"How's the search?" Aurora asked, coming to the stairway leading underground. Raufon was sitting there calmly, enjoying the weather and peace.
"Nothing yet." He shrugged, looking down at his bracelet. "I would go in to check on him, but you know it would be useless! Don't worry; your husband will do just fine!" He grinned, making Aurora's face turn slightly pink before nodding.
The camp has been reinforced by now, and more misfits were present, numbering around fifty, including Raufon. Instead of the open field, a tall earth wall surrounded the campsite, erected by the magic of the Misfits. On it, dozens of peashooters were bouncing, serving as their warning system and first line of defense.
Down below, Sion was 'lost' in the Path of Darkness, taking on the trial himself. At first, everyone walked in, but they were immediately separated and found themselves alone in complete darkness. Nobody could tell where they were, and it was impossible to tell where it lay north or south. Slowly, they gave up, and as soon as they thought about it, they saw the light. Walking towards it, except for Sion, they ended back at the starting point. Since then, none of them could enter the first Path as a magical field barred them from trying again. They only had one shot at it, and by now, only Sion was still going at it.
"Maybe we should bring Hajna over." Raufon suggested, snacking on some sunflower seeds, "We could hold her and walk through the last trial, answering all the questions easily."
"I thought about it too, but the Headmaster refused to lend her anymore. The moment Lia was finished with her questioning, he came and took her back…"
"Boss did something unreasonable again, eh?" Raufon chuckled, turning Aurora's frown into a smile.
"Most likely. But we will have to consult with her again when Sion succeeds."
As they were discussing it, both of their bracelet pinged, and they heard steps coming up as a haggard-looking Sion appeared. He was exhausted, tired, and a bit thinner. It was already clear it was more challenging than it first looked.
"Are you okay?" Aurora stepped forward, quickly holding him, but Sion just chuckled.
"All fine, it's just the time distortion!" He shook himself while more Misfits were coming up to hear what it was like. "Following the star was harder than I expected; I lost it multiple times and had to improve my abilities to find it! Also… checking the date," He murmured, watching his bracelet, "I was in for only two days… To me, it was two months!"
"Damn…" Raufon and many others repeated it while Aurora looked at him with a bit of worry in her eyes.
"Lucky that I had snacks with me!" He grinned, slapping the now empty holding bag on his waist. "But, I did finish it and was given this!" Presenting it to the group, he showed a round, golden coin with the seven stars appearing on it, represented by tiny, amethyst gems embedded into the golden object. "It didn't say what it was for but simply appeared in my hand. I tried reading it, enveloping it with my mana, dropping a little blood onto it, but nothing worked!"
"I'll send word to Lia; you go and rest!" Aurora singed hurriedly while Raufon looked around the curious Misfits, raising his voice.
"Get back to work! Only relax when we are back in the fortress! We will return home tomorrow! Guys!" He turned towards his own subordinates, "Get ready to bury this place! We will hide it from prying eyes and leave some plants behind to guard it!"
While the Misfits were getting to work, Lia was reading the reports of Simbad, who had been trailing Ferrah since he arrived in the city. There was nothing out of the ordinary so far. Rinzen and Ceiline were away, meeting with the newly arrived supervisor from the Nerifits, standing at the strength of the 7th Tier.
"Silly Fox, I need Hajna!" She opened a channel, and before she could continue, a resolute 'no' was Lucian's answer. "But-"
"Talk with her, but I am not traveling over again for nothing!"
“Hmpf… okay…” Lia grumbled, and a moment later, she explained their findings to Hajna, who stood next to Lucian in his office.
"Oh… that's a proof of admission into our Sect." She replied the moment she saw the coin. "People coming to us with it were allowed to enter our Realm and join us! It has no real effect besides a proof of identity."
"Someone really wants it." Lia countered, crossing her arms while walking out to the balcony, watching the sunset and the busy cityscape before her. "Think, what use it has now?"
"Our place was heavily guarded and regulated." Hajna answered after a brief pause, "Getting in was one thing, but visiting certain places was another! This type of token would let you wander the outer parts but would not open many doors for you."
"What other places were there?" Lia asked, remembering the broken world they visited and where they met with her.
"Oh, a lot!" She started listing them, from the palace to the noble's quarters, workshops, and barracks, going on endlessly.
"Okay, stop!" Lia moaned, thinking about narrowing her search, "What do you think, which part of your Realm would interest others? And I mean, other powerhouses in your time!"
"That is easy; it would be our treasury."
"Oh? Is it still there?" Lucian asked first, surprised while listening in from the side.
"Should be. I think."
"You think?" The two questioned the ancient construct, who had to think about it before giving her answer.
"When we were destroyed, the treasury should have survived the cataclysm. It was not just sealed away, but it was… hidden. In an even deeper layer than our own home."
"A realm in a realm?" Lia murmured, sounding a bit amazed.
"Yes. So it should be still there, floating amongst the wreckage of my home. As it was broken up and destroyed, almost all functions and laws we had in place have ceased to exist, so it should have re-appeared. But this also means all the formations and defensive measures were broken in it just the same. It would be easy to get in."
"What would we find inside?" Lucian pressed on, his voice showing his concern.
"Nothing of value, really." Hajna sighed, "That event most likely affected it just as much and made many of our treasures worthless. If not, then the time that passed surely did so. Maybe a few rare and unique treasures still work, but… nothing world-changing."
"At least we now know why they want the token!" Lia murmured, walking from one end to the next of the balcony. "With the token, they can get in and probably easily bypass any still working part of the treasury!"
"It could be possible…" Hajna agreed, "The state it's in, with a token of ours, it could become a master key to our home! Ah!"
"What is it?!" Lia and Lucian asked simultaneously, flinching at her sudden exclamation.
"The Realm Key!"
"The what?"
"Every one of us had a key, an item that was tuned and bound to the Realm. It could help people more easily come and go between the Realm and the Cosmos. Its real use came into play with our conquered territories outside! It was what we used to put a seal on our different territories, marking them as our own."
"What use it would have now?" Lia asked, trying to memorize and understand her words.
"We are closed off… I think collecting more of those keys would give them a chance to slip through the cracks… and they would also be able to take control of the different realms that belonged to us in the past. Along with their resources… But this is only a hypothesis!"
"Good enough!" Lia and Lucian said in the same type of tone. "We now know what they want! I will warn Aurora!"
"I have an extra idea!" Lucian said, closing the communication, and soon, he teleported next to Lia with Hajna in his arms. "Tell them to give up the token if something happens, but don't be too obvious about it!"
"Oooh!" Lia caught in immediately, writing her message hurriedly, "And we are heading to…?"
"Mhm…" Lucian smiled slyly. "We will lay down a trap and get more answers after we catch the bastard!"
"Ahahaha! Count me in!"
…
….
……
A few hours later, the Misfits were meeting and planning their defenses at Aurora's end. After Lia's message, they had to rethink their route back to the Misfits' fortress, and instead, they decided to stay and wait for the enemy to make a move. It was much better than being taken by surprise while traveling.
On the other end, Simbad quickly relayed some concerning news to Lia; Ferrah had a meeting with the city lord Icura before leaving. He remained in the city, now tailing the woman while Melody and a few fairies followed Ferrah, who quickly disappeared into the forest, shaking off his pursuers.
"The fairies lost him…" Lia murmured, receiving a message as she was outside the ruins where they once camped. "I don't know if he knew about them or if he noticed something… but he is not as weak as we suspected. He disappeared like a ghost!"
"That is… not a good omen. For now, let's keep to our original plan! If he shows up here, I will face him; you do the support!"
"Yes!"
"No complaints?" He asked with a surprised voice and with a smile.
"None!"
"How refreshing~!"
"I'm just sending a warning to Aurora! And I will send Keily out! Something is fishy!"
…
….
……
It happened in the night. The peashooters on their defenses sounded the warning, and minutes later, multiple groups of Undead rushed at the walls, trying to break through them. Their numbers were triple that of the Misfits present, and even though Sion and Aurora managed to trim their numbers, it was a difficult battle. Raufon and his subordinates turned them into powder, bashing them relentlessly, reinforcing and repairing their wall as it was being bombarded by the Undead.
"Something is not right!" Sion sent over a message to Aurora, "I can't sense or find neither a controller nor an Intelligent variant! Yet they are acting coordinated!"
"One has to be close, surveying the battle! We just have to fight and hold out until Keily arrives!"
"The boy is a quick one! Don't worry; he should be here at any moment!" Raufon laughed, having complete faith in his friend.
What was now a siege could turn into a battle of catching the Undead in a pincer attack. They just had to remain steadfast in their defense.
Aurora and Sion were right. Farther away, inside the dark forest, the zombies' leader stood still, surveying the battle through their eyes and controlling the multiple bodies.
"You did good…" Said the Undead, not looking at the figure of Ferrah, who was standing next to him, "Your find of these people is a great benefit… I will break through and capture them; your reward will come afterward. You are a step closer to reaching immortality in the afterlife!
"Thank you, My Lord." He answered simply.
"I will contact you, don't try to find me again! After this, I will need to disappear for a while." And with that, he excused Ferrah, sending him away, concentrating on the battle.
"Idiot." Ferrah smiled, thinking to himself, amused by how easily they are fooled. Just show a little bit of willingness to serve and be in an influential position, and they will recruit you. Their miasma had no real effect on his mind or soul, shrugging it off easily without the Undead's notice. They were never even thinking about the chance that it was you who used them for your own plays. "Heh~" With a shake of his body, it turned not just transparent, but he seemingly teleported into the camp.
Nobody seemed to mind him, especially as they were fighting on the walls. He had an easy time shifting through the campsite and rummaging through their resources until he found the token. Nothing else interested Ferrah, and the moment he grabbed it, he just giggled like a kid before teleporting again, appearing a kilometer away from the battle. It was time to go and travel to his real destination.
What neither the Undead nor Ferrah imagined was that, in the end, it was they who were being hunted and played… having a real surprise waiting for both groups.
Corty If there are more mistakes than usual, sorry... I was dealing with a headache all day, while writing this chapter.
"How's the search?" Aurora asked, coming to the stairway leading underground. Raufon was sitting there calmly, enjoying the weather and peace.
"Nothing yet." He shrugged, looking down at his bracelet. "I would go in to check on him, but you know it would be useless! Don't worry; your husband will do just fine!" He grinned, making Aurora's face turn slightly pink before nodding.
The camp has been reinforced by now, and more misfits were present, numbering around fifty, including Raufon. Instead of the open field, a tall earth wall surrounded the campsite, erected by the magic of the Misfits. On it, dozens of peashooters were bouncing, serving as their warning system and first line of defense.
Down below, Sion was 'lost' in the Path of Darkness, taking on the trial himself. At first, everyone walked in, but they were immediately separated and found themselves alone in complete darkness. Nobody could tell where they were, and it was impossible to tell where it lay north or south. Slowly, they gave up, and as soon as they thought about it, they saw the light. Walking towards it, except for Sion, they ended back at the starting point. Since then, none of them could enter the first Path as a magical field barred them from trying again. They only had one shot at it, and by now, only Sion was still going at it.
"Maybe we should bring Hajna over." Raufon suggested, snacking on some sunflower seeds, "We could hold her and walk through the last trial, answering all the questions easily."
"I thought about it too, but the Headmaster refused to lend her anymore. The moment Lia was finished with her questioning, he came and took her back…"
"Boss did something unreasonable again, eh?" Raufon chuckled, turning Aurora's frown into a smile.
"Most likely. But we will have to consult with her again when Sion succeeds."
As they were discussing it, both of their bracelet pinged, and they heard steps coming up as a haggard-looking Sion appeared. He was exhausted, tired, and a bit thinner. It was already clear it was more challenging than it first looked.
"Are you okay?" Aurora stepped forward, quickly holding him, but Sion just chuckled.
"All fine, it's just the time distortion!" He shook himself while more Misfits were coming up to hear what it was like. "Following the star was harder than I expected; I lost it multiple times and had to improve my abilities to find it! Also… checking the date," He murmured, watching his bracelet, "I was in for only two days… To me, it was two months!"
"Damn…" Raufon and many others repeated it while Aurora looked at him with a bit of worry in her eyes.
"Lucky that I had snacks with me!" He grinned, slapping the now empty holding bag on his waist. "But, I did finish it and was given this!" Presenting it to the group, he showed a round, golden coin with the seven stars appearing on it, represented by tiny, amethyst gems embedded into the golden object. "It didn't say what it was for but simply appeared in my hand. I tried reading it, enveloping it with my mana, dropping a little blood onto it, but nothing worked!"
"I'll send word to Lia; you go and rest!" Aurora singed hurriedly while Raufon looked around the curious Misfits, raising his voice.
"Get back to work! Only relax when we are back in the fortress! We will return home tomorrow! Guys!" He turned towards his own subordinates, "Get ready to bury this place! We will hide it from prying eyes and leave some plants behind to guard it!"
While the Misfits were getting to work, Lia was reading the reports of Simbad, who had been trailing Ferrah since he arrived in the city. There was nothing out of the ordinary so far. Rinzen and Ceiline were away, meeting with the newly arrived supervisor from the Nerifits, standing at the strength of the 7th Tier.
"Silly Fox, I need Hajna!" She opened a channel, and before she could continue, a resolute 'no' was Lucian's answer. "But-"
"Talk with her, but I am not traveling over again for nothing!"
“Hmpf… okay…” Lia grumbled, and a moment later, she explained their findings to Hajna, who stood next to Lucian in his office.
"Oh… that's a proof of admission into our Sect." She replied the moment she saw the coin. "People coming to us with it were allowed to enter our Realm and join us! It has no real effect besides a proof of identity."
"Someone really wants it." Lia countered, crossing her arms while walking out to the balcony, watching the sunset and the busy cityscape before her. "Think, what use it has now?"
"Our place was heavily guarded and regulated." Hajna answered after a brief pause, "Getting in was one thing, but visiting certain places was another! This type of token would let you wander the outer parts but would not open many doors for you."
"What other places were there?" Lia asked, remembering the broken world they visited and where they met with her.
"Oh, a lot!" She started listing them, from the palace to the noble's quarters, workshops, and barracks, going on endlessly.
"Okay, stop!" Lia moaned, thinking about narrowing her search, "What do you think, which part of your Realm would interest others? And I mean, other powerhouses in your time!"
"That is easy; it would be our treasury."
"Oh? Is it still there?" Lucian asked first, surprised while listening in from the side.
"Should be. I think."
"You think?" The two questioned the ancient construct, who had to think about it before giving her answer.
"When we were destroyed, the treasury should have survived the cataclysm. It was not just sealed away, but it was… hidden. In an even deeper layer than our own home."
"A realm in a realm?" Lia murmured, sounding a bit amazed.
"Yes. So it should be still there, floating amongst the wreckage of my home. As it was broken up and destroyed, almost all functions and laws we had in place have ceased to exist, so it should have re-appeared. But this also means all the formations and defensive measures were broken in it just the same. It would be easy to get in."
"What would we find inside?" Lucian pressed on, his voice showing his concern.
"Nothing of value, really." Hajna sighed, "That event most likely affected it just as much and made many of our treasures worthless. If not, then the time that passed surely did so. Maybe a few rare and unique treasures still work, but… nothing world-changing."
"At least we now know why they want the token!" Lia murmured, walking from one end to the next of the balcony. "With the token, they can get in and probably easily bypass any still working part of the treasury!"
"It could be possible…" Hajna agreed, "The state it's in, with a token of ours, it could become a master key to our home! Ah!"
"What is it?!" Lia and Lucian asked simultaneously, flinching at her sudden exclamation.
"The Realm Key!"
"The what?"
"Every one of us had a key, an item that was tuned and bound to the Realm. It could help people more easily come and go between the Realm and the Cosmos. Its real use came into play with our conquered territories outside! It was what we used to put a seal on our different territories, marking them as our own."
"What use it would have now?" Lia asked, trying to memorize and understand her words.
"We are closed off… I think collecting more of those keys would give them a chance to slip through the cracks… and they would also be able to take control of the different realms that belonged to us in the past. Along with their resources… But this is only a hypothesis!"
"Good enough!" Lia and Lucian said in the same type of tone. "We now know what they want! I will warn Aurora!"
"I have an extra idea!" Lucian said, closing the communication, and soon, he teleported next to Lia with Hajna in his arms. "Tell them to give up the token if something happens, but don't be too obvious about it!"
"Oooh!" Lia caught in immediately, writing her message hurriedly, "And we are heading to…?"
"Mhm…" Lucian smiled slyly. "We will lay down a trap and get more answers after we catch the bastard!"
"Ahahaha! Count me in!"
…
….
……
A few hours later, the Misfits were meeting and planning their defenses at Aurora's end. After Lia's message, they had to rethink their route back to the Misfits' fortress, and instead, they decided to stay and wait for the enemy to make a move. It was much better than being taken by surprise while traveling.
On the other end, Simbad quickly relayed some concerning news to Lia; Ferrah had a meeting with the city lord Icura before leaving. He remained in the city, now tailing the woman while Melody and a few fairies followed Ferrah, who quickly disappeared into the forest, shaking off his pursuers.
"The fairies lost him…" Lia murmured, receiving a message as she was outside the ruins where they once camped. "I don't know if he knew about them or if he noticed something… but he is not as weak as we suspected. He disappeared like a ghost!"
"That is… not a good omen. For now, let's keep to our original plan! If he shows up here, I will face him; you do the support!"
"Yes!"
"No complaints?" He asked with a surprised voice and with a smile.
"None!"
"How refreshing~!"
"I'm just sending a warning to Aurora! And I will send Keily out! Something is fishy!"
…
….
……
It happened in the night. The peashooters on their defenses sounded the warning, and minutes later, multiple groups of Undead rushed at the walls, trying to break through them. Their numbers were triple that of the Misfits present, and even though Sion and Aurora managed to trim their numbers, it was a difficult battle. Raufon and his subordinates turned them into powder, bashing them relentlessly, reinforcing and repairing their wall as it was being bombarded by the Undead.
"Something is not right!" Sion sent over a message to Aurora, "I can't sense or find neither a controller nor an Intelligent variant! Yet they are acting coordinated!"
"One has to be close, surveying the battle! We just have to fight and hold out until Keily arrives!"
"The boy is a quick one! Don't worry; he should be here at any moment!" Raufon laughed, having complete faith in his friend.
What was now a siege could turn into a battle of catching the Undead in a pincer attack. They just had to remain steadfast in their defense.
Aurora and Sion were right. Farther away, inside the dark forest, the zombies' leader stood still, surveying the battle through their eyes and controlling the multiple bodies.
"You did good…" Said the Undead, not looking at the figure of Ferrah, who was standing next to him, "Your find of these people is a great benefit… I will break through and capture them; your reward will come afterward. You are a step closer to reaching immortality in the afterlife!
"Thank you, My Lord." He answered simply.
"I will contact you, don't try to find me again! After this, I will need to disappear for a while." And with that, he excused Ferrah, sending him away, concentrating on the battle.
"Idiot." Ferrah smiled, thinking to himself, amused by how easily they are fooled. Just show a little bit of willingness to serve and be in an influential position, and they will recruit you. Their miasma had no real effect on his mind or soul, shrugging it off easily without the Undead's notice. They were never even thinking about the chance that it was you who used them for your own plays. "Heh~" With a shake of his body, it turned not just transparent, but he seemingly teleported into the camp.
Nobody seemed to mind him, especially as they were fighting on the walls. He had an easy time shifting through the campsite and rummaging through their resources until he found the token. Nothing else interested Ferrah, and the moment he grabbed it, he just giggled like a kid before teleporting again, appearing a kilometer away from the battle. It was time to go and travel to his real destination.
What neither the Undead nor Ferrah imagined was that, in the end, it was they who were being hunted and played… having a real surprise waiting for both groups.
Corty If there are more mistakes than usual, sorry... I was dealing with a headache all day, while writing this chapter.
