COI C249
Raker Mawn Guild Outpost found near the East Coast. Stationed with no prior knowledge from Enders Bridge itself, not even the Lord know about this. Lies inside of the base, shows many reports weren’t delivered. The dates are exceeded when the time Isekai City had arrived after a few weeks. The same reports show pictural details about those missing people. The use of Tabitha’s wand revealed the hidden secrets collected from the Raker Mawn guild members had been doing this ever since.
With extra 2 days to spare, this is a perfect time to resupply and repairs needed for their journey. Haw, McS4, and R-cord reunite after for so long since the 1st siege. Holding on the box, instructed to open from its chains. The two never asked how he got here, rather R-cord found them on their way here. He didn’t know about this place. Haw, on the other hand actually knows about this place. His silence persisted and couldn’t lie to his old teammates. This silence is an old practice from the military corps. Better to be quiet or else.
Meanwhile Tabitha, Juela, and Silfa gathered around on the small room. A room shows refine as it feels comfy. Neither U’ecin nor Voldemyr would ever design this room. This secret outpost left the Enders in a deep expression that this base is really dated back when the citizens got here. They checked on the shelves and the jars inside. Well-preserved fish and other sea plants and vegetations ready to be cooked alongside with the recipe book on the table. Juela begins cooking as they discuss their plan.
Silfa gets angry for why only a few people are allowed to enter the East Coast.
“For once Haw didn’t know about the Enders’ activities beside a certain guild. Besides that, this is his own guild’s outpost. Augh! They are keeping secrets from us. Those are his own people out there”
Tabitha encourages her “That’s right! We know they brought two people from the East Coast into the sphere. Until now, they can’t save more after what we saw”
“To believe that many of our adventurers risk their lives to find them both here and the sphere. The Enders are no good . . . Sorry about that, I didn’t mean you”
Juela sees Silfa looking at her thinking she too was involved. She nods as well “I too agreed. Those people who took your people as pack animals or servient. They lead them astray as everyone is gathered to leave this world”
“That’s right!!!”
Both of them cheered at Juela as their grievances entice greatly as before. It went on arguing and criticizing the Enders and the Lord for not helping them. The freedom of their expression won’t be any good if the superior would hear it. It is kind of surprising for the men to hear Juela acting less like a subordinate and more of a superior.
R-cord asks Haw “Are there other guild members who behaved like that? They will definitely be punished for insulting the Lord”
“I know Sanquin . . .”
“I see, you don’t know your guild members’ status”
“Try to say that again to a person who was never been treated well”
“Yet, you feared to become one, and instead, you’re being used as a manwhore. Sanquin have told Lady Coheld to you publicly”
“Grr!”
McS4 wants to join mocking Haw. But it seems those two have no grudges on one other after their small talks. For a high discipline military corps, this is beyond man’s control. Or rather, didn’t he still not see Haw human again. Or, R-cord is having fun.
“Heh” McS4 laughs it off.
Is it has been this long to hear their rough attitude mocking him? Haw’s mind boggled relentlessly because of the warmth life in Isekai City. Honestly, he drowned himself into such lifestyle and only thing he did to live with his girlfriends and their desires. It was pleasant in the long run, but these harsh tones made him feel alive again. Is it because of him returning back as an Enders? Maybe not. He definitely understood one thing. His hands held together with these priceless and powerful magic materials, all mana types except neutral mana.
The list of their equipment is very secretive and invaluable. Lady Coheld is truly making the initiative to bring them here. All of their various weapons and old supplies are here. All while piled into one box, he finds so elaborate that the materials who brought it by Yui shows her sources come from. Containing more than the ordinary mana types, these materials would take him to figure it out it suits Tabitha and the rest of them.
Lady Coheld spoke to him before. Before even leaving the city, she approached him after being calling out by Silfa. It happened all of sudden and here he is. So much training he had done, performing crafting without the essential tools. From his time with the Archscientist to properly rehabilitated him, he is doing well with no scars on his body except secretly have one inside his head. Mentally fixated to any psychological pattern that might cause trauma or PTSD. The results are beyond human capabilities.
Slowly turns to Haw reaching his limits. His body improved with his dexterity without the use of augments. This is actual human body able to grow and adapt any man trained for. In just a few years, he is more capable to use physical activities instead of using his head. The set back on his block head is giving away the curse he initially had from Mountaiwall. It maybe the source of his body improvement with the cause of having something on his head stopping him become someone else.
The idea of joining the military corps is the best bet for him to improve as a fighter instead another manufacturer. The last test is to identify and interact the psychological aggressions. If he has this kind of defects for not showing empathy, sympathy, or any emotional responses. Haw was already broken after those cruel experiment. After the results, they found oddly inhuman for Haw. There is no brain damage but stripped away any emotional breakdowns. Miraculously, he can perform good natured behavior.
Ironically, all they have done to him is making him better. Such preposterous. It doesn’t matter anyway for Lady Coheld. However, they continue to teach him from many departments including the military corps themselves. All the data they have researched and designed are being tested in Haw’s cognitive abilities one last time. However, Haw received the small fraction of the Dexter Guild actual studies and research. With this, he is limited to physical performance and requires notes as part of his brain to function.
That day keeps him thinking. The memory inside of his head are all nothing but books flashbacking into his mind. This is indeed the documents filed when his eyes closed. The same experienced he had back he was experimented on. Haw’s expression stiffened as no one ever notice it. R-cord and McS4 can see it through their visors on their power helmet. The stagnant numbers of mental state going back and forth like it behaves like a heartbeat. They could say it to him, but they shouldn’t. Not when different people might hear.
Haw sets his things and some books from Isekai City. His device is placed alongside with it adding more to the procedures he is going to make. Fast reflexes on his hands skipped a few catches of his paperwork. McS4 joins in and placing down his mini crafting table. R-cord watches them work as his side of his eyes took a careful look from the end of the wall. Everyone seems busy at the most part, resting or working for the next few days. It is an important preparation when enter the East Coast. There is one had already prepared.
A doll, a child’s doll that reminds him a certain community to possess such toy. A toy? There is more than just a toy. The presence it holds carry so much as it can move. R-cord’s monocle is the same any kind of tools to identify what materials, abilities, and blessings to hold in one object. This doll prevents it. It moves as it is possessed by the spirits, yet it acts like a child whether it communicates any female who tried to treated as such. From what Haw mentioned about it, it is belonged to the shield student.
The longer he thinks about the new recruit. The more he remembers who are trying to contact him. Comparing him and Tabitha, he has the most receiving gifts. Tabitha has normal piece gifts from them, most of them are steadily growing alongside with her. The young boy though, he remembered the gem from the Enders daemos. It should’ve been a good idea to bring all of their new recruit here. It would benefit them to use all of their skills on their gifts. Like hypothesize this, the doll will be allowed to access her magic cards. The cards can be boost on the young boy because he has limited mana. He sighs as he overthinks too much.
It is now the afternoon. Being coop up inside the outpost have put the beating of their patience. Luckily for them, the girls are spending their time using their personal devices and while Juela watches them from the back. So many videos and movies to watch, and they never left them bored for a second. Meanwhile, Haw and the others have finished one of the equipment. McS4 notices the assembly line for Haw’s materials and tools ready to use in that small area. He found out none of the supplies are for him.
“For what expedition lead one person to never have these kinds of equipment to be made. Did your guild have forgotten about you?”
“This is meant for them, and for you guys as well”
Haw has little to survive inside the East Coast, barely an armor made out of leather. Everyone carries protection with added other form of mana type. He alone has to go there without magic. This makes the two worries about him. Not for his well-being, but what he can actually do in this new environment.
Haw is a grenadier or specialize in chemical warfare with the use of potions and other harmful substance. The Isekai city only sees him using potions to manipulate and to create chemically made magic to fight. There are also other tricks to use unstable materials as weapons. Those unstable items are mostly failed created magic items. This man can make use of it in the most dangerous sense. In this environment, this cycle has no mana to get from. Whether he could find some or not, it depends on his skills to get the raw resources coming the abundant crystal shards. It barely become proper mixtures because of its absorption mechanism.
Silfa turns away her device after watching some shows for too long. She stretched herself and yawns out of to open as she is getting bored. A combat suit being freshly hanged as it recently finished. It caught her eyes and points out with her new friends
“Hey, take a look at that”
Juela sees the suit and recognized the design “That looks like a warrior’s outfit”
Tabitha puts down her device and sees it “It doesn’t look like it. Where are those hardened pads or metal plates, or those bulk looking things?”
They approach to Haw. Juela said to him “Is this what Yui want you to make?”
“Oue didn’t know any preferences for Silfa. I have a chat with her after I ask to go on special quest. To think every adventurer’s tale brought me to East Coast. She is indeed a warrior. But from what she asked is not enough to survive the challenges. The reliance of magic is troublesome. There are enemies she will face worse. All of us will face more than what they describe as monsters”
Tabitha answered him “People at Mountaiwall, right?”
Haw raised his head and with his one hand covered his eyes from the painful realization.
“Yes, this is the beginning to kill the people your city didn’t want to do”
Silfa tsks “If they blocked my way from saving those people. Then I have no choice. My guild had already had someone killed. This is the reality we are going to face. I hope Haw would be merciful to take them out”
“Merciful?” A question spoken by McS4.
R-cord thought so as well. “What do you mean merciful?”
“I mean put them out from their misery. You guys have the guns, you should be able to shoot them out in one shot”
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Silfa thinks that killing them in one blow will be the easy way out to finish them off. Silfa says this because of her guild’s experience. The fight was brutal and there is no rest who are at East Coast or near from it. The fights keep coming to no rest. Even with their potions alone, they’re stressed out from the 24/7 battlefield. Their enemies are able to give them even they have negative status effects. Attrition is the same experience in Rune Isles. Death is not their problem. It is their will to fight carries the mana will bring last strike to every dying man fighting. The goblins last the longest because of their vengeful spirits.
R-cord explains to her “If you didn’t know. The East Coast is much stronger than you think. A simple lethal blow won’t be enough to execute anyone. Especially we need the final strike”
Tabitha helps Silfa out and sends a file to her device “Here’s a file, from what R-cord said earlier. The final strike is more like a killing blow. To be more precise, a certain key to a specific lock”
“Uh yeah? This means I have to do a specific attack or something like hitting a head, or at the heart, right?”
Tabitha just nods “Yeah something like that. What I am trying to say is their weak points and their weak attributes. Like I said, the only key and only the lock. There is not one but two things”
“Then that file means . . .”
“Yup, your idea about a bullet in head analogy needs one more. Like a silver bullet on the werewolf’s head. Hitting it anywhere won’t be instantly died”
“. . .”
“I know is silly, but sighs*”
While they are discussing. Juela whispers to Haw “There is no supplies for me, Haw?”
“The chains have little engravements. Yui doesn’t have the seal from the Lord”
“You know about it too?”
“About Lord Lori’es’ intention. No, I received my orders from my old guild mistress”
“I see, and I thought Daygen will be mad when you return to her”
“. . .”
“I was kidding. You know those two is with Tabitha”
She laughs and Haw smiles with a chuckle
“That’s great”
As Haw turns around, he whispered to himself “Too bad she is the one who remove you and anyone who are close to Tabitha”
“Sorry, but what did you say?”
Juela notices his soft voice. Her eyes never looked being deceived but she heard it, barely. Haw gives her a piece of paper
“I said, too bad she is the one who is going to learn this new equipment Oue asked”
Juela picks up the paper. She reads it carefully and returns it to him with the same responds as before
“Yui gave Tabitha the best she could come up with. And for the city guild adventurer only gets that won’t last. She is indeed typical woman”
“Don’t try to dissuade me. She is the one who come up with the idea. Also, she is the one who is studying Isekai City carefully”
Juela secretly tilted. Yui acting all auntie for both Tabitha and Miyusuki since she first met them. There is no lie for her to commit such an act and try to be a know it all for the people she cared for. Because of her mature character yet her short height attitude, it is hard for her to be treated seriously. Or maybe Juela is over judging this. Yui is not pulling their arms or ears on that matter, rather, she is the best bet to handle such dangers. Especially the doll is with them. To bring more to the fight is really telling Tabitha how dangerous this place is.
Tabitha calls out Juela “Hey! Juela we need to talk about your situation on the matter”
“Of course, wait for me”
Juela headed over to them, leaving Haw sees Juela has her mind a lot. He was almost exposed Lady Coheld’s intention. The problem he will bring to that mistake where there are two people with him had secret tools to manipulate this situation. They didn’t, they look at Haw as there is no problem. Even their hands are already touching their holsters and weapons’ handles. This is so close to comfort.
Tabitha begins planning “Alright, we . . .”
Silfa interrupted her “Wait, how about those three?”
“You mean them. There is no need. I have experienced with those guys. There is nothing to worry about”
“Even Haw? I never heard him team up with you”
“It’s fine, right Juela?”
Juela agrees confidently “You’ll see the next few days. Our problems are going to be much worse when troubles going out of hand”
“Alrighty, if I’m going through this. Make sure you two won’t die because of him?”
Juela tilted her head “I guess, you need to learn more about Dexter Guild”
Tabitha agreed.
It dated, one week to reach East Coast. A rest needed as the dangers become unknown and mysterious. The door is open, using all the energy needed of their power armor’s overpowering strength. It was sealed and strongly so. The door opened sounds like tons of weight loudly dragging to the side. It was so loud that their ears exceed the limits and blood will surely flow within minutes. It was unbearable and the girls thought how did the Enders get it through without using magic here.
Haw steps out first throwing some few smokes to cover his entry. The thick air didn’t move shows nothing out there. The sounds of waves, the breeze of the wind, and the clear shores with nothing of dusts on sight. At above, the girls tried to see the sunlight but there they could only see sunlight underneath the sea. Tabitha remembered this feeling. Juela reacts the same as hers as all around they could see that they are under the sea. Silfa remembered her younger sister had going through this. She watches over at the far distance for any sea creatures floating. Sadly, they aren’t there.
Silfa asks Tabitha “Was this the same realm when you joined my sister’s school trip?”
“The water realm? But this feels empty. Feels so earie”
“It’s beautiful though, I can’t believe we are in the most dangerous place. The East Coast really makes you feel like in an underwater realm”
The doll, fae-chan, is on Juela’s arm. The woman who lost all of her sashes carried the doll as her bodyguard. The serious look at its face shows a confused memorable expression trying to collect into its mind.
It begins to speak “A realm is form. The realms are formed”
The guild mistress Fay’s doll is talking right in front of them. They look at him as it tries to convey them a message. It’s childlike voice slowly turned deep as it mimics the people they recognized. The people who step forth inside the East Coast. Fae-chan drops from Juela’s arm and casts its rituals for them to see who they are. Dated from the beginning, somewhere not on the coast but to the hills where there is a cave, a shelter.
It was the first who came before the east coast. They lie rest next to the blurred vision. The blurred vision lights up in a very different brightness. Not even its flames could see emits out from the blur. Yet, the people all turned around and staring at it cautiously. No sounds but their expression and lip movements show their concern in a discreet manner. The scene changes when a mass numbers of people have made it. Tired and hungry, they were given food. Defectors who are still barely learn to use their mana have made it after so many dangerous paths. Goblin ambushes, monster encounters, and Circoston invaders are all have not touched these Isekai citizens.
Fae-chan starts channeling, picking up some rocks, and banging them together to reveal why they are so safe. The UI is revealed all linked and corrupted from a demonic force. The signs of its unused homepage and other features still had its exclamation points. Silfa and Tabitha react
“This is not right. Everyone is using their UI thanks to the people passing by at the bridge”
“It’s impossible, the UI is the one who create the security protocol for everyone. Without it, they are easily exposed the harsh environment especially of those birds spreading its diseases”
The sounds of rock banging at each other, the rhythm continues to rile up from all around them. Its eyes look around for any threat coming by. Although the Dexter Guild is already on it. This spirit sees differently, not the spirits through their scanners or sensors. It looks at the sand and starts sliding its feet to dig beneath it. The sand moves aside as the vision tracks where down on its feet. The vision shifts to the worse possible moment and during the time of the Jigeram’s moon cycle. Fae-chan brokenly speaks it out.
“The mountain and the underground cave start to shift. The mana deceivingly put together. A realm secretly made to shelter them. Collected by a demonic essence, and the rest felt a little heroic lies in. Within this essence. Like the essence is the void and the light is the one truly controls it. This very light goes to the shores, hiding from the horrifying JIgeram’s light. Continuing to fall under the sea and protected from the menace ending all mana users and creatures. Life is ending without it, and many also the citizens forced to go down”
“. . . They escape, the people who had fought their way of this realm had finally leave this place for good”
“They have it, they have the ability to control their powers”
“So close, so close, but they can’t master it without a certain effort to put into it. Or else they will be overwhelmed when a single demon”
“LIES, they are here and didn’t even being influenced by it. Someone out there had guided them out of here. The Eldesunes! They have probably found them and took them back”
“. . . Thank GOD! We are finally out of here!”
The vision left as the doll feels its feet with cloth. Its channeling is lost leaving itself being slowed. Barely keeping up from finding beneath the doll. Its stubborn eyes forcing to look at its arm with the harsh glare. Dropping the stone and picks it up the cloth with such immense force that no people around it ever feels its struggle. A torn off cloth raised to the air, and shows it to Tabitha and the others after the vision fell into smoke. The last of its echoes when it mentioned about leaving have dropped them into anger. They have recognized them. The people who returned are the defectors residing secretly at Isekai City.
Silfa wasn’t oblivious about them. The time of the siege was the pinnacle of their distrust from the high society from Fuku City. The self-isolated community showing their tribute in the defense. It gives many city guild adventurers the doubt. They never would’ve believed because after so many feared the outside and lives to their deaths. These Fuku adventurers have no background beside being developed by the organization. The same organization with no to little knowledge outside of the city. No connection to the other city states and believe to have conspire with the demons. No one knows, they can only guess by the man who as the beginning had experienced from the start. The cult leader.
Tabitha has her own digging about the issue. Voldemyr had told her everything before she noticed about the siege. The patience she had to bear when they left were the ones who caused it. That what she thought. She calmly tries to recollect again what it means to maintain her posture. If they were the same people got out from east coast, they have more ways to escape individually. Because they entered a realm, and the creator of that realm is making their rule how to leave, one by one.
Juela picks up Fae-chan as she looks at the cloth. “Let’s clean it off to see what it is. A frame, no. This texture is resembling from the citizens. Hey you two, check this out”
As she is about to handed over to them. Haw grabs it before they even touch it. Juela was surprised.
“Haw, so sudden. What’s wrong?”
“This . . .” He pours some weak mana potion on the cloth. The cloth is washed from it then quickly dries into a foggy smoke dripping down to the sands. The mana melted into the shore as the sea from above rays its light and dries up to the air.
A strange phenomenon indeed. Juela understands what it lies inside of the cloth.
“A journal piece?!”
Tabitha raises her voice with excitement
“No way?! Is it really a journal piece?”
She almost reached it out. Silfa pulls her back with her force field. “Whoa there, what is a journal piece”
“It is a journal who write through using mana. It is a piece of material record the experience of the environment. It only plays in audio including how the materials being ripped apart. It helps to record even before thinking of making it. How are we supposed to open with?”
She turns to Haw using only a flat rock.
Haw chisels it by using any dust could stick to the cloth long enough to use a spell. When it is done. He gathered the foggy smoke from the sand and rubs it.
“. . . I told you” It was Voldemyr’s voice.
The sounds of rip clothes as the loud noises of fighting keeps going. The voice from the man cried out to him
“I’M SORRY, I’M SORRY”
More voices creep in as it is impossible to recognize. The audio put Tabitha and Silfa in a deep anxiety. They continue to listen.
“. . . All of you, go back to the shelters. If this cave really going to sink us to the sea, then rip* Then I leave this shirt to send this message when Voldemyr comes back”
Skips forward
“Oh please, I pray you go through here. Cough* Augh, this is really hurts”
Then later the sounds of attack.
“Please, for anyone who will hear this. They call me Yuta, if you come across this message. The bases are moved into the sea, I repeat to the sea AAAH!”
It went silent after the scream. Later, a slight sound coming again, the song of hymns humming by the sounds of footsteps.
The rock broke apart as the mana is being refilled with demonic essence. Haw throws it away as it shatters in sharp edges. He grabs the cloth to see any damage. There are no new ones, he achieved what he had done.
“It is done, we got a small bit of information what happened here”
Silfa heard it “That hymn, it is them. Why didn’t he mention about them?”
“I can’t search it for that long. I limit what I have using only rocks. I can’t do another one. Look down”
The sands start to move on its own. No winds or waves could ever bend it to move downward. This is the beginning of their first journey inside. There are both allies and enemies that they never seen before. The message when Voldemyr was involved. The rumors of U’ecin were not there yet. More and more questions from the city guild where they are now. The new environment change course and send them down to the seabed. Being here for only an hour, the luck of them not being attacked is outstanding.
R-cord is calling out to them. “Let’s get a move on. You got your trails. The doll, the piece of cloth, and us to navigate in this new area. This is the East Coast at the 5fth moon cycle. We need to get it done before 1st moon cycle comes”
They reluctantly move down to the shore where the barrier by seawater is there. No one is using any mana as Haw is handed them with underwater breathers. Only three, Tabitha expected much that Juela won’t be joining them. This is going to happen eventually. Haw gives each of them the breather.
While she was moping, she hears Juela calling out to her “Hey! Don’t mope around. We need to go”
Tabitha sees Juela and Silfa headed down. Only one who is by her side is Haw. Haw bows down his head in a formal matter from her city. This is not what she had in mind letting him to stay behind.
“May I recommend to stay behind. I’ll continue to investigate the missing people who were in this area. Please provide any details so that I could trace them further as you wanted”
Tabitha is a bit confused “What do you mean orders? This place is surely don’t any clues”
“Of course not, we know they are at the depths of the shore. I am offering this so your preferred team is ready”
He shows her a box of arts and craft. It is nothing more pieces of paper, some glue, some glittering and other childish art decorations. Tabitha opens her eyes wide and realized the art decoration has the same power level when Juela made her sash. It is the same quality of materials but better from what she sees.
Haw asks again “Is my request allowed?”
Tabitha smiles as she picks up her breather “Yes, please survey the area for any findings”
“Approved”
Tabitha finally left leaving him standing by the shore as the watery realm blurred their view. It was not long as the water sink into this realm. Haw receives the call from his device. It was from McS4 and R-cord.
“Your objective received: survive”
The defense mechanism in this entrance finally breached. Countless elementals come in to closed the entrance. Multiple people in one entry have caused large numbers of enemies to appear. Now Haw, carries his chemical weapons as he wears his get up for his lethal sets.
He readies the chemical weapons. The sounds of coughing spread. The shore will know barren.