(Ch. 14) Town of Xavier.

This team—that Sirius and others were part of, was responsible for retrieving those gem-like things from this dungeon. A mission that was significant enough that someone from Xavier had sent an assassin, Eadric, to kill them. There was some political turmoil going on inside Xavier that I didn't know of. The fact I was along with this scout team might land a target on my hand—something that was out of my hand but the main issue was I didn't have a clear picture of everything. Heck, I barely knew anything about their political landscape and that fact created a sense of unease inside that would continue stirring until I'd gained a better understanding.

Gathering more information had to be my top priority after reaching Xavier. A wrong move could have my neck severed in a place where I didn't belong to. It was something I'd learned long ago. And I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

With my new mental conviction, I walked toward Sirius along with the others. The shade under the tree was tranquil and my senses tingled as if a soft Franken feather was used to massage my body from top to bottom. Alas, the feeling dissipated the moment, I walked outside of the shade. Curious, I activated my soul vision despite the risk. Looking at the ground, I observed, as the edges of my vision turned white—whiter than the star and I felt my eyes burning.

I saw nothing just like always. But I knew something was there, and clearly, it was bondor. Bondor existed inside the shade or more precisely in the roots of the tree that snaked inside the soil. It was an assumption but with my more enhanced senses that I got after awakening, I was confident in my guess.

Not knowing my thoughts, Octus slapped my bend back. "What are you doing staring at the ground? Did the soil seduce you or something?"

Remembering how Octus could be annoying at times, I ignored him.

"I can sense an immense amount of bondor inside those shards. How is it even possible?" Darren spoke with wonder similar to a child after seeing something for the first time.

These were the times when Darren appeared more of his age than like an experienced veteran who has gone through tons of failure and learned a lot.

"Yes. Heart shard," Sirius gently rolled the shard in his hand as Darren stared at it with dancing eyes, "One of the ancient texts mentions the price of it. Normally you would have to sell a mansion or even more to buy one but now that has changed." His tone changed into that of sadness.

Most of the time Sirius barely displayed any kind of emotion. And I'd gotten used to him being the stoic one in the group. But there were times when he would show emotions—albeit a little but that's what made them more important. When a cheerful guy laughs, it seldom means anything but when a gloomy person laughs it shows how happy he is.

Unless he was faking it, Sirius genuinely seemed to desire to overcome the curse of their town.

The tree had a few more of them albeit they were darker in colour. Unlike the one Sirius plucked, the remaining ones were all musty and rotten in color. I daringly reached my hand out to one of them—my confidence coming from the fact I didn't sense any bondor presence in them, and plucked it with ease. Caressing its outer surface, I focused on the inside and found barely any trace of Gondor's unique vitality.

Bondor was a weird thing that I only experienced after coming to this world. It was energy in its purest form or so I thought. Just being surrounded by it would increase your vitality and I assumed it was probably because our body were capable of absorbing it. Did the small pores in our skin absorb bondor? I wasn't certain.

Having the shard in my hand left my hand dirty almost as if I had held coal in them.

"What are these?" I asked.

"Incomplete heart shards. You can also call them impure shards. I don't know the exact process but they are nothing but defects," Sirius answered.

"Basically a rotten fruit," Octus mused, plucking one himself and crushing it in his hands.

"Anyways, let's start moving as we are done with what we came here for. I will take the lead," Sirius said.

The chamber was mostly bare with rocks thrown in places like a giant of a giant had misplaced their toys. Opposite the entrance that we came in was another large door frame—the door was missing but it was large enough that it would easily fit a man of 10-meter height.

Sirius proposed that we take that route instead of the one that we came from and all of us agreed to it.

"Perhaps, giants exist" I mused, looking at the ceiling that was so high that the light from moonlit gems in the wall didn't reach.

"Not in Xavier. But gigantic monsters? Sure," Darren answered thoughtfully.

In the gaps in the ceiling were gleaming eyes that were staring at us. Sirius said that some spiders and bats nested in there. But it was still pretty freaky nonetheless.

It took us another hour or so to get out of the dungeon. On our way out there wasn't anything that came to threaten us. From there on it would take a couple more hours before we reached the outpost of Xavier.

The closer we got, the more an unsettling feeling took shape in my mind. I wasn't scared. But I was rather concerned about how things might turn out once I was inside. It would be difficult for me to escape from inside as I didn't know anything but worst case I might have to resort to that.

But what if they put me behind bars? It was the most concerning thought that plagued my mind. If that is the case then I'd think of a way to convince them that I was harmless and could provide information that might help them.

With those concerning thoughts, we reached the outpost of Xavier.

The gigantic grey wall was visible, towering behind the trees and the closer we went the larger it became. Watch towers were dotted along the wall that rounded around entraping the inside of Xavier. More than that was a pristine tall tower to the right, far away from us that even with my enhanced sight I could only see a blur.

The gate was made out of iron, rusty but still held its weight. Two holes were poked. Once someone from the watchtower noticed us, they blew a whistle that prompted someone to peek through the crimson eye, monitoring us.

A gruff voice boomed from behind, "Which team do you belong to?"

Sirius replied, "Team 11, returning !"

Whispers were heard behind the iron gates before the gate shuddered open. A Spartan courtyard unfolded, tents huddled like weary travelers in the biting wind. Guardsmen, their faces hidden behind weathered helms, watched us approach with eyes rock hard as if expecting us to be monsters looking to tear everything into shreds.

A young man, barely of age, rushed forward, bowing so low that his spine was straight. "Lord Sirius! Welcome back!" His voice, thick with unshed tears, resonated with an almost fanatical devotion.

Sirius clapped the boy on the shoulder along with a smile. "Good to be back, Jeremy."

Sirius withdrew a sealed letter from his pocket. "Jeremy, a favor. Deliver this to the Lord Leader, personally. Tell him it comes from me."

Jeremy's eyes widened. "But-"

"Don't worry, I'll explain to your station leader," Sirius cut him off, a hint of steel in his voice. Jeremy cowed, snatched the letter, and bolted.

We continued onward, the tension easing until we encountered a man in his late forties, his face weathered and lined. A familiar grin split Sirius's face. "Jack! Old friend!" He reached out, but Jack recoiled, a tremor running through his well-built frame.

With a guttural snarl, he unsheathed his sword, its polished blade flashing in the sunlight. "Who is this… abomination you bring?!" His voice was raw with fear and fury, his bloodlust evident in his words.

Sirius's hand froze in mid-air. "Jack, calm down. He's…" He glanced at me, then back at Jack, his eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion. "He's an outsider, Jack. The first to ever step foot in Xavier."

The sword trembled in Jack's grip, his face morphing from rage to confusion. His gaze fixated on me as if searching for the answer to a terrifying question. I met his stare, unafraid, but a knot of apprehension tightened in my gut.

This man was stronger than I was. At least by a rank.

The ground seemed to tilt beneath me as Jack lowered his sword, inch by agonizing inch. The silence pressed down, suffocating, broken only by the ragged rasp of his breath. "An outsider…" he rasped, his voice hollow. "What have you brought upon us, Sirius?"