Rory’s mood didn’t improve as the day wore on. The others kept themselves by practising their Sigils, and he tried joining them, but he was constantly distracted by the possibilities swimming up in front of them. So many things could go wrong when the monster finally came upon them.

It didn’t help that continuous tremors continued to shake the palace grounds. They were slowly getting more and more intense as time wore on. Viv suspected the monster was climbing higher and higher, getting closer to breaking out of the surface as soon as the sun went down. Rory could see it all playing out in his mind’s eye a little too well. Wholesale destruction and the end of Hillhard as he had known it.

The apocalypse had taught him a little too well how to visualize catastrophes.

Thankfully, his awful thoughts were salvaged when Arelland finally contacted him. One of the Wraith Lord’s minions had finally reached the elf, who was already busy dealing with the monstrous threat, apparently.

“You’re already on it?” Rory asked, almost laughing in relief.

“Yes, we are,” Arelland said. “The Ghoul has told me much, but I still wish to hear your account of what you saw, Rory. It could help us narrow our search.”

“What exactly are you all looking for?”

Arelland reported that he and his group of Otherworlders were trying to locate the exact location of the monstrous threat. They hoped that they could triangulate where its weakest point was and then strike down there.

Rory got that. The creature was big enough that it likely wouldn’t have any effect if they attacked randomly. They had to focus their efforts where it would actually do some significant damage.

“Well, since it’s still underground, I can give you all the locations of the sewer dungeon entrances,” Rory said. “That way, you can get inside and attack it where it hurts the most.”

Arelland thought for a moment. “We could attempt that, yes. However, I am unsure if that will truly work. It would help us to scout out its true form, however. With that done, we can plan a proper assault before it rises.”

“Then there’s no time to waste. Try to note down the addresses.”

It turned out the Otherworlders already knew about one of the entrances. They hadn’t suspected there were other places they could enter and exit through. Rory was happy to correct them, providing the exact locations they had come across over a week ago in their attempts to block up the sewer.

With that done, Arelland promised he would lead a scouting party himself. The sun was still up—it was just past noon—so they theoretically still had some time before the monster showed itself. Nevertheless, Rory urged utmost caution to Arelland. They would be entering the monster’s territory. Very little could have convinced Rory to do the same.

Not long after they ended the call with the elf, Rory was able to get in touch with the Homeworlders as well. Emerius had done his job admirably.

“We’d like to take the opportunity to thank you for your timely messengers, Rory,” Hakim said. “Without their warning, we wouldn’t have been prepared to defend our lands.”

Our lands? He said it as though the Revenants had invaded their ancestral home, and not a tiny camp in a town they hadn’t even come from.

“My pleasure,” Rory said. “Mind telling us how exactly your efforts have gone? I’ll start, just to set the stage.”

He explained how they had checked out the nearest sewer entrance and had found far too many Revenants there. Thankfully, the battle had mostly gone in their favour, until the gigantic monster’s claw had shown up, that was. But with them having attracted the creature’s attention, that ought to have left ample space for the others to work with.

“We were indeed successful at the entrances we checked out,” Hakim said. “We went to three, all of which were guarded and filled with roving Revenants, like you said you found. They weren’t a match for us, though, and we were able to plug up the exits pretty easily. None of the Revenants made it anywhere close to our base, and we haven’t seen any sign of the Djinn or the Imps.”

“I still can’t believe the Imps would betray us like that,” another Homeworlder said. Rory recalled the woman’s name was Marcy. “They were so insistent on striking a deal with us. This about face seems… too bold.”

Hakim tutted. “Well, they’re Otherworlders. They don’t think the way we do.”

“I’m glad you were successful,.” Rory said. “Though I understand that you may have some qualms about certain things I’ve done. According to Michael, at least…”

“Oh, please don’t worry too much about one overzealous Homeworlder.” There was some kerfuffle in the background, and a part of Rory imagined it was Michael protesting that Rory was a literal demon. “Yes, yes, I know.” Hakim’s words didn’t seem directed at Rory at first, but then it modulated. “But yes, we heard some news about a bigger monster?”

There was a tiny quaver in Hakim’s voice, which was all Rory had to go off of. He wondered how the rest of the Homeworlders had taken the news, and how they’d take the rest.

“There is indeed,” Rory said. “We’re finding out more about it as we speak.”

“Oh, how so?”

“With the help of the Otherworlders.”

Silence followed that admission. It was a gamble seeing where the Homeworlders really stood on the issue. Rory had hidden it before for the exact reaction he had received from Michael. But he had to remind himself that one crazy man didn’t represent the length and breadth of all Homeworlders.

Hakim’s reaction would provide a greater insight into the Homeworlders’ aggregate feelings on the matter.

“Incredible that you can cooperate with… creatures such as those,” Hakim said. His voice was carefully neutral. “But what have you found?”

“It isn’t just your enemies,” Rory said. “There are other alien beings, technically also Otherworlders, who have nothing to do with the war. Like the very messenger who reached you. But as for the monster, I’ve found out a little information so far. Though some aren’t exactly facts so much as suspicions.”

Rory quickly explained everything he had learned and surmised with the help of Truck and his own observations. He also didn’t hold back that defeating this monster that could wipe out his entire town hinged on his cooperation with the Otherworlders.

“I see,” Hakim said. “Those are some incredible findings.”

“Yes. I intend to take the fight to this monster without risking my home or my companions. The Otherworlders are already helping.” Rory took a deep breath, deciding to forge on and take the final plunge. “Do you want to help us too?”

Once more, all he received was silence. There were too many complications going on behind the decision. Firstly, a contingent of the Homeworlders had attacked Rory not long ago. With or without the approval of the Homeworlders’ leaders didn’t matter. That came after Rory had taken measures to help them directly with his healing. But then there had been the recent discovery that he had been working side-by-side with the Otherworlders all along.

A human helping the foreign invaders of their world. How scandalous it seemed at a cursory glance.

“If the threat is as great as you proclaim,” Hakim said. “Then we have no recourse but to act.”

Rory nodded, not caring they couldn’t see it through the walky-talky. “I understand. But at the same time, there is a question of trust. You might doubt the veracity of my story, and the same goes the other way around—I don’t know how much you intend to cooperate, and how much you intend to capitalize on whatever opportunity you think the situation has presented to you.”

Hakim actually laughed. “There is no trust in any of this, is there?”

“There could have been. I don’t think it’s my fault it’s come to this.”

“The question remains,” Viv said, leaning in and speaking with her mouth closer to the walky-talky. “Do you want to join in the endeavour to stop the monster or not?”

“We will join.”

There was another kerfuffle on the other side. It wasn’t hard to imagine the other Homeworlders protesting against the decision. Rory had to grin, realizing that the Homeworlders would act, one way or another, once they had figured out the threat was real. Even if Hakim didn’t want to cooperate, he certainly would want to attack the Otherworlders.

But what was it going to be?

“Will you really?” Viv asked, apparently thinking the same thing Rory had been. “Or will you use the opportunity to attack the Otherworlders again?”

Hakim laughed. “Weren’t you the ones who counselled the attack on the Otherworlders the last time, if my memory serves me right?”

That led to dangerous waters, which required expert navigation.

Rory took a deep breath. “One good turn deserves another, after all.”

Another laugh from Hakim. “So be it. We will truly assist, and not try to take this as an opportunity to deceive you or launch surprise attacks on the Otherworlders.”

“And you speak for all the Homeworlders?”

There was another minor hullaballoo at that, but Hakim shushed it. “Well, I don’t speak for everyone. But I certainly have the power to sway important minds.” He cleared his throat. “For now, we’ll start looking into the matter and see what we can do. Once we have more direct information, we’ll start on getting rid of the monster itself. Toodle-oo.”

The call cut off. Rory sighed as he took a step back.

“That was brave of you to tell them outright,” Viv said.

“They were going to find out, eventually. I wanted it to be on my terms, so I could remind them they weren’t exactly on high grounds either.”

Smiling, Rory led the way back downstairs to the main hall. They had come up to the Command Centre to place the calls, just so they could get a bit of privacy and to not be distracted by the others.

The day wasn’t done though. The sun was beginning to climb down to its resting horizon, but they were still a few hours off. Rory was going to have to spend some time feeling anxious and harried. Nevertheless, it helped to keep busy. After lunch, he decided to jump into the fray of practice with the others.

Weaving Sigils to help raise the Tier of others’ Sigils helped his Sigil of Weaving to grow. Afterwards, he decided to practice with his staff as well, raising the Tiers of his Frozen Lightning and Barricading Blizzard. Maybe at a Tier like Viridian or Umber, he would have been able to trap the entire monster with a single blast of his Frozen Lightning, but Rory was ages away from something that convenient.

For now, he simply soaked up the tremors with the others as they spent some of their growing Mana stores on making themselves more powerful.

Later that day, Rory poked into the System Shop as well, to see what was available. There was the usual list of perks, crafting materials, Sigils, and decorations, but there was something new at the very end as well—Items. Rory focused on the new option, staring at it in wonder. He could finally buy Items off the Shop.

[System Shop]

Waste not, want not. Credits aren’t infinite. Purchase wisely.

Items

Fiery Whip-Sickle: If plain lashings are not enough, there’s a spicy bite at the end of this whip too [Cost: 170 Credits] Tele Oculars: Going places can be a real pain sometimes, so here’s a little something that reduces distances by making you feel as though you were there [Cost: 150 Credits]

Rory considered the choices for a moment. Cool as the Fiery Whip-Sickle sounded, the Tele Oculars would be much more useful to him. Rory didn’t have the time or energy to master a new weapon, one that didn’t even fit with his current arsenal. But the Tele Oculars sounded intriguing. If what he assumed about it was true, he would be a lot more powerful with it.

So, Rory checked to make sure he had enough credits—at 240, it was more than enough—and picked the Tele Oculars.

The item materialized in his hand. Rory had thought he’d get some sort of strange binoculars, but what he actually got was an old-fashioned spyglass, one where the different sections could be tucked into one another.

New Item!

You’ve obtained Tele Oculars. The whole world is now at your fingertips. Well, as far of the world as you can see through the Tele Oculars.

[Teal I] allows Sigil range extension by 63 meters.

Stats

Type: Utility

Rarity: Exceptional

Tier: Teal I [0%]

Efficiency: Extreme [95%]

Rory decided to check it out. He extended the spyglass to its full, telescopic length, then looked through it. A little roving around had him watching the distant rooftops of Hillhard through the palace’s driveway. He took a deep breath, then activated his Weaving, focusing on the edge of the rooftop.

Seconds later, Rory had a Sigil of Limestone in his hand. It was working.

Rory put away the Tele Oculars into his Inventory in the shirt. Huh. He wondered if filling up all the space in his Inventory would make it grow.

At some point in the afternoon, as the sunlight changed to a blaze of gold, they received another call.

“This creature, Rory…” Arelland said. For the first time since Rory had first met him, the elf sounded genuinely frightened. “I cannot begin to imagine how something like this came to be under your town.”

Rory swallowed. He was happy he, Viv, Dez, and April had taken the call to the private spot in the Command Centre again. “What did you find?”

“It is an ancient Corebeast.”

“A what?”

“Corebeasts are creatures that tend to originate at a world’s core,” Truck said. Rory stared at the donkey. When had he come up here to join them? “Forged by the incredible heat, pressure, and sheer impossibility of the heart of cosmic bodies, they are dreadful beings who seek only to free themselves from the prison of the world’s mantle.”

“What’s one doing here?” Viv asked. “Did it happen recently? Or…”

She shook her head, unable to process the implications of their new intelligence. It had to have been the system that introduced monstrous creatures like that Corebeast to the world, but if so, had it moved from the core to the crust in less than a month? That couldn’t have been right. Rory had seen a section of the creature over a week ago when they had been stuck in the sewer dungeon. The timeline made no sense.

But there were more important matters than its lore.

“I know it sounds like bad news, but what’s your assessment regarding survivability?” Rory asked. “Threat level, or something like that? Even worse than Invigilators?”

“Few things are worse than Invigilators, and this, thankfully for you, isn’t. This one is very young and did not spend enough time growing before pushing itself out. Unfortunately, it still seeks to wreak havoc over your home.”

“I understand. Now we just—”

“No, Rory.” There was a heavy gravity in the elf’s voice, a growing impression of urgency that cut past his fear. “It’s coming towards you.”

Rory froze. Those strengthening tremors. The monster, this thing called a Corebeast, it wasn’t just coming to the surface at Hillhard.

It was headed straight for Belcourt Palace.