"There seemed to be...Casts written into the deepest parts of their body..." Lera said, leaning away from the desk where the trio of PORA executors were kept tied with thick ropes. A Cast of Containment hovered over the chair and kept the flow of the Wave within their body to the minimum, "That must have been how they are controlling them, while giving them additional power and strength."

"If we hadn't caught them off guard, it would spell trouble for all of us." Wu said, turning and placing a hand on Lera's shoulders, "I know I can always rely on you."

Lera blushes slightly, and she fixed her hair before turning around and muttering, "Of course...you idiot..."

"We got this." Ita's voice came from outside before Wu and Lera both headed toward her, leaving the PORA executors tied up and trapped, "The traces of the Wave from the scales left behind by Ver leads straight to the other side of the artificial island."

"Then, let's move." Wu said.

Taking the sets of golden chariots, the group made up of Lera, Ita, and Charlie took the golden chariot overhead, merging into the traffic seamlessly while Wu joined up with the groups of college-less students, using their own underground network and meeting at the same destination.

The journey across the entirety of the island took about ten minutes and compared to the mountain range where the Winter Wars is taking place at the North, they are heading far Southwest, stretching deep into the lands with only a handful of structures floating in the air.

And there it was, amid the countless trees near a swampy region, a proud fancy building with golden paint on the outside sat alone in the woods, blissfully unaware of the world outside and surrounded by a layer of fences and then a shield Cast that prevents any stray beasts and bugs from entering.

That's where the traces of Kraken's scales ended, and the shield Cast itself prevented any flow of information in or out of it.

The groups of students gathered behind a sprawling tree far away from the shield Cast and out of range of any possibilities for detection.

"There's no way in." Wez, the tunnel-digging college-less student popped his head out from underground, "Shield's fully spherical."

"If this is where John King operates out of..." Wu said with his low voice before Lera chimed in.

"He will know everything that passes through the shield Cast." Lera followed, "Unless we have a Wave signature that's registered with the shield Cast...heck. If he does it based on the Wave within each person's bodies, you can't really fake that..."

"Unless..." Wu said, raising his hand as Lera clenched her fist at the thought of sending Wu in alone, "Unless someone doesn't have a signature at all."

"But if it could catch and block out the beasts..." Wez asked, "How could you not be caught?"

"Because even the beasts have tiny hints of Wave within them," Ita added, as Wu slowly stood up as Lera reached out and grabbed his hand.

"If there's any danger, use the Cast first. If that doesn't work, blow a hole in the building." Lera said, "Then, we will come to get you."

"I know, but you be careful out here." Wu said, "If there are more of the executors...then..."

"We will take care of them." Ita said, "Go in and find out where Ver is, before anyone gets suspicious around here."

Wu wanted that to be the case, but there's is a sinking feeling within him that told him otherwise. Wu shut down his entire suit before approaching the shield Cast. Then, stepping gingerly and quietly forward, he slipped right through.

Sounds of footsteps came from the direction of the paths, and Wu's eyes widened before he lunged forward, dive-rolling behind a rock as groups of students dressed in fancy uniforms walked out from the massive building while chatting to one another.

They exited the shield Cast smoothly, a light ripple spreading through its exterior. Wu tracked them with his gaze, his ears still honing in on any hint of trouble from around him. However, everything became silent once again, the ambiance of the forest returning, filling the air with sounds of the winter gust.

Wu made a line straight for the base level of the building, leaning his body against the brick walls and tracing around in its exterior. There was no snow within the shield Cast, thankfully, as traces of footprints would have been way too big a giveaway.

He squatted down low, peeking through a window. It was a quiet and empty room filled with book-lined shelves. Sliding the window open with a sharp tip from his gauntlet, Wu then flipped over and in, landing softly onto his feet and crouching down in the shadows.

Wu took off his jacket and hit it out of sight among the countless chairs. Then, he poked his head out of the room, scanning the empty corridor around him.

The building looked vast enough from the outside, but it appeared far more spacious once he made it in here. The tiles on the floor created patterns of continuous diamonds as dark lines of different shades winded in intricate shapes that actually looked rather mesmerizing. The ceilings were high, as paintings of notable figures were hung on either sides of the corridor.

Exiting his room, he started making his way down the hall, avoiding attention and other people swiftly using the skills taught to him by the Twin Generals back in Varous. His greatest advantage so far is his stealth, so if he can hide out of sight and out of Wave, nobody should be able to find him.

Now...let's see where she actually is...Wu thought, taking out the Kraken's scale and placing it on the piece of paper with Lera's tracking Cast. An arrow on the page then slowly rotated and let Wu know where he must go. Following its directions, Wu headed down a winding set of stairs into the basement before a section of the building with a grimy smell.

The corridors were dark and dimly lit, and Wu enjoyed the darkness. A room was open and lit at the end, and Wu slowly made his way there, using a simple mirror at the end of his gauntlet to see around the corner before he spotted Ver trapped behind a cage with golden bars surrounding it.

Twisting his gauntlet ever so slightly, Wu saw another man working diligently on a table next to the cage, his mouth muttering something about conversion and Casts.

Ver spotted the tiny piece, and her eyes caught onto Wu through the reflection. A smile slowly crept onto her face before she turned around and faced the other way. The slight sounds of movement drawing the attention of the man, but that was all Wu needed to sneak up behind him and knock him out.

"Hey." Wu said, laying down the man's body and sliding the door shut behind them, "Fancy seeing you here."

"You are quite late." Ver said, her arms crossed as she sat casually within the cage with her back leaned back and legs spread out, "Come on! Get me out of here."

Wu nodded, approaching the cage and hovering his gauntlet against it. Then, before he could blast it wide open, the image of the entire room shifted, and the bars of the cage swiftly disappeared into thin air.

The image of the grimy prison room changed, replaced by a shiny transparent cubic structure as Wu now found himself trapped within it. He spun around in a panic, and he saw Ver tied up against a bed with her mouth stuffed and eyes wide open.

"And then...the trap is sprung and the rat is caught..." John's voice came booming all around them, and Wu turned to see a projection Cast showing his face, the background still that of the Winter Wars resort, "This little pest...just so happens to be the man that was expelled from the Academy at the Ring of Fire...it appeared that you have been rather busy, Wu. Just...stay put there within my Cast, the King's Palace, and I shall deal with you, along with the others after the conclusion of the Winter Wars."

Then, John swirled a hand, yanking out Wu's communication Cast with Lera as Wu panicked and tried to catch it. However, it slipped right through the Cast and landed in front of John's projection. He activated the Cast, calling Lera on the other side. Then, he spoke with Wu's voice as a set of Cast lines glowed over his throat.

"Lera. I am going to go undercover here for a few days. I will contact you later." John said, as Wu slammed his fist into the side of the cube and cursed his lungs out to no avail.

"Got it. You be careful." Lera said before John clapped his hands and tossed the communication Cast away. He giggled and glanced back towards Wu.

"Hold onto that smirk. I will knock that off your face." Wu said, as John chuckled and shut off the projection Cast. The semi-transparent cube appeared to have been placed in a dark room, and the light within the cube are the only source of light here.

Wu spun and ran towards Ver, undoing her bind and taking the cloth out from her mouth, "Are you...okay?"

"No." Ver said, rubbing her wrist and tearing off her eyepatch, "I am fucking pissed."

"...I can see that." Wu said, looking around, "Sorry I am late."

"There's nothing you could do." Ver said, "I can't use my powers here. It's just like the Cast of Containment...But strangely so, it felt very...different..."

Hmm...Wu reached out and touched the solid walls of the cube. Then, he reached his gauntlet towards it before powering it up. The gauntlet hummed slightly, but for some reason, nothing came out the other side.

"It really is like that..." Wu said, trying a few more times before giving up eventually, "Damn..."

"Sorry..." Ver said, scratching her hair with frustration, "The Kraken left behind the scales, and I had hoped that would give you a clue as to where I am, but I didn't want you to be trapped here just like I did..."

"So...what now..." Wu said, biting his nails at the predicament. John King is a Caster, and all Casts require the use of the Wave to activate. That's why a Cast that directly counters the Wave itself is so effective in this world. Wu was able to do it with the Cast of Containment, which then progressed onto the Void Domain, increasing its efficacy, ease of control, range, and power.

But whatever this is...this feels very different.

Wu knows it, and Ver knows it too.

"You got some ideas?" Ver asked, watching the gears turn within Wu. He nodded lightly before turning and looking back at her.

"A few." Wu said, "Let's do some science."