• Date: September 29, M2100


  
• Time: 10:30 AM


  
• Location: Unknown


  

  Heavy wind and snow blow through the high fringes of Eldrant's tallest mountain. The Kaynian Lord proceeds with his work. Hours had passed since he had made reparations with the damaged gate. Although it has been tampered with, it was still functional, albeit needing more time to progress to its later stages. This would leave the gate vulnerable to any threat, especially his hated rival.

  'I have succeeded, but threats still linger...'

  '...With the gate retrieved from the demon. It and the primitives could not hold me back.'

  Sparks and lights flickered throughout the gate's system as the lord's psionics worked to repair its failures. Determined to restore it to its former glory, the Kaynian pressed on and carefully applied his psionics to mend the damage done.

  'Time will be the demon's only ally, and I shall be his executioner. His armor and flesh will feel my wrought a thousandfold. But all this wouldn't have occurred without my Arc's blessing, and I am thankful for him.'

  Thanking his Arc, Atlant expressed gratitude for the eternal blessing that had brought him this far. Panel by panel, he meticulously corrected the failing codes—an arduous task but one he was determined to complete. Only then could the next stage of the gate's activation take effect.

  'I am certain that the rest of the flotilla is under the heel of the demons. Baring no reinforcements, they could not hold them back, and it is my fault...'

  '...But maybe if I open the gate here in this primitive world, I can atone for my sin.'

  A possibility that could be realized now that the gate was in his possession and understanding that holding Mars would be impossible. He can provide a means of escaping the chosen of the deities without further losses to his people's pride.

  'If I make haste in constructing the gate. I can evacuate what remains of the flotilla here!'

  He set his course with a new plan of action, determined to see it through. The only obstacle on his path to redemption was his hated rival. The demon and its artificial construct remained the sole threats to his plan.

  'Then I best be wary of the demon, for only he can stop me...'

  '...Meanwhile, the life forms on this planet are nothing but insects to be swatted away.'

  Additional panels appeared, each swiftly addressed. After hours of meticulous repairs, the gate was restored to half its capacity. While the reading was less than ideal, it was sufficient to move forward with the second stage.

  ''Hmm, fifty percent capacity. No sane Kaynian would proceed with those numbers, but I have no choice. I must go on to save the remaining survivors from the demons.''

  His virtual interface displayed two options: proceed or cancel. Choosing "proceed," Atlant stepped back as the gate began to emit radiation. It charged itself with energy, calibrating its systems to fifty percent functionality. Soon, the gate started radiating powerful energy and levitated a few feet off the ground. Its system analyzed and identified the optimal location to initiate the third stage: the charred ruins of a village called Udel.

  [GATE SYSTEMS. FIFTY PERCENT FUNCTIONALITY. DESIGNATED DESTINATION. SELECTED....]

  [...ENGAGING. COMPLETE TELEPORTATION SOLUTION. ACTIVATING.]

  Another surge of energy burst from the gate, completing its sequence and initiating the teleportation. It then enveloped the Kaynian Lord in an energy field before vanishing entirely.

  TALE: Hero of Eldrant

  Arriving at the outskirts of the charred ruins of what was once a lively village, Atlant surveyed his surroundings with vigilance. His interface provided detailed information about the area selected by the gate. While the surface appeared barren, the reason for its selection lay beneath—the land was rich with valuable minerals.

  'It seems that this area has a vast amount of material underneath. It is perfect for the gate's construction of the pillars.'

  The gate immediately began to levitate, scanning the area and detecting the resource caches beneath the surface. Although initiating the third stage would take time, the Kaynian was willing to accept the delay.

  [AREA SCANNED. INITIATING TROPOSHERIC CLIMB.]

  The gate emitted a signal before beginning to levitate, rapidly ascending as bursts of electromagnetic static erupted, marking the initiation of its third stage. Soon after, the landmass beneath the gate was violently torn apart, with dirt, stone, and minerals extracted to construct its pillars.

  [CURRENT HEIGHT SUFFICIENT...]

  [...BEGINNING PILLAR CONSTRUCTION.]

  Ten massive blobs formed as materials flowed into them, defying Eldrant's gravitational pull through psionics. This was the method of gate construction during times of war, where entire worlds were sometimes harvested to create multiple gates, each expanding to diameters of a thousand kilometers. With every passing moment, the gate began to take shape as a ring was formed.

  [CONSTRUCTING PILLARS ONE TO TEN...]

  [...GATE DIAMETER ONE KILOMETER.]

  Staring at the gate, the Kaynian Lord sighed in relief. Despite its tampered coding, it performed its task flawlessly. However, a thought lingered in his mind as he began contemplating the future.

  'Hmm, now that the gate is performing its function. I should create a plan to deter any offensives done by the demon and its allies.'

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  Opening his interface, he quickly connected to the gate before transmitting commands to counter any attempts the operative and elves might make to stop him. After all, he was alone against an entire planet's population. Establishing a contingency plan was a necessary and wise step before proceeding further.

  ''Hear me, gate unit.''

  [YES. LORD ATLANT?]

  ''Just precaution against the demon and his allies, but I want you to destroy your deactivation code so that it is impossible for them to stop us.''

  [UNDERSTOOD. PROCEEDING WITH DELETION OF DEACTIVATION CODE.]

  Heading the Kaynian Lord's command, the gate immediately altered its deactivation code, making it impossible to stop without triggering its self-destruct mechanism, which required manual activation. As a result, a sacrifice would be needed to prevent the gate from opening and garnering reinforcements.

  

  
• Date: September 29, 1173


  
• Time: 10:45 AM


  
• Location: Dimond Forest


  

  Deep within the infamous Diamond Forest, two priestesses of the Pantheon Church pressed forward. Originally part of a team of four, they had split into two groups to cover more ground. They were an elite group ordered by the Saintess to search for the invader's whereabouts. Although they had yet to catch sight of the elusive intruder, their resolve remained unshaken as they knew the consequences if they ever failed in their mission.

  ''I sense a disturbance!''

  Celine remarked as she sensed the unnatural magic radiating throughout the forest. Though its source remained unknown, its potency and composition unmistakably signaled it was of invader origin.

  ''What is it, Sister Celine?''

  Accompanying the seasoned priestess was Lumiere, a newly appointed member of the Pantheon Church. Her exceptional expertise and knowledge of magic had led to her rapid induction into the church, as her skills were highly sought after.

  ''Whatever it is, it reeks of foreign magic.''

  ''Then it must mean the invader is near us.''

  Lumiere pointed out, and her fellow priestess nodded at her deduction. Though correct about the Kaynian Lord's vicinity to them, that doesn't mean they were aware that the device was responsible for the large quantities of magic being expelled over the area.

  ''Sister Celine, we should contact the others to confirm our suspicions. After all, there's also the chance that the device is doing all this.''

  Hearing her younger counterpart's explanation, Celine agreed that there was a strong possibility the invader was nearby. She also acknowledged the chance that the disturbance was being caused by the invader's device instead. Therefore, Lumiere suggested they wait to hear from their fellow priestesses before concluding that the alien lord was present. After all, the Saintess had entrusted them with the mission to investigate, and hasty decisions could jeopardize their objective. Ensuring their information was accurate before committing to a course of action would be the wisest approach.

  ''Very well, I'll commune with our sisters...''

  ''...Sister Nadine. How are things on your end?''

  Utilizing telepathy magic, Celine communicated with the twin priestesses as it was their idea to split into pairs to cover more ground. So far, it has paid off, as they have found foreign magic enveloping the forest, which could lead them to their objective.

  ''We sensed a disturbance somewhere near our location; did you feel it?''

  ''Yes, I sensed it as well....''

  ''...Lumiere and I think it is the invader, but we are unsure.''

  ''I see. Then it's best to assume that the only place where the invader might be is Udel Village.''

  That confused the mature priestess for a second. Udel Village, the village burnt down by the infamous elve eaters, the ravagers? The home of the young elve, Joan, where she was saved by the Hero of Eldrant? Was Laetitia and Nadine talking about that?

  ''Pardon me, Sister Nadine, but isn't that the village of the young elve that the hero rescued?''

  ''Why yes, it is.''

  Was it a coincidence that the invader chose a location once visited by their savior? Perhaps it was a strategy to prevent them from suspecting he had come to a place tied to the hero's past exploits. If so, their foe was cunning—but not cunning enough.

  "We'll proceed to the outskirts of the village and meet you there."

  ''Very well, may the Pantheons guide you.''

  After saying their goodbyes, the telepathic connection was severed as they had a forest to trek. Celine glanced at her fellow priestess, knowing it was time to continue their mission.

  ''Let's go.''

  They ran so fast that the foliage, trees, and animals around them blurred past. Of course, this was all through magic as they boosted their bodies with it to achieve this level of speed. This type of physical magic enhanced certain parts of a person's body but gradually drained their magic reserves. As they proceeded to the source of the foreign magic, both felt the power of whoever was radiating it as their bodies began to slow down.

  ''Ugh! This magic! It's slowing our movements!''

  Lumiere pointed out as their speed slowed slightly, but they pressed on. However, it wouldn't take long before they reached the end of the forest. Upon doing so, they were greeted with light from the sun above. Then, they halted their bodies as their magic reserves began to charge up, though it would take time before they reached the same levels as before.

  ''We're out, finally, we can-''

  Before the young priestess could finish her sentence, she saw the source of the foreign magic. It was a ring structure with ten blobs and multiple tendrils of dirt, stone, and minerals flowing. Lumiere's eyes widened as she laid eyes on the invader's device for the first time.

  'What is that? It looks like a levitating structure...'

  '...Is this the invader device that the Saintess told us about?'

  Fear gripped the priestesses as they beheld the Kaynian Device in all its glory. Celine, a long follower of the Pantheon Church, was never fearful of anything as long as she believed in the Pantheons' wisdom. Thus, her expression of actual fear before the device spoke levels of how even the most faithful could be intimidated by such marvels.

  ''What- What is that abomination, Sister Celine?''

  ''I haven't a clue...''

  ''...But I think it's the invader's device.''

  Staring blankly at the massive ring structure, they failed to notice the arrival of the twin priestesses, Nadine and Laetitia. However, the mature priestess quickly sensed the twins' magical signature and immediately turned to face her fellow priestesses.

  ''Apologies for-''

  ''-scaring you.''

  The twins stated as they approached their colleagues before noticing the ring structure from afar. And much like Celine and Lumiere, the twins' hearts were gripped with fear as they bore witness to the device and its tendrils, which siphoned resources from the earth to ten blobs.

  ''What in the pantheon's name is that!''

  ''What in the pantheon's name is that!''

  Both exclaimed, trembling as their composure shattered at the sight of the Kaynian Device. Even the Saintess's aides were not immune to its overwhelming power, revealing their enemy's horrifying capabilities.

  ''Sister Nadine. Sister Laetitia...''

  ''...That is the invader's device.''

  Celine approached the twins, drawing their attention. Gradually, they calmed, anticipating an explanation from their fellow priestess. With a heavy sigh, the mature priestess would explain to them what she had in mind.

  ''It's within reason that the Kaynian Device had proceeded to its third stage as our Saintess had warned us to stop.''

  She pointed, drawing the twins' attention and giving them the strength to finally look away from the structure. This signified that Eldrant was one step closer to its doom as the Kaynian Lord's device progressed toward its intended purpose.

  ''Then if that is true-''

  ''-We must report our findings!''

  They responded with vigor and urgency in their voice. And in return, Celine would agree with their idea. Discovering that the device had reached its third stage demands an immediate response from the kingdom.

  ''Agreed, but we must go quickly before the invader-''

  ''Sisters!''

  Interrupting her fellow priestesses' conversation, Lumiere pointed to an approaching silhouette. The mature priestess and the twins immediately focused on the distant figure, noticing a sword in its right hand and glowing markings carved across its body. As the realization dawned, their hearts sank—it was the Kaynian Lord.

  ''Its the-''

  ''-Lone invader.''

  Uttered Nadine and Laetitia in horror as they saw the invader slowly approaching them. It is well known that besides the Champion of Elvania, who had faced both the hero and the invader in combat. The priestesses, though skilled, wouldn't be able to face the alien lord head-on even when outnumbering it four to one.

  ''What shall we do?''

  The young priestess asked, turning to the three experienced priestesses for guidance and answers. Realizing they needed to report their findings immediately, their foe appeared determined to block their escape. Thus, only one could warn the kingdom about their findings while the others slowed the invader down.

  ''Lumeire...''

  ''...You should be the one that goes.''

  Celine stated, causing the young priestess to stutter upon hearing her out. It was clear that out of the four of them, Lumeire was the least experienced and wouldn't do well against combat with a real invader. However, that doesn't mean they, too, would go well as they haven't had any experience against the likes they were about to face.

  ''Celine is right-''

  ''-Out of all of us, you are the fastest.''

  The twins sided with their sister, leaving the young priestess in a difficult position when she realized what was happening—and she didn't like it. Her sisters urged her to flee and warn the kingdom while they stayed behind to buy her time. Although she knew she wasn't as capable as they were, she still wanted to help. However, she understood the consequences of not leaving.

  ''I- I- I won't leave you!''

  Faced with a difficult decision, the young priestess struggled with leaving her fellow priestesses behind. However, she knew what she must do. She had to make the consequential choice of her life to ensure the world's survival. Then, Celine would place a hand on her shoulder, and with a warm smile, she uttered.

  ''Lumeire, please. Do it for us.''

  Seeing the expression of her fellow priestess, Lumeire was forced to accept her burden with a determined expression and renewed vigor. She prepared to deliver their findings to the Saintess.

  ''I- I will see it through that our findings are reported...''

  ''...Farewell.''

  Turning around, she began her escape as Celine and the twins turned to meet their foe, who was still approaching. Then, they felt the foreign magic coming from the invader and immediately knew that it was yearning to face them.

  ''Sister Nadine. Sister Laetitia. Shall we?''

  With the twins flanking beside her, they obliged as their magic surged out of their bodies, as did the mature priestess. With magic at the ready, they prepared to face the lone invader, fully aware that victory was impossible.

  ''Of course.''

  ''Of course.''

  To Be Continued.