Chapter 431
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Chapter 431
After four days had passed, the group was getting ready to pack up- not that there was much to the process. Camping out in the Labyrinth was fairly simple, except for the potential packs of roaming monsters. It was a reasonable temperature, there wasnt really weather to speak of, and they had food. Though it was possible they didnt all need it anymore. Either way, they had enough comfort for one or two people to rest while the others stayed alert.
Then Catarina appeared. Here, she said, handing Timothy a sword. For you.
Timothy took it automatically, but when Catarina turned to Vari she just stared. There was a long pause, then Vari took the pair of gloves. Oh, thank you.
Alva stared at Catarina for longer, not taking the proffered bracers. Eventually, Catarina tilted her head. Is something wrong?
Were you in some sort of time distortion? Alva asked.
I dont think so, Catarina said, frowning. Was I? How long has it been she shook her head, No, Im pretty sure everything is normal.
Its been four and a half days, Alva said.
Yes, thats right, Catarina nodded.
And you didnt answer a single message.
... I forgot about those, Catarina admitted.
Timothy just sighed, I hope you learned something near about formations.
I sure did! Catarina nodded enthusiastically. Fascinating and horrifying, her eyes swept the area around them. She shoved the bracers into Alvas arms and tossed boots to Hoyt. We should be going now.
I dont know why I expected anything else, honestly, Hoyt admitted.
... Is there a problem with the boots? Catarina said. Oh, I also got us a thing that will be quite useful later, but we need to make our way out of the Labyrinth to meet with the ship, right?
Im sure the boots are great, Hoyt said. I trust that you spent our resources appropriately.
Timothy flicked the sword around a few times, This feels strangely familiar. Why?
Thats the chest I got, Catarina explained. Its currently in storage. I cant really demonstrate here. Id need somewhere to set up a grand formation to draw in enough energy.
Alright, Timothy shrugged. He trusted his wife, and her judgment- especially on matters such as that. So this isThe debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.
From that nice gentleman we met outside the Great Hall.
The Bloodsoaked Nebula was rather uncomfortable to approach. The deep red certainly looked like blood, though verifying anything about it was difficult. When up close, the particles that made up the nebula were extremely diffuse, and it was only when there was a system or two thick of them that they could be seen with the naked eyes. But it was a rather bloody red.
The planet that they found themselves disembarking on wasnt much better. Gaoliv was cracked and pitted, and not from any natural forces. Even those with average energy senses could feel the remnants of battles long past, lingering energy containing violent intent. Mountainsides were melted into murky glass, the seas had boiled away, and life only survived sparingly on its surface. Where they landed was the single city that could be sustained upon its surface, numbering only a few thousands at best and situated next to a lake that had been painstakingly developed for the citys use. Very few people actually lived there, and for the most part it served as a port linking between different parts of the Scarlet Midfields.
This planet is terrible, Vari gave her direct and honest opinion.
Agreed, Alva nodded, But at least its obvious why. Some places hide it.
Why do you hate the Harmonious Citadel so much? Vari asked. She had little insight, but Alva wasnt even trying to slightly hide her intentions.
Why do you love it so much? Tell me, have you ever spoken to a single one of your precious saints? Have they done anything for you? Alva jabbed her finger into Varis sternum, And I mean you, the person. Not the planets they control that feed resources to them. You. Or directly to help anyone you know.
Well, I mean Im not really important enough to Vari trailed off.
Alva waved her off. Exactly. Alva looked around, catching the eye of the other three companions. Now I want to find Fuzz.
A tall task, Catarina said. Though I suppose we should check this system at least. And theres plenty of free space to set up. You can start asking around to see if anyones seen or heard of a particularly large wolf.
I hope hes safe, Alva said nervously. Fuzz was strong, but all alone. Human cultivators would likely find value in hunting him, even if there wasnt a reason other than that. Hopefully he was visible enough and intimidating enough to be found but not approached.
-----
Fuzz wasnt quite as alone as Alva presumed, though he wasnt exactly in plentiful company. He has Spikes, after all. Even if she said crazy things.
We cant be a pack, Spikes said. Spending more time together had improved their communication significantly. Now he understood at least more than half of what she intended. We are not the same.
It was things like that which told him he wasnt completely getting it. Crazy words. Of course we can be a pack. He was part of the same pack as Alva and Anton and Catarina and all of the other humans that were not their kin. Were even both wolves.
I am a stone wolf, Spikes retorted. You are a rune-and-fire wolf? Spikes looked unsure of that designation. We are not the same.
If we were the same, I would be you or you would be me, Fuzz pointed out. A pack is made up of those who are not the same but are together.
Spikes didnt seem to agree with his arguments, and didnt continue the conversation. Maybe she was thinking about them or maybe she refused to think about them. Spikes didnt much like talking anyway. It was too much of a human thing, even if they were both wolves. Fuzz agreed that it was a human thing, because he was only approximating the results of speech from his attempts. Maybe he was not communicating well on his end. His brain didnt work like a human, and Spikes was less used to it. She might not want to talk because it was difficult to try. Reading and writing was well out, of course.
But Spikes did not mind having help on a hunt. Spikes was very hungry, which was good. Hunger was for growing, and Spikes was not strong enough to be safe. Fuzz wasnt sure if he was strong enough either, but that was what his pack was for. He would find them. Or they would find him. Either was the same.
The nearest towns had no scent of any of his pack. Nor did the larger cities, though he could not get close enough to be certain they were not somewhere in the center. But if he understood correctly, they might still be very far away. So he would continue to roam the land until he covered all of it- and if he could not find them, he would find a way to roam other lands until he did.
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Chapter 431
After four days had passed, the group was getting ready to pack up- not that there was much to the process. Camping out in the Labyrinth was fairly simple, except for the potential packs of roaming monsters. It was a reasonable temperature, there wasnt really weather to speak of, and they had food. Though it was possible they didnt all need it anymore. Either way, they had enough comfort for one or two people to rest while the others stayed alert.
Then Catarina appeared. Here, she said, handing Timothy a sword. For you.
Timothy took it automatically, but when Catarina turned to Vari she just stared. There was a long pause, then Vari took the pair of gloves. Oh, thank you.
Alva stared at Catarina for longer, not taking the proffered bracers. Eventually, Catarina tilted her head. Is something wrong?
Were you in some sort of time distortion? Alva asked.
I dont think so, Catarina said, frowning. Was I? How long has it been she shook her head, No, Im pretty sure everything is normal.
Its been four and a half days, Alva said.
Yes, thats right, Catarina nodded.
And you didnt answer a single message.
... I forgot about those, Catarina admitted.
Timothy just sighed, I hope you learned something near about formations.
I sure did! Catarina nodded enthusiastically. Fascinating and horrifying, her eyes swept the area around them. She shoved the bracers into Alvas arms and tossed boots to Hoyt. We should be going now.
I dont know why I expected anything else, honestly, Hoyt admitted.
... Is there a problem with the boots? Catarina said. Oh, I also got us a thing that will be quite useful later, but we need to make our way out of the Labyrinth to meet with the ship, right?
Im sure the boots are great, Hoyt said. I trust that you spent our resources appropriately.
Timothy flicked the sword around a few times, This feels strangely familiar. Why?
Thats the chest I got, Catarina explained. Its currently in storage. I cant really demonstrate here. Id need somewhere to set up a grand formation to draw in enough energy.
Alright, Timothy shrugged. He trusted his wife, and her judgment- especially on matters such as that. So this isThe debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.
From that nice gentleman we met outside the Great Hall.
The Bloodsoaked Nebula was rather uncomfortable to approach. The deep red certainly looked like blood, though verifying anything about it was difficult. When up close, the particles that made up the nebula were extremely diffuse, and it was only when there was a system or two thick of them that they could be seen with the naked eyes. But it was a rather bloody red.
The planet that they found themselves disembarking on wasnt much better. Gaoliv was cracked and pitted, and not from any natural forces. Even those with average energy senses could feel the remnants of battles long past, lingering energy containing violent intent. Mountainsides were melted into murky glass, the seas had boiled away, and life only survived sparingly on its surface. Where they landed was the single city that could be sustained upon its surface, numbering only a few thousands at best and situated next to a lake that had been painstakingly developed for the citys use. Very few people actually lived there, and for the most part it served as a port linking between different parts of the Scarlet Midfields.
This planet is terrible, Vari gave her direct and honest opinion.
Agreed, Alva nodded, But at least its obvious why. Some places hide it.
Why do you hate the Harmonious Citadel so much? Vari asked. She had little insight, but Alva wasnt even trying to slightly hide her intentions.
Why do you love it so much? Tell me, have you ever spoken to a single one of your precious saints? Have they done anything for you? Alva jabbed her finger into Varis sternum, And I mean you, the person. Not the planets they control that feed resources to them. You. Or directly to help anyone you know.
Well, I mean Im not really important enough to Vari trailed off.
Alva waved her off. Exactly. Alva looked around, catching the eye of the other three companions. Now I want to find Fuzz.
A tall task, Catarina said. Though I suppose we should check this system at least. And theres plenty of free space to set up. You can start asking around to see if anyones seen or heard of a particularly large wolf.
I hope hes safe, Alva said nervously. Fuzz was strong, but all alone. Human cultivators would likely find value in hunting him, even if there wasnt a reason other than that. Hopefully he was visible enough and intimidating enough to be found but not approached.
-----
Fuzz wasnt quite as alone as Alva presumed, though he wasnt exactly in plentiful company. He has Spikes, after all. Even if she said crazy things.
We cant be a pack, Spikes said. Spending more time together had improved their communication significantly. Now he understood at least more than half of what she intended. We are not the same.
It was things like that which told him he wasnt completely getting it. Crazy words. Of course we can be a pack. He was part of the same pack as Alva and Anton and Catarina and all of the other humans that were not their kin. Were even both wolves.
I am a stone wolf, Spikes retorted. You are a rune-and-fire wolf? Spikes looked unsure of that designation. We are not the same.
If we were the same, I would be you or you would be me, Fuzz pointed out. A pack is made up of those who are not the same but are together.
Spikes didnt seem to agree with his arguments, and didnt continue the conversation. Maybe she was thinking about them or maybe she refused to think about them. Spikes didnt much like talking anyway. It was too much of a human thing, even if they were both wolves. Fuzz agreed that it was a human thing, because he was only approximating the results of speech from his attempts. Maybe he was not communicating well on his end. His brain didnt work like a human, and Spikes was less used to it. She might not want to talk because it was difficult to try. Reading and writing was well out, of course.
But Spikes did not mind having help on a hunt. Spikes was very hungry, which was good. Hunger was for growing, and Spikes was not strong enough to be safe. Fuzz wasnt sure if he was strong enough either, but that was what his pack was for. He would find them. Or they would find him. Either was the same.
The nearest towns had no scent of any of his pack. Nor did the larger cities, though he could not get close enough to be certain they were not somewhere in the center. But if he understood correctly, they might still be very far away. So he would continue to roam the land until he covered all of it- and if he could not find them, he would find a way to roam other lands until he did.
Chapter 431After four days had passed, the group was getting ready to pack up- not that there was much to the process. Camping out in the Labyrinth was fairly simple, except for the potential packs of roaming monsters. It was a reasonable temperature, there wasnt really weather to speak of, and they had food. Though it was possible they didnt all need it anymore. Either way, they had enough comfort for one or two people to rest while the others stayed alert.Then Catarina appeared. Here, she said, handing Timothy a sword. For you. Timothy took it automatically, but when Catarina turned to Vari she just stared. There was a long pause, then Vari took the pair of gloves. Oh, thank you.Alva stared at Catarina for longer, not taking the proffered bracers. Eventually, Catarina tilted her head. Is something wrong?Were you in some sort of time distortion? Alva asked.I dont think so, Catarina said, frowning. Was I? How long has it been she shook her head, No, Im pretty sure everything is normal.Its been four and a half days, Alva said.Yes, thats right, Catarina nodded.And you didnt answer a single message.... I forgot about those, Catarina admitted.Timothy just sighed, I hope you learned something near about formations.I sure did! Catarina nodded enthusiastically. Fascinating and horrifying, her eyes swept the area around them. She shoved the bracers into Alvas arms and tossed boots to Hoyt. We should be going now.I dont know why I expected anything else, honestly, Hoyt admitted.... Is there a problem with the boots? Catarina said. Oh, I also got us a thing that will be quite useful later, but we need to make our way out of the Labyrinth to meet with the ship, right?Im sure the boots are great, Hoyt said. I trust that you spent our resources appropriately.Timothy flicked the sword around a few times, This feels strangely familiar. Why?Thats the chest I got, Catarina explained. Its currently in storage. I cant really demonstrate here. Id need somewhere to set up a grand formation to draw in enough energy.Alright, Timothy shrugged. He trusted his wife, and her judgment- especially on matters such as that. So this isThe debut release of this chapter happened at Novl-B1n.From that nice gentleman we met outside the Great Hall.The Bloodsoaked Nebula was rather uncomfortable to approach. The deep red certainly looked like blood, though verifying anything about it was difficult. When up close, the particles that made up the nebula were extremely diffuse, and it was only when there was a system or two thick of them that they could be seen with the naked eyes. But it was a rather bloody red.The planet that they found themselves disembarking on wasnt much better. Gaoliv was cracked and pitted, and not from any natural forces. Even those with average energy senses could feel the remnants of battles long past, lingering energy containing violent intent. Mountainsides were melted into murky glass, the seas had boiled away, and life only survived sparingly on its surface. Where they landed was the single city that could be sustained upon its surface, numbering only a few thousands at best and situated next to a lake that had been painstakingly developed for the citys use. Very few people actually lived there, and for the most part it served as a port linking between different parts of the Scarlet Midfields.This planet is terrible, Vari gave her direct and honest opinion.Agreed, Alva nodded, But at least its obvious why. Some places hide it.Why do you hate the Harmonious Citadel so much? Vari asked. She had little insight, but Alva wasnt even trying to slightly hide her intentions.Why do you love it so much? Tell me, have you ever spoken to a single one of your precious saints? Have they done anything for you? Alva jabbed her finger into Varis sternum, And I mean you, the person. Not the planets they control that feed resources to them. You. Or directly to help anyone you know.Well, I mean Im not really important enough to Vari trailed off.Alva waved her off. Exactly. Alva looked around, catching the eye of the other three companions. Now I want to find Fuzz.A tall task, Catarina said. Though I suppose we should check this system at least. And theres plenty of free space to set up. You can start asking around to see if anyones seen or heard of a particularly large wolf.I hope hes safe, Alva said nervously. Fuzz was strong, but all alone. Human cultivators would likely find value in hunting him, even if there wasnt a reason other than that. Hopefully he was visible enough and intimidating enough to be found but not approached.-----Fuzz wasnt quite as alone as Alva presumed, though he wasnt exactly in plentiful company. He has Spikes, after all. Even if she said crazy things.We cant be a pack, Spikes said. Spending more time together had improved their communication significantly. Now he understood at least more than half of what she intended. We are not the same.It was things like that which told him he wasnt completely getting it. Crazy words. Of course we can be a pack. He was part of the same pack as Alva and Anton and Catarina and all of the other humans that were not their kin. Were even both wolves.I am a stone wolf, Spikes retorted. You are a rune-and-fire wolf? Spikes looked unsure of that designation. We are not the same.If we were the same, I would be you or you would be me, Fuzz pointed out. A pack is made up of those who are not the same but are together.Spikes didnt seem to agree with his arguments, and didnt continue the conversation. Maybe she was thinking about them or maybe she refused to think about them. Spikes didnt much like talking anyway. It was too much of a human thing, even if they were both wolves. Fuzz agreed that it was a human thing, because he was only approximating the results of speech from his attempts. Maybe he was not communicating well on his end. His brain didnt work like a human, and Spikes was less used to it. She might not want to talk because it was difficult to try. Reading and writing was well out, of course.But Spikes did not mind having help on a hunt. Spikes was very hungry, which was good. Hunger was for growing, and Spikes was not strong enough to be safe. Fuzz wasnt sure if he was strong enough either, but that was what his pack was for. He would find them. Or they would find him. Either was the same.The nearest towns had no scent of any of his pack. Nor did the larger cities, though he could not get close enough to be certain they were not somewhere in the center. But if he understood correctly, they might still be very far away. So he would continue to roam the land until he covered all of it- and if he could not find them, he would find a way to roam other lands until he did.
