He caught up to his allies a few minutes later, wanting to make sure that they were safe. They were engaged in conversation with one of the priests, seeming to be trying to find out more about this world. Maranta was the one speaking, which was good, as she was the one more suited to deception and intelligence than the others.
“So the coming of the Lord delivered us from the mimic scourge? Why then do I keep hearing about their danger?” She asked, imbuing a sort of rustic ignorance into her voice, to mask her suspicious questions.
“He cleansed the monsters from the interior, but their kind still is strong within the realm’s rim. They come raiding from time to time. Of course, their talents render them far more dangerous than they normally would be, given that they are almost impossible to detect without equipment.”
“I have never seen a mimic, or if I have, I do not know,” Maranta said. “What exactly are they?”
“They are warped creatures of elemental energy, able to seize upon a person’s image, and change to fit it. They do not gain any of that person’s memories or abilities, but it is dangerous nonetheless.”
“Ah. I see. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us.”
“No, thank you. It is always a pleasure to extol the virtues of the Lord.”
The Uthraki bade the man farewell, and withdrew, heading towards a small side passage. They seemed to anticipate Jonathan’s arrival. He popped out of hiding a few moments later, and smiled.
“So, what did you find out?”
“This realm is controlled by a peak Tier 3 Uthraki, who calls himself the Lord. I know, a very arrogant name, but apparently, it is justified. He rose to power during the heights of the Mimic War, and almost single handedly cleansed the interior of the realm from them,” Maranta said
“Will he prove to be a problem if we continue our tasks here?” Jonathan asked.
“I’m not sure. Right now, we are under his notice. He is said to be so strong that he can shatter mountains. I’m not sure how much of that is real, but if even a fraction of it is, he is easily more powerful than us combined.”
“Shatter mountains,” Jonathan mused. “That would make him significantly stronger than Granath, though likely not as powerful as Slothari. We will have to be careful here.”
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Jonathan had yet to lose a battle since ascending to this world, with his only lack of victory being strategic retreats. So far, he had yet to find his true limit. He already knew that he was at least as strong as a mid Tier 3, perhaps even a high one if he had a good matchup. However, the elites of this world would have just as many bonuses as he did. This Lord would no doubt be the same.
“Well, we have little more to do in this fort. I say we get out before we’re busted. We need to continue leveling, or else we’ll have wasted our time, no matter how fascinating this endeavor is,” Jonathan continued after a short pause. He had little desire to stay around that statue, with its ability to pressure his cloaking skill. Perhaps if whoever was controlling it concentrated, they could even break through his upgraded form.
He and the Uthraki slunk through the streets, and he used his cloaking ability on all of them, shrouding them from the sight of everyone present. The fort was very small, and they reached the gate in a matter of moments. The only problem was getting out. The gates were sealed shut, and the Uthraki guards were on high alert. Getting past them could potentially awaken their suspicions, let alone opening the gates. Instead, Jonathan decided to make a distraction. He was the fastest among them, and as such, could catch up more easily.
As the Uthraki trio edged towards the gate’s lever, he moved backwards, before popping into view. He sent a shockwave racing through the ground as he appeared, slamming his fist into the rocky street. The guards immediately shouted, and raced towards him.
With a deep breath, he slammed almost ten thousand points of stamina, including the toll from his other reserves, and shot forwards at many times the speed of sound. The air crackled and roared as he moved, disorientating the Uthraki. His allies had opened the gates by this point, and he slammed them open further, clearing the way. As he went, he crashed into them, so as to disassociate them from him.The three Uthraki slunk out a moment later, unnoticed by the guards. They were focused on the rapidly retreating form of Jonathan, who was racing off into the wastes. A few Uthraki were not of any concern to them.
He stopped a few miles away, far enough to dissuade the guards from following him, but close enough for his Uthraki allies to easily catch up. As soon as he detected their presence through the resonance with his element, he continued running, and they quickly left the fort behind. Although none of them had gained any levels, they had found out more about the way that this realm was structured.
Jonathan stopped a few minutes later, and pointed to a derelict ruin standing in the middle of a volcanic field. The patches of lava were few and far between, but they were still very present. The ruin glowed with a faint red light, due to the immense heat being channeled through it. Jonathan could feel it from here. However, he remembered the ruin that he had explored in the first realm of Tartarus, which had given him valuable information about Granath and his rise to power. Perhaps there was something similar here, or at least some sort of treasure.