COI C126
It was not long where Ironno was able to find them out from their realm journey. Yet the hour set close beyond dinner time, they shouldn’t be this late when they are with Rusic around. Something wasn’t felt right, and it was. The group is being marked with a different guild’s magic. Rusic was the only one with his armor protected to a special degree of spells. He carries the boy while Archivist carries Tabitha. Archivist was able to endure the magic spell as they venture through the magic portal with her keeping something valuable as the temporary deck is slowly fading away.
Archivist says to Ironno “Where’s Lilith? Spokesman’s wife”
Rusic shows Ironno the item they have, it was the cross that looks similar to a certain guild. Ironno is connecting the item and Lilith’s background, he understands little of why they have such an item.
“That would be the least to my worries. Let’s go back, you know that item can able to detect the spirits”
Rusic scuffs it with a big cough “Not just any spirits, it is able to see their dens”
Ironno stops for a moment, then proceeds to move on anyway. Tonight, they have opened a hidden church’s archives.
It is the early in the morning, Haw is collecting their loots and check every quality it has. Spokesman and Lilith are with him in the field computer, researching what those loots they have found. All the things they could get, they were daring or lucky to be with Rusic to get the wraith’s true form. Dwarves are truly the looters of kings according to their arrogant mouths. Along with them is one of the adventurers from Isekai City, a public official who is investigating the loots they brought. The warning calls an uproar as they brought the loots here.
They already trying to negotiate for them to screen the loots they have. The Dexter Guild held responsible for the loots to be station here until it is properly secured and regulated. The looks of Haw’s eyes on the machine under the equipment from the wraith, an apparition that possessed a mechanical suit. Haw must finish this and took it to the investigator for any disqualification of the item. Spokesman grins so proudly how both Tabitha and the shield student to be able to brought where Lilith indirectly sent them. Away from the two, the couple mingle such old discovery.
“Is this the reward you brought for them, my dear Lilith?”
“It will never be too late, I have you so they could be given in return. I have no doubts against the boy who is blessed by an ascended mortal”
“Sanquin is your sworn sister”
“And she too had to leave when we finally be alone, to our future child”
“Ah, such a mature woman with the past I never see in you. I don’t know. You know much of the law of the living and the dead, and I for one maybe be that part of those descendants they curious about”
“As long as you continue to stay here with me, the child you try to help will be provided”
“Thank you, Lilith”
After the rest of the stages identifying the loots, the investigator had no choice but to leave. The threat is gone and only left is an object is turned off and branded to the new owners. Rune style crafts, the new law of magic for this city, and it is already being registered to the adventurers who got it. Haw picks up his device and made a call
“And that’s it, I have to name someone’s item”
“It’s fine, you people never know about our laws anyways without registering . . .”
The call ended as soon as the real business is coming into fruition. Haw takes an early work to just to hide something from them. Spokesman looks at the item, not from the wraith, but the object secretly collected by Archivist and Rusic. Shamanism is cursing and hiding the relics from the church. The illusion shows so many random areas, true in the sense of what the goblins are doing but less likely of them making realms to themselves. The dead can’t provide a world for the living.
Lilith was surprised by Tabitha’s card. “I know you are the one who made the deck and the empty slot that makes temporary mana slots. How many mana types it has when interacting with itself?”
“The cards are specially made, can’t be burn but to absorb the mana from the wielder. Tabitha is the only one can able to use it, not by branded name but the functions of not using magic. I’d say Spokesman, why she fears her own magic?”
“A past that forces her to do something she mustn’t do. Sorry, I am not close to her. Yui somehow managed to get through of that girl’s obliviousness”
Focus on the hidden stash, objects of old that somehow managed to reach here. The origin where it held the possession of the demons, a place of untouched until the shamanism vandalized it. All realms when influenced by the demons are always never left something this clean and filled to the brim with their personal belongings and creations. The rat men’s realm should be an example. It is already said among the citizens about it, demonic, barbaric, and cultic in display with surrounding areas of corpses. Haw makes himself think and said,
“Why would a realm like that exist?”
Lilith’s eyes roll to hear Haw questions. As a demon herself, or maybe he did not know. It doesn’t matter, she plays an event for the boy. Tabitha was given as witness of their genuine journey. Now those two will continue what lies inside their city without the influenced to come over them.
“You’re so sly, my sister . . .”
A message from Sanquin. Lilith had nothing to say to her, if she is going to make secret about him then she too keeps secret what he will soon have. The cross with the beads collected, only 30 beads so far. More so to get when it is completed.
A celebration rejoices during breakfast. The shield student and Tabitha were very surprised they made it out after going into the portal. Tabitha feels the same magic when Lady Constantine helps her with hers. Thankfully, they made it out and sees they are return with the loots they got. Haw is placing their equipment in a box. All of their equipment was taken and the promised to be upgraded are already in there. Haw was upgrading it late at night until morning. That’s some dedication when he could finish it in the day instead.
Rusic explains why Haw has to do that “Your people came by and check the loot you got. Strange magic coming from it, they said is demonic or was it me who bring my runes inside, laughs*”
They are outside of the quarter houses where the workers sleep, his uncle brought his friends to see his nephew’s first successful dangerous adventure. Sniper couldn’t believe his eyes when he sees his nephew had been doing.
“Miyusuki, I never believe your nephew is part of the Enders guild”
“Don’t be, Sonohara. The boy gets something to him when he lost his magic”
The workers are smiling and congratulating them. The feast is just a normal breakfast, but with Rusic’s kegs rolling over on the ground. Morning drinks for everyone! Spokesman and Lilith weren’t there; Only sleepy Haw, drunken Rusic, and serious Ironno. The shield student judges them without any hesitation as the celebration who planned it was definitely his uncle. He looks at them as they look at him back with their expectation to hear his adventurers. They took their time and they proceed to go back to work after sober up.
The celebration was over. When the sounds of the horns blow from the north, it is clearly shows that the Dexter Guild is still continue the expansion since that night. Tabitha tries to reach out to the three, but they seem have no response after a drink, the long night work, and just being here. Ironno was ruining the mood and had to flat out say to her
“I am here to see what you have in your loot. The wraith one. I heard from Haw it is already being distribute only to you and the young boy”
Archivist was not given a loot. He is the main front for Tabitha. The wraith is fully armored and has powerful machineries inside, it should be blatantly good to have such items on him. Meanwhile for him, that is not fitted for him being heavy equipped. His agility is the main skills he had done inside this city. The only wished he could’ve received is the cards from Tabitha. The trust on her is his crucial performance, his mask lights up being cool with his eyes sleep and his lips like he is snoozing. Tabitha has to accept it for now.
Rusic brings the box to them “Hic* Those guys seem not committed with my drinks hic* I am going back to the island. Remember, the place is still acting a little strange lately. Better watch out when you entered the fort”
He left only by a meter distance. The dwarf continues to walk drunkenly with song he sings through his way. No one knows if he is going to walk there, and would be the best because the road is safe for him to walkthrough. Now they have such opportunity to find out what Haw had done to their equipment.
The first item to open was the emblem of a familiar guild. The shield student was curious about it, but cuts it off where his gauntlet has its first upgrade installed. His gauntlet has the wraith’s berserk ability. It was the ability for it go fast and attack in a suspenseful force. Without any hesitation to check anything else, he wore it and the new energy gauge indicates stamina. He tries it out and uses the gauntlet to the ground. The gauntlet did nothing but his body is riling up. Each hit quickens his reflexes, faster, faster, and faster than he had ever drumming on the ground.
The gauntlet stops for a bit and the new gauge meter is storing it up. It is starting to shaken as something is about to release. He pulls out his dagger on his gauntlet, a small tight grip, it starts to deform. The sounds of the turbine gradually raising up releasing a thunderous noise. The sounds of the crushed metal as it grinds. The molten colors of his dagger molded into a crumbled paper. The shield student tries to release his hands and suddenly drops it in such speed. The molten dagger fell like mud on the ground as it is still melting.
Tabitha and Archivist were shock, then Ironno approaches to him as he tries to touch the gauntlet. The overheat sizzles on his hand as he grazes it. His own gloves were soaked with water, but it wasn’t enough as he pulls it away from his hand
“Scourges! What the Dexter Guild member had done to give you such an item?!”
“I don’t know, but I know that I’m part of your guild”
“That’s why I’m questioning about you. But then again, Sanquin has too many connections I don’t get it . . . Ah never mind. I can see it is properly made. Let me remind you that kind of gauntlet is only be maintain by Haw”
Ironno is going on his way waving his hand from the burnt. Haw yawns to hear such ruckus.
“Don’t worry about it. Focus on upgrading the rest of the gauntlet’s modification. You have at least two months before the next moon cycle. The Dexter Guild won’t be going anywhere, yet”
“Yeah, thank you teacher Haw for upgrading my gauntlet. So, Tabitha how’s your upgrade”
Tabitha wants to try it out, but the qualification to use it did not reach. Frustrated how Yui is given an activation when triggered rather than manually.
Tabitha shakes her head and asks Haw “These emblems though, this is from the Not Worthy guild, right?”
“Yes, that’s what the agreement from Spokesman asked if you were able to find it”
“Found what?”
“Rusic found it for you. I have no idea how the two gives their detail to a specific material, but I’m guessing you enter a sanctuary”
“Sanctuary?”
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Archivist seems that Haw knows about it. As Haw is about to explain it to her, he stops to find the right word to say. “I am trying to explain to you that has complication; It is a stolen space into the realm. The sanctuary I can describe as it is, untouched but taken away by a powerful being. Archi, you might know this too”
Tabitha reaches Arhcivist’s head “Do you know about it?”
“Hard to explain or to believe it, it is like a place that is taken away, land or space, and put into a realm. For example, this place we are standing. It can be snatch away leaving a large gaping hole as the structure here will be intact to somewhere else. Sanctuary though, it is able to protect itself due to being in a different type of mana. The realm we visit before is the example but the origin is unknown and what mana it has to protect itself from the neutral mana”
“Do you think we could go back there and see?”
“Can you able to face shamanism?”
“No, but can we handle it together”
“The spirits wouldn’t interfere to the living but neither we should be in return”
The shield student is shaken with excitement with his first upgrade, he stares at it as if he wields his most important weapon. His lost for high tier magic, his RAP is not yet mature enough to have enough points for his mana control, and the magic item he previous has didn’t coordinate well with his stats neutralize. He becomes the worst since Sanquin touches him. The shield student was doubtful
“I thought I was not going to made it this far, but now, I am possessing something strong and the first person in our city using archscience, right teacher Haw?”
Haw responds “No . . .”
The shield student puts himself down hearing him ruining his moment. He thought he could’ve some happy moments at the ending of their celebration. Haw wasn’t finished
“. . . You’re the apprentice of Sanquin, if you know better regarding the recruitment by Enders. I am here looking for a recruit, and send a report to my guild members who are interested, volunteer or commissioned. You were someone who are being interested by her. Someday, you will see her. But for now, your body still needs training”
The shield student’s eyes were wide open, it means Sanquin is accepting him to be the apprentice. A kid with only defensive abilities and managed to join just to ask for help. He knows that the Enders were able to face his people; like the stories from the city guild’s sphere, the rescuer from east coast, and the same rescuer near the tutorial dungeons. All under the origin from Enders Bridge. Him to be have such great opportunities that his set turned into the best equipment he ever had. The melted daggers reformed back to its original form, he picks it up and see something new.
Rune writings in golden light, no but a reflection of the writing in gold paint. Written as if it was used by a small pen in its miniscule hieroglyphics like carvings. Drawn some images like it is forming a sentence. Then he checks one of his shields, runic shield doesn’t have it except for his first shield. He said to Haw
“Did you do something to my equipment?”
“It’s upgraded by Spokesman’s request. I won’t say anymore after that. The man knows his words like meddlesome bureaucrat”
The shield student didn’t continue to bother, and Haw looks scowling to talk about it.
Archivist checks on the boy “Have you check enough of your first new upgrades?”
“Yes, and today I think I should’ve done with adventuring until next week. So, I’ll be heading back home”
“So soon, I heard about you not training enough since the incidents”
“No, I did train. I need to build up some muscles and practice on my reflexes naturally. I’ve been doing my training for more than a week now. I need the stats to able to use my abilities”
Archivist hears him been training for a week. It’s true that they rely heavily on magic to raised their body. He has nothing to say and let him go.
Meanwhile Tabitha, looks at the upgraded gears and won’t be using it unless it was for a purpose. In her sneaky expectation, she goes to Haw.
“Say, I am wondering you could let me use my magic items freely”
“Of course, but not here Yawn*. Oue has putting something on your equipment with powerful materials that I secretly have inside the island. If you know what I mean then you know the city’s restriction”
Haw fell asleep once again as his head lays down and take his first sleepy breath. Tabitha gets it about Yui, but going outside of the city is not for her time to waste. The last week of her trying get money and waste it all enjoying the city life.
Now equipped and fully dressed out, would she be in disadvantage to return back. Tabitha uses her spell and cast a portal to Fuku City. Archivist noticed her eyes wanting to go there.
“I am still not ready to face it, Archivist. But I want to see first what is left . . . my friends”
“I understand, I won’t say a word from what lies inside of your home”
“It’s fine, I want to retrieve something that I could not able to get . . .”
Where she about to enter the portal “. . . and let’s hope that place didn’t keep those cree . . .”
The portal didn’t work “. . . what just happened?”
“Where is it leads to?”
“Inside my old apartment, why can’t I go there?”
Instead going inside to Fuku City, they teleported instead outside of the gate. Abruptly appeared by the road where people are queueing to get inside. With her powers could see the magic barrier is blocking anyone who can use magic teleportation in and out from there. Showing itself is protecting from something, and of course the rumors they heard about. The gangs called Scraypers. They were the known suspects doing criminal activities inside Fuku City, and yet they heard that there are no reports about them besides from Mihayara District. News about them that they are working with the people inside.
Tabitha has no worries about them as her deck still not active yet. Across through the city where they reached her apartment complex, they passed through signs of protest and banners for not letting the refugees live inside their districts. She thought they were heartless at first, but her senses continue to tingle that something dangerous keep passing by. Comparing all the districts she travelled to the entire city itself, this place is the most occurring of dangers through her trait. The deck on her side still wasn’t active yet. They entered the building and her deck suddenly appeared, there are two temporary cards as the two main decks remained empty.
“I don’t think we are not welcome here, Archivist”
Archivist lights up his mask showing a bandage cross x on its mouth and its eyes close.
“You are truly said on your words. Do you have any advice for me, please?”
“Be enlightened, your home is disappearing before you know it. Know the truth what caused it and learn the solution that needs be. The weeds are not worthy to set the soil that they never served the life of others. It’s your choice and I am your choice for violence. Strength of the weak”
Tabitha hits his shoulder as it is clearly that he is weak. He needs Tabitha’s cards for powering him up. She already checks the cards on her UI. All of them are for diplomacy and intimidation, for what though.
With her old keycard won’t able to access inside, the guard recognized the card logo.
“Hey, you were one of those old residence. I can’t believe someone like you come back”
“What happened to this place?”
“A lot of people moved into a bigger building. It’s a long story, but it is clearly changed since the new management”
“Since when that happened?”
“Three times actually, the recent one is after the siege. The other two were ownership problems, since the original owner didn’t transfer to this world. Your things are still here, they didn’t throw it away. You could go to your apartment and see”
The guard let them in, as the new circumstances causing so much problems. The guard didn’t want to know if she is a defector or not. Archivist hides behind the mask and his observation follow through. To the place she resides, for how long does she think about it that her apartment is safe. If there is someone is residing her apartment, there will be a lot hassle about double booking. Now to the problematic housing for the people who lost their homes in Mihayara District. One knock of the door, someone opens it with frustrated look.
“Hello there, are you the original owner? Sorry, sorry, this place turns to shit when the change of new management”
“No, it’s fine I just want to get my stuff”
The woman invites them in, and opens the closet. A magic container concealed carefully by the magic detector. The woman grabs it and gives it to her. Tabitha touches it and the item react and pulled into her inventory. The woman provides her with snacks and tea as she shows her some hospitality.
“I know what you’re thinking, everything happened since the changes. I don’t know where you are or where you’ve been for the past months. They thought you were dead”
“That’s a bit too sudden to conclude my absence”
“Even I don’t get it either when people are wanting a place to stay. I used to live somewhere else in Mihayara district until the siege . . .”
Tabitha continues to have a conversation with her, Archivist stops them after 10 minutes. The woman agreed
“Sure, only if there are no complaints from your apartment being cohabitated”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve somewhere to stay. I just want to ask one last thing”
“Tell me”
“What happened to the previous residence?”
“Cough* hmm, do you know anything about the representative leader of Fuku City?”
“No, I’ve never known about the leaders of this city”
“Well, they made an agreement to settle among the refugee. If only Mayor Nakamura is not absent . . . Sigh* Forget it”
“Yeah, goodbye”
Archivist is wondering about the person they talk about. He stood silence and kept his mind at bay. Tabitha is sure that he is curious, but there is no time for explanation. She needs to visit first the people she knows that won’t leave this place. The luck for her that she will meet them at the park. Hoping that she meets that person again, she has to check on it first. The woman watches them leave, and return inside with a relief from her face.
“Thank god, it’s not the person who knows my doubles. SHIT! I thought right that girl is a nobody. A shitty nobody”
She opens her old device and to someone out there who knows the two couple. The private server in social media spreads easily to find out about her. Mostly rumors and her involvement with the Enders Bridge, the best answer for her is to let her be. The connections with the Enders are the worst to their worries as defectors. Including the doubles who were under watch against the Dexter Guild. The woman seeks deeper and found some old posts. She stops there and don’t need to dive deeper. In the old posts, before everything is happening. The riot or them leaving the city, there is nothing for to do but to move on.
The defectors read the posts about Tabitha. Many starts to know that she is a member from Enders Bridge. The woman who is curious about her, gives them an honest comment about it.
“Ignore her and let her do her own thing”
“Do you know about her?”
“Some of us know about her as witness during the riot if you want to spread her name and reveal much of our secrets. You’ll be targeted more than that girl”
“Hah this guy is trolling”
“See at the profile name you jackass”
“Oh fuck!”
“The sad part is you can’t delete your comment in this site LOL!”
“F”
“f”
“fff. . .”
“emote* f”
Tabitha is at the park hoping someone she knew passed by like the old days. Surprised by the look of the person slowly walking with a cane. He sits down the same bench as he drinks his juice. Tabitha walks to him
“Hey you! Do you remember me?”
“Uh, sorry who are you? You don’t look like you are going to scam me”
Tabitha casts an illusion spell on her hair to return the hairstyle she once had. The old man recognizes as he laughs softly
“My, my, my you came back. I have some good news for you. Do you know those one of the children were taken away from the bad people?”
“Yeah”
“Well, there she is . . . Hey!”
The girl who walks to him as she gives him a hug. Tabitha recognized the girl, but where are the rest of the kids. The old man continues
“It’s fine though, the girl told me that her friends are still trapped inside the east coast. You know this girl and the other woman were saved inside the city guild’s sphere. Wait a minute, you don’t know that Enders Bridge’s people saved those people, but they never let them escape . . .”
The old man continues to tell the tales of this girl’s life. Meanwhile, Tabitha and Archivist are talking about the survivors.
“. . . It’s from Lady Constantine’s guild. Have we already forgotten about it, Tabitha?”
“I didn’t, but I was wondering they are being taking care of”
“Do you mention about it to Elrond?”
“I have, he said that it’s the Guild Mistress holds the fate of the people she rescued. I guess I understand why they never bring them here yet”
“Yeah, but it is only Fuku City is a bit strange”
They return to the old man as he is now talking about a different topic, he let’s go the girl and continue to play with the other kids. He can’t hold himself to telling her what happened to this place.
“I’m just glad they didn’t continue to bring them here. These people, our community, are losing sympathy to the people who were tricked. I know that we are not like that, but . . . Sigh* If you continue to stay here for at least a month or so. You can see why I said. Please, don’t changed your mind like the other folks here. Something is truly going on in this city”
The old man attends to the girl, leaving Tabitha speechless at the moment. This is something is truly going to happen again if they divide themselves yet again.
Regretfully, she can’t do it. These people here she saw are genuine people, surrounded by what the old man warned about. She still didn’t want to give up though, as she turns to go where the place what she had remembered from the shield student’s memory. That the person who died was alive after all. Scared to face it as if the dead was in control by the demon itself. She has to face it, or just play along this act in this suspicious place. Walking along, as it feels normal but her trait keeps ringing her head with warnings of threats. Couldn’t calm down from what she is hearing from the old man. She stops and found him.
A man is passing by with other Fuku adventurers. Waiting in line to a stall that is prepared for the new organization is about to form. The people from Fuku City are rallying to form themselves their own guild. The Agatheans and Citizens are forming their second guild, as they will make their own and be the third. The sign says its advertisement
“Welcome to the guild from Fuku City. Join us as we are professionalized or mastery in the forms of high technical runes. So, please you’re invited to see if you’re beneficial to be the working force focusing in this city”
The three guilds are being shown to see how they are being differentiate. The City Guild, Victory Rooks (Agathean and Citizen co-guild), and the Fuku City Guild (name not yet registered) are on display. The adventuring guild, the realm dungeon seeker guild, and the new guild specialize in modernization with tech and magic. The person she is looking for is joining with Fuku City Guild. The man stood there with no reminiscence of how he stands idly. She reaches out to him
“Magnet??!”
Magnet turns around and sees a woman he never seen before. He stutters
“Y-Y-e-es?”
“Do you remember me?”
“Sorry?”
Magnet’s friends couldn’t help him, the defectors are getting close to be discovered and this woman spotted one of them. Magnet’s double is dead. There is someone else is alive who knows him. They waited as the two trying to figure it out who remembers who. Tabitha’s trait is going full alarm inside her head, and it accidently reach Kiege’s mind. Softly she responds
“Tabitha, what are these ringing noises inside your head? Are you in danger?!”
Tabitha ignores Kiege and said to Magnet “Yeah, how else you could remember. We are just acquaintance with a common hobby together. You know anime alike (nervously laughing)”
“Oh yeah, anime. Well life is a bit hard now lately”
Magnet nervously laughs as things are slowly settling down. Tabitha apologizes while Magnet returns and said,
“I’m sorry I forgotten something so fun back then”
Archivist takes Tabitha away as he says his farewell.
“I’m sorry, but we need to go”
“Yeah, goodbye”
Archivist, for the first time removes his mask and gives it to Tabitha. Hiding her tears while his face is shown to the public. The sobbing noise is getting louder as the mask silent it. She cries
“You’re not Magnet, his favorite name is always Magneto . . .”