(34.2) Sudden Shift
Without looking, Dent swings his sword quickly, crafting the wind into a net to pull Aki back just as her hand breaks off a piece of the ledge and tilts her forward. He gives her a stern look before continuing.
"These teleport tiles exist all over NLO and were something Caor routinely exploited. Certain areas within cities are linked to areas outside. They can lead to instance dungeons, open fields, or secret areas, according to Caor."
Aki mirrors his actions, tapping the ground and pressing on random objects, vocalising thumps and hums as she searches. Or at least tries to search, since she has no idea what the tiles look like.
"The teleportation may be random while others are fixed. Regardless, most are a two-way connection."
Dent stops Aki from trying to help him search the bushes by picking her up by her back collar and sets her down in the middle of the cliff clearing.
"However, it will not activate just by mindlessly touching. One needs to inject mana into the contact for activation."
"Sounds complicated…" Aki sits criss cross on the ground, watching Dent continue his search. "How do you figure it'll be here, anyway? Is there some secret to figuring out where one of these, uh, tiles are?"
Dent thumbs at the scenery.
The fog-covered city on the surface glitters like millions of jewels piercing through the opens of the light pierced mist. The glimpse into a multi-layered sectional view of the cliffbuilt city section and port side, a perfect dichotomy of light and dark.
Overall, a picture-perfect landmark view.
White noise tears at Aki's senses as a series of vacant memories try to push to the surface as logic works to fill the gaps.
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[Tactician Lv. 2 - Insight Granted]
Tactician Lv. UP! Lv. 2 -> Lv.3]
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In video games, creating scenic areas to capture the player's awe was a normal thing to do, Aki remembers. She clenches her jaw and rubs her wrist roughly. A place like this, a cliff overlooking the city in the distance with a clear view of everything for many kilometres around is the perfect spot to suspect after all.
"The question is… will it be a random teleportation or a fixed teleportation?" Dent wonders aloud, still poking through the bushes at the edge of the forest.
"Oh, found it." His unaffected tone is louder than normal and might have been comical if he wasn't already flashing away.
Dent snaps his head in Aki's direction.
"Por-" Is all he manages to say before he vanishes with all of their supplies.
"Wait!" Aki rushes over, stepping on the already active teleportation and vanishes instantly.
Her feet give way from dirt to free air and the scenery changes from bright and sunny to dark and wet. Rather than the open air, she is now in a brick alley at least several stories up with nothing but metal attachments between her and the ground.
She falls, but Aki's agility quickly lets her lock onto an awning just below. Her foot connects with the metal pipe and snaps it without offering the slightest support. Gravity takes her again, spinning her around.
An empty metal flagpole attached to the opposite brick wall approaches quickly. She grabs hold firmly and tries to swing herself around onto it. The flagpole snaps halfway through the spin, propelling Aki forward at an angle.
She slams into the wall in the descent, stunning her senses. Aki kicks herself away, finally adjusting properly midair only to see she's flying straight toward a group of people in the middle of a scuffle at the alley's mouth. Three of which seem to be ganging up on a fourth laying on the ground.
"Oh… shit."
Aki slams feet first onto the face of a blue stonefolk – a person made of living crystals – and knocks him down.
Rather than following him down however, she uses his face like a springboard and backflips onto the face of a beetle demisect, stamping him down then following with a leg sweep against the third – a vibrash with wild hair – once Aki's at the woman's head height.
"Darklands take ye, the miser's got 'imself a bodyguard." the stonefolk rubs his face gingerly and spits on the ground. "She's fast too. Fall back!"
The other two quickly scurry out of reach and follow the man's orders, but not without glaring at Aki.
"Ain't over, lady. We ain't running, ya hear? Someone else's just better fit to handle you freaks."
"Huh? Wait. I'm not!" Aki tries to call after them but they're already disappearing among the crowd of onlookers that had been watching the scuffle.
The sound of coins exchanging hands and people grumbling over lost bets while others whoop in joy mask the sounds of the runaway thugs.
"You shouldn't bully others!" Aki frantically waves after them.
All this earns are some rather poorly hidden snickers from several in the crowd. She feels her face heat up and buries it in her hands from the embarrassment.
Groans from behind her draw her attention back to the moment and Aki turns to help the man on the ground.
Dark skin, curly locs, and torn clothes serve to highlight the brilliant blue scales that cover parts of his body. Not even the dirty water soaking him is enough to cover their luster, even with his ragged appearance. He groans but is still full conscious, just bloody and full of bruises from the beating.
"Here, this'll help." Aki swings her pendulum over him and casts a series of healing spells back to back.
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[Healing Touch Lv. UP! Lv. 7 -> Lv. 8]
[Minor Heal Lv. UP! Lv. 8 -> Lv. 9]
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"Woah, almost to max level." Aki blinks rapidly in surprise.
"Ehhh, you really saved my ass kid. Ah." The man's cheeky smirk is clearly visible now that his face isn't cut up. However, his eyes widen slightly as he notices Aki's black eyes and the boxy ears pointing out from underneath her hair. "Excuse me. Ma'am."
He takes Aki's outstretched hand and stands.
"Uhm, do you need me to walk you home or maybe call the guards…?"
The man's finned ears stretch open as he lets out a short but sharp laugh. "New around here, then. Well, no better teacher than the world. Go have a drink or something, granny. Don't need a babysitter."
He sweeps up paper packages that he had been protecting with his body before, now covered in blood and torn, and gives them a quick inspection. Satisfied after a cursory look over, he gives Aki a quick salute and darts away.
"First kid, then ma'am, now granny? Am I being insulted or is he trying to be polite?" Aki shakes her train of thought and focuses on her circumstances.
A caustic force pries into her from an unknown direction, attempting to exert its will on her. It feels similar to the peeking sensation from the Analysis skill but altogether more eerie. Still, similar is similar and Aki forces it away just as easily.
Looking around, the crowd had already dispersed now that the entertainment was over and were back to minding their own world.
No one stands out, nor does Aki pick out anyone looking at her with more than a disinterested, passing glance. However, she still can't help but feel a stalking discomfort.
"I need to find Dent. Did he say seafood?" She squeezes her wrists. "Places like this, a bar is probably the best place to start."
Aki looks back over her shoulder once more and takes off.
Behind a pillar, a hooded figure looks out, staring at Aki's retreating form.
"I found someone that matches the description. Somehow, she got past the checks on the surface, but I believe it's her." The hooded figure speaks into a metallic orb with a mouth carved onto its face and various spirals decorating the rest of its surface. "I ask for wisdom and guidance."
A husky, attractive voice like golden honey responds after a moment, crackling through the graining tone of orb. "Bait her. Use the new shipment."
"My lord? But those were expensive, I–"
"Do not question the master." Another voice barks. It sends chills down the figure's back as the anger calms. "The master, our lord, has given the orders. It is not our place to question, only do. I expect you'll follow through with your part and we shall do ours."
The hood figure hesitates. They look around briefly to ensure no one is around before responding.
"As the master, our lord, will its, so it shall be done." They tighten their grip on the orb.
With a swish of their cloak, the figure destroys the orb and tosses it into a dark alley.
"All hail ⬛⬛⬛⬛, King of the Eastern Underworld."
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The discarded object lands next to a puddle of unknown liquid next to a metal garbage can. It jitters and shakes as the tool clacks to a stop against the metal foot.
Mana expels itself from the cracks as a corrosive anti-trace spell activates, sparking and sputtering all over, making the orb completely irreparable.
Once its death cry ends, the puddle next to it shakes and something rises. An eye and razor-filled mouth manifest from its surface.
"Interesting…"