Leuel followed a trail he had found while searching for the group. He was not aware that he was doing this because the idea had been planted in his subconscious mind to follow a series of suggestions.
He moved with an eagerness he had never felt before. Night had fallen and all around him he heard occasional sounds of collisions or creatures hunting.
However, due to the darkness, he decided to stop his march. It was difficult to follow the tracks and he had a slight sense of danger.
He tried to find a place where he would be safe during the night. As far as he knew, the nearest safe area was several hours away, so he had no choice but to quickly seek shelter.
Not wanting to stray too far from the trail, he finally decided to climb a tree and spend the night in its branches.
The sounds and constant commotion made him realize how convenient the safe zones of the portals were.
In the midst of so much tension, he was able to set a goal. First, he had to find these people and if possible capture some of the creatures he was looking for. He had not forgotten that these creatures could be part of his squad.
The problem after that was how long it would take him to gain the strength he wanted, or if these people lived in Vyndra, perhaps they lived in one of the outer colonies. That was a possibility. She knew that there were a few academies outside of Vyndra that trained the gifted in various ways, and it was possible that was why the girl had so much strength.
And I did not know how to explain it, but after thinking about it for a few hours, I could not help feeling that these people would accept it.
After a few seconds of shock, the night passed without him being able to rest. After feeding on some berries and fruits that were growing in the area, he followed the trail that was still there.
***
Deva still remembered how much he had been looking forward to meeting these creatures that had been talked about so much lately. One of the main reasons she had been chosen for this recon mission was because she could speak the common language of Vyndra fluently.
Also, in a corner of her subconscious, she wished she could find a way to escape these people. However, as the days passed, she realized that this would not be possible. She could not find a situation where she could sneak away, so she gave up.
For some reason, the system behind the AR system of this world let them in, even though it was obvious they had not entered the right way, through one of the cities of Vyndra. Like her “companions”, she also felt uncomfortable because she did not understand what the intention behind this permission was. As a result, she was unable to focus when she saw the catalog of creatures in this manner. Because of the uncertainty it caused, she was unable to seriously learn about these creatures.
-When will you catch a creature?” asked Vestra quietly and suddenly.
-…
– “It’s okay, you do not have to be afraid of us,” he commented as he placed his hand on her head.
Deva shivered without realizing it, and Vestra withdrew her hand in response. Unlike the adults who accepted her position, Deva was in the middle of her “learning process” about her place and that of her species in the Order of Delwas.
The Delwas looked human at first glance, but like everyone else, Deva quickly discovered that they were actually quite different.
He shook his head to forget those thoughts and return to the present. He could not delay capture any longer. Despite his desire, he knew that these two people were already at the edge of their patience. And their “journey” was far from over. If they were given the order, they could return today.
So she decided to look at herself, what were her current qualities. What was expected of her in the future. Her strengths were in the medium combat range. So she should look for a creature or creatures that would boost ranged and melee attacks.
There were creatures that possessed defenses that could withstand artillery attacks, and even if that was not the case, they could be equipped to make up for those deficiencies, albeit in a limited way.
After looking through the catalog again and then filtering it, he found two that could take those spots, the only problem was that there were none to be found in this area. If they traveled a few more days, there was a chance he could find them. He thought that maybe he could extend his stay in this place.
After thinking about it for a while, he told them about it. Kewol looked tired and annoyed after listening to his argument.
All right,” he said with a sigh, “we will wait for the kid and then we will go this way.
A few hours passed and finally the boy appeared.
He looked distressed and restless, and he did not seem to be in good shape.
Deva wondered if that was a result of the “guidance” Kewol had given him. A shiver ran down her spine as she guessed what would become of her if that were the case.
The boy finally calmed his breathing and looked at her urgently.
Please… Take me with you. I have been watching you and I believe that I can become stronger if I follow you.
“Do not you realize what a stupid thing you are doing?”
Remembering again what the adult had done to the boy to make him act like this, Deva became afraid of Kewol again. Earlier she had imagined what would have become of her if he had done the same to her, but now she doubted it would have actually happened or if perhaps she was simply unaware of the brainwashing.
For a few minutes, thoughts like that swirled around in his head. So he was not paying attention to what was going on around him.
***
Leuel suddenly did not quite understand what he was doing and saying. An uneasiness hovered in his chest, but as he began to explore within himself what was going on, the man approached him and touched his head.
Suddenly everything became clearer to him. He did not know why he had hesitated a few moments ago, he had to get these people to let him accompany them.
-I understand, you can follow us. I understand, you can follow us,” he said indifferently after touching his head.
Yes, thank you…
A few days passed.
Leuel and Deva managed to catch creatures that covered their mistakes. Also, Kewol gave Leuel some tips on how to control the Gift.
They were exercises the boy could not recognize due to his inexperience and the conditioning he had given him, and they were different from what was taught in Vyndra.
The vyndra gifted learned to control their gift based on logic and knowledge, that was universal. Kewol, too, learned and continued to learn in this way. But his owners also taught him that emotions could shape and influence his ability. Thus, he was able to develop the “mental infection”.
In Vyndra, this fact is ignored. Although many gifted people grew up as a result, since it was not common knowledge, these users were simply referred to as geniuses or people who saw their efforts rewarded.
Kewol still remembered how one of his teachers spoke of how it was now possible for the gifted to realize certain ideas contained in the ancient philosophies of the world from which the people came. His constant remarks about how humans did not understand what it was like to be part of the universe still echoed in his mind, but he was aware of how true his words were.
As the days passed, Leuel’s objectivity was taken over by Kewol. The constant use of the ability was wearing too much on the man, but thanks to the fact that his target was only a child, the effect was devastating.
Now Leuel was left with only the driving force behind his actions. The desire for revenge for his friends became a desire for strength and what to do with Vyndra was foreign to him.
Still, it was funny to see a child obsessed with power, even if it was his own fault. It was time to go back. There was the fact that they could enter this world without receiving punishment for whatever was controlling them to report.
And most importantly, the danger and opportunity that the creatures represented.
What these capricious beings would do with this information worried Kewol.
***
As the group advanced to the next portal, they heard rumors of a group of creatures spreading out with a strange pattern of black veins that were particularly powerful.
If Leuel had been in his right mind, he would have linked this directly to the creature involved in the invasion.
Kewol simply thought it was some sort of event, considering the supposedly playful origin of these creatures.
Therefore, he did not attach any significance to it.
And that was why he did not notice the black veins that the creatures they were now dealing with had. Or perhaps he believed that it was simply a feature of the fauna of this world.
But he was aware of how strong they were. Little by little the creatures began to gain ground, it was complicated to deal with so many attacks.
The fact that the children had creatures was something that relieved some of the pressure of the constant attacks.
At another time, I would have considered this situation good entertainment. Now, consciously and subconsciously, all he wanted was to get out of here and back to a reality where he could, one way or another, measure the greatness of those who ruled him.
Which he could not do with the one who ruled this world.
Eleven year old Leuel could barely react to what was happening. Blows that shattered rocks and trees like they were nothing were followed by jets of water with enough pressure to cut things. If nothing else, jets of water followed with enough pressure to cut things.
Some creatures shot flames from their mouths and others grew stone spears from the ground to hold them in place or hit blind spots.
Roars, curses, and words of ecstasy could be heard from the creatures attacking them.
He could barely give orders to his creatures. He had not even named them yet, and everything that had happened in the last few days he could barely explain.
All he knew was that when they reached the portal, he would go to the place where he would become stronger.
And they were getting closer and closer to that goal. He endured the pain, the blows, the cuts. The portal was only a few more feet away.
As soon as they set foot in the area around the portal, the creatures stopped attacking him. They just grinned and walked away with bored faces.
Kewol began to manipulate his bracelet and see everything he saw in his vision via AR.
A few minutes later the light and color of the portal changed a little, the man sighed in relief and nodded to his companion.
“Come,” he said quietly, stepping through the portal. The woman signaled him to follow her, the girl gave him a pitying look and continued walking.
His creatures looked at him expectantly, waiting for Leuel to say something to them, but he paid them little heed and simply walked towards the portal.
