Chapter 11 Part 2

Christopher takes a quick glance over the scene before asking, "Where is Beerwolf?" His tone inciting panic.

Jill shakily looks up at him, before darting back to the grass, clawing at it like a rabid animal.

"Jill!" Christopher yells, touching her shoulder.

This grabs her attention. She snaps her body towards him, tears trickling down her face. "I don't know. One second he was consoling me, the next he just, fell through the ground!"

"What?" Christopher takes a step back, his back colliding with Jasyn. 

"He offered his paw to help me to my feet and the next thing I know, I see him falling." Jill continues.

"Dime, he has one of you, right? Can you locate it?" Jasyn asks, his revelation a rare one indeed.

(Nebulon) You just had to go and rip him a new one, huh?

(Narrator) Guilty as charged!

"Dime?" Jasyn distresses.

(Dime) Apologies, I am attempting to locate and finding no results. There must be some block we are not aware of. This anomaly is also likely contributing to the error locating Beerwolf.

"So, in other words; you do realise it's hard for some people to read, at least add some audio function…*Inhale* So in other words, getting rid of this natural anomaly will allow us to find him?" Jill says, getting a little side tracked off the fact she has to read what Dime is saying all the time.

(Narrator) Which I must interject in saying, just fucking read it.

"The stab at my assistant aside, I couldn't say if it would do much." Christopher answers.

(Dime) I am of a similar disposition, Judging by the sliver of residue mana, this is Illusion Magic. I am, not well versed in any Illusionary Magic able to seal, or transport a person with the individual unlocatable via my Spatial Consciousness.

"This is very troubling indeed." Christopher comments, Dime catches him with a chair as Christopher sits.

(Dime) There is a 100% possibility that the me with Beerwolf will be analysing anything relating to this sudden cut from the rest of perceivable space-time.

"Could it be, a duel cast?" Christopher asks himself.

(Dime) Calculating…

(Dime) ERROR…Calculation result…IMPOSSIBLE.

(Dime) I have no records of this being a possibility. More information is required to complete calculation.

"Perhaps it's forbidden magic. Something the world powers deemed too powerful." Christopher hypothesises, furrowing his brow.

(Dime) It is a 0.87891% chance this scenario is correct. We would have no way of confirming this, without travelling outside the zone. I have reason to believe the source has moved closer to us as interference is 34% stronger since detection.

"Which means whoever did this is linked to this anomaly. Right?" Jill says.

(Dime) That is a possibility, yes.

"How probable is it?" Christopher asks. "I would assume it's high."

(Dime) Correct. The chances of this scenario being the correct one is 87.76%.

"We still don't have the upper hand with this information, but at least we can say with a bit of confidence that this is linked somehow." Christopher says. "So no rushing in to destroy this anomaly. These could also be linked with what is happening to Beerwolf."

(Narrator) So, we're waiting for those C.R.A.I.G soldiers to come back with their report.

"Wait. Tari, are you able to do anything?" Christopher asks the narrator, making Christopher look like he's talking to thin air.

(Narrator) Even if I witnessed it happen, I doubt I'd be able to interfere. I AM affected by magic, but not so much by physical matter. I can split my consciousness and phase through the earth, but apart from being able to interact with you, I'm not sure what other abilities I may have.

"Hmm. You can move at very high speeds, change colour based on expression and mood. Darn, and you can't like, cast any magic?" Christopher says quizzically.

(Narrator) I've never attempted to do so, if that's what you're asking. Since I'm basically pure magic tied to the flow of time, I would essentially be casting away my soul and whole existence.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that." Christopher mumbles.

(Dime) With current knowledge, Tari's statement is inaccurate. It is understood that everything is made of magic, even things we perceive as solid ground. It is hypothisized and tested that it is dense mana.

"There must be a reason why he can pass through matter but be affected by magic though. The only conclusion I can find is that our current understanding is false." Christopher adds.

(Nebulon) I can provide an explanation. It is both. For instance, take your Magicore-Mythril research. In your paper you concluded that Mythril is metal infused with leaking mana from Magicore. Matter can be infused with mana, it is the reason Environmental Mana Deficiency is a thing. Life can sustain in these conditions, but only for a short while.

"What the fuck was that?" Jill and Jasyn say in tandem.

(Nebulon) Ah, I realise that we have not been acquainted.

"This is Nebulon. The Void outside of spacetime that's basically a walking paradox, and the thing/person that destroyed Stocaea." Christopher says.

"Why-" Jasyn begins to ask.

"I don't know. He seems to enjoy reading the R.O.I.M.P that Tari is writing about my entire life story. Even though he paradoxically already knows and doesn't know everything." Christopher sighs. "They're a psychopath with no clear motive that has and does not have a moral ethic. Like I said, a walking paradox. Not that they walk either. Look, it's already complicated enough. You'll just have to be satisfied with the fact that they're the one who made OUR gods."

…

"My head hurts." Jill says, placing a hand on her forehead.

(Nebulon) I guess I have that effect on some people.

"All. people. I don't think there is a mortal even able to comprehend what you represent." Christopher insults.

(Narrator) Sick burn!

(Dime) Entropy?

"What?" Christopher blurts.

(Nebulon) Huh. I think that might be partially right.

"I'm so confused." Christopher shakes his head, burrowing into his knees.

(Dime) An Otherworlder came to our universe once with a book. An observation of entropy called The Gibbs Paradox. It is far beyond our scientific understanding of the universe but I believe this applies in a vague sense. It gives an example, concerning the entropy change upon mixing two gases. Whether an observer assigns an entropy increase to the process depends on their ability to distinguish the gases.

"Meaning the Void is only a paradox based on our understanding?" Christopher guesses.

(Dime) Affirmative.

"Well we all knew that…Subconsciously." Jasyn grumbles.

"Wha-?" Jill mutters, her brain practically fried from the conversation.

…

(Dime) I am sorry to cut this short but I am detecting a collection of entities moving in our direction.

"Who are they?" Christopher asks.

(Dime) I do not know. The increased disturbance is stopping me from identifying who and how many.

"Okay, I'll make it a note to see that your abilities are being hindered. Are you still able to open dimensions?" Christopher asks.

(Dime) 98% stability. It is still accessible at this time. I will tell you when it becomes too dangerous to use.

"Why don't you use your own Spatial Magic, Your Highness?" Jill asks.

"If this anomaly is interfering with Dime's, it is safe to assume the same for me as well." Christopher answers. "Ready yourselves. Be ready for anything." He says, brandishing a blue tinted Longsword accented with a gold crest on the hilt and golden feather details running along the blade.

Dime adorns Christopher with a light amount of navy blue armour with similar accents as his blade. Shoulder plates, Knee plates, and a chestplate attach themselves to him. Mythril chainmail fills in the gaps between the shoulders drooping just beyond the hips. The Chainmail is enchanted with natural element resistance giving off a rainbow tinge.

Out from an obstructed view return the Golem Staff Sergeant and her Soldiers, chipped and cracked as they float forward almost hobbling along, as the remnants of their magical energy struggle to push them forward.

Christopher lets down his guard, his, frankly ornamental blade. He is not typically opting to use a weapon. "What happened to you?" He asks in haste.

(Golem Staff Sergeant) We are, unsure.

Her monotone modulation continues to rub Christopher the wrong way as a shiver runs down his spine.

"What do you mean you're unsure?" Christopher interrogates.

(Golem Staff Sergeant) We were unable to stabilise ourselves as we got closer to investigate the anomaly. When we realised, we got ambushed by undead.

"That would be a consequence of your design I suppose. This anomaly is affecting the effectiveness of Spatial Magic, which is primarily what you rely on to move as you do." Christopher explains. "Tell us all that you observed." He ordered.

(Golem Staff Sergeant) We found the source of the, interference. It seems to be a perfectly smooth white spherical object, heavily guarded by very high ranking undead.

(Dime) This description points to few possibilities. The least probable is the birth of a new Elder Lich. It does not however account for the distortion, and the targeting of Beerwolf.

(Dime) The next is the same scenario with a patron or collaborator assisting its birth. Possibly a cult or demon.

(Dime) Or most probably, the formation of a new Dungeon is about to take place, and this 'spherical object' is its Dungeon Core. It will need to have established a Dungeon Master which may have already occurred based on the evidence.

"I agree, with Beerwolf's disappearance we can assume that this DM is behind it. Maybe to force us into fighting them." Christopher adds.

"What do you mean?" Jill asks, wiping the remnants of her tears from her eyes.

"It means they plan to kill us when we 'try' to save our Wolfman. Our deaths will easily facilitate the beginnings of a powerful Dungeon." Christopher explains.

(Dime) a single victim can generate hundreds of entities if the individual is powerful. There are examples of high ranking adventurers perishing in dungeons, temporarily making them formidable to enter. 

"So, if you two die-" Jill starts.

"Only me." Christopher butts in. "If I die here, it would probably allow them to make a mountain to make their Dungeon. Dime would disintegrate into magical power, causing all the mana stored in my dimension, and the mana holding them together to absorb into it." 

(Dime) I have accumulated enough mana to cause an explosion roughly the size of Maranus' capital city Geovana. It would kill and demolish all life in the surrounding area.

"So I need to be careful. I'll make sure every defensive spell I know is active at all times." Christopher continues.