COI C223

It takes a week to get back to the city. Lost most of their runes and only left behind are the adventurers’ magic items and loots in their hands. Rusic did the pleasure, highly exposed and stubborn gets his weak drinks from the city guild adventurers.

“Gulp* Ah yes, sake. Are you punishing me that I take care of those cores of yours? How should I know those other cores were stolen? Blegh, gulp*”

Heist felt so annoyed “We reward you for helping us to get those cores intact. Sake is great by the way”

Coordination between Ironno’s craftsmanship and Silfa’s pet doll made a nice carriage as they venture slowly through the crystallized forest. It is better than nothing as the remaining runes is barely holding it in. Until the Enders have some great luck when Silfa finds the bizarre stone. The stone has incredible use of ignoring mana altogether. Identical to the runes, but possessed small gems that has essence of mysterious defying traits within. Archivist made use of it and attached it onto a rod with his meditation to move it around to remove the effects of the light. Such a strange interaction.

Silfa is still wondering about it. “I still don’t believe that stone can actually negate the light”

“Gulp* neither do I. However, there must be some kind of remains of the natural resource that supposed to fight back against the Jigeram’s light. I start to wonder how the other regions deal with it. Especially in Mountaiwall, the co-city of dwarves and goblins. The falling of crystals is common in certain place where the tallest trees crumble and crushed above . . .”

A random crystal falls down along a piece of wood inside

“. . .like that”

Rusic speaks more question than she doesn’t like to hear.

Ironno don’t know as well “Still, that stone belonged to her. It might be a good talking point among the guild masters. It would be a great idea to make a deal with them where our recruit is a citizen”

Voldemyr keeps that frustrated face at Ironno, he still not fine what Ironno did to train the boy. Still, the adventurers almost won against the one of the brigands. But he felt so empty when he faced them again, they are still not using their all. Using the demonic mana, and it were luckily weak. However, their runes and weapons were real, thrown away. The time when the blast happens, Hulyir’s sword remained intact. Even Ka’zei’s multi casting cores were just stolen cores from the city.

Voldemyr hears the Rogue spout about it again “All these cores are from the city. Those fuckers lost their runes from the fight and even ours. All of it! The only loot we can get is this sword that won’t even put into our inventory”

The rouge watches at the sword at the end of the carriage’s side. Wrapped with nothing but the rags of broken rune armors, that’s the only legit weapon they could get as their reward from that fight. Her head still circling about it

“Still, it looks like a nodachi whenever I look at it. How in the world did that guy have an identical historical sword like that?”

After some few long words from Rusic’s mouth, he fell asleep after his bored mouth put the others to sleep too. Only people who remained awake is the Rogue and Archivist. The pet doll remains focus to travel back home as they are out from the forest and into the path with clear dirt road. The Rogue keeps her eyes on the nodachi sword wondering about it without rest. With little chance of her UIs getting clearer where the rod moves under her, those short glimpses are enough for her to ask him.

“Say, for a fighter. What else you can do? I’m sure that hood of yours made an expression is not really suitable for battle, right?”

“It seems that way. I was always at the archives, and given my name nearly close by wording alone”

“Then what’s your real name then?”

“It’s Archi and last name is Viste”

“Archiviste, huh. Thank goodness my translation somehow got it right”

“I know, there is also a citizen who I am with helped me properly said it for the translator to work”

“So, it is. I still never get over with you guys coming to the city. Being an Enders really make everyone getting to know one. Since that sphere of yours made everyone hooked”

“It seems you people are freely talking about it. While in our side wants nothing to know about you people”

“Why not? Except hating us”

“There are people who are loyal to our Lord, Lord Lori’es. A lie to our lord is a lie for everyone of us. No one trust a liar”

“What about . . .”

Archivist hood shakes to everything what she said after. It was fruitless

“God, now I know why the representatives couldn’t have a proper discussion. But what about the trade? The train? And everything?”

“From what old civilization supposed to have, technology. Both cities have their desperations. And like your people, there are always a second thought”

Second thoughts, she knows that feeling perfectly. When in fights, yes, she has an ego and talked a lot. After meeting with Thean and the drinks incident, there is more than just a weak that survives this world.

“There is more to it than you don’t want to say”

“Then speak it more specifically then” Archivist answers her very directly

“Oof”

The rogue wants to say, but her mind flashes back about the incident. The people who go to Rune Isles, her friends warned her not to talk about it. Her mind overthinks again, and quickly changed her mind.

“I second thought, just tell me that is not related to sensitive topic”

“I see, both of you have still has the same worries”

“Don’t push it, laugh* I don’t like being compared with others”

Back into the city, rumors are spreading throughout the able bodies of the citizens. Hearing the words about a secret from Fuku City, a discovery or an invention. It wasn’t long for them to live in this world for about nearly 9 months, in cycles, they are already into the 4th moon cycle. They faced three cycles and they can’t even remember when the last time they feel safe before the dust came. The Alga’s light in the 2nd moon cycle was just a pest for them easy with their magic. The reason they couldn’t have their peaceful days because of the enemies of this world are putting the city in danger.

This discovery will be the key of their next defense, or might they say . . . coincidence. It was such a long time for the cult leader, the Fuku City representative, have return to the other district representatives. The advisor from Mihayara district, Manager Kubo from Taiyou Industries, King from South Shore Bay or from the City Guild, and finally. The cult leader paused a bit as there is a different leadership in Chojima District. He forgets that he wasn’t present from the last Siege. It’s kind of sad to see where he didn’t witness the old man’s last stand.

The advisor speaks coldly to the cult leader “So, you finally joined the meeting after all that is done”

Cult leader is looking at him uninterested at his critique “. . . You said to me your people can handle it”

“You, said what? I didn’t say that”

The two bickers as there are no winner in their quarrel. The advisor spews it out in rage while the cult leader didn’t care as he looks at him like a child. King leans to Manager Kubo and ask

“What business did he want after all that is happen”

“A lot, more like we have a talk in this situation”

“What? When?”

“They want the factories back up and running . . .”

A demand during in this dangerous moon light. What kind of crazy mad man does he want so early during this hard time. Manager Kubo didn’t seem to be bothered by it nor she is concern about it. King has so many rights to find out, and he turns his head where the cult leader is confidently speaking out to them.

The Chojima district representative claps her hand “This is a meeting, not a fight”

The old woman calmly sits down, and while the others feel something on their necks as her spell already leashes cult leader and the advisor. They both turns away, the advisor kept his anger, while the cult kept his ignorance.

As it was over, Manager Kubo has to introduce the meeting whereas the cult leader failed because of the early incident.

“Let us begin, we all know why we gathered here”

Others have different ideas about it. First it should’ve been the cult leader not involved the last siege, but there are more to it than they have all have issues for. Second is the suspicious lab coming from Mihayara district, the advisor is the one who govern that area. Third is the discovery of the moving vessel underneath the city. King and his adventurers were missing but found them at the undergrown. The news about them return were still not reach a week ago.

Finally, the welcome of the new representative. The old woman is here to replace the previous representative after the death of old man Ban. She reveals her real name as she no longer cared of her own safety since the beginning coming to this world.

King reaches out to her “Ah, Ma’am”

“It’s Mori, Mori Akane”

“Yes, Mori. I was wondering you are up to date everything has happened”

“Thank you for the concern, and yes, I do. All of us are getting tired of hiding and I don’t know how long we will stay inside. My community in my district want to get out from the safety of the facility. It’s like the new disease is coming out from those magic”

Mori is not wrong. Manager Kubo has the same disgust when staying inside the evacuation area for so long. It stings inside as the mana turned rotten. No one knew why the mana decompose when the spell used up. It is one of many strange interactions between magic. Although, the thought of neutral mana belonged to the demons have given a little hint of fear what this mana really made of. The evacuation areas need to go. If there is a small chance to expand the city barrier, then it all means they have to do it with everyone cooperation.

Manager Kubo shows them on the projector “It is incredible how the city barrier is performing well under the Jigeram’s light. It is more incredible though in my area in Tayiou Industries. When that day where the real moonlight shines down on the factories, after a week or so, everything that has biological matter were wipe clean. At the same time where the factories’ raw resources and other equipment are still there cleaned as if the light washes away . . .”

Mori taps her fingers on the table “Pardon, but. Would you get to the point?”

“Oh, excuse me. Taiyou District somehow is fully wipe clean as if they are new”

“!!!” All of them were surprised as sample pictures which are very hard to get. Somehow, they used their old model cameras to take picture with. No mana, just plain battery and films without any of those powered by mana. Although, it has its low-quality pictures, but nonetheless, there they see it. All of it, even the scraps and the dented materials. Clean and no rust whatsoever. The cult leader sees their awing face. Manager Kubo sees his face, feeling as if he already won, and because she doesn’t want to stay inside the evacuation area either.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

There are few who knows as a fact that there is a problem inside the evacuation area. A decayed power of mana excessing out couldn’t leave the area because of how sealed it is. No mana goes out, trapped. If they won’t say out loud about the problem, then maybe this secret unrest they heard about won’t uprise like the last time. Without going through the next topic, they immediately convinced as they go along with the plan.

The advisor said “We should do it. The city barrier needs to be rebuilt to expand. The people are squeezing alive in there”

Cult leader nods.

King also accepts the matter “Including us, we have too much mana to waste inside as other people start to lose their health. This is a rare action where many people used their mana at once in such a long time”

Mori hears them accepting so quickly she doubts that was their reason. They didn’t say the problem was. She knows what it is and why they don’t want to mention it. That the neutral mana is releasing waste, like the breath exhales to nowhere to escape to.

She only just asks “What about the ruins? There is something out there lurking”

“What are you on about?” The advisor sweats on his forehead.

“I’m talking about those goblins”

In the ruins, either from Mihayara district or the abandon factories in Taiyou Industries. There are group of tribes going there searching for something. A hidden spark going through light as it never coming from it itself. The goblins wore protective gears befit to the logo of their Horde chief. The Horde chief himself joins them as they drove one of the broken vehicles they fix with shamanism. A mount that possessed by the spirits, no reason of why they come here nor did they message the city of their arrival. The tribes are only chasing, chasing their enemies.

Broom* “Ah, boss. We are at the big rock cities”

“Yeah, boss. Our soft sheets won’t do good against their weak dwarf rocks”

Horde chief, Ogit Hay’droppah. Written on the makeshift vehicle on its bumper either both front or back. He says to his boyz.

“I hear so much about their stunts with the demon faction. I am still don’t like how they treated to the other tribes. Their spirits are stronger when they approach them. Vengeful, cruel, mad, and silly spirits are joining able to kill the citizen by the hundreds of their boyz. They thought it was suicidal. I guess they don’t know we are strong”

The vehicle fell apart as its wheels keep rolling off as the body dropped into the ground. The wheels keep going until it reaches the city barrier. Covered in shards, the Horde chief is in awe how it was able to stand before the might of the demon he heard about. No matter, he won’t step foot in it. He hears again, the voice of the spirits trying to keep echoing softly. They thought they separate them from the Horde chief because of the differences of his connected ancestry. They thought wrong. The Horde chief has a mind too. Smart enough that something is not right.

Another spark from distance, too bizarre for his boyz to understand, He knows what it is

“You see that boyz, it’s the tingle bitz”

“Laughs*” They laugh and struck heavily with their Horde chief’s ritual

“You dotz won’t even understand what I’m saying”

“But boss, the tingle bitz are gone. No boyz would remember what it’s look like where the isles are cursed”

“I know that, you dead noggins. Those humiskis have their strange flat boxes we saw”

“Yeah, right boss. We forgot about people trapped in flat boxes . . .”

A whisper to the wind. The goblins were busy meddling their Horde chief with random nonsense coming out from their happy mouths. Ogit raised his hand to smite them out from their own little circle. Then a flash of visions appeared inside his head. A sight begins where through the mountain, leads down to a hole, a dark cavern, a secret lake but eventually covered, and the gate appeared out of nowhere. His boyz were there and all the rest lead to invading inside the vessel. Ogit shakes his head as the rest he should’ve expect to happen.

Still the goblins quarrel about, Ogit stops the vehicle but its already down on the ground. His head hurts as he reverts back his memory a few minutes ago. Accidentally moves the piece of junk and pushes his boyz to the shards. Leaving the rest of the goblin fell into the crystal shards, as they safely land with the use of their own rituals.

Ogit said to them “Idiots, you don’t even catch the message with others from below”

“But boss, you don’t even trust us about the secret stuff”

“. . .”

The Horde chief forgot, and the expression he gives to them because of how they look at him all sneaky like.

They act like only one is talking and others acting dumb, and Ogit have to slap himself in the face as he hides his grin. In his honest stupidity, these chosen boyz are his boyz. The ground begins to shake, and his timing is always at his best. The disturbance of the ruptured ground able to static the pixels coming from the sparks. It was so very static its forced to form images where in form of human body creating out of thin air. Billboards and strange signages are starting to appear, but the light stop it from solidify its texture. The citizens are coming out of nowhere as the exposure broke them by their own casual appearance.

No protections, but sheer absurdity of citizens coming out. No time for them to react as the exposure instantly shut them up and paralyzed into the shards. None of them couldn’t be the wiser as the goblins break their silence.

“Boss! These humiskis are everywhere”

“Don’t you stand there, get those people off here”

“With what boss? You shoo all those metal things from our big steed”

Ogit sees a random steering wheel moving around him then continue to move on. Even their own spirits are not taking it seriously.

The lives of the unfortunate are beginning to take their toll. A rune stone thrown to the air as the spirits recognized its rune writings. Without giving a single second to react at it. They froze in place as time ceased their motion. The goblins couldn’t move, but the spirits are connecting them through their rituals.

“Uhm boss, I can smell the fade ritual from one of those lone gitz”

Ogit thinks of himself “Groan* Calm down, this is the reward I will get when stupid spirits are going through their heads. I made a mistake when getting here too early or maybe because my timing doesn’t go well”

A forcefield mix with ritual shields the citizens from the light. As there is a large hand with its finger tips are as sharp as a stinger, grabbing them including the goblins into a safe care on its palm. The stupid spirits were grabbed and release from its clutches on Ogit’s boyz.

The goblins returned back to normal and they said to their Horde chief “Say chief, when did we have a beast spirit on the tribes?”

“This is no ordinary beast. Chief! This hand is not a goblin hand its . . .”

Horde chief notices it too “This is a bird’s claw, a predator’s ritual”

The goblins speak out of nothing from what they never recognized before. A ritual that possessed actual animalistic power. The hand pushes forward to the city barrier with ease, even damaging the city barrier itself. The same strength as the demon who did it alone. The citizens are taken action as they head to the breached barrier, but when they reach there. The city barrier was sealed back leaving no marks of what happened. There they see numerous people lying on the ground, releasing vapor of dust from their body. The runes of other before them helped the victims from the exposure.

Ruby and Gemina made it to the breached barrier, and see their friends made it back. The pet doll sees them approaching in such high speed. In quick reaction, it able to grab the both of them with a release of its ritual.

“What the!?” Gemina was caught in her elemental ability

“Wow, this toy is faster than me? Hey! Whose doll is this?” Ruby got caught later even ahead where she gets caught by its mouth on her shoe.

The Rouge points out to them “It’s her right here. Damn they are sleeping like a log, right Archivist?”

“Fast or not, her pet learns fast”

“Of course, we have special powers to train . . . “

She looks at the pet doll. The pet doll hid its true expression of the doll’s face.

“. . . I second thought, I really wonder when she takes shamanism seriously”

Both Ruby and Gemina watch the pet doll nibble their shoes. One on its mouth on Ruby and its claws on Gemina’s, it was such an incredible reflex that they didn’t have the excess momentum for them to go further and probably hit each other in such high speed. They tried pick it up, when the pet doll carried up, its size grown while the weight of it begin to become difficult to carry. Together they carry the pet doll as it shows its happy face. Ruby can’t hold herself

“Did Silfa brought a spoiled cat doll?”

“Oh, you don’t know the half . . . Sigh* I mean you won’t going to believe it” The rogue gritted her teeth as the rescue was unrealistic and felt like they are in anime.

As the carriage continues to move on, there they could see Silfa sleeping and holding Puma’s remains.

Gemina recognized the pieces of its cloth. “Wait! that colors. It supposed to be a doll . . .No way! Is that Puma!?”

Archivist moves past them. He stops as he hears them about Puma. His hood and blank face didn’t show his expression about what happened. Too tired to say anything, he has to move on and bring the Enders to Stranding Island. Their reunion wasn’t great, but it is a relief in their mind after so much have happened.

Back to the goblins, they watch a mighty alpha spirit in front of them. A weak ritualized doll, but the presence of the shamanism within the pet doll is tremendous. The intimidating reaction among their spirits were surprisingly remained calmed. This is their first time experiencing an alpha shows domination among other spirits. The Horde chief himself was amazed of its lacking and the same person who defeated Sork’s scheme. That reminds him, where is that cheated of a goblin. His head hears the spirits. Surprisingly, he is fine during all of the horrible events have come this far. Then he flat out ignores Sork already.

The personnel found the goblins dog piled themselves. “This is the police! You’re not allowed to be here. Wait!? The goblin leader is, here? Why come here in the place like this?”

The Horde chief is amazed how they still recognized him, after being here during the meeting of all city states leaders. Even wearing in this ridiculous protective clothing. While he was thinking, the police with their own devices able to detect who those goblins are. Thanks to their own technology, they have used their magic to track anyone who are important figure. This goblin is no difference as this is the one is being keeping an eye on because of Sork’s incident.

The police continue “Yes, you must be him. What brings you here?”

The goblins look at their Horde chief. Ogit has nothing to hide anymore as the words got out about the vessel. He has no time to delay it. If the citizens in Isekai City will pester them in the mere future, then he must settle it. If, they will mention it. His weakness is really having a talk with the different race. Where his dialogue is nothing but gibberish and fully overdosed themselves by the words of the spirits in different form of languages. Their shamanism has already shown their colors.

While the police were waiting for them to respond, a call from the police station reach them “To all personnel who are communicating with the intruders, please bring them into the secluded area. Repeat to all . . .”

One of the goblins hears their conversation and said to him “Chief, are we still going to use our stupid spirits? They . . .”

“I know, I’m supposed to tell them about their secret under their city. Right?”

The police received their orders “Roger that. Alright, can we have a word . . .”

The Ogit directly joins them immediately “What’s take you guys so long? I was worried that our little secrets have found out”

“???”

The police raised some questions, but they seem to be cooperating than the other goblins. They didn’t suspect much of the Horde chief to be civil as the rest of those violent tribes. The Horde chief has no time anymore to goof around. His travel with a scrap machine they made to get here is way longer as they tried to build the junk out of what let in the ruins. Truly, the ruins should’ve been wipe clean with looters and scavengers. Still, they have more left overs. The Horde chief’s suspicion grew more as the city’s problem is more than invaders.

The advisor is frustrated after a realization of their situation. The idea to restore the city barrier as news about the factories fully clean off life, monsters’ lives, and would be a great time to recover it. The Enders are still in Stranding Island still offering their help. Everything should be set to easy when he heard that Lady Coheld is managing them.

“Why didn’t they do anything after it was all over?” He thinks about it, and makes him suspicious.

They know what’s going to happen but never give the easier solution. Their help is always slow, makes him wonder how they really want them to leave this world.

He shakes his head as he sees the goblins “I want to know why are you in our city?” in great suspense.

Ogit looks at him grinning as he moves his eyes with all the posts on his walls. News that happened to this city both success and fails as the advisor reminded himself that the goblin knows what’s going on.

He accused him “If you can’t say anything, then I suspect all those incidents about those feral spirits are you’re doing”

“Too fast to judge there, you think wild animals would love to be domesticated by us”

Both his boyz and the advisor look at him confused. The dumbfounded of themselves has no clue what’s going on. Ogit is a hypocrite, and wastes his time wants to know how far did the advisor know indirectly. That accusation is a start.

The advisor continues “Stop with the nonsense, I know your tribes are hostile to us since the day of the incident. There are reports of those tribes from the east part of your outpost have been dispatched to go here. We all know about it, because of this”

Ogit receives the evidence where the tribes are definitely going after them. He never thought those idiots dared to come here with little to no rituals and barely have the mighty spirits on their side to go through the moon light. They are very much suicidal if this keeps up.

“. . . Then this one”

There he sees the crystallized seal where the spirits, without bodies solidify in statues. His eyes weren’t deceived after all. The words of the spirits are dividing themselves. Those spirits he can’t recognize except for the taints of the fright spirits.

It was too much, Ogit never expect something like this. The weak echoes searching through his head

“Dinju . . .”

What he fears most is truly coming into reality. The voice of the spirits is been divided and the fate of this city will be a part in it. Time is running out, and the advisor is giving away valuable information about it. The return of the demon again? No. It was not it. It connects deeper to shamanism. The disappearance of the bandits and other Agathean looters. There is no surprised in the advisor thought about it, but the goblins didn’t think about that.

The advisor then finally shows him the last piece. Ogit can’t believe what he just hears

“. . . And one other thing. I know your tribes are sneaking into the massive structure beneath the shrine. There is no telling what you’re going to do with it. Well? Say something”

The man gives away all the information he needs to know about their city’s struggle. Maintain his expression with great delight and at the same time rewards would’ve get if . . . Let’s just say that the Horde chief has his discovery of the advisor’s secret.

He hides his real expression he answers to the advisor “I will say something. The matter of fact, can I say something what your people are hiding?”

“Hiding?”

The Horde chief casts a ritual releasing smoke to see the vision what he found. The advisor’s eyes couldn’t believe what he sees and struck with rage. His mouth is struggling to not to grit his teeth, and his magic is releasing a strong powerful mana. Ogit didn’t think that the advisor is acting this way. The spirits told him. It wasn’t about the advisor getting exposed his secret, but someone else’s.

“Those two, they already going into the underground dungeon”

His rage leaks the memory where the spirits are collecting it. The Horde chief reads into the ritual seer. The words of the divided spirits are reuniting to fight each other is coming true. Ogit links his spirit with his boyz and found something they didn’t know.

“They know about the vessel”

“Yet, they are not cooperating about that issue”

“Chief, what’s going on their unity? They are struggling”

“Shut it, the chief is thinking”

“With them? Heh” Ogit laughs the idea as they have the same division.

The alarms already setting into the screen as the advisor forgot to close it. “Shit! Sorry, I will close it . . . No . . .”

The goblins look at the screen, the flat box, where the vessel appeared to the west. The same vessel that is under the city. Now up to the surface only through the deep cliff of the river, nearly hits the bridge. The voice of the spirits is roaring in different tones, the Horde chief felt the old enemy has returned, and he don’t know this old enemy is. The screen sends the report.

“Warning! Large vessel rises from the ground. Enemies found inside . . .”