COI C118
Ironno has been circling around the city, continuing what Myrrkei had shown the city its own little secrets. Haw did his works on Chojima District after his first attempt to help the new recruit’s problem. Secret realms are flourishing inside the city as they could only do it at night for not letting the public know about it. The shield student always wanted them to stop it. It wasn’t about that. The boy would just ask for help anyway as a Highschool student needing help from his teachers. But being to join in the end, Sanquin have found something deep inside of the kid.
One little secret was uncovered, no one else ever checked it. A realm hid among the ruins that have kept files to people who were ‘out of town’. He finds one man who is one of the groups. It is a typical man, crazed or provoking, under the name The Perb. He figures out his name and his face. That night, where he found him to be one of the suspects from Black and White zone. It was all too well organized for him to tracked him down, but there’s more. One unidentifiable citizen that only given the details for being possessed. Ironno is not prepared to face such a hybrid of demonic citizen, and there are no warnings about them. He could only guess is the shield student.
Spokesman sees Ironno entered the facility, already piling some secrets he found inside the ruins. The man sees him troubled for some unnecessary reason “I’m betting that the young boy is the center of the topics”
“He is not part of my burden, but how he joined is something too personal for me to ask”
“Yeah, me and you both. We have two temporary members such as our guild always been. Bunch of people joined as the requirements for the better ones are not fit to their skills. We were pitied for sometimes and even for me to join the Raker Mawn Guild”
Directly to the point, Ironno gives him the documents. A copy hidden through his scrolls hiding in feint inks. Spokesman touches it and fused his mana onto it, revealing the documents that connects the secret realms. He placed it on the computer to further reached the searches until they found the undoubtful truth.
“Even I say that the boy can be link to this problem . . .”
“The boy is just one of them who are having suspicion to their own community”
“. . . Don’t interrupt me, the kid is just a witness. Sanquin didn’t hesitate to bring him along against the obvious. As for you Ironno, he needs an instructor and him not going to stay will ruin the plot of our guild master”
Both different mindset of loyalty, Spokesman knows too well how the guild is being hold up. The guild has ancestry of remarkable people from different worlds like all guilds were. The descendants degrade its origin as it manifests itself as a whole. Ironno is the descendants of loyalists while Spokesman has a life of strange worlds experiencing as an immortal. He met Ironno’s ancestors who are sided with the heroes through the end. It takes one bad leader to ruin a nation because of it. It is all started by the influenced desperate Hero.
Ironno speaks out his thoughts “You know that I’m not contemplating anything of the sort. Enders Bridge was strict back in the day, and our new recruit was not properly examined”
“Yeah, but I’m not pretending anything that happened inside or outside of Isekai City to be pure and immune by the influenced. We need to get the boy out from dangerous actions”
“I’m just putting my trust on Haw and our Guild master”
“Then give that trust to the boy too, why not skipping the preparation and commit to the next stage”
“Will that kid ready to go through the realms with me?”
“He was recruited by Sanquin, expect more through her instead of a city folk child”
Tabitha is watching the people who are from International Private School, mostly known for being a prestige and wealthy school in South Shore Bay. The school is nothing but an extension than the main building as it where most students are doing their summer schools. Luckily, they weren’t transfer to this world before summer vacation. These students are probably their parents gotten rich during this world. There were no actual students who attend this school originally.
Playing a façade on her head, and she keeps it distance to herself. The school’s name however is anonymous, unlike the other schools are trying to rename it to fit the courtesy of this world. This one doesn’t bother changing it. She agrees with it, but not the people who are not originally a student there. It should be better off to be share the same education values. But it is just her opinion anyway. The International Private teacher comes to their side, giving his request to Archivist.
“Please excuse me, I want to have a word with Sir Archivist”
“Sir? I am not in a higher position of title”
“Oh, please pardon my words. After what happened earlier, we have to take much effort as we can to have wonderful experience inside the realm. We both know it only lasts for two days. It is a prototype, and we sure do know that we never going to face such challenge like that”
Tabitha listens to both of them as the other students are wondering about their conversation. The students who were with him, have more respects than they have ever imagined.
The other teachers already heard about the fight, it was so different than just fighting monsters, and at the same time fighting against an actual strong person.
“Either he is like one of the elves, but any of you Agatheans could do better than that?”
“He is an Enders, and more importantly have the powers from Circoston region. The magic is used externally, you already seen what he can do to your mana. Thankfully, you guys have controlled your mana. Besides the realm has mana and even the monsters themselves. He has the advantage”
Back to the two, “I just want the two of us or let others join us to have the last day for everyone to remember. I’ll be waiting for you in the afternoon”
The International Private teacher left with only a request. It is something that Archivist has no idea of planning. He is surrounded by his co-workers mentioning about the event. Alche is the first took his proposal
“I have been with Haw outside of the city. This realm is not as realistic when you fight those monsters. I admit that D rank areas are not realistic enough but the realm is a power fantasy training”
Quail, who supervised the sphere, admits that the realm is more power hungry. The students have already gained enough experience when fighting against monsters now. The problem they have is facing actual enemies, known as threats like villains, demons, and threatening entity. That’s what Quill said to herself. The only good part of the students to learn is to be strategic both solo or in a team. She checks on Coral’s recordings from what actually happens.
“Coral, do you know why they can’t fend of for themselves? I have trained them to the absolute best of my abilities with Reya”
Coral focuses first to see the troublemakers being punished secretly. She giggles and sighs as she is supposed to be a role model for the students
“The difference between the sphere and here is that we are involved. That realm is made by us. If we bring them into the ruins, can we ever prevent such incident again?”
Quail gets her thinking. Quill didn’t want them to learn sooner than they are ready for. The artificial woman was provided information about the realm, the only solution she gives them is the escape methods. Sadly, the failsafe is already covering it.
Quail whispers to Alche, as he starts to want to take her topic to Archivist. “Yeah, I am wondering about it too. Hey! Archivist”
“Hmm?”
“One of my co-workers mention about something about your people. How can they escape inside the realm?”
“Commonly, they never dare to enter. Nonetheless, the Enders dared to go there and try to take it over instead of destroying it. Let’s remind ourselves that those who can conquer inside the realm has the same abilities of killing a demon. Demons still can’t die for good though”
“So, there is no special items or magic for you people to get out from the realm”
Archivist takes his time remembering by experience when journeying through Agatheus City, it was a suspicious trip and a lot of paranoia when people keep warning him about it. Then again, there were many Agathean criminals able to escape their specific realms.
“Then the best time to talk about it are the Agatheans”
They look back were those three Agatheans who work for them. Quail remembers Thean to be the most reliable inside the sphere, she skips him then focus on Woni’es and Secius. They are the experts on it.
Alche speculates carefully of how Woni’es had done on the sphere. The secret lies within that able to took control, now he remembers it. He had to ask him
“That’s right, we have a sphere. Is there any difference between it and the realm?”
“Tremendously, the sphere was made through archscience. The realm is fully formed by magic. Spheres are special orbs to contain a realm itself that fits only for the creator. Historically, it was made by many otherworlders from different origins to replicate realms”
Archivist remembers Myrrkei’s research about it. The truth about them is more terrifying he had read in his papers. Spheres can be dangerous to the right maker. The sphere he knows, under the owner of the elf, was able to preserve as it escapes countless controls by many users. He remembers that there is a special living artificial entity protecting the sphere eternally. That it pretends to be nightmarish orb that something is alive acting like devil incarnated. From how it behaves, this is not a good risk to take it.
Coral breaks their conversation “Well, this conversation is getting boring with you two. Tabitha! What do you think that teacher came to see him? We could play around with them to see what kind of students they are. I want to see how they progress”
Tabitha stares at the teacher who is with the same girl who he saved where the last student standing from the last fight. They look rather fine after their embarrassing moment, or was she herself clouded from illusion they emit. Coral continues
“Hey! Earth to Tabitha . . . *SCREAM!”
“AAH!”
“Again . . .”
“I already hear you, let’s see how our meeting with them will turn out”
Coral smiles at her as she is too cooperating with the idea
“That’s good, then who will be babysitting the other groups. Alche, would you mind to help Tabitha’s group with their activities?”
“I supposed, there are the groups who want to forage and hunting, right?”
“Yup, Haw’s little business girl. I’m surprised there are special individuals who are closed to him in a week or so”
The students heard them about Joanne’s team, they were a bit disappointed but still able to go around and get something out from the realm. The girl on the other hand keeps grinning on the two big eels in her inventory. Her catcher is active now and nothing for her to hold back. She leans to the shield student
“How about you get your gauntlet back? If we keep harvesting as much as we want, we will be able get a good profit and some to the markets”
The shield student nervously smiles “You are getting yourself over some food”
“I’m not going to lie about it, but there are other creatures have valuable resources. Teacher Tabitha shown us about that reef thing, a medicinal ingredient . . .”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The girl opens her list to see the details of other monsters where teacher Tabitha explained it to them. She continues
“. . . What will teacher Haw make for you for it? Going through the ruins, you could find something useful”
Joanne smug on to the shield student as she knows that girl is a clever negotiator. They keep wondering how she was able to convinced Haw to do it. They look at her with praised and endorsement. While her friends know about the side of her.
In truth, yes, she was able to convinced Haw to teach her about the wilderness. But it was a student and teacher conversation. She can do this to her classmates because how confident she is to pull in to the idea. The girl takes her leave then said
“Alright, after lunch. We’ll be continuing to collect the ingredients I need. The rest of you must be sure that we are going to get it with less damage as we can”
Joanne laughs “Sure, how will a barrage of flying fishes able to fight back?”
Her friend disagrees “I don’t think so, the monsters inside now are all harmless. I think they clear off so much of its predators”
Lunch was finished, Alche takes Tabitha’s group to his side as they return to their last catch. The predator fishes were all gone, Archivist had done something about it. Now its so clear with other aqua marines freely swimming around them. Until they quickly leaved once they try to capture them into their dome. Like a flock of birds fleeing from the obvious hunter. Alche is seeing the massive aftermath, the predators are gone, leaving only edible looking monsters.
“I have never seen the consequence of their action to resolve to this. They don’t look that scary”
The students turn to him, very disappointed, and they go on their way. These kinds of sea monsters are harmless, Alche starts to understand now
“So, this is what happened to the dangerous coming here. They were baited by these same creatures. With the large mass of monsters coming to this realm. What you guys think that the sea serpent bring them here?”
They continue to stay disappointed, and were wondering those fishes should stop running away from them. One of their classmates said
“We have to go fishing, likewise we won’t be able to get them by just chasing them around”
They go through every segment of the areas where the fishes were, all knowing that they come, they left in a moment notice. The shield student thinks
“Heh, I guess that AI lady was right. We have so much to learn and the sea is the least important. Just look at them now”
The girl immediately stops after their 20 minutes journey of catching nothing. She agrees “Going here, not knowing about this realm, and here seeing around surrounded by fish. Teacher Alche, can we ask for help?”
Alche observes the monsters, those monsters didn’t do anything but just wandering around the place. He takes his time properly witnessing the behavior from afar, then he sees something odd. The Agatheans are trying to hide from the monsters, trying to catch them without them notice. Yet when they approach them quietly. They got spoof and run off. Alche calls out to them
“Hey! Any luck to catch those things”
“Wha? No, we are not trying to catch it. We are observing this new phenomenon”
“Phenomenon?”
Agathean teachers from two different schools come together, without any students for them to supervise. They approached them with the information they gathered “If you don’t know about the psychological nature of those creatures, then we have something to study about”
“What did you find?”
“Confinement and Isolation; Before the genocide of the predators. This realm trapped them in such small spaces. Those oversized monsters you called went wild of their confinement. These are active creatures trying to get away from their claustrophobia”
“Interesting, okay students, do you mind to learn about it”
The girl asks “Can they help us catch it?”
The Agatheans nod “Certainly, but this realm will made it everything a challenge”
After a brief summary, it is identical what fish behaves back in their world. The difference that this world bountiful and replaceable because of Alga’s light. Overfishing and overhunting here is a reward than a consequence. Those two moons are balancing the life and death of habitat from the countless of monsters. In the sea, it is difficult for the Jigeram to stretch deep into it from the deepest trenches where many aquatic creatures cycle through the ocean floor to the dark abyss then back.
Furthermore, the apocalypse didn’t affect its habitat as the ancient magic of mother nature thrive. Thus, the sea monsters actually possessed magic. The disadvantage for this realm to contain such magic using creatures that they will soon escape, completing the mystery of why it can last only two days. The city guild’s sea serpent had guide them inside the realm, honestly it was the harmless creatures but opportunistic monsters like the predators follow them here. Now they are gone, these always fleeing fish appeared once again.
The Agathean explains about catching them “Creatures able to use mana will be tricky. The easiest way is to do some netting, actual rune nettings that is for trapping. Naturally, it would be difficult when you are inside the realm. We could use some Enders guidelines I learn form Enders Bridge”
“That would be good. Like any other business, what can we get to help you?”
They switch themselves in a more negotiating sense, and the students were not too happy of a change of mood. Alche had already experience this kind of deal. Actually, Woni’es is the one laughing his way out from school after completing the project.
Alche gives his offer “Eggs . . .”
The students reacted “Eggs!”
The Agatheans didn’t respond and continue to listen “. . . I heard stories about it from one of my former Agathean co-workers. It contains magic that cures a certain curse. We are freshly from another world. We can’t corrupt the eggs and place into a special container for you . . .”
“I get it, but we have no idea which of those creatures containing the eggs”
“That would be for you to decide or my students will destroy it first”
The students have no idea what is so important about the eggs, and they never mention what kind of eggs. Anything from what they think of, then to see the Agatheans are doing. They all huddled up while Alche is waiting for them. One of the students sneakily eavesdrops them.
“A purification ingredient, do we dare?”
“There are other ways when we get it from the sea. But our own hands will infect its property”
“If they are pure as they think they are, we might give it to them”
“Yeah, another last chance for the fools”
One of them turns their heads and look at the student who is eavesdropping, the sudden erratic movement of his head caused him to spoof. Yet, he still listens
“Bah! We can’t even have a private conversation here”
“Not even this school is behaved”
They turned around and said to Alche “We agreed, but on one condition”
“Yeah?”
“We can take one monster, if it has the eggs, we will continue helping you for the rest of the day, but if not, the deal is already off”
“That would be great, thank you and please take care of us”
Alche returns to his students “You hear that, they will help. We just need to find one monster that has the eggs. Fertilized or not, just the eggs”
The students were not too keen of finding that kind of monster when it always flees away. They look at the Agathean one last time as they already picking something up from the biomes. Small fleshy parts from the reef as they throw outside of the dome. Aimlessly moving through the water, the sea creatures steadily went to it. The Agatheans guide it to a secluded space then it explodes. They cornered them to the best to their abilities but failed. Then they do it all over again.
The Agatheans are using scare bait, the monsters are fast, but not faster from the predators one. They are trying to spoof them to fall itself inside the dome, through the far distance that the fishes were safe to check it. When it gets caught, the dome will spawn on it, it would be good time catch it. The down side is that the Agatheans have limited mana. Long range magic is tiresome to them, Alche brings in the shield student and said,
“Use your gauntlet to refuel them, you did it to your friends and why not them?”
The shield student approached them and raised his gauntlet, then said “Can I help you with your mana?”
“There’s no need for helping us”
“Just spot which of those sea monsters had the eggs. We can hold it off with our potions”
The shield student steps back and return to his classmates “They seem not interested. Okay, which one of you want a buff from me”
Many raised their hands as they quickly being buffed, temporarily. He doesn’t have any full idea how it works or how did Archivist used it at its full potential. Watching what he did before were always releasing the magic and took it by hand and control it to his will.
He watches the others trying to figure where they are trying to get. The girl doesn’t want this opportunity to go to waste as she is getting nervous trying to look at the creature in such a far distance. The Agatheans are practicing catching it, as they are waiting for them which monster to choose. They took out their mana batteries as they find the way to catch it, only thing they need now is the timing for the students to catch it. They said to them
“Casts your haste, speed, or any spells to get there”
Alche calls out to them “Everyone, ready yourself. We’re going to grab it the primitive way”
The timing was off, the fishes already scattered quickly gulps down the baits. The Agatheans didn’t hold back and unleashed the traps. A straight down to the farthest reach, the monsters collide each other as the sea water vanishes into air. The air turns into orbs and burst open with a shockwave, blasting them down to the ground and others fly over. The dome forced to stretch wider as it already crumbling. The Agatheans shout
“This is not according to plan! QUICK! Go there before the dome shrinks”
They rush into the sea water, unprepared as they didn’t raise their own dome. Some of them have water magic and they swim as fast as they could. The fishes are starting to flee while the remaining sea creatures are flopping to the ground as the shrinking dome is closing in. The dome made by the Agatheans weren’t shrinking but all parts of it began to have holes. The monsters managed to swim through and escape. The students hurry to catch or destroy them. The girl losing herself to see what is happening.
Joanne didn’t make it to the dome, and witness the sad expression on the girl’s face. However, they managed to caught some. Small and a handful in all honestly, she reaches out to her
“Hey, it’s fine. We caught the smaller ones”
The girl looks at her being so innocently crying in tears and said “But there were so many, sob*, it was three different schools of fish in one place”
Joanne tsk* at her and whisper to herself “You are getting greedy here . . .”
Then she asks her friends “. . . Is there any good from out catch”
The Agatheans see some backlash, they caught the small ones while the big ones were killed during the process. Hoping the eggs inside weren’t destroyed. They review the fishes and found themselves in a bad mood. They used their mana battery until is fully drained, they use the very last of their mana just to catch the entire bait in one action. Alche witness their effort to be serious, he is now starts to think again how valuable were the eggs were. The curse he heard might be serious.
The students listen to the Agatheans’ response “The small fishes are not mature, while the dead ones lost its head and more to its organs. We did our part on the condition, if there anything left that the eggs are unharmed, then this deal is . . .”
“Wait!”
Joanne comes forth bringing the girl along. “Hey! Your inventory, the eels. Could at least checked first?”
The girl hesitated and said “No way! They are huge and I already finished the freshness of its . . .”
Joanne picks out her scroll and activates steal.
Alche summons an orb to recapture the appearing eels in front of him. It was huge and forced himself expanding his spell. The eels burst through the orb in lightning speed, and Alche continues to struggle to contain it. The Agatheans hold it off as one of them, cut its head clean with their rune weapons. The girl shrieks out of shock
“Why would you?!” “Two females, had unfertile eggs. This would be a proper payment for us”
“Now, any of you could place it in a container. We won’t be breaking our deal today”
The girl becomes depressed of how she loses two massive eels out from their fresh bodies. Now sealed in a container, it is going to be froze, and package when she gets home. Joanne apologizes
“Sorry, I was helping you to get what you want”
“Helping? Yeah . . . helping”
Her friends come to her side “Don’t be so down, what do you get from two massive eels keeping alive? We can grill that massive thing”
The girl takes out her device and it was a message from Haw himself. Alche sees that she has his number too. A chat with from her to Haw as the first conversation for the day is the picture of the eels.
It says “Did you know, that adaptive aquatic creatures like that one blends in the environment like a sponge, you know that thing that absorbs liquid, anyway. It acts identical to which fluid touches it. If you correct the flavoring to its scales or skins, it will have the same texture of your everyday sauces . . . I got the information from the codices from my former guild. They were assigned to do underwater patrol with the expedition team when they . . .”
She closed her device, stands up and looks at teacher Alche in the eyes “Is there any chances for those eels to comeback?”
He starts sweating “I don’t know, maybe other fishes over there probably be tastier than the eel”
She turns to the Agatheans. They respond with no information about it “Apologies, these are actually luxuries to eat those creatures. Honestly, we mostly get our fishes from rivers and underground lakes”
The girl steps forward and look to their newest catch, she takes a picture and send it to Haw. After her moment of silent, she just moves on.
The awkward silence place them in discomfort position, the shield student doesn’t want to have that “Are we that crazy to let her do whatever she wants to get a free meal?”
Her friends nod, the shield student’s friends were curious, while the others who actually ate at her parents’ restaurant, they kindly said to him “They actually were the first to mimic the recipes made in the city guild’s cuisine and improved it. They are really good chefs and affordable to buy there”
The Agatheans had seen enough and follow up their agreement. For the entirety in the afternoon, they harvest as much as edible food they could fine. While harvesting the bounty they have dearly wanted, even the reefs released strange fluid around it. The Agatheans secretly talking to themselves about the eggs on hand
“One of the best ingredients we have finally in our hands”
“Better than the Weiylu hiding inside the only oak tree”
“Shush, don’t let the kids hear us again”
“They can’t get anything from us by just talking it like an ingredient, did they finally believe that fairy tale?”
One of the students eavesdrop again and said to Joanne, “I don’t think teacher Alche made a good deal, they’re acting suspicious”
“Me too, but is there any else that prove our suspicion?”
“Purification ingredient, from what I heard from teacher Alche is a cure for some curse. Those guys are acting too strange lately”
The students are getting anxious, the way they are acting sneaky made them want to tell someone. Joanne turns to the shield student
“Hey Miyusuki, can I message your guild?”
“What is it . . .?”
Later in a few hours. Haw checks his device. He is with Maser checking in the ruins. “Hmm, I’m receiving another messenger”
“Who is it?”
“The recruit, they found some Agathean who is searching for purification ingredients and they are suspicious about it”
“An Agathean searching for it, did the crime trafficking still going on inside the inner realm?”
“I have no clue, there is also about them saying about the fire bird”
“The fire bird? You mean the Weiylu . . .? Yes, it would be suspicious. Then those people . . .”
“. . . Are not the people we are going to be concern about”
He chats it back to him with a brief respond and added for more details if they are willing to find out more at their own risk. Maser explains about those Agatheans
“They’re probably the people who are trying to smuggle the ingredients for both in this city and their own. There is something they need to cleanse off from the demon presence . . . powerful presence, same as Lady Hivites herself”
“That’s too far for them to use it that way”
“I’m talking about the Lady’s rivals. We both know Agathean men have strong link with the demons. They’re trying to get free from it and their souls. How about you Haw? is there any chances they want to break free from?”
Haw stares from the girl’s picture about the fishes, then he responds “Or will they use it to defend themselves against the traitors”
They open something out from the rubble and found chunks of broken mana batteries. They found out something more troubling than the students’ worries, Haw said
“The mana containers are gone”