Transmigration (2)

Kayla was beyond excited. She couldn't believe that she had been also selected to be part of this extraordinary mission. She, alongside several others, was walking towards an unassuming cave. Of the people present, she was the only civilian in the group.

The same feeling could be felt among each one of those who were in the group. As they followed Kedan, their emotions were all over the place. They didn't know what to expect or hope for.

These were the first group of humans who would go and appraise the resource that Keeling had left for them. Never had they thought that the Quest of Keeling would be completed in their lifetime? Some had hoped, others had faith, but neither was comparable to living it and much less being among the first to have a look at that treasure.

It had always been something that boggled Joyce. What had been left in that cave that was so precious and valuable that it could change the status of humanity in the continent? There were many guesses, each as varied as the next. The key problem is that they didn't have a lot of resources. They also didn't have a way of getting information about these resources.

Humans had been little more than slaves. Even then, the powerful in the city-states would not have human slaves as they were considered of inferior stock. All this stemmed from the purity of the wolf bloodline. Humans who didn't have this bloodline were seen as inferior. Leaders like Tsapo had extremely pure bloodlines.

As they entered the cave, Joyce could feel a slight change in the atmosphere. It wasn't the kind that was brought about by entering an enclosed place, but rather, one that came with a change in the weather. Like it suddenly got damp. This was how a cave should feel like, but she felt something more.

From the very back of the cave, she could feel a current of fresh air wafting in, indicating an exit to the cave. They followed Kedan to it, where they found something. Whatever it was, they couldn't understand what they were looking at.

This was natural for planetary civilizations that came from low mana systems. They simply did not have the experience in magic and Super abilities that could manipulate the space element.

The thing they were looking at was a spatial portal. It was used to move from one dimension to another. This was a special type of portal, for among its other uses were that it functioned as an anchor for the dimension, restricting to the planet.

It was made of a perfect circle. Its edges were protruding, results of the spatial wound that the portal sat in. In truth, there were many kinds of portals in existence. The vast majority did not have any outward sign, indicating this was left there as a way to guide the travelers.

Kedan crossed the portal. It took some time for the rest to follow, almost as though they were unsure if they want to go in there.

If you ever moved from a region of low mana concentration to a region of high mana concentration, the changes one feels on one's self are mindboggling. For starters, one's mind felt completely refreshed. It was like a heavy load was taken off. Suddenly one felt more intelligent, able to see things more clearly, like an unveiling.

Secondly, the body felt rejuvenated and agile. It required less effort to do more. Again the feeling as though one had been walking with their feet in some puddle of mud. It was a completely different yet completely freeing experience. It was like moving to a planet with lesser gravity, making actions more agile and freer.

It was little wonder that gods and powerful individuals preferred mana-rich environments. They were perfect for living. Mana itself represented the source of power. Power to manipulate elements and laws. This power that allowed one to not only engage the universe but also gain authority was linked to the origin of life, and the origin of the universe itself. It, therefore, stood to reason that the naturally occurring version of this power, mana, had profound effects on everything around it. Even the trees looked greener, better nourished.

That was when they saw them. Neither in Kayla's group understood what they were looking at first. They looked like donkeys or mules, but instead of fur, they had feathers. Kedan hadn't shown off the one he had flown out with at first, thinking that he needed time to lessen the shock. Picture what was going through their minds when they saw the giant hafiti birds flying and perched on gigantic trees.

Then came the weapons. Littered in the forest. Every single one of them was enchanted. Most enchanted weapons bore magical abilities that allowed them to display a level of power that they did not possess. Another kind was just meant to be like a power bank, topping up the wielder at will. They could also elevate the wielder's overall power by some margin.

Like a little girl, Joyce ran towards a glistening sword lying by a tree. As she went to pick it up, the sword pulled away, as if rejecting her.

"You have to earn the right to wield this kind of weapon," Kedan explained when he noticed the absolute shock plastered all over her look. Yap, this event had served to awaken people to their reality. "It's okay, you can just select another that does not have such restrictions, then fight the sword."

Low mana planet civilizations were not completely estranged to magic, but it was far less commonplace. An unexpected spell would still shock them, and that was why they were staring at the weapons with newfound reverence. Just what manner of weapons were these that got to choose their masters?

As a sword's saint, Joyce's love of all things sword was over the roof. Since she was a little girl born of a great warrior in the resistance, she had always loved the workings of the sword. Due to their continent having several iron mines, accessing a weapon for those high enough in the resistance wasn't hard.

As far as the Resistance went, Joyce was royalty. Her family had been involved in it for generations and risen to the top. Joyce was now the de facto leader following her father's death. The fact that there hadn't been squabbles for power was indicative of her charisma and command, after all, this was predominantly military, hence the chain of command was well established. The moment her father's old commanders bowed to her, the case was closed.

She had that air of aloofness as though she was above most things. While it might seem like pride, what many didn't know was that it was a form of defense. Growing up so privileged in a world where humans were scum, Joyce lived a solitary life. It was indeed lonely at the top, with everyone trying to keep as far as they can from her.

Naturally, Joyce was so socially impaired that she couldn't maintain any kind of friendship. Those that would have gotten close to her were somehow repelled by her power and prestige. That only grew as she ascended the ranks, further dwindling her circle of friends. The girl felt abandoned, and so she put on this facade of aloofness as an act to shroud her from the ache of social dysfunctionality.

Deep down, she was still a little girl, and she had barely exposed that part just now when she saw the sword. That was how exciting it was. The magnificence of it made her forget her status. She wasn't some weak princess but a warrior princess. Her swords had earned her her place as much as her born status.

It was to one of those swords, sheathed in her waist, that she pulled out. The sword that had fled from her before, as though sensing a challenge, levitated in front of her in a way that it seemed as though some invisible swordsman was holding it. Seeing this, Joyce understood how to earn the right to wield the sword. Before she could blink though, the blade was hurtling at her at a dizzying speed.

Reacting quickly, Joyce parried the incoming attack, but the sword just circled and launched another attack at a different position.

"Well, what are you waiting for, get your weapons," Kedan spoke to the bemused group that was watching a human fight a weapon? Were they expected to also do the same?

"Alright, who's next?" Juriik, one of Joyce's generals exclaimed as he eyed the group.

The warriors naturally went for the weapons. Kayla and a group of other civilians who had been selected to come in this expedition gathered to watch the warriors while others watched the birds, and explored the lands.

They were like explorers, first to land in ancient grounds. The joy they felt couldn't be contained. Kedan watched as the various people went about their business. He understood them, but he couldn't share in their feeling. The sad fate of immortals. These mortals would die a happy death, having lived their lives as legends who will live on forever.

The pulse in his spatial trinket was pulsating so loudly it felt as though it was going to break it apart. Since Kedan's property was always topnotch, it had a means of transmitting alerts to him when it was in imminent danger. Kedan needed to walk away from the group as fast as he could. He didn't want to expose the true reason for their treasured fairy tales.

Having explored the cave before, Kedan had understood where to find the Hexham mine. Since it wasn't naturally occurring in this world, there had to be a reason why Dane placed it there. Kedan had a feeling that this reason was closely related to the pulsating totem in his spatial trinket.

Following the energy levels which he could feel, he walked until he got to the mouth of the manatite vein, marveling at his wealthy brother who could afford a manatite vein in a pinch. It wasn't that he doubted his brother's capabilities, it just never occurred to him that he could use such a precious resource for one's purposes. He didn't even know where to get a manatite vein, so he had to keep this one quite.

When Kedan took out the totem, he dropped it was repelled back by a sudden force.

Violent mana overtook the crystal totem as it began dazzling with brilliant light. Seeing this, Kedan quickly cast an illusion spell all over the region he was, masking any activity happening.

The entire manatite vein became illuminated with the same dazzling light that was emanating from the crystal. Then came the sound like the breaking of very hard and thick glass. Shards of space seem to fall off thin air as space itself was torn up and then ... something came through.

Kedan didn't know what it was, friend or foe, but he understood one thing, there was a greater presence. An entire mighty being had come about.

When Kedan last saw Dane, he was still at Grade C+. Now, a Grade B power with the abilities and attributes bordering on Grade B+ capabilities, Kedan got a glimpse of how powerful his brother had become. Truly terrifying. He wasn't sure his illusion could mask the aura that he was feeling so powerfully for much longer.

To Kedan's relieve, the power and aura seemed to dissipate until all that was left was just a cloudy crystal. It didn't have any color. It still was the size of an ostrich's egg, only now it resembled the egg as it was smoother and more lifelike. It flew at Kedan who raised his hand to receive it.

The moment his hand made contact with the crystal, he fell, passing out cold.