At Starlight Torch Tower, Kano finished his brunch in the dining hall. Instead of heading down, he stepped into a private elevator.
The elevator scanned Kano’s Red Light Mage Badge and ascended silently and smoothly to the top floor of the Starlight Torch Tower.
Except for the King’s birthday, when it was used for other purposes, this place ordinarily served as the Magic Guild’s Observatory.
"Is last night’s astronomical data compiled yet?" It was now noon. The equipnt, especially the Stargazing Mirror’s lens, had already been cleaned and maintained. Another team was busy calculating and drawing last night’s star chart.
"Master Kano, you’re here." A man with thinning hair walked over and handed Kano a star chart with a blue background. "I was just about to report to you. Last night’s star chart deviated from the norm by at least five points. We suspect there’s a problem with the equipnt and that it needs an inspection..."
Kano didn’t agree right away. He took the data, examined it carefully, and asked, "What were the weather conditions like yesterday?"
"Excellent, just like most winter days. The cloud cover was thin, and visibility was high."
"Get a chronological chart of the planet’s positioning. Hmm... I want a comparison between last night and the sa period from before."
"Yes, one mont..."
The positioning chart showed that the astral phenona began to deviate from their usual trajectory around 2:00 AM, and the deviation was steadily increasing.
"I’m taking this chart. The equipnt should be fine."
Kano turned to leave in a hurry, but before he left, the man in charge couldn’t help but ask, "Master, what’s causing this deviation?"
"A Transmuting Dust current!"
Transmuting Dust, which enveloped the celestial bodies, floated in the void. It was normally only subject to the push and pull of the stars’ gravity and magnetic fields, and on an astronomical scale, the entire material plane could be considered stationary. But what if it started to flow?
Although it was still unclear what kind of Mighty Power was driving it, Kano’s long-term research led him to suspect that long-distance Teleportation Magic across the entire world might be disrupted.
Inside the research institute, Pascal was scrambling around the hall with a stack of docunts. The mont Kano walked in, Pascal caught him. "Teacher, the Magic Guild’s mail teleportation matrix is completely out of alignnt today! They were hoping you could go take a look..."
"I know, I know. I’m not going. There’s sothing more important right now. It’s a Transmuting Dust torrent."
"A Transmuting Dust current?" Pascal, who had participated in the research, understood what this ant. "The sub-plane where junior brother is..."
Kano waved his hand dismissively and walked further inside. He needed to find Snow, and many others. "Where’s Granor? Did you see that old coot at the Magic Guild?"
"Master Granor is probably at the Masons’ Guild..."
"Get him here! And tell him to bring the schematics for that Teleportation Array!" Kano began to roar. "If he doesn’t want his precious son to turn into a puddle of mush in that godforsaken place, tell him to get over here now! And Snow, Snow! Fill the Steam Engine’s boiler and fire it up!"
...
Within the sub-plane, Rorschach and all the other Casters could clearly feel the Ether concentration rising again.
They felt as if they were imrsed in boiling water. The active ambient Ether continuously assaulted and disrupted their own Endogenous Magic Power, making many of them extrely uncomfortable. Rorschach, however, was an exception. He had experienced this sensation before, and with the aid of "Magic Control," the ambient Ether around him was "tad" and remarkably docile.
’The Deer-headed God called us "Exorcists." I suppose it makes sense, looking at it this way.’
The rising Ether concentration was like the first surge of waves before a tsunami. "URGH—" So of the apprentices, feeling extrely unwell, began to dry heave.
"What’s wrong with you all? Have you forgotten the first lesson for a Mage?" Seeing the apprentices’ severe reactions, Yina’s temper flared. "Maintain the rhythm of your breathing and actively direct the ambient Ether! Don’t just let it batter and assault your minds!"
anwhile, François, the only son of Grand Master Granor, had already morized the return Teleportation Array. He walked up to the massive Magic Array they had used to arrive. Yesterday’s earthwork had sowhat blurred the pattern. François quickly cleared the lines and restored the missing parts.
"This intense?" The concentration of Ether in the environnt still exceeded François’s expectations. Just by connecting the first circuit, an Ether vortex ford and began trying to tear space apart.
François channeled his own Magic Power to neutralize the vortex and continued drawing the array.
"It’s done. You two, let’s try it together."
Rorschach and Yina took their places on either side of François along the edge of the array. As they directed the flow of ambient Ether according to the circuits, the Magic Array gradually lit up and began to erupt with blue light.
"Sothing’s wrong. This isn’t normal." François looked panicked. He had an apprentice extend a wooden stick into the blue light. The stick was instantly flung back out, the part that had entered shattered to pieces.
"It failed. Let’s organize everyone and prepare to take shelter," Yina judged calmly. "Rorschach, François, organize the apprentices and workers first. Have them bring food. Don’t cause a panic. I’ll try to contact the team leader again."
"Okay." "As you wish, my lady."
Elsewhere, Nemo had also realized the gravity of the situation. He and Yina had each cast and controlled the Secret Magic Marks for half of the expedition team. Now, his connection to the Brass Hand Cards was growing faint.
"Teacher, the Ether concentration is still rising sharply," said one of Nemo’s apprentice team mbers, who was also his own student. He was carrying a lot of surveying equipnt, including an Ether-concentration ter that was about to go off the scale—to a value that should be impossible on this plane.
"Is anyone feeling particularly unwell? Distribute the herbal candies."
"Right."
Nemo thought for a mont. "Rest here for five minutes. Pack up all equipnt, distribute the herbal candies and water, and prepare for a forced march. Any supplies that will slow us down are to be left here."
The apprentice realized sothing was seriously wrong. "Yes, sir." Everyone began to move faster.
Another apprentice, who was carrying the communication device, received a signal and transcribed it. "Teacher, I’ve got a signal from the base, but there’s heavy interference."
Nemo took the transcription, his brow tightening. "Heaven-sent... disaster... teleportation fai—"
It wasn’t hard to guess they wouldn’t be able to return. Nemo surveyed his surroundings. They were in a valley with a massive fissure nearby.
After so consideration, Nemo said to the communications officer, "Transmit this ssage exactly as I say it. Send it three tis."
Yina had an identical receiving device. It had originally been kept in her cave dwelling, but she had moved it outside to get a better signal.
After gathering the apprentices, Rorschach found Yina to discuss their next move. He saw that besides its intricate Magic Circuits, the device’s core was sothing he was very familiar with—a crystal pillar of clear Vibrating Quartz. It was fixed at both ends and wound entirely with Secret Silver Thread.
"A product being tested by the Alchemy Association."
The Vibrating Quartz crystal seed to receive a signal, and an extended strand of Secret Silver Thread began to vibrate along with it. Yina dipped its tip in ink, and the vibrations dotted a pattern onto a steadily rotating paper tape.
She removed the tape to translate it, frowning. "There’s too much background noise. The ambient Ether is too turbulent." After a mont, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Nemo sent it three tis."
My team’s position. Giant cave. Can shelter. Two hours.
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