COI C244
“Final Update: Free for ALL initiates. You have the freedom to use the tools as you see fit. Past updates will be returning the old features whenever a set of requirements are met. Apologies for the past incompetent set ups from previous experiences. We hope your action finally has meaning”
The Enders researcher rereads the message carefully. The representative as archscientist returns to the city. With her lab coat covered with notes and other form of papers stuck on it, she is gathering so much data that her own devices can’t able to access the new UI.
However, she recognizes this kind of dialogue in each sentence. The first was the obvious, the tone represents of a certain Enders who wished to for tell. She tries to contact with the archscientist. Sadly, her device can’t reach her.
“This again. Repair Boy”
“Your command?”
“I am no longer the head. Lady Coheld is here and supervise us for now on. I want you to speak in correct proper”
“That’s a negatory, ma’am. There are no command forms since the last few archscientists decree to the military corps”
The researcher felt annoyed and strictly calls out her commands.
“Fine then! STATUS!”
Repair Boy uses his tools and scanning the perimeter. The ranged is short, restricted, and heavily influenced by the new UI system. The data it gathers, the old memory mainframe released the description about it. He sees the old data opening rare texts that never been read for many years. These unreadable texts are immediately sent to the Archscientist as more information about this message is beginning to enforce a revival of an old archive made from their predecessors.
During an important meeting, Lady Coheld opens the message right in front of her colleagues. These numerous reports have caused a lot of commotion because of Sanquin’s little message. The guild masters and mistresses are having trouble with this recent report. Faye asks her
“Did you find something about the young boy? My doll finds his mind a little disturb from those couple of weeks”
The guild mistress Jarnae speaks out with her rings projecting Faye’s concerned boy
“I can see why. The city is becoming stronger after that ordeal. Did that Raker Mawn really helps the demons from Agatheus City?”
The new moon guild master shows his spirit birds. One of them is burnt from the protective barrier. Friends or foe, this the signs of the city is fully neutral to all. This is the day they have to be careful. They are all turned to Lady Coheld as the projection is showing what they have questioned. The old archive shows the cyberworld folder. Lady Coheld readapt it to make it properly to understand. While it was fully translated correctly, she sees that her archscientist representative is already here from this recent report.
“Everyone, calm down. This is too much to understand the moment of this city’s transformation”
Lady Coheld explains with a concerning tone. The new moon guild master waves his birds around the guild masters and mistresses. All of them know about the figure of the bird, they stand up disappointedly and begin to leave one by one. As the last one standing by the door, the new moon guild master said to Lady Coheld
“There is no need for your details. We know that. You have to give us to go and continue our meeting. Make sure to settle your plans as we execute it correctly without any suspicion”
Lady Coheld is left on the meeting circle. After her colleagues left, her departments weren’t able to teleport here. This is indeed what she had suspected, but too soon. She needs a few more days to get this new city system before they couldn’t access it anymore. Sanquin arrives on the opposite side of the meeting circle. Both didn’t like seeing each other this way. But what surprises Lady Coheld is Sanquin wasn’t pleased from the outcome of the city’s transformation.
Furthermore, something on Sanquin’s hand is a paper and a seal with high standards of importance. No one knows or remembers Sanquin uses this kind of ethics and she seems acted mannerly, and reluctantly
“Where’s Order Core Vic’s corps?”
“Asking me out of a blue without a reason. Dare I tried to say like that with knowledge that this is your mistake . . .”
Sanquin raises her eyes with her still blood like eyes. Lady Coheld maintains her tone
“. . . right?” With added a little sarcasm.
The room shows the status of demonic intervention. Sanquin is not playing jokes here.
This abrupt meeting is making Lady Coheld finally figuring out the secret of Raker Mawn Guild. There was a new plan about the Isekai citizens staying this world. It is about the powers of the citizens with their common mana type. Data coming from Myrrkei, Emerald and her partner the researcher, Haw, and Sanquin herself going through the submerged ship. A trade is there for Lady Coheld to make a deal or an offer. But there is a controversy, Lord Lori’es will not hear this news. Sanquin dares to speak without the Lord’s ears.
The Dexter’s guild mistress or for what they called as the Archscientist. The head of the three departments with the military corps included. They have other leaders within the departments, but the main leader is the old founders. The departments are research, technology, and machineries. Compared to the other guilds, this guild is the most modern than the rest of the guilds in Enders Bridge. Raker Mawn is a free agent group to do special tasks in different levels. Historically, they are on par with the Dexter guild’s foundation. They were the original founders of Enders Bridge as well.
There is one group was never mentioned in the departments. The military corps. Specialized on warfare and other enforced service. They were originally from the departments. Their usages were getting slim as their purpose lost because of how developed Enders Bridge become. They are still there, filling the numbers according to their capabilities. These capabilities have only one team. That’s right, only four members are in the military Corps.
X2L, R-cord, McS4, Repair Boy, and the substitutes to fill their minimal ranks. Haw or known as RH-0 was a part of that team. Secretly, they are the only people who are not supporting the studies or what they called as experiment. The Dexter Guild’s dark past has its uses for Sanquin’s sake. This conversation is crucial for her and also with the Archscientist, Lady Coheld, to make this controversy a secret. Why would she? This guild has able to survive many prosecutions over the years. There always be one more, Lady Coheld’s first illegal secret.
Sanquin starts the conversation “I have dealt with the UI’s accursed controls”
“I read your letter before, and you think I will allow my men to meet my rival’s guild at the east coast?”
“More than that, I have my own disciple to experience the real world”
“The real world? Oh, is this the day when someone looking at them as their gods have finally forsaken them”
“Better, they can find them with great caution”
The meeting circle table starts to rumble on the floor, the sounds of the table and chairs bouncing off the ground as if something is moving it.
Elven magic flows through it as the emerald lights swiftly glows among the air. Lady Coheld, not even surprised grabs her glasses from the table before it falls. She puts it on as the sensor detects the mana level of the elven god. The intense pressure is imminent on her feet through her spine from the unbearable rumbles. She politely responds
“Calm down, we can feel your presence. Great Elder”
The rumbles ceased as people outside never notice it. Both of them is sure of it.
Sanquin says to her again “They respond to their presence. The world knows about the city. Especially the Circoston region”
“Because of this, the daemos will not be bothering going here anymore”
“How do you know? Lady Coheld”
“Speaking for the obvious, my experience in this city is seeing his return. Not even my perception to imagine the one wonders among the lives of his host”
Sanquin claps at her confidence “Indeed, then will we further the discovery of my guild’s new recruits?”
“Continue, but we must talk first about your friend, Tabitha, after this”
The UI, it is discovered that has more to the changes that the gods never dared interfering belonged to the demons’ hands. There are no exceptions for those who summoned them either. Today, it is that day they took notice. The first one who already know is eyeing down to the city. The elven god is here watching other higher beings seeking to the city from the far distance of the world. There is no harm when the gods see them clearly with the citizens’ powerful magic. The concern is that who are interested in them.
The citizens didn’t know what capable they can do to have heroes’ faction supporting them. The hidden powers they will received was dwarfed out from their opportunity to receive it, and left them into the beginning as others who came this world before them. Still the UI is still there keeping in track only themselves without the master to keep them in order. Without them being watched over, they can’t track them all of their activities and recorded into the UI.
That’s what happened to the new recruits. Tabitha’s adventures are being watched from the start. The pinnacle of retaliation is the submerged ship. After it lost its data and tried to seal itself from the world, they found out the ship is heading south. The Enders found it sneaking through the depths of sunken machineries and junks untouched from rust. From the best of the Enders adventures to the exhibition of guild masters set foot there, they confirm its destination.
What else did Tabitha is doing in her resolve? This makes Lady Coheld curious. Sanquin doubts that the summoner cared so much about her. Tabitha was in Rune Isles. There is no other importance beside the colonizers. Tabitha and her personal interest are going back to her home world. It was Sanquin’s motivation to go there made her realize the UI’s dirty works. It was finally sealed the deal to what it is when her disciple got caught from the incident.
Lady Coheld sees the shield student’s progress. It was beyond abnormal for him to grow so slow. It is like the gift becomes a curse. Few repetitive information retold on this meeting circle, she skips most of it and get to the recent parts. Three cycles have passed and he wasn’t improved at all. The absurdity in her findings are only the two important basics. The shield student’s Physical and Spiritual Adaptations were constricted to the highest resistance. He has only one basic, it is the mental adaptation. This explains why they pick and choose in these so-called stats. Yet, there is intelligence.
She then remembers the daemos abilities to grant knowledge and intellect. The cost is their mind merged to theirs. So, it is safe from what she understood for Sanquin’s sake of controlling him. Sanquin was ascended from her humanity. The files are made and keeps it to herself without any digital data inputted into her personal archives. She lifts the papers up and demonic writings appeared whereas Sanquin signed it at the distance.
“For this long, I never would’ve imagined of a great historical figure like you to have such a slow otherworlders. Sanquin . . .?”
Sanquin shows no interest of mockery. Her intentions are quite serious whenever her disciple is not hers. Now he is hers, and the last test whether she could use it on Tabitha’s takes.
“There is nothing else I would say but to confirm the separations between that thing and them”
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“I assure you. I will give you my shares of the research. But I want to have a little favor of you”
“What favor?”
“Hmm, this is a risk. More and importantly bold actions to bring certain people to test it. They already know their people are trapped at east coast. Thanks to the sphere on the singularity moon, they know they are still there. We have to use this chance whether the connections remain. To end the Heroes Faction’s squalors, those people must be overthrown from their mistakes bringing them there”
Another file sets to the table, a controversial file where her rival guild kept them safe. Is this the right time to take action?
There is a note from the file with concerns. If they are going to do it, large numbers with similar UI properties on the users will be the revelations of their enemies hiding there. This file shows only a rare few Enders have taken passage to find them. The reports are all the same ‘rescue failed’. Until the next page, there is one exemption to the books. The Unworthy Guild managed to get two people. Both of them rarely uses their powers, showing the possibility they can be saved but only to the weak.
Lady Coheld says to her again “The UI is indeed tracking them. Your companions did the work to overwrite the system. Correct? This is going to be a slow and costly research if we proceed to plan in our way . . .”
“Take it”
“Take it?” “
I said take it. I have done my part with the certain daemos and a friend who kept himself at bay. Take it, they are willing to risk to save their people in our conditions”
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t, but I was human before. My disciple can be my example to do it”
In Isekai City, strong winds are battering the barriers. The remnants of the crystallized dusts are hammering on it without damaging the barrier. The city no longer expands the barrier as the new UI has caused incompatibility to the old system. The city has a massive opened ruins in the middle of the city itself. Mihayara district and Taiyou Industries lost a large portion on it. At the center, there they could see the fatal mistakes of the city in ruins.
On the border, the guards see someone hovering along the road. “Look over there, there are people with power armor”
“Are those people from Taiyou Industries? But their zone is temporary on lockdown. No, wait! They are glowing in green. That’s!”
“Let them in. Those guys are from Dexter Guild”
Someone called out from their backs. It was Ruby, she recently comes here with her device on her hand. A call from her friend as she responds to it as she sees them
“Yeah, they are here. Why so sudden? Yeah? Alright, but I never saw you requesting them for. I get it. A special mission. Why not me and? Ok, ok. I am not going to be nosy”
The barrier forced open as Repair Boy goes through the barrier. His hands lifted the barrier to warp open enough space for the researcher to respectfully comes in. The police were charmed to see the archscientist representative walks in with her long blonde hair, sharp sapphire eyes, and her lab coat. Her purple gloves still give them a weird look of how it doesn’t fit her appeal. The researcher recognizes them
“Eyeing on me again. You two promised to the female adventurers not to look at me that way . . .”
The police were stunned and whispered to themselves “I can’t believe she recognizes us”
“How embarrassing, but she is indeed a smart woman”
Ruby approaches to them “Greetings, I heard news that you are visiting us”
“Correct, but contact is limited thanks to this new barrier”
“Well, all of us are surprised. Say, what you guys want from us?”
“Very important matter, bring me to the meeting”
“Only you, what about your big buddy over there”
“Is your city is not well protected? I see you people are still having trouble”
The researcher smirks at giving an insult to Ruby. That snarky comments turned to the same police. They look pleased by the researcher’s reaction.
“Yeah, I think we should fix those guys whenever you used that tone of yours”
The police froze as they or many of them teach the researcher the customs. But those customs are for sassy girls. They never give this day the satisfaction they saw how she acted, even to the strong S rank adventurer. The researcher contacts the Repair Boy
“This façade really made them think I’m gullible. It is kind of sweet how women don’t want to play the man’s game”
“You are charming, researcher. Is your archscientist title still on effect”
“Would you?”
“Your command?” “Sigh* this again. Splendid, now update the team status. Your reserves are resetting”
“Understood”
Silfa is anxious. No telling what this message means to her. Sanquin left her a letter concealed and only be seen by her own eyes only. Her pestering friends trying to read where they couldn’t see it. Gemina is right beside her acting all curious from her friend’s nervousness.
“Are you sure you can read that piece of rolling cloth?”
“It is supposed to be a scroll. You know, those ancient scrolls as books. This is not a magic scroll that has a rolling pin at both ends”
“Sure, when Ruby got someone to come here just like you said. I’ll be leaving like we agreed . . .”
“I have company!”
Both of them turned around and sees Ruby suddenly got back, with a picture no less.
“Take a look at these two. You were right about someone at Enders Bridge would come to see you”
Gemina looks at the picture “Those guys are from Dexter Guild. Why would they want to talk to her?”
“Beats me. A deal is a deal. Come Gemina, we need her to get herself ready”
Silfa felt a little bit relief. The letter was not a fluke after all. A small glimpse to see Gemina one more time. Her eyes are staring that does nothing but a cold jealous stare. Both Haw and the Dexter Guild have brought her too much attention to know more about this world than Silfa could’ve ever think about it.
Hours later, the researcher comes into the room and finally meets with Silfa. She uses her glasses to scan her and sees the details about her. The neutral movement on her lips as she is being mixed with confidence and doubts. Silfa greets her
“Welcome, I never thought Sanquin would give me a chance to talk to a member of the Dexter Guild. So, is there a reason why Sanquin being secretive with me and the others?”
The researcher didn’t hesitate and immediately proposed her a pill. “I’m going to be straight here. You have read the rest of the letter. The requirements you need to do is with this pill”
Sanquin’s pill places on the table. To what obvious reasons for why Sanquin have to give to the Dexter Guild instead of directly giving it to her. Or so from what she observes that Silfa has needed time to get it. While the researcher didn’t want to have any further conversation. Silfa remembers the letter she read thus far
“. . . A challenge, at this current time when the UI changes. An opportunity has to be done and the possibility to save them. People who are left behind at east coast is the peak what many had hope they come back. Two survivors have returned from the sphere. However, the citizens had lost their ambition as the Enders are not giving them the chance to save them through there”
It was the most frustrated time back then. The Enders won’t even helped them for some reason. Even with Haw and the rest of the Raker Mawn members stationed here. They don’t have the capabilities to rescue them. Especially their famed hero, Voldemyr, alone won’t be able to save them all at that kind of large numbers. Thousands of people are still out there, being held protected by the guild who also saved their adventurers. Their songs still this day haunts them and glorified by those who were saved by them. And now, this is the time to go for it. Sadly, only her alone. This made her raises a lot of questions.
Silfa didn’t answer her, and she asks her “Why now? Of all the time we wanted to save them. You people are starting to act fast before this change ever happened. I want to know why you guys keep those people form us?”
The researcher picks out her glasses then wipes it with her handkerchief. “We never anticipated it. Even I, a representative, to explain you everything will only lead to questions unanswered or rather makes you curious about it”
“Then give me an example” Silfa confidently dares.
The researcher care less how confident Silfa is. No interest of her determination as the goal to come along is what Sanquin instructed them to do. She obliges and shows her a projector.
“From what you see is the reason. Like most people in this world, mana is still powerful resources both alive or dead. You clearly remember how the ‘goblins’ acting when they attack your people who are rogues, clearly speaking ahem*”
The projection shows there is danger happening to them. Sealed away from the threat that causes many lives vanished. The horror of their disappearance shows the spoils of death inside the underground tunnels.
Silfa feels angry within herself, and calmly responds “Why didn’t the other city states come and help them?”
“Same goes of why they didn’t support the guild that tried to save them”
Both of them stuck into a pointless argument. The two keeps their shares of serious tone and forced into a sudden conclusion. The researcher picks up the pill
“Believe it or not, I too have no obligation to convince you, alone, to do this. Sanquin did this at your own whim”
“She did? Yeah, she did send me a letter. But we barely meet and talk about stuff”
“This stuff, must be something about what happened to her disciple”
“You mean Miyusuki, on what exactly does her goals include me?”
More and more questions leading to doubts. This is what Sanquin hardly makes these answers end her suspicions. The only guild Sanquin knows who can actually break these chains and loops are the Dexter Guild members. The researcher breaks this with a few words
“A powerful being”
“A powerful being?”
“The one who tempt those people to go there”
Silfa felt her hands squeezed from the past. The time when the people defected out from the city bringing both the innocents and the children.
The obvious cult that brought so many people on the delusion of powers as their own. The most confused time why they leave when everyone in the beginning to learn about magic. That day was the greatest bluff ever had done as they never want to go back. Yet, they still wanted the lifestyle back in their home world as they needed people to fill the society and its civilization. Gemina’s studies pierced through Silfa’s heart as she continues to remember more about the conspiracies.
The pill was engulfed by the force field being pulled into the air and guided to Silfa’s hand. To her hand as she tightens her fingers on it, and steadily putting it into her mouth. The researcher says to her with a warning
“Remember what will you lose. You need to fill the gap . . .”
“I already think about it. It is short notice, but. I’m sure my younger sister’s friend won’t mind. Both of us think a like (I hope)”
Without hesitation, she gulps down the pill and drink a bit of water. When it’s done, her mana feels purified. It hardens her and warning sign appears before her as her spirits are cutting ties with her temporarily. With her Puma and the Tora left from the doll bodies. Saying her goodbyes
“I’m sorry you two. They need my help”
Meanwhile Repair Boy is inside of the residential complex building still wearing his power armor waiting for his old teammate to come down. When the sound of the elevator pings at the ground floor. Haw appears still have the marked on his head. No living beings could ever see the mark except using a special scanner. There are signs of damaged but a newly demonic mana still grows and replaces it. RH-0 still survives after what happened to him. Repair Boy pulls out his helmet and sees him face to face.
“It’s been a long time, Haw”
“It’s not long when I see you fixing their gears”
“Ah, you’re busy if you think it that way. Sure, let’s go with that”
Nanami and Shinji come out from the elevator. The two were ecstatic to see them. When they about to join them, Haw turns around showing his serious looks of his eyes. They were charmed instead of intimidated. They shyly walk back and go elsewhere. Repair Boy notices their behavior, but he brushes off with an angry look at his face.
“The citizens really have no fear”
“You don’t even know the half of it”
“I don’t, but the Archscientist is studying”
They moved into a different room, where the staff provide them a quiet room so that no one will hear them. They skipped the introduction and focuses on the mission.
“The mission is heading to the Unworthy Guild”
“Is this really the right time? The surviving heroes are inside where they tried to purge them”
“According to your guild mates, it is the right time before the links will become a burden to you”
“The links, there are too many terms about it”
“It’s the hive links. That’s all you have to know”
“That is not even a given to what kind are you trying to say”
“It is simple, what you experience in this city has those kinds of links. Or better yet, we found out it was cut off”
Lady Coheld sees why Sanquin need to take haste and risk it all. The UI has been cut off. Both the connection from the source and the interference. Which it results to a momentarily freedom from their controls. The people at east coast are as free when the new update as rebooting is their time limit before they are trapped again. This is a great opportunity to bring them out. Yet, there is a problem.
One, the losses of connections mean the tempter who brought them there has started to initiate the gatherings. The Unworthy guild will have a hard time to fight, defend and rescue them. Even with magic, the only two survivors made it here. Not important, no interest by the eyes of the tempter, nor valuable after a word of those two about their well-being. Two, Enders’ manpower is tight. 6 guild masters and mistresses at the island have no issue on Rune Isles, but their motivations are crippled and no interest about saving them. Other guilds are focusing elsewhere as the sunken flying ship caused a lot of attraction.
Three, the citizens are mixed with people who are now has their own agendas and personal motivations. What lies inside the east coast has many invaluable equipment lying from the dead past battles beneath it. The tempters will surely add more people underground just like the rest of the citizens. Finally, four. The UI situations are handled by four daemos. One of them who breached the city barrier, a city states leader is managing them, an unknown daemos who Sanquin won’t talk about, and Sanquin herself is taken chances for one disciple. But Lady Coheld knows that the disciple wasn’t the reason. It was the journey to get him to move. It was the hero at east coast.
A call received from Lady Coheld’s device. An audio message plays and the first response is Haw’s voice.
“This is RH-0. I confirmed the mission and capable to undergo the rescue mission under few conditions required. I’ll list it down . . .”
The Archscientist nods confidently and slowly as the next audio message is from Silfa herself. A long speech coming from her, but it is just a normal response. Yet, Lady Coheld treat it as an overbearing topic that needed to summarize in a simple paragraph. She hears only the important parts.
“. . . As what your ‘representative’ told me. You will be providing me a better equipment to go to east coast, right? I can’t say anything more beside to keep myself alive out there. Alone without even a single group from the city guild is really fishy to me. Although, I heard that you are bringing Haw to the team. I am a little relief honestly . . . Like how!? Killing a hero from what I read from Sanquin’s message is a little . . .”
“You won’t be doing it. A hero is the same like a daemos. They just sealed themselves away and return again at a certain time”
Lady Coheld answers it to herself. It is blatantly obvious, but it indeed caught her attention.
She looks at the side of the meeting table. Sanquin is still here, and waiting for the news about the team she wanted to gather. One last message to deliver. The approval forms are ready to send to Lord Lori’es as it needs be. To fill the gaps that they secretly uncovered and provided it only what it is important to him and removed what they wanted to do with it. Sanquin wants to know that this is the time to bring everything into place. All the delays because of the limitation that the summoner had done are now going into full speed once again.
The stacks of reports are already at the table. Including Myrrkei’s reports as an added proof of relevance as they are so close the discovery of the summoner. Lady Coheld first checks on Ironno reports as he is the only one hadn’t been involved Sanquin’s orders. As it turns out. She finds it really unusual. The hunt of the citizens by the requests of many clients who are a victim from some sort. What she found out made her drops it without a care.
This is enough. The package is sent. Everything they have prepared is to see what the new UI can do. As the old feature lost its connectivity with the rest of the users, the east coast is the testaments to see the Summoner is still under their control. Silfa was controlled. The shield student fixed into his own limitation by choosing Enders. Tabitha, who causes the sinking ship to miraculously put under control of the summoner. Because at east coast, the summoner still has his friends there.