form more powerful magic.
【SKILL ACQUIRED: MANA CHANNEL ANALYSIS】
Marc blinked. It actually did something. New skills had been rather rare of late, and this looked to be something altogether different.
Quickly, he used the skill to see how the Mana was moving through Rynan’s water affinity core.
《Interesting. Yeah, I get it.》
“You get what?”
《Master level.》
“I can use Master level water magic now?”
《You can use Master level everything now.》
“No way.”
《Go ahead, try it.》
Marc had been sticking with fire magic since they had boarded, so he pulled out the most powerful fire magic he knew. Then, he tried to target not a single one of the Jaek, but using his insight from his mapping ability, he targeted them all at once.
The flash would have been visible from kilometers away. As it was, it nearly blinded every person on the deck. There was a strange silence in the air, a stillness, and then everything went a brilliant white. Only Marc could tell what had happened. Thirty-two lightning bolts appeared from the sky and precisely targeted each Jaek in the area. In an instant, they were all effectively decapitated, and their bodies slowly started to drift to the bottom of the sea.
Hee-ssu spent the next half hour running around the deck of the ship, checking everyone and healing a few who exhibited lingering eye and ear problems from the unexpected blast. Marc and Rynan had to report to the central tower to explain what had happened.
The captain did not appear to be too bothered as there were no permanent or serious injuries, and no damage at all to the ship. If anything, he seemed quite pleased that there was even more heavy defense power available. He had been nervous at the beginning of the trip, but now having two Master level mages confirmed on board, he was actually overstaffed for defenders.
Rynan, on the other hand, seemed more concerned than pleased by the sudden jump in power from her student.
“What have you done, Marc?”
Admittedly, Marc was concerned as well. The power was beyond what he could have imagined. That evening, sitting with Rynan and Lehdze in his study, Marc explained the new ability he had gained and what had left him to his sudden epiphany.
Perhaps this was inevitable, Marc thought to himself. Maybe this was a path that many, if not all, Travelers found themselves on eventually. He realized that this one enhancement had set him on a new path in this world. That the common sense that applied to everyone else was now something he could step around, or leap ahead of.
After wishing so many times to be able to do just what he had done, he now felt that it was a cold, and lonely sensation. His journey now was no longer something he took with his friends and family of this world, but was instead a pursuit of things that never belonged to this world in the first place. Even if he pretended and tried to fit in, he knew now that for the rest of his days in this world, he would never feel the same way again.
Rynan sensed his inner turmoil. She realized that Marc had undergone a great change, and rather than meet it with suspicion and concern, she chose to speak to him with sympathy and support.
“I may not be qualified to be your teacher anymore, but I will continue to be your friend and support as long as I walk in this world.”
“You will always be my teacher. As long as I walk on this, or any other world, I will always address you so.”
----------------------------------------
The rest of the voyage was relatively uneventful. The attacks from beasts continued, although the pace did slack off a bit as they approached the desert continent. By the time they reached the land, there was no sign of life at all, in the sea or in the air, not even insects. Everything had taken on a stale and dry atmosphere.
The outpost where they landed was barely a village. Just several buildings and a dreary-looking community of academics and Guild appointees. They were pleased to see the ship, as many would be leaving with it, replaced with a new crew who had just made the journey. Those who remained joyfully replenished the island’s supplies. Even though the cursed sand had not covered the small island, almost nothing could grow here, and everything they needed to live had to be brought in on these transport ships.
After the transport vessel had departed, Marc arranged for transportation to the mainland. They would need to reach the city of Cilis. The only static community on the entire continent. From there, they would hopefully get information regarding the current location and status of Li’Arr.