Chapter 266 - In the desert (Patreon)

Close to two weeks have passed, and I'm ready to leave the old capital. I believe I gained a lot from here, and I think I could discover more. Maybe find some secrets I missed, hidden items, and more about this floor. However, when I weigh it against what I could gain from the next floor, it pales in comparison.

“Status.”

Name: Nathaniel Gwyn
Difficulty: Hell
Floor: 4 - Waning Realm
Time left until forced return: 4y 51d 14h 1m 57s
Traits (2/3): Mana Circuit, Mana Wavelength Iris

Lvl 214
Strength: 103
Dexterity: 101
Constitution: 246
Mana (Stage 1/3 - Vast Mana): 782 + 782

Primary Class: Focused Channeler (epic)
Sub-class: [Initiate of Pride]

Active skills:
Focus (Dual Focus Consolidation) - Lvl 42
Mana Manipulation (Advanced Mana Manipulation) - Lvl 43
Perception - Lvl 40
Redistribution (Symbiotic Transference) - Lvl 40
Resonance - Lvl 40
Mana Domain - Lvl 28
Tether - Lvl 28
Regalia - Lvl 17
Infusion - Lvl 20

Constructs:
Reinforcement (Construct)
Kinetic Mana Heart (Construct)
Mana Regulator (Construct)
Mana Sovereignty Mantle (Construct)

Passive skills:
Cerebral Harmony (rare)
Mana-Fortified Resilience (rare)
Pyrokinetic Resurgence (rare)
Mana Reservoir (epic)
Arcane Resilience (epic)

Tokens:
Beyond Difficulty entrance token

Shards: 9462

I did another round of active tempering, which gave me 20 points in Constitution and 10 for each Dexterity and Strength.

While in the relative safety of the city, I also thought about improving my Kinetic Mana Heart construct but decided against it in the end. For now, it might be smarter to wait and see what passive I will get as it might give me more insight into it. It's a good plan, I think. Manuals are not available due to the system, so that's it.

While walking through the empty city, with a bag filled with items, I think about Myrra. In the past two weeks, she barely left me and shows little intent to return to Virelia and become a matriarch or help with what's happening there.

From Tess, I have learned that there are daily killings of either humans or lynthari. Obelia is dead, Isola is dead, and Thalen disappeared, so the big guilds that were supposed to help are gone.

Cheeky Obelia was also sure to hide a “bomb” - information that surfaced after she died, blaming lynthari for her death. A last spiteful gift from a smart woman with an obsession that cost her life.

After that, there is no more information from Virelia. Tess and others spent all the mana stones they could as the stones kept some value because of their possible use. They also stole a lot of useful things from headless guilds and other places and hired a big group to help them move it all.

Then they escaped Virelia about a week ago, heading to the desert to face the Fallen Hero.

That's where I will head too. Sure, I don't tell it to anyone, but I will make sure to watch them from a distance and maybe help if it looks too bad. I don't want them to know, so they won't rely on me.

I also miss that silly corgi and the occasional nights we all spent together in the small living room of our first house. It was annoying at times, but I liked that feeling of coziness and camaraderie Tess talks about so much.

As for looting, I already found one epic item, so I will be happy with that for now. It stings a bit as I hoped for more, but I think it's also good as I never wanted to be reliant on items, and I already have so many things to work on.

Aqua Arcanum Vial (Epic): This small vial contains constantly swirling water. When uncorked, it can unleash a torrential water blast or create a protective, swirling water barrier. The Aqua Arcanum Vial can also absorb surrounding water sources, replenishing its contents and making it a versatile tool.

I wouldn't use it in combat as I already have problems spending my mana and using my skills, but it's a nice item to have, allowing me to save some shards on buying water.

“Ready to leave, feral one?” Myrra greets me the moment I reach the towers where we set our base.

She still looks nearly the same, the only difference being her clothes, which are still black, contrasting with her white hair, tail, and ears. The clothes are simple, and she also has a few things she looted.

I nod, “Lead the way, nya.”

“Feral one, can you please stop? I used it only one or two times so you don't have to...”

“Twenty-seven.”

With a confused expression, she turns to me.

I repeat, “You've used 'nya' twenty-seven times.”

“Why would you even count that…” she lets her voice trail off and then shakes her head, “Let's leave.”

***

After using the array, we appear in the desert, along with a big pile of items I put on the massive metal plate and pull behind me. It's quite heavy, so I even have to strengthen my body through reinforcement to pull it on the sand.

Obviously, for Myrra, it's extremely funny, and she continues to tease me. She is immediately in a much better mood, enjoying the heat of the sun on her skin and shedding some thicker layers of her clothes to sunbathe with a big smile on her face.

Typical cat.

Noname - How is it?

Sset - I made Grumpy waste her community limit, so she won't see what we're talking about. Of course, this is only if the system clears the messages in the chat at the times we believe it does.

Noname - Good, how's the search going?

Sset - We already sent the guys back and pull all the items we got with us. TheStrongestOne helps a lot with that. I also found the crater you talked about, travelled north from it and located our target. I left some markers behind so you can track us. We'll start in a day or two.

Noname - I will do so. How are the others?

Sset - Excited, sad, and a bit scared. But I'll pull them together.

Savant - Noname.

Out of nowhere, Savant interrupts my conversation.

Savant - You still owe me an answer to one question.

Noname - Yes, I do. Go ahead.

Savant - You asked me before how it is to be alone, so I want to ask you this. How is it to be with a group? One of you, a man called Hadwin, died. How do you feel about it?

Noname - You would waste your question on something like that?

Savant - It will allow me to understand you better.

I see, Savant sure knows how to ask questions I don't like to think about the answer to.

Noname - Some time ago, we got a lot of money. The boys had a good idea, and we were able to leverage our items.

Savant patiently waits, so I also give myself a moment and then continue.

Noname - We spent the entire night buying sutff for everyone in our group. Things that would make them happy or be useful to them or their training. We bought things for everyone except Hadwin.

I stare ahead over the dunes, feeling the warm heat of the sun on my skin as memories flash through my mind.

Noname - I forgot about Hadwin, and we didn't buy anything for him. Back then it was okay; we just gave him mana stones, and he picked something on his own. But after he died, I can't stop thinking about it.

I want to write another message, but Savant interrupts me.

Savant - That's enough for the answer.

After that, I close the Community and gesture to Myrra as we head towards where the orbital base crashed.

The ever-present dunes and scorching sun get old really soon, but I start enjoying the warmth on my skin after a few weeks in the cloudy and colder old capital. Right now, even though there are only dunes all around us, it looks more lively thanks to the sunshine.

Soon, we also reach one of Tess's markers, a small stone holding some of her mana that has already been buried in a dune because of the wind that keeps reshaping the area. But knowing about it, I'm still able to locate it and continue to follow the trail.

As many times before, Myrra just follows me, and there is a hint of distant sadness to her. It's hard to describe, but it's an expression of someone waiting for the bad news. Myrra is smart, and like me, she also likes to observe others, so she must have noticed something. The question is how much the system allowed her to notice.

I decide to push it away, as something the future Nathaniel will deal with before entering the 5th floor. So, for now, we just silently push through the dunes while I pull the iron plate with items behind me.

Minutes pass. Then hours, and even a day, as we track the marks Tess left until we reach one of the biggest dunes and climb on top of it.

“They are in front of us,” Myrra says quietly and points somewhere in the distance.

I'm unable to see anything unlike her, so she creates her aurora glass into a big plate in front of us. The glass shifts and changes multiple times until it seems to work like a telescope, and through it, I finally see Group 4, all of them walking in line, moving multiple sleds similar to mine.

Out of nowhere, Tess stops and turns around, staring right towards us. Lily steps next to her and also looks in our direction, but she can't see that far.

Tess only shakes her head, and a smile that flashes across her face is meant for me and not for Lily.

“Your group can be scary at times, Feral One, but are you sure you don't want to help them? The Fallen Hero is a terrifying enemy.”

I watch as Biscuit wobbles through the sand, his short legs often burrowing and slowing him down, yet he is too proud to ask for help and continues to follow the group. The snake around Isabella’s arm is much bigger now, and out of everyone in the group, Isabella seems to enjoy the desert the most, even having two fire orbs floating nearby. I can't sense it from here, but I think she might be partially using the sun or hot air around to strengthen them.

Then there is a group of three boys walking closely behind Maya, all pulling sleds while Sophie walks as the last one, surely casting her web all around.

They are the same, yet somewhat different, and the feeling I feel right now is wistfulness. How silly it is, how not used I am to this kind of feeling.

When I turn to Myrra, she is looking at me sadly, “For a moment, you were smiling, Feral One. A real, warm smile. It disappeared as quickly as it came, but you were.”

She reaches out and moves a lock from my face, her touch gentle as if she is touching something extremely delicate. I watch her for a moment, curious about what she will do next, but she stops and pulls her hand away.

“Tutorial,” I say.

She tilts her head and opens her mouth as if she wants to ask something, but then her face changes, a blank expression appears on it, and then it reverts to the state it was before I said that word.

“Fourth floor, Waning Realm, Floor quest,” I say quietly.

After each word, her expression changes to blank and then reverts.

So, I just stay quiet, and she smiles at me apologetically, “Sorry for touching you, Feral One.”

“It's fine,” I tell her.

***

It takes a day longer than we expected to spot the Fallen Hero.

Even from how far I am, I can sense the sheer amount of power the armor possesses, and when Myrra uses her Aurora glass, we can see it as well.

As the rumors said, it's most likely an upper epic armor that, while the Champion was alive, most likely served to transfer some of his owner´s mana into sheer physical strength.

Now, after the Champion died, the armor uses his still-beating mana heart to power itself and move around, searching for enemies. Either some changes happened to the armor when its wearer died, or the Champion programmed it like that before he died. To help humans fight against the enemy.

The gray and red armor itself is scratched all over; in places, it looks like there is rust on it, and there are even some holes, the biggest one on the back of the helmet, most likely the one that killed its owner.

The movement is unnerving, clearly not human. Each step somehow awkward and hesitant, yet full of strength.

Tess and the others notice it as well and from really far away, she starts to observe it, moving the group so they can avoid it while she collects enough information.

I spend that day examining mana stones I pull on the sled behind me and talking with Myrra, trying to tease her too, or practicing my skills. Yet none of these actions help me to get my mind off what is about to come.

Straight and clear, I'm worried.

Pathetic, am I not? After all these things I said. All the resolution that they should get stronger or die now before we become closer. Gareth’s words come to my mind more and more often as time passes, and I find myself thinking maybe he was not wrong.

When the time finally comes, I'm ready to dash there and help, but only until the moment that Tess's face appears in full view on the TV-like-sized piece of aurora glass that allows us to see far in the distance.

Tess smiles brilliantly, her gray eyes having an unnatural shine to them because of the desert sun. As in the past few days, there is [Stormcrown] over her head.

It will be fine, I read her lips.

“Don't go around planting death flags, you silly blonde,” I mumble under my breath and then sit back down.

Fine, I will trust you. It's hard for me to do so, but I will believe in you guys.

Show me what Group 4 is capable of.

***

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