It was strange not to hear the rushing sound of the wind in her ear as she ran through the building.
Gunag had said Oden had done something stupid, and while Tao Mei refused to believe it, Gunag had already proven to be trustworthy since they began coming to the fissure nest.
But Oden wasn’t prone to impulsive actions. He obeyed as long as he wasn’t challenged and did whatever was required of him. Talking to himself and his constant concealment of his face with that annoying scarf were the only flaws he’d ever shown. So to learn he’d gone out of his way to enter a forbidden zone against the wishes of a silver mage was terrifying.
So here they were, every member of their team, running at full sprint with Gunag playing leader.
Behind her William ran with the darkest scowl she’d ever seen him wear. When Gunag had brought the news he’d passed it on to Silver Knight first. Then Silver Knight had called them from their skirmish. He’d summoned them away from the beasts to the platform he often stood upon when he wasn’t killing beasts, which was often.
Rumor had it he no longer needed to be here. Apparently, he was at the acme of silver and was seeking some enlightenment for gold. It was unlikely. All the golds she knew had spoken nothing of enlightenment. Evolving to gold was like evolving to silver. Fight enough and you eventually evolved.
Tao Mei had been more than willing to go after Oden alone when she’d heard the news. She did not have feelings for him, not the way she knew many of the adventurers here were thinking. But she was developing a sense of attachment to him. Almost like a younger brother, though she already had one. There was just something nice about his defiance. An Iron mage fighting with Silver mages and holding his own.
However, while she could’ve gone alone, Gunag had mentioned something about reia strength. According to him the reia levels there were nothing like what they’d been seeing in the nest, so they needed more adventurer’s if they were going to go for Oden. Gathering a group of silver mages was unprecedented in saving some Iron mage but Seth had proven his usefulness as a support. Thus, he was an asset to a certain level. So Silver Knight, holding the most power in the group, had instructed their entire team save Oden.
If there was one thing they had learned since participating in this illegal raid, it was Silver Knight’s word was law. The only person clearly above him was Nathaniel, a silver mage with multiple skills focused on fire and earth. He favored a particularly explosive fire lance that wrought a lot of damage for a silver authority technique. And while the rumors around Silver Knight suggested he was almost gold, Nathaniel’s suggested he was already gold.
Unfortunately, there was no way to verify the rumors. Not without making enemies.
A false ranker was not an enemy one wanted to make.
So the entire team followed behind Gunag into parts of the building they had never ventured. Into parts of the building they would’ve never even thought existed.
All the while William grumbled about how he could feel his evolution at the tip of his fingers, how a little longer would push him to evolve; to become Gold.
Tao Mei knew what he was talking about, knew the feeling. She would’ve told him she’d been feeling it for three days now but was in no mood to sully his mood. An angry William was stressful enough. A William who thought he was being one-upped was the equivalent of a mental reia beast she wasn’t allowed to put down.
They ventured through the building sensing no disturbance. They went through broken walls and half crumbled stairs. In the entire journey they’d faced off against two beasts and dispatched them with accurate efficiency. They were a team of silvers and a single sliver rank beast stood no chance.
“So what happened?” Drew asked as they sprinted on. If he found the absence of the wind in his ear disturbing, he showed nothing of it.
“I tried to stop him but he moved too quickly,” Gunag answered, taking a corner.
Around them the walls were dirty and peeling. Broken and cracked. It was the same even where they fought, but something felt different here. Where they fought had been a shamble of destruction. But while this place was just the same, there was also something barren about it. It was as if it had been abandoned even before its destruction.
“How does an Iron mage move too quickly for you?” William scoffed.
Instead of going through the next turn, Gunag activated a skill that strengthened his body and barged into the wall in front of him. It crumbled under the force of him, forcing them to halt.
When the dust cleared, Gunag was facing them with not a scratch on him. As impressive as it seemed, it wasn’t a feat for a Silver mage with an active power skill.
“We all have our strengths,” he said, eyes focused on William. “I go through walls and break things with a swing. I imagesne you do the same. Oden moves like a diving eagle. Once his skill is activated, even you can’t catch him.”
“So he activated quick step just so he could get away from you,” Drew mused. “Did he stare off into nothing while you were with him?”
Tao Mei took a moment to appreciate how good a question it was. Oden had a habit of staring into space before doing something that seemed impulsive. Just lack week he’d stared off into space before grumbling about not being rewarded enough for something. Then he’d gone the extra mile, wasting his bullets just so he could end up killing two silver rank beasts during the expedition. At the end of it, he’d stared off again, then rang out a sequel of expletives that caught even Jaola’s attention.
Gunag’s hard eyes softened in thought for a moment then he shook his head. “Nothing of the sort. But he did look like he was looking for something. I thought he was just a curious Iron, wandering the rest of the nest, maybe even looking for a chance to grow his skills. You know mages don’t evolve when they use guns.”
“Any idea what it was?”
“Hold up!” Beth interrupted before Gunag could answer. “So we’re being punished because an Iron wandered off in a silver nest. He brought this on himself.”
“That Iron mage has been providing support for all of us for the past week. He’s been more useful to me than you have,” Gunag told her.
Beth’s face turned up in a pompous scowl but he’d already turned to Drew. “I think whatever he was looking for was down there.”
“Down?” Tao Mei asked, confused
“Yes, down.”
“This place has more downs?”
“Yes. There’s a basement level.”
She looked at Drew and found him unperturbed by the news. It didn’t surprise her, nothing ever seemed to faze him. Chances are he could be more confused than a lion hatching an egg and he’d just adjust those glasses he didn’t need.
“So was there some kind of sign? A marking or something, that you noted?” Drew asked, stepping through the broken wall and forcing Gunag to resume his lead.
“No,” Gunag answered.
They returned to their sprint now and he continued to lead them through broken hallways and empty paths. They’d gone a distance before he spoke again. When he did, his voice was hesitant, doubtful.
“It was like he was looking for something but didn’t know what or where it was. Then we were passing it and he just stopped. Almost like he could sense it.”
William was the first to oppose. “Not possible. Irons can’t sense shit.”
“I know,” Gunag frowned. “I know.”
Tao Mei was finding the conversation difficult to comprehend. From what Gunag was saying, Oden had either found something that told him where what he sought was, or he had actually sensed it. Which was insane.
There was a famous saying, a major difference between the authorities. Iron was when a mage got a body strong enough for soul magesc. Silver was when a mage developed their reia senses. And gold was when they became able to see reia in the atmosphere.
Iron for the Iron body. Silver for the Silver senses. And Gold for the Gold eyes, or Golden eyes, depends on who was saying it.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
If Oden had found a marking to guide him, it would be acceptable. But if his senses had guided him, then she feared for him. Because if the latter was true, it meant only one thing: Oden was a false ranker.
Before long, her senses pricked and she knew they were here.
They stood before a narrow flight of descending stairs. They led down into a dark murky path rife with reia so dense she wasn’t surprised this place had been categorized as part of the Dead Accords. The reia was strong were they fought against the reia beasts, but that was nothing compared to this. If that was a river, this was an ocean.
Drew’s brows narrowed in a frown. “He went down there?” he asked.
Gunag nodded.
Drew took in a deep breath, preparing himself. He let it out in a loud exhale and nodded to himself. “Let’s go then. We find the source of this and we find our Iron.”
The path below was as discomforting as advertised. The reia they sensed wasn’t so strong as to hinder them, though. In fact, as powerful as it seemed, that was all it was, powerful. It was like moving in a thick smoke, full but physically irrelevant.
They followed it for a long time before they came to its source.
So now they stood before a once termite infested door, waiting for Drew’s next command. Knowing his place in the group, he stepped up and took the door by its handle.
“Whatever we see there,” he said, “we deal with it, and we do it quick and efficient. Do not hold back.” He turned to Gunag. “Got it?”
The mage nodded. “I like the kid, so anything to get him back safe.”
“True. But his safety is priority two. Ours is priority one.”
“That’s cold.”
Drew took a deep breath and opened the door.
…………………………………………..
What’s happening right now? One of Seth’s mind asked.
He would’ve loved to answer it but he did not dare. Whoever the man in front of him was, he was powerful. In fact, he had thought Jabari powerful but he was wrong. Jabari wouldn’t stand a chance against this one. His mind was always able to sense Jabari whenever he was around, but whoever this man was, standing in front of him he remained nonexistent to his minds. They only knew he was here because Seth watched him.
We were supposed to get out of here when we saw him, another mind accused. So what’s this?
We did, a mind answered. But his body wouldn’t listen.
On this one Seth couldn’t blame them. He’d wanted to run too. He’d discarded all his delegations to his minds and had actually willed all of him to flee.
Then he’d walked into the room.
He’d give himself a face palm if he wasn’t too scared to move. One word from this man and he’d obeyed. Whatever skill that was, it was a terrifying one to have.
So far the man had only been standing. He had a hand on his wooden sword with the other tucked away behind him. His eyes were closed in a cold serenity that it was easy to imagesne he was fast asleep. But Seth knew he was awake. He was wide awake.
Then the man opened his eyes and looked at him. They were a deep emerald and they looked at him in a toxic mix of curiosity and pity.
“How unfortunate.”
His voice was odd, featureless. Nothing like the one he’d used to invite him into the room. It traversed the path between them like an instant experience. One moment it was there and the next it was gone.
That was an odd way to talk.
“You’re just Iron, yet you’re a pawn in a game even I cannot understand,” he went on, unmoving. “It’s curious. And your mind is broken, yet I’m not here to fix it.” There was a thoughtful pause. “You carry a lot of swords yet you don’t seem like a swordsman. And that thing on your waist reminds me of Nenta and her ship workers.” There was another pause as he studied him. “Perhaps an archaic version. Certainly not as powerful either. So I can say you don’t rely solely on the sword. So why am I here?”
Something went through Seth like the touch of a warm summer breeze in winter and his tense muscles relaxed. His worry left his body but not his mind.
“You have an interesting core, though,” the man continued. “Small but very potent. Whoever taught you knew what he was doing. But he was taking a risk giving you reia that potent in such small amounts. With the way your mind is it’s only a matter of time before a lot of things go wrong… unfortunately, I’m not here to fix you. Again, surprising. I’m here to teach you.”
----------------------------------------
New Quest: [Beast Glade]
There exists out in the calmness of a nest, a crack in the world. It is the world broken, unable to heal. From it spawns greater wounds and greater rewards. Find this crack and heal it before time runs out.
Time Remaining: 19:32:12:81.
Objectives: 2/8.
[Find a Clue to the Glades] 1/1.
[Find the Glades] 1/1.
[Play a part in Clearing the Glades] 1/2.
[Exterminate Soul Beasts] 2/4.
[Fissures Found] 2/2
[Fissures Closed] 0/2
Reward: Possible Skill.
Consequence: Possible Death.
Hidden Objective: [The One Who Doesn’t Belong]
You have stumbled across a being who has no place here. His existence threatens more than just you have found him and his prolonged presence threatens the birth of another fissure. Insurmountable as he is, one must lead him back to whence he came. You cannot. However, there exists a silver lining. His time here is limited and he has not come for war. He has come to teach. Learn from this being so he can be on his way.
Objective: [Learn a Skill] 0/1
----------------------------------------
Seth allowed his mind read his updated quest. He kept his discomfort from his face. He’d found the second fissure which was a good thing. The problem was closing them. Then there was the new objective, the hidden objective. Surprisingly there was no clause that said not completing it would leave him unable to complete the main quest. It also had neither reward nor consequence.
But what type of skill was a man who didn’t belong here going to give him. And how was he going to learn it.
There you go focusing on the wrong thing again, a mind snapped at him.
Did you even bother to read the title of the hidden objective? Another thought. It says The One Who Doesn’t Belong. Doesn’t belong where? And why’s his presence threatening to bring another fissure and why does it keep calling him a being, not a mage or a Reverend or a human. It always says what the person is if a person is involved.
Seth fought back a sigh. Even now his mind was bickering, nagging him like a shrew of a wife. It did not refute the fact that it had a point, though. Where exactly had he come from. And if his very presence threatened a fissure was it safe to assume the thing behind him was a fissure? Was it safe to assume he’d come from there?
“Are you done?”
The man’s voice snapped Seth from his mental mulling. It brought him back to the harsh reality he faced. Stared down by a being he could not do anything against worry slowly returned to his body.
“At least a few things make sense now,” the man said, moving for the first time in a tilting of his head. “I didn’t think you’d be an Observer. It didn’t even cross my mind. I know you’re still young and you most likely had this done to you, but your kind are the bane—no… were the bane of everyone’s existence at some point.” An expression ran all over his body without him even moving. It was the weirdest thing to watch. It was as if he’d expressed himself with something that wasn’t quite reia. Seth had seen it yet hadn’t seen it. It was like trying to explain a forgotten dream woken up from with naught but the emotions it invoked left.
“Agreed, I am part observer. But you, you bleed Observer.” He took his hand from his sword. The casual action sent a ripple in the air around him and he looked at the hand as though it had done something wrong. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. “It wasn’t supposed to do that.”
The man raised his hand and swayed it from side to side. Each turn sent a ripple through the air. Eventually, he swayed it and nothing happened, then he returned it to rest on his hilt again. This time he rested his wrist on it so that the hand drooped.
“I know you’re terrified,” he said. “But you shouldn’t be. Although it’s already too late, I’ll be gone in a few moments. The crack you’re all so desperately refusing to heal will finally tear and you’ll have a bleeding world on your hand, but it won’t be something your people can’t handle. All we’re doing right now is waiting for our guests.”
“Guests?” Seth blurted.
“Ah! He speaks. Yes, guests. They’re just beyond the door you came in through.”
The man raised his sword hand in a fist with his pinky extended.
“Now,” he said. “They will come in here, and I will teach you. Pay close attention. The slightest mistake can get you killed, and we don’t want that. At least, I don’t want that. And I’ll only do this once.”
The door opened forcefully behind him. In his mucked up senses he watched his team enter. Drew. Tao Mei. William. Beth. Jaola. Even Gunag.
Gunag and William were in front and they activated skills that almost rippled the reia around them
William invoked [Bulwark].
Gunag invoked [Iron King]
Their reia flared around them as William invoked another skill.
[Enemy’s Call]
The air around him trembled and Seth wondered if they’ll be able to do anything against this man. He knew the skill William invoked. Like all power based mages that played the role of tankers, it was a taunting skill. A skill that forced the enemy to him mostly used on reia beasts.
In front of him, the man’s smile was amused.
“With all your broken minds now,” he said casually. Then he spoke with that commanding voice that soothed yet impaled Seth. “Learn.”
Seth’s body activated [Fractured Mind] and [Heart of Winter] without his consent. Willed them into being at the single command.
He invoked both skills at once and his core tanked to rock bottom. But now he was watching. He was seeing. This strange man and the strange hole behind him he still couldn’t sense or comprehend had his entire attention.
The world rippled around the man’s smallest finger, extended as it was. Behind Seth Jaola activated a movement skill that carried him past Seth with his staff extended. Tao Mei called upon a skill that set her eyes glowing and raised her massive mallet high. Beth reached behind her to retrieve something. Drew charged forward with his sword held low.
He ignored them all. His attention never left the man before him as his pinky made a slow descent to his sword. The world rippled around it in the strangest way. It was like watching a burning finger burn through living water.
His teammates had no point here. They would not be able to scratch even the hem of the man’s robe.
The man’s pinky touched lightly against the hilt of his wooden sword and Seth’s existence screamed with the danger of a thousand dying suns.
He only had enough time to tilt his head to the side before something passed him. He had no idea what it was. All he knew was that it was sharp and it had been dangerous.
In front of him the man watched him patiently, waiting for something as Jaola hit the floor with a bloody thud that echoed all over the room.
Something told Seth the echo wasn’t from a single falling body.
Even with [Heart of Winter], he feared to look behind him.
He knew with a certainty that nothing good would come of it.