COI C47
The night is coming, where the sun starts to set, and the people are nowhere in sight. A splendid sound coming from the ocean breeze, empty, as the day ends. The sky stays black as it never changed, but the sounds of nature help them distract their imperfect day. Screeching to its final hour, the pylons protect the bridge of its dismay. The common time tune in its everyday song, where everything rains like no other. The Enders watch this scenic view as they too soon will play its tunes. There is no gloom once they step in, a degraded creatures fester again once more. It begins, the music of Enders Bridge.
BOOM! SCREECH! And nothing else but its rhythm to play, it’s nothing to fear but the citizens are here. They can’t help of themselves to accept their sanity is low, it is impressive of them to have a positive attitude for nearly a month once they successfully travel here. Some did actually stay here for business, like the man, the operator, who stay and watching over the equipment transported here. Always hiding, and treated it as real. As this another day for Enders Bridge. It’s amazing to how united these people are.
Tabitha barely hides her magic every time there is a siege. Archivist was always with her as the offensive as she uses only her support magic, now starting to use her own magic, she began to accept it. Join together with her two friends, Kiege and Juela, as they made it to the place they visit yesterday. Kiege didn’t regret rented a room that is cheap and rented a lot longer than normal inns or hotel should. Tabitha kept mentioning it
“I didn’t know the rent is expensive”
“Expensive!? It’s cheap”
“Tabitha, didn’t you spend money from Agatheus city before?”
“I did! It cost 1 sylv, but here is 10 sylvs”
“It balanced out from the cost of foods too, you know”
“Eh, you’re right Kiege. Why the rent so expensive here?”
“You already know, we just run all the way here after another siege”
Tabitha forgets about the siege, as for tonight attacks, it coming from the air this time. Thanks to the insects from Kinteinnou wondered off to the sea, those creatures are flying had eaten them. And she still wonders, Tabitha picks up the menu while she is talking to them.
“The monsters kept attacking this city”
“It always were, it’s becoming a thing to attract those creatures here”
“We don’t know either, as if something in Rune Isles kept attacking here for some reason”
“I thought you have something to attract its attention”
“It’s been like that since the foundation of this city. No one knows why they attack this place instead going somewhere else”
“Most creatures going here are mana crazed ones, the machine ruins won’t even attack us, and the corrupted creatures not even once attack”
“You’ll be surprised, Tabitha, that the sea creatures are as big as a mountain”
It’s too exaggerated for Tabitha to worry about. Kiege keeps telling her about her adventures in Rune Isles. There are places she can’t explain and only show to her the trophies nailed on the wall. Kiege pointed out one of the examples, a big fish, but no sharp teeth. It wasn’t threatening to the least of her mind. Juela explained it to her that it can do, and shows an illusion as it actually alive. The big fish can expand its jaw wider than its own head. It stretches to the point that human head could caught in it, but it can only reach the entire average person’s legs in its length only.
Juela's expression shows no threat of it, but the demonstration made Tabitha eerie from her illusion. No one were killed by them, but drowning is a different matter. Kiege was impressed how she made the illusion. Later, they have their meals and talk about more important matter. Tabitha’s training, Kiege is the only one asking her what is like to enter the sphere, while Juela mentions about Voldemyr freely going as he should be resting. Tabitha focuses on about herself as the main topic for the night. She eats her meal, clears her throat, and told them about her team.
Kiege recognized from what Tabitha describes. The machine humanoid they were facing are the actual remnants in Rune Isles, they managed to capture a bunch of them and kept them in storage. Now it is functioning inside the sphere.
“Would have I thought it’s a clever way to use those machines”
“Do you know about it, Kiege?”
“It’s very effective when exposed to Jigeram. In a most difficult words I have to say, it is the trigger to repair itself. Which they are good repair bots if you can abuse it”
Kiege shows them one of the parts she is using now.
The tech she is holding is an arm, she demonstrates it as it extends its arm and grab the glass on the vacant table. It reeled back to her and then return it soon after, going along her extended arm, it hidden inside the armband where her tools hid it. Tabitha is impressed and at the same time worried.
“Wow . . . hey, is there a robot that can actual do the same thing as you?”
“Yeah, I don’t know the name of it. They were remodified”
“There’s no talk about it, you’re not going to the Rune Isles”
“Oh yeah, sorry Juela”
“Yeah me too, my bad, it’s just those robots are actually being used”
After finishing their early dinner, they returned back outside. The sight of an Enders chained down the flying creatures to the ground, getting stab multiple times to its heart and neck. Tabitha slowly backing off, where a random creature swooping at them from the air. Juela blasts it away as Kiege closed the door.
“Well now, we are going to head back to our rooms, right Tabitha?”
Kiege grins after Tabitha complaints about the price, and thanks to a good offer that Kiege preferred to pay more to stay longer. Tabitha shows her pouting face and Juela didn’t like that face of hers.
“Quit giving us with that face of yours, you look childish”
Embarrassed, she went back to the lounge where the other isekai citizens gathered. By the look of the place, they seem to be practicing something. An actual magic user is training them to control their mana, but some of them couldn’t grasp of how big they are using it in full force. Tabitha is interested, but she was stop by Jueal.
“You’re one of the guild members, you can at least ask us for help”
“But, I . . . those guys are actually using their magic”
“Heh! Barely, listen to Juela, you can use magic but not in multiple magic sequences”
Tabitha didn’t get it why Juela won’t let her watch them, for only a small glimpses of their practices. The sight of the magic trainer seems to be disappointed of their progress. It is more like they show some impressive skills, showing off different magics combine all together. Kiege can’t complain on this as she watches clearly from the trainer’s expression, no doubt there is wrong what they are doing. Better yet, Tabitha should be learned from the elves instead. Their ancient lives know the capabilities of independence through their magic.
Juela brought her to a more public place, under the bridge. Dangling in the air as it hanged from the hard metallic wires and the platform that are sturdy and no loose level of elevation. The sounds of fighting here occurs in such whispering noise, and felt this place is safe as it covered it in plain view. They are in a field hospital, where the apothecaries, different kinds of doctors, and medics gathered. One of the patients is from Isekai City, minding his time with his personal device as he rests. One of the doctors recognize them.
“Kiege? Refilling your supplies, I see”
“No, I’m with them”
The doctor sees them as she can’t recognize them beside being a Raker Mawn guild member. She greets them as they walk passes her, Juela is bringing her somewhere. The long distance under the long trail of hospital beds, Tabitha soon sees it a mix rooms between a bunk house and a clinic. She can’t describe what this room is made for and why it has to be hanging under the bridge. There they reach a door to the right, where the pier cap of the bridge is. Once open, they entered a look up tower where someone is casts a barrier, continuing taken down the flying creatures.
Tabitha and Kiege were shock, it’s the same trainer back from the lounge. Meditating himself around the magic he possessed, his eyes are in a trance as he looks dead and all surrounding him bare witness to his elusive magic. The creatures kept falling the trap as they entered, lose control of itself and began walking off the tower like it was nothing. Juela tracks him by the stretch of his magic, he returns back to his consciousness as he spoke his first words out of nowhere.
“Night is here, let’s see each other for tomorrow. Be serious to use your magic effectively, magic that big won’t even have a chance to hit your target” His returns to his body and sees three women looking at him, a middle-aged man where his white hair already takes roots form his youthful colored hair. A man recognized one of them, it was Tabitha, words and identity got out from the rumors of the guild masters, he was careful enough when the time comes when citizens want to learn Horsin’s magic. In its different form, the magic they have are elements, light, dark, and physics.
The man can’t describe of how the ‘physics’ come to mind where he sees them show it is being used. It was concluded to be physics as the effects are similar, it uses force magic. A basic reaction when physical interaction through impact. There is nothing else but force painted in colors. Everything he sees of it are nothing but force, clouded by his own thinking. Juela interrupted him in strong voice under the spell of silence, all compacted under her own voice as the surrounding noise turned silent. One word is enough to hear it altogether.
“Pop”
“Whistle*”
The man counters her as he already knows their presence. Only the two know what they did as the other two trying to talk to him. The man stands up and introduce himself.
“There is no need to know each other, dare to say why are you here?”
Tabitha thought to learn magic from him, but Juela ask differently. She knows Tabitha will freak out, and don’t want to give up her powers. Yet, she fears using it of how powerful it is. Not knowing will she react, but the option is there. Tabitha felt is not going to be that easy as the two blanking their thoughts in question to Juela.
“Tabitha, I heard you said you don’t want to use your magic”
“Yeah”
“Then you decide to use it anyway”
“Sorry, I honestly don’t want to though”
“Juela, that’s a bit sudden. She starts to get interested because of her situation”
The man understands what Juela is saying, but there is nothing to learn about magic as citizens are using it at full power. They have control, but not much someone who can control their magic. The only way for her to learn mana under him is to embrace the mana to its reality. Like what he did controlling those creatures outside.
Flying creatures keep repeating as they were controlled, keep coming down then naturally leave this place. His magic freed those creatures’ control as they wanting to leave in the first place. This mana on him is bizarre as he is strong, letting the effects of nature be the cause and effects. That lead to him entwine the magic he casted, and effectively hurting the demons without them manipulate it. He releases it as realistic to the end. Juela as well, to see her again grown wasn’t fated to be alone. Her father was too identical from his ancestors to preserve their family tradition.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Hated herself because of the incident, and carried the same family sigil as her father. Now she tries to help her friend to remove the bind between nature.
“If you are not decided yet, please talk to me again tomorrow. I’m busy defending this place”
They watch him letting those flying creatures leaving this place. It was aggressive when it came down, and calms down where it lands. This magic user is very impressive without even doing anything and it must be his presence.
“Sorry, to bother you mister . . . Juela, why didn’t you tell me first?”
“I was kind a lucky to see him. Many veterans and elites can’t be seen in safe places”
“Now that’s . . . you’re right, I met Voldemyr coming back from a fight”
“Tabitha, you should finalize your decision. We are finding really skilled people around here. They should be gone one by one on other missions”
Juela turns to him as he remained silent busily watching the creatures fell off the tower. Feeling regret of her past, she didn’t want to mention it. At the same time nostalgic to see him again, without her father on his side.
Back to their room, Tabitha is complicated how Juela shows to him. Wasn’t disappointed but eager, the way she shows to him is too sudden. Thinking about the other training, troubling the work load she had to do. Tabitha didn’t work for money as she was taking care off by those two in front of her. The meals and the company, it’s more like she was spoiled. This time, she asks Juela
“That trainer, can I manage my training with him?”
“I honestly doubted it”
“Kiege, shut up”
“You can, to be more precise. Having your mana as real as possible”
Tabitha and Juela are taking turns using their magic. Kiege watch afar as Juela teaches Tabitha the actuality of using magic. Tabitha didn’t get what she mentioned about to be more realistic. Adding the examples of the first spell granted, it’s dark magic. Juela shows her magic intervene Tabitha’s dark magic. The dark ball as it phases through loses light as it floating. Passing through Juela’s fire on it as the dark ball consume the light. Juela manipulates Tabitha's dark ball as it bursts into light. Now in reverse, the Juela’s dark ball disappeared where Tabitha’s fire out shines the darkness.
Juela controlled her fire as before, and blows off. Tabitha tried to repeat by dispel Juela’s magic. She did, but felt the effects of her magic warms her hands. Juela explains to her
“Do you understand now? You can use magic and I easily control it after you release it. When you try to dispel mine, you have to touch it in order to break it”
“It’s probably needed contact”
“In a fight, they don’t want to get caught. It’s not going to happen”
The two continue to practice more, and this time. They trade spells. One of them use one type of spell and try to catch it and throw it to their partner.
First its water, in every catch they take. Tabitha felt her hand soak but Juela didn’t. Now earth, Tabitha feels the weight but she didn’t. It went on and on, until they use dangerous approach. Using force magic letting an object float, where the one who will rise it up and the other will slam it down. The two sets up the final test, the object is a pillow. It’s starting, Tabitha starts to realize something. With her mask pick up from the inventory, she sees the mana flow. The strange flow coming from the magic between them.
The pillow is moving slowly down, where Tabitha pushes it down. While Juela uses her magic up, the analysis between of them is too bizarre to interact. It’s like the pillow is falling so lightly. With the tremendous power used to cast down as for Juela using Tabitha’s mana as her fuel for her magic. Never she realized that the limits of them using mana is still there, but using the excessive mana from her made her last longer. Kiege is looking strange at Juela.
“So many testing, how come you are not tired? You’ll lose all your mana for this long without even drinking your mana potion”
This boring test wasn’t for Tabitha but for Juela. She is taking her excessive mana to her control without even using her own. She is a magic user and Archivist is kind of is, but mix together between martial arts and magic. Now she knows, if her enemies, no, someone who knows about it, then their attacks will be meaningless. The pillow landed on the ground as Juela doesn’t show her tired expression. Kiege couldn’t believe what she is looking at.
“Still not tired?”
Tabitha removed the mask and understands why.
“I get it, that is what you are trying to tell me”
“Everything is neutral mana, even your own spell coming from it”
Tabitha nodded and started planning about training her magic. As they finish, Juela is accepting her decision to learn magic later and focus first other skills. Tabitha never mentioned that the guildmember will be joining her tomorrow. Kiege was in a surprise that the man can actually be part of her team. Both of her friends know nothing of him except telepathy. During that time with them, she contacted him with her own telepathy.
“Thanks for reminding me about the mask, I accidentally thought about you when I trying to understand why Juela tests my powers”
“Your friend is clever and mana is too complex to understand. My telepathy is rare, as if there is something wrong with me”
“Oh don’t be like that, I think it’s a gift”
“. . .” “Guildmember?”
“. . . Take down the stragglers . . . before the flocks come back again . . .”
“Oops, sorry for disturbing you”
Tabitha smiles out of a blue where Kiege knows that look out of nowhere. Juela sees Kiege pointed at Tabitha smiling. Not sure what Tabitha is smiling about.
“She is smiling, what of it?”
“You didn’t know, she has telepathy too”
“Like guildmember”
“More like limited, she only contacts them person to person with their own minds”
“Go figures, I’ll just be going now. It’s been a long night”
“Oh don’t forget to tell that trainer that she is not interested”
“Yeah, sure”
Juela left the room as the entire night wasn’t as fun under a siege, at least Tabitha learns the mystery of mana. It wasn’t a pleasant experience as they focus about her. It is still strange for Juela to come her way to help her about magic. Is something mysterious about it.
Juela meets the trainer again, the two never have proper conversation after the incident. Not even seeing together at her father’s funeral. It’s kind of obvious back then she was too depressed to her own father’s funeral.
“She won’t be learning from you, yet”
“Still wanting her to learn magic I see”
“On the contrary, she knows her magic is excessive. Still powerful but excessive”
“That’s what most adventurers do in my training”
“By the way, why are they interested in your magic?”
The trainer shows an illusion to show his side of the story.
A scene where the adventures were defeated by him, high ranks, who were stranded during the lockdown. That moment as they spar, the adventurers fell unconscious as their resistance of their own powerful skills causing an after effects. Cramps from their bodies as he only removing their mana flow to some parts of their body. These people were using the mana to keep them awake and healthy. Now down and out of their malnutrition. The same person who lied on the bed in the field hospital, it took that long for him to recover. All he had done was clear the air removing the fused by mana.
Then he explains the rest. “In the human anatomy, you already understand that. They were using mana to help them be more active, ignoring the body’s needs. The air they breathe is cleansed away the mana inside of them, slowly in time where the body circulates. Heavily dosage by that mana will be within them and not in their internal organs, leaving the starve body to weakens to its natural state. Just imagined the irresponsibility of their bodies meant to prevent foreign entities to live this world. It is as if this that the world had to react”
“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind for Tabitha”
“As much as you can, there is still more work I could do observing those people. I don’t think they could not do it alone, someday”
Juela left the tower then head back to the guild. The siege kept going through the night, where Voldemyr wouldn’t be coming back to Tabitha’s team anytime soon. While their new teammate is already asleep outside and in the open. Fell asleep after using his telepathy, this man is must be tired during this attack. Where some of his guild members found him and drag him back inside.
Next morning, the adventurers are waiting for the training. Passing the time when the lockdown ends, they never been so dedicated to waiting for him as they passed by the spoils of last night siege. The fight ended during the night, already seeing dead critters on the shores both west region on Kinteinnou and the west entrance to Rune Isles. These creatures acting aggressively. Still wondering the next siege coming from the sea. The Enders also wondering about it differently.
“Is it edible?”
“For the past decades or so, No!”
They carried the corpses out to sea letting the sea creatures have its fill. It didn’t rot as it as lifeless without any spilled of blood from the empty carcasses. Signs of not days or years of fresh meat among them, even they joke about it is out of their mundane days after another siege. The adventurers meet the trainer again, finally they could train out of the open. All of them determine to prove him that their own mana is efficient than what they heard from him.
“It’s been weeks or so, we have been training to use our magic. Our UIs even tell us that we are improving in stats”
“So, you eaten healthy now”
“Yes, and thanks for that. Anyway . . .”
The adventurers show their magic in high concentration, the people are walking by seeing another group of people wanting to learn from him. The trainer is also a doctor, that’s why he is there near the field hospital below the bridge. That open part of the bridge cap where it partially built tower. It’s a landing area for lowering the patient down there or flying over there to enter the facility.
Now is trying to check up those adventurers out of their mana sufficiency. Still overpowering to the point that they discovered of their unhealthy diet and deceptive preferred body along with it. Their exposures to their counterpart mana reveal their true body like it was originated by their own home world. After they learn about a few tricks, it's hard to ignore their abilities easily noticed of how huge their presence in their auras or influence surrounding them. When that’s done, the sparring begins.
Tabitha returns to the guild as she will be heading to the sphere later in the afternoon. The siege gives a strong annoyable impact where the reserves are fully been used, along with guildmember seems ready as Voldemyr sleeps on the steps. Tabitha received his telepathy once again.
“Last night, you mention about a gift”
“Oh, sorry you were busy . . .”
“Let’s skip that, and let me answer. I appreciate what you have said to me, and its better to think like that. I’ve been reading minds under a strict influence. You rely on good thoughts, and I want to see it to the end”
“Why is that?”
“Because you shouldn’t become like us when you go home, never give up on that”
That moment as she about took a step up from the stairs, heading to Daygen’s office. Wanting to report and request something to learn more, the research of the foundation is still kept in her mind. Elrond told her to wait for the time is right, to end the cycle of summoning from her world. The magic she knew that is only efficient to them in such a massive amount, she dares to question about it to him. The steps are getting crowded where many people sitting on the stairs.
Juela sees and greet her as she too going to the office.
“It’s good you are here, you should ask the guild master to learn more about magic”
“Yeah, I’m about to ask him too”
“Great, then you should listen to him carefully. It’s nothing special, but it took a bit of time to learn from it”
“Why is that?”
“No one becomes experience under a week or so, from what I saw them sparring with an experience person. I don’t expect them to be ready”
Juela says that as Tabitha remembers some posts from her device. The internet accessed is exceptional for her to see what happened to the city, it improved drastically from what she read.
Reaching closer to the office, the door was lock, and leaving them standing there to wait someone to get it open. After a few minutes, someone got out from the door, it’s one of the guild members. Tabitha looks closely at the stranger at it wield a long sword, thinner and traditional looking, as if it is nearly identical to her country's weapon. The weird difference to look at the stranger’s weapon is that the edge of the sheath is pointed, it’s weird for her to recognized a weapon but that pointed edge of his sheath drove her off in thought.
Juela lets her get in first. Tabitha proceeds to enter the office as he busily writing reports on something.
“Tabitha, Voldemyr and Archivist already sent the report. I agreed you need to be an assistant leader for now. Guildmember will be ready at the afternoon, last night was a surprised as it was coming to Kinteinnou region”
“Yeah, sir, I want a request”
“A request so soon, we’ve been giving you so much. Even the card of society won’t be that useful when the resources are being used up than it is”
“No, not at all, I was hoping to use magic other than my own mana”
Daygen remained quiet as Tabitha is getting nervous. His expression shouldn’t worth showing as she didn’t know what she sees from him. The silent kept them hearing only the clocks ticking, tick tock, where Daygen is the first to break the silence.
“Did Juela shows you about it?”
“No! Like I said before, I want to survive to leave this place and . . .”
Daygen raised his hand to silent her, the look of his face of skepticism prove both of his mind and prediction that would happen to her. He is not fully involved to a beginner like her, as he is already getting tight up in Haw’s mission.
“Uh sir?”
“I know, your time is limited and the reports coming from both you and Haw is quite staggering”
“And the reason for that”
“It is connecting far too fast. Care to mind a few events were happening since you came?”
“I don’t mind”
Daygen tell what it is, Tabitha didn’t know much about the ores demanded from her city. It is supposed to fill up the demands of products producing. In Daygen’s case, it’s already be enough for them to preserve the importance of her city’s productivity.
The report of rebellion has infiltrated the city, coming from the reports outside of it. Connecting, the news from her device as both rumors are becoming true. Secondly, shamanism influence is already spreading into the city. It’s been a few months back where the swarms come in through Alga’s light. They are developing something with that kind of power. Then the sphere sent by Lord Lori’es responds to navigate or observe the process happening among the adventurers. It’s been two or three days as they entered the sphere using the alternative way to rescue them in East coast.
Tabitha heard it all, as the plan to help the city to build into something. Enders are indirectly helping them, but from what Daygen says to her is the main problem of their development.
“. . . They are developing too fast on their isolation, the lockdown caused them to cease because of creatures appearing from below the surface. Tabitha, I can’t help you in this current time. In such cases like these, you need help from the other guild masters. Either me or Lady . . .”
“DON’T! PLEASE don’t recommend me to her . . . please”
Tabitha shows discomfort when she met her, the overpowering presence, for once her power couldn’t withstand through the words from her mouth. That woman made her fear as it forming into words where the tones of her voice seem threatening. A sweet strict voice, and she won’t dare face her again alone.
“I understand, regards to your magic. I recommend . . ."
“How about Juela?”
“I can’t, you need a master not your equivalent. She has her reason to end her training before”
The two lead them to no end, and Tabitha felt so nostalgic that there is one thing she needs to learn, magic, is not given to her in silver platter. The advice from him is beneficial to her own abilities. The time needed to hone her magic is close to years of training. Where her own body must experience the drawbacks of the natural mind, but won’t be that useful when she reached home. And then a smile of her face grew that Archivist is there with her. Then she said.
“That’s why he is there with me, Archivist”
“He is your weapon, tool, or satisfactory. Leadership is all you need. You’ll never going to stay here”
An altered expression from her eyes showing, her guild master believe that she will definitely going to leave this world. Tears flowing as the rejection wasn’t for sorrow but hope that she can definitely succeed. Not alone, with someone she entrusted to. The door opened and Archivist sees Tabitha, she turned around and hugs him. Daygen says to him
“You know where she is”
“It’s because she has telepathy on me”