Chapter Forty Six: Full Moon is Rising, The Sky is Black

Fourth Tower Year 4776, 4.3.2

The Independent Kingdom of Praxim

For over three weeks, Marc had been riding every day. He had already stopped a few times along the route that the party had decided would get them to the coastal port of Ottraciel the soonest. So far, the trip had been both fascinating as well as relaxing.

Rather than joining a caravan, which would be simple and safe, but very slow, Marc instead took on a role as a Guild courier.

Couriers were common contracts, though they usually required specific skills and experience. They would need to spend significant amounts of time on their own, be able to orient themselves to find their routes, and have enough survival skills to live off the land if necessary.

Simply navigating on a different world presented interesting challenges and gave Marc some stark revelations about the world he now lived in.

Kira had confirmed that this world was effectively identical in size to his own. That accounted for days and years of equivalent length. But there were substantial differences as well.

First of all, the continents were different in size, number, and general makeup. Tehric, for example, was a supercontinent, with nearly half of the landmass of the entire planet. It was equally split between the northern and southern hemispheres, and contained nearly every biome imaginable.

Marc estimated that it as roughly the size of Africa and Asia, smashed together into one huge landmass.

Sett, their current destination, was a much smaller continent. It was located on the opposite side of the world from Tehric. Barely grazing the equator, it extended south. Marc imagined it to be like how South America would look like without North America. It was once a fertile and rich land with high biodiversity, and abundant Mana, but that was before the cataclysm.

Now, it was almost entirely covered with a toxic desert, where life could not be supported outside of a few caravans that had learned how to survive in the wasteland.

Other continents included Sobric, the ice-covered southern polar wasteland; Fe’ll, the original home of the Juujin, just to the North of Sett; and Krrt Anatra, the tree-covered isolated home of the Elves, that occupied the ocean between Fe’ll and the Ranobe Empire that currently dominated much of the Eastern side of Tehric.

While the world was large, it was, by Marc’s standards, quite empty. According to Kira, the current world population is just under half a billion. That was roughly the population of his old world at the beginning of the 19th century. So, it made sense that there were fewer cities, and settlements were farther apart.

Even traveling as fast as he could, it would be days between towns or outposts, and he had only seen one other large city of the size of Wolf’s Mesa on his journey so far. Luckily, he did not suffer from a lack of comfort or companionship.

Taking the courier contract greatly simplified a number of challenges and decisions. First, his transportation was taken care of. The Guild provided him and Hee-ssu with mounts. He needed to register a party of two for the contract, So Hee-ssu was added. In practice, most of the others took turns riding with him, even Enpii took a few shifts. However, to move the bus across the world, Marc had to be the one to travel as the portal must always open near his current location.

As much as Marc had liked the horses, he adored the mounts that the Guild lent him. They were called Yakkul, and were as large as a horse, but looked like a mix between an antelope and a mountain goat. They were as fast as a horse, but with twice the endurance and better control over rough terrain. This was particularly helpful as roads and trails were rare and largely unmarked.

The Yakkul were also incredibly smart, though they did not appear to be fond of staying in the pocket dimension. Marc noticed that they had an excellent sense of direction, and he wondered if entering the space affected them in some way. They would get agitated and refuse to eat or sleep until released back into the open air.

Because of this, Marc spent most nights outside, camping in one of the tents that they had brought along. Others would join him, and they would sometimes leave the portal open so it was easy for people to move back and forth. The evolution of his storage ability had truly become a lifesaving skill as they suffered no inconvenience, even as they trekked across the wilderness.

Hee-ssu spent as much time taking care of the Yakkul as she did practicing with the forge. When she found out that Kira could even replicate forging materials, she went crazy, testing and designing to her heart’s content. She was only mildly disappointed that the items she created could not be taken outside of the pocket dimension, but Marc also had quite a bit of real materials in his inventory, should she want to make something permanent.

Enpii spent as much time with Marc as he could justify staying apart from his family. This journey was, in many ways, a dream come true for him. He was never allowed to join missions outside the wall, and now he was traversing the wilds in an entirely different country. It was easy to think that his condition made him unsuited for adventuring like this, but Marc was often reminded that his only weakness was his lack of Mana control. In fact, Enpii was far more fit and capable than most people from Marc’s world. In raw strength, he was stronger and healthier than Marc, minus his magical enhancements.

With one exception, the expedition was more of a road trip vacation, and Marc felt like he could do this for years without getting bored. That exception, however, refused to be pushed out of their minds for very long.

While Mumay said that Beth’s condition had improved since she had moved into the bus, it was far from cured. Every two to three days, she would suffer from terrible symptoms. She would get a high fever, intense pain, and nothing they could do seemed to help. Marc had learned some healing skills from Ba’eth, but they had no effect at all. Rynan had rejuvenation abilities, but both she and Lehdze felt they were for too unpredictable to use on a child in Beth’s condition. All she could do was create some ice backs for her mother to use to try and combat the fever.

Marc missed much this, as he was outside most of the time, and Beth and Lehdze always stayed inside the bus. There were times Mumay wanted to bring her out to see something new as they passed through various exotic locations. They decided that, for now, it was best to let her stay in the safe and static mini-world that had become her home.

《Marc, I’ve finished.》

“Finished what?”

Marc and Hee-ssu were riding toward the last outpost before they made the final run for Ottraciel. As couriers, they just needed to bring small bundles of correspondence packets between the Guild Halls and outposts along their route. Luckily, Meservi had provided them with the qualifications they would need to not only get assigned courier routes, but also the high-level credentials that let them effectively choose their own routes. There was no doubt, that Marc’s abilities would allow him to complete any transportation task, likely in less time than even experienced veterans, so he gladly used his status to take as many contracts as possible along their travel route.

《The analysis of Beth’s condition. I’ve done what I can to map out the effects and projected progression of her problem.》

“What have you learned? Isn’t there anything we can do?”

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《Not a lot, unfortunately. But a few things that might be useful. First, I think I have a timeline.》

Marc pulled to a stop. He wanted to focus on what she was saying. He signaled Hee-ssu that they would take an early break. He let her take both mounts to get some water, and let them rest, while Marc sat on a small boulder to discuss the situation with his interface.

《Six months.》

“Six months? What do you mean? What exactly happens in six months?”

《That, I’m not sure yet. I just know that despite the improvement we have seen, in approximately six months, the development of Beth’s core will reach its breaking point. At best, she will follow the same path as her father.》

“What about Enpii? What happened to him?”

《I’ve analyzed them both, the best that I can. All I can say is that his core stopped forming at a critical point. That left him effectively without a crystal or a core. The half-formed core is still there, but it is inert.》

“Inert? Why? What does that mean?”

Marc could tell that Kira was holding back. Trying to be delicate with difficult information, but he couldn’t help but push her for more.

《I don’t know. It just… doesn’t work. It’s as though his body doesn’t recognize it, and just lets the Mana pass through his system. As far as I know, that’s not possible.》

“And that’s the best-case scenario? What’s th-“

《Marc, you don’t want to finish that question.》

His heart sank.

They had six months. Hopefully, they would find this elusive master before then, and maybe he could help. But they couldn’t rely solely on a rumor.

“Kira, keep working on it. Do whatever we can to push things toward the ‘best case’ outcome.”

《Of course.》

“I mean it. Anything and everything. Whatever it takes.”

《Marc, I don’t want you to get your hopes up. Remember, you are an immortal. This will not be the last time you will face the fragility of life in your presence.》

“Kira, just do it.”

She waited a while before responding. He didn’t know if it was because she was trying to figure out a response, or was simply giving him time to dissipate his frustration. Most likely, it was likely the latter.

《Whatever I can do. I promise.》

They were in and out of the last outpost like the wind. Hee-ssu seemed surprised. They would usually stop for at least an hour or two to look around, but Marc indicated that they would be back on the road as soon as he had picked up the last courier packet. She would have protested, but she could tell there was something bothering him.

They rode until there was barely any light to see. Luckily, Marc was able to find a good campsite, even in the dark. He now stored the camping gear in a ready to use state, so it only took a few minutes, and the tents were set, a small fire was burning, and the Yakkul were settled with food and water.

“Marc, is everything okay?”

“Yeah. No problems. I’m just feeling the pressure. We need to get help for Beth as soon as possible. Is it okay if I step inside the bus for a bit? I’ll bring back some dinner if you want to eat out here with the Yakkul.”

She happily nodded, then added a request.

“Bring some of that… Gwak? You know, the green stuff. It’s addictive.”

“Sure,” he agreed as he stepped through the portal into the pocket dimension.

It was dark inside as well, the sky still mimicked the outside environment, but there were a few lights that they kept on outside the apartment, and the fire was going.

“How are things going?” Rynan met him, holding a cup of warm tea.

He eagerly accepted it and took a long drink.

“Good. We made decent time. We should be to the coast by Fifth-day.”

Mumay was sitting with Enpii on one of the benches, with Beth laid across both of their laps, sleeping.

“Kira told me about the timeline. How are you doing?”

She was worried about him, he could tell. She still thought of him as impulsive and reactive. Of course, with the modicum of self-awareness he had been developing, he knew that there was a lot to that.

It was strange that his connection to the people of this world was so much stronger than any relationship he had before coming here. Rynan and Kira wanted him to see his situation more impassively, as an observer of this world, rather than an active participant. It made sense. He wasn’t born here. He wasn’t even the same… anything. He was an immortal Traveler. He would still be the same, with the same appearance, when Beth was an old woman, if she made it that far…

He still wasn’t sure what had changed. Why, suddenly, did he care about other people? Why was he so excited to travel and explore the world? Why did he feel compelled to fight to make things better for the people around him, at no benefit to himself? Did it all really start with Grenn saving him from the vorpal rabbit? Or was something else pushing him along? Changing what kind of person he was.

He went and pulled up a chair to sit in front of the couple. Reaching out, he brushed the girl’s head, and was pleased when she seemed to smile. She seemed to be in good spirits, at least for now.

He looked at his friends. They were a combination of many things, he could tell. They were stressed and exhausted, worried, and fearful of the future, but they were also happy. Happy to be together, and grateful to Marc for fighting so hard to find a solution for their daughter.

Without saying a word, he stood and motioned them to stay where they were.

Aloysius was standing beside the portal, holding a platter of food, along with a couple of thermal bottles.

The bottles were his own design. Double-walled metal with a screw closure. Wrapped in the plastic-like leaves of a taapi plant. There was nothing magical about them, but the design worked so well and efficiently that Hee-ssu had offered to buy the design rights from him.

“Flatbread with chicken and pico de gallo, Clearwater style. And extra guacamole for Ms. Hee-ssu.”

Marc had even gotten used to the butler. It was strange; he saw Aloysius as a separate entity from Kira, just as he treated her kobold golem differently from her visually projected avatar. He knew they were all just different faces on the same interface, but he couldn’t help but feel they were almost a team, rather than all aspects of his own powers.

“Thanks, Aloysius.”

He took the platter and went outside to eat with the dwarf.

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Marc arrived at the coast in the late afternoon on Fifth-day. They were still a few hour’s ride from Ottraciel, but he thought it was best to camp outside the city and get everything in order before they made this last stop. If all went well, they would soon be transitioning to a sea voyage, on their way to Sett.

As Marc stood on a cliff overlooking the Western Sea, he was overwhelmed but the size of it. This was the first time he had ever seen something so massive.

Once, when he was young, he had gone with some of his cousins to Hermosillo. There, he had driven on the highway along the Gulf of California. Honestly, it did not leave much of an impression on him at the time. The turquoise-blue sea was flat and calm, but he was young and had little interest in sightseeing.

Now, standing in front of a darker, deep blue ocean, with waves breaking and filling the air with a roar, even from hundreds of meters away, Marc was captivated by the strength and intense presence, as if the ocean were alive and an intelligent entity reaching out to him.

He felt so small, as though the sea might not notice such an insignificant presence such as he. He could blast his most impressive magic, and the sea would keep pushing back and forth without care or notice.

“This is so beautiful. Marc, let them out. They should see this.”

He just nodded, then opened the portal.

Kira must have said something to them, because, one by one, the passengers of the bus came out to view their next challenge.

Mumay even brought out Beth to see it, holding her daughter in her arms as Enpii stood beside her.

The scholar also came out for the first time since the journey had begun. He kept to himself mostly, spending most of his time in his study, reproducing the books that he had lost.

Now, he stood alongside the rest of the expedition, taking in the majestic view in front of them.

“The Western Sea, truly a wondrous sight. How many years has it been?” Rynan reminisced wistfully.

“How far until Ottraciel?” Asked Enpii.

Just a few hour’s ride. I think we could camp for the night and arrive tomorrow morning.

Looking around and hearing no objection, Marc checked his map for a place nearby to make camp.

“Congratulations Marc, You have made excellent time. I think we will be able to get to Sett with plenty of time before the storm season starts.”

Rynan’s praise was warm and helped reduce the fatigue on his shoulders. As much as he had enjoyed riding through the Kingdom, and he was sure he would be looking for other opportunities to take similar trips in the future, he was ready to take a break from this daily grind. He had crossed nearly half the continent in less than a month, mostly thanks to the wyvern jump start. Now he was taking his first step off this land and would be moving to an entirely new continent.

After soaking up the view, the party slowly moved back into the portal. Rynan joined him as he moved to the campsite. The wind along the cliffs would make it difficult to sleep, so he backtracked inland to find a protected space with some trees for cover.

After setting up the campsite and taking care of the Yakkul, Marc asked Rynan to tend to the fire. There was one more thing he wanted to do tonight.

The sun was just starting to set, when Marc asked Kira to help him make a small change to the pocket dimension. He wanted to commemorate the first major milestone of their journey, so they created a path through the trees that they had placed around the site to give it a sense of protection.

Now, there was a single short path that led through the trees to a cliff, similar to the one they had stood on earlier. While it was actually nothing but an illusion, it was one that could confuse every sense. He, and everyone else in the party, could now come here and sit and watch the sunset over the ocean whenever they wanted to.

This was now a part of his perfect memory, and a moment he would never forget.