In a wilderness region within Hydrurond, a dilapidated hut stood on a rocky ledge. The ledge oversaw a vast tundra. Some sort of ruins were in this tundra. A lone figure was seen walking toward this ruin.
Inside the hut, a towering draconian stood by the window and watched the lone figure in the distance. He had the face of someone who had been through much hardship. A long scar decorated his face pa.s.sing through his right eye which was covered by an eyepatch.
His large body was covered with white plate armor. A humongous greatsword hung diagonally on his back. The greatsword was even longer than his height.
The draconian sensed something from his back. He looked behind him as the s.p.a.ce distorted. Ja.n.u.s walked out of that distortion. This was the real Ja.n.u.s, who was older than the ones Jack usually met.
The draconian's gaze remained on Ja.n.u.s.
"Master Ragorth, it has been some time," Ja.n.u.s greeted.
"It certainly is," Ragorth returned. This draconian was the leader of the League of Champions. "You didn't seem to age."
Ja.n.u.s' cheek went up in what seemed like a brief smile.
"I didn't know you are a descendant of the religious sect from the Eltis Shrine," Ja.n.u.s said as he came to the window and looked at the ruin in the distance.
"We can always be surprised by how many things we don't know about other people. Even from those who we think we are familiar with," Ragorth replied.
"I agree with you, Master Ragorth," Ja.n.u.s said. "Is that the bait?" He indicated the lone figure who had now entered the ruins of the Eltis Shrine.
"That's correct," Ragorth answered.
"Don't you find this plan a bit strange?" Ja.n.u.s asked.
"Why do you say so?"
"That bait might be pretending to be you out there, alone. But here you are, also alone. If the a.s.sa.s.sin happens to see you in this hut, aren't you still vulnerable?"
"… I'm not alone. You are here with me," Ragorth said.
This time, Ja.n.u.s did smile, albeit slightly. "But you didn't know if I would come," he said.
"No, I don't."
Ja.n.u.s leaned on the side of the window. His eyes continued to gaze outside. "So, we just wait here until something happens?"
"That's the plan," Ragorth said.
The two stayed like that, gazing out the window in silence. It was Ja.n.u.s who spoke again after some time.
"What do you make of the announcement by the Liguritudum Ruler?"
"Are you referring to that rubbish about him being the creator of the world?" Ragorth asked.
Ja.n.u.s nodded.
"I thought about it as what it is. Rubbish," Ragorth stated.
"It is always nice speaking to you, Master Ragorth. You are always so direct and so sure about everything."
"It is not by nature. I don't have the luxury to doubt myself in the heat of battle. Doing so will just open you up for mistakes."
"Then how sure are you of this plan? Do you think the a.s.sa.s.sin might show up?" Ja.n.u.s asked.
"… He probably already has. He might be studying the situation to see if it is truly an opportunity or a trap," Ragorth answered.
"Then I hope he doesn't take too long to decide," Ja.n.u.s said. "I still have other matters to attend to."
"As do I," Ragorth said.
*
When Jack came out of the portal into the obelisk plaza, there were two Jacks instead of one. Both Jacks looked around and spotted the young Ja.n.u.s overseeing the plaza. He was coming at them.
"Magic clone spell?" Ja.n.u.s asked when he arrived.
"You recognized the spell?" Jack asked back.
"I am a partial head of the most renowned magic inst.i.tution. Don't you think it will be weird if I don't recognize it?" Ja.n.u.s returned.
"My mistake," Jack chuckled.
"Why do you use the spell here?" Ja.n.u.s asked.
"We outworlders have a peculiar way to train mana manipulation. I want to continue training while my other self faces the challenges inside the obelisk."
"That is pretty confident. Don't you think you need this spell inside the challenges?"
"I don't plan to break new record. I'm just here to farm knowledge points, so I will be entering the low-difficulty stage."
Jack walked to the obelisk number 89 while his clone sat cross-legged on the floor. The one in front of the obelisk soon vanished into the challenge stage.
"Don't mind me," Clone Jack on the floor said. "I will be unresponsive for a while, so please don't be offended if I don't respond to your call."
Ja.n.u.s nodded. He was both fascinated and curious about Jack's actions. Jack closed his eyes and became still. Ja.n.u.s stood beside Jack trying to sense anything out of the ordinary. He sensed nothing. He stared at Jack and wondered how outworlders improved their mana manipulation by sitting and doing nothing.
What Jack was doing was not training mana manipulation. He was using his incorporeal state. His senses were now roaming around the s.p.a.ce. He had come to this place several times. He understood that this place where the Order of Magi inhabited was a series of connecting pocket worlds, similar to the dimension Euphosine created to host her gruesome games.
However, they were also different. Jack's mana sense had further improved since then. In only a brief moment, he could sense that the dimension here was more ancient, more stable, and independent. It wasn't like Euphosine's dimension where she needed to constantly pump energy to maintain.
This dimension had no master. The members of the Order of Magi simply inhabited it. Ja.n.u.s or the faction founder, Majus, probably stumbled into this dimension by chance and made it their own.
Jack quickly identified the multiple exit nodes in this s.p.a.ce. He went into one of these nodes and interfaced with the links between the pocket worlds. Trying to understand the dimension's structure.
Lucky for him, the Order of Magi didn't place any barriers between these worlds. The members were free to travel around. They had to be careful, though, because it was a huge maze. One could easily lose their way.
Jack didn't waste time. His Double Clone lasted only thirty minutes. He focused and expanded his consciousness as much as possible. He was trying to identify the nexus world.
Because this dimension was more stable, Jack found it in a shorter time than when he was in Euphosine's dimension. His improved mana sense also played a factor.
Once he did, he immediately returned to his body. He stood up just as another Jack came out of the obelisk.
"You did only one challenge today?" Ja.n.u.s asked when the two Jacks headed to the exit.
"I just remember I have something I need to do," Jack replied.
"In that case, see you again, Mister Storm Wind," Ja.n.u.s said. He watched the two Jacks walk into the exit portal. His eyes were contemplative, trying to understand what Jack was up to.