Three days. Three days of waiting. Of grim silence. Punctuated by the distant sounds of the Elrush plains.
The Mirebarrow rescue teams had come and gone. Efficiently evacuating the non-transcendent survivors. They were safe. Spirited away to the town. Leaving behind only the handful of transcendent individuals tasked with containing a potential world-ending threat.
Jack, Reina, Nick, Olward, Amaranth, Lucca, and Sir Shellarrow remained. They were camped just far enough from the collapsed cave entrance to be safe enough from sudden incidents involving the cave. But close enough to react when it was needed.
The guard rotation had become a monotonous, yet crucial, ritual. Each transcendent guard took their turn. Eyes fixed on the rubble. Listening to the earth for any sign of movement.
Twice, the insect-men had tried to break through. Not the swarming horde from before. But smaller, yet more dangerous contingents. They had chewed and clawed at the collapsed rock. Creating a low, grating sound that vibrated through the ground.
Fortunately, the assigned guards had detected them early. And informed the other transcendent individuals. Once the monsters came out of the rubble, the guards immediately attacked.
The battles were swift. Brutal affairs. Powerful gunshots from Jack. Deadly misty serpents from Amaranth. A surge of telekinetic blades from Lucca. Thunderous crackles of lightning bolts from Sir Shellarrow's Thunderbird form...
The insectoid bodies were twisted and broken. They were then incinerated to prevent any lingering contamination.
Obviously, it would be impossible for Sir Shellarrow and the others to stay and guard this place forever. This should just be a temporary measure.
The Mirebarrow Mayor, Nick's father, had already reported the situation to the higher ups in Elrush Kingdom.
Now, they were waiting. Waiting for the capital to send its heavy hitters. The individuals powerful enough to deal with a spatial crack that threatened to unleash an interdimensional plague. The air was thick with anticipation.
...
Jack and Reina were having a late lunch. Their simple tent was a standard issue for field operations. They stood a little apart from the even more simple tent belonging to Olward Overgale. And the more elaborate setups of Nick Glaiver.
Jack preferred the Mirror Space. His personal pocket dimension. Infinitely more convenient and comfortable.
But the Mirror Space was a secret. A power that even the most knowledgeable scholars would struggle to comprehend. It was one of the many facets of his reborn existence he kept hidden. So, a tent it was for now.
Reina, ever practical, had managed to make even their meager rations palatable. She sat across from him. Her black hair was flowing over her shoulders. Her movements were graceful. Even when simply tearing off a piece of dried meat.
"Anything, Dear?" She asked. Her voice was a low murmur. Barely audible over the rustling leaves. Her eyes, usually so sharp, were softened by affection when she looked at him.
Jack had just used his enhanced senses to detect the situation. He shook his head. Chewing slowly. "Just the usual static. The annoying crack is still there. Like a wound that won't close."
He took a swig of water. "They should be here soon. Unless the kingdom is even more incompetent than I remember."
His tone was dry. Possessing a sarcastic edge to it. One that Reina had grown accustomed to. She trusted him completely. And so did he. A bit strange, as they used to be enemies who had tried to kill each other without hesitation.
Suddenly, crushing presence slammed into the air. It wasn't a sound. But a feeling. A massive, suffocating aura. Like a mountain had just dropped from the sky.
It came very rapidly. From the direction of the capital city. Growing exponentially in intensity. Until it felt as though the very air was being squeezed from their lungs.
Jack's senses, honed by countless battles and anomalous encounters, flared. He could feel the raw power. Immense and almost overwhelming. Radiating from the approaching forms.
Three figures materialized in the sky. Riding a huge, ornate flying shield. One that glittered with what looked like intricate arcane runes.
One was a mature lady, regal and imposing. Radiating an aura of cold authority. The other two were old men. Their faces were etched with decades of experience. Their frail-looking bodies were crackling with latent energy.
Jack instantly recognized the mature lady. A surge of icy rage ran through him. Quickly suppressed.
The shield descended smoothly. Gracefully. Like a leaf floating to the ground. Before stopping a few meters above Sir Shellarrow, who had already risen and stood at attention.
The three figures stepped off the shield. As their feet touched the ground, the massive shield shimmered. Shrinking rapidly into a small, elegant buckler. One of the old men casually picked it from the air with his gnarled hand.
Sir Shellarrow bowed deeply. A rare display of deference from the usually proud Thunderbird sorcerer.
"Countess Ashworth. Elder Keystone. Professor Valecove." He greeted. His voice resonated with respect. "Welcome. We are grateful for your swift arrival."
Jack's gaze was fixed on the Countess Ashworth. He remembered her from Highcliff Town. Her face, her aura, the sheer overwhelming power she exuded.
She was supposed to be the ruler of that town. But she was also one of the people who had been directly responsible for its destruction. One of those who had plotted against the incomplete incarnation of the Goddess of Purity.
Jack had no love for Cult of Purity. They were completely corrupted and crazy. Plotting against them was an alright move. But sacrificing civilians, hundreds or thousands of them to do so? Countess Ashworth was guilty in his eyes. Extremely guilty.
He suppressed a snarl. Burying his feelings deep. His poker face was ironclad. Rage was a luxury he couldn't afford right now. Not when he was outmatched.
He could feel it. An intrinsic sense of power that hummed in the air around the Countess. It was an entirely different league.
She had to be in the Illuminated Transcendent stage. A realm of power he hadn't yet touched. Jack didn't dare use his [Eyes of Judgement] on her. He had a feeling that she would definitely feel it if he did so.
He knew he needed something called a 'Fate Code' to break through into that stage. A unique, personalized power that transcended the world's limitations. But he had no idea what it was.
And it wasn't just her. The one called Elder Keystone also possessed a similar level of power. Perhaps even more ancient and refined.
Their power felt like the calm before a storm. Vast and unyielding. These two were not just stronger. They were fundamentally different. They were beyond his current comprehension. Beyond his ability to directly counteract if they proved hostile.
Professor Valecove and Sir Shellarrow, on the other hand, were more normal. They were powerful, certainly. But Jack could sense their strength. Their mastery over their respective transcendent classes.
They were formidable, well within the Enhanced Transcendent stage. The same stage as Jack himself thought he was in. Although perhaps with more refined control over their abilities.
Still, they were within his conceptual understanding. The Countess and Elder Keystone were not. They were like apex predators. And he was, for now, a powerful, but still-growing, hunter.
This observation solidified a nascent plan in Jack's mind. He needed to understand this 'Fate Code'. He was a Fateless. An anomaly. He had no true destiny. No preordained path.
He wondered if that meant he couldn't acquire a Fate Code. Or if his unique existence meant he needed to find an equivalent to the code.
He would need to ask Rainsister about it when he encountered her next time. She was a Fateless who had power equal to a deity. She should know the answer.
"So, where is the space crack?" Countess Ashworth's question cut through the air. Direct, cool and sharp. Like a shard of ice.
She didn't bother greeting anyone. Her gaze swept over Jack, Reina, and the remaining transcendent individuals with an almost dismissive air. Her eyes lingered on Amaranth for a moment. A flicker of something unreadable in their depths. Before moving on.
Sir Shellarrow gave a concise, professional summary of the situation. Omitting none of the specific details regarding the Demonic Cockroach-men, the cult, or the spatial crack.
After the briefing, the three high-level transcendent bosses moved towards the collapsed cave entrance.
Elder Keystone, without a word, extended a hand. There was no visible effort. No dramatic flare of energy. Yet, the tons of rock, earth, and gravels that Sir Shellarrow had used to seal the cave entrance began to tremble.
Slowly, impossibly, they lifted. Shifting silently to the side. Revealing the dark maw of the tunnel.
It was as if the debris was made of mere dust. Easily swept aside by an unseen broom. The display of raw telekinetic power was efficient, terrifying, and absolute.
"We will assess the situation beyond this point." Countess Ashworth declared. Her voice echoed slightly in the newly opened tunnel.
Her gaze hardened as she looked back at the assembled transcendent individuals. "You will remain here. Maintain a perimeter. If anything attempts to exit, you are authorized to neutralize it. Do not follow us."
Her words were an order. Absolute and demanding no argument. Professor Valecove nodded, a stern expression on his face. Elder Keystone merely stood silently. An ancient, unwavering pillar of power.
Sir Shellarrow nodded, "Understood, Countess."
The three figures were radiating an almost visible aura of immense power. They stepped into the darkness of the tunnel. The air around them seemed to shimmer as they vanished from sight. Leaving behind an intensified, almost oppressive silence.
Jack stood motionless. His face was impassive. Reina moved closer to him. Her hand was holding his arm in a subtle, reassuring gesture.
The others remained in their positions. Their faces showed varied expression. Sir Shellarrow seemed serious. Nick looked nervous. Olward looked stoic. Amaranth was thoughtful. And Lucca, as always, was unreadable.
The immediate danger of the humanoid insects loomed over their head as a consequence of some dumb people's reckless action. Now, it was their problem to solve.
And Jack had a very bad feeling that the solutions offered by the kingdom's elite might just create more problems down the line.
He knew Countess Ashworth was powerful. But he also knew she was dangerous. He would be keeping a close eye on everything. And preparing. For anything.