Chapter 2 - Part 1 of 5 (Patreon)

“What the hell was that!” Aditya stood looking in the direction of where the mana wave had come from.

Old Quan[mc6]  stood as well.

“Is that?”

Pan Kun barged in through the door, checking on the two inside, his sword out and ready.

“Where is Evernight?” Aditya asked.

“Right here, I was coming to see you,” Evernight walked into the room and kicked the door closed. She pulled out her sound transmission device, working it.

Pan Kun moved to the windows.

“Doesn’t seem to be any damage.”

“Just what the hell was that? It was a massive pulse of mana, right from where Alva is located,” Aditya said.

They looked to Evernight who was talking through her sound transmission device.

“Something happened in Alva. All of the floors connected and the power that was being stored is now being directed below. Don’t know why or what is going on. Orders are to mobilize, make sure that no one takes the opportunity to attack. Cover it up, say that it was an anomaly,” Everynight said.

“How did that much power get out? That will change things in the Beast Mountain Range,” Old Quan[mc7]  said.

“We will need to show that we can hold the area. Promote the Consortium, say that all of the students will get the best education in this holy land. Have all of the powers competing to join the Consortium. Instead of turning it into a battle and everyone trying to get scraps. I need to talk to the outpost leaders,” Aditya’s mind was on fire. He needed to act, and quickly. Alva and the Beast Mountain Range had just settled down and this happened.

“The Alva Army is mobilizing in Alva and all of the floors are on lock down. If someone starts something then you’ll have backup,” Evernight said.

“Tell the council that they will need to come up with something good for why this happened, also something to distract the people,” Aditya used his sound transmission device, sending a message out to the other outpost leaders.

“I’ll ready the army,” Pan Kun said.

“Check the readiness of everyone. And, Evernight, any information you get on the surrounding forces moving, pass it on. I hope that it didn’t go beyond the Beast Mountain Range. But even in King’s Hill there are plenty of people with connections to the different powers surrounding us.”

***

“What?” Erik and Rugrat asked at the same time, Rugrat turned from his drawings and Erik stood up out of his chair. They were standing in the Vuzgal City Lord’s office, their office. Behind them the window showed Vuzgal’s growing sprawl between the different mountain ranges. Modern apartment buildings mixed with massive estates, towering Sky Reaching Restaurants and opulent Wandering Inns. Closer, one could see Association’s Circle where the Ten Realm’s associations had each settled down.

“Egbert has collapsed. The power of the linked dungeon floors has reversed instead of going into the mana storing formation it is shooting down through all of the floors.” Gong Jin, Captain of the third special team said with a dark expression.

“What the hell for?” Rugrat asked.

“Unknown, it seems structurally sound. People are ready to evacuate as we speak. Those that can, have already left. There have also been a series of notifications from the dungeon itself,” Delilah reported.

Erik started walking for the door.

“We’re heading to Alva.”

Rugrat followed after him. Gong Jin opened his mouth and then started to quickly talk into his sound transmission device.

Han Wu and a new member of the special team were waiting outside. They followed Erik and the group as they strode out of their personal offices.

People watched and cleared a path as the group grew in size; as Gong Jin’s team which had been deployed at different points or resting rushed to meet them.

Erik got to the main door of the castle, putting his fingers in his mouth he let out a piercing whistle.

“Protective detail to the totem, get mounted!” Gong Jin yelled to his people. They summoned their mounts from their storage crates, climbing on their backs.

There was a growl from above as George flapped his wings, as large as two grown men, halting his speed as he landed next to Rugrat; who swung his leg over George’s back.

Gilly appeared through a side entrance, turning and sliding to a stop. Erik grabbed her harness and pulled himself up with practiced ease, looking to Gong Jin.

“Sirs, I suggest wearing masks.”

Erik and Rugrat pulled out masks as Gong Jin used an illusion spell, covering everyone, altering the appearance of their weapons and armor.

The masks altered and changed, looking like a real face. One couldn’t tell they were fakes unless they had a strong detection spell or touched their faces.

“Move out!” Gong Jin yelled.

The group snapped their reins and they picked up speed. Gong Jin guided them away from the main entrance into Vuzgal Castle and towards Vuzgal Academy. There was more traffic there, making it easier for them to blend in.

The group rode out of Vuzgal’s innermost walls.

“Move it!” The leading special team members released some of their aura, clearing a path. The rest of the group’s faces were emotionless; on edge, ready for anything they might be faced with.

The Ten Realms totem, that connected all of the different realms and cities across them, came into sight as they increased their pace. Gates in the defenses around the totem opened, a clear path through the defenses right to the totem. Gilly pulled back, trying to slow her momentum as Gong Jin worked the totem controls.

Vuzgal disappeared, Alva and status screens appeared -- as a flood of experience entered Erik and Rugrat.