She was not kidding when she said it was going to take a while.

I mean, it was sort of obvious even from our environment: there was nothing in sight range at all, just dunes, sand and more sand.

Well, at least it wasn’t boring.

Since the “accident” with my hand, I constantly was playing with it. Despite the fact that it was an absolutely horrible idea that didn’t make any sense, it was pretty neat to have right now.

I still don’t know why I thought that would help, but hey, I was not complaining.

It was as mobile and as agile as it used to be, maybe even more.

At first I thought that the moment I was going to stick it back on my stump it was going to try and attach itself back to me, but according to Kon, it was not the case.

I even tied it back together to my arm using a spell that, according to For, was used to glue furniture together, but after less than a day it dried up and the thing fell right back off.

Scuffed idea, I know. Good thing that I noticed it missing, or we might've left it behind.

Sure, I was able to still feel through it like regular, so I realized that I suddenly had my palm full of sand for whatever reason, but still.

He did sever it completely.

I did attempt to try and make it float, and briefly succeeded, but only to remind myself why most flying spells were still in the experimental phase.

I only drained more mana than I should and almost collapsed on the spot, slowing our march significantly.

That also dispelled any of my ideas of speeding up the march via flying, because I was starting to think about that.

But, I now had a detached piece of me to use in an emergency, as a battery. It would be painful, but would probably work.

Probably.

The walk was annoying but without much of an issue.

As expected, every single one of us was able to walk without rest for a couple of days, running only on mana.

Okay, we did have to rest for a while because of my “flying experiments”, but besides that, everything went without a hitch. Rob, just as us, was absorbing mana with his crystal as well.

It took us almost five days to reach the camp.

A bit longer than it should.

For, after the first day told me that she planned to take a bit of a circling approach to the place, just to make sure. And that added some time to our trip.

We, of course, did not share that information with our new friend, taking inside our own heads, just to be doubly safe.

It was probably even more exhausting for him. To spend time with people who didn’t even say a word for five straight days had to be draining for one’s mind.

At least according to Kon. I wouldn’t really have a problem with that, to be honest. Neither did For, after all she spent years alone in silence.

I guess we were built differently.

Morning of the sixth day, we finally started approaching our destination.

For the first time since we left those ruins, something appeared on the horizon and slowly was getting larger and larger.

As soon as that happened, I went back to my old habit of scouting the area around us with my enhanced senses. And, this time I also had some help.

Both For and Kon took their time during the trip to grasp a bit more about feeling mana and seeing with more than just their eyes.

Kon was naturally talented in that kind of thing, probably thanks to his proficiency in portal magic, but For was not that far behind him.

They still didn’t have me beat on range, especially after the recent changes in my body, but it was getting closer than I thought it was going to.

Good on them.

Or, well, maybe not so good. It meant that the Origin Crystal was growing in power.

The place where she hid the anchors was just next to the camp, in a ruined well, of all things.

Strange that she managed to find one in such a place, but sure enough, it made it a hard to forget or miss spot.

-Are you sure no one would be able to take it? - I asked as we were getting closer and closer to the cluster of tents looming in the distance.

-I doubt it.

-I guess… Well, we’re going to see.

-What about the area? Can you feel anyone? - asked Kon a few minutes later.

-No. We are in the clear. Which is strange, because by now I would’ve thought that I’d felt someone near the camp… some guard or something.

-You think then I was right? - asked For. - That he took everyone with him.

-He had to leave at least one person to guard the place, didn’t he? It wouldn’t make sense to just desert the place.

-Well, it doesn’t seem like it…

He was right. We were getting closer and closer, and yet I was not feeling any presence at all.

I was already pretty sure that I was in range to feel the inside of the camp. Even Kon was confirming my observations, also pushing his senses towards that direction.

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-I am unsure if we are lucky or what, but we’re here - she finally announced.

And sure enough, right in front of us was a well.

Ruined, empty and barely recognizable, but definitely made out of bricks.

-That’s it?

Kon was not convinced. I mean, sure it was ruined, but…

-I can’t feel anything from it…

That was a problem.

-It can’t be!

I could feel her worry even without trying.

She jumped towards it, looking for the correct brick.

She found one right at the base, covered in sand, and removed it carefully.

Without hesitation she plunged her hand inside the hole and…

-Nothing…

-You think someone got to it first?

-Impossible! Those idiots can’t detect mana! Even this guy - she pointed towards our prisoner.

-You sure? Maybe they managed to fool you somehow? - asked Kon.

-I doubt that.

-Well, I did try and lure some of those guys using mana, but they didn’t even notice - I pointed out. - So I also find that hard to believe.

-So it was someone else?

-But who else would be out here in the desert?

-I dunno - I shrugged.

-Isn’t there anything else we could use? - I asked. - Let’s look in the camp maybe?

-We could… - For agreed. - But wait, can’t you tell if there’s something there? I mean, you can sense mana…

-So can you. I can’t really tell what would be useful, that’s Kon’s job.

-I mean… I would have to take a closer look first…

-Obviously. No one has a range like that…

-Don’t you?

-It’s not like I can tell what exactly I am seeing - I explained. - Sure, I can tell a human from an enchanted item, but I can’t distinguish between two of the same. And if the human would be dying it would also be hard for me to tell the difference, the flame being waning and small…

-Huh… Okay. So let’s go in. It’s empty, right?

-Yeah, I can tell that much - I nodded. - Only people in my range are us four. I do sense magic, though.

-Good. Maybe they just moved it?

-Let’s move.

The camp was just as you’d expect. A bunch of tents, although those also looked quite modern for my tastes. They were really in contact with the old world.

Or somehow someone managed to recreate those using magic here. Also quite possible, if they managed to do that with their “artifact”...

For and Kon split, looking for any magical signature that would be different from mana in the camp, leaving me to guard our prisoner this time.

But, even though I was not able to tell the difference, I pointed them towards some larger ones. Unnecessarily apparently, because both of them already noticed those.

It also left me with a few moments to inspect some of the tents up close.

Dragging Rob with me, I went inside the closest one and started looking around.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Did I say they looked modern? Scratch that, they WERE modern. Down to equipment and everything.

Those guys had a great setup here. The tent we were inside wasn’t the biggest one, but that didn't mean it wasn’t fully equipped.

A portable freezer, a plastic table with a set of folded chairs. On the floor an electric lamp and a sleeping bag. In a corner a bag with clothes spilling out.

Out of curiosity, I opened the freezer.

It was working. And it even had some food inside. Nothing special, some canned food, but considering the place we were in, it was in itself surprising.

That made me think. Where was the power from?

I closed the fridge and started looking for a power cable.

Found it soon enough, connected to a power strip along with other appliances. The cable was leading outside.

I didn’t even bother asking Rob about this stuff, just dragged him along with me, following the white plastic cable snaking through the sand.

It was mostly covered with sand, that’s why I didn’t notice it before. It was leading to one of the larger tents where I felt both Kon and For inside.

Just as I was to go inside, I almost bumped into Kon who at the same time was calling to me.

-Can you co… AH.

He jumped, startled.

-Pay attention. I am here.

-Sorry… I…

-What’s inside?

Whatever was going on inside, he had to be VERY distracted to not notice me getting closer. Especially after he was apparently looking for magical signatures.

Mine was hard to miss, you know.

-I honestly have no idea. That’s why I wanted to get you. Look for yourself.

Intrigued, I went inside, leaving Rob with him.

Yeah, no wonder they wanted me to get a look at this thing.

The larger tent wasn’t really just a tent: it was a tarp that was covering a building. Or rather a skeleton of a building.

I am not sure if it was because of some kind of an accident or was it built like that on purpose, but inside there was a metal skeleton of a building that was housing a large metal machine.

It reminded me somewhat of a generator, although it was not spewing any smoke like those usually do, nor was it making any noise.

It was still working, though.

I could tell by the movement and a couple of lights blinking on a side panel.

-What in the hell… - I started, stepping closer, to get a better look.

-Mor! - For instantly turned towards me and stepped away from the machine. - Good! We’ve found this, but…

-Yeah, that’s not something that should be here, nor something that should even work… - I said, taking a closer look.

-You… you know what this is?

-”Know” is a bit too much. This thing is a bit familiar to me, but not exactly… This is new…

-I thought you can’t recognize mana signatures…?

I stared at her, blankly.

-What?

She looked confused.

-Mana signatures? What are you talking about?

-Er… That it has a similar mana signature…?

-It has what?!!

In my haste to inspect the machine, I forgot to actually pay attention to the magical part. I’ve been so used to seeing flames of mana that this thing having one felt natural to me and I didn’t even think that it shouldn’t!

She was right. It was magical in nature.

Of course, it was a generator working without fuel in the middle of the desert, how could it NOT be magical?

But… well, about it having no fuel… that was not quite right.

-It has… a piece of me inside…?