Sixth Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  “You’re okay, what happened?” the Tutor asked, checking her over.

  Melika was crying and explaining to him about being kidnapped, the orcs, the dungeon and then the group appearing and pulling her out.

  Erik could see the anger on the Tutor’s face as she talked about Lord Vinter’s how she said that it was his project, changing people into his minions.

  The killing intent in the street increased as anyone that had not already fled did so without looking back.

  Erik and the rest of their team were ready for whatever was about to happen.

  The Tutor seemed to remember where they were as he looked to the group and his people.

  “Put your weapons down, they saved your Junior, you should be thanking them,” the man said.

  He stepped past Melika and cupped his hands, bowing his head to Erik and his group.

  “Thank you for returning my student to me. May I ask what you are going to do now?”

  “Leave,” Erik said.

  The man laughed awkwardly.

  “Thank you. May I know the names of my student’s helpers so I might thank you later?”

  Erik and the others stiffened, their fingers closer to their triggers.

  “Ah, sorry I forget the Ten Realms from time to time,” The man said looking regretful at his word choices.

  “My name is Tutor Lee Perrin. I walk the Ten Realms finding people in need of guidance and I find teachers in need of students. I have been lucky enough to help a number of people in my travels. I thank you for what you’ve done, if you hadn’t then,” Lee’s voice trailed off.

  “Anyway, I must ask if you will make a move against Lord Vinters? I only ask as I know that myself and my students would like to pay him a visit as well.”

  “He’s all yours,” Erik said.

  If we were to do something, wouldn’t we just be inviting in trouble and our deaths? His guards were strong enough to kill us without breaking a sweat, why would I charge up to him in his seat of power. Maybe you’ll be able to do something with that line-up you have.

  “Thank you. If you are ever in trouble or are looking for a teacher, please contact me. The favor I owe you is not small,” Lee said and looked to Melika.

  Erik started to relax and withdraw his power, seeing that expression, it wasn’t one could fake, he truly cared for her.

  Lee took out a token and held it up, so that they could see it and then threw it to Erik. Erik and Rugrat scanned it with their domains before Erik caught it.

  “This is my sound transmission device information, thank you again. The Realms are not as forgiving as Australia,” Lee said he turned back to his group and waved them back.

  They all turned and started to leave the street.

  “Mount up!” Storbon said.

  All of the Special team got up onto their mounts, turned around and raced off in a new direction.

  They reached a totem, paying the fee, they disappeared from the Sixth Realm, heading to the Fifth Realm. randomly jumping to four different cities before they jumped to the Third Realm’s Alchemist Division Headquarters.

  They left the totem, changed their clothes, stored their beasts and altered their appearances with a disguising formation. They wore large backpacks with all kinds of items on them, looking nothing like the cloaked men and women upon black panthers.

  They stepped up to the totem once again and disappeared in flashes of light.

  Erik pulled down the scarf around his face, looking up at the large tower in the distance. The Police officers that were handling the entrance into the city and the Army that was standing behind them, ready to support if needed.

  Erik went up and paid the entrance fee as the group started to relax.

  They passed through the toll stations and headed into Vuzgal. They changed disguises and headed into a bar. Erik flashed a medallion to the barkeep and he sent them to one of the reserved rooms.

  The door closed behind them before a clicking noise came from the round seats. They opened in the middle revealing a set of stairs down. Erik led the way, getting rid of his extra clothing and items. Tian Cui removed the disguising formation as they headed into the depths of Vuzgal.

  “Nothing like being home and hiding in a basement,” Yao Meng said.

  “Good to be back, I wonder how the training went with the new Special team members,” Yuli said.

  “You wonder what might happen to that Vinters guy?” Tian Cui asked.

  “Nothing good by the expression on the face of her tutor,” Rugrat said.

  They walked down through several layers, having to present their medallions to different skeleton guards that protected Vuzgal’s undercity.

  A door opened before them, they walked out onto an incline. From it they could see men and women training, fighting one another in large training squares. In other places there were workshops that never stopped working. Multi-story fields rested upon one another, growing all manner of food.

  Miners and machines were cutting into the rock.

  It was a small city built underground. Pillars supported the ceiling and Vuzgal that lay above. Glowing formations gathered and contained mana from across the city, funneling it toward a massive structure that reached from the ceiling to the floor. It was large and squat. Several other structures reached up to the ceiling as well.

  “What are those?” Yao Meng asked.

  “The large one in the distance is the under-castle. It is built right under the castle and pillar above. The smaller ones that look like fortresses, those are the underground facilities of the military. We can train down here away from the eyes of others so that they won’t learn our secrets,” Rugrat said.

  “Bigger than I thought it would be,” Erik said as he released Gilly and got on her back.

  “Good to be back,” Rugrat agreed.

  “What do you think that Lee meant by saying Australia?” Erik asked.

  “I think that was his way of telling us that he was from Earth, maybe a test?” Rugrat said.

  “What do you think we should do?”

  “We will have plenty of time to think on it in the future,” Rugrat said.

  They wandered down the incline and toward the main castle as people stared at them.

  “We’ve only been gone a few months and people have forgotten who we are already,” Rugrat moaned.

  “Who could forget you?” Elan said as he rode over on a purple and green-scaled beast that looked something like a reptilian ostrich.

  ***

  “Tutor, why did you let them go?” Wei Shi asked.

  Lee Perrin remembered the weapons that the people were using, the armor that they were wearing and their masks.

  Looks like I might not be the only person from Earth here after all.

  Lee realized that Wei Shi was still staring at him as he replayed in his mind what she had just said.

  “They were not a threat to us, they helped your junior sister. I wasn’t just going to keep them.”

  “You had more questions for them though?”

  “Do you think that they would appreciate me demanding answers from them when we’re all looking at one another with possible violence?” Lee asked. “Talking about violence, how are our preparations?”

  “Everything is ready, we’re just waiting for you teacher,” Wei Shi said.

  “Alright, let us find out some answers.”

  Lee stood and Wei Shi led the way out of the room. The room had even more people in it, swelling to nearly fifty or so people.

  They grew silent and looked at their tutor.

  “Let us go and teach this Lord Vinter a lesson about why no one messes with my students.”

  The killing intent in the room grew as their anger boiled over, anger at those that dared to slight their tutor, that dared to attack one of their junior sisters and tried to experiment on her.

  “Let’s start,” Lee said and turned towards the door.

  They marched out of the Fighter’s Association and towards the pr
ivate residence of the Vinter’s Clan.

  Several people on flying beasts rode in the sky, people came over to tell them to land but stopped as they felt the power of the group.

  “Just what is going on for such a group to come together?”

  “Don’t they know fighting in the streets is not permitted. The Professors and Deans won’t have to lift a finger to destroy them.”

  “Look, there is the disciplinary professor from the Faded scroll!”

  “Ryland Porter is here now, he will teach these people about flying over our heads! This is the territory of the Faded scroll!”

  The grim-looking man rode across the sky on a large flying beast, there were a half dozen others with him.

  Seeing the group the indifference in his eyes turned cold at these brazen fellows!

  He opened his mouth as his mount started to shake out of fear.

  He struck his breast in anger and looked over to the people in the sky. A man, no older than thirty looked over from where he stood on his beast.

  “Is that a red-tailed Quizal?” Someone said as Ryland paled.

  The man on the Quizal looked over. Ryland had ventured into the dungeon countless times, tempering his sense of danger, now everything was telling him that this was not a person to be taken lightly.

  He saw the man’s smile even from far away as he waved his hand, beasts by the dozen appeared around him. Each of them, princes and princesses of the sky, powerful beasts that a beastmaster might not hope to tame in their lifetime.

  Ryland brought himself to a stop as he looked at the group.

  “What is your business?” He demanded.

  “One of your people kidnapped one of my students for an experiment. I brought some of my students to seek answers,” Lee said, using the power of his body to amplify his voice.

  People in the surroundings started muttering among themselves.

  Ryland gathered his strength and made to talk again when others from the group stepped out, they were all wearing symbols that didnt’ come from the sects but rather the associations, marking them as young experts and people of position within them.

  Ryland upon seeing that dropped to the ground on his beast and bowed deeply.

  “I am sorry for not recognizing your emblems,” Ryland said.

  Lee looked at those that had stepped forward.

  “It is not a problem, we are just looking to deal with an injustice and an issue. You are welcome to come along Mister Porter, after all, I have some questions I would like the Faded Scroll to answer as well,” Lee said.

  Ryland paled and bobbed his head.

  “Please let me know how I can be of assistance,” The proud and upright disciplinary Elder said, looking panicked.

  “Well that will make things easier,” Lee said.

  Chapter: Conqueror’s Armor

  Sergeant Bai Ping and his Mage squad looked around the secret testing area. Bai Ping had been fleeing to Vuzgal after his city was attacked. A victim of yet another war they hadn't been part of. He and a number of his family members had joined the Vuzgal defense force, looking to get stronger. Others had joined the administration, become traders, and overall assimilated into Vuzgal that protected them. What had been a fresh start, driven out of their homes. Turned the low powered Bai Clan into a large clan in Vuzgal.

  They had found a home for themselves and they had expanded rapidly. Vuzgal was firmly against favoritism if someone was unable to do the job they would be dismissed. A few of his family members had tried to skirt these rules and instead found themselves banned from applying to administration jobs, both the person that was trying to get a job and the person that was trying to get past the rules and pull them into a position based on family instead of ability.

  Bai Ping devoted himself to the defense force. He had made it through the ranks: from private -learning how to use a rifle, becoming an expert at using mortars, a mage, a medic, and an engineer, then he was picked for a leadership course. He was already a corporal at that time. He had become a Sergeant and started at the bottom all over again. He had just reached the position of Mage sergeant when he was summoned to carry out a series of tests on new equipment.

  He had studied in Kanesh and Vuzgal academies, opened his mana gates, tempered his foundation and reached Body like Stone.

  He had served in the clearing of the Water floor and his squad was selected to head to Vuzgal to test out some new equipment.

  Another group walked into the area. They were a sharpshooter squad.

  Bai Ping grinned as he saw a familiar face in the lead.

  “Bolton, good to see you man,” he said.

  “Basic training feels like it was years ago,” Bolton laughed as he shook Bai Ping’s hand.

  “It was over a year ago,” Bai Ping said.

  “Looks like you took all the training you could, beat me to Mage squad Sergeant position,” Bolton said.

  “It’s all a marathon. You know what position you want to settle into yet?”

  “Nah, not yet, still having fun doing different jobs, the time in between turnover is nice, lets me get to know my squad, get integrated and then switch later on without too many issues,” Bolton said. “You ever think that we would be the ones teaching and training others?”

  The two of them laughed and shook their heads. Bai Ping looked over to see that the different squads were greeting one another and talking among themselves.

  The door to the secret training area opened again as six people walked in.

  “Atten-chun!” Bai Ping called out, everyone snapped to attention as he saluted Domonos and Glosil who were marching over.

  “As you were,” Glosil said with a salute. With him, there was Tan Xue, Taran, Julilah and Qin Silaz. All of them were heavyweights and leaders in their respected fields, but they had all come for this test.

  “Gather ‘round,” Glosil said.

  They created a half-circle as Domonos cleared his throat.

  “You are all here for the testing of the new prototype of conqueror’s armor and the testing of the updated support formations. I’ll let the crafters go over it,” he turned to the side, letting Julilah and Qin step forward.

  “The new support formations are rather simple, they are different formation plates that can be connected together in different ways to adapt to different battlefields. Say you need more powerful shields, add in another shield formation. Healing in an area of effect, add in a healing array. Increased strength or agility, just put it together. The formations are about the size of a dinner plate. There are two versions, one that can be stacked together, reducing the overall area it covers and making it easier to transport. The second is placed on the ground, it can create a larger effect and supply more power, but it has limited mobility,” Julilah said.

  “The conqueror’s armor incorporates formation sockets and a linking ability. The formation plates need to be put together to act upon one another. This makes them easier to operate and less to worry about on the battlefield. With the Conqueror's armor, they focus on individual buffs, increased spell effect, decreased spell cost, increased agility or strength, the buff is overall smaller than what the formations Julilah talked about. Though with the linking ability they can ‘stack’. This means that if your squad is all wearing linked armor, then your buffs apply to one another. So say originally you have a buff of increased strength by one percent. If you have a squad of ten people and are all wearing that one percent strength buff, then you all get a ten percent increase to strength.” Qin said.

  Bai Ping frowned in thought.

  “Some of you might be wondering what will happen if there are a hundred people wearing the same armor in range of one another? Well, in that case, everyone will buff one another,” Glosil said.

  Bai Ping sent a look at Bolton, he had the same stunned look on his face.

  Just how powerful would we be?

  “The armor comes in a set of chest plate, groin protector as well as shoulder and upper arm protector. Each pi
ece will be of the Journeyman grade, the breastplate will hold the linking formation socket, the arms and skirt, the little drop flaps that protect your sensitive parts, will each have a formation socket that you can change at will. That means one formation socket on your left arm, one on your right arm and one on your skirt.”

  “The helmets will remain the same, their formations are integrated to allow them to operate properly,” Taran said.

  “Upgrading the formations is just like your weapon formation sockets, put in the updated formation and you’re good to go. Upgrade to the armor, you just need to get the new plates from the assembly line,” Qin said.

  She waved her hand and a set of armor appeared on a mannequin.

  It wore the same expressionless helmet, tan carrier, groin protector or skirt and upper arm protectors. She pulled out another display that held the plates without the carriers.

  The outside of the plates were plain metal except for the formation sockets that were embedded into them.

  “Please take a look,” Qin said.

  The group of VIPs stood back and the two Squads stepped forward.

  “Smart, all of the formations of the armor is done on the inside so if it is hit from the front then it won’t necessarily be messed up,” Bai Ping said.

  Bolton turned the formation socket and pulled it out.

  “Damn, look at that. All of the formation socket is contained in the lower few layers and then high strength defensive plates are added to the front,” Bolton said and then saw something in the neck. He opened up the collar of the carrier.

  “Damn, look at that.” He pulled on the ten realms Alvan rip-tape and opened up the neck.

  Bai Ping looked at the ring that was in the collar, it was made of different sections with several hidden needles.

  “Is that the new immediate reaction healing system?” Bai Ping asked.

  “Yes that is. There are healing and stamina concoctions in the neck loop. Formations keep pinging information from the wearer. If they lose blood or there is an issue, then the needles in the neck will shoot into the neck and inject their payload. There is an opening at the side which will interface with IV’s so that instead of finding a vein, medics can just inject needles and add in IV bags as needed,” Tan Xue said, overhearing them.