The researchers were eager to examine the altar, so while they were busy, I escaped away to catch up with Dean heading towards the castle rooms.
"Mr. Joe, it is ready," the serious Dr. Gilbert called out to me, stopping me in my tracks.
Developing teleportation in a few hours? That was way too quick. As I moved over to his station, he lifted up a light blue, thick metal ring made from eight segments, totalling about half-a-meter in diameter.
"The tricky part was trapping the object standing in it, but eight units were able to handle most geometry," he shared nonchalantly.
"How does it work?" This was a game changer for traveling long distances, so my nerdy side was itching to learn.
He stared at me for a moment, then turned and picked up another similar ring, "This one is identical and linked via magical wavelength to that one in your hands. Pushing your mana downward into the ring while it is placed on the floor, allows it to grab the target object in the center, wrap it into a figurative box, and transmit it to the other connected ring."
That was too vague, but I barely even understood my own teleportation's physics, or rather process. He said they are linked, so he must have replicated the magical wavelength technology from the pod or telepathy stone, but that doesn’t explain the teleportation at all. How is he creating this fancy technology so quickly? Are the others making progress just as quick?
"This is amazing work, but has it been tested?" I was concerned.
"Otto! Come help me again!" He yelled out into the room.
A young man, with a curled mustache came walking over.
"Ah, Joe, nice to meet you. I am Otto, gifted with a green aura. Isn't this a beautiful invention Dr. Gilbert put together?"
"Hah, yes, certainly impressive and would help in our survival, but I would like to see it tested," I imagined he was the professor's test subject.
"Ho ho, yes, not a problem. Please take that piece you are holding somewhere outside, I will wait five minutes and meet you through the teleporter. Don't forget to place it on the ground!" He spoke, gesturing all over the place.
I quickly walked outside and tossed the device on the stone path inside the garden. A few minutes later, a ball of white, glistening with green light spawned from nothing, as it hovered above the ring. Fluttering for a moment, then it stretched into an oval shape, finally morphing into the silhouette of…. Otto!
"Oh no! My ass is gone!" He arched backwards, waving his hands behind him, "Whew, false alarm!"
"Hah, brave man!" I was more impressed with his courage to experiment using himself for the test! Although it appears safe, what would happen if the connection was interrupted? The thought sent a shiver running up my spine.
We were heading back inside, when Tamara blocked my path at the entrance. I side-stepped to get around, but she just shuffled, cutting me off.
"Alright, alright, show me your results too," I smiled, scratching my head.
Her face beamed with a grin and she hopped in the air. The red hair floated up and sprung back into place. Twisting around on her heel, she then led me to her station.
"First on the list, we achieved twenty times the strength of the original forcefield! Before we could only hold off maybe five impacts from the trebuchets, but now we can withstand a hundred of them!" She lowered her pitch, copying Danny's thumb up pose in victory, but her thumb barely poked out of the lab coat sleeve.
“Wow, your team has been busy! Did you need me to test its strength?"
"No no, I called you here for these…" She waved her hand over the table showing a couple of futuristic weapons, "My good friends Arham and Ishani conjured and developed these magical armaments."
The first weapon was a silver rail gun with white stock, able to launch magnetized metal weighing only two kilograms at velocities up to the speed of sound! Tamara says it's roughly equivalent to the impact of a ninety kilogram projectile launched from a trebuchet. Well, based on users total mana, but that was sure to pack a punch from something one person can carry.
The second one fit like a sleeve and used the holder's mana to shoot compressed fireball pellets, allowing control of the speed and emission rate, similar to a nine millimeter pistol that explodes on contact! Although they are much less powerful than the rail gun, they are perfect for tactical situations.
The third one was my favorite. It was a white glove that shot out tentacles of plasma that could curve around obstacles. I have to give that one a try in the future. Apparently the user can create many tentacles, but is limited by their mana for distance and amount of appendages.
The last one created was a magical EMP device. We assume the demons are using electronics, so this would really dampen their strategy on the battlefield. Mana amplified the electromagnetic impulse immensely, it would surely affect any threatening aircraft.
"How fast can they replicate these? Give the first batch to Dean."
"Well, we are running low on manite, so we can only make a few more," she slumped her shoulders and threw puppy eyes at me.
"Okay okay, I will make it a priority to get more," I comforted her, as her face lit up with excitement.
"Joe! I have the maps!" Harry called out from the entrance, as he quickly paced over to the war room, motioning me to follow.
Leaving Tamara and heading over, I could feel her staring daggers at my back.
He started his presentation as I approached the table, "This map was found in one of the mansions we suspect was the Viscount's. It shows the Demonus Empire controlling the northern part of the continent where the Blood Sea sits, up to about five-hundred kilometers south into the land. The bordering Kingdom of Doron is a strip of about another five-hundred kilometers to the south that stretches from the west to the east coasts."
"Does that mean they are in a tug-of-war for land control?" I interrupted.
He elaborated, "It appears that way. The demons have infiltrated most of the southern kingdoms through diplomacy, as we saw written in documents. The southern nations have been pressured to limit manite resources used locally, funneling much of the ore towards the empire."
I stared at the map, there was a country to the south that wasn't on the first map from last night.
"What is this country called Norak?" I pointed at the southern tip.
He shook his head, "We don't have any information, yet. We have sent messenger birds to Elforia and Hova, but it will take awhile before we get a response."
The lack of information was killing us. If the war starts in three days, the demons will have to either brute force their way through Doron, or attack from the oceans on the western or eastern sides. I want to assume their army is more land based, but anything is possible.
The recent issue with manite led us to war with Doron. I will have to bring gifts to their kingdom to secure an alliance, and negotiate blocking manite entering demon hands from the other nations.
I stared at Harry, "Show me on the map where the Deadly Blues found the mining base in the mountains."
He pointed roughly a hundred kilometers to the east. The description of the mountain had a flat top, surrounded by five spires reaching into the sky.
Rubbing my temples, I spoke, "It may be possible they have a teleportation device, which would be our best bet at reaching a proper city in Doron. It is necessary for us to seek a peace treaty with their kingdom. The enemy of my enemy is a friend, as they say."
"Rest and leave early in the morning," he said.
I shook my head, "Time is ticking, every minute idle is time wasted. Besides, I feel fine."
I asked Harry to prepare the first batch of armaments to use as gifts, as a gesture of goodwill in hopes of an alliance and more manite resources. While that was happening, I headed to check on Emira at her room.
Knock knock
"Uncle, is that you?" She whispered through the door.
"Yes, we have to talk," I whispered back.
The door slowly opened as she peeked behind it. Her droopy eyes kept closing, while she yawned.
"Listen, I have to make a trip to the Kingdom of Doron. If you need me for any reason, Harry can contact me. Keep practicing your mana collection, remember to imagine happy memories only!"
"But I don't want to be alone with those humans!" Her eyes were waking up.
"Are you not interested in the magical tools they are making? You should be able to assist them in researching."
She thought about it for a moment.
"Hmm, fine, go on your little trip," she pouted her cheeks.
"I will try to be back in less than a day," I patted her on the head. I could tell she was pretending to be strong. She's in an unknown environment with humans, seeing only me as a demon, probably due to my eyes. But, maybe she can experience something, a mixing of cultures helps broaden one's own personality.
"Be a good girl and have fun learning, I promise you will use magic one day… Good night."
After leaving her room, I headed back to the hall and prepared for the journey. I ended up taking one of the teleportation rings from Dr. Gilbert and the weapons Tamara showed me, by putting everything in a wooden box. Harry was going to build a secure teleport room, so we can control the dangers that might arise if our rings got into enemy hands.
I headed out and propelled into the sky. I surrounded myself with a thin layer of hardened mana, which allowed me to slip through the wind. Staring at the mountains in the distance, I treaded slightly away from the city. Focusing on drawing the mana towards me, I could feel its texture above the clouds, like a fluffy tail of fur. Gusts of wind picked up, roaring and whistling through the air, as they chased closely behind.
A mist of vapor materialized in the wind, growing more dense. A crack of lightning rang out, piercing into the sky, and a thundering boom echoed out into the land below. The night sky was lit up, showing the clouds in the dark horizon.
Breathe in…
Breathe out…
I was ready, maintaining control and balance was becoming easier, almost natural. Locking onto the gift box at my stomach, I blasted our silhouettes forward.
The speed was incredible. A wave of compressed air pressed against the mana at my feet. The explosion of sound probably rattled half the forest below.
After one minute, I was able to see the spires in the distance. In only five minutes, my destination was now right below me.
There was a fire at the center of the base below, with a lone person sitting on a thick stump. The mining headquarters was a few acres in size, but the area was completely silent from noise or movement.
I gently landed opposite of the fire pit, which was crackling from all the lumber piled in.
"I have been expecting you," The man hiding behind a cloak calmly stood up.
Slowly removing their hood, long pointy ears popped out, with tightly nit golden hair shining from the flames. There were dual swords sheathed at his sides, and he had both hands resting on their hilts.
"Congratulations Soul Eater! You have earned the gaze of Doron."
