"Jionic, how much farther away is it?" Meeloin asked, her voice filled with exhaustion.
"Just need to cross this mountain," Jionic replied.
"Ah... I feel like I'm going to die if this continues. We should have taken some time to recover before coming to this lifeless world," lamented Livian. Normally, they wouldn't worry about such things as Livian had the ability to extract vital Qi from the living allowing them to quickly and easily recover, but the few monsters they had come across, despite their massive sizes possessed vital Qi equivalent to a drop of water when what they needed was a sea. Still, she had been able to extract enough to allow them to continue their journey across this unbelievably cold wasteland. But the problem was the thing that appeared whenever they failed to disperse the tornado of Qi that gathered around them. The spherical cores controlling tentacle-like appendages made of ice were difficult to kill, especially in their current state, and possessed not a single drop of lifeforce. It made them even more exhausted and their injuries worse. But they could not stop.
“Focus on the task Livian,” Meelion said to Livian.
“I am doing all I can but my senses are still being disrupted. I can’t sense anything like this,” Livian responded.
“It’s been nearly a year since we came here, they would have gotten rid of the false leads by now. We need to find something a get out of here before imperial investigators track us here,” Meelion repeated what all three of them already knew while forcefully disrupting the tornado of Qi that had once again started gathering. It was a phenomenon that had followed after three of them constantly and despite their cultivation bases, had seeped them of their strength. The injuries with which they had arrived on this world had only worsened as they navigated this world.
“You okay,” Livian asked after sensing Meelion’s Qi becoming chaotic again.
“I will live,” was the reply she got but it did not make her worry any less.
“Are these imperial bastards out of their minds? What the heck are they investing so much o create that tower in such a hostile world, not to mention the cruel spirit of this world?” Livian once again asked out aloud.
“What does it matter to us, hah. It's better for us this way. Anyway, we are here,” spreading her arms wide open, Jionice declared. The absolute darkness made their eyes useless, while the furious gusts of winds, filled with ringing sounds due to the small shards crashing with each other, made their hearing unreliable. Still, they could sense what was in front of them.
“This is what I am talking about. Don’t you think they have gone mad? Not just the interplanetary teleportation tower and now a formation like this?” Livian remarked, sensing only a fraction of the immense Grand Formation that was before them. For a moment she pushed herself despite her less-than-stellar state, trying to but failing to sense the immensity of the formation. She was sure of one thing though, even the tallest mountains they had come across in this world were nothing compared to the structure in front of her.
“Do you really this such an expense can put a dent into their treasury when they close off thousands of worlds for thousands of years just to cultivate precious herbs?” Jionic retorted, her hand moving towards the formation, stopping just before she touched the barrier. Slowly, she moved one of her fingers, it passed through. Then the rest of her fingers passed. Then her hand, her arms, afterward she entered the formation unharmed and beckoned the other two.
Inside it was like a completely different world. It was still incredibly cold but compared to outside it was much more manageable and they felt the burden on their bodies lessen.
***
[ Ohhh... It is really cold out here, just as described on the data stone, ] said the children as they exited the tunnel leading out of the dome that covered the top layer of the settlement.
[ Now, now, be careful, ] Kire cautioned.
[ Yes, teacher! ] The children responded in unison. It was their first time wearing the armor suits, which were challenging to pilot and took months for many to master. However, each child maneuvered the suits with ease, as if they had used them many times before.
Four armor suits traversed the frozen wastelands, their otherworldly pilots setting their eyes upon the icy terrain of this unfamiliar world. As they had just exited the settlement, the beams of light from above and around the dome tore apart the darkness allowing them to see with their eyes the icy terrain of this world. The children explored every nook and cranny with curiosity as this was the first time they had visited such an extreme environment.
[ Master, the Empire has invested significant resources in the tower and these massive formations. There are at least six more formations that are equally massive and many more that are smaller yet they don’t seem to have anything that warrants such expenses, ] one of the students reported as they continued after they had played to their heart's content.
[ I was also searching for anything that might interest the empire but there are no special resources being extracted, ] added another student to his observations.
Kire's voice reached all of them through the communication link. [ Go on. ]
[ So, I decided to examine the technological level of this place but even though this place is one of the largest and equally advanced, they are many millennia behind the empire. Just look at their teleportation stations, never have I seen any so big in any other world you took us to, master. ]
The three children continued describing their findings from the past few months spent in this place. They had gained a deeper understanding of the world but hadn't yet connected all the dots.
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[ Children, what did you notice that distinguishes this place from other locations we have visited in the Empire? ] Kire asked, providing them with a gentle nudge in the right direction. Though he had brought them along to many worlds to broaden their horizons ever since he had decided to sponsor these talented yet ill-fated children, their lives lived were too short. They were still young and sometimes needed guidance.
[ It is so cold even inside the city. Even after wearing those devices, which everyone else seemed to have worn, I could still feel cold. Teacher, it can be that all of them have a cold-related physique, ] replied the first student.
[ Interestingly, the most esteemed and desired role in this place is that of the Seekers. Apparently, they play a crucial role in the expansion of these massive formations, ] shared another student.
[ How so? ] Kire inquired, subtly steering them away from incorrect assumptions as the children continued to share their observations.
***
“Please allow us to accompany you, Lord Knrama,” pleaded the guards.
“I will be sufficient on my own,” Knrama responded.
"But, my lord, how can we let you go alone?"
Before the commotion could escalate further, the harvesters Knrama had brought with him stepped forward, halting the guards' protest. With their intervention, Knrama entered his armor suit and ventured out of the lab unaccompanied.
He moved leisurely, unaffected by the challenging terrain or the occasional monsters that he swiftly dispatched. Gradually, he reached the predetermined location. Though they had gone overboard, their actions were what allowed him to initiate investigations against the victimized noble families in the name of finding out the reason for their assassination. This allowed him to strengthen the family's control over these nobles harboring rebellious thoughts within the safety of the settlement.
While most of the so-called nobles were mere nuisances, nothing more than insects in his view, these same insects were capable of causing quite a lot of destruction as the other members of his family often overlooked them.
Arriving at the designated spot, he noticed another armor suit standing there. After conveying all the necessary instructions, Knrama added.
[ Ensure our family remains unharmed. I have already granted you a significant favor by allowing your revenge. Do not bite the hand that feeds you. Deliver this message to Seeker Revensol. ]
[ I will relay the message to the Lord, ] responded the armor suit.
[ And ensure there is no disturbance in the specified area. ]
[ I will convey the message to the Lord. ]
[ I trust you young individuals will not disappoint me, considering the opportunities I have provided, ] Knrama concluded.
***
"Harlev, is everything prepared?"
"Yes, sir. Apart from the Isoluid that was killed before we could bring it under control, everything is in order. I have ensured that all of them have undergone extensive practice with the bikes you created so there should be no issues."
"It's regrettable about the Isoluid, but we can manage even without it. Have you been able to identify the person responsible for killing it?"
"Unfortunately, no. However, it appears to be someone new."
"I dislike sudden changes like this. Nevertheless, contact that old monster and inform him that we are commencing the operation."
"I have already sent a person there. Once he receives the go-ahead, we will be informed. But, sir, do you think that person will truly permit us to carry out our plans? It will be a great stain on their family if they allow this."
"That old man only cares about the prosperity of his own family, so naturally, he will be willing to cooperate. As for staining their name, what does it matter if it is stained, ultimately, none can affect the Mus-Draik’s, even the nobles, even though they try with all their might. Instead, he can utilize this opportunity to assert his family's dominance over the other settlements to an even greater extent, while we exact our revenge. Now, Harlev, drive the monsters to madness and initiate the operation once the old man gives the signal."
Suddenly, a knock interrupted their conversation, and after receiving permission, a person entered to deliver a message to Harlev, who then passed it on to Revensol. "The old monster has given his approval. Harlev, commence your mission."
"Yes, sir. I shall depart immediately."
"I will await the good news."
***
Trembling. It was subtle, barely perceptible. Through his threads, he could sense the slight tremors that had started a while ago. ‘It has begun,’ he thought. The stampede had started, and with that knowledge, he stood up, feeling remarkably better.
The damaged core within his body had inflicted constant pain, an excruciating torment that he had endured. The only reason he could still move was that this kind of suffering was not unfamiliar to him. Though each passing cycle caused his heart to ache, it paled in comparison to the agony that surged throughout his entire being when he overloaded his core, pushing it to the brink of shattering by forcibly filling it with an overwhelming amount of Qi. An amount that would be enough to operate his armor for at least a cycle even if he constantly kept battling.
He stepped into his armor suit, the storage already stocked with essential supplies that would sustain him for several months on his own if needed. As time ticked away, he patiently waited for their arrival. It was not a matter of whether they would come or not, but rather when they would come. When monsters gathered in vast numbers, their auras naturally blended together, forming an instinctive formation that bestowed them with various extraordinary abilities that they did not individually possess.
‘Why haven't they arrived yet? What's happening?’ Inero-ie wondered, growing increasingly concerned as he had anticipated the monsters to pass through this location that should no longer be hidden to their senses, but they were nowhere to be seen. He double-checked, sensing a more pronounced vibration than before, yet the monsters failed to appear. Leaving his quarters, each metallic step brought him closer to the lab's exit. He needed to witness what was unfolding outside.
With caution, he made his way through the formation concealing the lab, even though it should have been useless now. Surprisingly, the monsters seemed to avoid this place altogether, curving around the valley where the lab was situated. Ascending a mountain, he merged with the pervasive darkness to minimize his presence, and then he opened his senses to use Qi-location.
The Qi permeated the environment, just like the darkness and the biting cold. Suddenly the area he could perceive massively increased, though what he could sense this way was less precise. The entire valley teemed with monsters, and though they should have razed everything to the ground, they inexplicably veered away from the lab, splintering apart, as if deliberately ignoring its existence.