Cutting through the thick, orange-colored clouds, four Soulbound disciples were drifting around aimlessly, forming a crooked line. They have been lost for hours by now, not finding their way back from where they started.
"I told you we should have been more focused!" The man at the back complained, making the leading figure snort loudly.
"Shut it! You said it ten times already! Do you think the situation would change if you keep repeating yourself?! Which of you was supposed to place the beacons down anyway, huh?!"
Of course, there was no answer for that, as each member of the group pointed at the other. They were instructed to use the sect's technique, placing beacons down at set intervals so they could connect their soul to it and follow their way back. It was a demanding task, so one of them had to sacrifice a great deal of power, something they all worked tirelessly for, and nobody wanted to squander it.
"Let's just… continue." The man in the middle shrugged before they started fighting again, "Head straight, and we ought to get out of here!"
With a grunt, the group picked up pace again, flying forward, hoping to reach its edge soon.
"What do you think?" Erias asked, hidden inside the same clouds, tailing them for an hour by now.
"They are not strong… weak. Even as I am now, I feel I can take them on!"
"I can keep them going in circles and tire them out if you want!"
"Nah!" Lia shook her head, forming a wild smile. "I need an exercise! I will kill three and capture the fourth!"
"Works for me! Go wild; I will hold the fluctuations in place so they won't be detected! Good hunting!"
With that, Lia was gone, disappearing in the thick clouds, her soul spreading out, locked onto her first prey.
"Hey…" One of the Soulbound cultivators asked, looking back and forth, "Don't you feel like we are being watched?"
"No!"
"Yes!"
The two different answers made the group of four stop and start arguing once again. It was a mess, and the first to bring up his fears kept looking around nervously. Something was not right. They were supposedly here to search for a traitorous soul, fleeing and hiding in the primordial chaos at the back of their Realm. But this wasn't adding up, and his senses told him they were being used!
"Enough!" Their leader-in-name shouted, "This bullshit is because one of you fucking Outer Disciples couldn't follow orders! I was named the squad's captain; you lowly fucks should have placed the beacons!"
"Fuck you, you were an Outer Disciple until a year ago!"
"And now I am an Inner Disciple!"
"No." A fifth voice chuckled, sending shivers through them all. "You are my next meal!"
With a swoop, Lia was already between them. Her hands were transformed into blades, taking up the form of swirling air and sounding like the wind's howl in a typhoon. She had already cut the one who made the group stop into a dozen pieces, his soul severed, destroyed, killed without hesitation. Its pieces that were still floating in the air were being eroded and dismembered by Lia's wind until nothing remained.
Her second prey was using his soul to summon the famous Undead Miasma, but he was not quick enough. Lia simply stabbed through his chest with her hands, and like a leaf in a storm, his soul was ripped to shreds, tearing him apart.
"Slow!" With a chuckle and an elegant move, she dodged the other two's attacks, dueling them effortlessly, wearing an evil grin, making the Soulbound disciples feel the kind of fear that their presence bestowed upon the people of Meriath.
"Hmmm…" Erias hummed, observing from close by, furrowing his brows. He was watching as Lia's 'blades' met against their miasma, blowing it away and tearing through their defenses like nothing. "This should be not right… she has no physical body to use and manipulate the elements this well… there is no mana in her, only the will and spirit…"
They could only manifest spells like the Soulbound members, which meant using their souls to cast spells. It was a manifestation of their spirit, which consumed part of them. That is why they had to replenish it continually… many times eating each other. Erias expected Lia to do the same, using up her spirit to fight, but after that, capturing one that would refill her and make her stronger.
"Is this… an Evolver?" He thought, watching her closely and realizing why she could use the elements so effortlessly.
It was the clouds, the raw cosmic energy around her. It responded to her will, and when she wanted to use wind the required element was drawn out from the concentrated energy, empowering her. It was responding to Lia's call and bending to her will without her realizing it.
"Or is this the effect of learning her methods without the interference of the Golden Claw's mark?"
It was something that nobody could answer for him. He knew there was a big possibility that he was hindered by the fact his knowledge originated from them in many ways. Yet Lia was free of their influence yet armed with their wisdom in manipulating the elements. Whatever the case, Lia already showed great powers and even greater potential. Watching her trap the last soul, sealing him in an icy prison without freezing him, watching his panicked expression as he banged on the blue walls… It drew not just a smile onto his but also onto Lia's face.
"That was quick!" He chuckled, appearing from the clouds, nodding approvingly at Lia.
"It was surprisingly easy! It felt… natural! Now… let me try this myself!"
Turning towards the trapped man, he soon let out an otherworldly scream as, from the ice, orange flames started to appear. As it melted and began to shrink, it was not dissolving into water but into fire. A moment later, thin, almost invisible blades started whirling inside, turning the whole prison into a blender. Lia only stopped when she expertly coalesced the now-purified soul into a pill the size of a golf ball.
"You learn quickly!"
"Thank you!" She replied with a chuckle, taking the pill and eating it without hesitation. "But I made some mistakes!"
"Like?"
"This one has barely any memories. I only know that they are looking for us and being sent in by… well… I don't know. I overdid it a little…"
"For a first attempt, it is fine!" Erias laughed, proud of her feat, "For me, it took a lot of time to get it right!"
"I'm lucky to have a teacher here! Ehehe~! Are we going to hunt more?"
"Excited, aren't you? Sure! Let's go and bag ourselves some extra food! I will help you store them away so you won't need to eat them at once!"
…
….
……
"We lost 44 disciples in the past three days," Laupa explained without a change in his tone, looking directly at Che's face. "They all happened at different locations, completely random. I myself looked into it but couldn't find them."
"We are being harvested…" Kyaranin complained, clicking her tongue, feeling provoked and anger rising within her chest.
"We are losing the dregs only; those who amounted to anything had been sent down. We have already repelled four attacks of the so-called "Six" on Meriath. Oh… wait, now it is only Five!" Che answered with a laugh, shaking his head, not bothered by their losses.
"You have to admit, Killieth pulled through. His opening and maintaining a tear on the fabric of the Realm was a slick move!"
"..." In a moment, Che's smile and good mood disappeared, being reminded their success was the work of one of his hated rivals.
"Come on, Che, we all know the Sect Master liked how he dealt with the task he was given!" Kyaranin pressed on, but he refused to budge.
"Are we continuing with the pointless sacrifices, or are we starting to do something already?" Laupa raised his voice, interrupting the two ancients, impatient and annoyed by their carefree attitude.
"By the Sect Master's information, the soul Erias stole belonged to his line. I asked the others to capture the soul of one of her relatives and bring it here so we could draw these bastards out."
"And?"
"No luck so far." Che shrugged, but he was smiling with contempt. "But they did kill someone she knew. His soul is being transferred over as we speak. I just don't know how effective it will be!"
"Oh? Is it one of her enemies or something?" Kyaranin questioned, feeling excited because Che's idea was exactly what she loved the most. Drama and intrigue like this made her feel alive.
"It is an old teacher of hers, but they were not on good terms. I don't know or care about his name, but they had some kind of conflict. Whatever… It is worthy of an attempt, and we can't lose out on it! If she doesn't come out of hiding, we torture him and try to turn him to our cause! If he doesn't budge? We have a meal~!"
…
….
……
"How's things?" Aurora asked, meeting with Raufon, who was coming from the main castle, trying to get Rinzen to leave her room.
"Nothing changed." He groaned, ruffling his hair with a dejected sigh, "She does not respond, and I can't break down the doors. It is reinforced by her ice! My arms simply rebound, and I think I broke something…" He added, massaging his right wrist.
"Ayashi will try next. Maybe this time she will reply to her mother at least."
"Didn't work the past three times, but… sure. How's the rest?"
"Same." Aurora continued to sign as they began to walk, heading out of the castle, looking at the violet sky with its endless clouds. "People are getting used to the fact we are lost in nothing. Some of us are coming to terms with what happened, but… maybe it is just so we don't panic."
"I'm just ignoring things because my head and chest start hurting when my mind starts thinking."
"I get it…" She nodded a little while Raufon put his hand on her back, rubbing it, making Aurora change the topic. "Keily finally woke up. He is weak, but now it seems he will finally pull through. Koa is taking care of him and won't leave his bed."
"Does he…"
"No." Answered Sion, who was coming up to them after seeing them exit the castle. "We decided not to tell him it yet, not until he recovers more. His heart was almost pierced; it missed it by a hair's with! Let's not disturb his mind and body with Lia's fate… not yet."
"Did the Three Ri mages manage to come up with something?" Raufon continued questioning, looking for any good news, but as he was expecting it, Sion shook his head.
"No. They tried reconnecting the bracelets to establish a link with the outside world, but nothing. They are dead objects now… Our only hope is to wait and hope that someone discovers us."
"Or even thinks about looking for us!" Raufon sighed, and what he didn't say was he doubted anybody thought about it. He was sure the outside world thought that the city and everyone within had fallen for good.
…
….
……
Somia's figure was atop the Misfits' tower in the Academy, using the telescope while the whole building was in lockdown. All the students, without warning, were teleported out, and since then, nobody could access it. When they tried, the system simply gave a warning that "Official Business" was in effect, and they were ejected from the grounds. When Lucian arrived to question, Somia simply answered she was looking for the lost city. That was enough for the Headmaster not to interfere and house the Misfits in a different part of the city, eagerly awaiting her report. He still had hope if she could find the city… Lia will be there, alive and fine.
"Results?" Hajna asked, her miniature image flickering above a small, silver disc. Somia and the Marduks were the ones who created it, letting Hajna establish a connection with anyone possessing one of those. Right now, her original, golden disk was in the capital fortress of the House of Marduk while they were recording all her knowledge, going through it day after day.
"Mark up N7K887.9 as clear. They are not there." Somia dictated while Hajna made a note of it and displayed an image that looked like a slice of the night sky, but instead, it was a part of No-Space.
"You do realize that the Sea of Souls is virtually infinite."
"It isn't." Somia corrected her at once, "It just goes around and looks infinite. What makes mapping it hard is its constantly changing form. The markers I leave behind will be eroded sooner or later, so… if I don't find them in the next 2 months, I will have to give up or start over."
"Are you sure you can find them?"
"Yes. I found smaller stuff in the past; a city should not be a problem. Something of that size leaves a trail; I just need to locate it first! Plus, you said she had the Realm Key with her… then they are still alive."
"Most likely. That thing is indestructible as long as the Realm itself exists."
"We need to find it before our enemies. We need it to bond with someone from our side now that Lia is dead. It probably already bonded with somebody else in the city…"
"If they have someone who is proficient in the study of the Sea of Souls. Our side's next best option is to give to the Headmaster."
"I thought of the same thing." Somia nodded, refocusing her mind on the telescope, continuing to search the infinite sea of energy, looking for the missing capital city. She was confident in finding it… what she didn't know was how will she pull it back to reality when succeeding…
Cutting through the thick, orange-colored clouds, four Soulbound disciples were drifting around aimlessly, forming a crooked line. They have been lost for hours by now, not finding their way back from where they started.
"I told you we should have been more focused!" The man at the back complained, making the leading figure snort loudly.
"Shut it! You said it ten times already! Do you think the situation would change if you keep repeating yourself?! Which of you was supposed to place the beacons down anyway, huh?!"
Of course, there was no answer for that, as each member of the group pointed at the other. They were instructed to use the sect's technique, placing beacons down at set intervals so they could connect their soul to it and follow their way back. It was a demanding task, so one of them had to sacrifice a great deal of power, something they all worked tirelessly for, and nobody wanted to squander it.
"Let's just… continue." The man in the middle shrugged before they started fighting again, "Head straight, and we ought to get out of here!"
With a grunt, the group picked up pace again, flying forward, hoping to reach its edge soon.
"What do you think?" Erias asked, hidden inside the same clouds, tailing them for an hour by now.
"They are not strong… weak. Even as I am now, I feel I can take them on!"
"I can keep them going in circles and tire them out if you want!"
"Nah!" Lia shook her head, forming a wild smile. "I need an exercise! I will kill three and capture the fourth!"
"Works for me! Go wild; I will hold the fluctuations in place so they won't be detected! Good hunting!"
With that, Lia was gone, disappearing in the thick clouds, her soul spreading out, locked onto her first prey.
"Hey…" One of the Soulbound cultivators asked, looking back and forth, "Don't you feel like we are being watched?"
"No!"
"Yes!"
The two different answers made the group of four stop and start arguing once again. It was a mess, and the first to bring up his fears kept looking around nervously. Something was not right. They were supposedly here to search for a traitorous soul, fleeing and hiding in the primordial chaos at the back of their Realm. But this wasn't adding up, and his senses told him they were being used!
"Enough!" Their leader-in-name shouted, "This bullshit is because one of you fucking Outer Disciples couldn't follow orders! I was named the squad's captain; you lowly fucks should have placed the beacons!"
"Fuck you, you were an Outer Disciple until a year ago!"
"And now I am an Inner Disciple!"
"No." A fifth voice chuckled, sending shivers through them all. "You are my next meal!"
With a swoop, Lia was already between them. Her hands were transformed into blades, taking up the form of swirling air and sounding like the wind's howl in a typhoon. She had already cut the one who made the group stop into a dozen pieces, his soul severed, destroyed, killed without hesitation. Its pieces that were still floating in the air were being eroded and dismembered by Lia's wind until nothing remained.
Her second prey was using his soul to summon the famous Undead Miasma, but he was not quick enough. Lia simply stabbed through his chest with her hands, and like a leaf in a storm, his soul was ripped to shreds, tearing him apart.
"Slow!" With a chuckle and an elegant move, she dodged the other two's attacks, dueling them effortlessly, wearing an evil grin, making the Soulbound disciples feel the kind of fear that their presence bestowed upon the people of Meriath.
"Hmmm…" Erias hummed, observing from close by, furrowing his brows. He was watching as Lia's 'blades' met against their miasma, blowing it away and tearing through their defenses like nothing. "This should be not right… she has no physical body to use and manipulate the elements this well… there is no mana in her, only the will and spirit…"
They could only manifest spells like the Soulbound members, which meant using their souls to cast spells. It was a manifestation of their spirit, which consumed part of them. That is why they had to replenish it continually… many times eating each other. Erias expected Lia to do the same, using up her spirit to fight, but after that, capturing one that would refill her and make her stronger.
"Is this… an Evolver?" He thought, watching her closely and realizing why she could use the elements so effortlessly.
It was the clouds, the raw cosmic energy around her. It responded to her will, and when she wanted to use wind the required element was drawn out from the concentrated energy, empowering her. It was responding to Lia's call and bending to her will without her realizing it.
"Or is this the effect of learning her methods without the interference of the Golden Claw's mark?"
It was something that nobody could answer for him. He knew there was a big possibility that he was hindered by the fact his knowledge originated from them in many ways. Yet Lia was free of their influence yet armed with their wisdom in manipulating the elements. Whatever the case, Lia already showed great powers and even greater potential. Watching her trap the last soul, sealing him in an icy prison without freezing him, watching his panicked expression as he banged on the blue walls… It drew not just a smile onto his but also onto Lia's face.
"That was quick!" He chuckled, appearing from the clouds, nodding approvingly at Lia.
"It was surprisingly easy! It felt… natural! Now… let me try this myself!"
Turning towards the trapped man, he soon let out an otherworldly scream as, from the ice, orange flames started to appear. As it melted and began to shrink, it was not dissolving into water but into fire. A moment later, thin, almost invisible blades started whirling inside, turning the whole prison into a blender. Lia only stopped when she expertly coalesced the now-purified soul into a pill the size of a golf ball.
"You learn quickly!"
"Thank you!" She replied with a chuckle, taking the pill and eating it without hesitation. "But I made some mistakes!"
"Like?"
"This one has barely any memories. I only know that they are looking for us and being sent in by… well… I don't know. I overdid it a little…"
"For a first attempt, it is fine!" Erias laughed, proud of her feat, "For me, it took a lot of time to get it right!"
"I'm lucky to have a teacher here! Ehehe~! Are we going to hunt more?"
"Excited, aren't you? Sure! Let's go and bag ourselves some extra food! I will help you store them away so you won't need to eat them at once!"
…
….
……
"We lost 44 disciples in the past three days," Laupa explained without a change in his tone, looking directly at Che's face. "They all happened at different locations, completely random. I myself looked into it but couldn't find them."
"We are being harvested…" Kyaranin complained, clicking her tongue, feeling provoked and anger rising within her chest.
"We are losing the dregs only; those who amounted to anything had been sent down. We have already repelled four attacks of the so-called "Six" on Meriath. Oh… wait, now it is only Five!" Che answered with a laugh, shaking his head, not bothered by their losses.
"You have to admit, Killieth pulled through. His opening and maintaining a tear on the fabric of the Realm was a slick move!"
"..." In a moment, Che's smile and good mood disappeared, being reminded their success was the work of one of his hated rivals.
"Come on, Che, we all know the Sect Master liked how he dealt with the task he was given!" Kyaranin pressed on, but he refused to budge.
"Are we continuing with the pointless sacrifices, or are we starting to do something already?" Laupa raised his voice, interrupting the two ancients, impatient and annoyed by their carefree attitude.
"By the Sect Master's information, the soul Erias stole belonged to his line. I asked the others to capture the soul of one of her relatives and bring it here so we could draw these bastards out."
"And?"
"No luck so far." Che shrugged, but he was smiling with contempt. "But they did kill someone she knew. His soul is being transferred over as we speak. I just don't know how effective it will be!"
"Oh? Is it one of her enemies or something?" Kyaranin questioned, feeling excited because Che's idea was exactly what she loved the most. Drama and intrigue like this made her feel alive.
"It is an old teacher of hers, but they were not on good terms. I don't know or care about his name, but they had some kind of conflict. Whatever… It is worthy of an attempt, and we can't lose out on it! If she doesn't come out of hiding, we torture him and try to turn him to our cause! If he doesn't budge? We have a meal~!"
…
….
……
"How's things?" Aurora asked, meeting with Raufon, who was coming from the main castle, trying to get Rinzen to leave her room.
"Nothing changed." He groaned, ruffling his hair with a dejected sigh, "She does not respond, and I can't break down the doors. It is reinforced by her ice! My arms simply rebound, and I think I broke something…" He added, massaging his right wrist.
"Ayashi will try next. Maybe this time she will reply to her mother at least."
"Didn't work the past three times, but… sure. How's the rest?"
"Same." Aurora continued to sign as they began to walk, heading out of the castle, looking at the violet sky with its endless clouds. "People are getting used to the fact we are lost in nothing. Some of us are coming to terms with what happened, but… maybe it is just so we don't panic."
"I'm just ignoring things because my head and chest start hurting when my mind starts thinking."
"I get it…" She nodded a little while Raufon put his hand on her back, rubbing it, making Aurora change the topic. "Keily finally woke up. He is weak, but now it seems he will finally pull through. Koa is taking care of him and won't leave his bed."
"Does he…"
"No." Answered Sion, who was coming up to them after seeing them exit the castle. "We decided not to tell him it yet, not until he recovers more. His heart was almost pierced; it missed it by a hair's with! Let's not disturb his mind and body with Lia's fate… not yet."
"Did the Three Ri mages manage to come up with something?" Raufon continued questioning, looking for any good news, but as he was expecting it, Sion shook his head.
"No. They tried reconnecting the bracelets to establish a link with the outside world, but nothing. They are dead objects now… Our only hope is to wait and hope that someone discovers us."
"Or even thinks about looking for us!" Raufon sighed, and what he didn't say was he doubted anybody thought about it. He was sure the outside world thought that the city and everyone within had fallen for good.
…
….
……
Somia's figure was atop the Misfits' tower in the Academy, using the telescope while the whole building was in lockdown. All the students, without warning, were teleported out, and since then, nobody could access it. When they tried, the system simply gave a warning that "Official Business" was in effect, and they were ejected from the grounds. When Lucian arrived to question, Somia simply answered she was looking for the lost city. That was enough for the Headmaster not to interfere and house the Misfits in a different part of the city, eagerly awaiting her report. He still had hope if she could find the city… Lia will be there, alive and fine.
"Results?" Hajna asked, her miniature image flickering above a small, silver disc. Somia and the Marduks were the ones who created it, letting Hajna establish a connection with anyone possessing one of those. Right now, her original, golden disk was in the capital fortress of the House of Marduk while they were recording all her knowledge, going through it day after day.
"Mark up N7K887.9 as clear. They are not there." Somia dictated while Hajna made a note of it and displayed an image that looked like a slice of the night sky, but instead, it was a part of No-Space.
"You do realize that the Sea of Souls is virtually infinite."
"It isn't." Somia corrected her at once, "It just goes around and looks infinite. What makes mapping it hard is its constantly changing form. The markers I leave behind will be eroded sooner or later, so… if I don't find them in the next 2 months, I will have to give up or start over."
"Are you sure you can find them?"
"Yes. I found smaller stuff in the past; a city should not be a problem. Something of that size leaves a trail; I just need to locate it first! Plus, you said she had the Realm Key with her… then they are still alive."
"Most likely. That thing is indestructible as long as the Realm itself exists."
"We need to find it before our enemies. We need it to bond with someone from our side now that Lia is dead. It probably already bonded with somebody else in the city…"
"If they have someone who is proficient in the study of the Sea of Souls. Our side's next best option is to give to the Headmaster."
"I thought of the same thing." Somia nodded, refocusing her mind on the telescope, continuing to search the infinite sea of energy, looking for the missing capital city. She was confident in finding it… what she didn't know was how will she pull it back to reality when succeeding…
