Chapter 542 - The secret in the cave (Patreon)

Hera's Status

Nimbus carried Hera to the top of the mountain. It took a while since they weren't rushing. At the same time, she had her entire court out, looking around the area to see if they could find anything that could help, but they got nothing so far.

"Nimbus, I'm not saying this as a complaint. But when you manage to make that new shape to give me your wings, I'm going to miss you carrying me like this," Hera smiled at the Sentinel.

"You mean if I managed to do that," Nimbus smiled, but his eyes were still aimed at the sky.

"No, I mean when. I'm 100% sure you will be able to do that," Hera replied while looking over the island, trying to see if there was something that could catch her eye.

Hearing that, Nimbus stopped moving and just kept hovering around the same area for a while, "Why do you trust me so much?" he finally asked, "Where does that faith come from? I don't remember ever doing anything that would warrant this kind of belief. In all honesty, I feel like I've been a very mediocre Sentinel. The last dungeons we went to would have been just the same without me or with me as a weapon. It's the same for the challenge we just beat. So why do you trust me so much, Empress?"

"Why shouldn't I? I've seen how much you care about me, and I don't think it's just because you are one of my blades. I'm not saying the rest doesn't care about me, but you always go the extra mile. Even when I tell everyone to take a break, read or watch TV, you are always thinking about me and what you can do to help me. I mean, c'mon, Nimbus, you are even learning how to cook. How can I not trust you after all of this?" Hera shrugged and continued looking around the island. To her, this wasn't exactly an important conversation. After all, Nimbus could tell how much she trusted him even without it being put into words.

"But I have not proven myself to you in battle, Empress. I aid you, but I was never able to protect you from certain death or take a blow that would harm you greatly. Why do you believe in me like this?" Nimbus pressed.

Hera frowned and stared at the Sentinel, who was carrying her in his arms, "What are you talking about? You helped the Royal Explorers, saving pretty much everyone at one point or another. You blocked the attacks from the guides in the last challenge, and you always help me. Why wouldn't I believe in you?"

Nimbus started going up to the top of the mountain again, "I'm trying to do something that no one has ever done before. I even asked Daskka, and she doesn't know of any skills that would allow me to give you part of my body, Empress. I'm trying to go against what the legacy is supposed to be."

"So? I found Boothudurn and was the first who managed to open it. I was the first who encounter Chika and Darni's dungeon. I was the first who completed the legacy test and got you all. If even I can be the first to make those things, why wouldn't you be able to do something similar?" Hera asked.

"Everything you mentioned were your own hard-earned accomplishments. Don't take them lightly," Nimbus finally arrived at the top of the mountain.

Hera got off Nimbus' hands, "I'm not. But I'm saying you are part of me, so those accomplishments are also yours. If we manage to do all that, you can, absolutely, make something new for the legacy," she was walking around, trying to find something that could help, but the place seemed empty. The mountain was flat at the top, not in a way that it looked like it was cut, but a more natural formation where it never managed to form a peak.

"You are the one who did all that, not me."

"No, we did all that. Don't tell me you forgot all the times I called you when you were still a mount. If that's the case, I'll have to agree with Daskka. She's been with me for longer," Hera looked at Nimbus with a teasing smile.

"NO! I do remember. It's just… different. Most of what I remember about those times feel more like a dream," Nimbus sighed, "But what if I don't figure out a way?"

Hera frowned, "What is the problem with that? I mean, it's one thing if you just give up because it's hard, but if, in the end, you can't find a way to make that work, then that's it. You will have learned something along the way, and it was something you wanted to do, so everything is ok even if it doesn't work," she walked over the south ledge and looked down, trying to see if there was a path or something.

'Hera, over here,' Ooze called as the blade noticed a cave by the side of the mountain.

The Empress started walking in that direction when Nimbus continued, "So you won't be disappointed in me if I fail?"

That line made Hera stop and look back with a shocked expression, "Nimbus… I would never be disappointed in you. I may be upset. I may get sad or angry about something you did," Hera walked closer to the Sentinel and placed her hand on his cheek, "But I will never be disappointed in you. Never."

Nimbus smiled and leaned into Hera's hand, "Thank you, my Empress."

"Again, you don't have to call me that," Hera smiled, "Also, what is up with you and Daskka making me feel like a mother? You are supposed to be my partners, not my children."

"I think it's karma, mum," Daskka replied from Hera's neck.

"That's more like irony of fate and not karma," Hera rolled her eyes.

Daskka chuckled, and they headed toward Ooze, who was still floating above the area where he found the cave. Looking down, Hera couldn't see the entrance, but she could see a ledge, and she knew her court wouldn't lie to her. Turning back to Nimbus, she asked, "Do you mind taking me there? It's safer and more comfortable than climbing down."

"Of course," Nimbus smiled and carried her down. Just in front of the ledge was a cave, the type of cave one would see in stories about hidden places in the mountain. Even if it looked right, Hera was positive that this shouldn't be a natural formation.

She called all of her court, and sent them out in front while asking Scythe and Armory to watch her back. They walked for about 10 minutes, heading deeper and deeper into the cavern. At that point, Hera had already created a few dancing lights around them to help everyone to see. It didn't take long for her to start to notice something else, small particles that seemed to be floating around the area, moving deeper into the cave.

As they entered the deepest part of the cave, Hera saw that the particles were actually specks of mana that would be flying around a carving in the wall. It depicted one of the same stone golems she saw at the pagoda's entrance and in the exact same position. The only difference was that the hands were not empty. Instead, it had a box on top of it. A box that somehow looked familiar, but she couldn't wrap her head around where she had seen it.

All those particles were pulled towards the box and then spun around as if entering a vortex. Thinking back to the vortex outside the rectangular building, Hera looked around and focused on the particles. She waved her hand around, touching the small specks of light, and closed her eyes. They were hitting not just the body but also her blades, and the feeling was bizarre but familiar at the same time. When a larger group of particles washed over her hand, covering it in warm rain, she realized where she had felt this before. She felt it every time she crossed a doorway, but instead of warm water flooding the area, it was this small shower of energy.

She could also feel a small thread connecting all of her court together, not by herself, but she felt the particles hitting that connection. However, thread might not be the right way to describe it. It was more like a web, woven by a spider, that linked each of her blades in a way she had never seen before. Focusing on Nimbus, the web was even more complex, it started off as a single thread, and then it spread, covering the entire Sentinel. Hera opened her eyes and looked around the area, blinking rapidly. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a small opening in the wall and looked inside it. Unfortunately, it wasn't large enough for her to go through it, and this is where the particles seemed to be coming from.

There was too much going on, and Hera decided to take a step back. First, she stopped and tried to focus on that web-like link between her and her court, "I'm going to try something. If anyone feels anything, let me know."

Her blades agreed and gave her some space. Slowly, Hera reached out to that connection between her and Ooze, but she couldn't physically grasp it. The connection itself was also stronger than it was with others. There were more strands of web linking her with the chakram. Trying again, she focused her mana on her fingers. At first, nothing happened, but after increasing the density of mana, she could touch the web. By doing so, she was able to understand Ooze more. The chakram was worried it would do something it shouldn't because of the difference between attributes. Hera made a mental note to calm him down and say that even if that did happen, she wouldn't be mad. It would't be his fault.

Just as she was thinking about that, Ooze seemed to relax and understand her feelings, which was a surprise. As far as she was aware, she had to speak or at least intentionally connect with one of her blades to say anything to them. Yet, now that she was touching this web-like structure, that necessity seemed to vanish. She could also, somehow, know all the skills her blade had without looking at their status window. Not that she had any issues remembering what each of them did, but this felt clearer.

"Daskka. Can you see or feel what I'm touching?" Hera asked and sent her feelings through their connection.

Daskka thought for a moment, "I.. think this is what connects you to your court. It's not exactly made out of mana, but it is magic, just a type of magic that is different from what you normally use."

"Different, how?" Hera turned to the herald.

"I can't explain it. It's like... something deeper than just magic. As if magic is a computing language and this is written in binary. It's more... Primal, in a way. Sorry, that's the best I can do to explain it."

"So... if I learn how to understand this, I could use even stronger magic?" Hera asked.

"I don't think that's possible. It's like asking if you can read data like a computer. This type of magic is beyond you, or me, or anyone really."

"Even the guides?" Hera turned to Daskka.

"I think so. Or maybe, this is how they used magic. But I really don't think they would teach you how to use this. Looking at this makes me feel like we are looking at the raw laws of the world," Daskka stared at an empty space where the connection between Hera and Ooze was located.

Hera nodded. She could tell that this wasn't something she should mess with. Her idea was never to learn how to change it but to understand this force. If she could do that, maybe she could improve how the legacy worked. But before trying, she wanted everyone's opinion, "Guys. I don't want to change this, whatever it is. I think it's the basics of the legacy, but I wanted to know if I can use this to make us stronger. What do you guys think about it?"

There was silence while everyone considered what she was asking until finally, Lurize was the one who spoke up first.

"A legacy is created when someone goes beyond the world's natural laws. Another way to look at it would be to see the legacy as a new natural law. Using it to make us stronger should still be part of the newly created law."

"As long as you are not forcing it to change," Ooze added.

"Did you feel something strange while I was trying things?" Hera turned to the chakram.

"Strange, yes, but nothing that made me feel bad in any way."

"That might be a good cut point. You can test things while we are still comfortable," Armory shook on top of Hera's head.

"That is a given. I'm not doing anything you guys don't want me to do."

"But if you're doing this, you should still be careful," Scythe floated out of Hera's eras.

"And should explain to us what you are trying to do as well. Maybe we can tell if something would cross a line or not," Frost floated around Hera.

"Yeah, I think if something were to happen, we would feel it first, so... Can you stop?" Core stared at Frost, who was doing laps around the Empress.

"Sorry. I just can't sit still for some reason."

"Ok, then just move in the back, don't keep getting in the way," Core huffed.

Frost stopped going in front of Hera and the others but continued moving around in the back.

"As I was saying. Since we would feel what you are trying to do first, maybe we would have a sixth sense for what could harm us," Core finished his thought.

"I think, Daskka and I can also work as spotters. While you focus on whatever you are doing, we can ensure the thread is not behaving erratically," Nimbus walked closer to Hera. Thanks to his own mana and the current location, he could also sense the connection in a way, but it was very faint.

"That's true! I can't see it, but I can sense things through you, mum," Daskka nodded with an excited expression.

"So everyone agrees we should, at least, try it out?" Hera looked around and got a yes from all of her court. Closing her eyes again, she touched the connection between herself and Ooze one more time, "I'm going to start then."