Raishin and Greg had sent me a Teleroad message asking where we were, as they were waiting at Boshi hole. So I had picked up Giana and Yv and ran to where it all began for us.

  Still a corrupted hole like always. Some strong unfamiliar monsters were lurking around, which made sense as they had been corrupted and mutated to look nothing like what it was supposed to be.

  These things weren't stupid, though, they stayed far away from us. Maybe because I was using mana pressure to keep them off my back. It was putting Raishin, Greg, Noelle and Della on edge though.

  Sup!

  Oh it's just you! It felt as something super strong was approaching!

  I smacked Raishin. Hey! I'm super strong! How did the energy thing go?

  It needed a lot so it took a while but… are you guys fine without a [Frost Cloak] or a [Shadow Cloak]?

  Well this mana pressure I'm giving off seems to keep this corruption from reaching us. Probably the reason why Della is fine.

  I pointed at Della who wasn't wearing a [Shadow Cloak].

  We keep forgetting because we deal with deities alot, but they're always ‘cloaked’ in divine energy. Anyways Bellia, that brat has a message for you Greg, actually 2 .

  You pissed her off again, didn't you? What messages did she have?

  Uhm, firstly, the forests were running away from patches of mana less stuff.

  “That was my message Agnis, geez you're so forgetful!”

  Oh right! Sorry! Yv has 2 messages for you! So that brat was useless after all… Yv’s second message was that she is going to look for shadow cats, something, something shadow bank.

  “That message was actually from her… I just relayed her message…”

  Too hard to remember!

  “You only needed to remember 2 things!”

  I'm sorry, my ears aren't as overpowered as yours.

  “What do my ears have to do with this?”

  Pass.

  “Tell me!” Yv shook me to get an answer out of me.

  So where to now? Where are those patches?

  Yv stopped shaking me. “I can show where! Can you bring us Agnis?”

  Pff lazy teammates, fine! Are you coming too, Della?

  “No, sorry. I will stay here to study this phenomenon a bit longer. I might be able to cleanse it. Don't get into trouble now.”

  What a nice deity, don't get oneshot by a random god like that midget!

  “Giana, what happened to you while you were away? You give off a completely different feel. How come that you change every time we split up?!”

  Giana and Yv explained to Noelle what happened.

  “See! Even the goddess of fertility wants you to go at it!” Noelle said while poking me with her elbow.

  Yeah after dropping a bombshell on us… my lovely partner will explain!

  “Huh? Oh… uhm Bellia told us that the tailed races came here when… was it the 5th?”

  I nodded.

  “When the 5th dimension merged. She suspected it was done to get mythical races here so they could keep the dimension together… we've been dragged here to be worked to death…”

  “...And we have no choice but to do our role as we will die with the dimension if we don't” Yv said while her ears drooped.

  It was to be expected, but the mood turned sour. Noelle took it the best.

  The border of The Igrini… Bizax was near. Yv gave directions and led us to a normal plain. It looked normal to me, but Greg confirmed that it was an issue. He created a strange dark patch on the ground and had shadows rushing into it. Like a drain sucking in shadows. Raishin started to blast it. Both seemed to require a lot of focus.

  It was the first time I saw them perform their role. It was easy to understand while looking at it. Greg probably connected to the dimensional fabric differently than 9t do and moves the energy in his shadows to it. Raishin can abuse this and add to it. I opened up the dimensional fabric filter. The healthy fabric became healthier, the weak parts stayed the same. Is it possible that tears happen where the energy is low? It could be the link between the 9t and 3t and 6t roles.

  Deca, Noelle I need your help.

  I linked them up and hopped on the dimensional fabric. Raishin, Greg and Yv instantly fell off.

  “Interesting, it seems that only 7t and 9t can interact with this.” Noelle moved her hand over the dimensional fabric. “Oh there is a disturbance here…”

  She punched it and energy spread to the weaker area. It caused it to tear.

  9t time!

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  The tear got blasted by foxfires and I fixed it up nicely.

  The area around the fixed part is weak. I can't deal with that, this is your thing Noelle.

  Noelle stomped and punched the fabric, evening out the energy, causing it to spread to the weaker areas. Polygons appeared on the fabric, and she did something with it.

  Are you strengthening it?

  “Yeah. This feels so intuitive and good!”

  Well lucky for you. That confused vixen there demonstrates that it's not the same for us.

  I walked over to Giana.

  It's fine, this isn't intuitive for us. I have no idea what I'm doing but it works. It took me a while to figure out.

  There were no tears or holes, so our work was done. Noelle was being a perfectionist and making everything even and reinforcing it. She might get a better grasp on it if she does, so we watched while I explained to Giana whatever I knew about fixing the dimensional fabric.

  Noelle was done and we left the dimensional fabric.

  Oh there you guys are! Our job got easier after you 3 disappeared! You guys suck!

  I'm sure they did something to make it easier for us.

  Greg made an edgy gesture and the strange black patch closed.

  “May I lil' bro? I think I understand.”

  Go for it. The less I need to talk, the better.

  Noelle stomped. “You 2! You put energy into the dimensional fabric, right?”

  I'm unsure if it goes into the dimensional fabric as I can't reliably perceive it, but that is my understanding, yes.

  “So Giana, Agnis and I were on it. There were weak spots and healthy spots. It looked like a tube or tire that wasn't filled completely to me. I had to stomp and punch it to get it to fill the empty or weak spots. This ‘tore the tire’ and Agnis fixed it and added some energy. All I had to do was to even out the energy in the tire.”

  Whud? I added energy?

  “Well your spot looked healthy right? Work has to be done to create something orderly, and work is energy.”

  Ah.

  “So you guys fill the tire! I make the tire stronger and flatten buildups, and Agnis and Giana fix the leaks!”

  My understanding of the dimensional fabric is different but… different races, different perspectives. It's a bit easier to understand like this, thanks, Noelle.

  “What's your understanding then, lil’ bro?”

  It's like fabric or skin. It can rot and fester. It can get cauterized and heal like skin. In my early days, I had to fix it with patchwork. It can also have parasites and invaders trying to get into our dimension.

  The idols seemed creeped out, but Raishin and Greg knew exactly what I was talking about.

  Yeh those scorpion things in Boshi town or those mantises at Fugaku uni were quite bullshit…

  Or those bugs and centipedes Agnis had to deal with in the underground city.

  Yeah…haven't seen many of those, luckily.

  “I’m sorry you guys are dear to me, but I would never want to be in your shoes!” Noelle said, creeped out.

  “We should be happy that they made it out of that alive! You did a great job surviving all that Deca!”

  Wow how rude! But also dazzling! My eyes!

  A familiar headlock.

  “Uhm…do you think my role is important?” Yv seemed uncomfortable. Her role was completely different. She might be feeling left out

  Of course it is! Forests are the lungs of the planet!

  “Oh! That's right! Thanks!”

  We located more spots lacking energy and we fixed it. Giana got a shot at fixing small tears.

  Giana also pointed out that without Yv we wouldn't have known about these spots. Maybe trees are radars for low energy? I might be making up random ideas to force a connection.

  We left Bizax as it was a shitty country as always. We got met with men in blue suits, the moment we crossed the border into the Aquini Kingdom. “Silver Torrent, the empress wants to speak with you, it's urgent.”

  But I didn't do anything!

  Maybe that is the problem. You must have forgotten to do something.

  I did the thing I was supposed to do!

  Nobody is going to buy that… may we know the reasoning?

  “She said that more of her kin have appeared and that they are a bit special.” The men in blue suits dropped something on the ground and it opened a portal.

  Oh shit… and nice dimensional portal. It's better than mine… why am I so shit…

  Huh Agnis! What if it's a trap, we don't know what race the empress belongs to!

  I do, let's go, she is a nice person and I have Giana to protect me. This is gonna be a pain in the ass…

  I said as I went through the portal.

  I got met with walls filled with water and fish. I got a flashback to that aquarium in Gittrian. This palace was basically the same as this

  The rest of the team entered and admired the palace. I was sure that Giana would love this place.

  Did you say something, Noelle?

  “I didn’t. I thought that you did.”

  Do you hear that, Yv?

  Yv’s ears perked and drooped. “Probably not what you are hearing…”

  Whispering sounds, they sound upset. Let’s go.

  follow if the story is interesting enough.

  Moorland Menace