An Illuminated Transcendent Being within the Royal Palace? At this moment? They should be in the True Lonestone City, shouldn't they? This made things difficult for him.
Jack looked at his fairy companion.
Rune, in her wisp form glowed in eerily crimson color. Signifying danger. She pointed to the palace. Indicating where the danger came from. She pulsed in this color for a few before settling into a nearly invisible purple hum... the color of extreme, focused stealth.
Jack himself poured massive amounts of concentration to his invisibility. He pushed his non-existence to the absolute limit.
He moved slowly now. Aware that speed could create a detectable disruption in the powerful aura field. He slipped past layers of wards that would have shredded a physical intruder. He bypassed armored guards who looked bored. Yet, still utterly professional.
He found the office of the Royal Vizier. A secure room known for its accessibility to the King's daily routine. He didn't dare go for the King's personal chambers. That was a guaranteed surveillance territory.
Jack phased through the heavy mahogany door. Into the sparsely furnished office. The air here was even heavier. Closer to the source of the pressure field.
He paused. Sensing with his enhanced spectral senses. The pressure of the Illuminated One's aura was static. It was not moving. But it emitted terrifying confidence of a predator that knows it owns the territory extremely well.
Jack pulled the third letter for the King. From his Inventory. He placed it not on the desk. But directly on the thick, plush velvet carpet of the floor.
He wasted no time. [Glowing Stone] was cast. The letter shone with soft, cyan luminescence. Screaming for immediate attention.
At the exact moment the letter glowed. The heavy, suffocating aura of the Illuminated One changed.
It had registered an intrusion. The pressure field slammed into the room. Heavy and cold. A wave of power designed to crush anything. Including spiritual entities.
The being was coming. And it was fast. Jack grimaced. There was no need for negotiation or fighting. The mission was delivery. Not confrontation.
Jack accessed his ultimate emergency artifact. The [Nine-Anchor Portal Ring]. He had several anchors set already. Including his comfortable home in the Garden District. It was his Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card. Very useful, especially for situations like this.
He focused his intent and activated the ring on himself. Not bothering to create a fancy portal. The world shattered around him.
A localized, violent surge of displacement energy erupted right where Jack had been standing. Just then, as the massive, heavy footsteps sounded at the door. And the Illuminated Being's pressure slammed into Jack's senses. But he was gone instantly.
The portal ring dragged him through the void. A jarring, sickening transition of tearing reality.
...
Jack appeared on his bedroom. Floating above a thick, dark carpet. The shock of the strong pressure before his teleportation was brutal. Momentarily staggering his spectral equilibrium.
But, he was back safely in his home in the Garden District. A peaceful, nice enclave... away from the Royal Palace.
The contrast was immediate and jarring. The suffocating cold of the Palace was replaced by the warm, slightly humid air of their well-insulated house.
Jack stabilized his flickering spectral form. Rune reformed next to him. Her pulsing purple color settled quickly to a soft, safe yellow.
He looked toward the comfortable bed.
Reina was still exactly where he had left her. She was sprawled out. Deeply asleep, her long dark hair fanned across the white pillows. Even in repose, she retained a certain incredible beauty. And, she looked peaceful. The definition of a perfect, lethal home companion.
Jack let out a long, silent breath from his non-existent lungs. The three letters were delivered. Triggering alarms in three crucial centers of power. The clock should be ticking for the Purity Cult and the Night Salvation.
He had performed the task with extreme efficiency. Now, the real fun could finally begin. The predictable chaos that follows the premature opening of the Valley of Despair.
Jack activated his [Incarnation Shift]. Dismissing his spectral form. And returning back to his human form. It was time to rest.
The Valley of Despair was about to open, or even had already been opened, months ahead of schedule. And Jack needed to be in peak condition to join in the hunt for the Forbidden Chalice.
...
The next morning arrived early as usual for Jack and Reina. After doing their usual morning exercises in their backyard, Jack now sat across from Reina. At their polished kitchen table.
Rune, the mechanical fairy, hovered near his shoulder. Occasionally shifting colors.
Reina was already preparing coffee. The aroma of ground beans and rich, dark sugar were filling their newly purchased home.
"There's a shift in plans, Love." Jack began, setting the coffee aside for a moment. "We have an accelerated timeline for the Valley of Despair. The Purity Cult and Night Salvation have keys, or duplicates of the key, that can open the seal anytime they want."
Reina raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Anticipated. That artifact is too potent. There's no way the Night Salvation won't get involved."
"The important part is that the Royal Palace, the Academy, and the Trinity Churches know about the race. They should have received the notifications. By now, they must have deployed their combat force to the valley's backdoor."
Jack traced the rim of his mug. "We need to move now. If the Valley hasn't been opened already, it will be within the next day. The problem is the sheer level of combatants. We are walking into a battle zone filled with Illuminated Transcendent Beings."
Reina leaned back. Considering this. She had researched the valley extensively. "The Illuminated Stage Beings are certainly dangerous due to their raw power. But within the Valley itself, the danger should be mitigated."
"How so?" Jack asked. He knew the general situation of the Valley. A dreary place filled with nasty undead creatures and dangerous curses. But he didn't know the specifics regarding other matters.
"The main curse in the Valley of Despair affects senses." Reina explained. Tapping her finger on the table. "It was what made the Valley extremely troublesome for transcendent beings."
"Affect senses?"
"Yes." Reina said. "Any power related to sense enhancement wouldn't work. Including Illuminated Senses. The enhanced awareness, the ability to track energy signatures across wide area, the almost precognitive awareness that defines them... They should all be suppressed, almost nullified."
"But they still have their full potential other than their senses." Reina added. "They were still incredibly dangerous in direct conflict."
Jack frowned. Then grinned. This was a critical piece of operational intelligence. An Illuminated Transcendent relying only on their eyes and ears was still a terrifying super-soldier.
But if they lost the ability to track a specter, a hidden portal, or an illusionist with true precision... They weren't actually a danger for him.
"So, they are fast, strong, and powerful. But tactically clumsy when it is related to detection? Inside the Valley?" Jack summarized with questions.
"Precisely. It means that while the Valley will be exceptionally hazardous, avoiding direct confrontation with the behemoths is actually feasible." Reina looked at him pointedly. "In our case, this should be very easy."
"Excellent!" Jack said. Finishing his coffee. "Let's pack. We're heading to the Grandrock Region immediately. I want eyes on the back entrance before the main event starts."
Rune, who had been floating silently near a shelf, pulsed a rapid, emerald-green light. Signaling approval and readiness.
Within the hour, the house was locked. And Jack and Reina were gone... again.
...
The trip was a blur of mechanized speed and relentless momentum. Jack rode on his Lightning Hoverbike. With Reina on the back seat.
The machine was a marvel of steamrune engineering mixed with supernatural artifact. It floated almost silently above the ground. A very fast vehicle that ignored the rough terrain beneath its magnetic cushion.
They didn't move over normal roads. Jack carved a direct path across the countryside. Prioritizing speed over civility. They avoided the densely populated central areas on the way.
Heading instead for the wild reaches of the Grandrock Region. This was an untamed territory. Full with wild forests and rocky hills.
They traveled for three days. Each night, Jack found a secluded cave or a hidden alcove. And took out the foldable full-body mirror he acquired in Mirebarrow Town. He used his [Mysterious Mirror World] to bring Reina and his hoverbike into his Mirror Space.
They ate luxurious meals and had uninterrupted rest there. It was a very convenient way of travel.
On the afternoon of the third day, the air ahead of them began to change. An extremely loud explosive sound shocked them...
Jack slammed the lever on the hoverbike. Bringing the machine to a shaky halt. Right behind a massive, fractured cluster of slate rock that offered substantial cover. Near the top of a hill.
The sound of the engine died. Replaced by a deep, unnatural rumble that vibrated through the rock. And into Jack's bones.
"We're close." Jack stated nervously.
"Might be too close to that." Reina murmured. Her hand instinctively reaching toward the swirling currents of the ambient air. Readying a protective fog.
What they were hearing was not just one single noise. It was the continuous sounds of earth being destroyed by incredible forces. One that should not exist outside of myth.
It was the crack of transcendent power colliding with transcendent defense. The groan of barriers being simultaneously shattered and reformed. And the protest of the land itself.
Jack dismounted. And reached into one pocket of his Spatial Belt of the bike, pulling out two sets of heavy, brass-cased steamrune binoculars. Handing one to Reina.
He looked through the binoculars. Adjusted the focus. The lenses were incorporating light-amplification runes that allowed him to pierce the haze and distance.
The resulting view was terrifying.
Less than twenty kilometers away, the landscape was a swirling maelstrom of destruction. Focused around what had clearly been a secluded, rocky basin.
The battle was massive, catastrophic, and completely uncontrolled. Multiple Illuminated Transcendent Beings, the peak combat power of the Elrush Kingdom, were engaged in a free-for-all brawl of lethal destruction.
"Look at that scale!" Jack breathed in shock. The blunt reality of the situation sank in. This was a battle that could flatten Lonestone City if it occurred within the walls.