COI C33
The police department in Isekai City, they are having problems. The goblin, Sork, once was a troublemaker to the public, the same goblin watches over the city through use of his rituals. The police got more reports recently from their own citizens, number of thefts rose and violence across the Mihayara district, and now stretching to the residential districts where seeing gangs rose up recruiting the community. The same place where the goblin causing problems, he made enemies to the right places. It’s hard to believe that many people are gullible what he had done, this is the first time they are judging him what they are expecting.
Sork kept destroying the evidences when he was there, and many people thought him to be the criminal. After the investigation, when he was jailed, his evil laughter really makes sense to them. He shows dominance to the other criminal organizations, but this is just a claim from one of the investigators. Changing to the different topic, where the rise of crime rate and the new equipment to neutralize them are close to end its testing. The police have been equipping the best gears within their armory, what’s stopping them is the realm made by the gangs to hide themselves.
They need to find new alternative to get inside without their equipment be taken through ambushes or even killing their enforcers. They thought bringing the locals to help the situation, for now, they assigned them to track the suspects where their hideouts are. Slowly picking off the suspects with the help of the dwarves’ traps and the Agatheans’ tracks finding fresh new gang members. The police need to find the gang leaders to weaken their organization. One last thing they need to do is the end their hideouts, the realms.
New hired recruits are under the rush testing area, to see whether they are suited for helping the police. Ruby, Saint Heroes adventurer, is already part of the police enforcers, seeing the only a handful joining the police department. The results were effective from last time, because of the change of the new regulation. They are losing more recruits as they quit because of the conditions. It wasn’t about the pay, it’s their own community are willing to help, reducing the payment for searching the suspects. The police officials are in the observation room reviewing their conditions.
“It is good that many people are cooperating”
“Yeah, but it is going to be troublesome without the help of the locals”
“You’re starting relying on the Horsins”
“We need to, they report more details than our everyday citizens”
“He’s right, the information they gave us also informed about the origin of those suspects’ abilities. Gritted teeth* I can’t believe the dome was infiltrated”
“Smart move from the defectors, we now found out that the gang members where the one who playing around the foundation by appearing and disappearing in most cases”
“Ruby from the city guild have mentioned that the Enders will be joining the force”
“We need the help we can get to take control of the realms. What are their roles?”
“Not yet, Sir, they will be coming here for testing. Because of the incident where the captured suspects were . . .”
She shows the report and some pictures about the incident. By reading the report, they thought what they should have done a long time ago. The mana battery scandal is now part of the murder scene, with that, they have to end the smuggling before it reaches the headlines. They let that man, who saved one of their men, go for his bravery against three people.
“Now screening 5 new applicants from Enders Bridge. 4 members from Raker Mawn guild and 1 Classified member, 4 humans and 1 dwarf are here to join the police force under the condition for night patrols”
The police officials received a notification from their UI, a message from the police who is screening them.
“Sir, they only be doing their service part time. Under their condition if they satisfied our conditions having captured suspects. Then they will continue their own operation under the acceptance from your order”
“They seem to be confident”
“Yeah, and that’s the man right there”
U’ecin is part of the screening, seeing him again will be troublesome if they have another goblin giving bad public reputation. Trying to look at the other Enders during the screening, they never seen a dwarf wearing Enders’ equipment. They look like a bunch of boy bands for their dark colored clothes and armory. Haw and Ironno were not wearing those uniforms until now, they wore like any common adventurers would look like. Haw once wearing leather armor, but now wore dark blue with unknown leather. Ironno now wears something strange about his clothes, along with the hard hat confuses the observers.
After the screening, they are being assigned and tested to their abilities. The officials continued observing them as the new batch already sent to screening. It is rare for them to have Enders joining the police force. The Enders are needed to go a different room for testing and other training they need to do. It took them the entire day as the result were better than they have thought. The police who observed the screening and the training as he was rather impressed, but more importantly acted like a military training than he expected.
“Ma’am, we have the results for the Enders. These people are something, take a look and see”
“Did they added a video about them?”
“We have ma’am, except for Haw though. His uses of the potions deteriorate the view of the camera. However, there is still premade potions he made during the process”
The official looks at the records, where everyone is above average of their performances. Yet, the dwarf is their top performed recruit, then 2nd is U’ecin. On the other hand, there are added new skills and unique strategy added by the Enders.
“Alright, tell the other officials to review them. These files are little too much to have them do only patrols”
“Yes, ma’am”
The officials have finished the rest of the screening and will be planning for the rest tomorrow. They headed to their office where one of the officials are already preparing to review the high standard applicants. The pictures are from the Enders and the other Agatheans with their private matters. They see that the files about the Enders are as recommendable than they have thought. They examined each of them.
The first file is called by the name ‘Rusic’, his performance is regarding him to rune smithing with the police armory. He improves all the equipment with the limited resource he had, but the same goes what the city did to manufactured their own rune made products. The requirements of the quality of the items are always in demand, and amazingly, he made runes to that extent with different abilities and buffs. He will be the essential for their mid action protocols. Inside the files, there is a note written by him himself.
“Just accept the fact that your gears and my rune words will not be compatible than you will think. I made good rune words on your best gears for a short time, but it has duration and limited uses while I implemented it. It will deteriorate if I go beyond its limits. My remark is only let me be with my brethren, I have my ways to get my own equipment. I would like to say a bit more illegal approached”
Further into his files, the sparring match, when the dwarf had made a successful win by beaten them with his runes. And, after seeing the video, they are satisfied what they have.
The 2nd one is U’ecin, he has the same craftsmanship as the dwarf and much more than they could imagined. Same thing he did during the incident, the way he manipulated their mana to their own equipment under his control. They are ironically thrilled how he does that in mid fight. Sadly, the people wanted to learn this move is difficult than they seemed. They quickly check on the video, and saw more than what they imagined. Using only the resources coming from the forest, he used everything he got to diverge everything they throw at him. Then he attacks, hurting his sparring partner without any chance to recover.
They replay it again, using the chalk to trace a line to his hands down to his feet. The trick he did to borrow equipment from them and change the content of the item. Both of them were wearing matching training suits, while U’ecin changes a bit with the use of the chalk. The sparring partner begins to use every throw with his fist and kicks. U’ecin is forced to endure that he can’t fight back by their overwhelming abilities. Beaten, but not out. His partner uses the final blow and it was his time to use the chalk’s magic. The equipment blows up redirecting all and the previous attacks into one counter, U’ecin hits him where his vitals are, his gut, and already down by one hit.
There were no remarks on his files.
“I’m curious what he is using when fighting those three criminals”
“Probably their own weapons, that sparring was a fist fight. Those clothes don’t have any magic buffs on it”
“It is amazing how he enchants it at the beginning of a fight”
“Do we still need this guy?”
“I think so, the more they are the better for our side to survive”
“We have to improve our protection before it gets worse”
“That’s the reason why the government invest more to bring the resources here. Wood won’t cut it”
“Now, let’s see the next file”
Haw’s file, with a favored permission by the forensic department. He is an alchemist with known knowledge of basic chemistry (this city’s modern chemistry). The specialists and the scientists liked him to be under their department to find new formula for research about neutral mana. The video before the sparring shows him made a plenty of potions had their own magic to itself. There is also a list of potions are all imperfect because of its lack of ingredients. However, it shows promising use of each potion. He replicates smoke, flash, and even riot pellets. A spray from the bottle on the dust and throws it, it enhances the dust and molded into rubber pellets.
Once it evaporates, it reverts back to dust but a little muddy with the remaining fluids. They understood why they wanted him. There is a note by the other police officers that he is better off part of the force too.
“We can only give you a report because the recent video was blurred by Haw’s chemicals. It is hard to believe that with the combination with U’ecin’s manipulation of our mana, together, they can neutralize the suspects’ power together. The worse comes out from it to lessen the conflict is to use their Rune Isles ingredients”
The officials check on Haw’s remarks.
“I’m acknowledge by the forensics to see me to identify the case through my potions effectively. I am respectful by your staff to recommend me and U’ecin to work together by our common routines. If he messaged you to be part with U’ecin’s team, that would be logical. It’s better to capture them with less injury than what he always did back in Enders Bridge”
The officials look at each other and no doubt agreed to what are their situation are in. Then they focus on U’ecin’s behavior.
“I’ll be amazed if they managed to catch the defectors. Those people are the real targets for us to handle”
“They already killed someone at the east coast, and them returning back into the city will harm many innocent people”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Then, we should assign them to that”
“But they will get themselves killed if we do that”
“This is only an option when we face them again. We already have enough for the people petitioned from other incidents”
“If they are what we need, let’s review what left of the files”
Meanwhile with the Enders gathered in the park, a lot of people passed by looking at them like some boy band. All wore in dark clothes were supposed to be the uniforms of Enders Bridge. It is a common appearance to blend the gloomy dark environment of Rune Isles, they wore it to go to the police station. It was Myrrkei’s idea, and it work for him and Ironno but not for the other three.
“You should be the one be wearing that your equipment hides beneath it, Myrrkei”
“I for one that I need it because few of my tools are in it”
Many passers by looking at them and thought to be cosplaying, and with the actual cosplayers are already posing to the camera. Haw managed to convince everyone at school to be part of the police force during suspension. It was Coral gives a few pointers how to get a better position base on his chemistry. In truth he was here for Myrrkei’s help, never he had known that the outcasts are already in this district. He wouldn’t easily convince the dangers happened to everyone here. The main reason why he joined as he stares at the real problem, U’ecin.
He was against not to go to the city, and the words got out he managed to kill the gang members by protecting a police officer. He grew wary if he can’t manage to kill them, and hearing from the stories from Quail about her former adventure life. His own world trying their best to take down these citizens, and their experimentation where the reasons she quits. U’ecin stares back at him knowing too well about his motivation of his personal touching blood among them.
“I was that lucky”
“Too lucky to kill that many”
“What are you two talking about? Oh yeah, his . . .”
Ironno silences Rusic where he is about to say, where the people eavesdropping them all around. To break off this topic, Ironno mentioned about Myrrkei’s contribution for the police force.
“Myrrkei, you said that you will be helping to investigate the realm. You are going to search by yourself or going with them together”
“I know what are you thinking, Ironno, and you too U’ecin. We are being the Raker Mawn Guild for too long that you know my noncooperation”
Haw had learned the hard way with the sphere. One of the reasons they quickly agreed for letting Haw join for just not letting Myrrkei coming back again.
Haw will come back to them when the delivery they needed are here, then he will stop cooperating with the police to investigate the location of the realms. Night coming slowly where the sun still not sets, for the five already planned out if they are going to properly work with the city’s security. Haw hope for his remarks to stay close with U’ecin’s blood fingers on the outcasts, Rusic hopes to be part of them and not playing guards around the city with mind numbing noise all around him, and Ironno commented on each one of them what they are truly capable of.
Lastly for Myrrkei, he has already draw out the area where the realms were. All of them see him beginning to pinpoint on his drawn map of this district where they hide. However, this has to be done without the police to be involved. He examined all the routines happening to this district. Pointing out the great spots for every man’s desires; foods, drinks, rooms, and women. This district has no stopping of rest and more people enjoying freely than what Mountaiwall has to offer. The most occupied and the quiet place he ever thinks of is far away than he imagined.
Partial part of the district to the east, a small size district that separates the main one. Probably cut off from the original city they have. A lot of people are heading there, but across the streets where only a few passed by on the streets. U’ecin sees the map, he disregarded him.
“No, that’s too obvious where they could hide”
“I know, but I’m making assumption to for them to focus on. If we find those outcasts ourselves, then it is easier for us to use their weapons as ours”
“This renegade had a great point, I heard they will be giving us their equipment. My runes will be worthless if they give us non-perishable items”
“By the way, were being here for far too long. We should leave now”
The Park is getting crowded as more people showed up, many families are here having their fun time at the park. The children play around with their magic powers, everyone is having a great time as they freely using their mana. Humans from Horsin won’t have that kind of leisure to use their magic freely and safely. They mostly use for their own protection, and the limited use of their mana is for the every day life in working on the city.
“They would be luckier to live like that if this wasn’t post apocalypse”
Rusic blurted out among them as they agreed.
Myrrkei made finishing touches on his map, any points to find the whereabouts. Too impatient by his own analogy, he starts out by giving himself that look. U’ecin and Ironno recognized it and quickly told Haw and Rusic about it.
“He is not going to wait for the result”
“The same bastard that called the rat”
They look at him as he getting more excited by the idea he was thinking. They waited, he reviewed, they are staring for the obvious, he is glaring on his eyes on the map, they won’t ignore, he finalizes, then they are gone. The police were observing them as they vanished.
“Ironno’s request to inform is correct, please call any public enforcer to search their whereabouts”
The sun sets where the shades of the building are their night. Myrrkei’s potion still lasts after the test. Weakness against the sun, and the secrets he wields to venture again at night. Everyone knows it during the screening where he shows and test his potion. U’ecin was always with him since coming to this city, the sleeping pills he got was recommended by him. Both of them think alike, but different goals. He wants to end his mission and the other treated like a journey.
U’ecin knows he can’t last here for his hatred with the outcasts, he should end there and leave. Now he is following Myrrkei again to search the realm, Haw following the trails of his shadowy ashes with his own potion, while Rusic and Ironno will be follow them at their own pace. Thanks to Haw’s potion to leave a trail, they will have time as reinforcement once they meet trouble. The police managed to find them where Ironno shows them the trail. They meet and said
“How did you know he will go crazy?”
“The adventure got into his head”
Myrrkei made it to the first location he suspected. The edge of the district where it left parts of the district stands. The filling up parts of the buildings are the sign how it was partially transfer here to this world. Haw and U’ecin reach him and sees the cut off of the city’s buildings. They look around for anything suspicious, but it was themselves who where suspicious. The trail didn’t were off, and the pedestrians look at them and move on to their own daily life. From the way how they look at them, U’ecin felt provoke for some reason.
“I felt someone recognized me”
“They are too many people here, U’ecin. Can you really spot them?”
“No, but to those who I killed their friends know me”
“We’re not demons, I’m supposing we could find them under what abilities we have”
“None of us are using magic, even your potions didn’t have the right ingredients to find them”
“That’s why Myrrkei is the only one can prospect the area”
“He is, and . . .”
Myrrkei already found the realm, hidden closely into the restrooms. He pulled out his pen and write an x close to it. Without knowing that he was vandalizing a public restroom.
The police found him and the blow of a whistle, he got called out by them.
“Freeze, you are vandalizing public property. Please let go of the pen and come with us”
Myrrkei forgets about the law of this city. He already got taken away. Haw and U’ecin followed them where they introduced themselves as he is with him. Pretending to be a hassle, the police whispered to them
“Don’t make the public service look bad by your bad behavior, if you really want to investigate. Please follow the protocol, the civilian will not stand against troublemakers, understand?”
Ironno and Rusic made to where the trail ends, but there’s no one here. One of the police who is with them heard a call from the other police.
“It’s your friend, they are already at the police district office”
“It’s alright, I already showed them why Myrrkei should be doing the investigation in low population density”
“I heard it, he is kind of free do his thing when doing his work”
“That’s why the elves want him to do his quest alone, with no interference by the public”
They headed to where they are, where Rusic is glad he won’t be running around.
The police pretend to apprehend him only for the public eye, and the way he already ahead of himself to check the realms. They received a map showing the location of the realm, and quickly send it to HQ. Haw and Myrrkei waited for the police to respond. Still pretending what they are about to do, the police hand out a form for them to fill. A call from HQ
“Hello ma’am . . . yes ma’am, but only three of them are here . . . one of them vandalize a public property, for public sake we have to be strict according our law . . . Yes, continue the punishment and forget the incident”
U’ecin and Haw watches Myrrkei to accept the punishment in order to please the public. Myrrkei is acting too oblivious lately and how he didn’t do the other things what U’ecin thought him to do. He didn’t just put the x for the location of the realm, he will activate it in a small margin. Something is up in his head, because this is too petty than him running like a ghost across the city.
“You need to follow the punishment. We won’t give exemption during your early tribute to help”
Back to the scene of the crime, Myrrkei is cleaning off the writings of the wall. It is small and the people thought it was kind of funny seeing him getting punished over it. The citizens were satisfied to see someone getting caught from the start of that mischief, Haw is learning how strict this people are when following the law. Myrrkei wiped off the writing so quickly by using a wipe without using any rubbing alcohol, then he secretly switches with a different wipe to continue to clean off the ink on the wall. The police were pretending, but is good enough and not ruined their reputation except for him.
Myrrkei finishes and returned the cleaning utensils. U’ecin gets the wipe from Myrrkei and proceeds back to the police district office. It was long playing pretending procedure, and they finally let go after the incident. Ironno and Rusic stayed at the station, and won’t bother follow him around to play pretend. Myrrkei apologizes to them
“I think I’ve gone overboard”
“You are just playing law abiding in public. What kind of human like you who did all that for just a single realm to find? I hope the police is satisfied to waste their time with you along with their new realm”
Later that night, the police is making clear zone where Myrrkei marked at the closest realm. Ruby is with them about a call to raid an unidentified realm. Before setting up the raid they slowly replacing the public with undercovers, and others disguised as children with their magic. Slowly over time by a few hours, the entire area surrounded by undercover police and so on. They checked on to their surroundings where actual criminals are within the vicinity. None, but Myrrkei claimed there is one. Once they are ready, they are searching the restroom for the secret portal.
They found it, and quickly burst through the door with the other officers are behind them. Ruby comes in first and checked what she saw. The realm is like a ghost town, a familiar theme of misty horror game she once played. The realm is small but has signs of being made recently, the officers are raiding and finding what the realm is keeping. They found a strange box, not familiar with the same product made from this city. It is locked and no sign of magic is used to open it. An agathean entered the realm and sees the box, he tries to lock pick and it opened.
The box was opened but it was empty. The agathean keep searching inside the box that a familiar secret hiding inside. He found it by touching inside the box, the illusive fog blocked the view of their normal eyes.
“Bring the box outside, this realm hides item with its mist”
Ruby watches them trying to carry the empty box, but it was too heavy. Many uses their strength magic trying to pull it out, and failed. The actual people with muscular body appeared and try to pull it out. They did, but they drag it of how heavy it is. Slowly, noisily, and more important painfully dragging it out with their own bare strength.
The empty box is finally out, and they see something inside. The mist clears and the object appeared, a strange metal slab with the same material made from the foundation. One of the police touches it, he disappears then reappears. In quick succession, the police have figured it out. The agathean finds more secret within the mist where there are truly emptied containers made by the city itself. They slowly connecting the dots and realize what they are carrying.
“This where the smuggling of the mana battery transferred to”
The police search outside of the area, the most suspicious to find is eastward of the city. Outside of the city, now they found out how did they easily move one place from another. The gang members had never once set out of the city, without knowledge how to use the foundation. The metal slab they found is the easy viewpoint for them to go to. What’s more suspicious how did this thing got here.
“Please report to HQ, we have found their secret getaway portal. I repeat secret getaway portal”
“All officers to return to their respected assign night patrol”
“Myrrkei had shown promising results of finding their vital realm”
“Ironno’s remarks really made us cautious a bit of him, but we need to have to do to distract the citizens of their discomfort of his actions. Because of that, we have settled their miscellaneous complaints”
“Are we going to continue asking for their help?”
“We just need at least one of them, except those two who are working for a school”
“Agreed, but it is a good reputation for the school to help the police though”
“I have taken my research about them, the school obtained many outstanding people to teach the students”
The officials had already accepted them as part of the police force. As of now, many other ranks won’t be excelled to have green horns, and it would take some time to accept them. For now, the first raid of the gang’s secret realms had unfolded, and the secret of their smuggling had taken out swiftly as the news kept mentioning it. If the Enders keep helping them like this, there is no need to use them as supporting assault when they will be sneakily attacked the gang’s undefended sources. This case will be solved sooner than they have expected.
U’ecin, brings out the wipe and Ironno gives him the map of the entire city. Myrrkei is already gone and tries to search for more realms hidden within the city. U’ecin wipes the cloth tainted by the ink on the map. The entire map revealed them before them
“Myrrkei asks me to remade the pen to trace our mana”
“And this map made from the papyrus of the wood of the forest, but it only tracks neutral mana”
The links appeared, where the main foundation have no traces when leaving but coming to the foundation, there’s a few. The Enders start to worry, where it can only find Horsins using the teleportation.
Haw and Rusic don’t want to expect this, but they have to, as it is proof, they are here. The signs of link showed them the way where they headed to the Foundation and nothing else.
“Our own people against the city”
“Boy, I hope you said is true, that people of Kinteinnou are the culprits”
“What do you mean?”
“Because that mana link is nearly faint, nearly identical to those rebellion”
“!!!”
The mana linked between the district and the foundation, showing any suspects to be possible.
U’ecin found another link as they enter to the dark streets of the city. An even more faint of light link to another unknown realm. They were already left the safety parts of the street and now in the dark overpass of the pedestrian. Dark enough to see it and enough people walking pass by them. Everyone is thinking the same thing, the northern district of Mihayara. Close to the nearly private streets where Haw remembers a lot police patrolling there. A tempting choice for their first night patrol.