Chapter 71 - Delivery Boy (Patreon)

Jiran recognized all but two of the disciples who waited for him outside the estate. All nine were grizzled and scarred hunters with auras that snarled at each other as they vied for dominance. The courtyard air was alive with a buzz of anticipation. The large space felt crowded despite there only being eleven people present. Not a single one of them acknowledged Jiran as they faced the Aahmra, who was just arriving.

All tier five. The strongest of the town. They should be fine in the empire’s wilds so long as they don’t piss off a noble. Samris would eat this entire group for breakfast.

“Today, we free ourselves! Honesty, integrity, and trust,” They echoed the Aahmra’s salute before turning to Jiran in unison. The Aahmra nodded and Jiran leaped into the air. The hunters shouldered their bulging packs and flew after him under the power of their auras. They landed at the edge of the jungle and ran on foot through the trees. They each activated their obfuscations to blend into the foliage around them. Even with their careful movements, they were all faster than him with attributes two tiers above his.

One of the two he didn’t recognize ran beside him and let out a yawn while giving him some serious side-eye.

Hey, I’m not the one too scared to fly, buddy.

“I’ll meet you at the place known as the mettlerise,” Jiran whispered, knowing they would easily hear him with their enhanced senses.

Coating. Light Manipulation.

Jiran vanished from sight as light bent around him. He then pulled himself into the air with his manabody.

Gas Manipulation, True Origin of Fire.

The bubble of aura he formed around himself blocked the sound of the hydrogen ignition that rocketed him forward, leaving the hunters in his dust.

. . .

They arrived at the foot of the cliff soon after him. He popped the last few freshly picked berries into his mouth. The density within them was higher than anything found growing naturally in the empire. It was more than enough to regenerate his lost mana. Jiran smiled, remembering Mayalyn throwing a melodramatic fit about how often she had to eat them.

The hunter who had given the snide look now wore a deep frown as he breathed heavily. Jiran nodded and the Aahmra covered them in his aura while Jiran spoke. “The platform up there with a pedestal is how we are going to travel to the empire.”

Both hunters who didn’t know Jiran spoke their dissent simultaneously.

“No! That is sacrilege.”

“We must not allow the outsider to scale the rise!”

The Aahmra’s voice was reinforced with a whip of aura they each knew the sting of all too well. “Silence. Our ways are about to change forever. This is nothing,” Both of them quieted down so quickly that Jiran had the impression they weren’t upset to begin with.

Making eye contact with the two, he gave the group the short warning he had prepared before they left. “Try not to draw any attention when you see the portal. It’s a bit shocking at first. When I point to you, you will see it appear. Go through quickly. The other side is a dark cave.”

“Enough talking, we are not children.”

There’s always one in every group.

Jiran gave him the stink-eye before moving to the more vital point. “If you are seen by any imperials, it is very likely they will try to kill you. Do not be seen. Some of my people are above the ninth tier, you do not wish to draw their ire,” Knowing they could feel his emotions, Jiran dug up the image of the one emperor he had seen and a full-body shiver rumbled through him. “I’ve seen one, once.”

The Aahmra bared his teeth and met the eyes of each member one at a time. After the last one bowed in subservience, he hissed. “Do not kill any imperials under any circumstances. Is this understood?!”

Jiran didn't miss the two ornery hunters’ eyes meeting as they subtly nodded at one another.

What are you two idiots planning? And why are you being so obvious about it? Just because you’re standing behind me doesn’t mean I can’t see you! We all have auras here.

When no one spoke up in dissent, and Jiran nodded that he was done, the Aahmra waved his hand toward the alcove far above, “Go.”

The hunters jumped, rising rapidly through the air on wings of aura. They leaped through the portal one at a time, not a single one hesitated or gasped in alarm when it appeared before them. It cost Jiran three percent of his mana for each person who passed through. Since he didn’t notice the drain on his mana when he brought Mayalyn, he assumed the difference was because of their higher tier. After they were all on the other side, he followed and the portal closed behind him.

Jiran didn’t waste his mana on creating light as none of them had any trouble perceiving the cave with their auras.

“Where did the hole, err, portal go?” One of the hunters asked as he placed his hand on the gem-studded pedestal as he had seen Jiran do.

Better not lead on that I already know from bringing Mayalyn that they won’t be able to turn on the portal without me.

“When I put my mana into the gem, I see a list of locations to travel to. Do you see anything?”

“My mana will not enter the gem. What is the trick?” The hunter was starting to sound a little concerned.

“No trick, I push my mana into it with molding—my version of your circulating. It’s possible it won’t work for anyone who hasn’t completed the quest that brought me here in the first place.”

“Quest? What quest? Why am I only now hearing about this, Master Aahmra?" One of the hunters turned to the old mouseman who stood to the side impassively.

After being called out, the Aahmra moved to the gem, placing his hand on it briefly before shrugging. “It matters, not. His words ring with the truth as they always have. Jiran of Feylon, do we have your word that you will bring us home when our ascensions are complete?”

“Of course I will,” Jiran’s fist smacked his chest as he stood straight, his words full of conviction.

“Very well then. Let us continue,” The Aahmra’s words failed to completely appease the group but they bowed in ascent regardless.

Jiran guided them to the surface. Once above ground, the hunters all watched the skies with nervous eyes as they each activated their obfuscation skills. “There are no alphas or betas in the empire. The skies are safe here.”

His words held no sway over a lifetime of ingrained caution. Seeing them make no move to relax, he shrugged and took to the skies. They followed beneath him, staying low to the ground as they headed southwest to the forest where he had saved the civilians from the tier five tree-beast.

. . .

They arrived in less than two hours, having moved swiftly and quietly the entire time, never once dropping their obfuscations.

During the trip, an uncomfortable feeling kept gnawing at the back of Jiran’s mind. An insistence that he had missed something important, or left something behind he should have remembered to bring. He arrived first, and when they caught up, he stood facing the hunters, his back to the woods. “This forest has several tier five beasts. Considering I’ve seen them on the outskirts, there may even be tier sixes further in. I’m heading back to Azurelight, when should I return to bring you back?”

“That will not be necessary. You will remain here with us until we have completed our ascensions,” The Aahmra’s tone was one of finality, letting Jiran know immediately that he would not accept any descent.

Jiran frowned while shaking his head. “That was never part of our agreement. You don’t have to worry, I have no ill intentions, I merely have things I must do there.”

The Aahmra’s voice turned heavy with meaning and the two hunters inched closer to Jiran as he spoke. “I am well aware of what you think you must do. However, it will not be necessary. Azurelight no longer needs ineffective toys and superstitious legends to protect it.”

Oh crap, it’s an evil monologue.

“Azurelight has us now, it has me. And we are more than they have ever needed. Fear not, Mayalyn is in good hands, and will remain so until we return… together.”

Good hands, huh? I doubt that. Well, sorry to disappoint you but I’m not sticking around to argue like some idiot action hero.

Gas had begun leaking from Jiran the second he realized what was happening. The odorless methane flooded the space before him and a snap of his fingers detonated a massive explosion that rocked the forest. The only person not affected was the Aahmra, whose aura easily dispersed the shockwave headed in his direction. As for the other hunters, and especially the two who lunged at Jiran the second the Aahmra finished, they were all blown away.

Jiran was no exception, Coating and aura protected him as he was flung backward, gaining precious meters of distance. The ground cratered around the Aahmra as his aura flexed. Massive hands of the ephemeral energy, much larger than Jiran had ever felt before, reached for him. They plowed into his manabody, showcasing all over again that he was no match for the mouseman’s strength.

As the Aahmra’s grip closed in, Jiran ran. He sacrificed as much of his aura as needed to buy time as the Aahmra gave chase. His arms of aura stretched out, reaching for Jiran as his face contorted in a snarl that showed the hidden fangs of a snake. Despite his obvious superiority with aura, the old man was no match for Jiran’s combination of Gas Manipulation and the little cones of shaped aura hidden beneath his feet. A fountain of hydrogen erupted beneath him, the blast rocketing him well out of the Aahmra’s reach in seconds.

Jiran’s heart was hammering and sweat dripped from his skin as he pulled what was left of his aura in tight to block the atmospheric pressure holding him back. His speed increased several fold as he shot toward the cave many times faster than they knew he could fly. In seconds, they were out of sight.

That was too close. If those two hadn’t tipped me off, I would have been screwed. Wow, dick move, Aahmra! No use for ‘ineffective toys and superstitious legends,’ huh? Does he really want them to have no choice but to rely on him? Disgusting tyrant.

Mayalyn should be fine. He might need her to repair the makerdrives after all. I get the feeling he’s been working toward this for a long time. He probably has several other backup plans in place as well. Well, this whole situation just turned to shrelkshit in a second, didn’t it? What am I going to do if I get back to Azurelight and the entire town has turned against me?

Did Mayalyn know? Is that why she was so upset the other day? Did she lead me on just so I would show her—No! I’m not going to doubt her, or anyone else until they actually betray me. I refuse to live my life as a paranoid hermit who can’t trust anyone. I’ll find her, and learn the truth.

Within minutes, Jiran stood before the teleportation platform. He looked down at the gem, hesitating.

If I go through, They’ll almost certainly be waiting for me when I try to come back through. Is this the right thing to do?

Jiran’s gaze firmed as he reached out and pushed mana into the gem.

I already decided to do Madra’s quest because it might help Samris. That hasn’t changed. And with the Aahmra’s words about Mayalyn, how could I possibly run away without making sure she’s okay? Worst case scenario, I get an extended vacation while checking in on my family through Daughter. No matter how strong the Aahmra becomes, I can get stronger faster. The next time we meet, I’m going to shove my foot so far up his ass he’ll be cleaning the dirt under my toenails with those nasty teeth of his.

Jiran’s flight to Azurelight brought his mana down to fifty percent. He landed outside of town before walking confidently past the lookouts in their fine armor. His bated breath and frayed nerves were completely unnecessary. When they waved in his direction with familiar smiles, he released a pent-up sigh and tore down the main street to the center of town.

The bunker was empty when he arrived, but what he saw within seized his heart in a vice-like grip. The voltree charger was cracked in half and the fluid that was supposed to be inside spilled across the floor. He knew from the Maker’s notes that the fluid had been the work of several years of study and effort. The man had been meticulous with his documentation. Since Jiran never saw the recipe for creating the fluid, he assumed it must have been vanished along with so much of his work.

True Origin of Water cleaned out several buckets while his aura spread out, scooping up as much of the liquid from the smooth tiled floor as possible. When his salvage attempt unveiled a single drop of blood on the floor near the stairs, his vision turned white as his fury exploded.