COI C74
“This is the morning news; a special update after the incident of the collapse, there was recent occurrence on the west highway. Many where trapped but none of them were hurt and thankfully so. You can see on screen where a pile of dust is now materializing into crystal. Let’s see our reporter who is now on the premises”
“Thank you, you can see here on the floor where crystallized magic item left behind from the citizens. All of them drained out of its mana as the light bluish in the air start crumbling down back to dust”
“Say, how about your exposure?”
“Oh that. There . . .”
Buzzing and losing of transmission coming from the adventurers’ device as they are now outside of the city, they are careful as much as they need to earn money. Only high ranks are allowed to get out for now and see what happened. Previous adventurers from yesterday were now assigned to deal inside the city first from what happened yesterday.
“This world is getting difficult by just one moon appearing on this region”
“We got the mana and the moon destroys it, seems natural to me”
“Don’t get Illtended wrong, but I find it reasonable to balance things out and this is overpowered”
“That’s what you said Heist, but this quest is still scouting”
Heist stretches his arms and yawn “Man, I never been yawning such a long time”
The rogue feels it too “Yeah, our stats diminish from the exposure. I feel like I want to go back to bed again”
Illtended understands “Yeah, that incident really kept us awake”
The rogue shakes herself. “All night”
Heist says after “All night”
The other adventurers look rather distress when they heard it. “I hope they are not dependent on mana”
“You’re right, because some actually fell asleep during their quest”
They check their UIs with their updated features, the exposure rate, and it tells only in each individual for now. The adventurers walk further inside and see signs of exposure already taken the forest. Heist uses his senses
“Empty, not a single monster ever on the surface”
Illtended starts to worry as he looks down “Surface?”
“Yeah, a lot of them is coming from the dungeons we were once raided”
“How many are there?”
“I can’t be sure, that they’re compacting themselves inside a small area”
One of the adventurers who had collection of identified monster book, Heist gives her the detail as she examines it, as she gets contemplated of what the monsters are
“All of them are the same monsters compacting and hiding inside the dungeon. Other monsters we had fought before are nowhere inside”
“Then where are the monsters we already know”
“I’m still sensing that there are still there, but blocked by the horde trapped with it. Still inside the dungeon after all those time”
They look around and see the vegetation were a bit unhealthy and less so to the far reaches to the sky. The only things are edible are hiding inside the large trees. She said,
“It’s like they are preparing for winter”
“They should be preparing to hibernate if that the case”
“No, I heard this world once was a Pangaea continent. They could travel across the world following Alga throughout its migration. A phenomenon like this really hits hard to this world”
“I guess we are in the mid climate change”
Heist senses something moving from the dungeons. “Let’s move on, I have a bad feeling about this”
Inside the dungeons where monsters gather around trying to flee something, they spot the hidden monsters frolicking inside like it is their habitat. The dungeons are slowly formed by these creatures hidden in the dark. It made containers of carcasses coming from their prey, mostly from the swarms as it nurtured itself from it, and they are preparing for something. Hidden away its identity inside the dark, its quiet nature fills only the rooms with its scent. A noise from the other direction, closely to the entrance, it turns around and hid preparing an ambush. One strange creature enters and the monsters attacked. After that fight, more piles of monsters on the its feet.
Back inside the city, the barrier is starting powering up. Strengthen further and forced a crystallized barrier outside of it. Enclosed them like a glass dome, as they might be trouble if it turns the city into a green house. The defectors are coming back once again to the place they thought they don’t have hope for. Seeing the city trying to thrive with all the situations they are in. They ignore the consequences as long they have their life back. Regret or not, they manage to survive out there and learn a few things in the forest.
Their confidence grows after learning some new skills and powerful abilities in their experience inside the forest. Thankfully for them, someone inside the city is helping them return back to society as the unknowns. The security is updated, fully implemented, and stops providing anymore new IDs within their UIs and devices. These fugitives are hiding among the districts and most decisive base they were taken to is Fuku City. The gangs are escorting them as a group of sightseers looking at the incident.
The reporter is still there watching over the incident where many public services are having a hard time to crack through the huge boulder of crystal within the highway. Coming by and passing through the exposure in this area lose their detection where the defectors secretly hiding among the crowd. All of them are using face mask to prevent the exposure but it was their rumors to hide better. Passing through the main gate, they have arrived in steady amount. It was not certain for them to be safe where the new season as they thought would be autumn but it is the third moon cycle.
Disguised group gathered around them as they explain about this new phenomenon.
“I know many of you are going to wait as to not be blown by the police, but we need a little public assembly here. All of you that has still working personal devices, please share for those who lost or don’t have one. We will provide you a version of the new latest model”
The defectors were relief, that the man who announced to them were one of them as it was planned for. Their failed attempts to fight all around the region were taken out in time.
Luckily for them that someone in Fuku City is there to rescue them, but they are not sure who that savior was and why the stranger didn’t show himself. They kept their thoughts as they see two defectors with two girls on their side. The man and the woman who were trying to convince them to return, they look at them like old friends. The man stood silence, and the defector stops by looking at him then turned to the woman. She is embarrassed, both of them at their back seem to be less fortunate to some reason as they shut up. Yet, one of the defectors reaches to them.
“Dark Green Dot, I heard your group is becoming a gang now”
“Nice to see you again, but you should better go to the assembly. We have enough of those returnees to explain them about the situation”
“Yeah, about that, why is your partner looks bum?”
The woman can’t explain why after talking with the infamous predator. “Well, we met that fugitive and . . .”
“Talking about the fugitives, I hear one of us is trying to take revenge but failed. He is with us now feeling that he lost his opportunity”
The man feels sleepy where the exposure deducts his magic on his buffs. His raspy voice and tired tone are telling off his side of the story.
“The most important thing that matters that I survive. But I have promise that man that I would be not joining the gangs”
“Just what we already said to you, we are not joining but we have to pay off the debts. Luckily some of us had the skills and training to help the city somehow”
The woman stops them “Alright, just go to at the assembly and hear what they have to say for you guys”
The defectors are joining with the Dark Green Dot. The two greets each other as they talk about what happened.
“Are you really that victim?”
“You knew! I mean, how?”
“Nothing, but because most of his victims can easily be trace where they are inside the realm. That’s how he made new hideout with magic”
“Really? Then tell me more”
“I don’t know if he is desperate, I have a skill and I found out that predator’s sex doll. I can detect it, I say, he gets something really rare to use it on. I was shock that it has magic powers that has polarization . . . like you”
One of the defectors heard them and said “Don’t try to be innocent, man. We team up with him before he joined the Dark Green Dot. If he assumed, then he found out solid clues”
The man is tired but can’t be surprised as he already found out. The other man can only say this to him
“I’m not going to ruin your chances with that guy, but we have contact with him. Hear me out, we need information for everything we need before it gets worse”
The defectors heard him, that’s what they are afraid of. One of them said
“I know we made our mistakes, now they too made theirs” “They would be surprise from how many of us survived”
“But we lost hundreds after we return”
“They are just bunch of idiots. They think they have high ranking magic can exterminate an entire city. They got into their delusion and so as them in this city”
“I honestly think that we have made the right choice, but we chose what floats our bubbles”
They take their time chatting to each other as the assembly is going on. They look rather horrified to some reason.
The woman stops them “Keep quiet! We have gathered information long enough and see what is going in this city. Those people he mentioned are least to our worries”
Everyone loses their heat in the argument, the tired man can only say to him “I get it, I was lucky but I’m not alone wanting that son of a bitch”
“With that logic, that’s why other people are using him as bait”
“What do you mean?”
“Sorry, that’s all I can tell. We have not gone far and there are people from Horsin that could beat us”
“That part I will agree on. Fine, but I won’t be able of use after this”
The man is getting worried that the defectors had already done inside the city. He hopes that they could not start the situation that the investigation will track them back to the source. They made it inside the district. It took a while but it is still morning. The defectors were teleported inside deeper to the city where they are now actually inside the tall buildings. They see the complex magic realms going in and out from the doors. Once they get in, a massive open space where it looks like a stadium that is too wide for an ordinary skyscraper.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The realm’s portal link to every floor and buildings connected together.
“This is like one of those Viking myths. The nine realms but with every floor in it”
“Do you think we could reside here?”
“I heard that we can reside here. The city outside is a difficult place where the police had the resources to search us”
“I hope so, I have done something last night that failed to do”
“Thank to that special item yours, using the substitution during your dire need”
“I admit, the plan was almost perfect until he responds it” “He is the predator before even before coming to this world”
The main hub realm starts to form as it becomes a special stage with, the defectors can’t recognize the banners upheld on were the gangs show it. They are probably involved in this organization. All gathered around with the special seats for the defectors. They see the banner of the Dark Green Dot, a change of color that actually matches their world’s national flag but vertically. They were about to joke about it but remembered that it was the rebellion who made it. With respects for them, they have to admire it.
All banners gathered together in gangs. They look down where the man with a suit is ready to prepare the event. Their eyes can’t believe as they see the real criminal organization back in their home world. Hide away in a suit and the tattoo covered with it, the man is with the other gang leaders. All of them are young and not fluent to their professionalism. It doesn’t matter as they found something advantageous to gather all of them here. The man waits as many people continue to gather all around.
Once they are ready, the meeting finally starts. Defectors see strange looking people wearing punk looking outfit and other gang related clothing. The most obvious uniform are the suits, meanwhile other gangs are wearing anything gang related; jackets, hoody, sunglasses, and even mannerism from one of those romanticizing gang movies and anime. The defectors were scuffing how they have new clothes and other modern made technologies. Jealousy or not, the city thrives.
“Welcome and all, we have gathered here and see what have happened to this city. After you left the city, we have trouble getting to learn what atrocity happened outside, we gathered as much of an effort we can to contact you people. Thanks to this group, The Dark Green Dot, had shown us their capabilities to unite the rebellion. I for one won’t be entrusted their help but leaving this world is their offer for us in cooperation”
He points out at the banner where their leader is not here on sight. The gang members however are seated at front.
“To all other gangs, form under your leaderships; The Scraypers, the original gang residing in this city. Specializing with their realm networks but foiled during the raiding, it is no surprised this new security brought their advantages to ruin. The Devilishly Rats, the roaming gangs throughout Mihayra district. Very protective and highly influence of their work ethics disguised as ordinary citizens, they are the supporting backbone to you all people”
His speech mentioned the rest of the gangs and smaller ones without him forgetting them all.
All of them were praised by their efforts and accomplishments. Now the speaker directly announced the new comers.
“. . . And now, you see over there by the large numbers of people. You sense their presence with overwhelming powers, as they survive the horrors within the east coast. Survivors against they never experienced; goblins and dwarves are against them fighting against runes and shamanism put to together. Feel their powers that they are almost the same as me” The speaker unleashes once again his aura. They felt his presence but the defectors feel its threatening aura.
The defectors never thought to sense someone like him to be stronger than them. How can a man be possible to achieve such control inside the city? The man who is in the Dark Green Dot gang is looking at him trying to suppress the presence of his power. It is intimidating to them, but he knows how to divert it. Umf and Kyra see him blocking the speaker’s presence of intimidation.
“How did you do that?”
“His presence is powerful but he just sent it to our senses without knowing they can ignore it”
The speaker continues “These are the people in need, and thus we must help the people who are willing to live a normal life as we are. We are divided through many differences, if we pull off the greatest escape from this world. Those who want to stay will provided what we can give them after. You have seen the city grown and more capable tricks and innovation for you people to last to your entire life, but I am not guarantee from your enemies when we left. Time is an essence for them to improve. Newcomers! Lend your experience and train these gangs to become as strong as you and we will provide this very city as the fortress of your new home”
The gangs are looking at them and they have been away for months and have never experience the luxury of the new mana technological aspects of this city. Yet their inventories carry rituals and runes as their loots, collecting countless resource once they heard they are allowed to go back here. The speaker shows his gallant appraises to them as they cheer. Their roaring moment put them in the crowd as the defectors cheer after. The speaker secretly smiles as he sees them coordinating one another, yet his eyes twitch with doubts.
The gang leaders behind him cheers on as well. The speaker moves back and let the other leaders show off to the crowd. As he left, he goes to the four gang members who carry the dark green dot.
“I have never thought my old gang are here”
“Yeah, but those two are new”
Umf and Kyra were shock to see those two know him. They stay quiet and hear their conversation.
“Hiding like ordinary citizens, yet the support does help us a lot”
“I could say that to you too. Those who stay are going to be disappointed if they are not ready to . . .”
The woman interferes and said to the speaker “Then they have to seek refuge to our local ‘friends’ instead”
“That would be great, if they brought the resources to let them stay luxuriously”
The two can’t understand what they are talking about, but they are damn sure they are connected. Then they heard them saying
“. . . We were part of the organization. I can’t believe others like us decide to go to the other districts instead”
The two girls understood one thing, organization they mention like this that they are in the criminal syndicate.
After each gang leader provides what they have to offer, it is now the time for the preparation of the new crises happening inside the city. The speaker let the one of the Dark Green Dot gang members to stand up to the stage and introduced the problems they will be facing. The man stands up and walks to the stage, but the gang leaders know this person and quickly summoned him without that overly exaggerated walk like he always making as entertaining joke. Appeared on stage quickly counters his disrupting entrance.
The lights turn off and the spotlight shines only on his back. The leaders went nuts over it, yet they expected it.
“This man, a representative of the allied rebellion, I don’t think he is actually a gang member. More of a comedian”
“Laugh* he is still at it. You should have recruited him for your showbiz”
“I would, if he doesn’t treat me as a child”
The other gang leader joined their conversation. “For you to be a gang through social media is something, but he never was on screen rather he is on live sets”
“See, listen to the leader of Scraypers”
The man readies himself to show the people what he can do. The start of the show as he casts his spell on stage in more immersive setting, as he changes his voice in a more roleplaying character. He is been practicing this play since his leader mention about the other moon.
“Jigeram, the moon that is the opposite of Alga, magic is in ruin, and life feeds on the light succumbs its mana killing rays, as of now reach to our city. I can say the rules are changing, after the new protection procedure coming from the police. I say we’re getting caught left and right”
The scene shows a list of a lot people being apprehended. Many more activities ceased and other sources of income stop through their surveillance.
“Anyway, you, defectors out there sure know that we are in the bad time. Inexperience gangs, locals who hide better than us, old tricks gone bad, and where we get our hands to it by real fighters. Now we have these dusts, weakening everyone as it touches. The exposure will be severe but easily removed with water. I know it surprises me. Natural water removes the dust effectively, but in this region. It is engulfed with Alga’s light. It won’t be as affected unless it is extracted it properly”
“The rules are simple, we have lost our secret routes and passages within the realms made, exposure will soon to be dire if that hole on the sky still can’t be covered up, and we have a pile of dusts everywhere. The good news for us is that we prepared everything. Only you people going to decide what to do next, while we provide the playground for you to test. Don’t aim high when the consequences get you. We reached out to people who are a threat to you, and focus instead outside of the city for now. Rest assured. It is worse enough that our enemies might join forces in the near future. Better cooperate with them and you will be surprised”
The gangs and the defectors are looking at each other. They have described the situation too simple, but the key problems are there. The gangs are having difficulty regarding experience against fighting or else the police suppressed them easily, and they are all coop up inside Fuku City and use the income they have through the internet. Limited but enough for them to go by, the gangs had slowly given up their interest being hardy people where they realize the resource they demanded are hard to find after they are taken most of the public transportation into parts.
The defectors want a place for them to get away from the wilderness. They have the experience to survive the wilderness and the secrets of obtaining the next stage of magic control. Their identities had already declared fugitive within the city, even trying to hide in Agatheus City or Mountaiwall. Their presence of overwhelming mana is still giveaway among them. They are not ready have the ability to hide their mana and lead them back here. The commitment they have gone through had so much they wish not to go there, but goals have proven them to have it.
The meeting was over as they all find their designated place to stay. The defectors lie resting in a luxurious hotel that fits them entirely, they gathered around and discuss about the city’s situation.
“Regarding to food and water are not the issue”
“That’s a relief, how about mentioning that we are all wanted criminals”
“Try to blame others but we unlock the next stage of mana control, because of that, we are easily passing through many hurdles like the magic barrier”
“Let’s understand that we did that to possess more power, then led us to realize we have no knowledge how to”
The gangs come and visit them about the situation.
“Hey you guys, if you decide to make a deal with us because we too are having trouble thanks to the watch list”
“Just like back in our world, segregating the people through laws”
“But this part of the city is separated, like it has its own sovereignty”
“You can’t just say that, we need the resources we can get to maintain this part of the district”
“She’s right, we need this district to be sufficient”
“As of now, it is sufficient but money is the key factor”
All defectors stare at the gang members as well the gang members staring at them angrily. The defectors see the problem is that there is no way they could stay here for free.
“Even the boss provides help, but he had no power on the other buildings”
“Then those owners rented it”
“They are a greedy, but there is nothing else we could do. The security is getting better and we are being pushed back from own mistakes”
“Then what else they need for letting you guys stay”
The gang member shows them the picture of a man who they know.
“Him? What does he get involved in this?”
“A lot exactly”
They sigh and couldn’t help trying to ask about that guy, the bad news of it that he is already in the jail cell.
“That midget gets on my nerve”
“And he is the one who saves us from time to time”
“What kind of hero is he?”
“The Dark hero, but I think he was replaced by those Enders . . .”
“DON’T TRY . . . talk about it, we have some trouble when messing with them”
“You gang members don’t know, but we face those guys singing through the caves. Those bastards caught so much of us and still hid deep within the ground”
The gang never would have thought they don’t know him, again, they never knew him where that sneaky small fry is. Through the rest of their day or so in weeks, the people hide inside the Fuku City had been settled. It will be a matter of time when the police notice their returning, but first, the gang members are needed of training. As they received words from the gangs, they start to ask
“Give us the detail about the Enders, we might replicate their equipment”
“Wait, really!?”
“The problems are the materials needed. We won’t be using this city’s resource. There are other ways to get it”
They bring out the map and show the location. “Here, if we are going to start from the beginning, I would gladly go there”
“There’s nothing on it, it’s just the sea”
“. . .” “And what lies under the sea . . .”
“Scraps metals sunk underneath the sea bed, we have enough to make someone to go get it”
“Yeah, and you gangsters would be focus on the city”
“No problem but we have a surprise for you”
“Hmm?”
The next day, the gang members are guiding them in the sewer of Fuku City, where they lead them into the unknown path and a magic portal with barrier tape wrap around the debris. They told them, “One of you guys will find the suitable place to open the portal”
“Remember it links one at a time. So don’t blow it”
The defectors are now starting to think they are going to progress faster than they should. As long as they have enough time to build up a community inside this part of the district. Then they will be strong enough against their own people. From what they heard from Enders while at the east coast, they will probably ready against them instead of their own. The Enders said to them a while ago stuck within their heads, the people who are against them are coming. They remember the quote
“Be ready, once your city reaches the fourth moon cycle . . . it is weak enough for the demons to invade”
Inside of Fuku City, one of the residences is sending a message to the government website. It reports about new people are coming inside the district. A reply coming from them, the residence read it
“Watch out anything suspicious if they leave the district. To anyone who already has the IDs are excused, but resume the report to the police if they are seen in public. Rest assured we already have this situation under control”
The residence had survey through the area for some times now. The residence didn’t bother to cooperate before, but now something goes wrong in their district.
Meanwhile in the secret agency, the government officials heard the news of the defectors.
“We should have listened to that Enders”
“It’s too late now, he needs time to continue his research about the dust”
“After what everything is going on now from just one moon, we have to use the ‘force’ settings”
“For the sake of the people, we have no choice”
“All of you are being quick to judge”
“Justice, you were always gets yourself a lot of stress when regards to violence. Why are you starting to change the idea?”
“I’m not, if they are dumb enough to make a civil war, the scarcity in our city would be detrimental where the moon starts to weaken us”
The officials were not complete, only the main official who is charge of the security is present where the others were supervising in Fuku City. They have no power in that district as more and more dangerous people are going inside, including the people who are no longer support them. Justice has more problems instead of the moon. Taiyou industrial district is becoming more independent, where professional workers were not convinced the new leadership. Trust is greatly diminished and the real mayor is being house arrest in Mihayara district.
Protests are now appearing on the internet, as the dusts are coming inside the city. This is getting harder for him to maintain order where the police are still in training to learn how to use their powers against the new threat. The schools are about to re-open as new education curriculum would help them to learn to use their magic. The backlash where the Horsin teachers can’t help them any longer where the dust fell inside the city and the rumors of the defectors are coming in, it is going to be rough when it reaches to the later cycle of the moons. He asks
“When will be the last moon cycle?”
“It has the total of five moon cycles, the fifth is when there is no moons hovering this continent”
“Is it good?”
“Better than the fourth cycle, but the disadvantages are the monsters will resurface from the sea”
Justice can’t deny the fact that they are not prepared to test anything what they are planning with their projects. The swarms are over and lead to finish the railways infrastructure to Enders Bridge and Agatheus City. The raw resources from Rune Isles are essential to sustain the city. He can’t stop thinking about the Foundation. He whispers to himself that hope
“Please let that monument be finish as our back up plan. Those two districts really want to leave that much”